(Fri 05 Feb 10)

As if Toyota didn't have enough to deal with this week with the hoo-hah about sticking accelerator pedals (see separate story), a new issue has sprung up on the subject of braking problems with the hybrid Prius.

According to Toyota, dealers in Japan and North America have received complaints from owners that in certain conditions - such as when the car hits a bump or pothole - they notice a change in the feel of the brakes. No actual accidents have been reported, and Toyota says that the effect is caused by a change in the proportion of braking supplied by the normal mechanical/hydraulic brakes (the ones operated by the brake pedal) and the electric system, in which the motor starts to act as a generator as the car is slowing down. From our own experience of the Prius we can confirm that the motor does quite a good job of acting as a brake, though you wouldn't rely on that if you needed to slow down in a hurry.

Toyota has made some changes to the brake system on Priuses built from late January onwards, but does not regard this as a safety issue, and nor do we.

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