MG
Moderator
Subject: Safety Recall J0V– Remedy2010-2014 Model Year Prius and
2012-2014 Model Year Prius V Hybrid System Software Update
On October 4, 2018 Toyota filed a Defect Information Report (DIR) with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) informing the agency of our intent to conduct a voluntary Safety Recall on certain 2010-2014 model year Prius and certain 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles.
Condition:
The involved vehicles were designed to enter a failsafe driving mode in response to certain hybrid system faults. Toyota has found that in rare situations, the vehicle may not enter a failsafe driving mode as intended. If this occurs, the vehicle could lose power and stall. While power steering and braking would remain operational, a vehicle stall while driving at higher speeds could increase the risk of a crash.
This recall remedy will address a new condition in the vehicles involved in previous Safety Recalls E0E & F0R. The previous recalls E0E & F0R did not anticipate the new condition remedied with this recall.
Remedy:
Toyota dealer will update the software for the hybrid system performed FREE OF CHARGE. For customer satisfaction, if the vehicle has experienced an inverter failure with certain hybrid system faults related to this condition, the inverter assembly will be repaired or replaced FREE OF CHARGE.
Covered Vehicles:
There are approximately 807,300 vehicles covered by this Safety Recall. Approximately 1,600 vehicles involved in this Safety Recall were distributed to Puerto Rico.
Owner Letter Mailing Date:
Toyota will begin to notify owners in mid-January 2019. A sample of the owner notification letter has been included for your reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the condition?
The involved vehicles were designed to enter a failsafe driving mode in response to certain hybrid system faults. Toyota has found that in rare situations, the vehicle may not enter a failsafe driving mode as intended. If this occurs, the vehicle could lose power and stall. While power steering and braking would remain operational, a vehicle stall while driving at higher speeds could increase the risk of a crash.
This recall remedy will address a new condition in the vehicles involved in previous Safety Recalls E0E & F0R. The previous recalls E0E & F0R did not anticipate the new condition remedied with this recall.
What is Toyota going to do?
Toyota will send an owner notification by first class mail starting in January 2019, advising owners to make an appointment with their authorized Toyota dealer to have a software update for the hybrid system performed FREE OF CHARGE. For customer satisfaction, if the vehicle has experienced an inverter failure with certain hybrid system faults related to this condition, the inverter assembly will be repaired or replaced FREE OF CHARGE.
How many vehicles are covered by this Safety Recall?
There are approximately 807,300 vehicles covered by this Safety Recall
How long will the repair take?
The software update will take approximately 45 minutes to complete. If the inverter needs to be repaired or replaced, the repair could take up to 7.5 hours. However, depending upon the dealer’s work schedule, it may be necessary to make the vehicle available for a longer period of time.
How long and what distance can a vehicle be driven when the vehicle enters a fail-safe driving mode?
It differs in each model and with varying driving and environmental conditions. Generally, the failsafe mode is designed to allow the driver to operate the vehicle at reduced power for certain distances to allow the driver to maneuver the vehicle to a safe location.
What should I do if my vehicle enters fail-safe driving mode?
If a vehicle enters a fail-safe driving mode, the driver should pull over and stop the car in a safe area at the earliest opportunity. The driver should then contact his/her local Toyota dealer for assistance.
Can you describe what happens when the vehicle does not enter fail-safe driving mode as intended? Would the brakes still be operational?
The vehicle will run on inertia only. However, the brakes, power steering, and auxiliary systems such as turn signals will be operational as usual.
Toyota already has an existing recall for a similar condition. What is the difference between the previous recall and this new recall?
Toyota identified a new safety defect in the involved Prius vehicles where a specific component failure, coupled with hard acceleration, could cause the vehicle to lose power rather than enter a failsafe driving mode. This recall is in addition to a prior action for the involved vehicles (Safety Recalls E0E and F0R), which improved the thermal management of certain hybrid components and the software logic to place the vehicle into failsafe in the event of an ECU reset. The prior recalls did not anticipate the conditions of this new condition.
I did not have Safety Recall E0E or F0R performed on my vehicle. Do I need to have those recalls performed prior to having J0V performed?
No. Please make an appointment with any authorized dealer to have Safety Recall J0V performed. When applying the J0V remedy to your vehicle, the remedy will automatically apply any additional software update that is a part of Safety Recall E0E or F0R, as needed.
If I had Safety Recall E0E or F0R performed, do I still need to have Safety Recall J0V performed?
Yes. J0V is a new important Safety Recall. The software update performed in Safety Recall E0E/F0R did not address the condition in this new Safety Recall J0V.
What if I have additional questions or concerns?
If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1- 888-270-9371 Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am to 4:30 pm Central Time