Toyota Launches Prius, Hybrid Recall Over Fear of Wiring Fires

Toyota has announced a massive recall of more than a million vehicles, including all new Priuses, due to the risk of fire. Some 192,000 U.S. cars are affected, a spokesman said. The recall, which includes the CH-R hybrid, will correct a wiring issue that could cause the car’s power-control unit to short-circuit, and follows a reported case of a vehicle emitting smoke. The recall is significant but is dwarfed by other problems that have plagued the company; in 2016, Toyota recalled some 2.87 million cars, including the Prius, for leaky fuel tanks, and a further 1.43 million mainly Prius vehicles for airbag issues. In 2009, the company recalled 4 million vehicles due to malfunctioning gas pedals causing unintended acceleration.