12 February 2014
Toyota today ordered the recall of 1.9 million of its best-selling Prius saloon cars built since March 2009.
The Japanese car maker said a software glitch could cause the car to slowdown or stop suddenly. It said it received 400 reports of the problem mainly from the US and Japan.
The Prius was launched in 1997 and is one of the most popular hybrid cars in the world. The new software problem can set off warning lights, and will “probably cause the vehicle to enter a failsafe” mode, which will see the car’s driving power reduced.
“In limited cases, the hybrid system might shut down and the vehicle will stop, perhaps while being driven,” Toyota said.
