Prius Lexus Are Being Recalled. A recall of some Toyota Prius and Lexus hybrid vehicles over faulty brakes is said to be imminent. If you own one of these defective Prius or Lexus vehicles, or you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving Prius or Lexus brake failure, you are eligible to join our Toyota class action lawsuit.
Toyota recently acknowledged that it was investigating reports of brake problems on 2010 Prius vehicles, and some media outlets have reported that a recall could include Lexus HS250h models that use the same braking system. In February 2010, Toyota actually acknowledged that it had fixed a design flaw on brake systems on Prius models sold since late January 2012. However, it had not yet taken any action to address the Prius brake design flaw in cars already on the road. Joining our Toyota class action lawsuit is one way you can hold Toyota accountable for its inadequate response to this serious safety issue.
If you have been impacted in anyway by the Prius or Lexus hybrid braking issues, our Toyota class action lawsuit lawyers want to hear from you today. Even if you have not experienced an accident because of the defective braking system on some Prius or Lexus hybrids, the expense and inconvenience you have incurred because of these problems could still make you eligible for our Toyota recall class action lawsuit.
2010 Prius Brake Problems
In early February 2010, Toyota acknowledged that it was investigating reports from consumers in the U.S. and Japan that the brakes on some Prius vehicles had temporarily stopped working on bumpy or slippery roads. According to The New York Times, Toyota only began investigating brake complaints on the 2010 Prius Hybrid after Japan’s Transport Ministry ordered it to do so.
Later in the week, the company acknowledged that the braking system on third-generation Priuses had a design flaw related to software. What’s more, Toyota said it had already corrected the brake problem for Prius models sold since late January. The company promised that it was working on a fix for cars already on the road.
At the same time, the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it had opened a formal investigation of the Toyota Prius, model year 2010, relating to reports of momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump. The NHTSA said it had received 124 reports from consumers, including four reports alleging that crashes occurred. In a press release, NHTSA said its investigators had already spoken with consumers and conducted pre-investigatory field work. The preliminary evaluation involves about 37,000 vehicles in the U.S., the agency said.
The problem with the Prius centers on the hybrid’s brakes. The Prius has two braking systems: a regenerative one, in which braking friction is captured and used to recharge the car’s batteries, and a conventional one. The complaints arise from what Toyota characterizes as a software malfunction when the car switches between the two systems.
By February 8, media outlets were reporting that a Prius recall was imminent. According to Japan’s Kyodo news agency, the recall would involve about 300,000 2010 Prius Hybrids worldwide sold from May 2009 through January 2010. Kyodo reported that Toyota was preparing to notify authorities in Japan and the U.S. of its plan, which will cover more than 270,000 of the hybrids sold in the two countries.
According to the Associated Press, the company has told dealers in the U.S it is preparing to repair the brakes on thousands of Prius vehicles, but it wasn’t clear if that would involve a formal recall. For Toyota’s part, it has only said it will soon announce plans to deal with the braking problem.
Lexus HS250h
Some media sources also reported that the Lexus HS250h could be involved in a recall. The Lexus HS250h has been on sale worldwide since last July, selling over 15,500 units both domestically in Japan and overseas. The Lexus went on sale in North America last September.
Reports in the Japanese business press said that Toyota was expected to issue a recall for the Lexus once it had prepared the necessary fix for the cars’ braking control software. The mechanical parts that make up the brake system in the Lexus model are identical to those in Toyota’s 2010 Prius, but the two gas-electric hybrid cars use different software systems to control the way the brakes are used.
Despite reports of an impending recall, Toyota continued to maintain that nothing had been decided. The company said it was still investigating whether the Lexus was affected by the same issues that have prompted complaints from some Prius owners.
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