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Toyota recalls Prius and two other hybrids

Date: Tuesday 09 Feb 2010

Toyota recalls Prius and two other hybrids

The problems besetting Japanese car maker Toyota deepened last night as it broadened its latest recall to include its Lexus HS 250 and Toyota Sai hybrid models in addition to the Prius hybrid.

All three models are being recalled because of concerns over the braking system. Toyota President Akio Toyoda said: "We have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority."

The Lexus HS 250 hybrid is sold in the US and the Sai saloon is marketed only in Japan. Reports in Japan suggested that Toyota may also temporarily halt production of both models.

Toyota confirmed yesterday a recall of nearly 450,000 Prius models worldwide after complaints about the brakes on bumpy roads and in icy conditions.

In Japan Toyota has recalled nearly 200,000 Prius cars sold from April last year. In the UK, some 7,000 vehicles sold since August are affected, while over 50,000 in Europe could be recalled.

Toyota already faced a $2bn bill for the recall of over 8m cars worldwide due to problems with accelerators sticking before the Prius and now Lexus and Sai recalls.

Meanwhile, complaints about the way the company has handled the problems are rising and litigation growing.

Toyota already faces more than 30 legal actions in the US over the accelerator problems, which it is claimed has caused 19 deaths.

A Canadian group last week also launched a class action over the problems with the brakes on the Prius, which alleges they are defectively designed.

Toyota's president Akio Toyoda vowed that the car giant would do "everything in our power" to regain customer confidence.

"We will tackle the issue with dealers and suppliers," he said at a press conference in Tokyo. "Together we will do everything in our power to regain the confidence of our customers."

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