Problems with 2007 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Constant peculiar noises from brake system, premature brake wear computer system had to be re-initialized at 15,000 miles. brakes pads had to be replaced and rotors resurfaced at same mileage. brake pedal depressed to the floor before vehicle stopped, it was an emergency stop. these problems have persisted for almost 3 years and the dealer and factory rep. says it is normal. arbitration in favor of toyota. i have never heard these noises in any other vehicle i have driven in 62 years. these noises could be a problem waiting to happen. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the vehicle experiences reduced braking ability in rainy weather conditions. on one occasion, the brake warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. she took the vehicle to the dealer, but they could not duplicate the failure and provide a remedy. the failure mileage was 12,000 and current mileage was 19,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact was driving at speeds of 20 mph and depressing the brakes while traveling over a road bump when the vehicle abnormally surged forward. the dealer advised that the vehicle was functioning normal and the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle did not receive diagnostic testing. the failure mileage was 1,000 and the current mileage was 21,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact attempted to park the vehicle into the residence garage, driving at approximately 2 mph. suddenly, there was an unintended acceleration. the brakes were engaged and the vehicle continued to accelerate causing the vehicle to crash into a closet in the garage. the contact suffered injury to the neck area. the vehicle front bumper sustained damages. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. the identical failures occurred on two separate occasions with no injuries. in addition, the contact experienced malfunctions with the automatic ignition switch, windshield wipers, and the front driver and passenger side automatic window mechanism. the failures occurred sporadically. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 18,000. the vin was unavailable.

When braking & going over a bump in my 2007 prius, it feels like the brakes disengage for a second & car goes faster. if there was a car in front of me i would hit it & if i had to stop suddenly then i'm not confident i could. it is disturbing. feels like the brakes are failing. *tr

Applied brake while running less than 5 mph in flat parking lot with flat surface road; i was feeling like floating or like earth quake while inside the car. it happened two times within 3 minutes time frame. when my car was about 40k mile (now my car is 75k miles), and only happened two times in the past has not occurred again yet. *jb

When it is humid and/or raining, the rear brakes of my 2007 toyota prius seize up as i come to a stop. just before a stop (ie at a stop sign or stop light) the brakes will seem to grab really hard in the back and the car will sort of lurch or jerk forward but be abruptly held in place by the rear. there is a loud noise from the back like a rubbing noise when this happens. the car has been to two toyota dealerships both of which deny that this could be occurring. i insisted that it be looked at and test driven and the mechanic claims there is nothing wrong. this has been going on since i first bought the car in may, 2008. passengers have witnessed this in the car. it only happens when it is seriously humid (ie on the verge of raining) or when it is raining....every time i approach a stop, without exception. it's like the rear of the car is suddenly superglued to the road and the body of the car/shell of the car continues with the forward momentum/motion. for the category of problem i checked service brake, hydraulic, because that was the only "brake" option i saw besides parking brake. i have no idea if this is the correct category. *tr

This incident involves my 2007 toyota prius hybrid that i have owned for almost a year. as i was driving approximately 40 mph and put my foot on the brake as i approached a red light, the red brake warning came on the dash as did the abs warning light. my foot went all the way to the floor and i had no brakes. luckily i had a right turning lane that i could veer into and not hit the stopped vehicles in front of me. as i continued to push the brake to the floor and maneuver the vehicle out of traffic, it seemed to catch a little and i was able to slow the vehicle eventually to a stop. i put the vehicle in park as it was still running, and pulled out the owner's manual. the manual specifically stated that if these two warning lights came on at the same time, you were to "stop immediately and contact your toyota dealership". this is exactly what i did. i had the vehicle towed into their facility that evening. the next day i was interrogated by the mechanic after a diagnostic report was done on my car. he wanted to know when i let the car run out of gas. i have never let my car run out of gas, and in fact that just filled the take the day before this incident occurred. the mechanic couldn't tell me what was wrong and contacted toyota's corporate office. two days later, i was advised that the reason the brakes didn't work was because i "let the car run out of gas "and this caused the engine to shut off. i argued that the car had never run out of gas and the engine didn't shut off, the brakes went out. the service manager pulled out the diagnostic test showing that "at some point" the car had run out of gas----this test doesn't give a date of when this may have happened. i advised the service manager that the car had 223 miles on it when i purchased it-- this test result could have happened when the car was still at the dealership, not in my possession. the service manager advised me that his "hands were tied" and that toyota had made their decision. ...

While approaching intersection, our 2007 toyota prius failed to stop. while braking, the car continued to roll - into the side of a truck. the car was totaled. at the time, we explained that the brakes were applied, but the car failed to stop. we asked the insurance company and toyota if there were any reports of problems with the prius, and we were told "no reported problems" with the car. prior to the incident we had just had the 25,000 mile maintenance done so we knew it was not the brakes. about a year later, we were informed of the car mat problem, and now there is talk of possible accelerator/electronic problems. we now have a 2008 prius, and experience a momentary loss of the electronic system when the car hits a bump. we contacted toyota last week, and were promised a callback in two days, but so far we have not heard anything. so until we get assurance that our car is safe, we have decided to stop driving the prius. subsequent to the accident, my back pain went from manageable to unbearable, which led to spine surgery in 1/09. my physicians believed that the accident might have aggravated the symptoms to the point that i required surgery - possibly from the impact from the airbags. *tr

Loss of braking capability while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump the abs system is apparently the culprit. 2007 toyota prius. *tr

I own a 2007 toyota prius, and since i have had the car i have continuous issues with momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over uneven road surfaces, potholes and bumps, so i don't think it's just an issue with the 2010 models. i asked my dealer, olathe toyota in olathe, ks, about it last year and they told me it was just part of the auto-correct system that's an advance feature installed in the car and for me not to worry... that was how it was suppose to work they said. however, you momentarily lose control of the braking system and sometimes the steering even auto corrects itself but not always in the right way...i have had several instances of it happening and correcting in a way where it almost caused me to wreck. it's so nerve racking that i try and avoid bumps or potholes as much as possible. to add to my confusion though, i received a floor-mat recall letter from toyota back in november 2009 but never received one about a recall on the prius gas-pedal. but aren't the floor-mats what toyota originally said was wrong with the systems before they admitted to the gas pedal in the other models, so why didn't i receive a gas pedal recall letter as a 2007 prius owner, if it really wasn't the floor-mats that they recalled? needless to say, i'm a confused 2007 prius owner with huge concerns over the safety of my car that i still owe money on. should i talk to my dealer again about the braking/auto-correct system/gas pedal issues ? i'm just not clear on what my options are but i am concerned about the safety of my car, not only for me but for other drivers on the road, especially since i have a 45 minute commute to work each way five times a week in heavy highway traffic. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving over any potholes in the road at speeds of over 10 mph, the traction warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel. the vehicle also made a loud grinding noise while depressing the brake pedal and they would not engage. the contact confirmed that the brakes felt as if they were "locking." the manufacturer and a local dealer were contacted, both of which were not willing to offer any assistance. no repairs were made to the vehicle. on a separate occasion, the headlights intermittently failed to operate. the dealer replaced the bulbs in both headlights. there were no recalls. the failure mileage was under 1,000 and the current mileage was 20,400. updated 03/04/10. *lj updated 05/10/10

2007 toyota prius - brakes if driving over a pot hole, bump, or any other non-flat surface, the brakes do not work, the car thrusts forward, & the "abs" light flashes. this is likely the cause of an accident i had slipping off the road approximately a year and a half ago. *tr

I have a 2007 toyota prius. i live in new england. i have noticed that the brakes do not stop the car in slushy conditions, even if the road surface is not icy. this situation repeats itself whenever the weather conditions are wet and near 32 deg. fahrenheit. the car just slides straight forward with no fish-tailing when the brakes are applied. other cars stop just fine in slush, because the road surface has adequate traction. i know several other prius owners, and they all experience this problem. i have stopped driving the prius whenever possible in these weather conditions. i have filled in a random incident date below, because the problem happens every time the weather conditions are as described. *tr

I am experiencing a problem with my '07 toyota prius. i purchased my prius in may of '07 & have approximately 17,600 miles on the odometer. since then i have experienced on approximately 6 occasions a lurching when braking to a full stop at a stop light. i am braking after a slow coast and gradually braking so it is not a sudden action. since it happens so rarely and with no warning and doesn't repeat the problem for months i have not taken my car in to the dealership. after hearing similar complaints re: 2010 prius i called my dealership to see if they could check my car for the same defect. the dealership said it would be difficult to diagnose unless the car would just happen to experience the behavior during a test drive. but for $79 i could bring it in which would document my complaint. i was also told that since the 2010 recall the dealership was being inundated with hypochondriac owner's reporting imagined problems. i think those owner's are more likely to be like me. just now reporting a hard to replicate incident. i think the investigation needs to be broadened immediately for all prius involved in the floor mat recall as i think that is just an invented problem to cover up the braking/acceleration defect. *tr updated 04/15/10.

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. she experienced break failure while driving 20 mph in inclement weather. her first failure occurred when she was unable to stop the vehicle when the brakes were applied with a vehicle in front of her. she was forced to make a left turn to avoid crashing into a vehicle. she has experienced the failure for a couple of years and thought that it was drivers error. she has not taken the vehicle to the dealer. the failure mileage was 12,000 and the current mileage was 38,000.

date: 02/09/2010 time: 10:01:20 creation date: 02/09/2010 creation time: 09:58:43 i would like to report a braking/traction control/loss of engine power safety problem with my 2007 toyota prius. the problem happens while driving on snow covered flat road surfaces (1 inch of snow), snow covered hilly roads (1 inch of snow), and bumpy road surfaces. when the traction control system (trac) engages on these road surfaces, i lose the ability to brake and also lose power to the engine simultaneously. i have had four (4) near-accidents due to this safety problem. 1.snow covered (1 inch of snow) going downhill (slight hill)- lost brakes after trac traction control system engaged was unable to stop car - went through stop sign. car went onto busy highway (50 mph zone) and would not stop. luckily no cars were coming and i avoided a very serious accident. 2. snow covered (1 inch of snow) going downhill - lost brakes after trac traction control system engaged and almost crashed into cars that were slowing down ahead of me. 3. snow covered (1 inch of snow) going uphill - trac traction control system engaged and i lost all engine power as i was turning left up a steep hill. i almost crashed into large rocks at the roadside. i was able to avoid a crash. 4. snow covered (1 inch of snow) driving on flat road surface. i turned off of snow covered road into a parking lot area. trac traction control system engaged and i lost the ability to brake. my car went at least 15 feet in the parking lot area before stopping. luckily there were no parked cars there and i did not have an accident. a recurring problem with trac and loss of engine power also occurs on the hilly road leading up to my house. when the road is snow covered (1 inch of snow) or icy the trac traction control system engages and i lose all power to the engine. it makes it nearly impossible to get my car up the hill due to the loss of power when trac engages! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving approximately 25 mph on normal road conditions, the vehicle failed to slow down when the contact depressed the brake pedal. she crashed into some bushes on the side of the road and proceeded to a complete stop. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was able to be driven to an authorized dealer, but they were unable to duplicate the failure. the failure occurred another time and caused a rear end crash. there were no injuries. the vehicle has not been repaired. the contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 20,000 and current mileage was 24,000. updated 11/25/08. *lj the consumer stated the second time the incident happened, she stepped on the brake, the pedal went down to the floor with no resistance and the consumer crashed into another vehicle. updated 11/25/08. *jb

While backing out of my parking space at work, my brakes went to the floor and barely stopped the vehicle. alarm was going off, so i pulled forward just enough to see if the brakes were working at all and they were probably 98% gone. i parked, got towed to dealer near my home with aaa. i later found out that a pair of abs skid control relays (2 88263-21010) caused the problem. nothing mechanical failed. these relays caused my entire braking ability to be lost. i believe this is an unsafe design as there is no mechanical connection available at the pedal if you have this electrical problem. some mechanical brakes should be available. the emergency brake is on / off only and no in between. i would like to find what legal remedies are available to me as i am considering changing to a safer vehicle due to this design flaw. as in power brakes, if you lose the power brakes, you can still stop the vehicle, though difficult since there is still a mechanical hydraulic system in place even with a failed power booster. *tr the consumer also stated the master cylinder failed. updated

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately 30 mph on an uneven road surface. while braking the vehicle loss slight control and skidded. suddenly, the skid control warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. the driver was able to gain control of the vehicle. the failures occurred whenever encountering uneven road surfaces, and potholes. the failure mileage was 6,000.

I have a toyota prius 2007 and ever since i got it the brakes do not go into motion right away specially on wet icy roads or slopes. it feels like it slides before stopping. *tr

I own a 2007 prius. i have noticed on many occasions that when you go over a pothole, or there is gravel on the road, the traction control light comes on and for a moment, the car loses its braking ability. you accelerate for a bit before the brakes come on again. it is very scary. thank god nothing has happened, but how many injuries have to happen before toyota does something?! *tr

Driving on a residential street, speed limit of 35mph, at 5:20pm in evening commute traffic, a normal stop transitioned into an emergency stop attempt and minor accident. when the brake pedal was depressed, did not seem to slow. upon hard braking, brake pedal all the way to the brake stop, no abs shimmy or increased slowing. (i have never noticed brakes going all the way to the brake stop before, but it happened the following day when driving to body shop for estimate) hit a 2007 toyota tacoma with tow package. front end damage of 2007 toyota prius estimated at least $3k. no damage to tacoma. san jose pd took report and with no fluids leaking, i drove the car home after the accident. i reported accident to my insurance company and then contact toyota customer service the following day. as previously stated, i drove to local body shop for repair estimate and brakes hit brake stop again (going less than 20mph). toyota created case file and today (10/05/07) regional toyota inspector is currently inspecting my vehicle at the local toyota dealership. *tr

I feel my 2007 toyota prius has a problem with its braking system and have taken it back to the dealer. they have assured me that the abs is working the way it should. this is what happens: when i am driving on a road that is bumpy or has potholes and i have to brake, there seems to be a disconnect or too much of a lapse in time when the brakes finally take. it is especially disconcerting when going down hill. i have had times when going down hill if i wasn't far enough back from the car in front of me, i would not be able to stop in time.....not a good feeling. i am now very cognizant of this fact and have to drive to accommodate my brakes. i should also inform you that the little yellow sliding car on my dashboard lights up when all of this is happening. i've had this car for almost three years now and i must say that it has always acted this way when braking. i should have returned it to the dealer as soon as i noticed it but because it was the first prius i had ever owned, i thought this was normal for this vehicle. i am now feeling less and less confidant about this car. would you ask the toyota company to recall the 2007 prius's as they have the 2010 prius's for the same problem? i do not feel this is asking too much of toyota to fix this problem. thank you *tr

2007 toyota prius. i noticed brakes slipping or delayed engagement very soon after purchase. when the brake hesitates the slippery road icon always comes on. i took the car into the dealer 3 times within the first 12-18 mos. they kept it overnight and had the tech drive it without the problem occurring for him. since the warranty expired i have decided to live with the problem. i since purchased new tires which has decreased the frequency of the brake hesitation. now i fear serious brake failure. i called the dealer dave white of toledo, ohio today and was told by the service dept.to wait for a letter re. the brake and accelerator problems which should arrive in about a month. i am concerned about the safety of my car in the interim. actions to date have done much to heighten awareness of problems but have done nothing to increase safety in the short term. i hope that the nhtsa will address this issue. *tr

When the brakes are applied in deceleration and the vehicle hits a bump or pothole, the brakes release for a second, then grab again, even though foot pressure has not changed.

I own a 2007 toyota prius, and when decelerating on a bumpy road, i have on several occasions felt an unexpected acceleration which lasts only for a fraction of a second, but its enough to cause me to feel alarmed. i have asked my dealer if this has been addressed by recalls as he informed me it has not. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately between 20-30 mph on a rough road surface. while braking the anti-lock brake system warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle failed to slow down with a slight loss of vehicle control for a few seconds. the vehicle was able to resume normal operation. the failure occurred whenever encountering an uneven or snow covered road condition. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. there was no resolution. the failure mileage was unknown.

When attempting an emergency stop, the brakes failed to operate as expected. there was no feeling of any braking, and there was no surge to indicate that the abs was operating. the experience was similar to those reported on the web page http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/brake-failure-2007-t1013.html?s=500a78277ea2cb675fac1f9567000bee& i have taken it to a prius dealer, avondale toyota, but in the absence of any computer codes and the fact that subsequent tests of the abs system did not indicate a problem they were unable to offer any kind of explanation or repair. i had approximately three to four car lengths from me to the next car at about 30 mph, enough space that i believe i should have been able to brake without collision. when i went from accelerating to rapid braking there was no real sensation of the car slowing down more than slight braking. the other car had minimal damage, but the driver of the other car did hit her head on her steering wheel. i had close to $3,000 in damage to my front end (hood bumper and left fender). *tr the consumer was informed that there was nothing wrong with the brakes design. the brakes are electronically assisted and that the computer will first attempt to use the electric motor for initial braking, then engage the hydraulic system and finally the abs based on feedback from various sensors. the mechanic did agree, that is possible that while the computer is evaluating the braking efficiency, a delay between the motor only braking and fully engaging the hydraulics and abs are possible and part of the design. updated 08/02/07.*jb

I just wanted to let you know that the braking problem associated with the vsa icon in the toyota prius is not isolated to the 2010 model year. my 2007 prius does exactly what i have seen described in the media. it has done this ever since it was brand new. i had never driven a hybrid before, so i thought it was just the nature of the beast. but it is very unsettling when the car lurches forward when i drive on a road with an uneven surface. *tr

Temporary brake loss when hitting bump or pothole. *tr

From the beginning, my 2007 prius (purchased 5/19/07) has consistently lost braking power briefly if i hit a small bump in the road as i am braking, at low speed, for a stop sign or traffic light. i understand this to be a problem in the transition from regenerative to hydraulic braking. my toyota dealer, in may 2008, could find nothing wrong. *tr

I've owned a 2007 prius since it was new and the problem that i see written about for the 2010 model, momentary loss of brakes when hitting a pothole or rough road, is exactly what i feel in my 2007 and have seen reported by other drivers for various year prius's. this problem is not a 2010 problem only!!! this symptom has been present since i bought the car. *tr

if you drive over a manhole or pothole while applying brakes, the brakes won't work and the little anti-skid light on the dashboard goes on. you have to wait until after you pass over the pothole before you apply the brakes. sometimes not possible to do this if you need to stop in a hurry. contacted my toyota dealer about this in july 2007 and was told this was normal. "just don't use the brakes until after you pass the pothole." was what i was told. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving 25 mph the vehicle accelerated on its own when the brake pedal was engaged. the vehicle towed to the dealer who stated that the brakes were damaged. the entire brake system was repaired under the warranty. the failure recurred 3 months after the vehicle was repaired; however, toyota advised the contact that they would assume responsibility. the failure mileage was 10000 and the current mileage was 46390.

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while slowing down at 25 mph over a bump or rough surface, the contact stated that the vehicle would lunge forward and surge. she would lose control for a brief second. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership but the dealer stated that the behavior was normal with the brakes and did not repair the vehicle. the failure mileage was approximately 100. the current mileage was approximately 69,000.

Prius braking behavior i owned a new 2007 prius which i leased and drove for the first 2 years of the lease and then traded for a vehicle with a larger interior. this vehicle was leased in february 2007 during the president's day sale at karl malone toyota in albuquerque. this vehicle consistently "paused" braking for most of a second when one of the front wheels passed thru a small pothole on paved roads. it may have also had this behavior in other situations, but i didn't encounter any other cases. i expected more braking misbehavior when albuquerque installed some redlight cameras because they also installed warning strips in the pavement approaching these intersections. in some cases they didn't install strips in the four grooves cut in the pavement perpendicular to vehicle travel, but neither the grooves or the strips bothered my prius during braking. maybe that was because both wheels saw the same transients. i didn't report this to the dealer/manufacturer/government because i chalked it up to more nonsense from modern anti-locking braking systems, and because the behavior was consistent/predictable and most anti-locking systems annoy me with their behavior. we've continue to "improve" anti-locking brake systems, but diminishing marginal returns has caused the improvements to actually reduce the value of these braking systems to drivers. for example, braking distances in typical (i.e. most) conditions are lengthened by the preventable. overly cautious actions of these systems. more problematic, these braking systems do not deliver the performance in urgent situations which they seem to promise in day-to-day driving. even braking for an unexpected yellow light can surprise the driver with a firmer than usual pedal which then requires more effort than expected to get the desired urgent braking. the needed braking is ultimately available, but it ends up coming too late because the driver had to adjust his actions. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that his complaint pertains to the anti-lock braking system on all vehicles. he stated that when driving on a road that is wet, icy, or contains snow, he has to slam on the brakes and depress the brake pedal to the floor in order to stop the vehicle. he stated that the tires lock up one by one, which takes all control of stopping the vehicle out of his hands, as opposed to pumping the brakes and maintaining some control over the vehicle. when the abs is activated, the vehicle shakes, bucks, wiggles, jerks, and makes a lot of noise. the contact did not want to provide any vehicle information other than the year, make, model, and mileage information. the current mileage is 4,000 and failure mileage was 3,000.

I own a 2007 prius. it experiences a lapse in braking power when on uneven terrain (ie a pothole or railroad tracks). this has occured nearly every single time i have driven on an uneven surface since purchasing the vehicle in early 2007. the consequence is a momentary surge in the vehicle speed during times that i am attempting to slow down-it is a frightening situation that makes one's heart jump every time it happens. i have reported the issue to my dealership-their response was that they have not received any complaints about the issue and that they will wait and see what happens with the anticipated 2010 model recall. this appears to be the same problem that is being described in the 2010 prius.

The brakes on the 2007 prius act the same as the 2010 brakes. ever since i owned my prius if i happened to brake on uneven surfaces no matter what the speed the brakes seem to release and then start braking again. the time span is short, maybe 1-2 seconds, but the traction light comes on for every incident. called the dealership several times and then recently after hearing about the 2010 brakes and their response is the same, no injury, no accident, no problem. i hope someone makes them fix the entire prius line brakes, all makes and models. the incident date is the first day i noticed the problem. *tw

I have a 2007 toyota prius and its brakes have failed momentarily on several occasions. events that seem to trigger the failure include hitting potholes, turning sharply at speed, and driving on very rough road surface. the failure is momentary and has not resulted in accident or injury...just a skipped heart beat. *tr