Is Toyota set to recall the Prius?
It was launched in a blaze of glory as the new hybrid car of the future but this evening there are concerns that Toyota is on the verge of recalling yet more Prius vehicles around the world. Despite claims by the company that no final decision has yet been taken it is believed that American car dealers have been contacted about a potential recall of the vehicle in the US. Where does this leave UK Prius owners?
While officially there is no comments regarding a potential recall of Prius cars in the UK it is known that the 37,000 models sold in the UK came from the same factory affected by the rumoured U.S. recall. The fault in question is in connection with the brake system and the software which controls the brakes although a simple software update will alleviate the problem. However, there are growing concerns about other issues regarding the Toyota portfolio of cars and consumer confidence in the company is being affected.
The company has so far recalled over 8 million vehicles with the vast majority sold in the US market. While the financial impact on the company in the short to medium term will be significant it will fade into insignificance compared to the impact on the company's public profile!
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