Prius Recall: Japanese News Service Says Brake Recall Coming For Prius

Toyota, according to Japan’s Nikkei news wire, reports that the company is preparing to recall 270,000 Hybrid Priuses in Japan and the U.S. to correct software in the braking system – a tremendous blow to Toyota’s image.

The world’s largest car maker has not confirmed or denied the report involving its flagship car – the vehicle it has touted from the advanced technology. Toyota and U.S. safety officials have received more than 100 complaints from drivers discovered a lag in the anti-lock brakes engaging at low speeds on bumpy or icy roads.

Worse yet, Toyota is seen as dragging its feet to correct the braking problem as well as to correct life-threatening issues with more than 4 million of its other cars, which can accelerate on their own and be difficult to slow down. Totoya has known for months about potential safety issues which allegedly has resulted in fatal accidents.

It’s making people like Peggy Allen of Cheshire nervous about their Toyota vehicles, which not long ago were considered among the safest and best-built cars in the world.

So when Peggy Allen told me that Toyota of Wallingford called her right after buying the Toyota RAV-4 last month to tell her not to worry because her model was not being recalled, I told her to get it in writing. She and other should demand a letter from Toyota dealers that their vehicles do not have an acceleration or brake problem – whether or not they are on any recall list.

It’s not that I don’t trust Toyota of Wallingford. I have never heard of a complaint about the dealership. As a matter of fact in the four years I have been writing a Watchdog column I have never had one complaint about a Toyota dealer. But it’s time for verification.

What concerns me is that every day there are new accusations and new admissions by Toyota that the problems are worse than previously disclosed. It’s that kind of mindset that suggests that there are still more problems left to uncover.

I recommend that all Toyota owners and those who lease Toyota cars involved in the recalls to get them fixed. And once the repair has been made, follow the news carefully to make sure these fixes actually take care of the problems.

If your model was not on a recall list but your Toyota has the electronic throttle, also keep track of the news.

And if your vehicle does accelerate on its own, know what to do: put the car into neutral, step on the brake (DO NOT PUMP THE BRAKE). If that doesn’t stop the car, turn off the engine and get the car off the road. You will lose some power assist without the engine, but you will be able to steer your car, according to mechanics that have been interviewed on TV.

Toyota said Friday that its 1,200 dealership nationwide have received the parts needed to fix the accelerator pedals and that repairs have begun. The company said that the actual repair takes about 30 minutes of work.

The company also announced that it has begun mailing letters to owners of recalled vehicles to let them know when to bring their vehicles into a dealership. Owners will only receive a letter if their vehicle is involved in the recall. Upon receipt of a notification letter, owners will be asked to contact a local Toyota dealership to schedule an appointment to have their vehicle fixed.

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive, and we are determined to live up to the high standards people have come to expect from Toyota over the past 50 years,” said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer, Toyota Motor Sales. “Everyone at Toyota is focused on making this recall simple and trouble-free for our customers,” he said.

“We’re working hard to ensure that our dealers have the resources and support they need to make sure our customers get their cars fixed quickly,” Lentz added. “The parts have been shipped, the dealers are trained, and they are already making the repairs. Many of our dealers are working extended hours – some 24/7– and adding service technicians and other staff to complete the recall campaign as conveniently as possible. I appreciate the efforts that our dealers are making to take care of Toyota owners.”

Toyota said that it will offer extended service hours, with some dealerships staying open 24 hours a day until all the repairs have been completed.

The following vehicles are subject to the recalls:

• Certain 2009-2010 RAV4

• Certain 2009-2010 Corolla

• 2009-2010 Matrix

• 2005-2010 Avalon

• Certain 2007-2010 Camry

• Certain 2010 Highlander

• 2007-2010 Tundra

• 2008-2010 Sequoia

Further, Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) that begin with “J” are not affected by the accelerator pedal recall, Toyota said.

Meanwhile, lawyers across the country have filed or are in the process of filing dozens of lawsuits seeking class action status on behalf of Toyota owners to recoup the financial losses for what is expected to be the devaluation of the worth of the vehicles. Then there will be shareholder suits.

Odds are that the lawsuits will end up costing Toyota more money than the recalls.

But the cost to its reputation will be the biggest loss. It took a lot of hard work for Toyota to change its image of making tin can cars to vehicles people could depend on to keep their value and save their lives. Regaining that trust will take years.

Similar Posts:

• Prius Recalls: Red-faced Toyota Executives Finally Issue Recalls For Prius Brake Problems
• Toyota Investigation Moving To Electrical System
• Toyota Now Evaluating Prius Brake Issue
• Toyota Recalls Another 400,000 Luxury Cars
• Toyota Ready To Fix Sticky Gas Pedal Issue This Week

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