Toyota is facing a potential safety issue with its highest profile vehicle, the Prius, the latest in a plague of quality problems that forced it to recall four million vehicles in 2009. A growing number of owners allege that the brakes on the third-generation, 2010 Toyota Prius can malfunction unexpectedly, with at least 20 complaints filed so far with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Japanese automaker said it has launched its own investigation. Robert Becker, 39, is one of those filing among at least 20 who have already submitted their concerns to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation. He says he was heading to work on the west side of Manhattan, coming up to an intersection and squeezing the brakes of his 2010 Prius to slow down.
But when the car hit a pothole, Becker suddenly had the "sensation of losing control," as the brakes released, forcing him to slam down on the pedal. "It scared the hell out of me. I wasn't sure I could stop in time," he said, adding the problem has repeated itself a number of times since then.
Comments
Comments are closed.