Toyota Adds Hybrids to Recall List
Posted February 9, 2010 11:29 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The trouble continues for automaker Toyota, with the announcement Tuesday the company is recalling 437,000 2010 Prius models and other hybrid vehicles worldwide to fix brake problems.
This Prius recall will be the third in the last several months by Toyota. In this case, it will affect more than 300,000 vehicles worldwide and 2,000 cars in Canada.
Also being recalled are two of the companies other hybrid models, the Lexus HS250h sedan and the Sai, a sedan only sold in Japan.
Officials say there have been nearly 200 complaints in Japan and the U.S. of drivers experiencing a short delay before the car’s braking system kicks in. Transport Canada says customer complaints regarding the 2010 Prius have shot up to 21 from six last week.
In addition, the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may be widening the investigation into Toyota, after receiving 76 complaints about the electric power steering in 2009 and 2010 model-year Corollas.
With more than 8.5 million vehicles now recalled globally, the crisis has reached a boiling point for the embattled carmaker. Japan’s transport minister is publicly criticising the company for being too slow to respond, saying consideration for customers was lacking. For his part, Toyota’s president promises to redouble its commitment to quality as the lifeline of the company.
