NHTSA: Watchdog Or Lapdog?

As the heat gets turned up on Toyota, The Washington Post in its Friday editions reports growing criticism that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is partly to blame for essentially rubber-stamping whatever it's told by manufacturers, rather than acting as an independent overseer of....um...highway transportation safety.  An interesting read.

2010 Prius: 2X More Complaints to NHTSA Than All Other '10 Toyotas Combined

On the heels of word that Toyota will be recalling the 2010 Prius for the brake design problem Toyota admitted to earlier today, this unhelpful (for Toyota) statistic:

The 2010 Prius has been the subject of more complaints to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration than all other 2010 Toyotas combined. Twice as many, in fact. And five times the second highest, the Corolla.

NHTSA says of the 171 complaints they've recieved about the new Prius, 124 were specifically about braking problems.

Teething issues with a new model? Not likely. NHTSA recieved 2,310 driver complaints about the previous-generation Prius between 2004 and 2009...only 30 fewer than for all Toyota models in the same five-year period. 

Japanese Newspaper: Prius Recall A Go

The Nikkei newspaper is reporting that Toyota will recall 276,000 2010 Toyota Priuses in both Japan and the U.S. to fix a brake problem the company disclosed earlier today.

The paper says it will be about 176,000 Japanese units and 100,000 American, sold between May and December of 2009.

Toyota's North American representatives could not be reached for comment.

Ford Admits Hybrid Brake Troubles; Launches Customer Satisfaction Program

Consumer Reports magazine has issued a safety alert for the Ford Focus  Fusion Hybrid and its corporate twin, the Mercury Milan Hybrid, citing poor transitions between regenerative and conventional braking.

Ford, insisting that this problem is totally unrelated to brake problems with the Toyota Prius, is not launching a recall, but rather a "Customer Satisfaction Program" for vehicles built on or before October 17, 2009.

Here's the offical Ford press release:

STATEMENT: FORD CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM


Ford is proactively announcing a customer satisfaction program to update the software of the regenerative brake system of some 2010-model Ford Fusion Hybrids and Mercury Milan Hybrids.

Dearborn, Mich., Feb. 4, 2010 – Today, we are announcing a customer satisfaction program to update the software of the regenerative brake system of some 2010-model Ford Fusion Hybrids and Mercury Milan Hybrids.

We have received reports that some drivers have experienced a different brake feel when the hybrid’s unique regenerative brakes switch to conventional hydraulic braking. While the vehicles maintain full braking capability, customers may initially perceive the condition as loss of brakes.

To be clear, the Fusion and Milan Hybrids’ brake system maintains full conventional brakes and full ABS function even as the customer sees visual indicators and hears a chime. The software threshold to transition from regenerative brakes to conventional brakes can cause the system to transition to conventional brakes unnecessarily.

The software upgrade will reduce unnecessary occurrences of the vehicle switching from regenerative braking to conventional hydraulic brakes.

Customers with affected vehicles will receive a notice in the mail. We are asking owners of affected vehicles to have vehicle software reprogrammed at dealers at no charge.

There have been no injuries related to this condition.

ABC's Brian Ross: Did Toyota Hide Life-Saving Information?

The fuel just keeps getting poured on the Toyota fire. ABC's Brian Ross aired this piece on Good Morning America Thursday, with more promised for World News with Diane Sawyer. His on-camera introduction deals with Toyota's admission of a brake design flaw in the Prius, which we told you about earlier this morning. It's what's in his taped report that begins about 30 seconds in that is likely to cause still more damage to what's left of Toyota's reputation:

Toyota Admits Prius Brake Design Problem

Toyota now says there were design problems with the anti-lock brakes in the 2010 Prius...but that they've been corrected on Priuses sold since late January.

Of course, the car has been on the market since late last spring, so a bunch of cars are out there with that flaw. 

According to an Associated Press story in the Detroit News, Toyota "said it was still invesigating how to inform customers who bought them earlier." 

Lincoln MKZ Review

Refinement.

Sometimes that's all a car needs.

Three years ago, the Lincoln MKZ (briefly named "Zephyr") was a gussied-up Ford Fusion...not bad...but certainly not worth an extra ten grand above the Ford. For starters, it looked like a Fusion with a Lincoln grille slapped on. The interior had some Lincoln trim bits, but nothing truly unique.

Well, for 2010, Lincoln gets the message, and its customers get the goods. The MKZ looks, feels, drives and rides completely differently from the Fusion.

A 3.5 liter V6 is standard, as is a 6-speed automatic transmission. The MKZ rides on 17 inch wheels...with 18s optional (as on our tester).



As you can see, the interior is much more luxurious...and the designers have gone a long way toward hiding the common bits the MKZ and the Fusion share.

The test MKZ had a base price of $34,115. Options: The Ultimate Package (THX II sound system, power moonroof, Technology Package and Navigation Package) for $5,595, White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat Paint ($495) and the Sport Appearance Package (18" wheels, floor mats, interior aluminium trim, leather steering wheel and dual-zone A/C for $795).

Total price: $41,850 (including $850 destination and delivery charge).

And the experience was like driving a 3/4 scale MKS...not a bad thing at all.

Another plus: The EPA mileage estimates are 18 city/27 highway.

I'm not a big fan of re-badges (as someone who lived through the Lincoln Versailles, can you blame me?), but platform sharing is here to stay. It's nice to know there's a right way to do it and people who know how.

U.S. Transportation Secretary: "Stop Driving" Recalled Toyotas

Park 'em if you got 'em. That's the word from United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

CNN reports that LaHood told a House of Representatives committee today that his advice to owners of Toyota vehicles currently under recall notices is to "stop driving it and take it to a Toyota dealer."

That's millions of owners and millions of cars.

Critics of the government's handling of this recall are starting to use the phrase "fear-mongering" and are pointing out that the government has a conflict of interest, since it owns a stake in two competing automakers...General Motors and Chrysler. 

Maybe. Maybe not.

Toyota owners, what say you?

UPDATE: Upon leaving the hearing, LaHood backtracked...

Proving that confidence-eroding moments aren't limited to automakers.

NEXT-DAY UPDATE: Reuters reports that LaHood's comments, pre-retraction, caused Toyota shares to drop 6.14%...or about $7 billion.

US Transportation Secretary: Prius Brakes, Electronics "Under Investigation"

And the hits (to Toyota's formerly bullet-proof reputation) just keep on coming. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak's complaints about uninteded acceleration in his Toyota Prius hybrid may have gotten Toyota's attention (after it got the media's), but the Feds are right behind them.

The Detroit News quotes U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood as saying his department is "investigating", "will keep the pressure on" and will "make sure they (Toyota) realize how serious this is."

And all this is separate from floor mats and gas pedal recalls.

While Wozniak's inteviews were the first a lot of people had heard about possible software glitches in the Prius Hybrid, trouble's been bubbling under for some time. The Phoenix New Times did a lengthy piece about allegedly out-of-control Priuses in April of 2009.

And while we at TireKicker have never experienced unintended acceleration, our July 1, 2009 review of the 2010 Prius focused on a different electronic glitch...which allowed the car to be mistakenly shifted into Park while in motion.