Ford offers fix for Fusion hybrid brake glitch

The 2010 Ford Fusion is seen in front of a sign that reads ''Drive Green'' at the 2010 North American International Auto Show during press days in Detroit, Michigan January 11, 2010.

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it would fix up to 17,600 hybrid sedans that could suffer braking problems as its largest rival, Toyota Motor Corp, grapples with reported braking flaws on its market-leading Prius hybrid.

The Ford announcement came as Consumer Reports said one of its engineers ran a stop sign in a residential area when the brake pedal on a Fusion hybrid sank further than normal and warning lights lit up the dashboard. The car coasted to a stop with minimal brake feel, Consumer Reports said.

Ford said a software glitch on Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids built on or before October 17 could cause drivers to perceive a loss of braking as the car shifts unnecessarily from regenerative braking into the conventional mode.

The automaker said it had received a handful of reports about the issue. It had heard reports of one minor accident, but no injuries as a result, a spokesman said.

Ford said it would upgrade the software on the vehicles and notify customers by mail that the fix is available at dealerships.

(Reporting by David Bailey, Bernie Woodall and Kevin Krolicki, editing by Matthew Lewis)