Legal threat to Toyota over safety

TOYOTA could face legal action from the United States government as the firm is hit by a new safety scare centring on its flagship Prius hybrid.

There have been more than 100 complaints in the US and Japan about brake problems with the model and it is also involved in global recalls over some 4.5 million of its other cars.

Sales have been battered in the US – Toyota's biggest market – after recalls of top-selling models to fix an accelerator pedal that can stick down.

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Last year there was an alert over accelerator pedals which jammed under floor mats.

The recall, announced on January 21, over sticky accelerator pedals affects 2.3 million vehicles in the US alone. Any serious problems emerging in the Prius would further damage its brand.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had received about 100 complaints involving the brakes of the new Prius model which went on sale in Japan and the US in May 2009. Two involved crashes resulting in injuries.

Japan's transport ministry said it had also received 14 complaints since July last year about brake problems with the new Prius.

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The 14 complaints included an accident last July in which a Prius crashed head on into another car at a junction.

Transport ministry official Masaya Ota said two people were injured.

"The Prius driver in the accident told police that a brake did not work," Mr Ota said. "Other Prius drivers also complained brakes were not so sharp."

The complaints in Japan involved the new Prius model, and the vehicles were all made in Japan, he said.

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The ministry ordered Toyota, the world's number one car maker, to investigate. The other 13 cases happened from December to January 2010.

Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said the company had received reports about the complaints in North America and in Japan and was investigating.

The news affected Toyota's share price in Tokyo yesterday.

"Investors were worried the latest trouble involving the Prius could get bigger. The problem could pose a bigger question on Toyota's quality and safety," said Kazuhiro Takahashi, market analyst at Daiwa Securities SMBC.

The car maker is facing growing criticism it has not done enough to ensure the safety of its vehicles.

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US transportation secretary Ray LaHood said the US government had to alert Toyota to the seriousness of the safety issues that led to the recalls and confirmed it was considering civil penalties for it having dragged its feet on the concerns.

"They should have taken it seriously from the very beginning when we first started discussing it with them," he said. "Maybe they were a little safety deaf."

Toyota executive vice president Shinichi Sasaki acknowledged it took prodding from NHTSA officials for the company to decide on the US recall.

The company has long prided itself on vehicle quality and assembly line methods ensuring faultless production.

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The Prius, now in its third generation since its 1997 introduction, is the world's best-selling gas-electric hybrid.

Hybrids, by alternating between a petrol engine and electric motor, tend to offer better mileage in the slow driving that is usual in crowded cities.

Mr LaHood said the government was investigating potential electrical problems in the vehicles and was to investigate electronic throttle control systems.