Toyota Recalls a Whopping 2.4 Million Hybrid Cars Worldwide Due to Stalling Driving Problems

The giant Japanese automaker Toyota recalled an astounding 2.4 million Prius hybrid cars due to stalling problems while driving.

The Recall

According to Toyota, the said defect was observed in rare situations where the vehicle enters the fail-safe driving mode due to the system faults.

More than 807,000 Toyota Prius cars in the United States are affected by the recall order issued last Friday. It also covers the Prius and Prius V hybrid cars which were produced from 2010-2014. When the vehicle enters that driving mode, it loses all power, causing it to stall.

While the braking and power steering remain operational, a vehicle stall might increase the risk of getting involved in road accidents and crash especially when traveling at higher speed.

Toyota did not state whether the said defect has been linked to any crashes, injuries, and even death reports. The recall applies to more than 1.25 million cars in Japan, 290,000 in Europe, 870,000 in the United States and more than 3,000 units in China and the rest of the globe.

Automotive Troubles

Prior to the recent recall order, Toyota already had trouble with a fail-safe procedure on these cars. Way back in 2014, the company also issued a recall for similar issues. Toyota claimed they didn’t anticipate this new condition would emerge in the new Prius Hybrid models.

Toyota dealers can apply a software fix for Prius cars affected with the defect for free. Moreover, customers will also be notified of the schedule for free car repairs. Aside from the recall of Prius Hybrids, Toyota also recalls some 2018-2019 Tundra pickup trucks, Sequoia SUVs, and 2019 Avalon cars due to detected airbag defects.

The separate recall order also affects more than 188,000 cars worldwide, more than 168,000 of which came from the United States.

Toyota claimed they detected the inappropriate programming fault on its airbag electronic control unit (ECU) on these vehicles during startup which leads to disabling one or more motor sensors to detect crashes. This could result in not deploying the side, curtain shield bags as well as the front and knee airbags when the car gets involved in a crash.

Thus, increasing the risk of injuries and deaths. Lastly, it violates the regulatory requirements in certain markets before the car gets available and sold in the market.

Largest Recalls

Toyota’s share plummeted last Friday in the Tokyo Trading stock market after the announcement was made.

The recent recall was one of the largest recalls Toyota made except for the 2009 sudden unintended acceleration crisis and Takata Corp. airbags.

Last 2016, Toyota recalled more than 2.87 million cars, including Prius Hybrids due to leaky fuel tanks. The said recall also extended to 1.43 million Prius cars due to non-Takata airbags.

Other Car Recalls

Aside from Toyota, another Japanese giant automaker Honda, recalled its Acura due to a defect in front-passenger side airbags.

An astounding 1.4 million Honda Acura models were recalled to replace the Takata airbag inflators. Aside from that, Honda also recalled an additional 200,000 vehicles due to software glitches, especially in rear cameras. According to the latest report, around 23 people were killed due to exploding airbags and at least 180 people were injured due to faulty airbags as of September 2018.

According to some patients, they experienced how the metal parts just sprayed through the car’s interior when the inflators overheat to the point that it explodes.

Aside from Honda, Toyota, BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Daimler, General Motors, Subaru, and other giant automakers were also affected by the said recall.

Takata also scheduled an ongoing recall on more than 100 million inflators worldwide and have it all replaced by the end of 2019. Unfortunately, the said mechanical fault costed Takata greatly, enough to file for bankruptcy, the first major bankruptcy case for a Japanese manufacturer in the history.