Automakers recalled more vehicles last year than in any of the last six years. And while Toyota Motors accounted for much of the growth, with problems including unintended acceleration and glitchy brakes, many other car manufacturers also saw their recalls increase.
Embattled automaker Toyota has told its dealers that it's readying a fix for problems with the brake system of its Prius hybrid sedan. The Japanese carmaker also told dealers it's planning a public-relations campaign to deal with the fallout from the problems with its vehicles.
Toyota has told dealers it's preparing a plan to repair the brakes on thousands of hybrid Prius cars in the U.S., with more details to come soon. More than 100 drivers of 2010 Prius cars have complained that their brakes seemed to fail momentarily when they were driving on bumpy roads.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda finally breaks his silence as the Japanese automaker struggles with massive recalls and serious damage to its reputation. At a Friday news conference, Toyoda apologized to customers for recalls involving some of its most popular models.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it will look into reports that the 2010 Toyota Prius suffers from momentary loss of braking power when encountering bumps, potholes or uneven road surfaces. The agency said it has received 124 complaints from consumers, including four involving crashes.
The admission overshadows a good profit report for its fiscal third quarter. But the quarterly report covers a period before the gas-pedal recall and others, so the profit is likely to be short-lived as Toyota scrambles to make repairs and rebuild its reputation.