Tag Archive for 'braking'

Update: 2010 Prius DOES have braking issues

Published on February 4, 2010 in Manufacturer Update and Recalls. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

From the previous posts on this subject, it has become apparent that the 3rd generation Prius, starting with the 2010 model, has issues when braking.  It seems that on slippery or bumpy surfaces, a loss of braking can occur.  In a move that is no longer shocking for Toyota, it appears that they knew about the issue and didn’t tell anyone until it became news earlier this week.  Hiroyuki Yokoyama, Toyota’s manager of Quality Control, told the New York Times that they had fixed the issue and any 2010 model year Prius sold since late January has the fix built in.  No specific date was mentioned, but expect when a recall is announced.  While Toyota has yet to confirm a recall, I highly doubt they can let this one go without announcing another recall.

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Update: Japan orders Toyota to investigate Prius brake problems

Published on February 3, 2010 in Manufacturer Update and Recalls. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Automotive News is reporting that the Japanese Ministry of Transportation has ordered Toyota to look into customer complaints about the brakes on its third-generation Prius model, which went on sale in 2009 as a 2010 model.  There are over 100 complaints worldwide, at least two of which caused injuries to American drivers.

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Good Vibes for GM: Tests prove the Vibe’s brakes work

Published on February 2, 2010 in Manufacturer Update and Recalls. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .
2010 Pontiac Vibe GT

2010 Pontiac Vibe GT

GM took out two Pontiac Vibes this past weekend to test for braking when experiencing unintended acceleration, since the Vibe is a clone of the Toyota Matrix, which is involved in Toyota’s PedalGate.  They found that the Vibe’s braking system stopped the car, and within their “internal requirement for brake performance.”  They tested two Vibes, one for each recall (floot mats and sticky gas pedal).  Read on for more details.

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Update: Toyota to Recall 3.8 Million Vehicles over Gas Pedal issue

Published on November 25, 2009 in Manufacturer Update, Recalls and Under the Hood (In Depth). 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Source: AutoBlog

As I reported earlier here on Road Reality, Toyota is in hot water over stuck gas pedals.  A statement this morning from Toyota gives us their solution for the recall, as well as a timeline for its resolution.  While it’s too late to save the lives of the California State Trooper and his family, who died as a result of this flaw, it’s a wake-up call to Toyota and the rest of the manufacturers.  Any manufacturer that doesn’t incorporate a “smart throttle” which cuts engine power when the brake pedal is pressed needs to think long and hard about how to get that feature into all of their future vehicles.  The crash which brought this issue to the forefront of the news also brings with it the question of how to stop a car equipped with an engine start/stop button, versus a traditional key and ignition cylinder.  Read the original post for how to stop said vehicles.  Continue reading to find out what Toyota is doing to keep drivers safe.

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Recalls: Toyota to shorten gas pedals to prevent them from getting stuck?

Published on November 20, 2009 in Manufacturer Update, Recalls and Under the Hood (In Depth). 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Source: AutoBlog

For the last couple of months, Toyota has been in hot water.  At least one accident has already been blamed on a dislodged floor mat, which can cause the gas pedal to become stuck under in a wide-open position, leading to unintended acceleration.  In all, there are 3.8 million affected vehicles, and Toyota says it has over 5 million dollars earmarked for recalls.

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