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Toyota recalling Prius in Japan; U.S. could follow

February 8th, 2010, 9:14 pm by Matt Degen

2010toyotaprius

As largely expected, Toyota has recalled its new Prius hybrid over an issue in which the brakes are delayed after a driver pushes the pedal. This is now the third major recall for the automaker in just a few months. The other two dealt with unintended acceleration.

Here is what The Associated Press is reporting about the Prius recall:

TOKYO – Toyota is recalling about 170,000 Prius hybrid cars in Japan for braking problems and will soon disclose its global plans for a fix as the automaker scrambles to repair damage to its reputation from a spate of safety problems. in

Toyota’s president Akio Toyoda will hold a news conference at the automaker’s Tokyo office later Tuesday to outline details of the braking problem, including plans for a possible recall in the U.S., a company official told The Associated Press.

The number of Priuses being recalled would swell to about 300,000 if there is a recall in the U.S. and other regions.

The braking problem for the third-generation remodeled Prius is the latest safety woe for Toyota, which is already trying to fix problems in millions of vehicles recalled for other defects, including a sticky gas pedal.

Toyota Motor Corp. said it will inform the Transport Ministry later in the day it is recalling the 2010 Prius gas-electric hybrid — the world’s top-selling hybrid car

Also being recalled are two other hybrid models — the Lexus HS250h sedan, sold in the U.S. and Japan, and the Sai, which is sold only in Japan.

U.S. safety officials have launched an investigation into problems with the brakes.

The recall in Japan will cover about 170,000 of the 2010 model Prius, which went on sale in May. The automaker has fixed the programming glitch in Prius models that went on sale since last month, but had done nothing yet on the cars sold before then, according to Toyota.

There have been nearly 200 complaints in Japan and the U.S. of drivers experiencing a short delay before the brakes kick in — a problem that can be fixed with a software programming change. The delay doesn’t indicate a brake failure.

The problem is suspected in four crashes resulting in two minor injuries, according to data gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is investigating the matter. Toyota says it’s cooperating with NHTSA’s investigation.

Please stay tuned for more information as we get it on Tuesday, including what you can do if you own a 2010 Prius.

In other Toyota recall news:

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Lawyers estimate Toyota recall will cost more than $2 billion

February 8th, 2010, 4:41 pm by Matt Degen

Battered Japan Inc

Lawsuits against Toyota over recalls affecting millions of its vehicles worldwide will push the cost associated with them to over $2 billion for warranty payments and lost sales, according to lawyers interviewed in a Bloomberg article.

At least 34 class-action lawsuits against the automaker seeking damages ranging from loss of car value to a return of profits have been filed in the U.S. alone, and Toyota faces at least a dozen individual lawsuits claiming deaths or injuries caused by unwanted acceleration of vehicles, Bloomberg reports.

And of course there is the possibility of many more lawsuits being filed.

The report states:

In similar class actions against carmakers, some customers settled claims by taking discount coupons for future purchases, most of which were never used. Toyota customers will demand cash, said attorney Michael Louis Kelly, who has filed two such suits in California. The Kelley Blue Book, the used-auto pricing service used as a guide in private-party transactions, reported last week that values of Toyota vehicles had already suffered a loss of up to 3 percent of resale value.

“The damages could be in the billions of dollars in the loss of value alone,” Kelly said in an interview. “I don’t think we’re talking about coupons under any circumstances.”

In a Feb. 4 earnings call, Toyota, based in Toyota City, Japan, estimated it will have to spend $1.12 billion on warranty expenses and will lose as much as $895 million in lost sales over the recall. It also reported about $23 billion in cash and near cash.

A Toyota spokesman interviewed in the article declined to comment on the potential loss, saying the automaker didn’t have an estimate on what the litigation costs could be.

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Lawsuit seeks class-action status over Toyota Prius problems

February 8th, 2010, 3:37 pm by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer

toyota-new-2010-prius-hybrid-photo-01A woman has filed suit against Toyota Motor Sales, alleging the 2010 Prius she bought in August has severe braking problems that make it dangerous to drive - and is asking that the judge grant the suit class-action status, so others can recoup damages as well, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

Elaine Miller seeks unspecified damages on allegations of negligence and breach of warranty, the News reports. The suit was filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A Toyota spokesman said the company does no comment on litigation.

Miller said she brought it on behalf of other 2010 Prius owners, as well purchasers of the 2010 Lexus HS250h hybrid. Neither model is within the nearly 2.3 million cars recalled by Toyota last month over sticking accelerator pedals, but a Toyota announcement concerning the Prius is expected this week.

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Global Toyota Prius recall appears imminent

February 8th, 2010, 10:22 am by Matt Degen

Toyota Motor Corp is preparing a recall of its 2010 Prius hybrid in Japan as early as Tuesday,with similar plans to follow in the U.S., Europe and other markets, according to media reports.

The Prius is the latest Toyota vehicle under scrutiny. The automaker has recalled millions of its best-selling cars in recent months over unintended acceleration.

The issue at hand for the Prius is delayed braking in certain conditions.

Brian Lyons, Toyota’s safety and quality communications manager, told us the automaker last month made a software change in models on the assembly line to remedy the issue, but he did not know exactly how the company would fix models already on the road.

According to Reuters, Toyota has sold about 200,000 of the cars in Japan, 103,200 in the U.S. and 29,000 in Europe.

This latest news comes just as Toyota begins production again on eight models that were recalled over unintended acceleration and, in an unprecedented move, had their production and sales halted so their accelerator pedals could be retrofitted.

Toyota executives themselves are to testify before Congress on Wednesday in front of the House Oversight Committee in Washington, D.C., about the automaker’s recall woes.

As always, stay tuned for the latest on Toyota.

Also see:

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2/6 Weekend rewind: Did you see these stories on Auto Motion?

February 6th, 2010, 7:00 am by Matt Degen

2010toyotaprius

Well, it’s not like we needed to scrounge for news this week here at Auto Motion. We’ve spent more than two weeks watching and reporting on Toyota’s woes, and things only got more dramatic this week.

On one hand, parts started arriving at Orange County dealerships to repair cars with a potentially faulty accelerator pedal. On the other hand, new problems cropped up for the world’s top automaker as reports surfaced of problematic brakes in its popular Prius hybrid, pictured above.

We’ll of course be following the situation closely. In the meantime, click any of the links below to see the story in full.

Stay up to date on automotive news and features — Follow Auto Motion on Twitter at Twitter.com/mattdegen

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Review: Mercedes-Benz E350 offers silence and luxury at a price

February 5th, 2010, 6:40 pm by Matt Degen

2010-mbe350

I came upon a realization recently during my week-long test-drive of Mercedes-Benz’s new E350 sedan: I’m getting old.

How did Mercedes’ mid-level executive sports-sedan, now in its ninth generation, reveal this to me? Because it’s so darn quiet. And I really relished that.

In fact, perhaps to my own surprise, I realized that I enjoyed the E350’s serene ride and extreme comfort more than the blazing-fast, corner-hugging cars that I also get the privilege of testing.

Indeed, this five-passenger car, though no slouch off the starting line, puts an emphasis on luxurious comfort over sports-handling prowess.
For proof, one need look no further than the sedan’s 14-way (!) power adjustable driver’s seat with optional massaging, the fine wood trim, or the plush leather that makes this car feel more inviting than many living rooms I’ve been in.

e350-interiorThe car also offers plenty of features that, in addition to making driving a rewarding experience, put a priority on safety. In that latter respect, the rear- or all-wheel-drive car offers nine airbags, wizardry that can sense if the driver is getting drowsy, and options such as a cruise-control system that monitors and adjusts your distance to other vehicles and can automatically perform emergency braking, and blind-spot warning system for when you’re changing lanes.

Of course, features such as Bluetooth, sunroof, dual-zone climate control and auto-dimming rear-view mirror come standard. Meanwhile a beveled metal circle that sits in the center dash looks and feels wonderful, but it takes some getting used to in order to control functions such as the car’s audio and navigation.

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