Photo: Toyota
When Toyota introduced the Prius hybrid vehicle in 1997, the Japanese company wasn’t expecting for the third-generation Prius to be recalled in the hundreds of thousands. In a global safety recall campaign recently announced by the Japanese manufacturer, no less than 625,000 of these eco-friendly cars are to visit their nearest dealership over a software problem.
According to the peeps from Toyota Motor Corp, there’s a little glitch with the software that governs the Hybrid Synergy Drive system. There’s no direct mechanical connection between the engine, electric motor, accelerator, and gearshift lever, so it’s somewhat normal for a computer with drive-by-wire tech to go bad by shutting the Prius down while the car is being driven.
Of the approximately 625,000 vehicles, Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. has to manage about 109,000 units of the global population of recalled cars. Toyota’s Stateside department announces that it’s recalling 2012 - 2014 model year Prius v hybrid vehicles, otherwise known as Prius Alpha and Prius+.
The company mentions that affected Prius vehicles were built between May 2010 and November 2014, with 340,000 of the cars sold in Japan and 120,000 in Europe. Happily, however, there haven’t been any reports of injuries or crashes related to the condition that’s affecting the Hybrid Synergy Drive system.
Because the current software for the motor/generator control ECU and hybrid control ECU “could result in higher thermal stress in certain transistors,” some Prius owners may have experienced their vehicles entering failsafe mode or shutting down while the car is being driven. Toyota dealerships will update the software in the affected vehicles at no cost to the owner.
Of the approximately 625,000 vehicles, Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. has to manage about 109,000 units of the global population of recalled cars. Toyota’s Stateside department announces that it’s recalling 2012 - 2014 model year Prius v hybrid vehicles, otherwise known as Prius Alpha and Prius+.
The company mentions that affected Prius vehicles were built between May 2010 and November 2014, with 340,000 of the cars sold in Japan and 120,000 in Europe. Happily, however, there haven’t been any reports of injuries or crashes related to the condition that’s affecting the Hybrid Synergy Drive system.
Because the current software for the motor/generator control ECU and hybrid control ECU “could result in higher thermal stress in certain transistors,” some Prius owners may have experienced their vehicles entering failsafe mode or shutting down while the car is being driven. Toyota dealerships will update the software in the affected vehicles at no cost to the owner.
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