Problems with 2008 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

I am experiencing temporary loss of brakes while braking on uneven surfaces, bumpy streets, potholes, railroad tracks. this is not the same as normal abs activating, but longer and complete loss of braking for a few seconds. dealer informed me this is by design. all my other cars (with abs) do not experience this in the same conditions. incident repeated daily during my commute. i have to drive much slower because of this and i want this fixed since if it's by design then its a bad design!!! note this is on a gen2 prius, 2008 model. *tr

Whenever i drive my 2008 prius over an uneven road surface, the brake abs light goes on and the brakes appear momentarily unresponsive. this happens on a regular basis. it has not caused an accident, in part because i am a very conservative driver. but, i worry that in an emergency situation i would not be able to stop in time. *tr

I have a 2008 toyota prius, and it seems to have an extremely over-aggressive anti-lock brake system. when driving over ice, bumpy roads or even potholes and pressing the brakes, the abs system disengages the brakes on all wheels if even one of them momentarily slips. this is most egregious when the cause is a bump in the road, as traction is not in question for any of the tires (as it might be on ice). the effect is that the brakes temporarily cease operating, which can lead to dangerous conditions (but no crashes yet). *tr

When my 2008 prius goes over anything slick, wet, and sometimes loose gravel, particularly on a down-hill surface, the car slips when the brake is engaged. if applied while on the slick surface, it is as if the brake does not respond immediately; if applied previous to the surface, the brake stops responding when it hits the slick surface. it happens very frequently, at least every 50 miles or so. the variable stability control engages at the same time the slipping occurs. the only correction is to continue to hold the brake, wait for it to engage, and leave extra time/distance to brake. this problem repeatedly happens at specific points of frequently driven routes (ie. manhole cover on my street at bottom of hill). i have not have this problem in any other car. *tr

I would like to report a brake problem on my 2008 toyota prius. this is an apparent momentary loss of braking when hitting a rough spot in the road. the same problem was apparent on an earlier 2002 prius. it has not caused any accidents, but it is worrisome. it happens consistently and reproducibly. *tr

About once a month the brakes partially fail then i press the brakes harder and they reengage fully. this happens after i've had my foot on the brakes for 5-10 seconds when i am trying to come to a complete stop. this has never led to an accident. i'm planning to take the car into the dealer to have it inspected. *tr

2008 toyota prius. brakes fail/inoperative when driving over bumpy roads and/or potholes. it seems as though the abs or the electronic stability control engages when there is no need. this is the same type of incident that is being reported in newer prius models as well. *tr

Brakes momentarily fail and/or the car lurches forward when applying the brakes while driving on top of a pot hole or other similar obstruction. *tr

I never owned a car with anti-lock brakes until i had my prius. i have always noticed that when applying the brakes, if i go over uneven ground like a pothole, the car lurches forward a bit for about a second. i thought it was because of the unique braking system in the prius, but after seeing all of these reports, i thought i should report it since my car is older than the ones mentioned in the news reports. *jb

My car is a 2008 prius. the incident is that my car didn't stop and skidded into a concrete curb, damaging the right front power steering rack. it was snowing, about 1-2" accumulated. driving into my office parking lot, there is a street with a steep but short hill - maybe 50feet or less - (it was not plowed or sanded). at the foot of the hill, there is a left turn into a level parking lot or a right turn under a highway overpass, or straight ahead into shrubs and the river. i slowed down before going down the hill and as i went down the hill i lightly pumped brakes. tried to come to a complete stop at foot of the hill but car didn't stop completely, but was going slow. so, i made the left turn into the parking lot. the body of the car turned into the lot, but was not in control. with the brakes on, and the wheel turned to the left, the car went into a slide sideways to the right. the right front wheel slammed into a concrete curb and the car stopped. it felt as if i had no brakes - coming down the hill they couldn't stop me and there was no skid control coming on at any time. the failure: given the weather conditions i don't know how to prove a failure but i suspect something with the brakes. i have owned this car for one year (purchased it used) and during that time the one thing that bugs me in the car is the brakes and the skid control. they just feel strange, i go over a depressed manhole in the road and the dsc comes on and it feels like i skid - it should just feel like a bump. repairs: this is the list -entire power steering rack on right front to be replaced- tie rod, lower control arm, wheel, rim-all bent. front cover and lower ball joint damaged-to be replaced. over $3000 in repairs; they will be done this week (8 feb). if you want the old parts i can ask for dealer to save them. car is @ toyota dealer. mileage & speed are my best guess; components i guessed - your terms were not familiar to me. *tw

2008 toyota prius. have not experienced the braking failure currently being investigated in the 2010 prius, but i have experienced multiple similar failures with the traction control system on both slippery and bumpy roads where the car will completely disengage from the drive train for an unreasonably long period of time, and then pulse wildly between having the drive system engage and disengage. in minnesota with slippery roads for many months in the year, it can be very tricky making a left had turn even when oncoming traffic is a very safe distance away. you can "stall" mid turn in a very vulnerable broadside position. same issue has happened, to a lesser degree on bumpy roads, not just icy roads. i have not pressed toyota on the issue. i raised it once in conversation and they simply said that it was just how the traction control operated. i am telling you as you open the investigation into the 2010 prius braking system. i think the scope is wider than brakes, it is acceleration as well, and i don't think it is limited to the most recent model of the prius. i drive a late model previous generation prius. *tr

Re: my 2008 prius. the brakes occasionally seem to 'skip,' especially on wet or rough roads. they always work, but seem to pause or hesitate before stopping. i've only heard word about 2010 models, but this has been happening to my 2008 too often! *tr

I am an owner of a 2008 toyota prius. i have also experienced the braking problems that have been associated with the 2010 model. when hitting a bump in the road or an uneven part of the road, the brakes will not take hold and the vehicle seems to accelerate or jerk forward. also the anti-lock brake light flashes. *tr

Proceeding to get on highway and in gravel driveway vehicle lost traction and brakes failed.(at least 5 or 6 times in 2009 and most rescent 2/03/10)\headlight and relay switch failed\front running light not working all the time\radio switching from fm,fm2and am randomly\car for no reason going dead at a store orbeing parked for an hour or 2and having to be jumped\main batteries losing charge(most of these issues have already been documented at toyota with the response that there is nothing wrong with the car as far back as august and most recent in december '09) also the tires went bald after 20,000 miles\can't put more than 8 gallons of fuel in tank'ever *cn

On a few occasions when applying my brake a low speeds it does not apply the brake it seems to lock up the brake but not stop the vehicle. i will release the brake and reapply the brake until i get the desired reaction. *tr

Even when new, only when braking on a bumpy surface, my 2008 toyota prius will reduce braking power all by itself, when i need them the most. when i press into the brake pedal, it will brake again, but by this time i will have lost 1 second of braking time. recently on jan 20th, i almost hit the person in front of me when i had to panic-brake, and the road became bumpy as i was braking. by pressing the brake harder after 1 second lost, i barely stopped in time. i never brought this to the dealer's attention, until two weeks ago, because i know this car has hyper-active wheel-slip sensors, and i just thought it was part of that design flaw. that problem comes up whenever i try to accelerate hard and make a right turn. even on dry pavement (and no wheel slip) the engine cuts out for about 3 seconds and the traction control light comes on. when it was new, the dealer said that's just the way it's designed. but that's not what i'm complaining about. that's just why i didn't report it until now. back to the brakes, two weeks ago, when i heard the 2010 prius has a software update to fix this problem, i thought they might be able to fix mine also. but when i went to the dealer, they said they couldn't do anything with it unless there was a recall, and there isn't for the 2008. they gave me the number to report it to toyota. i did that on 02/10/2010. then when i heard the toyota president (2 days ago) say that earlier prius' don't have the problem, i thought i should report it to you also. ps...i am an analyst by trade, i am highly mechanically inclined, and have even done my own brake jobs. i know how brake systems work and have had many cars with abs and traction control systems. this is the first car i have had that does this on a bumpy road surface. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. on january 19, 2010 while driving approximately 65 mph and applying the brakes to slow down with traffic flow the brakes failed to respond. the vehicle responded as if he was stepping on the accelerator pedal. he was able to change lanes and avoid a collision. he did not take the vehicle to the dealer, because he thought it was drivers error. the failure mileage was 19,000 and the current mileage was 20,000.

I own a 2008 prius and i have the same brake problem as many owners have reported. the brake sometimes does not work on a bumpy road edge and when it occurs the orange light that indicates unstable condition turns on. it also occurs when it is raining. foursome reason, it works well in a heavy rain but doesn't work on a road under "light" raining condition. whenever it happens, the car slows down but doesn't stop and i feel it's sliding on the road surface. i haven't contacted the dealer regarding this problem. *tr

I have a 2008 toyota prius. on several occasions when braking and hitting a pothole (right front tire) i have experienced a momentary loss of braking. it kind of felt like the car was floating above the ground before braking was reengaged. i did not know what was going on until i heard about the 2010 toyota prius brake problems and instantly recognized the symptoms. i have not experienced any adverse consequences as the brakes reengaged and allowed me to control the car after a second. *cn

There are two issues with my 2008 toyota prius. when trying to accelerate rapidly, the engine cuts out and hesitates. i think it's related to the traction control, but this happens way too easily. i have new tires and it happens on dry pavement. the second issue is related to the brakes. when braking and encountering small bumps in the road, the car appears to leap forward. there is a sensation of accelerating when this happens, although i'm certain it is just the abs system. it is a very uneasy feeling. *tr

My 2008 toyota prius has the same problem as reported in the 2010 recall. when approaching an intersection (or doing anything), if my car hits a bump or pothole, the skid control takes over and i can not manually brake. why is this not being addressed? the date in question i was approaching an intersection and hit a pothole and even though i was hitting the brakes, not until the skid control was finished could the brakes actually fire, and that didn't happen until my car was halfway in the intersection! *tr

2008 toyota prius brakes failed while driving causing and accident. *kb the consumer stated the vehicle in front of him began to brake and he thought he had plenty of time to brake. in fact, his foot was already on the brake pedal, with the system he believed was already in regenerative braking. in fact, it actually seemed to decrease significantly for about a second while exhibiting none of the foot pedal vibration characteristic of anti-lock brakes. only after the second long period of no braking capability did any braking force seem to occur which the consumer believed was when the system's mechanical braking took over. *jb

I own a 2008 toyota prius. i bought it new 4/12/08 in bend, oregon i live in madras, oregon. the problem has happened 3 times, it happens on packed snow slick conditions. it happened 2 times making 90 deg turns at 20 mph, i slow down into a right turn and half way thru i touch the gas and the car starts to slide and it will not come out of it. 1st time i hit the curb on the left side of road and went clear up on sidewalk. it did damage to left front tire. 2nd time same turn but there was now side walk i went off the road. 3rd time i was going into a left hand turn normal conditions would have been a easy 55 mph corner. with packed snow i was going about 30 mph i slowed into the turn and half way thru i touched the gas pedal and it instantly went into a slide and hit the snow bank on the right hand side and knocked me back into the road. on the prius when you step on the gas and the tires start to spin it stops the tires from spinning instantly. if you hold the gas pedal the same it will start and stop power to the wheels until it gets to the point of no spinning of the tires. i think that when i touch the gas and the tire spins it instantly stops the tire from spinning and the car goes into a slide and it will not let me control the slide because the tires are still in the lock mode and it slides out of control. i do not want to drive the car on slick roads but i don't want to sell it and have someone else get in a wreck because of the problem. i am going to try and contact toyota and tell them. *tr

When going downhill and approaching a right turn near my home i apply the brakes and often runover the same uneven surface on the road. that triggers my 2008 toyota prius' traction control light to blink on and off a few times and my brakes seem to stop applying pressure at that point while my car's speed increases for 1-2 seconds then the traction control light goes off and the brakes work fine. i am just worried about all the issues with toyota cars and want to make sure my family is safe. hence, telling my small story before it happens and i can't control it. *tr

driving on a dirt road which turns into a paved road. started sliding as soon as i hit the paved road. pumped on the brakes, the abs didnt work. the car kept sliding off the road into a fence. $4000.00 in damage. *cn

2008 prius abs takes much longer to resume braking after losing traction over railroad tracks or other bumps than did my three previous abs-equipped cars (from 1987 and 2001 with bosch abs). car travels tens of feet at 30 mph with no apparent braking before braking returns. don't believe regenerative braking forces bad abs performance -- there's an ample source of accumulated high pressure fluid available for the friction brakes that is quite instantaneous if ever you stamp on the pedal enough to trigger "brake assist". if toyota can't make regen compatible with good abs, ask them to revert to the hydraulics. please update fmvss no. 135 to disallow this kind of abs performance. it's an ongoing problem. there is no single incident date. *tr

2008 prius on very slushy roads can momentarily "lose" its brakes when transitioning from regenerative braking to the wet and ineffective friction brakes at about 6 mph. the friction brakes then dry quickly and work. consider requiring automatic intermittent light friction brake application during regenerative braking so that the friction brakes are ready to take over when they are supposed to. there is no single incident date; it's an ongoing problem. *tr

I own a 2008 toyota prius and it also has a problem when braking while driving over a rough surface or pot holes. the traction control light comes on and there is a 1-2 second delay before the real brakes kick in. i have learned to be aware of this issue and press the brakes harder until the brakes start to work. *tr

I own a 2008 toyota prius. given the already many complaints, i would like to add my comments on this prius. first this car is very unsafe due to poor visibility. you can not see out of this car. second, i had the headlight failures that these cars have. i have had both headlights replaced in this car. the headlights would go out while driving in the dark. many times i had to turn the switch off and back on while driving in the dark to get the headlights to come back on. this is not safe and many, many prius's have this problem. the dealer replaced the headlights but not without a struggle on my part. last point i would like to make is that this 2008 prius has the same exact issues with brakes and stopping that the 2010 does according the accounts i have read. for example, i went over a railroad track recently which when it hits an uneven surface it is very hard to stop! i almost hit a car that was turning just past these tracks because it feels like the car does not have a good "grip" to the road. it happens also with even a small cluster of small pot holes. this car is not safe in my opinion. i do not understand how the headlights alone did not make a recall. it is an ongoing unsafe situation. the car not stopping however is something that needs to be recalled and not just limited to the 2010 prius. *tr

In my 2008 prius, when i am braking and go over a bump, the anti-lock braking system kicks in. however, when it does, it feels like the brakes disengage for a second and the car speeds up. i feel like i am losing control of the car for a few seconds. *tr

I have a 2008 toyota prius and live in st. paul, mn. in late december following a snow and then ice storm i was driving on city streets. as i was coming up to an intersection with a stop sign, i applied the brakes and nothing happened. the anti-lock brakes did not engage at all. i pressed harder and nothing happened. i avoided an accident by making a sharp right hand turn and missing the car which i was about to hit broadside. i have taken no action yet regarding this malfunction. *tr

I own a 2008 toyota prius. after reading a report about possible braking problems with this auto, i wanted someone to be aware that this is also happening with the 2008 prius and not just the 2010 prius. i have experience several times when i hit a small pothole or even a speed bump, that there is a problem with a momentary loss of braking capability. this has not resulted in any accident or injury, but very scary when it happens. i dismissed the problem thinking it was suppose to act that way, but now i am concerned. *tr

I was driving approximately 25mph. a fire engine entered the intersection ahead of me without warning. i applied the brakes immediately, but they locked up and i slid on ice. i could not stop and hit the fire engine. my vehicle was totaled and i was found at fault for the accident. *tr

My 2008 toyota prius has experienced the same braking problems described in recent media releases. my 2005 prius also had the same problem, but i've since sold it. when driving over a slippery surface (ice, a wet sewer cover or painted crosswalk line) and needing to brake - when i first apply the brake it begins to stop, then the car suddenly speeds up again before continuing to brake. i've learned to keep my distance so i don't hit anyone in the split second the car is no longer braking. *tr

When braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second. *tr

I drive a black 2008 toyota prius and after reading the news reports, i think there might be similar braking issues with my vehicle. the condition definitely does not happen very often, but i would say at least 5-10 times over the 23 months (march 08 - present) that i have had the vehicle. with the brake pedal applied after going over a rough spot or pothole in the road, it felt like the car was skidding or sliding. the car would resume normal operating conditions within a few seconds. the car was never out of control, but the steering wheel and brake pedal definitely felt very loose which is different than under normal circumstances. also, when this condition occurs, the low-traction indicator light on the dashboard illuminates for a few seconds. these incidents occurred when there was not other traffic around. up to this point, i attributed the condition to driver error, but i would rather add my description and err on the side of being overly cautious. *tr

My 2008 toyota prius has experienced multiple incidents in which the brakes do not kick in for a second or so when trying to brake going over rough roads. the anti-lock brake light comes on the dashboard, but the brakes themselves do not begin to slow down the car for a second or so. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. while driving approximately 6 mph on an icy road surface; proceeding to make a right turn with pressure applied to brake pedal, there was a three second delay power response. the driver exerted excessive force to the brake pedal and suddenly, the vehicle slowed down. the vehicle was able to resume normal operation. the failure occurred whenever making a right turn on any type of road surface conditions. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the technician refused to inspect the vehicle. the vehicle has not been repaired at this time. the failure mileage was 14,000. the vin was unavailable.

2008 toyota prius. brakes seems to "lose hold" when driving at slow speeds and hitting a bump in the road. the loss of braking seems to only last for a fraction of a second but is very disconcerting. also, driver's side headlamp kept malfunctioning, going off periodically when driving. dealer could not replicate problem in shop, so stated there was no problem. took car back three additional times for same issue. finally dealer said there'd been numerous complaints and changed out the headlamp at a cost of $250.00. ($150 for the headlamp and $100 for labor) later got a letter from toyota acknowledging the faulty headlamp issue, but said toyota had given us a discount by only charging $150.00 for the headlamp instead of the regular $300.00 cost. $300.00 for a headlamp seems excessive and if it's a common issue why is toyota not issuing a recall for this matter.*tr

Momentary brake failure on 2008 toyota prius. so far the brakes appeared to fail for a fraction of a second on three occasions. in all three instances this happened when i was going over a defect in the pavement (not a pothole, just a rough section of paving). *tr

I own and operate a logistics company in southern maine. part of our fleet is three 2008 toyota prius'. in reading the description of your 2010 prius brake failure investigation, i can say for absolute sure that this same problem exists in the 2008 model year. in all three of our prius', on several occasions, i have experienced this problem. we aren't known for having the most wonderful roads in the northeast and we also have many railroad tracks. the problem as i see it is that when you hit a large pothole/ railroad track there seems to be a 0.5 - 2 second lag time before the brakes actually respond. we have many different employees drive our cars and in asking them they all, at least on one occasions, have experienced this problem. please look into years beyond just the 2010. i can assure you that if you sent out a survey there would be a large percentage of people who have had this problem. we drive these cars for a living and we rely on you to make sure that what we drive is safe for us and our employees. *jb

When trying to brake at slow speeds for very bumpy, rough or pot holed road, the brake pedal goes dead for a very short instant. it feels like there is no brake pedal at all. your not sure if you lost your brakes or what. it is like it skips a beat or something. it must be when the car is in the traditional braking mode versus re-gen mode. this has happened about 10 times over 2 years. no accident. it just makes you stop slower/longer. *tr

Toyota prius 2008 seems like it releases brake or the brake doesn't work when driving over a bump, pothole, or wet roads., although brake is applied. feels like car jumps or slips. a light indicator comes on when this occurs. it is a orange light indicating car is slipping it has occurred several times over the year. took it to the toyota dealer and explained what happened, but was told it was my driving and could not identify problem unless it happened to them and it never did. sometimes it continues to occur. *tr

When going over bumps it fells like the brakes stop working. it almost feels like the vehicle accelerates. *tr

Prius brake problem as described in media recently has happened to me twice. brakes were applied and braking was delayed for at least one full second or longer and vehicle felt like it was actually accelerating. *tr

Vehicle did not stop as expected in stop and go traffic. i bumped the car in front of me in the morning. and then on the way home i almost rear ended another car. this never happened before or since. i thought something was wrong with me that would make my timing be so off that i would hit another car! i told the dealer about it and they said it was probably "brake fade". i disagreed and stopped driving the car recently while the braking/acceleration concerns are investigated. i have a 2008 prius. *tr

2008 toyota prius - the car had strange acceleration issues and would act like it was going over potholes when the road was smooth. the abs would engage when the roads were dry, even at slow speeds. i was driving approximately 15 mph, looking for a parking space. i saw one, applied pressure to the brake pedal, and my car lurched sideways, to the right. i thought my axle had broken. i got out and saw that i had hit the car that was parked along the street, but had not caused any damage to it. my tire rods and axle were broken and damage to my steering column was found. i thought this should have been covered by my warranty, but the dealership said it was caused by hitting the car next to me. my car should not have gone sideways when i braked. the dealership hooked the car up to the computer and said that there was no record of any failures. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. while parking the vehicle, the brakes failed. as a consequence, he crashed into a fence. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. since september 29, 2009 the dealer has had possession of the vehicle, but they haven't identified the cause of the failure. he filed case #0910101726 with the manufacturer. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. the failure mileage 7,800.

I have noticed a seeming problem with my 2008 toyota prius. if i am braking when i happen to go over a bump in the road, the brakes seem like they "let up", so that it feels like instead of braking, the car is accelerating. occasionally, the light will come on the dash that indicates a slippery road, so i think it may have something to do with the anti-lock brakes? it just doesn't seem right, and i'm curious if there may be a defect in the brake system. *tr

2008 prius hybrid. brakes failed at low speed on september 19, resulting in a collision with an on-coming car. i was pulling out of a parking lot very slowly when i observed a car making a right turn into the street i was attempting to enter. i immediately applied the brake, with absolutely no response. no one was injured because it was a very slow speed impact. i have consequently read of other drivers' exact same experiences. toyota has modified their braking system for the 2010 model. from what i can read, the problem lies in the computer system which has trouble deciding which system to use, resulting in a delay which causes a collision. *tr