Apparently learning quickly from the mounting -- and then brutal -- criticism of the company's slow response to the unintended-acceleration issues that led to several massive recalls, Toyota has already stepped up and acknowledged that certain Prius models have some braking issues. The news of the possible problems became widespread only two days ago.

Toyota said today that it had found design problems with the Prius' anti-lock braking system, but had corrected the issue for models sold since late January. The company did not, however, roll out a plan for dealing with models sold before then.

There have been about 180 complaints regarding the best-selling hybrid's braking system, mostly due to odd or reduced braking feel on bumpy or icy roads. A Toyota spokesman said the lag feeling is due to both the gas engine and electric motor.

According to a report in USA Today: "When the car moves on a bumpy or slippery surface, a driver can feel a pause in the braking when the vehicle switches between the traditional hydraulic brakes and the electronically operated braking system, [Paul Nolasco] said. The brakes start to work if the driver keeps pushing the pedal, but the driver may momentarily feel they aren't working, he said. Fixing that included a software programming change, he said."

The problems have been reported in both the U.S. and Japan. A major Japanese dealership said that the parent company had informed dealers that the brakes could sometimes fail to work for less than a second, but had not told owners.

Whether a recall will be issued to fix the problem has not yet been decided.

(Source: USA Today)