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IIHS Tests Prompt Lawsuit Against Toyota

A group of Toyota Prius v owners is suing the carmaker in California federal court because the collision mitigation system in their hybrid cars was poorly rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
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A group of Toyota Prius v owners is suing the carmaker in California federal court because the collision mitigation system in their hybrid cars was poorly rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. They also claim the technology does not meet federal criteria for collision warning systems.

IIHS declined to rate the Prius v system because it provided minimal braking and failed to meet advance warning guidelines set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The plaintiffs want Toyota Motor Corp. to reimburse them for the $1,000 they claim they paid for the technology. The complaint also demands that Toyota change its marketing of the Pre-Collision System.

Toyota says the lawsuit is without merit. They also point out that the system was developed and implemented before IIHS came up with the test criteria it uses to rate collision mitigation systems.

The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, was filed by the California law firm of McCuneWright, the same firm that won a $1.6 billion settlement from Toyota in July in a class-action case involving unintended acceleration.

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