Toyota, Prius Owners Want Inverter Defect Settlement Approved

Toyota Motor Corp. and Prius owners who alleged a safety defect could make their cars decelerate or stall are seeking final approval for a class settlement providing a $20 million fund and a warranty extension to 20 years.

Drivers alleged the inverters, the “electronic brain” of Toyota hybrid vehicles, fail because of heat and electrical stress. The inverter—a critical component of a hybrid vehicle—converts electricity derived from a direct current source to alternating current, powering the car’s electrical systems, they said.

The class settlement, covering some 1.1 million 2010-2014 vehicles, was preliminarily approved in May by Judge Josephine L. Staton ...