Toyota files for recall of Prius
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A Toyota Prius vehicle is pictured parked at a dealership in Crissier near Lausanne February 7, 2010. Toyota, which has recalled more than 8 million vehicles around the world for problems with unintended acceleration, has decided to recall its new Prius hybrid in Japan to fix a braking software glitch, a dealer said Sunday. [Xinhua] |
![A Toyota Prius vehicle is pictured parked at a dealership in Crissier near Lausanne February 7, 2010. Toyota, which has recalled more than 8 million vehicles around the world for problems with unintended acceleration, has decided to recall its new Prius hybrid in Japan to fix a braking software glitch, a dealer said Sunday. [Xinhua]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20100209/0011111fa1560cdb34970f.jpg "A Toyota Prius vehicle is pictured parked at a dealership in Crissier near Lausanne February 7, 2010. Toyota, which has recalled more than 8 million vehicles around the world for problems with unintended acceleration, has decided to recall its new Prius hybrid in Japan to fix a braking software glitch, a dealer said Sunday. [Xinhua]")
Toyota Motor Corp. on Tuesday formally filed with the Japanese transport ministry for a recall of the latest model of its Prius hybrid to fix brake problems.
The recall will include over 170,000 vehicles of the latest model of its iconic Prius hybrid, which was admired worldwide as the leading model because of its use of clean technology, over a brake problem that has led to 94 complaints in Japan.
The world's largest automaker is also expected to recall three other models including the luxury Lexus HS250h sedan and the hybrid-only Sai compact sedan, which employ a similar brake system to the Prius, involving a total 220,000 vehicles in Japan, Kyodo News reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
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Toyota sources had said it will also recall the model in the United States. The brake problem is thought to affect 100,000 units of Prius in the U.S.. A further 40,000 have been sold in around 60 other countries.
The reputation crisis for Toyota escalates in the U.S. when a Californian woman sued Toyota Motor Sales for its negligence and breach of warranty over a 2010 Prius she bought last August, alleging that the car has severe braking problems that make it dangerous to drive, according to the court papers.
Toyota blames a software glitch for the brake problem. When the recall is carried out, a Toyota user can bring the Prius to a nearby dealer where the problems can be fixed by improving the software for the antilock brake system. The procedure itself is expected to take up to around two hours.
The trouble is likely to further dent the automaker's reputation for safety, after a recall in the United States last year 5.55 million vehicles over a fault with the gas pedal that could lead the car to suddenly accelerate.
It is expected that Toyota will have recalled around 10 million vehicles worldwide as the current crisis continues to worsen.
The automaker is expected to follow its application for a recall of the Prius in Japan with similar filings worldwide. The Prius has sold around 300,000 units in North America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
In another development, local media reported that Toyota has stopped shipping cars that use a similar system to the Prius' and is likely to halt production of models until the problem is rectified.
In Japan, Toyota has benefited greatly from the "eco-point" series of stimulus measures, which reward consumers for purchasing products that are more friendly to the environment.
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