— A Toyota Prius c recall will require dealerships to fix problems with the DC-DC converters that can cause the hybrid systems to shut down. The 2018-2019 Prius c DC-DC converter may fail and cause a failure of the battery to receive power from the converter.
The problem only affects vehicles equipped with DC-DC converters which use circuit boards with incorrect specifications.
The automaker says about 10 percent of the cars may develop solder separations due to improper maintenance of specific pallets and pins used for the circuit boards.
Toyota says the soldering of a specific transistor to the circuit board in the DC-DC converter could be faulty and may separate after temperature cycling of the solder.
The auxiliary battery may no longer receive power from the DC-DC converter, causing warning lights to illuminate, audible chimes and messages to display on the instrument panel.
If the condition continues the hybrid system will shut down and prevent the car from moving forward. This creates a dangerous situation for anyone driving highway speeds.
About 464 cars are recalled in the U.S. and the recall affects 284 Prius c cars in Canada, but Toyota says this recall is distinct from recalls involving Prius inverters.
The 2018-2019 Prius c recall is expected to begin August 12, 2019, when dealerships will replace the DC-DC converters.
Prius c owners with questions should call 888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is K0K.
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