Toyota Motor on Wednesday began fixing brake problems in the latest model of its Prius hybrid at dealers across Japan and modifying accelerator pedals in the UK.
The nationwide fix in Japan began a day after Toyota announced a recall of about 437,000 vehicles worldwide to repair brake problems in its best-selling Prius and three other hybrid models.
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Vehicles can be fixed at dealers by having the software for their antilock brake system replaced. The process takes about 10 minutes, but the overall fix, which includes an inspection, will take about 40 minutes, according to Toyota.
Dealers have been notifying Prius owners by phone or direct mail since Tuesday afternoon.
The automaker plans to begin its fix for the three other models subject to the recall including the luxury Lexus HS250h and the hybrid-only Sai compact sedan once preparations have been made.
In principle, car owners should have their vehicles fixed at the dealers which sent the notices, but cars can still be fixed at different dealers if, for instance, owners have changed their residence, Toyota told Kyodo News.
Anticipating a rush, the automaker is asking owners to notify dealers before bringing in their cars.
Toyota’s recall in Japan involves 223,068 vehicles of the four models and is to address a glitch in the vehicles’ antilock brake system, which causes a momentary lag in brake functions when driving slowly on bumpy or slippery roads.
Toyota plans to finish more than 90% of its repairs within three months.
Meanwhile, repairs to accelerator pedals began at 206 UK Toyota service centres which have the capacity – working extra hours – to repair 6,000 vehicles a day. Toyota GB expects to have 100,000 accelerator pedal repair parts in the UK by Friday and the dealers also have the software upgrade for the Prius brakes.
The accelerator pedal recall involves 180,865 vehicles in the UK and Toyota anticipated it could be accomplished in a matter of weeks thanks to service centres extending their opening hours. The pedal repair should take no longer than 30 minutes to complete.
Customer services director Steve Settle said: “We are doing everything we can to ensure our customers’ vehicles are attended to as promptly as possible. With the assistance of the DVLA [for owner names and addreses] and the commitment of all our centres, we have been able to launch a repair programme that is thorough, efficient and effective in ensuring all the vehicles affected by the recall are fixed.”
“Toyota service centres will be working extended hours and weekends.”
Toyota will prioritise those customers whose cars have been identified as having the fault via the Toyota customer helpline or directly with centres.
