Toyota announces safety recall of 133,000 2010 Prius vehicles

TORRANCE - Toyota tonight announced it will conduct a voluntary safety recall of approximately 133,000 2010 Prius vehicles and 14,550 Lexus 2010 HS 250h vehicles to update software in the vehicle\'s anti-lock brake system.

The anti-lock brake system, in normal operation, engages and disengages rapidly, many times per second, as the control system senses and reacts to tire slippage.

Some 2010 Prius and 2010 HS 250h owners have reported experiencing inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick road surfaces when the system is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction.

The recall will allow Toyota dealers to perform the software update on 2010 Prius vehicles sold before a production change was made to the break system. Only Prius vehicles produced since May 2009 and all HS 250h vehicles are subject to this recall.

First- and second-generation Prius vehicles use a different system and are not subject to the recall, Toyota Motor Sales President Jim Lentz said.

Toyota will begin mailing letters to Prius owners included in this recall next week and HS 250h owners within the next few weeks to let them know when to bring their vehicles into a dealership. Owners will only receive a letter if their vehicle is involved in the recall, Lentz said.

Toyota will also conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 7,300 early production 2010 Camry vehicles equipped with a four-cylinder engine to inspect for a power steering hose that may be in contact with a front brake tube.

This contact could lead to a hole in the brake tube and cause a brake fluid leak, increased brake pedal stroke and greater vehicle stopping distance.

Owners of the involved 2010 Camry vehicles will be notified by mail starting in the middle of February.

Detailed information about these recalls is available to customers at http://www.toyota.com/recall, by calling the Toyota Customer Experience Center at (800) 331-4331, or the Lexus Customer Assistance Center at (800) 255-3987.

``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,\" Lentz said.

``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.\"

Toyota 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,\'\' Lentz said.

``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,\" Lentz said.