Toyota Motor has suffered a double blow to its reputation in the US after being forced to launch one of the largest vehicle recalls in its history and a probe into why engines in its highly popular Prius hybrid car are stalling for no reason.

Japan?s largest carmaker prides itself on its reputation for reliability as well as its eco-friendly technology and has used these factors to drive up sales aggressively in the North American market to a record high of 2.27m units last year.