The defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Prius V vehicles manufactured August 22, 2011, to June 30, 2014. A component within the hybrid inverter assembly may overheat, causing the hybrid system to reduce output power allowing the vehicle to only drive a short distance. In some circumstances, the hybrid system may shut down causing the vehicle to stop while being driven.
The risk
The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. The hybrid system could also shut down completely resulting in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the motor/generator control electronic control unti (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. The recall began on July 30, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Toyota Prius V | 2012, 2013, 2014 |
Components: HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Prius V | 2012 | 218 | 3 |
| Toyota Prius V | 2013 | 125 | 2 |
| Toyota Prius V | 2014 | 82 | 4 |
Other hybrid propulsion system recalls in 2015
4 of the 863 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2015 concerned the hybrid propulsion system; Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing filed 245 campaigns in all.
| 15V796000 24 Nov 2015 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 15V602000 25 Sept 2015 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| 15V143000 13 Mar 2015 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2015