Lawsuit Against Toyota on Prius Inverters

trifecta

 

I received a recall notice for my 2014 PiP, is this the same reflash the news stories are referring to?

 

If it is recall E0E, yes. Also, warranty extension ZE3 is the fix if you suffer inverter IPM failure .

Thanks for the link!

"like talking to a cat," ...

 

I read the L.A. Times article the day it came out and a couple of days after my posts 35, 37, and 38. They, pretty much parallel in their general consensus. Toyota isn’t going to step up to the plate on this issue until there are enough owners who are either affected by inverter failures and/or complaints about deminished performance. It’s all about the numbers. There is a line that needs to be crossed in order for the lawyers to have enough fodder to initiate any class action against Toyota. A recall is all dependent upon the percentage of failures and customer complaints before the government steps in.

 

That is a great deal ... for Murdoch.

 

Interesting articles, thanks for linking them. I have a couple of general questions:

How common have these IPM failures been? Sorry if I missed it in the article, but are there stats for failures? 1 in 100, 1 in 1,000, 1 in 10,000?

From experience, is it generally accurate that the IPM failure seem to occur from hard acceleration or braking?

 

The smoking guns seem to be the chips that were used, the solder joints failing, and that, after the patch was applied, the cars' fuel efficiency decreased and the inverter failure was delayed. The patch didn't fix the problem.

The article says, "Toyota began two smaller recalls of its Highlander sport utility vehicles, covering 2006 to 2010 models, about a year before the Prius recall to remedy overheating problems in a nearly identical inverter. In the Highlander recall, the inverter was replaced, the lawsuit said."

Since the issue was known to Toyota, that says to me they should have done a recall to replace the inverter.

Wouldn't that have been better and less costly than having a judge force it on them and consequently having to own up to their stupidity? Apologies don't mean as much in the US as they do in Japan...

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I'm glad others saw the article on mileage and possibly performance degradation. Apparently the patch changes the algorithm so that the large Motor-generator is baby'd a bit. I had noticed a mileage drop, but the recall was close to when I replaced the tires with a different type. The original tires really transmitted the road noise to the vehicle, and I was willing to trade a little mileage for quiet. So I don't know how much of the mileage hit was due to tires vs the software patch.

I am an electronics tech, and this smells like a design problem. The engine compartment is a very nasty place for semiconductors and one must design very conservatively for decent life, especially for components handling a lot of power.

Chris

 

Something does not add up?! Why a law suit from a dealer? Seems very fishy, like there is more to this story then is being shared.

 

This precisely why this is going to be so difficult to to back Toyota into a corner based on fuel mileage degradation. There are too many variables as you have pointed out. Outright failures and performance issues are going to be the only saving grace in the battle. Petitions? Maybe. I know, when I bought my Prius, the performance was amazing for a hybrid car. Now, after the inverter downgrade, not so much. The car is just not the same as it was new.

 

How can you tell if your car already got this "patch"? My 2014 has no active recalls by VIN, and I didn't buy it new so I don't know if it was done already.

 

You can register an account at Toyotaowners.com, enter your VIN and view any and all dealer service records your car has ever had. Any dealer can do the same if you provide them your VIN. If the E0E software update is found among the service records, you've had the recall. I just picked up a 2014 myself, and it had the update on Feb 17, 2014 as confirmed by dealer service records.

 

I just did all of that, thanks for the tip. However it only shows service records back to the first oil change after I bought the car. Which can't be right since it was a certified pre-owned. I have a feeling I'll just have to ask them the next time I go for an oil change, though I'll probably forget by then.

 

Then yours was done before leaving the factory when purchased new, or have a different inverter.

 

The dealer is supposed to affix an Authorized Modification Label under the hood, but the definitive check is to use a Toyota Techstream diagnostic system (or equivalent) to retrieve the calibration IDs from the motor generator ECU and power management ECU and compare them to the lists on page 5 of the Technical Instructions for Safety Recall E0E (PDF).

Readers of this thread might also be interested in the letter dated February 6, 2018 from Toyota to dealers (PDF), now posted on NHTSA’s site.

 

The PiP has a fuse recall going on now too. Your notice should say what is involved.

 

I keep ongoing fuel economy records, by hand. I saw no decrease in mileage beyond normal mileage variations and noticed no decrease in power after the recall work was done. But all who comment on decrease in power are working on "seat of the pants" figures, which are NOT to be relied on. Measurements please!

 

I wish some good dealer sues Toy-r-not-us for Gen II ABS Actuator issue... That's big safety hazard on the road.

 

Recall Number
14V053000
Recall Date
02/12/2014
Component
HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER
Summary
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures. If this occurs, various warning lamps will be illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle will have reduced power allowing it to only drive a short distance.

Consequence
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.

What Owners Should Do
Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge. If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall began on March 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

"The statute of limitations, according to NHTSA, for all no-charge recall repairs is 10 years from the original sale date of the vehicle. However, one exception is tires. Tire recall repairs must be completed within 60 days of receiving a recall notice."

If you go to cars.com you can search all the available recalls on your vehicle. I may call in about the inverter flash and abs just because I've noticed how much the brakes suck on rough surfaces and because I on occasion tow a 600 pound air-brake (aka a jon boat). Past that recently they put out a recall for the headlight circuit as well. Something about the something going out do to heat from too much power. So if we want duller headlights and a worse gas mileage we're in luck! haha *sarcasm*