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NEWS ABOUT: Toyota Prius

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The Dirty Secret Inside Your Prius

'Rare earth' mining can hurt the environment

(Newser) - So, you bought a Prius or know someone who has. Beautiful. But look under the hood and you'll find some neodymium, one of the "rare earth" minerals that help run all kinds of green technology—and other high-tech stuff like smartphones and flat-screen TVs. So far so good,... More »

Toyota Recalls 106K First-Generation Priuses

If 'operated over a long time' power steering will become too forceful

(AP) - Toyota recalled 106,000 first-generation Prius hybrid cars globally today for faulty steering caused by a nut that may come loose. Loose nuts in the electric-power steering can cause the vehicle, if operated over a long time, to steer with too much force. Only one minor accident, reported in the... More »

Rush Laughs at Japanese Refugees

Why would 'Gaia' do this to such an eco-conscious country?

(Newser) - Leave it to Rush Limbaugh to find some levity in the plight of Japanese refugees. Specifically, the radio show host is amused by the fact that one refugee camp is still recycling. A caller on yesterday’s show—after hearing a clip Limbaugh played of a Diane Sawyer report on... More »

Consumer Reports: Volt Doesn't Make Much Sense

Mag's tester says it's not too efficient as electric car ... or as gas vehicle

(Newser) - The Chevy Volt may be the cover girl of April’s issue of Consumer Reports, but the magazine doesn’t have a lot of glowing things to say about it. Economically, the car “doesn’t really make a lot of sense,” the magazine’s director of auto testing... More »

Toyota Rolls Out New Family of Priuses

A station wagon, a city car, a plug-in, oh my!

(Newser) - Hoping perhaps to gloss over its recent black eyes, Toyota today burnished its crown jewel, unveiling an expanded Prius line with something for, well, more than just your devout tree-hugger. The automaker is continuing the standard Prius, reports the LA Times, and will also offer: More »

Toyota Recalls 650K Priuses

Cooling pump problem could lead to overheating, power loss

(Newser) - Toyota today issued another recall of its Prius, this time recalling 650,000 of the hybrids to fix a faulty cooling pump, reports the Wall Street Journal. The problem could lead to overheating and loss of power, but thus far hadn't resulted in accidents; Toyota, however, appears to be erring... More »

Prius Growing Noisier to Warn Pedestrians

Toyota offers 'humming device' to help people hear hybrid coming

(Newser) - Prius drivers worried about mowing down pedestrians who can't hear them coming are being offered a chance to make their cars noisier. Toyota is selling a $150 device that makes a humming noise that's about as loud as a regular car's engine, AP reports. The speaker system is designed to... More »

Feds: NY Prius Crash Driver Never Stepped on Brake

Local officials say data are inconclusive

(Newser) - Computer data from a Toyota Prius that crashed in New York shows that at the time of the accident the driver was not applying the brakes, safety officials say. But local police say the evidence is inconclusive and driver error has not been established. "For any agency to release... More »

Runaway Prius Driver's Account 'Inconsistent': Toyota

James Skies' car was operating properly, automaker says

(AP) - Toyota is casting doubt on a California man's claim that his Prius sped out of control, saying the report is inconsistent with the findings of the company's preliminary investigation. The automaker said today the accelerator pedal was tested and found to be working normally and a backup safety system worked... More »

Feds Question 'Runaway Prius' Driver's Story

Investigators can't replicate incident; brake-wear patterns inconsistent

(Newser) - Investigators have not been able to replicate the incident of uncontrolled acceleration a Prius driver says he experienced last week, and the condition of the car's brakes is raising suspicions with federal investigators and Toyota engineers, the Wall Street Journal reports. James Sikes said he lost control of his car... More »

Runaway Calif. Prius Driver Has Sketchy Past

Bankruptcy, bad real estate deals have some thinking scam

(Newser) - The driver of the Toyota Prius he says went haywire and took him on a 94mph terror ride earlier this week has a checkered past that leads some to doubt his story. “Immediately I thought this guy has an angle here,” a dissatisfied client of real estate agent... More »

Woman's 6-Mile Terror Ride to Open Toyota Hearings

Pressure mounts on Toyota as House investigation kicks off

(Newser) - A House panel probing acceleration problems with Toyota vehicles will begin hearing testimony today from safety experts, Toyota's American president, and a Tennessee woman who says her Lexus suddenly zoomed to 100 miles per hour while she was driving on an interstate, the AP reports. Rhonda Smith says the emergency... More »

Don't Fear Those Computers Inside Your Car

Software is buggy, but then, so are we

(Newser) - The latest Prius recall isn’t over a mechanical failure, but a software one. Most cars these days are no longer run mechanically, but by computers loaded up with as much software as the average desktop PC, explains Farhad Manjoo of Slate , and that’s pretty dang terrifying. Software is... More »

Toyotas Linked to 34 Deaths Since 2000

Total complaints grow by 1,000 in one week

(AP) - Complaints of deaths connected to sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles has surged in recent weeks, with the alleged death toll since 2000 reaching 34, according to new data gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While the government typically receives a surge in complaints following a recall, reports about... More »

Toyota Announces Worldwide Prius Recall

Braking issues force recall of nearly 500K hybrids

(Newser) - Toyota president Akio Toyoda apologized to customers as he confirmed the widely expected worldwide recall of 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles today. "We sincerely acknowledge safety concerns from our customers," he said at a press conference in Tokyo. "We have decided to recall as we... More »

Brakes Force Prius Recall in Japan

Toyota's action affects new model, two other hybrids

(AP) - Toyota says it is recalling the new Prius in Japan for braking problems. Toyota says it will inform the Transport Ministry later Tuesday it is recalling the gas-electric hybrid that went on sale last year. The recall will include two other hybrid models—the Lexus HS250h sedan and the Sai,... More »

Toyota Boss Apologizes for Recalls

Says company will announce steps soon on the Prius

(Newser) - Toyota's president apologized today to customers for the massive recalls and safety concerns about his company's cars. “I deeply regret that I caused concern among so many people,” said Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder. "We will do our utmost to regain the trust of our... More »

Toyota Recalls 270K Priuses

Some 2010 models have a potential brake defect

(Newser) - Toyota's troubles deepened today as it plans to recall 270,000 Priuses in the US and Japan over a potential brake defect, says a report in the Nikkei news service. The development comes just hours after the Transportation Department announced its own investigation into the glitch affecting 2010 models. The... More »

US Opens Inquiry Into Prius Brake Problem

Yet another recall may be coming, as customers report failures

(Newser) - Toyota has yet another problem on its hands; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is launching its own investigation into complaints of brake failures in the 2010 Prius. Toyota has already admitted there’s a “design flaw” in the model, and made changes to the braking system last month,... More »

Toyota Waffles on Prius Brake Recall

Automaker's woes keep mounting; $2B pricetag likely

(Newser) - Toyota has yet to decide whether to issue a recall of Prius hybrids over potential trouble with the car's brakes, but it's just the latest snag to hit the automaker. The company acknowledged yesterday that the brakes can stick briefly in certain circumstances, generally on bumpy or slippery roads, reports... More »

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