Toyota’s problems have increased this week as reports of a braking issue has hit their hybrid cars, including the latest generation of their flagship hybrid Prius. The news will affect roughly 8,500 vehicles in the UK with over 400,000 cars having to be recalled worldwide.

According to the UK Toyota Blog “The recall is being taken in response to reports of inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady braking on bumpy or slick road surfaces when the anti-lock braking system (ABS) is actuated.”. To fix the problem the installed software needs an upgrade, which is only a 40 minute task to be carried out at authorised Toyota service centres. Toyota will be contacting customers shortly once the correct details have been gathered from the DVLA to arrange the free of charge procedure.

Toyota want to assure customers that “In the meantime, the cars are safe to drive. At no time are drivers without brakes. Toyota GB guarantees to every customer its utmost attention to making this upgrade as quickly and efficiently as possible.”.

Last week another recall affecting other models within the Toyota range was issued after problems with the accelerator becoming stuck came to light. Again the manufacturer has reacted quickly and produced a fix for the problem and is currently resolving the problem for all of it’s customers.

To allay any fears about liability and insurance Toyota have checked with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to confirm that cars currently under recall are still covered by existing insurance policies. The Association said “The ABI confirms that motor insurance policies will continue to cover Toyota owners affected by the recall of certain models. Any claims will be dealt with in the normal way, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the policy. If they have not already done so, anyone who thinks they may be affected should contact their local Toyota dealer and follow their advice.”.

The Japanese manufacturer has also launched a VIN checker on their site to help customers with cars that have been recalled due to accelerator problems, the checker can be found here.

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