The reports, issued from both Japan and the USA, come the day after the company announced it had found nearly 181,000 UK vehicles with faulty accelerator pedals as well.
Toyota GB have reassured customers that there have been no reports of braking faults in its UK and European models of the Prius but the claims have certainly cast a shadow over the firms recent impressive profits.
We would like to reassure customers that the potential issue identified with the accelerator pedal only occurs in very rare circumstances. Our recall action is a precautionary measure.
Miguel Fonseca, managing director of Toyota GB.
The Japanese car giant has announced net profits of £1.55billion over the last three months and, having previously forecast a loss, is expecting to make net profits of £550 million in the year to March 2010.
Toyota have estimated lost sales because of the failing accelerator pedal sissue at £500 million and the costs of repearing the affected vehicles at £700 million. Owners of the vehicles will have to wait a week before they can have them repaired.
Toyota says it had a “long history of building safe, reliable and high quality vehicles.”