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There is no recall listed for the gas-electric hybrid, but the 140 complaints registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning brakes and gas pedals for the 2009 Prius were more than triple the number of complaints from the previous year's model, the Detroit Free Press reported Wednesday.

The Japanese government has ordered the company to investigate a brake problem with the 2010 Prius, The New York Times reported.

The NHTSA has not opened a formal investigation in the Prius, the Free Press said.

The hybrid car is equipped with a regenerative braking system, which transfers energy from the slowing car to the electrical system. The most common complaint at the NHTSA concerns brakes that hesitate to respond after the car hits a bump.

"It makes it impossible to safely judge your braking distance in order to come to a safe stop, because you never know when this phenomenon will occur", one complaint read.

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