United States safety regulators and Toyota dispatched teams yesterday to inspect a Prius that sped out of control on a California freeway a day earlier, as the automaker struggled to reassure consumers shaken by its recall crisis.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said two investigators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration were sent to San Diego 'to be part of the investigation' of Monday's incident, which left the driver of a runaway car rattled but unhurt.

"NHTSA is reminding owners of all recalled vehicles to contact their dealers immediately if they are experiencing problems," NHTSA spokesperson, Olivia Alair said in a statement.

Toyota Motor Corp said its own inspectors were working yesterday to try to find out what caused the 2008 Prius to surge uncontrollably to over 90 miles per hour as it was being driven by its owner, James Sikes (61). The incident, involving a dramatic pursuit by a highway patrol car, came at a bad time for Toyota, which has struggled in recent weeks to reassure a jittery public it has turned a corner in dealing with safety issues that sparked a recall of 8.5 million vehicles worldwide. Seven weeks into the crisis, Toyota has begun trying to reverse a slump in its new car sales by offering buyers aggressive discounts. – Reuters