The 2006 Toyota Prius has two recalls, the more serious being a steering shaft defect where internal metal splines can wear down over time and eventually cause a complete loss of steering control.
The second recall involves the hybrid system's inverter cooling. A water pump inside the inverter assembly contains a coil wire that can corrode at a point where it was scratched during manufacturing, and if the wire breaks, the pump stops circulating coolant to the inverter. Without adequate cooling, the inverter can overheat, potentially disabling the hybrid drive system.
At a glance
What can fail
The electrically driven water pump may have a scratch on the coil wire that occurred during manufacturing. This scratch can cause the coil wire to corrode over time.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the electric water pump at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
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At a glance
What can fail
The steering intermediate extension shaft has metal splines connecting the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may not be hard enough, potentially affecting steering function.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it has insufficient hardness, at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
