We reported last week that Toyota was once again circling the drain, this time over braking issues with its Prius hybrids. The company had received a number of complaints about the loss of braking force in 2010 Prius hybrids when driving over bumpy or icy surfaces.

At the time, Toyota acknowledged the reports and determined that it would investigate the matter further:

In certain 2010 model year Prius vehicles, Toyota has received reports that some customers have experienced inconsistent brake feel when the vehicle is driven over potholes, bumps or slippery road surfaces. 

Toyota is currently in the process of confirming these reports and investigating the vehicle driving conditions under which the reported phenomenon occurs. It would be premature to comment until the investigation has been completed.

It appears that Toyota's investigation is now over and the company is taking steps to correct the issue that affects Prius hybrids built before January 2010. As a result, 133,000 Toyota Prius hybrids and 14,500 Lexus HS 250h hybrids will be recalled in the U.S. In total, over 400,000 hybrids globally will be recalled due to update the ABS software.

“We’re committed to doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to restore consumer trust in Toyota, and these recalls are part of this effort,” said Toyota Motor Sales CEO and President Jim Lentz. “We regret the inconvenience this recall will cause to Prius and HS 250h owners, and will do our best with the support of our dealers to make sure that it is conducted in the most trouble-free manner possible.”

Lentz went on discuss that Toyota prides itself on its safety record. “Our company is undertaking a top to bottom review to ensure that our vehicles meet our own high standards of safety and reliability, now and for the future. We are taking steps to implement more stringent quality control across the company, to investigate customer complaints more aggressively and to respond more quickly to any safety issues we identify.”

In the mean time, Toyota is currently blanketing the airwaves to reaffirm the buying public that its cars are safe to drive and that it is committed to safety.

Interestingly, Ford has also announced a safety recall of its Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids for a similar braking issues. The Ford announcement didn't get much attention with all of the focus being directed at Toyota over the past three weeks.