The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·12V536000·Announced 2012-11-14

Toyota Recalls Prius and FCHV-Adv for Water Pump Defect

Toyota is recalling 2004-2009 Prius and 2009-2011 FCHV-Adv vehicles because a scratch in the electric water pump may cause corrosion, leading to a stall-like condition and increased crash risk.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect in the hybrid propulsion system that can cause a stall-like condition while driving, explicitly increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Plain-English summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles and 2009-2011 FCHV-Adv vehicles. The affected Prius vehicles were manufactured between August 6, 2003, and March 30, 2009, while the FCHV-Adv vehicles were manufactured between December 12, 2008, and September 13, 2011.

During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. This scratch can cause the coil wire to corrode. If the corroded wire breaks, the water pump may stop functioning. Additionally, the corrosion could cause a short circuit between coil wires and an open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This condition may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
TOYOTA PRIUS, FCHV-ADV
Brand
TOYOTA
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Category
Vehicle — Hybrid Propulsion System
Hazard
Affected units
350,662

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • PRIUS
  • FCHV-ADV

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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