Toyota Motor Corp. has been hit by more than 100 complaints in Japan and the U.S. over brake problems with the Prius gas-electric hybrid. This is the latest in a series of quality woes for the world’s top automaker as it grapples with unprecedented global recalls.
Toyota’s sales are seeing record lows in the U.S. following recalls of eight top-selling models to repair an accelerator pedal that can stick in the depressed position. The recall eventually spread to Europe and China, covering almost 4.5 million vehicles. The new Prius hybrid, which hit the market in Japan and the U.S. in May 2009 wasn’t part of the recall. However, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reportedly received some 100 complaints involving the brakes of the new Prius.
The Japanese government said Wednesday it has also received 14 complaints about brake problems with Toyota’s popular Prius hybrid. The car, now on its third generation, was actually Toyota’s best selling model in 2009 and is the world’s best-selling gas-electric hybrid with a total of 1.6 million units sold to date. The 14 complaints received by Japan’s Transport Ministry included an incident wherein a Prius crashed head on with another vehicle at an intersection. According to Masaya Ota, a Transport Ministry official, two people sustained minor injuries in the accident.
The ministry has already ordered Toyota to look into the complaints. The other 13 cases were reported from December to January 2010. Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi stated that the company has acknowledged reports about the Prius complaints in the U.S and Japan and was now investigating the matter.
Concurrently, the South Korean government announced that Toyota’s local unit was recalling 444 vehicles over glitches in floor mats and gas pedals. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs issued a statement saying that the vehicles were manufactured in North America, and the 19,000 Toyota vehicles imported from Japan were not part of the recall.
Toyota takes pride in its sterling vehicle quality and assembly line system that enabled its workforce to guarantee impeccable production. The January 21 recall over sticky gas pedals involved roughly 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. alone. Any further issues with the Prius is almost certain to further vitiate Toyota’s reputation.
