Toyota recalls 437,000 Prius cars as Lexus sucked in
Toyota confirmed this morning it is recalling about 437,000 Prius and other hybrid cars worldwide to fix brake problems — the latest in a string of embarrassing safety problems at the world's largest carmaker.
The recall affects 8,500 Prius models in Britain made before January 27 and centres on concerns over the software governing the braking system on slick surfaces.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda said: "We have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority."
Earlier today Toyota officials went to Japan's Transport Ministry to formally notify officials the company is recalling the 2010 Prius gas-electric hybrid — the world's top-selling hybrid car — and two other hybrid models - the the Lexus HS 250 and the Toyota Sai.
The Lexus hybrid is sold in the United States and the Sai saloon is marketed only in Japan.
It is understood that Toyota’s luxury brand has been dragged into the crisis because the Lexus HS 250 hybrid is essentially built on the same platform as the third-generation Prius and shares the same software fault.
About 15,500 Lexus hybrids have been sold since the model was introduced last summer. Both it and the Prius are built in Japan.
The Prius and the Lexus hybrid became the subjects of a class-action lawsuit in Canada last week, which claims that the vehicles’ brake systems are defectively designed. That suit is separate from more than 30 other actions that have been initiated across North America over sudden acceleration in Toyotas that has been blamed on faulty throttle pedals. Claims allege that 19 deaths are related to the issue.
In Japan Toyota has recalled nearly 200,000 Priuses sold from April last year until yesterday, according to papers the carmaker filed with the ministry.
There have been nearly 200 complaints in Japan and the US of drivers experiencing a short delay before the brakes kick in. The delay does not indicate a brake failure.
A fix requires new software that oversees the controls of the antilock brakes, the papers say.
Toyota had earlier said a fix was already in cars in production starting late last month, but it was unclear if the recall includes those cars as well.
“We have decided to do a recall,” said Hiroyuki Yokoyama, a Toyota manager, as he handed papers for the recall to a government official. “We will do our best to regain customers' trust.”
The news follows last month’s recall of eight million Toyotas over fears of accelerator pedal defects in several models. In Britain, the owners of 180,000 Toyotas have been told that their cars may have problems which lawyers in the US claim have led to 19 deaths.
Times Online 09-02-2010