Forbes.com reports that Toyota is recalling 160,000 of the Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles. Of the 160,000 about 70,000 of them were sold here in the U.S.
Now a software issue is causing Hiroshi Okuda's Toyota Motor to recall a 160,000-strong armada of Prius cars sold mainly in the U.S. and Japan because the gas-electric hybrid vehicles were stalling. A Toyota spokesman said there were no safety concerns, but that the company has decided to fix the fault free of charge. The problem may cause the gasoline engine to stall, but does not affect the electrically powered brake and steering functions, he added.
The recall follows hot on the heels of an investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into customer gripes about problems with the popular fuel-efficient vehicle. In June, the agency said it had received 33 reports of engine stalling in 2004 and 2005 Prius vehicles.
Rising gas prices have made hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius more popular while salse of SUVs have slipped.
