Latest Recall News & Headlines
Still no word from Toyota on Prius recall
Feb 08, 2010
TOKYO - A week after brake problems surfaced with its Prius, Toyota still has yet to say whether it will recall the popular hybrid - and analysts say further delays could be devastating to the automaker's already damaged reputation.
A recall would cover as many as 300,000 cars for this model year and would mean more public embarrassment for Toyota. But the alternative could be a further loss of confidence in a global market it fought for decades to dominate.
"Listening to management now, I think they still think there isn't a real problem with the Prius," Christopher Richter, auto analyst at CLSA Asia Pacific Markets, said Monday.
"But at this point you don't resist," he added. "Because right now any Toyota vehicle that is perceived to have a problem - you just say, 'We fix it.' That's how you win back the trust."
In the meantime, auto safety experts say driving the Prius is probably still safe but suggest extra precautions, like allowing extra room to stop.
Kyodo news agency and the country's top Nikkei business newspaper reported Monday that Toyota was likely to notify both the U.S. and Japanese governments of Prius recalls Tuesday. Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said no decision on a Prius recall has been made.
The report also said that Toyota was likely to announce recalls of its much smaller selling Lexus HS250h and SAI hybrids, which use a braking system similar to the Prius.
At least 100 drivers of Prius cars in the U.S. have complained to Washington that their antilock brakes seemed to fail momentarily on bumpy roads. Toyota and the Japanese government have also received dozens of complaints in total about brake problems. The U.S. says the problem is suspected in four crashes that caused two minor injuries.
Toyota says a software glitch is behind the problem and says it has already fixed vehicles that went on sale since last month. It has also said that the brakes will work if the driver keeps pushing the pedal.
Any recall would come on top of the millions of vehicles Toyota has recalled since last fall because the accelerator can become stuck, either because the gas pedals themselves are faulty or because floor mats can catch them.
Still, analysts say, it may be the only way for the automaker to win back its loyal base of drivers.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is an office within the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). ODI conducts defect investigations and administers safety recalls to support the NHTSAs mission to improve safety on our Nation's highways. NHTSA is authorized to order manufacturers to recall and repair vehicles or items of motor vehicle equipment when ODI investigations indicate that they contain serious safety defects in their design, construction, or performance. ODI also monitors the adequacy of manufacturers' recall campaigns. Before initiating an investigation, ODI carefully reviews the body of consumer complaints and other available data to determine whether a defect trend may exist.
1 Data for the automotive recall database was provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - Last updated: Monday, February 08, 2010