TIMELINE-Global recalls in the auto industry

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said it was recalling nearly half a million of its flagship Prius and other hybrid cars for braking problems as it seeks to address criticism over the handling of its worst safety crisis. [ID:nSGE61800X]

The move came on the heels of problems with sticking accelerator pedals and floormats that spiralled into a recall of over 8 million vehicles worldwide.

For more stories on Toyota, click on [ID:nN27231388]

Following are details on previous major auto recalls:

1971 - General Motors [GM.UL] recalls 6.7 million vehicles due to engine mounts that separated from the vehicle and impacted the throttle.

1981 - GM recalls 5.8 million vehicles due to loose suspension bolts that affected steering.

1996 - Ford (F.N) recalls more than 8 million vehicles to replace defective ignition switches that could have led to electrical shorts and engine fires.

July 1998 - GM recalls close to 1 million Cadillac, Pontiac and Chevrolet cars because of fears the air bags may have deployed by accident.

Aug. 2000 - Japanese tyre maker Bridgestone Corp (5108.T) recalls 14.4 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness tyres of certain sizes installed on Ford Motor Co.'s Explorer SUVs and sold separately in stores. The recall applied to all tyres produced at the company's Firestone U.S. division.

2004 - GM recalls nearly 4 million pickups because of corroding tailgate cables.

April 2005 - GM recalls more than 2 million vehicles to fix a variety of potential safety defects, most of them on cars and trucks sold in the U.S., which includes 1.5 million full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles from the 2003 to 2005 model years with second-row seat belts that GM says may be difficult to properly position across passengers' hips. Oct. 2005 - Toyota recalls about 1.41 million cars globally, including the Corolla and 15 other models, due to trouble with their headlight switching systems.

Dec. 2007 - Chrysler LLC recalls 575,417 vehicles as long-term wear on the gear shift assembly could cause them to shift out of park without the key in the ignition. The recall involved 2001 to 2002 model-year Dodge Dakota pickup trucks, Durango sports utility vehicles and Ram van models and 2002 model-year Ram pickup trucks.

Aug. 2008 - GM recalls 857,735 vehicles equipped with a heated windshield-wiper fluid system in the United States after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said a short-circuit in the system may cause other electrical features to malfunction, increasing the risk of a fire. Sept. 2009 - Toyota recalls approximately 3.8 million vehicles in the United States because of floor mats that can come loose and force down the accelerator. The problem is suspected in crashes that killed a total of five people.

Oct. 2009 - Ford completes a series of recalls affecting 14 million vehicles over what it says was a faulty cruise control deactivation switch made by Texas Instruments TXN.N. The latest recall involves some 4.5 million vehicles. Texas Instruments says the swtich, made by a former business unit, is not the "root cause" of the fires and that a 2006 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation had concluded that there were multiple factors involved. Jan. 2010 - Honda (7267.T) recalls 646,000 of its Fit/Jazz and City automobiles globally over a faulty window switch after a child died the previous year when a fire broke out in one of its cars the previous year.

-- Toyota issues a series of recalls covering 5.6 million vehicles in the United States due to sudden acceleration in some vehicles. It is the largest ever recall for Toyota and among the biggest for an automaker in U.S. history. -- France's PSA Peugeot Citroen recalls nearly 100,000 Peugeot 107s and Citroen C1s as they have the same accelerator-related problems afflicting Toyota.

Feb. 2010 - Toyota recalls 437,000 units of its 2010 Prius, Sai, Prius PHV (plug-in hybrid) and Lexus HS250h hybrids globally, including 155,000 in North America, 223,000 in Japan and 53,000 in Europe. It brings the total number of vehicles the world's largest automaker has recalled over the last two months to 8.5 million vehicles. (Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; editing by Karen Foster)