Photo/Illutration Denso Corp.'s headquarters in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

A single auto part has forced eight Japanese automakers to repeatedly order recalls affecting millions of vehicles around the world.

The defective fuel pump, produced by auto parts manufacturer Denso Corp., has caused engines to shut down while driving.

The automakers affected have recalled about 2.68 million vehicles in Japan since March 2020, as well as around 10 million vehicles sold abroad.

Some of the companies have submitted to the transport ministry reports of repeated recalls after additional models were found with the same problem part.

In total, 17 recalls have been announced, including by overseas subsidiaries of the Japanese automakers.

On Nov. 2, Toyota Motor Corp. and Daihatsu Motor Co. submitted a report to the ministry about a recall covering about 597,000 vehicles of 28 different models. Denso and Daihatsu belong to the Toyota group.

Ambulances and police cars were among the Toyota models.

It was the third recall by both companies over the defective fuel pump.

Officials of the automakers said they decided to expand the range of models covered by the recall when they were examining the problem.

When automakers announced the recalls, they did not specify which company made the defective fuel pump.

But in response to questions from The Asahi Shimbun, Denso officials acknowledged that the company made the fuel pump for the 2.68 million vehicles covered by the 17 recalls.

One official said Denso does not normally disclose that its part caused a recall because the company is not in a position to respond to recall decisions made by automakers.

Transport ministry officials said defects in the plastic impeller in the fuel pump led to problems in sending fuel to the engine. In the worst-case scenario, a vehicle can suddenly stop because of engine failure caused by a lack of gasoline.

The eight automakers have received a total of around 2,700 complaints from customers about engine failure.

The 2.68 million vehicles covered by the recalls in Japan were manufactured between September 2013 and September 2020.

In September 2022, Denso sold off its fuel pump division to another parts manufacturer also belonging to the Toyota group.

Denso reported about 6.4 trillion yen ($42.6 billion) in sales in the fiscal year ending in March 2023.

It issued a statement apologizing to users of the affected vehicles.

Automobile critic Mitsuhiro Kunisawa said it was surprising that a fuel pump could cause such a large recall because its structure is comparatively simple.

“The automakers likely tried to pinpoint the cause of the problem, but their inability to come up with the proper response likely led to the extensive number of recalls,” Kunisawa said.

The recalls over the fuel pump have now extended for three years and eight months.

“The timing and conditions for defects arising are very complicated,” a transport ministry official said. “While automakers announce recalls based on what they know at the time, the passage of time has led to other problems being discovered in different models.

“We get the impression the automakers are having a difficult time dealing with this problem.”

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