|
Toyota has long been known for innovation and the quality of its products. The Prius was perhaps the perfect example of that reputation as it came to dominate the auto market for hybrids while providing incredible reliability given its relatively new technology. The last few months, however, have seen Prius become embroiled in many of the same issues as the other Toyota models. It’s been a rough year for Toyota already. It is never a good sign when your chairman is testifying in front of Congress as Mr. Toyoda had to do recently. The reason, of course, is the sudden massive problems with the cars produced by the company. The biggest issue was initially acceleration problems with non-Prius models. The company has instituted recalls and done free pedal replacements in an effort to resolve the issue. The Prius was never touched throughout the public relations nightmare. It has none of the acceleration problems suffered by the other cars. At most, the biggest complaints were the headlights didn’t last all that long, but this was a rather minor issue suffered by a relatively small number of cars. Then things began to change. Prius owners started to report gaps in the braking power. Toyota investigated and issued a recall in early February 2010. The problem was reported to be a software glitch in the mechanism controlling the brakes of the car. Then things started getting worse. On March 9, 2010, a Prius driver in San Diego experienced a major acceleration problem. While trying to pass a car on the freeway, he accelerated and the car just kept on going. He ended up calling 911 and the police managed to get the car down from its top speed of 94 to the 50 mile an hour range. They eventually guided him to a safe area where he turned off the engine and the police slowed him down by getting in front of the car, rubbing up against the front bumper and then slowing down. Toyota has sent a specialist out to inspect the car, but has no answers at this point in time. The Prius is a landmark car that will go down in the annals of automotive history. Unfortunately, it does not appear to have escaped the problems infecting other Toyota models. Thomas Ajava writes about the Prius global recall and other hybrid topics for HybridCarDealerDepot.com.
Related Articles -
toyota, prius, hybrid, brake, recall, acceleration, San Diego, run away, defects, ,
|
