Trouble with new hybrid one more blow for Toyota
Compiled from AP, Kyodo
More than 114 brake problems have been reported for Toyota Motor Corp.
's popular Prius hybrid in Japan and the United States, data from the two countries' transport authorities showed Wednesday.
's popular Prius hybrid in Japan and the United States, data from the two countries' transport authorities showed Wednesday.The revelation looms as another safety headache for Toyota after unintended acceleration problems on some U.S. models spurred mass recalls.
In Tokyo, the transport ministry said it has received 14 complaints in Japan about brake problems with Toyota's best-selling hybrid, while separate data from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed it has received more than 100 gripes involving the brakes of the hybrid that debuted last year.
If serious problems are found with the Prius, it could further damage the image of Toyota, which has been a pioneer in developing the hybrid green technology.
The automaker's sales are being battered in the U.S. after massive recalls of top-selling models to fix a gas pedal that can stick in the depressed position.
The new Prius gas-electric hybrid, which went on sale last year, is not part of the global recalls that cover nearly 4.5 million vehicles.
Complaints in Japan include sudden declines in braking power when slowing down on bumpy roads, the ministry said.
The 14 complaints included an accident in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, last July in which a Prius crashed head on into another car at an intersection. Transport ministry official Masaya Ota said two people were slightly injured in the accident.
last July in which a Prius crashed head on into another car at an intersection. Transport ministry official Masaya Ota said two people were slightly injured in the accident."The complaints involve the new Toyota Prius model, and the vehicles were all made in Japan," Ota said. "Prius drivers complained brakes were not so sharp".
The 100 complaints received by the NHTSA involving the brakes of the new Prius included two crashes resulting in injuries.
The ministry ordered Toyota to investigate the complaints. The other 13 cases happened from December to last month. Ota said the ministry has yet to receive a formal report on the complaints from Toyota.
A Toyota official said the company is aware of the brake-related complaints and is investigating the matter.
The Prius, now in its third generation since its 1997 introduction, is the best-selling gas-electric hybrid in the world, racking up a cumulative 1.6 million units sold so far, according to Toyota.
The carmaker meanwhile stepped up its public relations offensive, posting a new full-page ad in major U.S. newspapers Tuesday in an attempt to regain consumer confidence.
In papers including The New York Times and Washington Post, President and Chief Operating Officer of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. Jim Lentz said, "I am truly sorry for the concern our recalls have caused, and want you to know we're doing everything we can — as fast as we can — to make things right".
The Japan Times
