Toyota is going to announce a recall of 437,000 Toyota Prius cars due to a potential risk of brake failure on icy roads or bumpy surfaces, according to the Times Online. This recall comes on the heels of Toyota’s biggest recall in company history – over four million vehicles – due to a potential faulty gas pedal problem.
The brake failure recall will involved the third generation Prius which was released in 2009. To make matters worse, the company is investigating whether the same brake failure could occur in the Lexus HS250h and the Toyota Sai, both of which use the same hybrid technology as the Prius, according to Yahoo News.
The fact that the Prius potentially has trouble on icy roads is especially troubling in Virginia (VA) which is battling through one of the toughest winters in recent history. We just had a massive snowstorm which is creating treacherous black ice and potholes on many roads and highways. If the braking problems are true, Prius drivers in Virginia are at a higher risk of getting into a major car wreck and suffering a serious injury.
What is Toyota’s proposed solution to this brake problem? They claim it can be fixed with a software upgrade, but no one can be sure at this point.
“I suspect that we are going to see a series of recalls appear over a period of time here, certainly over the next year, and they are going to address varying issues and varying vehicles,” said Sean Kane, founder of the Safety Research & Strategies Inc, a consumer safety group.