The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·14V053000·Announced 2014-02-12

Toyota Recalls 2010-2014 Prius for Hybrid Inverter Software Update

Toyota is recalling 2010-2014 Prius vehicles because a hybrid system component may fail, causing the vehicle to stall and increasing crash risk.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect where a hybrid system failure can cause a complete vehicle stall, explicitly increasing the risk of a crash.

Plain-English summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. The recall involves the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module, a component of the hybrid propulsion system. Transistors within this module may become damaged due to high operating temperatures.

If this damage occurs, warning lamps will illuminate on the instrument panel, and the vehicle will have reduced power, allowing it to drive only a short distance. The vehicle may enter a fail-safe or limp-home mode that limits drivability. In some cases, the hybrid system could shut down completely, resulting in a vehicle stall, which increases the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU free of charge. If an owner experiences an inverter failure before receiving the software update, the dealer will repair or replace the inverter assembly at no charge. The recall began on March 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
TOYOTA PRIUS
Brand
TOYOTA
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Category
Vehicle — Hybrid Propulsion System
Hazard
Affected units
698,457

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 (1)

  • PRIUS

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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