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 car at 139,500 miles driving straight on a main road at 45 mph had three lights come on, red 'brake' light, yellow 'ABS' light and the yellow 'tcs' light. Earl stewart Toyota diagnosed problem as brake actuator needs to be replaced at a cost of labor/parts of 2,100$. I was able to financially afford the repair so I told them to perform the repair. Less than two days later, driving normally on a main road, the same three warnings appeared, and of course upset me greatly. Toyota this time diagnosed the problem this time as the brake booster needs to be replaced. Another dealer said the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. I am in talks with the dealer to figure out how to proceed.
Driver made a sudden stop to avoid an accident on 2/16/15, engaging the brakes. Afterward the brakes alternated between being hard to push and being soft to push. Driver parked the vehicle 5 minutes later. The next time the car was turned on(approximately 60M later), the car began beeping and showing three error lights - ABS, (!), and the traction control symbol. After running diagnostics, the driver was told by a mechanic that the problem sounded exactly like a previously issued recall (tcp-D0H); however, Toyota has indicated that our model is outside the scope of their recall. Given that we have the same make/model/year car as the recall and the same issue described, the situation is highly suspect. In addition to insuring my own family's safety, I'm hoping to make sure this potentially dangerous brake issue isn't more widespread than Toyota has admitted.
When braking on a bumpy road, over a pot hole or on slippery road the brakes slip and the car propels forward. This happens on city streets while in motion.
As I was driving, I noticed that when I pressed on the brakes, the car would jerk forward before coming to a stop. Once stopped (but still turned on), the car made a buzzing noise I had never heard before. No warning lights came on, and the brakes did not squeak. An hour later, my husband drove the car home for me (I rode with a friend), and he reported that warning lights came on and the brakes did not work properly. In order for the brakes to work, he had to press very hard on them and also allow much more distance for the car to stop. He could have easily crashed into the back of another vehicle. He took the car to the Toyota dealership and was informed the brake booster assembly would have to be replaced. This is the same complaint as a 2010 Prius recall, but my VIN number was not included in the recall, so I did not receive a notice in the ail. Also, we had to pay $3008 to have the brake booster assembly replaced. The consumer referenced recall # 13V235000. Updated 02/11/16.
Driving on highway the ABS and brake warning lights came on and an alarm started sounding. I waited until light traffic applied brakes pedal felt like I was pressing on a brick, no braking occurred I pressed harder, the brakes became softer went to the floor and the brake pads grabbed hard on the wheels. There is no controlled braking on the car. Dealership says the brake booster pump failed, this is the same year model that had braking problems related to nitrogen in the break lines caused by a failed brake booster pump. The VIN is also very close to affected vehicles. Fortunately when this occurred I was in a position to navigate to where I could test the brakes in a fairly controlled environment. Had it happened in heavy traffic it would have almost certainly resulted in a serious accident.
- Columbia, SC, USA
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Loss of brake pressure, with insufficient breaking to hold at a stop while in drive. Warning lights for brake system, ABS, electronic brake system (yellow exclamation point in a circle), and traction control. Diagnosed by brown Toyota in charlottesville va as faulty brake booster, accumulator, and master cylinder. Brown Toyota said it was a recurring problem they have encountered and they have been in contact with Toyota headquarters about it. Estimate was $5800. Toyota customer service was contacted. Was told it is not one of the 2010 cars covered by the recall despite being the same failure and no compensation was offered.
Vehicles brakes are spongy and unpredictable. The dealer recommended to do a brake fluid exchange and now the problem has gone away. This issue seems very similar to NHTSA campaign id number: 13V235000, where nitrogen enters the brake fluid and makes the brakes less responsive. However, the dealer said this vehicle is not covered by that recall and I was charged $150 for the repair.....updated 12/02/15 the consumer stated the brakes felt spongy and were unpredictable at low speeds of less than 20 mph. Updated 12/28/15.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. While attempting to park the vehicle with the brake pedal engaged, the vehicle accelerated independently without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into the curb. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed. The body damage was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000.
While decelerating due to application of the brake pedal if the vehicle encounters a pothole or other deep road imperfection the braking cuts out and the vehicle resumes coasting immediately even though the brake pedal is depressed. Harder application of the brake pedal is necessary to resume vehicle braking. Subsequent braking power is much reduced compared to normal braking and significantly harder brake pedal pressure is necessary. Normal braking may be reestablished by lifting the food off the brake pedal completely and re-depressing the brake pedal. The severity of the sudden loss of braking (complete loss of braking) is shocking, alarming, and panic enducing and results in whiplash to the vehicle occupants as the passengers, being unconsciously braced for deceleration, are suddenly jolted back into their seats. When another vehicle is located in front of the vehicle the sudden loss of braking and subsequent weak braking power despite strong brake pedal depression is highly alarming. The most reproducible situation in which this happens is on dry pavement while exiting a highway and decelerating on a straight or slightly curved exit ramp with one or more potholes. The phenomenon occurs in other circumstances as well where a pothole is encountered while the vehicle is under braking.
When applying the breaks before and over railroad tracks, the breaking will disengage and then reengage. It will also happen with pot holes. You get the feeling the car won't stop. This has been happing for year and the service department gives different answers to the cause.
I have had this problem ever since I bought this car used from a Toyota dealership. If I drive over an uneven surface, pothole, etc., my car will skip and then lurch forward. It is worst on wet roads. I have trouble stopping it. On snow I have little to no traction. I got a new set of tires and I wasted my money. No difference. I don't feel safe driving this vehicle. I have been driving for years, had many different vehicles, drive as part of my job, and have never experienced anything like it. Contacting Toyota about it was a waste of time. I have spoken to other Prius 2010 owners and every one says the same thing about how it handles when going over bumps. The skip and lurch could easily result in a rear end collision. I think this is something Toyota just doesn't want to admit to as being a problem.
Car seems to lurch forward before stopping when braking on a rough surface. This is an ongoing problem. Despite NHTSA notice that there is a software fix available for some 2010 priuses, Toyota maintains my car is not included in the batch that was to receive them. Update 9/15/15 updated 12/06/2017
As many previous owners described, I am also having problems with the brakes at low speed since the beginning of owning this vehicle (October 2009). Dealer couldn't replicate the problem. Although the car went through the recall for the break system is still having the same issue ever since. The other issue with the brakes happens after rain. It makes a screeching noise without performance being effected. It goes away usually within a half an hour. This has been an ongoing thing too for few years by now. The other issue I had as well as others is dimming of lights that has been occurring since last year. We needed to switch the lightbulbs more frequently than seems normal. Didn't even think it was out of the ordinary until I read the comments here about it. The other problem I started to have is with a stereo display system and the voice activation for the bluetooth. The display had some weird lines on it after a very cold or a very hot day (radio was working fine just the display was not working properly). Eventually goes back to normal but this started happening the last year or so. The same time also had a problem with the voice activation unit which turned on unexpectedly and turned back on in 10 seconds after each time I turned it off. This was happening for a good 30 min at that time. This only occurred twice but both times was after a hot day last summer. This year so far haven't happened yet.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at 20 mph, the contact drove over a pothole and the vehicle veered to the right. In addition, the vehicle accelerated in excess. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 10V039000 (service brakes, air). The failure mileage was 15,000.
We have experienced inconsistent break feel after ABS actuation during slow and steady application of the brakes on rough or slick road surfaces. We noticed also that there was a recall on this issue in 2010 but our particular car (by VIN number) did not qualify. We think that the recall should have included a broader sample of same year and model. We have brought the problem to the attention of the dealership several times but they have dismissed it as normal operation of brakes. We feel very unsafe in the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. While driving 10 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.
I read the complaints & found one listed recently dated 5/22/15 that describes the exact problem I have. My Prius is a 2010 purchased in 7/09 & shortly thereafter, I noticed the braking issue. The following info in quotes is copied from the other complaint which is the same issue I have - (other complaint stated) "when you are at lower speeds and hit a pothole or big bump while breaking, there's a sudden 'jolt' and it feels as if the breaks have been completely released momentarily. It almost feels as if the car lurches forward. I feel it heightens the chance of a crash due to increased deceleration time." It sometimes feels like you are sliding on ice & have no control over the car. (and it is scary when it happens!) I had Toyota check my vehicle a few times, but they were not able to duplicate the problem, so nothing was fixed. I thought it was just my car this was happening to. Now I find that I am not alone in this. The complaint I referenced stated that there was and a "previous investigation & partial recall but it didn't affect all of the 2010 production vehicles, just a portion." I never heard about any recall or investigation on this. I agree with the other complaint that "this needs to be re-investigated as my car and countless other cars (both involved and not involved in the last recall) are (still) malfunctioning when it comes to the breaking system at slower speeds when on rough roads / encountering potholes / bumps." My car still has this problem even as it is now 5 years old. What needs to be done to correct this issue?
Experience inconsistent brake feel after ABS actuation during slow and steady application of the brakes on rough or slick road surfaces. Stopping distances increase.
I have owned two Prius and both of them have had the same breaking issue. When you are at lower speeds and hit a pothole or big bump while breaking, there's a sudden 'jolt' and it feels as if the breaks have been completely released momentarily. It almost feels as the car lurches forward. I try to avoid potholes, etc anyways, but I am extra vigilant because of this issue as I feel it heightens the chance of a crash due to increased deceleration time. Last night, I was coming up to an intersection that had a yield sign. The car in-front of me stopped. I hit my breaks, but while breaking, I hit a pothole (it as dark so I couldn't see it) my breaks suddenly behaved as described above - they let go for a moment and the car somewhat jolted forward. I was unable to stop in-time and rear-ended the driver ahead of me. I was always afraid that because of this breaking issue that this would happen - and now it has. I know there was a previous investigation and a partial recall but it didn't affect all of the 2010 production vehicles, just a portion. I feel this needs to be re-investigated as my car and countless other cars (both involved and not involved in the last recall) are (still) malfunctioning when it comes to the breaking system at slower speeds when on rough roads / encountering potholes / bumps.
Have owned the car since new in 2010. Brakes exhibit the same issue mentioned in other complaints I.e. when going over bumpy roads, brakes "release" and re-engage causing the car to not stop quickly. Had software recall done but did not significantly affect. Have just been living with it but after seeing all other complaints, thought I would weigh in with the same problem as it appears to be a common issue with a design flaw of some sort that needs to be addressed for safety reasons.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Gainesville, FL, USA