Toyota New Zealand has confirmed that it will temporarily cease the sale of a selection of its hybrid vehicles, following an issue found with the regenerative braking systems fitted to each model.
The decision impacts Corolla, RAV4, and Prius models, as well as the Lexus ES sedan and UX crossover. The Prius C and Prius Prime are among the models that aren't included in the announcement.
"Toyota New Zealand takes the safety of its customers very seriously, and as a precautionary measure has ordered a sales stop on some hybrid models that are fitted with a braking component that requires additional inspection," said the company in a statement sent to Driven.
"There are over 400 vehicles involved, however only 88 of these have been sold and are at the dealerships awaiting delivery to customers. The rest have been identified and are on a shipment to NZ or being held at a Toyota NZ facility.
"We are working at this stage to identify vehicles that are involved and contacting customers directly if they have already taken delivery of a vehicle that falls within the manufacturing timeframe, and will advise when we have more information regarding this matter."
The announcement follows a similar 'sales stop' in Australia on the same line-up of hybrid models. No recall notice has been issued yet on either side of the Tasman.
Regenerative braking systems are a frequent feature in hybrid and fully electric cars. They're used by cars to convert a car's kinetic energy (often while rolling or braking to a stop) into energy that charges the car's battery.
It isn't clear what adverse symptoms, if any, are connected to the specific braking component's improper operation.
More to come.