Toyota Recall Prius 豐田召回新款普銳斯

By Roland Buerk, Tokyo

媒體英語會帶大家一起學習BBC撰稿人在報道世界大事時常用到的單詞和短語。

Background: 豐田公司在收到對其產品的投訴后宣布召回40多萬輛最新款式的普銳斯環保車和其他類型的混合動力汽車。近日來一些司機提出投訴抱怨上述新款汽車的剎車啟動緩慢。 此事對豐田公司的產品質量信譽帶來了的極大的打擊。前段時間，豐田公司因為油門踏板問題已經在全球范圍內召回了8百多萬輛汽車。

Announcing the recall, the president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, who's the grandson of its founder, said the firm would do everything in its power to regain the confidence of its customers.

He said more than 400,000 Prius cars and other hybrids were being recalled worldwide.

Dozens of Prius drivers in Japan and the United States have complained of a short delay in braking taking effect during cold weather or on bumpy roads.

Mr Toyoda apologised and added drivers should be assured if the brakes were pressed hard the car would stop.

The problem, which the company says can be fixed by reprogramming software, affects the newest model of the Prius, which is Japan's best-selling car.

It also affects the Lexus, the HS250H and another Toyota model available only in Japan.

The company is already in the midst of two much bigger recalls, one to do with a mechanical problem in accelerators, another the pedals potentially getting snagged in floor mats.

Concerns over safety have done deep damage to Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability which have helped it to become the largest car maker in the world.