Japan Orders Toyota to Investigate Complaints Over Prius Brakes

NAGOYA, JAPAN — The Japanese government said Wednesday that it has ordered Toyota to investigate a possible defect in its new Prius hybrid model after receiving 14 reports of brake trouble, another blow for an automaker already embroiled in its biggest-ever recall.

Drivers complained that the brakes on Toyota’s newest Prius momentarily stopped working at low speeds, especially on slippery surfaces, said Kenji Sato, a Transport Ministry official in charge of recall policy.

In one incident in July 2009, a new Prius crashed head on into another vehicle at an intersection, hurting two people in that car. Ten of the 14 complaints about the new Prius, which went on sale in Japan in May, came in January.

A Toyota spokesman, Takanori Yokoi, said dealers in North America and Japan had received “several tens” of reports from customers who said their Priuses had “braked insufficiently” on bumpy or frozen roads.

The automaker is still investigating and is not in a position to release more details, including whether a recall will be necessary, Mr. Yokoi said.

The Prius is the best-selling car in Japan, and the popularity of the Prius had been a bright spot in a global auto industry still reeling from the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler.

The possible fault with the Prius’s brakes follows a widening recall involving 4.5 million cars by Toyota, the world’s No. 1 automaker, over gas pedals that could become stuck while driving.