Toyota recalls 94,000 cars due to brake fault

NEW YORK: Toyota on Monday recalled some 94,000 of its 2011 Sienna minivans in the United States to replace a brake bracket that could get stuck.

Citing a light problem that could cause unwanted brake activation, Toyota announced it was just the latest in a series of recalls.

"Due to the proximity of the stop lamp switch bracket to the parking brake pedal when the parking brake is fully applied, the stop lamp switch bracket could, in limited circumstances, be deformed by the driver's foot during parking brake operation," Toyota said in a statement.

Over time, the deformation could cause the brake to "become partially engaged due to contact from the bracket," the company said, but stressed no accidents relating to the problem have been reported.

The latest problem comes after a series of mass recalls of around 10 million vehicles worldwide in late 2009 and early 2010 undermined Toyota's once stellar reputation.

It led to US congressional investigations and a record 16.4 million dollar fine to settle claims Toyota hid accelerator pedal defects blamed for dozens of deaths.

Since then Toyota has seen its US market share shrink by 1.4 points to 15.2 percent for the first nine months of this year.