Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it is now recalling 3.2 million vehicles worldwide to address a fuel pump issue that could result in engines stalling.

The Japanese automaker first said in January it would recall 696,000 U.S. vehicles with a fuel pump that may stop operating and lead to stalling of the engine. Dealers will replace the fuel pumps with new ones.

Toyota said the recall now covers 1.8 million U.S. Toyota and Lexus vehicles in total in the United States, including older vehicles from as far back as the 2013 model year -- and more than 1 million vehicles than it announced in January.

Toyota (TM) began a probe into the fuel pump issue in June.

The automaker told the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in January it was aware of 66 field reports and 2,571 warranty claims that relate to fuel pump failures in the vehicles initially recalled.

Owners have complained of rough engine running, engine not starting and loss of power while driving at low speeds. Toyota said the reports occurred more commonly in areas of the southern U.S. with warmer climates. (Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alexander Smith)

Earlier, the Japanese automaker said its car sales in China, the world's biggest auto market, fell 70.2% in February due to the coronavirus epidemic which has killed more than 2,900 people.

Toyota, which is the first major global automaker to report its February sales in China, said it sold 23,800 Toyota and premium Lexus cars.

According to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), China's overall passenger car sales dropped 89% in the first 23 days of February.