In the US, there are many complaints about the regenerative braking system of the Toyota Prius III

It seems that in the US, the regenerative energy system fitted to the Toyota Prius, is far from truly efficient. A recent report indicates that there are already too many complaints against the brand, due to the scares some drivers have experienced when the braking system fails to respond immediately (or responds excessively).

Under certain conditions, the Prius does not brake normally in routine stops such as at a traffic light or in traffic; there are cases where it needs a lot of force on the brake pedal for it to do so. Conversely, it can happen that the next time the brakes are applied, the Prius brakes almost locking the wheels, with very little pressure on the pedal. The culprit seems to be the brake energy regeneration, which tends to fail after the car has run over a pothole or some obstacle on the road.

Clearly, it is never possible to know whether the car will brake or not. Dissatisfied owners have already complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is investigating the problem to decide whether or not to issue a mass recall. Toyota acknowledges “some problems”, but it seems to be in the same situation, still studying the case.

Can you imagine driving a car that brakes literally whenever it pleases? The Japanese brand is closing a year it will not remember fondly in terms of safety and recalls.

Source | The Detroit Bureau