Tokyo, Japan (CNN) -- The Japanese government has warned Toyota to take seriously mounting complaints of brake problems with its 2010 Prius hybrid.

Toyota Vice President Shinichi Sasaki met with Japan's transport minister on Wednesday, when he was urged to take notice of the mounting complaints against one of the automaker's most popular models.

In Japan, 14 complaints about brakes in the Prius have been lodged since July. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has asked Toyota to investigate, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

"The complaints received via our dealers center around when drivers are on a bumpy road or frozen surface," said Paul Nolasco, a Toyota Motor Corp. spokesman in Japan. "The driver steps on the brake and they do not get as full of a braking feel as expected."

In the United States, more than 100 complaints alleging poor brake performance have been lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration against the 2010 Prius, a newly designed version of the car that was introduced last summer.

"NHTSA has received a number of complaints about a potential defect affecting the brake system in Toyota's Prius hybrid and is conducting field work to examine the issue," the agency said Wednesday.

A search of NHTSA's complaint database turned up many similar-sounding complaints in the United States.
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