The manufacturer said the brake pressure accumulator, a metal plunger containing brake fluid encased in a metal housing, could develop a fault. This would allow the sealed nitrogen gas compartment to leak into the brake fluid, reducing braking force and giving a longer pedal stroke with a warning on the dashboard.

Affected cars were built between March and October 2009, and Toyota said in its official announcement that while two of the 93 cases reported worldwide were in the UK, as yet it had caused no accidents or injuries. Replacement takes around three hours, and customers are being advised by post.