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.
Toyota Prius anti-lock braking issue has happened 3 times in our 2010 Prius as described in media reports. It happens on slippery surfaces when the anti-lock brakes kick in, there is a split second of hesitation before they do. It causes a pretty good adrenalin rush for the driver.
Momentary loss of braking on a 2010 Prius model iv. Vehicle was purchased on the 30th of September 2010 and currently has 3460 miles. During the first week of operation the brakes did not seem to work correctly. We thought this might be do to the fact that the car was new and the brakes need to be used as a brake in period. We notified the dealership during the second week of operation. They indicated that this was the first concern they have received. They stated that when we bring it in for the first 5000 mile service they would check the brakes. Since the momentary loss of braking did not happen that often and only on bumpy roads or over speed bumps we were not too concerned.I did call the dealership again on 2/4/2010 and the service department stated they had not received any information on correcting the problem. What was interesting is that a person in the service department who owns a 2006 Prius stated that the problem has been around for years but is much more noticeable in the 2010 model.. Toyota has assigned a case number to our complaint ( 1002108541 ). no accident to date but driving the vehicle should not include worrying whether or not the brakes will stop in time.
My husband and I bought a 2010 Toyota Prius in November 2009. We both have noticed a sort of jerky feeling while braking over a small bump or pothole but we didn't think much of it until last night when I was driving home with my children. I was driving down a residential area at about 30 miles/hr. And was slowing down to stop at a red light. While I was braking I hit a medium sized pot hole. My car just leapt forward about 10 feet. I had my foot on the brake firmly the entire time but the car would not stop. Finally my car came to a stop. I was very shaken by this incident. If there was a car in front of me I would have totally rearended them. I came home and immediately called the Toyota dealership. I left a message with the service department. My call was returned by the manager this morning. She said that she had not heard anything from Toyota about any brake issues and then she asked me whether I was speeding! she did not seem to believe me and basically said that there was nothing that they could do.
I have 2010 Prius. Lost control of the car a few seconds a few times especially in uneven down roads and slow or slippery roads. It jumps (move forward) a few feet, before it stops, even I apply the brake. I felt that brakes didn't work during the period.
- Belle Mead, NJ, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
The brakes on my 2010 Toyota Prius momentarily quit working while driving over rough surfaces such as potholes, railroad tracks or very uneven pavement. This causes the vehicle to surge forward unexpectedly under braking.
The brake lights on my 2010 Toyota Prius do not illuminate under light braking. There is a very discernible "gap" after depressing the brake pedal before the brake lights illuminate. Under light braking, the brake lights will not warn the driver of the car behind me that I am actually braking. This results in people tailgating me, and sometimes sounding their horn signal at me, while I am slowing down. Once the pedal is depressed far enough -- under moderate to severe braking -- the brake lights will eventually illuminate. This has been confirmed by several co-workers and friends who also own this model of Prius. All of our cars have the same issue with the brake light switch.
1. low driving speeds (<30 mph), moving down hill, decelerating as approaching a stop sign. 2. when the front wheel strikes pot hole, the braking action stops/decreases, the car moves forward more quickly. In the current case, there are a series of three pot holes, so hitting each pot hole increases the forward motion despite having break pedal depressed. Consequence, is immediate difficulty to come to a stop at a stop sign. 3. no current correction has been attempted.
The cruise control on my 2010 Toyota Prius does not always cancel while braking. This has resulted in unintended acceleration after braking while the cruise control has been set. A driver expects that the cruise control will automatically cancel while applying the brakes but this does not happen under light braking. This is even more pronounced while driving up a steep hill. On January 11th, 2010, I was in a situation where I actually applied the brakes to reduce my speed while traveling up a steep hill and felt the car "fighting" against me to maintain a steady speed. After I had slowed my Prius to match the speed of the car in front of me, the cruise control unexpectedly caused the car to accelerate again, placing me at a less than safe distance to the car in front of me as we crested the hill.
I purchased a 2010 Prius in July 2009. Whenever I go over a bumpy road or hit a pothole while braking the car will lurch forward. I brought it to walser Toyota in bloomington, mn for this problem. They said my brakes work fine. I'm still having the problem. In fact...I have it so often we have nicknamed it "Prius braking." So each time it happens we say "Prius braking." We know to not follow closely to anyone at a stop sign or stop light in fear of rear-ending them when the "Prius braking" happens.
I have noticed a braking problem with my 2010 Toyota Prius. I was slowing down because of a cow in the road and as I was slowing I hit a small bump and suddenly my brakes completely stopped working for about a second and it almost felt like the car was accelerating. I thought I was going to run into the cow and then the brakes grabbed again and I continued to slow down. It was not a good feeling. I also experienced a similar issue when I hit some ice on the road. When I hit the ice there was a brief second where the brakes seemed to be doing absolutely nothing at all. I could not feel the normal ABS feel or anything.
We own a 2010 Toyota Prius which we purchased in June of 2009. On six different occasions we have experienced braking problems. One incident was on ice and when the brake pedal was pressed the response was as if there were no brakes at all and the vehicle slid freely for a brief moment. The other five incidents involved braking on a rough surface when approaching a stop sign (3 different locations). In these cases, when the brake was pressed the car did not begin to stop immediately. In fact I got the feeling that the car had been "hit from the rear" and I jerked back into my seat a little and felt that the car floated ahead before it began to stop. This all happened very quickly. I tried to replicate the situation and was successful once. In all but one of my experiences with this dilemma, the road was on a slight downward slope approaching the stop signs. There seems to be a certain speed that is needed for it to happen. Toyota examined the brakes and said they were ok. Obviously, they are not.
I own a Prius 2010 model. I've had the car since August 2009. When pushing the brake pedal while the car os going over a patch of snow/ice, the brakes engaged after about 2-3 second. Luckily, in the few incident that this situation has happened, there was not obstacles in front of the car.
My 2010 Prius has had 4 instances when brakes didn't work. All involved slightly wet surfaces on a sem- potholed road in houston tx. I am taking car into fred haas Toyota, , but I am not sure anyone knows how to fix it yet. After trying to brake, there is a lurch forward before it comes to a stop. I do not feel safe in vehicle. Fortunately, I was going less than 40 mph when it happened, and have not had an accident.
Lack of braking when hitting a bump in the road. In my case, there is a bumpy section of road under construction at the intersection of shiloh rd and fm 1171 in flower mound, tx. This problem occurs every time I brake at the traffic light at that intersection.
I have a 2010 Toyota Prius, bought in November 2009. I have noticed that if I am driving over a speed bump, pothole or even an uneven road surface and I brake, the car either accelerates or slips forward. The brakes don't work. I experienced this soon after I got the new car. Yesterday, I slowed down to enter a gas station, but the road surface was driven with holes and the car did not slow down even thought I braked and it overshot the entrance. I'm nervous that I may hit someone in front of me and even worse, if I am slowing down for a pedestrian, I may hit a person.
I own a 2010 Toyota Prius. I have had multiple times when I have hit a bump and was applying the brakes and the car seems to skip or float. On Feb 4, 2010 I was approaching a stop sign and was braking. Just before the stop sign I hit a bump and the car slid through the stop sign and into the intersection.
When driving, and going over a rough spot in the road (pot hole, crack, etc.) the car feels like it is lurching forward momentarily, as if the brakes released. This happens every time the car goes over a rough patch in the road.
I own a 2010 Toyota Prius. While braking on a slick or rough patch of road my car will briefly surge and then brake. At first I thought this happened because the car has low friction tires for efficiency. It has happened about 5 times since I bought my car in August 2009. After reading the recent reports it seems like I am having a braking problem, not a tire problem.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Prior Lake, MN, USA