Kim Gale  |  January 22, 2020

Category: Auto News

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Man in sunglasses looks behind him with his hand on steering wheel as he sits in vehicle's driver's seatA problem reported with the brakes on Toyota hybrids has prompted a Toyota dealer owner to stop selling certain model years of Priuses.

Roger Hogan, president and owner of Claremont and Capistrano Toyota dealerships in California, asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate a potential brake defect and initiate a recall, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

One of the vehicles he wants investigated is the 2013 Toyota Prius Liftback. In June 2014, the driver of such a vehicle said the brakes failed on the rental Prius, causing him to run into three teenagers in a North Hollywood crosswalk. One of the teens has suffered permanent brain damage and is unable to live on her own, according to her attorney.

Hogan told the Daily News he filed a defect petition with the NHTSA in September that included customer complaints regarding the brakes of Toyota hybrids including:

  • 2010-2015 Prius Liftback
  • 2012-2015 Prius Plug-in Hybrid
  • 2012-2014 Camry Hybrid
  • 2013-2015 Avalon Hybrid

“This brake defect is causing crashes that are injuring people – and Toyota is mishandling,” said Hogan in his petition.

Hogan said he wants a safety recall issued on one million vehicles regarding an alleged defect within the “brake booster pump assemblies with the master cylinder.”

Even though the parts are covered through Toyota warranty-extension programs, Hogan said the warranty will only come into play if the driver experiences problems. Hogan wants the safety issue fixed before drivers have more accidents, cause more injuries, and possibly, deaths.

In the meantime, Hogan has issued a “stop sale” notice on certain 2010-2015 Prius vehicles on his lots “until Toyota introduces a cure for the safety defect or buys the vehicles back,” according to a letter to the public on Claremont Toyota’s website.

Alleged Defects in Toyota Hybrids

The NHTSA sent a letter to Toyota on Feb. 13, 2014 saying in part that certain Toyota Prius vehicles model years 2010 through 2014 are equipped with an Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module, which is a component of the hybrid system. The transistors in the IPM “may become damaged from high operating temperatures,” according to the NHTSA.

When the IPM is damaged, warning lamps will light up on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power that impairs electronic systems, including the brakes, and allows it to drive just a short distance, a situation deemed the “limp-home mode.”

Hogan says the affected Toyota hybrids at his dealerships “will remain on stop sale until Toyota releases a safety recall remedy that a minimum does not include reducing vehicle power and speed, the common loss of safety related systems like ABS, Brake Assist, Traction Control, and Vehicle Stability Control” or the illumination of various warning lights.

An April 2019 article in the Los Angeles Times reported that Hogan said installing newly designed inverters could cost more than $2,000 per vehicle, but is necessary because even computer software updates on the affected vehicles have failed to remedy the situation. A 2014 safety recall issued by Toyota has allegedly tried to fix the problem, but only through the software updates. Lawsuits allege the software update was ineffective.

Toyota issued another recall in October 2018, admitting the electronic failure could decrease power and “increase the risk of a crash.” Again, Toyota offered a software update.

Hogan closes his stop sale notice on his website saying, “Rest assured, we will never put your family into a vehicle we could not put our own into.”

Join a Free Toyota Hybrid Brake Defect Lawsuit Investigation

You may qualify to join this Toyota hybrid brake defect class action lawsuit investigation if you own one of these Toyota hybrids:

  • 2010-2015 Prius Liftback
  • 2012-2015 Prius Plug-in Hybrid
  • 2012-2014 Camry Hybrid
  • 2013-2015 Avalon Hybrid

Learn More

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.

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One thought on Toyota Hybrids Plagued With Brake Problems, Toyota Dealer Owner Says

  1. Tamiko says:

    I have a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid and the code c1391 is coming up on the diagnostic tool. I went to the Toyota dealer in my area to have it fixed but they won’t do it because they’re saying it out of warranty. The mileage of this car is less than $150,000 miles but it is over 10 years so they refuse to fix it or do anything about it. This is a huge safety issue and I can feel the brakes ready to lock up. I need this car in order to work. I am a delivery driver and I recently been through homelessness and I’m very fortunate to have a friend that gave me this car to use to work and was for a Time able to provide food and shelter for myself. I don’t have the $3,000 to $4,000 to repair this or replace this part that Toyota knows about but refuses to do a recall on, this part that they know is faulty. I feel that it’s not fair because it is under the mileage and just because the previous car owner didn’t drive it much, Toyota won’t fix it.

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