Toyota has announced the recall of about 436,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide, including its latest Prius model, to fix brake problems.It includes more than 200,000 Prius cars sold in Japan and 8,500 cars in the UK.
"We have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority," the firm said.
The company has already recalled eight million vehicles because of accelerator and floor mat problems.
Company president Akio Toyoda made the latest recall announcement at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Toyoda had earlier written in the Washington Post that he was "deeply disappointed" for not maintaining the high standards US customers expected.
"As the president of Toyota, I take personal responsibility," he wrote. "That is why I am personally leading the effort to restore trust in our word and in our products."
The Prius was Japan's top-selling car in 2009 and the world's most popular hybrid model.
Hybrid Sai, sold only in Japan, and Lexus HS250h, sold globally, would also be recalled, the company said on Tuesday.
The latest recall refers to third-generation Prius models built before 27 January 2010.
The brake problem was thought to affect Prius models that were sold in the US and Japan starting last May.
There have been complaints in Japan and the US that the brakes momentarily fail when driven on rough roads.
Toyota blames a software glitch and says it has already fixed vehicles sold this year.
Software update
In a statement, Toyota GB was keen to reassure Prius owners in the UK and said that the cars were safe to drive.
"At no time are drivers without brakes," the firm said.
Toyota GB said that it would be writing to every owner or keeper affected in the next few days and the procedure, to upgrade the anti-lock braking system, would be carried out free of charge.
In the UK, no other Toyota or Lexus models are affected by the latest recall.
Toyota representatives in the US said the firm was recalling 133,000 2010 Prius models and 14,550 Lexis Division HS250h 2010 models to update software in the vehicle's anti-lock braking system.
In the US, no other Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles are involved in the latest recall.
Separately, Toyota has announced a safety recall on about 7,300 2010 Camry vehicles in the US over problems that could lead to a hole in the brake tube, causing a brake fluid leak. Owners of the Camry models involved will be contacted by post in the middle of February.
The US Transportation Department said last week that it was investigating the braking problems with Prius.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received 124 reports from drivers about it, including four of crashes.
There have been no reports of any such accidents in the UK.
The US investigation will look into allegations of momentary loss of braking power while travelling over uneven road surfaces.
Mr Toyoda wrote that he had been in contact with US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and assured him that communication would be kept open, would be more frequent, and that Toyota would be "more vigilant in responding" to officials.
Before it announced the Prius recall in Japan, Toyota estimated that its losses would reach $2bn (£1.23bn) in costs and lost sales from its worldwide recall of vehicles that might have faulty accelerator pedals.
