If you’re one of many greenies who recently purchased a 2010 Toyota Prius, turn that ride right around. The Japanese company has just announced that it’s recalling 437,000 of its hybrid cars because of a braking system glitch. The company says that the recall applies to 223,000 Japanese vehicles, 155,000 American vehicles and 53,000 European cars.
Many environmentalists regard the Prius as the poster vehicle of the green movement, and the 2010 model’s major problem affects one of its most eco features. All Priuses come equipped with a regenerative braking system, that uses energy from the car’s wheels to help charge its battery (and as all of you probably know by now, the Prius is powered by electricity and fuel, so keeping that battery charged is key). Electronics merge the regenerative braking system with traditional brake pads. In the newest Priuses, a software glitch occurs when the car’s antilock brakes are activated, causing vehicles to falter for a moment on slippery roads.
The 437,000 vehicles include 2010 standard Priuses, plug-in Priuses, Lexus HS250hs and Sai hybrids. The company says that drivers with pre-2010 models should not experience any problems. Drivers can simply take their cars to the dealership for fixing, which takes about 40 minutes. Though the problem seems like it’s easily solved, let’s hope that this flub doesn’t deter folks from purchasing eco-friendly vehicles.
