Toyota starts fixing Priuses recalled in Japan

Toyota, which built its reputation on near-perfect quality, has been widely criticized as too slow and irresponsible in managing its recall crisis.

The scrutiny of Toyota's possible mishandling of the problems will move to Congress in coming weeks, with hearings in the House and the Senate to see if all the causes of Toyota's acceleration problems have been identified.

Toyota says the latest problem with the Prius produces a sensation that the brake power is weakening. That happens only on slippery or bumpy surfaces when antilock brakes kick in. If the driver steps heavily on the brake pedal, the car will stop.

The sensation is unique to hybrids. Hybrids have two braking systems because they have both a gas engine and an electric motor. One of the braking systems recharges the battery as the car runs — a feature that helps deliver superior mileage.

In the third-generation Prius, which went on sale in May, the car switches between systems for the antilock brakes. Because of the uneven pressure in braking during the switch at low speeds, the driver feels the brakes aren't working properly for a fraction of a second.

The switch in braking was not in older Prius models, and the new programming does away with it, according to Toyota.

The Prius is the best-selling car in Japan, the first hybrid to ever win that spot, and had boasted long waits in orders.

Toyota said some Japanese were canceling their Prius orders after the problem surfaced, but has not given a number.

Also recalled are three other hybrid models — the Sai hybrid, sold only in Japan, the luxury Lexus HS250h and the plug-in. Replacement programming is not yet ready for those models.

Toyopet dealership spokesman Hiroyuki Naito is hopeful the Prius will stay popular, despite the recalls, possibly managing to stay the top-seller in Japan, given the huge backlog of orders.

"We are responding as quickly as we can and seeking our customers' understanding," he said.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda told reporters Tuesday that he personally tested his own Prius to recreate the time lag some drivers have complained they feel with the braking.

"If we find defects, and we see we made mistakes, we correct that," he said.

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