Prius debuted in 2000 in Europe, with cumulative sales reaching 213,000 units by the end of 2010.
Germany’s leading technical inspection association, TÜV, says the Toyota Prius ranks in first place for quality for vehicles aged two to three years. TÜV reports only 2.2% of the Prius hybrids inspected showed signs of a defect.
Toyota’s Auris was a close second in the same category at just 2.3% compared with an average of 5.5%. Furthermore, vehicles across Toyota’s product line performed well in the annual report – including the Avensis, Corolla Verso, RAV4 and Yaris models.
Toyota was the most successful brand with 17 Toyota vehicles placed in Top 10 spots across the various age categories and vehicle models.
With Toyota under attack for its quality and safety defect records, the independent TÜV data are an interesting counter to ongoing negative publicity.
The majority of all mandatory technical inspections in Germany are carried out by the TÜV. The 2011 TÜV Report is based on some 7.25 million vehicles inspected by TÜV between July 2009 and June 2010.
“We are extremely proud of the achievement by the Prius which has always been the most dependable and innovative product in our line-up,” said Toshiaki Yasuda, President of Toyota Deutschland GmbH accepting the award on behalf of Toyota.
First published four decades ago, the annual report by TÜV is an indicator of long-term reliability and overall quality of vehicles after they are on the road.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
