This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
My 2001 (yes, that is 2001) Prius has the same issue that is behind the recall of the 2010 Prius: "momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump." Momentary = less than a second.
Toyota has announced a recall of the newest generation of Prius cars to install software to repair a braking problem. I am the owner of a first generation (2001) Prius. My car has always had that braking problem. When the road is wet or bumpy or at unpredictable times due to road conditions, the brakes momentarily fail to engage and it is as though there are no brakes. The Toyota dealer has never been willing to admit that there was a problem. I think that all models of Prius have this problem because of the unique nature of the braking/charging system inherent in the car's design. Since it is a safety issue, earlier models of the Prius should be investigated as well.
I owned a 2001 Toyota Prius. In August 2009 at about 113,000 miles it lost brake. There was a very very little bit brake. If you want to stop in 50 feet it would stop in about 200 feet. Since it was very unsafe to drive I traded it in and bought another car. I strongly believe it was a software problem not a mechanical problem. When the problem started the ABS, brake and big caution sign lights came on, and also a continuous sharp and annoying beep started. On my way home after I made a deal to trade in the Prius, the beep went away, but the lights still on, and the brake started to work properly. The next day September 1st 2009 while driving in town all the lights also went away and the car became perfectly normal. I drove the car only about 30 miles, which was to the new car dealer and back, since the problem started in August. I had all the same lights came on in February 2008. However, the brakes were working a little slow with a different feeling. To repair this one dealer asked $2500 and another dealer repaired it for $400. They said they found a broken wire in the ABS system. Now I suspect it might have been a software problem also. The brake problem people are reporting may exist in many more vehicles than reported. The cars may be getting too much electronics than needed. Too much of anything is not good.
- Mount Kisco, NY, USA
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- Draper, UT, USA