Roswold Law Group Blog

When It Rains, It Pours! More Shocking News From Toyota Involving Prius and Lexus Brakes

The news keeps getting worse from Toyota. Now there appears to be an issue with the brakes on the Toyota Prius and Lexus hybrid models with the same braking system.

As of Wednesday, February 3, 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had received 124 complaints about brake problems with the 2010 Toyota Prius. Four crashes have been attributed to poor brake performance and two of these have involved injuries.

In Japan, there have been multiple complaints that have led the Japanese government to call for an investigation of the problem.

Brakes in hybrid vehicles like the Prius operate differently from those in conventional vehicles. In hybrids, electric motors in addition to the standard brakes help slow the vehicle down. The braking process also generates electricity to help recharge the batteries. The software is required to coordinate the separate braking systems in order to provide smooth braking.

Toyota describes the problem as a software problem that causes a “disconnect” of less than one second of the vehicles anti-lock braking system. At 60 mph, the delay causes a vehicle to travel an additional 90 feet before the brakes engage.

Complaints from Prius owners describe the problem as occurring on uneven surfaces like a bumpy road. The driver steps on the brake and does not get the feeling of braking taking place as expected. One U.S. driver complained that when braking on an uneven surface, the car seemingly accelerates for a split second before braking takes place.

Here’s the crazy part of all of this: Toyota has known of the problem for some time and has taken steps to introduce new braking system software in cars now being produced. Unfortunately, Toyota has not indicated what its plans are for remedying the problem with those vehicles already on the road!

I don’t know about you, but the more I hear, the more concerned I am about what has been taking place at Toyota. Various accounts suggest that the accelerator pedal issue has been involved in as many as 19 deaths and 243 injuries. While it is impossible to know at this time the actual relationship between the pedal issue and each death or injury, the impression conveyed here is that Toyota has sacrificed quality for quantity. Hopefully, these events will help refocus Toyota.