2010 Toyota Prius/Lexus HS Recall

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/results.cfm?rcl_id=10V039&searchtype=quicksearch&summary=true&refurl=email

NHTSA Campaign ID number : 10V039000

Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
LEXUS / HS 2010
TOYOTA / PRIUS 2010
Manufacturer: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. Mfr's Report Date: FEB 09, 2010
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 10V039000
N/A
NHTSA Action Number: N/A
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Potential Number of Units Affected: 148549
Summary:
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS AND LEXUS HS250H PASSENGER VEHICLES. CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED INCONSISTENT BRAKE FEEL AFTER ABS ACTUATION DURING SLOW AND STEADY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES ON ROUGH OR SLICK ROAD SURFACES. STOPPING DISTANCES MAY BE INCREASED COMPARED WITH A CUSTOMER'S EXPECTATION FOR A GIVEN PEDAL FORCE.
Consequence:
VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCES MAY INCREASE RELATIVE TO A CUSTOMER'S EXPECTATION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REWRITE THE PROGRAMMING OF THE ABS CONTROL UNIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATE FEBRUARY AND BE COMPLETED IN LATE MARCH 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 AND LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
Notes:
OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

Toyota's Prius -- Is the Hybrid Technology Worth the Extra Cost?

By Patrick Roberts

The Prius embodies Toyota’s motto, “Moving Forward.” They designed the Prius to be a step up in the car world, rather than a step toward awkwardness, as I would expect from any environmentally conscious car. The car looks and feels special. People notice the difference in appearance and realize that the whole motivation for the car is different.

The people have cried out for relief from rising gas prices. They have sought after something that doesn’t destroy the environment. Toyota has answered the people with their gas/electric hybrid, the Prius.

The Prius gets an average of 45 mpg in the city as well as on highways. People with lead feet complain that this car gives them no better gas mileage then a regular car, but this is because gas usage depends very much on the driver, how he or she works the gas pedal. The driver can ensure the best possible gas mileage by watching the screen mounted on the dashboard.

It is disputable whether or not additional cost for the hybrid technology is worth the money saved in gas expenditure. The car costs at least five thousand more than the average Toyota sedan to begin with. Then there is an additional seven to eight thousand dollar cost when the battery wears out. The battery’s warrantee comes to an end after one hundred thousand miles.

The car is trim and slim, easy to fit into small spaces. Unfortunately, the leg room is a bit wanting for the driver’s side in particular. I don’t understand why they didn’t allow the front seats to slide back any further. This is one of the few misgivings I have about the Prius.

So would you rather give your money to gas companies who are deliberately raising gas prices because they know there is nothing you can do about it, or would you rather support Toyota who is putting forth effort to give you a choice in the matter? Assuming I’ll break even in car payments vs. gas prices, I would rather support Toyota.

Toyota’s Prius also includes keyless entry and push button start. As long as the key is in your pocket, the car will sense this and unlock the car. Same thing goes for starting the car. As long as the key is in your pocket, just push the button and the car will start. The keyless key also makes it impossible to lock your keys in the car.

by Patrick Roberts. Find media reviews at www.KoGmedia.com. Also checkout www.BooksByPatrick.com

Toyota Prius: Leader of the Global Hybrid Revolution

By Evander Klum

Toyota’s gas-electric Prius started a revolution in the global automotive industry ten years ago in December. Little did consumers know that the best selling vehicle was a dream come true to one engineer and it lead him later to Toyota’s vice- presidency. Takeshi Uchiyamada’s mind caused this revolution and with his success, he is determined to further transfigure the auto industry with the first mass production of the super car, the Toyota Prius.

Quite blessed with determination, Uchiyamada with Toyota’s other engineers doubled their working hours to 16 hours per day to vigilantly test hundreds of engines. Every engineering problem is met with critical suggestions to arrive with the best solution to make the engine nothing but perfect.

The Prius was a milestone for environmental vehicles making Toyota’s foot ahead of its rivals as they struggle for the most efficient battery, plug-in hybrids and possible zero-emission fuel-cell cell hydrogen powered cars. Uchiyamada said in an interview that he and his team have grown tired of defending themselves as imitators of technologies developed by their rivals.

In December of 1997, the Prius was introduced in Japan and in the United States the next year. The Prius is already on its second generation and as the hybrid system allows electric motor and gas engine take turns to provide the car power, it gets 46 miles per gallon. Out of Toyota’s 1.2 million global hybrid sales, the Prius accounts for the 829,000 units sales thus making itself as the most successful hybrid vehicle in the global auto market.

In the beginning, Uchiyamada never thought of designing a hybrid and thought that the Prius is one project Toyoto would not approve. A hybrid would require mounds of hardwork significantly the creation of battery that must long miles and recharge itself as the car is driven. He predicted that the Prius would cause Toyota to lose millions if not billions of dollars but he was wrong.

Right now, Toyota’s rivals are all busy making hybrid versions of almost every model vehicle. Last August at the Frankfurt auto show, there was a hybrid galore. Porsche showcased a hybrid of their Cayenne turbo with Volkswagen’s help. BMW opened the box for their X6 (made with original BMW oxygen sensor), an SUV coupe crossover hybrid. General Motors have already launched several hybrids but is more preoccupied with their Chevrolet volt plug in, the vehicle the American automaker predicts to dethrone the Prius. Ford’s Escape already had its hybrid version in 2004 but is presently working on a more advanced version. Chrysler LLC is working on their first hybrid versions of the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango set to debut next year. However, as almost all automaker are investing on hybrids, Toyota considers Honda Motor Co. as their greatest rival in the hybrid league as the Honda introduced the hybrid version of the Honda Civic.

The next generation of the Prius is expected to be better than it is. According to analysts, this blockbuster must not disappoint its fans and it is a tough challenge that Toyota is facing. "The popularity of Toyota's hybrids has been limited so far to the Prius. That means Toyota still has a lot of work to do," he said. "If a car doesn't meet consumer expectations, it won't sell. That's the fate Prius must now shoulder: It can't disappoint fans." said Yasuaki Iwamoto, an auto analyst with Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo, Japan.

Why Is Prius The Much-Loved Toyota?

By Anthony Fontanelle

Why is the Toyota Prius much-loved? One answer may be that Prius shoppers want everyone to know that they are driving a hybrid. But there are numerous reasons to add to the list.

Only a third of Prius owners cited that reason just three years ago, according to CNW, which tracks auto shopping trends. “I really want people to know that I care about the environment,” said Joy Feasley of Philadelphia, the owner of a green 2006 Prius. “I like that people stop and ask me how I like my car.” Dan Becker, the head of the global warming program at the Sierra Club added, “The Prius allowed you to make a green statement with a car for the first time ever.”

This spring, over half of the Prius owners surveyed by CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore., said that the main reason they bought their car was that it makes a statement about them.

Mary Gatch of Charleston, S.C., picked the car over a hybrid version of the Toyota Camry after trading in a Lexus sedan. “I felt like the Camry Hybrid was too subtle for the message I wanted to put out there,” Gatch said. “I wanted to have the biggest impact that I could, and the Prius puts out a clearer message.”

Unlike the original Prius buyers, who wanted to be first with its innovative technology, the latest owners are far more conscious of foreign oil dependence and global warming, said Doug Coleman, Toyota’s product manager for Prius. “Consumer knowledge and consumer awareness is changing,” Coleman said.

Prius sales for the first six months of the year increased 93.7 percent from last year, to 94,503, and the Japanese automaker has already sold close to as many Prius cars as it did in all of 2006.
The Toyota Prius was first embraced by famous celebrities and remains in trend long after most cars have lost their hum. Owners have included Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Billy Joel, and Larry David. David has bought three, including one for his role in the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Now Prius drivers are typically found in cities on the East and West Coasts, and in college towns like Ann Arbor, Mich., and State College, Pa. “You can’t drive across town without seeing half a dozen of them,” said Peter Darnell, a software engineer and Prius owner in Westford, Mass., north of Boston. Darnell admits to feeling smug this year when gasoline prices spiked above $3 a gallon. But that was not the main reason he purchased a Prius. “I have to admit that I’m a granola-crunching liberal, and I really liked the idea of minimizing the impact on the environment,” Darnell said.

Corey Confer, the general sales manager at Joel Confer Toyota in State College, said that he had received calls from as far away as Key West, Fla., from buyers looking for a Prius. His dealership advertises an $800 discount on each vehicle. A number of dealers in the West are adding $2,000 premiums.

Nationwide, Prius sales increased dramatically in May, when gasoline prices rose over $3 a gallon. Worldwide, Toyota has sold over one million Prius cars. Toyota was alarmed to see Prius sales even out last year. But before gas prices hit record levels, Prius sales were climbing again.

Toyota executives have said that they plan to offer a hybrid version of everything the company sells worldwide, perhaps as soon as 2010. That fact could make a fanatic forget about the most fascinating Volkswagen Touareg part. Japanese press reports said that the Japanese automaker may even build Prius into a separate brand, with basic and sporty Prius models.