Toyota Prius Recall

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Greenberg & Bederman

Toyota Prius Brake Issues

Hot on the heels of the acceleration issues that have affected so many Toyota models, it now appears that there is a new problem with its most popular model. According to the Montreal Gazette, Toyota has ordered a recall of 437,000 of their Prius models. The problem appears to involve the software that controls the braking system.

Just as the Prius has two methods of acceleration (battery power for idling or low speeds in the city, traditional internal combustion for highway driving,) it also has two methods of braking. The Prius uses what is called regenerative braking at low speeds, and switches to regular hydraulic braking once the driver switches to higher speeds. Apparently there is a lag when the two braking systems switch places. According to a Toyota representative, the lag lasts between .2 and .3 seconds, but when you consider how quickly traffic accidents can occur, the time between .2 and .3 seconds can seem like a very long time indeed.

We aren’t really sure what has happened over at Toyota these past few months. It seems that there has been one problem after another, and these problems are far from simply cosmetic. So far Toyota has issued recalls on almost every model that they have available on the market. There have been recalls for gas pedals being trapped under the floor mat, gas pedals sticking in the acceleration position, and now there are issues involving the brakes. We want to reiterate that these problems are not cosmetic. These problems involve the cars either accelerating beyond control or being unable to stop, neither of which is an acceptable option.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued the following advice for Toyota drivers who experience unintended acceleration:

  • Brake firmly and steadily – do not pump the brake pedal.
  • Shift the transmission into Neutral (for vehicles with automatic transmissions and the sport option, familiarize yourself with where Neutral is – the diagram may be misleading).
  • Steer to a safe location.
  • Shut the engine off (for vehicles with keyless ignition, familiarize yourself with how to turn the vehicle off when it is moving – this may be a different action than turning the vehicle off when it is stationary).
  • Call your dealer or repair shop to pick up the vehicle. Do not drive it.

These suggestions are all well and good, but they seem like the sort of tips that will leave your brain the instant your car speeds up when you don’t want it to, or won’t stop when you want it to stop. We can’t help but think that it would have been better if Toyota had not had such a catastrophic failure in their engineering department, and that way drivers all over America wouldn’t have to remember any “just in case” tips at all.

The Washington, D.C. area and the entire Mid-Atlantic region just went through a massive snow storm, and as a result we can expect our roads to be difficult to drive on for the foreseeable future. This is hardly the optimal time for your brakes to not work or for your car to suddenly accelerate. What we would recommend is to check the Toyota website on a regular basis to see if your car is on the recall list, and if it is, make sure that you bring it in for the necessary repairs without delay. While a knob that falls off the radio or a power window switch that doesn’t work is something that you might be able to put off, anything involving brakes or acceleration should be handled immediately.

This Toyoya recall is a dangerous situation for drivers and pedestrians all over the country, and it is also a rather unique one. This might be one of the few instances where an accident can happen between two cars or a car and a pedestrian, yet it is possible that nobody involved is actually at fault. A driver can hardly take full responsibility for an accident if his car did malfunctioned in a dangerous way. In situations involving automotive malfunctions that stem from design flaws, the only entity really at fault is the company that made the flawed system to begin with.

On the surface, these cases might appear to be cut and dried, but if the accident involves multiple cars or people, you can be sure that any litigation will be very complex. In order to secure fair compensation for your injuries and lost or damaged property, it is crucial that you obtain attorneys who have a great deal of experience in both car accident cases and product liability cases.

Greenberg and Bederman have been helping injury victims in the Washington. D.C. area since 1985, and our practice has been built on getting decent and fair compensation for our clients. We have attorneys with decades of winning experience in both product liability and car accident cases, and can certainly help you with your Toyota accident claim.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to faulty brakes or sudden rapid acceleration in a Toyota, contact Greenberg and Bederman for a free legal consultation today.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,