Toyota Waffles on Prius Brake Recall

Toyota has yet to decide whether to issue a recall of Prius hybrids over potential trouble with the car's brakes, but it's just the latest snag to hit the automaker. The company acknowledged yesterday that the brakes can stick briefly in certain circumstances, generally on bumpy or slippery roads, reports the New York Times. But as with the problem with out-of-control acceleration, the company seems sluggish in giving clear instructions to its customers.

In other developments:

• Federal investigators knew of an unusually high number of problems with Toyota accelerators as early as 2007, but neither the NHTSA nor Toyota recognized the severity of the problem, reports the Washington Post.
• The accelerator recall will cost the company at least $2 billion, reports the Guardian.

(More Toyota Prius stories.)