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Posts Tagged ‘Scion’

Toyota Prius Brake Problems Latest Outrage

February 5th, 2010 by Matthew C. Keegan | 3 Comments | Filed in Autos Express

Brake problems are emerging with the 3rd generation Toyota Prius.

Toyota owners, and for that matter Lexus and Scion owners, should be outraged at the way that the Toyota Motor Corporation has responded in the wake of known engineering and technology glitches which have caused numerous accidents that have injured or killed many. Evidence is emerging that Toyota knew about its gas pedal problems as far back as early 2007, but now a new problem is emerging: the latest generation hybrid Prius may have brake problems.

Slipping Brakes

The problem with the Toyota Prius surfaced when customers began to complain of brakes slipping under certain conditions. Beginning in late January, Toyota tweaked the software controlling the brakes of cars which had yet to be sold, but they still have not offered a fix for customers who already own the car. The third generation Prius has been available since early 2009.

Complaints from American drivers have been sent to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA) who has been behind a pair of investigations related to the runaway Toyota issue. Japan’s Ministry of Transportation is also investigating Prius complaints logged by Japanese drivers.

SayEducate first mentioned the runaway Toyota issue last November on the heels of an ABC News investigative report detailing several fatal accidents and incidents involving runaway Toyotas and the fatal runaway Lexus case last summer. Since then, numerous media outlets have helped put pressure on the NHTSA to follow through, with the federal government ordering Toyota to stop selling eight affected models.

ABS Braking

According to Automotive News, Toyota Managing Officer Hiroyuki Yokoyama said yesterday that the slipping feeling is caused by a lag time in the shift between the car’s regenerative braking system and the antilock braking system.

That situation has become most apparent on slippery or bumpy roads particularly in December as icy road conditions resulted in more frequent use of ABS braking. Yokohama added, “When ABS comes into play, you may feel a little bit of slip, but if you continue to apply the brake it will work. It may cause customers a little unease.”

Millions Recalled

Toyota’s problems continue to mount and has extended recalls to cover more cars than it sold last year. Thus far, at least eight million vehicles in North America, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere are subject to a recall, with fixes ranging from replacing the driver’s floor mat to swapping out the accelerator pedal.

Those repairs are expected to begin by early next week with all cars serviced within the next few months.

Meanwhile, not selling its eight affected models has hurt Toyota financially. According to the Detroit Free Press, the automaker is losing $100 million daily with no date set when the company can fully resume sales.

Photo Source: Wikipedia file photo


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Toyota Suspends Sale of 8 Models

January 29th, 2010 by Matthew C. Keegan | 1 Comment | Filed in Autos Express

Japanese automaker sounds the alarm

Toyota Tundra

This beefy Tundra pick up is one of 8 affected models being recalled and pulled from the market.

Last November Say Educate reported that the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) was coming to grips with a problem which revealed that several of its cars were involved in serious accidents due to one or more defects. Those accidents have reportedly killed or injured hundreds of people, leading to ABC News and other media outlets to launch their own investigation.

Defective Accelerators

We followed up that earlier report with news that Toyota would be replacing gas pedals on affected models, recalling millions of cars. But that recall may only be the tip of the iceberg as TMC has now suspended the sale of eight of its models. What is more, the eight affected car lines account for 57 percent of Toyota’s sales which means that until a solution is found, then Toyota sales will grind to a slow crawl.

TMC has yet to announce how they will handle a recall which may replace floor mats, gas pedals, or both on certain cars. Indeed, reports this week in Thursday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal indicate that current owners do not know what to do with some people choosing to keep their cars off the road until Toyota offers clarification.

Eight Toyotas

The affected models being recalled and part of the stop sale initative include:

  • 2009-2010 RAV4
  • 2009-2010 Corolla
  • 2009-2010 Matrix
  • 2005-2010 Avalon
  • Certain 2007-2010 Camry
  • 2010 Highlander except hybrid models
  • 2007-2010 Tundra
  • 2008-2010 Sequoia

Unaffected Models

TMC was quick to point out that no vehicles sold under its two other brands, Lexus and Scion, are affected. Nor are other Toyota models including the Tacoma, Yaris, certain Camrys, Venza, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, FJ Cruiser, Sienna, Solara, and Prius. If you plan to shop for a car this weekend at your Toyota dealership, you may see signs in place on affected models saying “no sale” or “currently unavailable” while unaffected models will still be marketed.

In addition to sales being stopped for a time, Automotive News reports that TMC will be shutting down five North American factories which produce these vehicles until further notice. At the moment, TMC does not have a solution in place which means your dealership is not in the position to handle recall related repairs. If you own an affected model, you will receive notification over the coming weeks on what steps you should take.

The recall comes just as Toyota begins to recover from an industry wide drop in sales last year and its first yearly loss ever. TMC’s fiscal year ends on March 31, with another multi-billion dollar loss expected.

Source: Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia file photo


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