Prius Recalled Worldwide Over Threat of Electrical Fires

The threat of electrical fires has led Toyota to recall a million Prius cars worldwide, with 192,000 of those vehicles in the United States. An exposed portion of one of the engine’s wiring harnesses is likely to wear down and short-circuit in the 2016-2018 model years. A short circuit can create a spark → a spark can create a flame → a flame can created a charred mass where your Prius once stood.

The Prius recall will see Toyota dealers check the engine wire harness assemblies and replace the assemblies if the wire core is exposed. The replacement engine wire harness assemblies include new protective sleeves to protect the wires from wearing down.

The logical thing to do here would be to give every owner a protective wire sleeve, regardless of the current condition of the harness. But this is the automative industry where logic need not apply.

So if your Prius’ harness doesn’t have any exposed wires, the technician will just slap some tape on it and call it a day. Because we all know the most successful repairs are the half-assed ones …