According to foreign media reports, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on September 27 that Toyota Motor Corp. will recall more than 42,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to the malfunctioning of the Power Brake Assist system in these vehicles, which may lead to longer braking distances.
Like many recent automobile recalls, this Toyota recall stems from a software issue.The NHTSA noted that there is a software error in the electronic control unit that manages the vehicle during skidding, which can cause the vehicle’s braking assistance to malfunction during cornering. Power brake assist failure can lengthen the distance it takes for the vehicle to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
The recall targets model year 2023 and 2024 Corolla Cross Hybrid hybrids, which have specific brake actuator assemblies that contain specific software for the skid control electronics.
Other Toyota vehicles equipped with that brake actuator have similar software, the report said. The automaker is investigating whether the software issue affected those vehicles.
NHTSA said in a report that the bug in the anti-skid control electronics can be fixed by dealers through a software update at no charge. The agency’s report, issued Sept. 20, said not all affected vehicles were sold in the United States. The report did not say whether the software issue caused the crashes.
Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail on November 5th.