The following statement was delivered February 8 by Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda:
“We submitted recall notifications earlier today to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in regard to four models: the “Prius”, the “Prius Plug-in Hybrid”, the “Sai” and the “HS250h” sold in Japan. The notifications are in regard to the issues in braking systems employed in those models. Our dealers will inform customers who have purchased the Prius model in question over the next few days. We urge the owners to take their vehicles into the dealers for a repair to resolve the problem.
“I regret the quality and safety issues that have caused concern for our customers.
“Regarding the four models recalled, although it is very difficult to describe, a phenomenon occurs in which the brakes seem to “soften” for a split second when the antilock braking system comes into play at slow speeds on snowy or otherwise extremely slippery road surfaces.
“We have heard concerns from customers about this issue, and we are recalling the cars in question to resolve the problem completely. We are determined to ensure that our customers can feel absolutely at ease with their vehicles.
“This recall pertains to about 400,000 vehicles worldwide. We will take appropriate measures as soon as possible for the good of our customers in the United States, Europe and other regions.
“In addition to the Prius, we are now preparing remedies for the other three models. We will suspend sales of those three models, or suspend deliveries to customers in the case of completed purchases, until we have prepared the solutions.
“I apologize for the uncertainty that vehicle owners will experience while awaiting the repairs. Please know that sustained pressure on the brake pedal will bring the car to a stop, even in the kind of conditions that I have described. Please keep that in mind when driving in such conditions. For us at Toyota, this episode is an occasion for redoubling our commitment to quality as our most fundamental principle—indeed, as the very life of our company. I will take charge personally of a coordinated effort by everyone at Toyota, at our dealers, and at our suppliers to regain the confidence of our customers. And I assure you we will devote ourselves – heart and soul – to that effort. Thank you.”
