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February 4, 2010 at 2:26 PM #509971February 4, 2010 at 3:42 PM #509137
CoronitaParticipantLOL. When it rains, it really pours. Toyota coughs, everyone else sneezes at the same time… I wonder which other manufacturer is going to use this opportunity to clean the closet.
Ford to fix brake problem on Milan, Fusion hybrids
Ford to fix brake problem with 17,600 Mercury Milan, Ford Fusion hybrids
apDETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. plans to fix 17,600 Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion gas-electric hybrids because of a software problem that can give drivers the impression that the brakes have failed.
The automaker says the problem occurs in transition between two braking systems and at no time are drivers without brakes.
The decision to fix the 2010 model cars came after a test driver for Consumer Reports magazine experienced the problem as he was driving a Fusion Hybrid.
Ford spokesman Said Deep says braking power seems to drop away as the car makes a transition from regenerative brakes to the conventional system. The Ford hybrids have regenerative brakes, which capture energy from braking to help recharge the battery, in addition to a conventional system that stops the car using hydraulic pressure.
Deep says Ford will notify the car owners to bring their cars in for a software fix. He said there is no safety problem with the cars. The automaker called the repairs a “customer satisfaction program” and said it was not a full-fledged recall. Deep said Ford reported the problems to a U.S. safety agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The move comes on the same day that NHTSA began an evaluation of braking problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. With the Prius, antilock brakes can fail momentarily while the car transitions between its gasoline and electric motors.
Ford told dealers about a fix on Thursday. They already had the software to repair it in case it came up, Deep said.
He said Ford did not notify all the owners before Consumer Reports found the problem because the number of problems was small.
“We’re taking this action proactively to kind of address some of the customer problems we’ve seen,” he said.
The software fix changes the pedal feel so it doesn’t drop, he said.
The cars were built before Oct. 17, 2009. For models built after that date, Ford fixed the software at the factory to change the feel of the pedal, Deep said.
Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports’ deputy editor for online autos, said one of the magazine’s most experienced test drivers braked while approaching a curve in a Fusion hybrid last month, and the brake pedal dropped about an inch.
“They didn’t react the way he expected,” Bartlett said. “He perceived it to be a brake failure of some kind.”
The driver coasted to a stop and shut off the engine, and when he restarted it, the brakes worked normally, Bartlett said.
Consumer Reports notified Ford, which responded quickly to evaluate the problem, Bartlett said.
Deep would say only that Ford had received a small number of customer complaints. There has been one crash and no injuries due to the problem, he said.
NHTSA has received only one complaint, according to Deep.
February 4, 2010 at 3:42 PM #509284CoronitaParticipantLOL. When it rains, it really pours. Toyota coughs, everyone else sneezes at the same time… I wonder which other manufacturer is going to use this opportunity to clean the closet.
Ford to fix brake problem on Milan, Fusion hybrids
Ford to fix brake problem with 17,600 Mercury Milan, Ford Fusion hybrids
apDETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. plans to fix 17,600 Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion gas-electric hybrids because of a software problem that can give drivers the impression that the brakes have failed.
The automaker says the problem occurs in transition between two braking systems and at no time are drivers without brakes.
The decision to fix the 2010 model cars came after a test driver for Consumer Reports magazine experienced the problem as he was driving a Fusion Hybrid.
Ford spokesman Said Deep says braking power seems to drop away as the car makes a transition from regenerative brakes to the conventional system. The Ford hybrids have regenerative brakes, which capture energy from braking to help recharge the battery, in addition to a conventional system that stops the car using hydraulic pressure.
Deep says Ford will notify the car owners to bring their cars in for a software fix. He said there is no safety problem with the cars. The automaker called the repairs a “customer satisfaction program” and said it was not a full-fledged recall. Deep said Ford reported the problems to a U.S. safety agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The move comes on the same day that NHTSA began an evaluation of braking problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. With the Prius, antilock brakes can fail momentarily while the car transitions between its gasoline and electric motors.
Ford told dealers about a fix on Thursday. They already had the software to repair it in case it came up, Deep said.
He said Ford did not notify all the owners before Consumer Reports found the problem because the number of problems was small.
“We’re taking this action proactively to kind of address some of the customer problems we’ve seen,” he said.
The software fix changes the pedal feel so it doesn’t drop, he said.
The cars were built before Oct. 17, 2009. For models built after that date, Ford fixed the software at the factory to change the feel of the pedal, Deep said.
Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports’ deputy editor for online autos, said one of the magazine’s most experienced test drivers braked while approaching a curve in a Fusion hybrid last month, and the brake pedal dropped about an inch.
“They didn’t react the way he expected,” Bartlett said. “He perceived it to be a brake failure of some kind.”
The driver coasted to a stop and shut off the engine, and when he restarted it, the brakes worked normally, Bartlett said.
Consumer Reports notified Ford, which responded quickly to evaluate the problem, Bartlett said.
Deep would say only that Ford had received a small number of customer complaints. There has been one crash and no injuries due to the problem, he said.
NHTSA has received only one complaint, according to Deep.
February 4, 2010 at 3:42 PM #509695CoronitaParticipantLOL. When it rains, it really pours. Toyota coughs, everyone else sneezes at the same time… I wonder which other manufacturer is going to use this opportunity to clean the closet.
Ford to fix brake problem on Milan, Fusion hybrids
Ford to fix brake problem with 17,600 Mercury Milan, Ford Fusion hybrids
apDETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. plans to fix 17,600 Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion gas-electric hybrids because of a software problem that can give drivers the impression that the brakes have failed.
The automaker says the problem occurs in transition between two braking systems and at no time are drivers without brakes.
The decision to fix the 2010 model cars came after a test driver for Consumer Reports magazine experienced the problem as he was driving a Fusion Hybrid.
Ford spokesman Said Deep says braking power seems to drop away as the car makes a transition from regenerative brakes to the conventional system. The Ford hybrids have regenerative brakes, which capture energy from braking to help recharge the battery, in addition to a conventional system that stops the car using hydraulic pressure.
Deep says Ford will notify the car owners to bring their cars in for a software fix. He said there is no safety problem with the cars. The automaker called the repairs a “customer satisfaction program” and said it was not a full-fledged recall. Deep said Ford reported the problems to a U.S. safety agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The move comes on the same day that NHTSA began an evaluation of braking problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. With the Prius, antilock brakes can fail momentarily while the car transitions between its gasoline and electric motors.
Ford told dealers about a fix on Thursday. They already had the software to repair it in case it came up, Deep said.
He said Ford did not notify all the owners before Consumer Reports found the problem because the number of problems was small.
“We’re taking this action proactively to kind of address some of the customer problems we’ve seen,” he said.
The software fix changes the pedal feel so it doesn’t drop, he said.
The cars were built before Oct. 17, 2009. For models built after that date, Ford fixed the software at the factory to change the feel of the pedal, Deep said.
Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports’ deputy editor for online autos, said one of the magazine’s most experienced test drivers braked while approaching a curve in a Fusion hybrid last month, and the brake pedal dropped about an inch.
“They didn’t react the way he expected,” Bartlett said. “He perceived it to be a brake failure of some kind.”
The driver coasted to a stop and shut off the engine, and when he restarted it, the brakes worked normally, Bartlett said.
Consumer Reports notified Ford, which responded quickly to evaluate the problem, Bartlett said.
Deep would say only that Ford had received a small number of customer complaints. There has been one crash and no injuries due to the problem, he said.
NHTSA has received only one complaint, according to Deep.
February 4, 2010 at 3:42 PM #509788CoronitaParticipantLOL. When it rains, it really pours. Toyota coughs, everyone else sneezes at the same time… I wonder which other manufacturer is going to use this opportunity to clean the closet.
Ford to fix brake problem on Milan, Fusion hybrids
Ford to fix brake problem with 17,600 Mercury Milan, Ford Fusion hybrids
apDETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. plans to fix 17,600 Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion gas-electric hybrids because of a software problem that can give drivers the impression that the brakes have failed.
The automaker says the problem occurs in transition between two braking systems and at no time are drivers without brakes.
The decision to fix the 2010 model cars came after a test driver for Consumer Reports magazine experienced the problem as he was driving a Fusion Hybrid.
Ford spokesman Said Deep says braking power seems to drop away as the car makes a transition from regenerative brakes to the conventional system. The Ford hybrids have regenerative brakes, which capture energy from braking to help recharge the battery, in addition to a conventional system that stops the car using hydraulic pressure.
Deep says Ford will notify the car owners to bring their cars in for a software fix. He said there is no safety problem with the cars. The automaker called the repairs a “customer satisfaction program” and said it was not a full-fledged recall. Deep said Ford reported the problems to a U.S. safety agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The move comes on the same day that NHTSA began an evaluation of braking problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. With the Prius, antilock brakes can fail momentarily while the car transitions between its gasoline and electric motors.
Ford told dealers about a fix on Thursday. They already had the software to repair it in case it came up, Deep said.
He said Ford did not notify all the owners before Consumer Reports found the problem because the number of problems was small.
“We’re taking this action proactively to kind of address some of the customer problems we’ve seen,” he said.
The software fix changes the pedal feel so it doesn’t drop, he said.
The cars were built before Oct. 17, 2009. For models built after that date, Ford fixed the software at the factory to change the feel of the pedal, Deep said.
Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports’ deputy editor for online autos, said one of the magazine’s most experienced test drivers braked while approaching a curve in a Fusion hybrid last month, and the brake pedal dropped about an inch.
“They didn’t react the way he expected,” Bartlett said. “He perceived it to be a brake failure of some kind.”
The driver coasted to a stop and shut off the engine, and when he restarted it, the brakes worked normally, Bartlett said.
Consumer Reports notified Ford, which responded quickly to evaluate the problem, Bartlett said.
Deep would say only that Ford had received a small number of customer complaints. There has been one crash and no injuries due to the problem, he said.
NHTSA has received only one complaint, according to Deep.
February 4, 2010 at 3:42 PM #510042CoronitaParticipantLOL. When it rains, it really pours. Toyota coughs, everyone else sneezes at the same time… I wonder which other manufacturer is going to use this opportunity to clean the closet.
Ford to fix brake problem on Milan, Fusion hybrids
Ford to fix brake problem with 17,600 Mercury Milan, Ford Fusion hybrids
apDETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. plans to fix 17,600 Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion gas-electric hybrids because of a software problem that can give drivers the impression that the brakes have failed.
The automaker says the problem occurs in transition between two braking systems and at no time are drivers without brakes.
The decision to fix the 2010 model cars came after a test driver for Consumer Reports magazine experienced the problem as he was driving a Fusion Hybrid.
Ford spokesman Said Deep says braking power seems to drop away as the car makes a transition from regenerative brakes to the conventional system. The Ford hybrids have regenerative brakes, which capture energy from braking to help recharge the battery, in addition to a conventional system that stops the car using hydraulic pressure.
Deep says Ford will notify the car owners to bring their cars in for a software fix. He said there is no safety problem with the cars. The automaker called the repairs a “customer satisfaction program” and said it was not a full-fledged recall. Deep said Ford reported the problems to a U.S. safety agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The move comes on the same day that NHTSA began an evaluation of braking problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. With the Prius, antilock brakes can fail momentarily while the car transitions between its gasoline and electric motors.
Ford told dealers about a fix on Thursday. They already had the software to repair it in case it came up, Deep said.
He said Ford did not notify all the owners before Consumer Reports found the problem because the number of problems was small.
“We’re taking this action proactively to kind of address some of the customer problems we’ve seen,” he said.
The software fix changes the pedal feel so it doesn’t drop, he said.
The cars were built before Oct. 17, 2009. For models built after that date, Ford fixed the software at the factory to change the feel of the pedal, Deep said.
Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports’ deputy editor for online autos, said one of the magazine’s most experienced test drivers braked while approaching a curve in a Fusion hybrid last month, and the brake pedal dropped about an inch.
“They didn’t react the way he expected,” Bartlett said. “He perceived it to be a brake failure of some kind.”
The driver coasted to a stop and shut off the engine, and when he restarted it, the brakes worked normally, Bartlett said.
Consumer Reports notified Ford, which responded quickly to evaluate the problem, Bartlett said.
Deep would say only that Ford had received a small number of customer complaints. There has been one crash and no injuries due to the problem, he said.
NHTSA has received only one complaint, according to Deep.
February 4, 2010 at 4:38 PM #509187
svelteParticipantHere is an article on the Prius claiming they’ve known about the Prius problem for some time…Prius owners from the previous generation are piping in at the bottom of the article saying they’ve had this problem for years…will Toyota be forced to expand the recall?
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/04/autos/prius_timeline/index.htm
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Toyota has known about brake problems in its popular Prius cars for some time, going so far as to fix it in new production vehicles, but has kept Prius drivers in the dark about the problem until the Japanese government called for an investigation.In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday that it is launching a formal investigation into the Prius brake problems, the first step on the road to a possible recall..
Prius hybrid cars coming off Toyota’s assembly line in Japan have had an improved version of the software used to control the cars’ brakes since January.
That’s little consolation to those driving Priuses made before then which seem to be the source of mounting complaints about brake performance and have been linked to four crashes.
Prior to the revelation on Tuesday that the Japanese government was pushing Toyota to do something about mounting complaints about Prius brakes, Toyota had said nothing publicly about the problems.
As of Wednesday, 124 Prius owners in the United States had lodged formal complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about brake problems with their cars. Prius owners in Japan, where the hybrid car is the nation’s most popular model, have also lodged complaints about the problem.
A total of four crashes, two involving injuries, have been attributed to poor brake performance in 2010 model year Priuses.
Toyota issued an announcement Thursday saying it was cooperating with NHTSA’s investigation.
The complaints have been very consistent. As described by NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigations “Consumers allege a momentary loss in braking during brake applications while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump in the roadway.”February 4, 2010 at 4:38 PM #509334svelteParticipantHere is an article on the Prius claiming they’ve known about the Prius problem for some time…Prius owners from the previous generation are piping in at the bottom of the article saying they’ve had this problem for years…will Toyota be forced to expand the recall?
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/04/autos/prius_timeline/index.htm
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Toyota has known about brake problems in its popular Prius cars for some time, going so far as to fix it in new production vehicles, but has kept Prius drivers in the dark about the problem until the Japanese government called for an investigation.In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday that it is launching a formal investigation into the Prius brake problems, the first step on the road to a possible recall..
Prius hybrid cars coming off Toyota’s assembly line in Japan have had an improved version of the software used to control the cars’ brakes since January.
That’s little consolation to those driving Priuses made before then which seem to be the source of mounting complaints about brake performance and have been linked to four crashes.
Prior to the revelation on Tuesday that the Japanese government was pushing Toyota to do something about mounting complaints about Prius brakes, Toyota had said nothing publicly about the problems.
As of Wednesday, 124 Prius owners in the United States had lodged formal complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about brake problems with their cars. Prius owners in Japan, where the hybrid car is the nation’s most popular model, have also lodged complaints about the problem.
A total of four crashes, two involving injuries, have been attributed to poor brake performance in 2010 model year Priuses.
Toyota issued an announcement Thursday saying it was cooperating with NHTSA’s investigation.
The complaints have been very consistent. As described by NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigations “Consumers allege a momentary loss in braking during brake applications while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump in the roadway.”February 4, 2010 at 4:38 PM #509746svelteParticipantHere is an article on the Prius claiming they’ve known about the Prius problem for some time…Prius owners from the previous generation are piping in at the bottom of the article saying they’ve had this problem for years…will Toyota be forced to expand the recall?
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/04/autos/prius_timeline/index.htm
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Toyota has known about brake problems in its popular Prius cars for some time, going so far as to fix it in new production vehicles, but has kept Prius drivers in the dark about the problem until the Japanese government called for an investigation.In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday that it is launching a formal investigation into the Prius brake problems, the first step on the road to a possible recall..
Prius hybrid cars coming off Toyota’s assembly line in Japan have had an improved version of the software used to control the cars’ brakes since January.
That’s little consolation to those driving Priuses made before then which seem to be the source of mounting complaints about brake performance and have been linked to four crashes.
Prior to the revelation on Tuesday that the Japanese government was pushing Toyota to do something about mounting complaints about Prius brakes, Toyota had said nothing publicly about the problems.
As of Wednesday, 124 Prius owners in the United States had lodged formal complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about brake problems with their cars. Prius owners in Japan, where the hybrid car is the nation’s most popular model, have also lodged complaints about the problem.
A total of four crashes, two involving injuries, have been attributed to poor brake performance in 2010 model year Priuses.
Toyota issued an announcement Thursday saying it was cooperating with NHTSA’s investigation.
The complaints have been very consistent. As described by NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigations “Consumers allege a momentary loss in braking during brake applications while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump in the roadway.”February 4, 2010 at 4:38 PM #509838svelteParticipantHere is an article on the Prius claiming they’ve known about the Prius problem for some time…Prius owners from the previous generation are piping in at the bottom of the article saying they’ve had this problem for years…will Toyota be forced to expand the recall?
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/04/autos/prius_timeline/index.htm
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Toyota has known about brake problems in its popular Prius cars for some time, going so far as to fix it in new production vehicles, but has kept Prius drivers in the dark about the problem until the Japanese government called for an investigation.In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday that it is launching a formal investigation into the Prius brake problems, the first step on the road to a possible recall..
Prius hybrid cars coming off Toyota’s assembly line in Japan have had an improved version of the software used to control the cars’ brakes since January.
That’s little consolation to those driving Priuses made before then which seem to be the source of mounting complaints about brake performance and have been linked to four crashes.
Prior to the revelation on Tuesday that the Japanese government was pushing Toyota to do something about mounting complaints about Prius brakes, Toyota had said nothing publicly about the problems.
As of Wednesday, 124 Prius owners in the United States had lodged formal complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about brake problems with their cars. Prius owners in Japan, where the hybrid car is the nation’s most popular model, have also lodged complaints about the problem.
A total of four crashes, two involving injuries, have been attributed to poor brake performance in 2010 model year Priuses.
Toyota issued an announcement Thursday saying it was cooperating with NHTSA’s investigation.
The complaints have been very consistent. As described by NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigations “Consumers allege a momentary loss in braking during brake applications while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump in the roadway.”February 4, 2010 at 4:38 PM #510091svelteParticipantHere is an article on the Prius claiming they’ve known about the Prius problem for some time…Prius owners from the previous generation are piping in at the bottom of the article saying they’ve had this problem for years…will Toyota be forced to expand the recall?
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/04/autos/prius_timeline/index.htm
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Toyota has known about brake problems in its popular Prius cars for some time, going so far as to fix it in new production vehicles, but has kept Prius drivers in the dark about the problem until the Japanese government called for an investigation.In the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday that it is launching a formal investigation into the Prius brake problems, the first step on the road to a possible recall..
Prius hybrid cars coming off Toyota’s assembly line in Japan have had an improved version of the software used to control the cars’ brakes since January.
That’s little consolation to those driving Priuses made before then which seem to be the source of mounting complaints about brake performance and have been linked to four crashes.
Prior to the revelation on Tuesday that the Japanese government was pushing Toyota to do something about mounting complaints about Prius brakes, Toyota had said nothing publicly about the problems.
As of Wednesday, 124 Prius owners in the United States had lodged formal complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about brake problems with their cars. Prius owners in Japan, where the hybrid car is the nation’s most popular model, have also lodged complaints about the problem.
A total of four crashes, two involving injuries, have been attributed to poor brake performance in 2010 model year Priuses.
Toyota issued an announcement Thursday saying it was cooperating with NHTSA’s investigation.
The complaints have been very consistent. As described by NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigations “Consumers allege a momentary loss in braking during brake applications while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump in the roadway.”February 4, 2010 at 4:47 PM #509197AK
ParticipantI just don’t get drive-by-wire, at least for non-hybrid powertrains.
The aforementioned Chevy Cobalt power steering problem would be very disconcerting, but at least you’d still have some control of the car.
Regulating the throttle with a bunch of sensors and servos is another matter entirely.
February 4, 2010 at 4:47 PM #509344ParticipantI just don’t get drive-by-wire, at least for non-hybrid powertrains.
The aforementioned Chevy Cobalt power steering problem would be very disconcerting, but at least you’d still have some control of the car.
Regulating the throttle with a bunch of sensors and servos is another matter entirely.
February 4, 2010 at 4:47 PM #509756ParticipantI just don’t get drive-by-wire, at least for non-hybrid powertrains.
The aforementioned Chevy Cobalt power steering problem would be very disconcerting, but at least you’d still have some control of the car.
Regulating the throttle with a bunch of sensors and servos is another matter entirely.
February 4, 2010 at 4:47 PM #509849ParticipantI just don’t get drive-by-wire, at least for non-hybrid powertrains.
The aforementioned Chevy Cobalt power steering problem would be very disconcerting, but at least you’d still have some control of the car.
Regulating the throttle with a bunch of sensors and servos is another matter entirely.
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