Celica and Cobalt Recall to Fix Daytime Running Lights

DETROIT December 1, 2004; Reuters reported that Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. recalling 92,577 of its Celica cars in the United States to fix a problem with their daytime running lamps, federal safety regulators said on Wednesday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the recall, involving Celicas from the 2000 and 2001 model years, was ordered because the running lamps are too bright and fail to conform with federal motor vehicle safety standards.

A similar recall affects 1,378 all-new Cobalt compact cars from General Motor Corp.'s Chevrolet division, NHTSA said.

It said a bulb shield in the Cobalt's headlamps, which prevents them from causing excessive glare for oncoming drivers, can loosen or break due to vibration, increasing the risk of a crash.