The crisis facing Japanese car manufacturers deepened today (25 Feb 2010) after new vehicle recalls were announced.

The crisis facing Japanese car manufacturers deepened today after new vehicle recalls were announced.

Nissan, Japan's third-biggest automaker, said it would will recall 76,415 cars across 10 models in Japan and 2,281 cars overseas due to a possible defect that may cause engine failure.

Suzuki Motor, Japan's No. 4 car maker, said in a separate filing that it would recall 432,366 units of two minicar models in Japan after two reported incidents of fire due to a possible defect in air conditioners.

The recalls come amid heightened scrutiny of car safety following the recall of more than 8 million cars by industry leader Toyota.