Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius hybrid car is under investigation by the U.S. Transportation Department for reports of defective brakes in its 2010 model, adding to recalls and safety questions facing the world's largest automaker.
The department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received 124 reports from consumers, including four saying crashes occurred, with two "minor" injuries, according to the investigation document.
Toyota said yesterday for the first time it may recall the latest version of the Prius, the world's best-selling hybrid car, in Japan after the Japanese government ordered an investigation of its braking system.
"We are considering some kind of measure to take," Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said by phone today. "We would like to make an announcement as soon as an action has been decided upon."
Nikkei English News reported today that Toyota will recall 270,000 Prius cars in the U.S. and Japan, without saying where it got the information. NHTSA hasn't received confirmation of a recall yet in either country, according to a U.S. Transportation Department official.
Mike Michels, a spokesman for Toyota's U.S. sales unit in Torrance, California, said a U.S. recall "is not confirmed." He said he isn't authorized to comment on decisions made in Japan.
Almost 8 million Toyota vehicles have already been recalled worldwide for defects leading to sudden acceleration. Trouble with the Prius would tarnish the reputation of what the company has called its flagship model.
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