Toyota has said it will recall 2.7 million cars worldwide because of problems with the steering wheel and water pump system, according to BBC News.

The recall affects nine models, including the Toyota Corolla and the second-generation Prius. It comes four weeks after the firm recalled more than seven million vehicles worldwide, including some Corolla and Camry models, over faulty window switches.

Joichi Tachikawa, a spokesman for Toyota, Japan's biggest carmaker, told the BBC that the problem with the steering wheel was to do with "insufficient hardness of the steering shaft".

He explained that due to this, the splines which connect the extension shaft to the gearbox may deform if the steering wheel is "frequently and forcefully turned to the full lock position while driving at a very slow speed".

"This may create an increased backlash and the splines may eventually wear out over time, which could result in loss of steering ability," he added.

However, Tachikawa said that no accidents due to this fault had been reported so far.