Toyota announces a recall of the new Prius hybrid in Japan. The United States market will recall the Prius in the US as well. Over 300,000 Prius cars were sold worldwide. Dozens of consumers have filed complaints over the braking system. The new Prius was placed on the market in mid-2009 and was Japan's best-selling car last year. Toyota has used the Prius as a cornerstone of its future. They were setting themselves up as a standard for the new era in low-emission vehicles.
On February 5, 2010, Toyota announced they stopped production of their cars that were recently recalled due to the floor mats or gas pedal. They also announced they were sending letters to owners so they can schedule appointments at their dealership. The dealers will have extended operating hours in order to handle the massive amount of work to be done due to the number of cars involved. The technicians have already began to make the repairs. Toyota states most cars are safe to drive unless you feel a difference in the gas pedal. In this case, consumers are instructed to take the car to the dealership and tell them how the pedal feels.
Toyota's Recalled Due to Gas Pedals and Floor Mats
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2009-2010 RAV4
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2008-2010 Sequoia
- 2009-2010 Corolla
- 2005-2010 Tacoma
- 2008-2010 Highlander
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2009-2010 Matrix
- 2009-2010 VENZA
- 2004-2009 Prius
Recall of the Prius
It is not clear at this time how Toyota will handle the recall and repair of the Prius issues. The Prius recall is the latest in a line of issues that has plagued the Toyota market. Toyota has shifted their marketing campaign away from focusing on selling the cars and geared more toward reassuring their current customers that the cars are safe. A development of an incentive program may be in the future for current Toyota owners as an attempt to retain customer loyalty.
Stopping Sales
The law requires Toyota to halt all sales of any cars that are identified in the recall notices. The unsold cars must be repaired before they can be listed for sale again. If someone decide to purchase one of the recalled models after the sales ban is lifted they should ask to see the paperwork that describes the repairs that were made and that they fulfilled the requirements of the recall.
If a consumer has any concerns about any Toyota car that they drive, they should call the dealer and request a technician inspect it until the concern has been addressed. The local dealerships will have more information about a specific car. Be prepared to give them the make, model, year and VIN number of the Toyota.
Jennifer Terry - Jennifer Terry has worked to promote self-determination and consumer education for 10 years. She has been writing since 2004 and has been ...
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