Toyota's hybrid Prius faces US probe over brakes

DETROIT, Michigan

The Japanese automaker said it has launched its own investigation.

Robert Becker, 39, is one of those filing among at least 20 who have already submitted their concerns to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation.

He says he was heading to work on the west side of Manhattan, coming up to an intersection and squeezing the brakes of his 2010 Prius to slow down.

But when the car hit a pothole, Becker suddenly had the “sensation of losing control,” as the brakes released, forcing him to slam down on the pedal.

“It scared the hell out of me. I wasn’t sure I could stop in time,” he said, adding the problem has repeated itself a number of times since then.

Becker is not alone, as NHTSA’s defects office reveals.

AFP