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Toyota’s popular Prius hybrid will very likely be joining eight other cars, trucks, and SUVs on the recall list this week. The furor over the safety and dependability of Toyota autos has escalated to a full-blown outcry following the news that another of the Japanese car manufacturer’s best-selling autos has been having widespread mechanical issues. The Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia, and Tundra were found to have some malfunctioning gas pedals, the likes of which have caused uncontrollable acceleration leading to accidents and death. In the case of the 2010 Prius, a potentially unreliable brake pedal caused the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open a formal investigation announced this morning. The NHTSA says it has received one hundred twenty-four complaints of Prius cars “momentarily [losing] braking… over uneven roads” or potholes.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, no friend of Toyota at the moment, reports that federal safety investigators have been told of four crashes resulting because of the defect. LaHood warned that he would be closely monitoring the newest issues over at Toyota, since “safety is [his administration’s] top priority.” He said that he was planning a personal phone call to Akio Toyoda, the worldwide President of Toyota Motor Corp., for a firm word. LaHood stated that he would be asking Toyoda about his plans for dealing with the ongoing recalls, and to “explain to him that this is serious business.” Over in Japan, the national government has already called for a formal investigation into the Prius brakes after eighty-five complaints of related accidents over there. Toyota has admitted that the accident reports connected with the Prius in Japan are “greater than normal.” It has already begun providing fixes to Japanese drivers of affected vehicles, even though a formal recall is not currently in place.

The news in America has undoubtedly come as a major blow to Toyota, which has been facing an extremely rocky time in the wake of the original recall news. Toyota has, until last month, long enjoyed one of the best reputations in the United States among drivers. Now, the company faces accusations that it covered up the full extent of the problems even once it knew they existed, and blamed everyone but themselves when it came time to fix the mess. The recall forced Toyota to suspend both production and sales of the affected models while it concocted and started to manufacture a piece to repair the gas pedal assembly. Around the world, the current Toyota recalls are estimated to have affected eight million vehicles or more.

In terms of the Prius vehicles, the problem lies with the fact that Toyota built an advanced braking system for the hybrid, consisting of both conventional brake pads and a regenerative system that helps charge the battery from the energy given up when stopping the car. An internal computer makes the “decision” as to which brake mode the car will utilize in any given moment. It is widely believed that Toyota is poised to recall the Prius now as well. Should it come to pass, the loss of reputation of Toyota’s flagship “green” vehicle could only be devastating at this point. The company has cagily stated that, with regards to the likelihood of a Prius recall taking place, “possibility is not zero.” Nothing has formally been decided, however. Toyota is expected to hold a press conference on the brake issue again.

Should the company elect to issue a recall on the Prius hybrids, it would very likely affect many of the 2010 vehicles sold both inside and outside the United States. Interestingly enough, the components involved in the Prius brakes were built in Japan – a location that most worldwide drivers believe produces only the best workmanship. Worse yet, the problem involves the fundamental electronic operations of a Toyota car… a part of the automobile that is designed by the company expressly, so that problems cannot be turned around and blamed on a parts supplier or offshore manufacturer. For consumers, the situation seems especially appalling: on a fundamental level, what could be more crucial to safety and the operation of their vehicle than the gas and brakes? Toyota’s stock shares fell another three and a half percent in Tokyo today, and are globally at a level with the lowest depths of the economic crisis.

Right now, some Toyota owners are too scared to even back their cars out of the driveway. Although Toyota has assured its customers that cars are safe to drive unless they are showing the early warning signs of a problem, the loss of confidence stemming from the recalls simply cannot be overstated. That number will only grow if the Prius is, in fact, recalled.