Toyota Motor Corporation president Akio Toyoda said on Friday that he would accept an invitation to testify before a congressional committee on February 24 regarding the Japanese automaker’s continued safety problems. Toyoda’s announcement comes less than a week after he indicated that he would decline such an offer.

Representative Ed Towns, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter to Toyoda on Thursday asking him to clarify to U.S. consumers how they should respond to the automaker’s difficulties, according to Auto Week.

“The public is unsure as to what exactly the problem is, whether it is safe to drive their cars, or what they should do about it,” wrote Towns.

Toyoda has been heavily criticized over the past few months for remaining silent while his company struggles to regain the confidence of consumers.

“The number one thing in my mind is regaining the trust of our customers in terms of the safety of our vehicles,” said Toyoda at a press conference on Friday.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has been critical of the handling of Toyota’s recalls, is also scheduled to testify before Congress on February 24.

Earlier this week, Toyota Motor Company president Akio Toyoda announced that he will not attend the U.S. congressional hearings regarding the numerous safety recalls initiated by the Japanese automaker over the last few months.

Toyoda’s decision to not testify in front of Congress has angered some lawmakers, including California Representative Darrell Issa who believes that it is “telling” that the Japanese automaker’s president has declined to appear on U.S. soil.

Issa, who is the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said earlier today that Toyoda’s preference to pass on a meeting with lawmakers shows he “is not as eager to give Congress and the American people answers as we first thought.”

“I would think given the tremendous scrutiny Toyoda and his company are under, he would have seized the opportunity to personally appear and use the hearing as a forum to move forward,” added Kurt Bardella, a spokesman for the congressman.

Meanwhile, Toyota has announced several new initiatives aimed at improving quality control measures, including the installation of brake-override systems on all new vehicles and the expansion of local technical offices that conduct on-site troubleshooting, according to Auto Week.

With the dust just beginning to settle on last month’s recall of faulty accelerator pedals, Toyota Motor Company announced today that they will begin recalling 2010 four-wheel-drive Toyota Tacoma vehicles due to problems with the front drive shaft.

Several media outlets have reported that brand new Tacoma trucks may contain a component that was damaged during the manufacturing process. If cracks develop on the drive shaft, there is a possibility that it may separate from the joint, which could cause the driver of the vehicle to lose control.

Meanwhile, transportation secretary Ray LaHood expressed his frustration with the Japanese automaker’s apparent negligence regarding quality control.

“I want the American people to know and I want people who drive Toyotas to know that we’re going to hold their feet to the fire on this,” said LaHood.

Over the last few months, Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles in the U.S. alone. To take advantage of the current situation, General Motors-owned companies have begun offering rebates to Toyota customers who are looking to trade-in their vehicle for a different brand.

Toyota Motor Corporation is in the news again, and for the second time in as many weeks, it is for all the wrong reasons. After last week’s massive recall of faulty accelerator pedals on eight different models, the U.S. Department of Transportation is now investigating the 2010 Toyota Prius for reports of defective brakes.

The National Highway and Safety Administration has reportedly received more than 120 complaints from consumers, including four reports of minor accidents, two of which resulted in injuries, according to Business Week.

On Thursday, officials from the Japanese automaker hinted that they may have to issue a recall on the world’s best selling hybrid car.

“We are considering some kind of measure to take,” said Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi. “We would like to make an announcement as soon as an action has been decided upon.”

The news of the investigation came only a day after Toyota reported strong third quarter earnings that easily trumped Wall Street estimates, according to the Washington Post.

Most customer complaints involving the 2010 Prius are due to a split-second delay in switching between the traditional hydraulic brakes and the electronic braking system.

On the heels of last week’s massive recall, Toyota Motor Corporation announced a plan today to fix the faulty accelerator pedals on 2.3 million new vehicles.

The Japanese-owned automaker has stopped production on new cars and will ship parts to U.S. dealers who have been trained to fix the defective gas pedals. Toyota has said that it will install a precision-cut reinforcement bar as part of the mechanism to make sure that pedals return to the idle position, USA Today reports.

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive,” said Jim Lentz, president of Toyota’s sales organization in the U.S. “We deeply regret the concern that our recalls have caused for our customers and we are doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to make things right.”

Lents added that some dealerships will be open for 24 hours a day to fix the recalled vehicles. Repairs are expected to take approximately 30 minutes and Toyota has said that it will cover all costs associated with the parts and labor.