Storm clouds have been forming for a long time.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced that it is opening a formal investigation of the Toyota Prius Hybrid model year 2010 to look into allegations of momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump.
Readers of TheDetroitBureau.com will not be surprised by the latest development, which we first reported back in December, (click here) along with Toyota’s initial statement that it was unaware of the problem, as Toyota engineers in Japan were preparing a computer programming fix that went into production late in January.
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 124 reports from consumers, including four reports alleging that crashes occurred. Investigators have spoken with consumers and conducted pre-investigatory fieldwork.
“Safety is our top priority,” said Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who is in charge of NHTSA. “That is why in recent weeks NHTSA has also issued a consumer advisory on the recall of several models of Toyota vehicles and the Pontiac Vibe involving pedal entrapment and sticky accelerator pedals. We will continue to monitor these issues closely.”
Late Wednesday, Secretary LaHood spoke with Toyota president, Akio Toyoda, who reassured him that Toyota takes U.S. safety concerns seriously and puts safety at the top of the company’s priorities.
Toyota has repeatedly claimed that safety is its top priority, of course, but has been proven wrong about its previous statements asserting the causes of unintended acceleration.
Consumer complaints about possible safety problems are one of NHTSA’s most important sources of information about vehicles. Officials review each one within a single business day and analyze the information to ensure trends are detected early.
The safety agency is under heavy criticism for its lack of action in Toyota unintended acceleration matters where complaints stretch back several years, and faces at least two Congressional investigations, which will explore its procedures.
Of the 100 investigations NHTSA opens every year, there are currently 40 open defect investigations, three of which involve Toyota. NHTSA claims it has the most active defect investigation program in the world, opening or closing an investigation almost every week. Over the last three years, NHTSA’s defect and compliance investigations have resulted in 524 recalls involving 23.5 million vehicles.
NHTSA is advising owners of vehicles affected by recent Toyota recalls to contact their local dealership if they detect a problem. For more information, consumers should visit www.nhtsa.gov or call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.