The Japanese government this week dealt yet another blow to the reputation of auto company, Toyota, by ordering it to check the latest version of the Prius hybrid for brake-related defects. The Prius was Japan’s top-selling model in 2009. The latest Prius does not figure in the list of 8 models whose production was halted in the US this week. A transport department official said that the Transport Ministry of Japan had received 14 complaints regarding the Prius’s brakes since its launch in May 2009.

The latest Prius model is not part of the recall campaign started by Toyota, and if the company finds a significant glitch in the car’s brakes, it will be pushed further into a crisis situation. A Japanese news channel reported that over 100 customers of the new Prius hybrid in the US had complained about the car’s brakes since its launch. The channel cited the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as the source of the report, which has so far not been confirmed by Toyota officials.