Just when you thought that Toyota had a grasp on its malfunctioning accelerator woes, new revelations cast doubt on the brake system of their vaunted 2010 Prius (I can almost hear the muffled cries of chetsu! from across the Pacific). Before you rush out to your already besieged local Toyota dealership, know this: no recall has been announced on the 2010 Prius.
Here’s the skinny on the issue: drivers have reported that their brakes temporarily lost power after going over potholes or rough roads (better call and hassle your alderman to fix the streets). The brake loss has only lasted a few seconds, but I imagine those seconds felt like hours to frantic driver madly jabbing at their pedals. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there have been at least 136 complaints about the faulty Prius brakes, 4 of which involved a crash.
Engineers are already starting to speculate that the issue stems from the Prius’ regenerative braking system, a complex technology that harnesses the energy released when the pads pinch the rotors and sends it back into the Prius’ bank of Duracells. However, no official explanation has been given for the troubles.
Source: NY Times
No comments:
Post a Comment