Toyota and its premium-oriented Lexus brand are facing mounting pressure in the United Kingdom. Consumer advocacy group Which? has recently highlighted a great deal of complaints involving repeated 12-volt battery failures in hybrid models, with some customers reporting incidents serious enough to leave occupants unable to open their vehicle doors normally.

   

The investigation draws on data from a reliability survey and more than 270 responses from an earlier Which? report involving flat battery concerns. More than three-quarters of those responses involved Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles, despite said brands representing a portion of the overall hybrid vehicle market.