Toyota recalls over 300,000 Prius cars due to brake problem

UPDATED (6:35 pm ET): Added additional comment from Toyota spokesperson

If you purchased a 2016 or 2017 Toyota Prius, you'll probably want to heed the company's latest announcement.

Toyota has issued a recall for over 300,000 Prius vehicles due to faulty brakes. In total, 212,000 of the vehicles are in Japan, while 94,000 are in the United States.

Thousands of the cars in Europe and Australia have already been recalled, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In a statement, the company said:

On the involved vehicles, there is a possibility that the parking brake could become inoperative.  If this occurs and the driver exits the vehicle with the transmission in a gear other than ‘Park’ while the ignition is on, the vehicle could roll away, increasing the risk of a crash. Toyota dealers will add clips on the top of the brake cable dust boots to prevent the cable from becoming inoperative at no cost to customers.  All known owners of the involved vehicles will be notified by first class mail starting in November. 

A Toyota spokesman confirmed to Mashable that the faulty cars were produced at the company's Tsutsumi Plant in Japan. Additionally, no other models are affected.

The spokesman added, with regards to any accidents caused by the issue, "Based on a diligent but not exhaustive review of available data, we are not aware of any reports of crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition as of October 3, 2016." 

The spokesman added that the company is still "urging customers to have this repair completed when parts become available."

The company plans to contact all known owners of the affected cars starting in November.