It is really scary when this happens. I will be driving along, about to approach a stop light and while braking I will hit a pothole with my rear tires and the car will lurch forward a foot or two and it feels like the car is not going to stop. Fortunately, it does stop eventually. The thing that worries me most is when there is a car directly in front of me while I am braking, if I am too close there is likely a chance that I could hit this car. How would I prove to my insurance company that it was a mechanical failure that was at fault and not mine?
When braking I have to be very mindful if there are bumps in the road coming up while I am slowing down. If my Prius hits a bump while braking , there is a good chance (50/50) that the ABS will release the brake on me and I will have to push the brake pedal down harder. This took a while to get used to and I have confirmed with co workers who are Prius owners that this happens to them as well and it is very scary and you think you are going to crash in many cases until you get used to it. It almost always happens when braking and pull into a shopping center as most transitions have a slight curb to them and it happens more frequently when the wheels are turned as I turn into a shopping center. Apparently my Prius is not involved in the recall that states this exact issue on other Prius VIN's, go figure. Good luck, you probably wont die, you just have to hit the brake harder, then tell your heart beat to slow down. This happens pretty much every time I pull into my driveway.
When pressing the gas, my vehicle will slide before it stops. I have brand new tires. One time I pressed the brakes while being on the high way and my car slide and it spun. Luckily no cars were by me.
Lots (and I mean LOTS!). Car stopped abruptly when it struck sign posts and phone junction box, and I hit the steering wheel. Fortunate (or NOT), I had seat belt and back brace on. That's the good news ~ The blow force air out of my lungs, medic measured SAO2 @ 60%. Off to the hospital in the ambulance, to Intensive care, on a respirator for a week. (That's the BAD news, bet you guessed it). Me - loss of muscle tone, unable to stand, much take care of myself. Beautiful Blue Prius had major ugliness on left front, dents in top from sign posts. The whole thing made me queasy all over again. Car cost = $7K. Biggest loss = ME.
Design Flaw....loss of brake function during braking events while going over bumps and potholes (lower speeds <30mph). I believe the root cause is the transition between regenerative braking and hydraulic brake.
- dp5882,
Utica, MI, US
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I complained to the dealership shortly after I purchased the car in 2010. They checked the brakes and could not find anything. I lose control of the braking when I hit potholes or bumps. It is really scary as I have no stopping control until the car is past the bump or pothole. The car is now six years old and it does it every time I hit a pothole or bump. Has anyone had this problem fixed?
As others have posted, my brakes release everytime I hit a bump or pothole and am braking at the same time. It's scary, and can only be avoided if you happen to know the bump is coming. Dealers have said this is normal for ABS--it does not feel normal, and no other car I've driven has had this issue.
This problem was slightly fixed after the recall to fix the brake computer, but it still occurs when you go over multiple speed bumps or when you're going down hill and hit a speed bump (think of coming out of a garage).
The brakes on this car quit working for a second when braking over rough spots. But, of course, not always. The most recent event (of 4) made it obvious why we needed to get rid of this car: I was in a parking lot, approaching the main road, gently braking. When the car hit a pothole at the driveway, the 'skid' light came on and the brakes failed long enough for the car to pull into the road. It feels like it accelerated, but not sure about that. Glad another car wasn't coming by on the road. The Toyota dealership tried to explain that is how hybrids are. However, I have a 2007 Prius with over 48,000 miles that I have never experienced this problem in. The service department is contacting Toyota ... headquarters?... to find out what our options are.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
It is really scary when this happens. I will be driving along, about to approach a stop light and while braking I will hit a pothole with my rear tires and the car will lurch forward a foot or two and it feels like the car is not going to stop. Fortunately, it does stop eventually. The thing that worries me most is when there is a car directly in front of me while I am braking, if I am too close there is likely a chance that I could hit this car. How would I prove to my insurance company that it was a mechanical failure that was at fault and not mine?
- Steven J., Petaluma, CA, US