Toyota recalls 1.1 million cars for stalling engine; 15th recall in 2010

In its fifteenth recall of the year, Japanese automaker Toyota announced on Thursday that it would recall 1.13 million cars for problems related to a stalling engine.

The news comes shortly after regulators for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration upgraded its investigation into the problem. The agency first opened an investigation into the problem in December.

The recall covers the 2005 through 2008 Corolla sedan and Matrix hatchback. Since November, Toyota has recalled some 11 million vehicles worldwide. Eight million of those were for acceleration problems.

Toyota said the problem stemmed from the poor manufacture of the vehicles' engine control modules. According to the company, this allowed cracks to develop at solder points or in the circuit board's protective coating.

The news just the latest chapter in the automotive industry's battle to ensure quality across its supply chains: Nissan, GM, Honda and Chrysler have all recalled vehicles this year for similar issues.

Toyota says its dealers will replace the control modules, which were made by Troy, Mich.-based Delphi.

The company said it was aware of three crashes linked to a stalled engine, one of which resulted in a minor injury.