PRIUS RECALL? Toyota IS considering a Prius recall claims a report. But a Toyota Prius recall on breaks would be for which model year?

The Toyota Prius recall question has been followed on LALATE since revelation of break problems dating back to 2009 surfaced Wednesday. Now Friday, Toyota denies it is considering a recall of its famed Prius hybrid car, while a Japan paper says it is considering such a recall.

Which model year is the concern?

As covered on LALATE since Wednesday, the concern is over the current 2010 model (which went on sale in 2009).

Tonight, the Nihon Keizai, a business paper published daily in Japan is reporting, as covered by US press,  that Toyota Motor Corp. “would soon notify Japan’s transport ministry and the U.S. Department of Transportation of a recall of 270,000 Prius hybrids.”

Toyota disputes the Nihon article saying no recall has been decide: “Nothing has been decided on whether we will recall or not,” says spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi.

As covered on LALATE since the story first broke Wednesday, the number of Prius’ reporting break complaints is not 10 nor 20. Initial reports early this week put it around 100. Tonight that number is now reportedly pushing 200 in Japan and the U.S.

The problem is described as the break doesn’t “engage immediately when they press the brake pedal, or that the brakes have an inconsistent feel. The problem has been fixed with a software programming change for Prius vehicles sold in Japan and overseas since late January but not for vehicles sold before then.”

Koji Endo of Advanced Research Japan Co. in Tokyo said the image at play is critical:

“For Toyota’s long-term strategy in the green car field, this is a symbol. This symbol car, one of its best selling models, is defective. That’s obviously going to raise big questions among the public.”

But Toyota has this week defended the situation of its defective models. Toyota senior managing director Takahiko Ijichi said:

“We have not sacrificed the quality for the sake of saving costs.Quality is our lifeline. We want our customers to feel safe and regain their trust as soon as possible.”

Mamoru Katou, auto analyst with Tokai Tokyo Research, says of the situation: “It’s very unclear what the future will bring. Toyota’s image as a leader in hybrids has been hurt.”

BNN’s Mark Bunting told CTV’s Canada AM the following:

“The company is saying as of the end of last year they have received dozens of complaints about the braking system, but a report out of Japan, this is the Kyodo News Service, is saying the reports are more like in the hundreds.

“What the report suggests is that sometimes the braking system in the Prius can stop working on bumpy and slippery roads.”

The same report claims the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more than 100 complaints about the brakes in the latest Prius model. Japan’s Ministry version of the NHTS claims 14 complaints since summer last year.