Toyota Recall Prius 丰田召回新款普锐斯

By Roland Buerk, Tokyo

媒体英语会带大家一起学习BBC撰稿人在报道世界大事时常用到的单词和短语。

Background: 丰田公司在收到对其产品的投诉后宣布召回40多万辆最新款式的普锐斯环保车和其他类型的混合动力汽车。近日来一些司机提出投诉抱怨上述新款汽车的刹车启动缓慢。 此事对丰田公司的产品质量信誉带来了的极大的打击。前段时间，丰田公司因为油门踏板问题已经在全球范围内召回了8百多万辆汽车。

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.