Toyota to recall Prius
TOYOTA is to issue another recall of UK cars due to concerns over the ABS brakes of the Prius.
The firm’s car dealers will see an estimated 8500 Prius built before January 27 2010 for remedial work.
VOSA will start writing to customers in the next few days, says Toyota, to advise them a dealer visit is necessary. This time, only the Prius is affected – no other Toyota, or Lexus, will be recalled for the problem.
It centres on reported inconsistent feel by customers during slow and steady braking on bumpy surfaces when the ABS is actuated, says Toyota. The fix, which takes around 40 minutes, involves a software upgrade that changes the characteristics of the ABS setup.
Toyota car dealers can reassure customers that the cars are safe to drive, says the firm. The mechanical side of the braking system is unaffected; the issue surrounds the ‘profile map’ of how the ABS works with the regenerative braking system.
‘At no times are cars without brakes,’ adds a Toyota exec.
The issue has attracted much attention in Japan, but Toyota Europe says there have been no reported accidents over here. Even so, this latest recall rubs salt into the wounds of Toyota car dealers already dealing with customer queries over the throttle problem recall.
On the other hand, Car Dealer Magazine has heard some Toyota dealers are witnessing significant expressions of support from customers, and are busy with enquiries from car buyers.
Toyota dealers, we would thus be interested to hear how the recalls are impacting on your business – both good and bad.
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