The Japanese Ministry of Transportation has insisted Toyota investigate complaints from Prius owners concerning the hybrid-drive small car's regenerative braking system.
According to American industry journal, Automotive News, as many as 102 Prius-specific complaints have been lodged to date with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US since the latest, third-generation Prius (pictured) arrived in the market.
It's not specified whether the 102 complaints are all connected with the car's braking system. Automotive News understands that a further 14 complaints have been registered against the car with the Japanese Ministry of Transportation.
"All the complaints were nearly the same," Toyota spokesperson Ririko Takeuchi was reported as saying. "They are usually about driving in bumpy or icy conditions and when you push the brake, there is an unusual feel."
Automotive News has accessed the 102 complaints in the NHTSA database and alleges that, of those, at least two injuries have been incurred. Those two injured persons are directly attributing the crash to the car's braking system. In a complaint received by the NHTSA as recently as February 1, the driver observed that the car "speeds up from loss of braking action," even though the driver was still pressing on the brake pedal.
Another American Prius driver claimed in September of last year that she had hurt her neck when her car collided with another vehicle after the brakes allegedly failed.
While Toyota would not reveal how many braking-related Prius complaints were lodged with Japan's Ministry of Transportation, Automotive News has determined that 14 reports have been received so far. One of those reports involved a collision and injuries to two vehicle occupants. That incident occurred as long ago as July, whereas the other 13 incidents all took place during December and January.
The Prius controversy is coming to light just as Toyota is grappling with global recalls affected as many as 8.1 million vehicles, by estimates supplied by Automotive News. As the Carsales Network has reported earlier this week, the recalls do not affect cars sold or built in Australia.
Update at 4:30pm: Toyota Australia has issued a statement this afternoon confirming that the third-generation Prius was the subject of investigation following complaints by owners that the car's brake pedal exhibits an inconsistent feel. We'll bring you more news as it comes to hand. The statement from TMCA is reproduced below:
In certain current generation Prius vehicles, Toyota has received reports that some customers have experienced inconsistent brake feel when the vehicle is driven over potholes, bumps or slippery road surfaces.
Toyota is currently in the process of confirming these reports and investigating the vehicle driving conditions under which the reported condition occurs. Toyota Australia has a well established process to deal with matters such as this and will notify customers if further action is required. It is premature to comment until the investigation has been completed.
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