Toyota has announced another wave of recalls following concerns that faulty window switches could get jammed or break down in the driver's and passenger's side. The Japanese car manufacturer has also warned that owners should not attempt to resolve the situation with commercial lubricants because they can potentially “lead to overheating and/or melting of the switch assembly”.

The recall will affect around 1.39 million vehicles in Europe, 2.47 million in the US and 1.4 million in China. Toyota claims there have been no accidents as a result of the switch problem.

The new wave of recalls comes two months after the company announced the inclusion of two more models in the 2009 recall announced after floor mats became trapped under the accelerator. This fault has been linked to dozens of accidents. Around 12 million vehicles have been recalled worldwide because of the floor mats.

Since 2009 Toyota has been plagued with quality issues. There is speculation that the company's fast growth may have compromised its relationship with suppliers and caused an unintentional downgrade in quality.

Toyota maintains that the recalls are voluntary and that it takes a responsible company to quickly identify and rectify safety issues.