The recall affects 30,790 UK-registered vehicles, there have been no reports of accidents or injuries as a result, though there have been 11 field reports in Europe of the issue occurring. Other hybrid vehicles are unaffected as they use a different system.

Used when the car is under heavy load, such as when accelerating hard from a standstill, the boost converter is part of the Prius’s hybrid system and the fault could cause it to overheat and damage internal components.

If faulty, the car could switch into a failsafe mode or stop altogether. Drivers get no prior warning, the vehicle will behave normally beforehand.

Toyota said it will update the control software, and will contact owners by post or telephone in the coming weeks. Customers can check whether their vehicle is affected via their local Toyota website.