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There is a third major Toyota recall. Toyota Motor Corporation is recalling 437,000 of its flagship Prius and other hybrid cars for braking problems. The recall is on all 2010 Prius hybrids (133,000) and Lexus HS 250h (14,500) vehicles.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda made the following statements on Monday.

“I apologize for causing trouble and worries for many customers over the quality and safety of Toyota. We sincerely acknowledge safety concerns from our customers. We have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority.

Let me assure everyone that we will redouble our commitment to quality as a lifeline of our company. With myself taking the lead, and by keeping to the ‘genchi genbutsu’ [go and see for yourself] principle, all of us at Toyota will tackle the issue in close cooperation with dealers and suppliers together, we will do everything in our power to regain the confidence of our customers.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that owners contact Toyota dealers immediately if they have experienced any braking problems or if they notice changes in their braking performance. Loss of braking is most likely to occur in cold weather when traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole, or bump.

If this occurs, the NHTSA advises owners to continue to firmly press on the brake to stop the vehicle. Toyota claims that the brakes will work with continued, firm application. As an extra precaution, drivers should leave extra stopping distance until the recalled vehicles are fixed. Toyota says the problem can be fixed in 40 minutes with new software that oversees the controls of the anti-lock brakes.

Dealers will rewrite the programming of the ABS control unit at no charge. The recall will begin late February and should be completed in late March 2010.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 and Lexus at 1-800-255-3987 or contact your local dealership if any problems are detected. For more information, consumers may visit www.nhtsa.gov, www.safercar.gov, or call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.

NHTSA Recall Number: 10V039000

Number of Vehicles Affected: 148549

This information is provided as a service from TSR Injury Law, 612-362-0000. Our lawyers are experienced, skilled litigators and are willing to answer any questions regarding your Toyota car accident claim.