Toyota is recalling 1.9 million of its Prius hybrid vehicles due to a software glitch. Also under recall are Rav 4, Tacoma and RX350 models.
Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday that 997,000 Prius cars in Japan, some 713,000 in North America, another 130,000 in Europe and the rest in other regions are being recalled for a problem in the software to control the hybrid system.
While no accidents have been reported, this brings to light an issue with newer and more technologically advanced cars where not just mechanical recalls are possible but also software recalls because cars are increasingly relying on computers to manage onboard systems. This is true for hybrid vehicles as well as electric vehicles which have fewer mechanical components.
Toyota Canada says 13,791 Prius cars are being recalled in the country.
The software could cause transistors to become damaged, causing warnings lights to go off, driving power to be reduced or the car to stop. The recalled Prius vehicles were manufactured between March 2009 and February 2014.
Source: CTV News.ca