Toyota announced last week that it will be recalling 550,000 cars worldwide. Nearly 447,000 of the vehicles were sold within the United States.

Models with the malfunction include the 2004-2005 Camry, 2006 Highlander HV, and the 2004 Avalon. Lexus models are also affected; the 2004-2005 RX330 and ES330 and 2006 RX400h are being recalled.

The automaker says that a malfunction could cause problems with the power steering pump, making steering very difficult. No injuries or accidents have been reported due to this malfunction.

Toyota has been hurt by its string of recalls, this one being the third one just this year. In the first two months of 2011, Toyota and Lexus recalled nearly 3.9 million vehicles. The Japanese automaker announced a 18.5% drop in profits from July-September.

If you or someone you love has been injured by an auto defect, contact the Appleton vehicle defect attorneys of Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C. at 800-242-2874.