Toyota announces big Prius recall
Japanese car manufacturing giant, Toyota recently announced that were recalling 1.9 million Prius models across the world, 30,790 of which are registered in the United Kingdom.
So what exactly is the problem?
The issue concerns the software which is used to control the hybrid car’s boost converter, which is a key part of its Intelligent Power Module, found within the inverter assembly. While there have only been 11 cases reported across, Toyota have issued the recall request in order to ensure that no more cars are affected.
The software problem manifests itself in ‘higher thermal stress’ - which to the layperson translates as ‘over-heating’ - and which lead to the deformation or severe damage of the boost converter’s insulated-gate bipolar transistors. This is a problem because the boost converter is needed in hybrid systems when the car is accelerated hard from being at a standstill.
What should you look out for to check if your Prius is affected?
Should there be an issue with your Prius, warning lights make the issue apparent and the car is likely to begin driving at reduced power after switching to its ‘fail-safe’ mode, which allows the car to carry on being driven. There will be no warning before the issue actually occurs, and so the driver will not notice any difference in the performance or behaviour of the vehicle.
Does the issue affect all of Toyota’s hybrid models?
The simple answer is ‘no’. This is because other models use different transistor make-up and control logic.
A ‘blatant disregard’
As stated in this article on the BBC News website, US regulators fined Toyota $1.2 billion on the basis of its’ blatant disregard’ for consumers over this and a number of other issues with their models. Service Centre Manager, Craig Gray from CarShop.co.uk says “It’s always disappointing to hear of a manufacturer having to recall a large number of cars. However it is extremely important that all owners whose vehicles are affected take their vehicle to their local Toyota Centre as soon as possible. It is surprising to see so many models affected by the software issue, something which I hope Toyota thoroughly tests in their coming models.”
The recall
Despite the fact that the vast majority of Prius models remain as yet unaffected by the potential glitch, Toyota are displaying admirable diligence in recalling the cars so that the software in each unit can be updated. The update itself is said to take around 40 minutes to complete.
Prius owners will be contacted by Toyota within the next few months either by telephone or by post and will be asked to make an appointment to bring their vehicle in to the closest Toyota centre.
