Toyota’s hybrid cars have caught fire on multiple occasions in recent times and the company has now issued a massive worldwide recall to prevent any future risk for the owners.
More than a million Prius and C-HR hybrid vehicles of Toyota have a wiring flaw which is causing the surrounding internals to burst into flames. The issue is related to the wires connecting to the power control unit, which has a weak insulation that is prone to wearing down over time, causing a short-circuit.
If that happens, the short circuit can cause a fire within the system. And this flaw has been found to be in the models manufactured in Japan between June 2015 and May 2018. According to the company, around 192,000 Prius with this wiring problem is in the US and more than 550,000 require a recall in Japan.
The Prius plug-in variant, as well as some CH-R hybrid versions, are also included in the recall. Toyota dealers will carry out the repairs at no cost, they will check the wiring assembly near the power unit to see if the wire cover is damaged, and make repairs accordingly.
If there’s no visible damage, then the dealers will apply a protective tape over the wires to make sure the wire core does not get exposed in the future.
