The recall was meant to exchange parts used in the fuel control system and pipes, which may cause fuel leaks, the auto giant said.

Toyota said it planned to recall 277,074 passenger cars of eight models, including the crown luxury Sedan, produced in Japan between September 1999 and October 2004.

It will also recall 120,406 cars of various models due to malfunction of fuel pumps, and 74,347 cars to change defective parts in the steering system.

Toyota said it had exported some 680 other cars with similar troubles to more than five countries, including Australia, South America and China. These could also be recalled within the scope of regulations in each of those countries, a company spokesman said.

The "bug-ridden redesigns" have caused Toyota Motor to drop unexpectedly to third, from first, in the annual vehicle reliability rankings of the Consumer Reports magazine.

The magazine removed high-end versions of three Toyota models — the Camry and Lexus GS sedans and the Tundra pickup - from its list of recommended vehicles, released yesterday, and said it would stop recommending new or redesigned Toyota vehicles without data showing that past years'' versions were reliable.

The finding is the latest bump in the road for Toyota, whose sterling reputation for vehicle quality helped it surpass General Motors this year to become the world''s largest automaker.

The number of vehicle recalls by Toyota has surged even as several top executives left its American operation in recent months for positions with the Detroit automakers.

Meanwhile, Consumer Reports praised what it said were steady increases in the quality of vehicles made by Ford Motor, which is grappling with poor sales and billions of dollars in losses.

Toyota, which is on course to overtake US giant General Motors this year as the world''s top selling automaker, announced several large recalls last year, prompting a renewed push by executives to resolve quality issues.

The Japanese automaker also recalled more than half a million pickup and Sport Utility Vehicles in the United States in January this year.