Toyota recalls a million Prius vehicles citing a fire risk

Toyota is recalling about a million Prius hybrid vehicles from around the world due to a “fire risk” caused by a wiring issue that generates heat. Of the million cars, 192,000 of them are in the US.

If you own a Prius manufactured between mid-2015 and May 2018, check with a Toyota dealer to see if your vehicle has the wiring issue. Affected vehicles will be fixed for free.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the company said it discovered an issue with the engine wire harness which puts the car at risk of fire.

Jean-Yves Jault, a Toyota spokesman, said the issue affected vehicles produced in Japan between June 2015 and May 2018.

Jault said the vehicles included the plug-in version of the Prius and the C-HR compact crossover SUV sold in Japan, Europe, Australia and some other countries.

According to the spokesman, the wire harness which connects to the hybrid power control unit can come into contact with the covering at the connection point in the affected cars.

“If dust accumulates on the wire harness or the cover, the insulation on the wires could wear down over time due to vehicle vibrations,” the company said.