Shortly after discovering a gas pedal problem which forced it to recall millions of vehicles for repairs, Japanese car giant, Toyota, is facing more trouble. The US government has opened a probe into brake problems with the Prius Hybrid - one of its most popular models. The beleaguered automaker said it was "too soon" to decide whether to add the hybrid to the millions of cars it has recalled.

To remedy the gas pedal problem engineers have developed and tested a solution that involves reinforcing the pedal assembly to eliminate the excess friction that caused the pedals to stick. In late January Toyota announced the recall of around 2.3 million vehicles equipped with a specific pedal assembly. It also suspended sales of the eight models involved.