Tokyo warns Toyota about Prius brake complaints (CNN)

[AG4]

Tokyo, Japan (CNN) -- The Japanese government has warned Toyota to take seriously mounting complaints of brake problems with its 2010 Prius hybrid.

Toyota Vice President Shinichi Sasaki met with Japan's transport minister on Wednesday, when he was urged to take notice of the mounting complaints against one of the automaker's most popular models.

In Japan, 14 complaints about brakes in the Prius have been lodged since July. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has asked Toyota to investigate, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

"The complaints received via our dealers center around when drivers are on a bumpy road or frozen surface," said Paul Nolasco, a Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman in Japan. "The driver steps on the brake and they do not get as full of a braking feel as expected."

In the United States, more than 100 complaints alleging poor brake performance have been lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration against the 2010 Prius, a newly designed version of the car that was introduced last summer.

"NHTSA has received a number of complaints about a potential defect affecting the brake system in Toyota's Prius hybrid and is conducting field work to examine the issue," the agency said Wednesday.

A search of NHTSA's complaint database turned up many similar-sounding complaints in the United States.

For the whole article and video Click link: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS...s.investigate/

[valskie01]

grabe after gas pedal problem ngayon brake issues naman

[renzo_d10]

These problems could bring Toyota's name down.

They should immediately fix these problems because these problems are connected to our safety. Gas pedals + Brakes = Terrible disaster.

[boybi]

In their desire to keep their number 1 position among auto manufacturers, Toyota seems to neglect their quality control. It looks like their objective now is Quantity over Quality.

Or maybe their plants just can't cope with the huge production.

[OldSchoolHack]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/...lvdGFzYXlzcHI-

This news, plus the engine sludge problem and the brake problem have been happening for sometime now.

Scary. Good thing is that this was not prevalent with older Toyota vehicles.

[Monseratto]

Ford has recalled their Hybrids too, with exactly the same problems with the Prius. You won't see the US goverment breathing down their knecks cuz they only a measly few...

Ford to fix brake problem on Milan, Fusion hybrids
Ford to fix brake problem with 17,600 Mercury Milan, Ford Fusion hybrids


DETROIT (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. plans to fix 17,600 Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion gas-electric hybrids because of a software problem that can give drivers the impression that the brakes have failed.

The automaker says the problem occurs in transition between two braking systems and at no time are drivers without brakes.

The decision to fix the 2010 model cars came after a test driver for Consumer Reports magazine experienced the problem as he was driving a Fusion Hybrid.

Ford spokesman Said Deep says braking power seems to drop away as the car makes a transition from regenerative brakes to the conventional system. The Ford hybrids have regenerative brakes, which capture energy from braking to help recharge the battery, in addition to a conventional system that stops the car using hydraulic pressure.

Deep says Ford will notify the car owners to bring their cars in for a software fix. He said there is no safety problem with the cars. The automaker called the repairs a "customer satisfaction program" and said it was not a full-fledged recall. Deep said Ford reported the problems to a U.S. safety agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The move comes on the same day that NHTSA began an evaluation of braking problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. With the Prius, antilock brakes can fail momentarily while the car transitions between its gasoline and electric motors.

[AG4]

Ford has recalled their Hybrids too, with exactly the same problems with the Prius. You won't see the US goverment breathing down their knecks cuz they only a measly few...

The difference is Ford actually did a recall and it wasn't considered a safety issue because the cars maintained their full braking capability. The software fix for the Hybrid Fords is to change the pedal feel so it won't drop.

In the Prius' case there is a lag or delay.

Toyota officials described the problem as a "disconnect" in the vehicle's complex anti-lock brake system (ABS) that causes less than a one-second lag. With the delay, a vehicle going 60 mph will have traveled nearly another 90 feet before the brakes begin to take hold.

What was Toyota's mistake?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Toyota has known about brake problems in its popular Prius cars for some time, going so far as to fix it in new production vehicles, but has kept Prius drivers in the dark about the problem until the Japanese government called for an investigation.

- http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/04/autos/prius_timeline/

[jjmd3_787]

Here's another one form Yahoo News:

[SIZE=3]Toyota woes mount as US gov't examines Prius brakes[/SIZE]

WASHINGTON – Toyota faced mounting pressure Thursday as the government opened a probe of brake problems with the Prius, a crown jewel of its lineup. The beleaguered automaker said it was "too soon" to decide whether to add the hybrid to the millions of cars it has recalled.
Some owners of the 2010 Prius have reported their brakes do not always engage immediately when they press the brake pedal, or that the brakes have an inconsistent feel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it would assess the scope of the problem and the safety risk to about 37,000 cars that could be affected.
The investigation comes as safety questions surround Toyota, which has already issued broad recalls for millions of its best-selling vehicles, including the Corolla and Camry, because of gas pedals that can become stuck.
U.S. officials have blessed Toyota's solution to that problem, a small piece of steel designed to eliminate excess friction in the pedal mechanism, but have criticized Toyota for being too slow in responding to customer complaints.
Asked whether Toyota would recall the 2010 Prius, spokesman Brian Lyons said: "It's too soon to call at this point. We will, of course, fully cooperate with NHTSA in that investigation."
Japan's top business daily Nihon Keizai, however, reported Friday that Toyota will recall 270,000 of the 2010 model Prius in the United States and Japan. But an official at Japan's transport ministry said the government has yet to receive a recall notice from the carmaker.
A Toyota spokeswoman in Tokyo also said there was no decision yet on whether to recall the Prius but said the company is investigating possible brake problems with its luxury Lexus hybrid, which uses the same brake system as the Prius. Toyota has not received any complaints about the Lexus HS250h and the probe is to ensure safety, spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said.
Congressional investigators expanded their review of Toyota to include the Prius as California Rep. Darrell Issa, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee, asked Toyota for records on its Prius brakes.
The committee plans a hearing next week on Toyota's recalls, the first of two in Congress this month. Issa said he would focus on whether Toyota or NHTSA failed to properly deal with safety complaints or address them quickly enough.
"We think they should have acted more aggressively or quickly," said Issa, who owns four Priuses, none of which fall under the investigation.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said he and attorneys general in other states may take legal action against Toyota over possible deceptive claims to consumers about the safety of the company's cars.
"Typically, on an issue of this magnitude and impact, we might well join forces," Blumenthal, a Democrat running to succeed retiring Sen. Chris Dodd, said in an interview.
Toyota said some customers have complained of an inconsistent feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick roads when the antilock brakes engage. Normally, the brakes grab and release rapidly in reaction to slipping tires.
Paul Nolasco, a Toyota spokesman in Japan, said the time lag drivers feel before brakes kick in stems from the two systems in a gas-electric hybrid — the gas-engine and the electric motor. The brakes work if the driver keeps pushing the pedal, he said.
NHTSA said some Prius owners reported a "brief lag" or "brief surge" when they used the brakes. The agency did not specify how long those lags were. At highway speeds, a car can travel nearly 100 feet in just one second.
Toyota said it has received 180 reports of problems with Prius brakes in Japan and the United States. The problem is suspected in four crashes resulting in two minor injuries, according to a NHTSA preliminary safety report.
NHTSA's review of Prius is preliminary and may expand. Most complaints do not prompt a formal probe. For example, NHTSA receives an average of 35,000 consumer complaints each year, but opens only about 100 investigations.

Despite the preliminary nature of the investigations, analysts said Toyota may be forced to take more decisive action like issuing a recall because of the intense scrutiny it faces from regulators and customers.
"People are hypersensitive right now," said Erich Merkle, president of the consulting company Autoconomy.com. "I don't know how they will be able to work around this without doing a recall."
The Prius trouble comes as Toyota service shops around the country work to handle gas pedal repairs. Dealers said they had heard little about any issue with Prius brakes or whether any fix was planned for cars already on the road.
"It's all a little baffling to us," said Dale Benton, general manager of Serra Toyota in Birmingham, Ala.
Prius is not Toyota's biggest seller — the company sold 140,000 in the U.S. last year, far less than the 357,000 Camrys — but holds a cherished spot in its lineup.
Toyota was one of the first companies to mass-market a hybrid that combines an electric motor with a gas engine, introducing the Prius in Japan in 1997 and to the world in 2001. Its high gas mileage made it popular among environmentally conscious drivers, especially when gas prices spiked two years ago.
But the complexity of the Prius, a highly computerized car, has led to problems in the past. In 2005, the company repaired 75,000 of them to fix software glitches that caused the engine to stall. It has also had trouble with headlights going out.
In the case of the gas pedal problems, Toyota has insisted the trouble is mechanical, not electronic.
For the Prius brakes, Mike Omotoso, senior manager of global powertrain for J.D. Power & Associates, said the culprit is a software glitch in the computer that controls the brakes.
The problem, he said, occurs as the Prius switches between using its electric motor and internal combustion engine to power the car. Whichever motor is powering the car also runs the brakes, he said, but the brakes give out momentarily in the transition.
"It's almost like a circuit interruption, because when you switch, there's a short pause like a second or less," he said. "The system should be reprogrammed where the braking power is applied for a split second longer" on the motor that was powering the car, he said.
Separately, Ford Motor Co. plans to fix 17,600 Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion gas-electric hybrids because of a software problem that can give drivers the impression that the brakes have failed. The automaker says the problem occurs in transition between two braking systems and at no time are drivers without brakes.
___ Associated Press Writers Ken Thomas in Washington; Yuri Kageyama and Shino Yuasa in Tokyo; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Ala.; and Dan Strumpf and Beth Fouhy in New York contributed to this report. Krisher reported from Detroit.

[xda2jojo]

sus, buti nalang di prius nabili ko.

[beni23]

nabasa ko nga to sa yahoo news. ano na nangyayari sa toyota at nagkakaganian na sila.

[yapoy86]

pero yung D4D woes dito sa pinas tahimik lang Toyota.. wala man lang recall or at least nag announce ng Fix sa mga affected vehicles... nasa news sa bandila kagabi yung problems ng D4D na interview pa yung representative ng toyota pero parang wala lang.. supportado daw nila ng lemon law pati yung replacement at recall eh approve daw sila?? hahaha.. sa panahon ngayon hindi din talaga batayan nag Brand name.. kahit ano pa brand ngayon karamihan low quality na talaga.. unlike yung mga unang labas ng kotse

[tidus1203]

nabasa ko nga to sa yahoo news. ano na nangyayari sa toyota at nagkakaganian na sila.

They grew too fast too soon! Since they grew too fast di na nila nababantayan supplier nila, basta meet na lang ng production quotas... Kaya ayun!

[niky]

pero yung D4D woes dito sa pinas tahimik lang Toyota.. wala man lang recall or at least nag announce ng Fix sa mga affected vehicles... nasa news sa bandila kagabi yung problems ng D4D na interview pa yung representative ng toyota pero parang wala lang.. supportado daw nila ng lemon law pati yung replacement at recall eh approve daw sila?? hahaha.. sa panahon ngayon hindi din talaga batayan nag Brand name.. kahit ano pa brand ngayon karamihan low quality na talaga.. unlike yung mga unang labas ng kotse

D4D issues are part of a larger overall issue with high-pressure injection systems combined with poor diesel. Even in Europe and Australia, there are people who complain about these systems.

They're not a safety issue, though... like the brakes, which is why they're not as publicized.

[renzo_d10]

" FOR SALE ! CALL : xxxxxxxxxxx BUYING A MINI ! "

These are the words i've seen in a brand spanking new silver Toyota Prius that was parked in front of the BMW dealership in ortigas.

Yes, the owner is selling his Prius that was still new, no plate numbers just conduction stickers. :rofl:

Afraid in future repair costs eh ?

[arbe]

Toyota Prius tops Japan sales despite recall woes



TOKYO – Toyota's Prius remains the top-selling car in Japan despite the automaker's global recall woes that included braking problems with the hit hybrid.
More than 27,000 of the gas-electric hybrids were sold in February, making the Prius the best selling model for the 10th straight month, according to Japan Automobile Dealers Association figures released Thursday.
The continued popularity of the Prius comes despite Toyota's recall debacle affecting 8.5 million vehicles around the world, including the third-generation Prius in Japan, recalled for a glitch in antilock braking. But the safety concerns and bad publicity have hurt sales of Toyota models in the U.S. — the automaker's biggest market.
Sales of the Prius have been boosted by its reputation for delivering superb mileage by switching between a gasoline engine and electric motor as well as tax breaks and other government incentives.
The Prius, also the world's top-selling hybrid, has been so popular in Japan that it has a big backlog of orders, with a waiting list lasting about six months.
"The reaction within Japan has been very calm," said dealers' association spokesman Kentaro Nakata. Cancellations of Prius orders are extremely rare, he said. "There are people waiting to snatch up the car. The Prius is seen as the pioneer of hybrid technology, and its brand image is solid."
Toyota's handling of the quality lapses, which emerged in the U.S. last year, has received widespread media attention in its home market but loyalty to Toyota remains relatively strong because the other defects behind the recalls — sticky gas pedals and faulty floor mats — have not affected any models sold in Japan.
Toyota Motor Corp., the world's biggest automaker, began offering new software to fix the braking problem on the Prius and two other hybrid models last month. The company said most of the fixes are expected to be completed by the end of March. It did not have a comment on Prius' topping the Japan sales rankings.
"Sales aren't likely to taper off until next year," Mamoru Katou, analyst with Tokai Tokyo Research, said of the Prius. "Sales are going strong despite the big fuss, although there are some cancellations."
Katou says February's sales reflect demand from buyers who had placed orders before the recalls, and the car's longer-term success remains uncertain as the Prius is expected to face competition from rival models.
In Japan, Honda Motor Co.'s Fit subcompact was second in sales in February at nearly 14,000, followed by three of Toyota's smaller models, the Vitz, Passo and Corolla.
Honda's Insight hybrid has not fared as well as the Prius, sinking to No. 24, after briefly reaching No. 1 before the remodeled Prius went on sale in May.
Partly behind the decline in Insight sales was the introduction late last month of the CR-Z, a sporty hybrid, with advance orders already topping 5,000, according to Honda, the nation's second biggest automaker.
The Tokyo-based automaker is targeting monthly Japan sales of 1,000 for the CR-Z. Honda said Thursday cumulative Insight sales in Japan since it went on sale in April reached the 100,000 mark.
There have been no high-profile accidents or drivers complaining publicly of unintended acceleration in Japan, as there have been in the U.S., where Toyota's once stellar reputation for quality is getting hammered.
Toyota U.S. sales for February dropped a smaller-than-expected 9 percent year-on-year, according to data released Tuesday. Toyota is offering zero-percent financing on most models this month plus two years of free maintenance to returning customers in the U.S.
Other automakers, including U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor of South Korea, saw U.S. sales recover from February 2009, when demand was hurt by the recession.
Nakata expects Prius sales to continue to be strong in Japan.
"As far as we can see, we can barely feel any effect from the overseas recalls," he said.

[CVT]

^^^ That is Japanese loyalty for you....
It is in the CNN news last night....

But everything that has been happening to Toyota lately is indeed scary...

9404:vader: