Toyota has announced the company’s third recall since October, as the world’s leading auto manufacturer has admitted that there are indeed brake issues with more than 300,000 Toyota Prius and Lexus HS 250h hybrids in both the U.S. and Japan. Despite having recently recalled more than 75,000 RAV4 vehicles, Toyota insists that China is unaffected by this new recall.
This latest recall has led to the filing of a nationwide class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Sales of the Prius are predominant in California, as are sales of the HS 250h. The lawsuit involves any owners of the following vehicles: 2006 through 2010 Prius; 2005 through 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid; 2005 through 2010 Lexus RX 400h; 2009 and 2010 Lexus RX 450h; and 2009 and 2010 Lexus HS 250h.
Consumers and Prius owners had complained of problems with the brakes in the world’s top-selling hybrid vehicles, and this new class action case alleges that Toyota has long known about the issue with the electronic brake controls, but chose to deny any knowledge of a brake issue. Owners have reported a delay between the pressing of the brake pedal and the actual stopping of the vehicle, which experts are attributing to a flaw in the electronic system software. In some cases, it has been reported that vehicles would travel an additional 100 feet before stopping.
Despite Prius complaints and reports focusing on brake issues, many consumers are also reporting problems with sudden unintended acceleration, an issue that some automobile experts and consumer advocates believe is being caused by a flaw in Toyota’s electronic throttle system. Sudden unintended acceleration has been involved in Toyota’s previous two unrelated recalls.
This latest recall comes weeks after Toyota announced the halt in production of eight models, including the best-selling Camry and Corolla models, after a January recall of more than 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S., China, Japan, and Europe. In October 2009, Toyota announced the largest recall in company history with 3.8 million vehicles being recalled for issues with floor mats interfering with the gas pedals, which is unrelated to the January recall’s sudden unintended acceleration problems.
If you or a loved one owns one of the affected Toyota models and have experienced problems with sudden unintended acceleration or stuck accelerators, contact Newsome Law Firm and fill out a case evaluation form today. Our team of attorneys has experience specific to complications associated with automobile recalls. Not only can they give you the legal guidance you need, they can help you get the compensation you deserve.