Toyota Recalls 242,000 Hybrid Cars Due to Break Issue; Is Your Vehicle Affected?

Toyota has recalled 233,000 Prius vehicles and 9,000 Lexus hybrids models worldwide due to flawed breaks. The 242,000 recalled cars were manufactured between March and October in 2009. Toyota suffered a similar recall crisis in 2009 and into 2010 when millions of vehicles around the world were recalled due to accelerator pedal, brake, seatbelt and exhaust problems.

Fortunately for Toyota during this mass recall, no accidents have been reported but it has received 93 complaints from customers worldwide. A spokesman for Toyota revealed to CNN that the main complaint from customers was that "they needed to step more heavily on the brake pedal than they were used to." CNN also reported that the potential cracks in the accumulator allowed nitrogen to leak into the brake fluid, rendering them less effective than normal.

The hybrid recall for Toyota was voluntary, in a statement the Japanese manufacturer stated that as a result of the defect, there was potential for the brake pressure accumulator to crack due to vibrations in the car.

Of the Prius cars recalled 5,000 are located in the UK. To solve the flawed brake system for UK customers, Toyota will be directly owners of the recalled vehicles in the next few weeks. The manufacturer will then exchange the faulty part with a new one, which should take around 3 hours.

If you are unaware if your car is affected, Toyota released a statement attempting to help identify the flawed brake system. The statement read, "The driver will become aware of the problem through a warning light illuminating on the dashboard. Should this occur, the vehicle should not be driven and owners should report the issue to their nearest Toyota Center."

If this light indicator has not gone off if your vehicle, be sure to check if your Prius is part of the recall, simply enter your registration number in the Toyota Recall Checker HERE.

CBS reported that Toyota will recall 117,000 units in Japan, 91,000 in North America, 30,000 in Europe and 3,000 in Asia-Pacific. This recall on Wednesday follow's another recent recall. In April, Toyota recalled more than 1.7 million cars worldwide due to flawed airbags and thus safety concerns. This safety recall included some of its most popular Corolla, Matrix, and Tundra models.

Toyota has sold 3.6m Prius vehicles globally and more than 60,000 in the UK since the model went on sale in December 1997.