As Toyota's president apologizes for the global recalls of his vehicles and promises to improve quality, Toyota owners in New York and New Jersey are filing a class action suit against the car manufacturer, citing gross negligence.

The law firm is representing several Toyota owners who claim they were in an accident as a result of a faulty accelerator.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda says the automaker will lead a special committee on quality control.

"The current problem is a huge problem, and it is a critical situation," he said. "We as a company must unite and work to regain the trust of our customers. And I believe that is also my responsibility."

He says he has not yet decided what to do to fix braking problems with the popular Prius hybrid. But he says the company is considering a recall of the vehicle.

The inconsistent brake feel over potholes, bumps and slippery services affects 103,000 2010 Prius models sold in the United States since May of last year.

The automaker is also investigating possible brake issues with its luxury Lexus hybrid model. There have been about 200 complaints about the breaks on those vehicles.

Meanwhile, Toyota dealerships are starting to fix "sticking pedals" today.

Mechanics have been trained, and the company is beginning to notify some two-million owners of affected vehicles about scheduling appointments.

The company says so far, the process is running smoothly.

"Customer reaction has been very positive,” said Toyota Chief Operating Officer Jim Lentz. “They're very anxious in some cases to get their repairs done, but they are very understanding. They are loyal Toyota customers and they are very happy to start the process."

Some local Toyota owners said despite being affected by the recall, they still have faith in the company.

"Maybe I'll have to break, but I've had [my 2007 Camry] for three years without a problem and what is the chance of this happening to me out of millions of cars," said the Toyota owner. "I'm upset about it but not enough that I'm going to take my car off the road right now."

“I think they stand behind their products and will rectify it,” said another. “I think the technology got ahead of them a little bit.”

Dealers have hired more employees and extended service hours in some cases to accommodate customers.

The company says repairs should take about half an hour.