For some the year has probably flown by and for others it might seem like it won’t end. Either way when we look back at what was going in February 2010 there was a lot to comment on. We had Diesel designing a special edition Fiat 500 for the Geneva Auto Show, news that about $25K would buy you a Honda CR-Z in Japan and three small cars that made the Consumer Reports 2010 Top Picks. The top pick though has to do with a particular hybrid and the recall announced in February 2010.

In the beginning of February we reported on the global recall announced by Toyota on the 2010 Toyota Prius. The recall dealt with a software glitch that caused a sensation of loosing your brakes for a few seconds when braking on slippery or bumpy surfaces. The recall affected 2010 Prius models made between May 2009 and January 2010. Of course, this was after news had already been swirling around the auto industry and news outlets about the accelerator linkages and floor mats causing unintended acceleration. For reference the article was called: Global Recall Part Of Toyota’s Consumer Retention Strategy.

Why did we pick this article as the top report for February 2010? It isn’t to show that even a giant like Toyota can make mistakes. No, we picked this article because of the profound effect it had on the automotive industry, consumers and safety regulations. This recall on the number one selling hybrid on the market was just another blow to Toyota and the perception people had about their quality and safety at the time. As a result to all of the issues Toyota had during this period we have now seen the addition of safety features on new vehicles like the brake override feature (standard on many cars now).  Now how is that for significant happens in a month?

 

Be sure to stay tuned as AllSmallCars counts down to 2011! Did you miss the January 2010 post? Check it out here.