Toyota recalling almost 1,300 cars in Republic as part of global recall

Toyota is recalling almost 1,300 cars in the Republic as part of a global safety recall affecting 2.43 million hybrid vehicles, it confirmed on Friday.

The car manufacturer said a total of 1,289 Toyota Prius, Prius+ and Auris hybrid vehicles previously sold in Ireland are to be recalled due to the risk of a software malfunction which could result in a crash.

A fail-safe mode designed to engage in the event of a hybrid system fault may not kick in because of a software glitch, causing the car to stall, according to a company statement. If that happens at higher speeds, there is increased risk of a crash. The company had received three reports in Japan related to the issue as of the end of September, but wasn't aware of any crashes in the country. Toyota Ireland also stressed that there had been no reported incidents locally.

Of a total of about 2.43 million vehicles to be recalled globally, 94 per cent are the Prius and its derivatives, with the hybrid version of the Auris compact hatchback making up the remainder.

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About 1.25 million of the cars are in Japan and 830,000 in North America but vehicles in Europe, China and other regions are also affected.

Second recall

It is the second recall for the Prius in the space of a month, with the previous one involving more than 1 million hybrid cars due to the risk of fire. The vehicles in the current recall have been called back before, in February 2014 and July 2015, for a related issue.

The recall affects limited numbers of customers in Ireland, said Toyota Ireland chief executive Steve Tormey, chief executive of Toyota Ireland. Customers with queries should contact the dealer network.

For all involved vehicles, Toyota dealers will update the software for all involved vehicles at no charge. The company said it will contact all affected customers directly by mail to arrange to have their vehicles checked by their local dealer. – Additional reporting: Bloomberg