The Unlawyer

Well, it looks like Toyota finally bit the bullet and, in a widely anticipated move, recalled its flagship vehicle, the 2010-model year Prius, in Japan, the United States, and other major markets due to problems in this hybrid car’s anti-lock braking system:

“Starting Feb. 10, Toyota said it will recall 223,068 hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles in Japan, including its latest Prius model and three others–the Sai, the Lexus HS250h and the Prius plug-in hybrid.

“That marks Toyota’s first recall in recent months in Japan, and adds to the existing headache of recalling over 8 million vehicles in the U.S., Europe, China and elsewhere to fix problems related to gas pedals and floor mats in a range of models. Toyota said last week those recalls could cost it as much as $2 billion.

“Meanwhile, Toyota will conduct a voluntary safety recall in the U.S. for about 133,000 2010 model-year Prius cars and 14,500 Lexus Division 2010 HS 250h cars to update software in the ABS. The system helps prevent wheels from locking and the vehicle from skidding.

“And while cars in China won’t be affected, Toyota Motor Europe said it will recall 52,903 third-generation Toyota Prius autos in Europe for the same reason.”

It is unknown if the 2010 Toyota Prius sold in the Philippines is also covered by the recall, or how many have been sold by the manufacturer. Singapore’s Toyota agent, however, started the ball rolling in southeast Asia by announcing a recall of these vehicles today, so I suppose other Toyota dealers in the region will soon follow suit.

The recall intends to fix a situation where a 2010 Toyota Prius may “… surge momentarily after hitting a bump or pothole.” The recall only affects this particular model-year Prius as first- and second-generation models use a different ABS. For a more detailed description of the problem, we can refer to the official recall statement from Toyota in the United States:

“The ABS, in normal operation, engages and disengages rapidly (many times per second) as the control system senses and reacts to tire slippage. Some 2010 model year Prius and 2010 HS 250h owners have reported experiencing inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick road surfaces when the ABS is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction.”

Prior to this announcement, Toyota downplayed the problems Prius drivers encountered with this vehicle, a condition first noted as early as last year:

“Earlier, Toyota maintained that the braking problem was more about Prius drivers feeling “something off” while braking. The company intended to deal with the problem through a “service campaign” in Japan, in which it would offer free repairs without admitting the vehicle contained defects.

“However, consumer complaints and anxieties over the safety of Toyota vehicles have increased on a daily basis, prompting the automaker to conclude that a service campaign would be insufficient.”

The fix will require updating the 2010 Toyota Prius’ braking software.

This recall comes at the heels of two major recalls by Toyota involving up to 9 million vehicles worldwide, due to unintended acceleration problems traced to either a sticking accelerator pedal or a floor mat that entraps the same, issues that have seriously blemished that company’s reputation for building reliable, if at times ordinary-looking, cars and trucks. This particular recall, involving some of Toyota’s most popular vehicles like the Corolla, Camry, and RAV4, does not affect such cars officially sold by Toyota Philippines.

At risk though are those Toyotas on the recall list, like the Sequoia full-size sport-utility vehicle, sold on the Philippines’ gray market for cars, as it is unlikely that Toyota Philippines will honor the recall announcement made by its US counterpart.