国际英语新闻：Toyota recalls 50,000 '03 Sequoia SUVs in U.S.

CHICAGO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Toyota Motor Corp. will recall about 50,000 2003 Sequoia SUVs to upgrade program logic in its Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system, Toyota said on its website on Wednesday.

The VSC system can help control a loss of traction in turns as a result of front or rear tire slippage during cornering. In vehicles without the upgrade, the VSC system could, in limited situations, activate at low speed (approximately 9 mph) for a few seconds after acceleration from a stopped position and, as a result, the vehicle may not accelerate as quickly as the driver expects, Toyota said.

There have been no reported injuries or accidents as a result of this condition, it said.

"Toyota is committed to investigating customer complaints more aggressively and to responding quickly to issues we identify in our vehicles. As a result, we are voluntarily launching this recall to ensure that as many 2003 Sequoias as possible are serviced to the full satisfaction of our customers," said Steve St. Angelo, Toyota chief quality officer for North America.

Toyota will replace the skid control "Electronic Control Unit" and upgrade the software.

Toyota will start notifying customers at the end of May and will cover repairs previously made since April 2002; it has fixed about half of the recalled vehicles already under warranty.

Toyota has recalled more than 6 million vehicles in the United States over sudden acceleration concerns, including 5.4 million for pedal entrapment issues.