TOKYO: Toyota took full-page ads in major Japanese newspapers Wednesday to apologize for massive recalls, and began fixing braking glitches for two problem hybrid models, as pressure continued to build on the automaker to come clean on defects.

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda is scheduled to give an update on the global recalls and quality control efforts later in the day at Tokyo headquarters as the world's biggest automaker struggles to salvage its reputation.

Toyota faces a growing investigation by U.S. federal authorities. Some U.S. lawmakers want Toyoda to appear at a Feb. 24 Congressional committee hearing that is examining the problem of sticky gas pedals behind an earlier global recall.

Toyota has recalled 8.5 million vehicles globally during the past four months because of problems with sticking gas pedals, floor mats trapping accelerators and faulty brake programming.

Toyota's advertisements in nationally circulated Japanese newspapers focused on the recalls in Japan, which affect the Prius gas-electric hybrid and two other hybrids — the Sai, sold only in Japan, and the Lexus HS250h, also sold in North America.

The newspaper notice asks owners to bring their cars to Toyota and Lexus dealers nationwide starting Wednesday. The fix on the Prius began last week.

"We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for the great inconvenience and worries that we have caused you all," the black-and-white ads say.

Toyota has published similar ads of apology in U.S. papers. Toyota has also stopped airing TV ads in Japan for models affected by the recall, although it has continued them for other models.

Toyota in Japan had no immediate comment on the order Tuesday from the U.S. Transportation Department to hand over documents related to its massive recalls. The department wants to know how long the automaker knew of safety defects before taking action.

Toyota's U.S. unit said in a statement that it "takes its responsibility to advance vehicle safety seriously and to alert government officials of any safety issue in a timely manner."

"We are reviewing NHTSA's request and will cooperate to provide all the information they have requested," it said.

Toyota must respond within 30 to 60 days or face fines.

Reports of deaths in the U.S. connected to sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles have surged in recent weeks, with the alleged death toll reaching 34 since 2000, according to new consumer data gathered by the U.S. government.

Under federal law, automakers must notify the department's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within five days of determining that a safety defect exists and promptly conduct a recall.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said the government is considering civil penalties for Toyota over its handling of the recalls.

The maximum fine is more than $16 million. The largest auto industry fine came in 2004, when General Motors paid $1 million for responding too slowly on a recall of nearly 600,000 vehicles over windshield wiper failure.

The probe extends beyond Toyota's U.S. operations, a request that safety experts said was unprecedented for a federal agency tasked with regulating vehicles domestically.

The agency is seeking information on Toyota vehicles that were sold overseas and also subject to U.S. recalls for problems with sticking gas pedals.

Toyota told NHTSA in January that the problem appeared in Europe beginning in December 2008. Toyota has said it began fixes on that in August 2009, but the company failed to link that with gas pedal problems in the U.S., which surfaced in October 2009.

NHTSA also wants to know how seriously Toyota considered the possibility that electronics of the gas pedal system might play a role. The company has said tests show that electronics were not to blame.

Overnight, Toyota also suspended production at some of its U.S. plants.

It has also temporarily suspended production of the Sai and Lexus HS250h hybrids in Japan until it comes up with the software fix. It was unclear when production would resume. Kyodo news said production will likely resume Monday.

Prius production has continued because Toyota quietly fixed the glitch in models going into production since late January.

Toyota is halting production temporarily in San Antonio, Texas, and Georgetown, Kentucky, to address concerns that too many unsold vehicles may be building up at dealerships because of the large recalls.

Company spokesman Mike Goss said the Texas plant, which builds the Tundra pickup truck, would take production breaks for the weeks of March 15 and April 12. The Kentucky plant, which makes the Camry, Avalon and Venza vehicles, plans to take a production break on Feb. 26 and may not build vehicles on three more days in March and April.

In addition, the company's plant in Huntsville, Alabama, will idle some production during the same time as the San Antonio facility, according to company spokeswoman Stephanie Deemer. The Alabama factory makes V-8 engines for the Tundra pickup trucks that are assembled in Texas.

In late January, Toyota halted production of recalled brands throughout the United States for about a week.

The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is holding a hearing on Feb. 24 on Toyota's gas pedal problems. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled one the next day. Toyota Motor North America chief executive Yoshi Inaba, LaHood and NHTSA Administrator David Strickland are expected to testify at both meetings.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has scheduled a March 2 hearing.

Toyota shares, which have lost about 20 percent of their value since the recall crisis struck, closed unchanged Wednesday in Tokyo at 3,380 yen ($37) after regaining morning losses.