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driving it home

2010 Toyota Matrix

Okay, so Toyota Motor is having a bad year. Last month's recall of Corolla and Matrix cars for engine stalling pushed Toyota's safety recalls close to six million vehicles so far this year, and more than 10 million in the U.S. alone for 2009-2010 combined, reports Automotive News.

That's the most in a year for any auto maker since 2004, notes the publication, but hardly the worst year ever. According to a review of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, the one-year record for recalls belongs to Ford: 21.4 million vehicles in 1981 for automatic transmission problems. More recently, in 2004 General Motors issued 10.8 million recalls. The big problem: pickup trucks with tailgate cables that were fraying and snapping.

Toyota's reputation has been hard hit because the brand is built on a reputation for quality and safety. Recalls, especially a massive number of them, hurt Toyota more than most other auto makers.

Indeed, other auto makers seem to have been flying under the radar with their recalls - not being noticed or hurt by the bad news. So just for the record, here's a list of seven other recalls announced for Canada in the last month. Not one involves Toyota. The question that comes to mind: has Toyota been unfairly singled out for criticism, or is something bigger and more industry-wide at work here?

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2009-2010 Chrysler models (3,640 vehicles): 2010 Dodge Avenger, 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2010 Jeep Commander, 2010 Dodge Nitro, 2010 Jeep Liberty, 2009-2010 Dodge Ram, 2010 Chrysler Sebring. The problem: brake issue related to the booster input rod.

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2007-2008 Honda Fit (34,881 vehicles). The problem: potential water leak in the driver's window could lead to a switch overheating.

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2001-2003 Honda models (41,685 vehicles): 2001-2002 Acura 1.7EL, 2001-2002 Accord, 2001-2002 Civic, 2002 CR-V, 2002 Odyssey, 2002 Acura TL. The problem: A potential with the air bag inflator needs to be addressed.

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2010 Mazda CX-9 (1,242 vehicles): The problem: potential corrosion in the area of the fuel filler pipe.

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2005-2010 General Motors models (256,465 vehicles): 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2005-2007 Pontiac Pursuit. The problem: A potential sudden loss of electric power steering.

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2010 Jeep Commander and Jeep Grand Cherokee (200 vehicles): The problem: improperly manufactured track bar.

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2007-2008 Honda Element and Honda Odyssey (28,817 vehicles): The problem: braking performance may be affected by air entering the brake modulator pump.

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