Toyota poised to recall Prius hybrid vehicles

Tony Van Alphen

BUSINESS REPORTER

Maria Wen pushed the brake pedal on her new Toyota Prius hybrid as she approached the traffic lights in her east-end neighbourhood at about 40 km/h. But her Prius didn't slow down immediately or stop.

Wen panicked. She didn't know what to do until the brakes responded a few seconds later.

"It was scary," Wen said Thursday in recalling last summer's experience with the car that is creating yet another crisis for the beleaguered automaker.

"It was unresponsive and I felt like I was jerking forward. I thought I would hit another car or someone."

Wen made the stop safely, but she's a conservative driver who leaves more space than normal between her and cars ahead, she said.

"Another driver could have easily hit something."

Toyota's response time is now in question after the company acknowledged that a small number of Prius customers have reported "inconsistent brake feel" during slow and steady application. The move activates the anti-lock brake system to maintain tire traction when the Prius is travelling on rough or slick road surfaces.

The company said it introduced a production change last month to improve the system's response time and overall sensitivity to tire slippage.

But Friday editions of Japan's top business paper said the automaker is now poised to recall 270,000 Prius hybrid vehicles in the U.S. and Japan over brake problems.

Nihon Keizai reported that Toyota will soon notify Japan's transport ministry and the U.S. Department of Transportation of the recall.

However, Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said the company had not yet decided whether to recall the Prius, but is investigating possible brake problems with its luxury Lexus HS250h model because it uses the same brake system as the Prius hybrid.

Toyota also said Thursday it was working with Transport Canada, which regulates vehicle and road safety, on the Prius brake issue.

The federal agency indicated it had received six complaints regarding the Prius during the past two months and is trying to replicate the problem through testing.

Industry Minister Tony Clement said the federal government is concerned about Toyota's problems and is "monitoring the situation closely."

In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had opened an investigation into the Prius after receiving 124 reports from consumers about brake incidents, including four involving crashes.

The Prius probe comes at a time when Toyota, which built a reputation for quality and durability during the last two decades, has just started a recall for "modifications" to its accelerator pedal system in millions of cars around the world.

In Canada, Toyota is sending notices to the owners of 270,000 vehicles in the biggest recall in the company's history.

Wen, an office manager for a local engineering company, said she phoned her dealership after again encountering the braking problem following the installation of snow tires on the Prius in November.

She said a technician tested the car on nearby roads but could find nothing wrong.

"The problem with the whole thing is I can't recreate the scenario where the brakes act funny," Wen noted. "I could be driving on a wet pavement or on a man-hole and the car will jerk forward a bit while I brake."

She said she now takes defensive measures while driving, such as keeping a greater distance from other cars, to cope with any further repetition of the brake problem.

But Wen, who describes herself as a Toyota fan and who drove a Corolla for a decade before buying the Prius last year, said the problem and lack of a solution has tested her faith in the company.

"I will give them a second chance to restore my confidence if they fix it right," she said.

Toyota Canada announced its accelerator recall on eight models other than the Prius on Jan. 21 and said it had received five reports of sticking but no accidents or injuries here. Toyota has not provided an update on reports since then.

The company also temporarily suspended sales of those models, including its best-selling Corolla, and production at six North American assembly plants. Operations in Cambridge and Woodstock are idle this week.

The company scrambled to find a remedy for the problem, which left owners wondering if it was safe to drive their Toyota models.

The recall affects the 2009-2010 Corolla; the 2009-2010 Matrix; 2005-2010 Avalon; 2007-2010 Camry; 2010 Highlander; 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia models.

The pedal recall and suspension of sales for the last few days of January reduced Toyota's monthly sales in Canada and analysts expect a continuing fallout as consumers react to the company's troubles.

They say Toyota, which has a longstanding reputation for quality and durability, won't be able to demand past premiums on its models; resale values will slip; company incentives will need to increase and profits will decline.

The pedal recall has already prompted used-auto pricing guide Kelley Blue Book to lower rates on affected models by 1 to 3 per cent.

Toyota Canada announced a "loyalty program" on Tuesday whereby the company will offer $1,000 to owners and lessees of any model year vehicle of the brand if they buy a new auto before March 1.

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