We knew it was coming, and Toyota has announced another recall; this time for the brakes on the 2010 Toyota Prius. In a slightly surprising turn of events, the automaker also included their 2010 Lexus HS250h hybrid, which is based off of the same design as the Prius, with Lexus appointments and refinement. Toyota is recalling a total of 148,500 vehicles for problems with the dual braking systems mentioned in the previous article. The problem occurs when the car’s computer needs to mix the traditional friction braking system with the regenerative braking system employed by most hybrids. This transition period can leave drivers without proper braking power, even though Toyota says that the brakes will work and that drivers just need to apply more pressure to the brake pedal.
The specific models affected are the 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Lexus HS250h, both manufactured since May, 2009. Owners of affected Prius models should receive a letter from Toyota starting next week, while HS250h owners should expect to see their letter a couple of weeks later. Toyota is still finalizing the software changes which will be applied to owners’ cars to fix the braking issue, and will announce the fix as soon as it’s ready.
It’s a tough time to be a fan of Toyota, so let me know if you’re experiencing any problems with your Toyota, or are affected by the recalls.
In the mean time, if you do experience braking issues with your Toyota, remember to apply constant pressure to the brake pedal and use as much force as is necessary to stop your vehicle. The brake pedal is one of the strongest parts of a car, so don’t be afraid to stand on it with both feet.
by John Suit
Source: Toyota