Toyota's Troubles Continue to Mount

In the latest in an escalating string of safety problems, Toyota plans to recall 270,000 of its' popular Prius hybrid in the United States and Japan over a braking issue, the Nikkei News Service reported.

A spokesman at Toyota's U.S. sales division said he had no information to confirm the report from Japan. "We have no information on any decision to recall the Prius," said John Hanson, a Toyota spokesman at the company's U.S. sales arm in Torrance, Calif. He said the company is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on a preliminary evaluation of the problem.

Toyota earlier acknowledged design problems with the brakes in its gas-electric hybrid, but said it was still deciding how to inform customers and whether a recall is needed. Toyota said it has already corrected problems with the antilock brake system in Prius models sold since late last month, including those shipped overseas.