2010 Toyota Prius Braking Issues

Toyota Motor Corp. is facing yet another quality setback after being hit with more than 100 complaints in the United States and Japan about brake problems with the 2010 Prius, the automaker’s immensely popular hybrid.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received close to 100 complaints involving the brakes of the 2010 Prius, while Japan transportation officials reported that they have received 14 complaints. A total of three crashes have been linked to the Prius’s braking problem, two in the United States and one in Japan. All three crashes resulted in injuries.

Most of the complaints allege that the vehicle accelerates after traveling over bumps or potholes and does not immediately respond to the brake pedal.

More than Seven Million Vehicles Recalled

This braking issue is only the latest in a line of recent quality problems facing Toyota.

In late 2009, the automaker announced the recall of 3.8 million vehicles after it was found that the floor mat could become unsecured and entrap the accelerator pedal in the fully open position. Recently, another million vehicles were added to this recall.

In January 2010, Toyota faced a second recall – this time for a problem with the accelerator pedal that caused it to be harder to depress or slow to return to the closed position or to become stuck in a partially depressed position. That recall impacted 2.3 million vehicles.

Toyota Prius Updated for 2010

While the 2009 Toyota Prius is included in the first of the two recalls, this is the first widespread problem encountered for the newly redesigned 2010 Prius.

For 2010, Toyota updated the Prius by adding more power, further improving its already impressive fuel economy and enhancing the steering – changes that received high marks in auto reviews.

Toyota released a statement on its Web site saying that the automaker is in the process of confirming the reports of faulty braking in the 2010 Prius and investigating the vehicle’s driving performance under those conditions cited in the complaints.

What Consumers Should Do

The NHTSA strongly advises that consumers experiencing any of these issues should immediately take their vehicles to a Toyota dealership to have the issue addressed.

For more information on the Toyota recalls as well as the most-recent 2010 Prius braking issues, consumers can contact the NHTSA’s Hotline at 888-327-4236 or visit the NHTSA’s Web site. Consumers also can get updates from Toyota via a link on the automaker’s home page.