The vehicle defect crisis that has engulfed Toyota increased this week when the manufacturer announced an official global recall on the latest, third-generation Prius hybrid, which includes 8,500 cars in the UK.
The models involved were built before January 27 this year with the recall related to reports of inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady braking on bumpy or slick road surfaces when the anti-lock braking system (ABS) is actuated.
Since that date, Toyota says it made a change to the software in the ABS control on the Prius to alleviate a control-related phenomenon it identified as the source of the problems reported by customers in Japan and North America.
Last week, prior to issuing the formal Prius recall in the UK, Miguel Fonseca, managing director of Toyota GB, said: “We can assure Prius owners that no safety issue has been identified with the braking system fitted to their cars, and that no problems have been reported by customers in the UK or Europe. With safety as our main concern, Toyota will continue to investigate thoroughly any problems that are reported.”
The fault will be corrected with a software upgrade in the ABS system. The procedure will be carried out free of charge and will take approximately 40 minutes using standard test equipment in use at all authorised Toyota service centres.
Toyota will write individually to every owner or keeper in the next few days having obtained contact details from the DVLA.
In the meantime, Toyota says that the cars are safe to drive and at no time are drivers without brakes. To date, there have been no accidents linked to the issue reported in Europe.
The latest global recall involves approximately 436,000 hybrid models worldwide carrying the Toyota and Lexus badges. However, in a statement Toyota said that no other Toyota or Lexus models were affected by the latest recall action in Europe.
The Prius recall follows last month’s recall of eight million Toyota’s worldwide, including some 180,000 models in the UK, over fears of accelerator pedal defects in several models.
The models recalled are the Aygo (manufactured between February 2005 and August 2009), iQ (November 2008 to November 2009), Yaris (November 2005 to September 2009), Auris (October 2006 to January 5, 2010), Corolla (October 2006 to December 2009), Verso (February 2009 to January 5, 2010), Avensis (November 2008 to December 2009) and RAV4 (November 2005 to November 2009).
Toyota says that the required vehicle parts relating to the accelerator pedal defect are being air-freighted to the UK and are scheduled to arrive at Toyota service centres on Wednesday, February 10.
In a statement Fonseca said the company was aiming to complete the 30-minute per car recall work on all models within eight weeks with weekend working and extended opening hours being introduced at its franchise dealers.
Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda said he deeply regretted the inconvenience and concern caused to customers by the recalls of multiple vehicle models across multiple regions.
Under the banner, ‘Let’s build better cars’, he promised that Toyota would go back to the basics of ‘customer first’ and that all employees worldwide, all dealers and all suppliers would unify in their utmost efforts to regain the trust of customers as soon as possible.
Further information on the recalls is available from Toyota Customer Relations on 0800 1388 744 or www.toyota.co.uk.
