On 12/28/09 at aprox. 6:30 a m, while driving my 2010 toyota prius, i attempted to stop on a rough ice/snow packed surface. i was traveling at about 5 mph. the vehicle slid for about 20 to 25 feet before crashing into a snow bank. the abs did not operate, as i never felt the distinct pulsating in the brake pedal. the vehicle seemed to actually loose all breaking power for a instant and surge forward. no other vehicles were involved and no one was injured. the front bumper was damaged and the vehicle was repaired for about $1,400. after the vehicle was repaired, while driving over rough surfaces, at times, i noticed that the brakes did not stop properly. at that time, there was no recall for the 2010 prius brakes. it feels as if the brakes stop working for an instant and the vehicle surges forward. i even remarked to my wife, while driving, that the braked did not feel right when stopping sometimes. there has since been a recall for the 2010 prius brakes. my prius is now at the toyota dealership where the brake recall will be preformed. i have been driving over 38 years and have a very good driving record. it is my opinion, that the accident would not have occurred had the brakes in my 2010 prius been working properly.
2010 prius has jerky brakes! when backing down a slope like our driveway with my foot on the brake or when going down a small incline with my foot on the brake, the car often jerks. basically, as i start to back up it will jerk and then the car stops and then it releases again and then in a few more inches it jerks again and then releases and then jerks again. it does this going forward too. it doesn't happen every time i drive the car but it has happened maybe 20 times or so in the past couple months. my car is 6 months old with 3000 miles and this started happening within the few 100 miles of having the vehicle. *tr
2010 toyota prius (bought in 10/2009). when going over a recessed manhole cover or pothole while breaking, it feels as if the brake is slipping and the car jerks for a moment. continued pressure on the brake brings the car to a stop. it has never happened except when going over some obstruction and only when traveling over 20 mph. going over speedbumps in a parking lot is fine. *tr
I have a 2010 toyota prius. the la times reported 124 reports of brakes failing, i wish to add my experiences. twice, while i was braking, i experienced a sudden surge, a loss of braking - an increase of power. i was able to stop the car with an automatic slamming on the brakes. no accident, no injury occurred but i now refuse to drive the car. the "what if" factor is too high. i couldn't live with knowledge of possible harm to someone caused by my driving my prius! toyota had better set this straight - i'm shocked they haven't recalled the car. i'm perplexed your agency hasn't insisted!! *tr
While initiating braking at speeds <30mph, the brakes will infrequently, but occasionally engage w/ normal force before the brakes lose normal braking force for a split second before re-engaging (especially if brake pedal is depressed further). feels like an issue w/ engaging regenerative brakes. not easily replicable, has happened going downhill and while hitting a small pothole 2-3 times in last few months (vehicle purchased nov '09). *tr
Brakes did not appear to hold car when applied as car went over a bump in the pavement. seemed like the car briefly accelerated but then braking did return and slowed car properly. momentary apparent loss of braking control was frightening. *tr
Brakes do not work correctly after hitting bumps in certain conditions. *tr
This has occurred several times (at least half a dozen times) since i've purchased my new 2010 toyota prius in july 2009. while driving at low speeds (~20 mph), the brakes have momentarily stopped working (causing the vehicle to surge forward) after driving over a pothole or similar other uneven surface. i have tried to adjust how i drive, in an effort to avoid the surprise of the surge, and potential accidents, related to this braking problem. i have not yet sought a repair from toyota. *tr
Upon entering the road to my driveway there are a small series of dips and bumps or short sequence of small potholes from the rain. when i lightly apply the brake to slow down the pedal seems to have "no braking affect" when i go down into an come out of the first of the series of dips. the brakes then return to normal in my drive way. what i have been doing is avoiding the dips and thereby avoiding the eerie feeling that my brakes have failed. *tr
I want to file a complaint about my 2010 prius, i bought my prius this past nov. at first when i feel the sudden acceleration i thought its me thinking too much. but this happen more than once. it is a unpleasant feeling. the sudden acceleration happens to me when driving on a downhill going over a bump or a hole in the road. *tr
My 2010 toyota prius has a recurring problem with its brakes. on multiple occasions, when i am braking and hit a pothole or other uneven surface the car lurches or slips forward and the braking action stops. this has happened to both me and my wife while driving the car. the feeling while driving the car is that the car is momentarily out-of-control and that the car will not stop in time. *tr
When reversing, brakes occasionally grab causing occupants to jerk forward. *tw
Brakes fail entirely when the car goes over a small bump or crease in the road. its obvious (now) that the dealership was aware of this and tried to cover it up, as their immediate response was that it was normal and was just the abs gripping (they didn't even want to write my complaint on my service report), despite my repeated assertions that i am well aware of the difference between abs gripping and no brakes. brakes failed on 3 occasions before the vehicle even had 4,000 miles. *tr
Making a left turn at slow rate of speed after encountering minor pothole. a feeling of loss of control of car or braking. braking did not allow proper trajectory of car in turn, causing car to hit and roll over curb and short shrubbery with right front tire. tire was flattened, and approximately $7000 damage was done to car frame. no other vehicles involved. legacy toyota in tallahassee, fl completed body repairs. *tr
Coming out of a parking lot downhill ... hit a bump ... brakes failed and almost sideswiped by oncoming traffic. hit the brakes a second time and car stopped just in time to avoid a collision. this is the only time we have had this happen ... brakes have worked ok rest of time. nothing done yet to correct the "bump" defect at slow speeds. *cn
In two separate incidents, i have experienced a situation similar to those problems reported with the 2010 prius brakes. when traveling over a bump in the road and on another occasion over train tracks, i felt the engine rev or accelerate. my brakes were already engaged, so i just pressed on them harder. *tr
My 2010 prius is experiencing the brake problem as explained by others, i.e., hit a bump in the road while applying brakes and an unexpected but momentary increase in speed. this happened 3 times so far and i have owned the prius for 6 months. *tr
We own a 2010 prius purchased oct 2009 and are experiencing the same problems described in the press for the brake failure problem car jumps, or brakes slightly unresponsive, temporarily loss of brake power. problem happens at slow speeds but seems intermittent. no action has been taken, toyota not yet contacted. *tr
Brake on prius 2010 would not be clean and consistent while going at a very slow speed.... *tr
I own a driving school in livingston nj, i purchased a 2010 prius in july 2009. i also notice a delay in the braking system while driving down a hill one day. this occurred while i applied the brakes. i went over a bump or pothole. it seemed like the car actually accelerated momentarily and i had to keep applying the brakes to the floor and hoped that there was enough distance to stop. i remember going down a hill, applying the brakes and the car was slowing down, then i went over the bump or pothole in the road and the car took off like i was accelerating. i felt like i had lost control of the vehicle for at least 2 seconds or 20feet but fortunately no other vehicles were near by. i now make sure that i brake sooner, and allow more following distance. especially in bad weather. anti-lock brakes seem to have their own unique problems in that the wheels don't lock but those on the prius seem a bit more noticeable because they are electric and the pads don't slow the car like normal brakes. (at least that what my salesman told me.) he said that the pads will last over 200,000 miles. hopefully i'll be able to drive it that long without an incident. but the problem now iis that parents may not want their kids to learn with my driving school, even though there have been no real problems with training teenagers yet. *tr
On two occasions my 2010 toyota prius 3 brakes have failed as described in recent ny times article. i was driving on rough road with pot holes and man hole covers, slightly wet pavement and there was a momentary loss of braking (sort of like the car was hydroplaning). i purchased my prius in november 2009. *tr
Often when i drive my 2010 toyota prius over a manhole, metal grate, or other slippery surface it feels like the brakes momentarily stop working. this has happened on several occasions. *tr
When i apply the brake in my 2010 prius if i hit a pothole or speedbump the brakes release and the car takes off. *tr
Toyota prius 2010: driving over sewer grate while braking and car loses momentary grip and slides over surface without slowing down, even though braking. has happened several times on the same location / sewer grate. *tr
There have been 3 instances where the brakes of my vehicle briefly stopped working effectively. these instances always occurred when i was attempting to brake over rough pavement or potholes. it has not resulted in an accident for me yet, but having just read that this is an issue for the 2010 prius, i thought it important to report that i too have experienced this problem in my 2010 prius. *tr
When on a slippery road and you are applying moderate brake pressure and the antilock brakes are engageing and you hit multiple bumps or potholes you have a momentary loss of brake pressure and braking action untill the bumps stop or you press the brake down further and braking is restored. i have had this happen on several occasions and once in our parking lot a vehicle was struck requireing $1200 in repairs.
The brakes on my 2010 toyota prius do not appear to work properly. they are not consistent in stopping the vehicle. on occasion, when applying the brakes they do not appear to slow the vehicle immediately. even after applying more pressure on the brake pedal, the vehicle continues to roll. eventually after pressing very hard on the pedal the vehicle slows. the biggest issue is this does not happen all the time. it presents a problem when it unexpectedly happens. *tr
Brake "grabbing"/seizing while reversing toyota 2010 prius ii. *tr
I purchased a 2010 prius on july 23, 2009. i took it to the dealer december 14, 2009 with the following complaint: rear brakes will lock up and slide when turning corners, they will also lock up when backing slowly. the first time they did that i thought i had hit something. the dealer kept the car overnight. the technician said he could not duplicate the action and the shop mgr. spoke with toyota technician and was told there were no known concerns at that time. since then i have called several times about the problem but no one would take me serious. *tw
I was driving my 2010 prius approximately 20 mph on an icy road. because it was icy, i started braking very early before coming to a stop sign. there was no response from the brakes at all. i blew through the stop sign out onto a 40 mph road. i was only able to avoid a collision by steering away from cars. i applied the brakes the entire time, which was several seconds and the brakes never engaged. the next time i used the brakes, they worked. initially i thought that the reason the car did not slow down was because it did not have any traction due to the icy conditions. but after thinking about it, i did have traction because i was able to steer quite well and suddenly change directions without any slipping at all. this did not make sense to me until i read about the braking problems. my husband has experienced the car lurching forward when applying the brakes on a slippery or uneven surface many times. he applies the brake and the car lurches forward before the brakes engage. *cn
Brief braking interruption on wet, uneven pavement. 5 - 6 incidents from nov through jan - 2010 prius bought at the end of oct 2009. *tr
On december 12, at approximately 6:15 pm while traveling east bound on i-30 near downtown dallas, i rear ended the car in front of me. i was traveling at approximately 12 mph and the roads were dry. i was not tail gating the car in front of me. the car in front of me was cut off and he immediately hit his brakes. i did the same. my car began to buck and jump and i hit the car in front of me causing over $10,000 worth of damage to my 2010 toyota prius. my car was towed and repaired by toyota of dallas. i reported the incident to the dealership as well as to state farm. the dealership has told me over and over again that there are no problems with the brakes in my vehicle. they claim i must have been traveling too fast or too close to the vehicle in front of me. i was not issued a citation by the sheriff. my air bags did not deploy as i was traveling at approximately 12 mph. i continued to complain to toyota about the brakes and they sent an engineer to examine my vehicle on tuesday, february 2 who again told me that there were no issues with my brakes. the very next day, the ntsb began an investigation into the brakes, and this morning, february 4 (2 days after the engineer inspected my vehicle) toyota announces that there are issues with the braking system in my vehicle. i continue to experience the same issues with my brakes. i am afraid to continue to drive the vehicle. *tr
2010 prius brake failures at least 4 times in past 6 months after hitting pothole or ice on road at about 30mph or less; brake pedal goes to floor and car sort of shimmies. *tr
Sometimes when depressing the brake there is a brief period of time (.5 sec, or so) where the brakes stop working. it feels as though the brakes are slipping - letting up just enough to let the car continue rolling without any restriction. this has happened to me roughly 5 times since i purchased the vehicle in july of 2009. *tr
My new 2010 prius has a brake problem. i have owned the car about 2 months, and have put about 3000 miles on it. on three occasions, i have experienced a situation where the brakes suddenly released, and i had to slam on the brake pedal to prevent an accident. two of the situations happened when i was coming to a stop near an intersection (i was moving into a left turn lane, and suddenly the brakes released). the third time was while exiting a freeway, when i hit a pothole, and i felt the brake release. after the third experience, i recalled that, perhaps, the car ran over a small bump when i was moving into the left turn lane, and that may have helped trigger the release of the brake pedal. i took the car to the toyota dealer where i purchased it, but they were unable to find anything wrong. i subsequently read (via an msnbc news story that came out on december 29, 2009, and which is available at the link below) that others are having the same problem that i experienced. link to the news story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34611930/ns/business-autos/. *tr
1. we purchased a 2010 prius six months ago. we have had four incidents braking where we feel the abs over-compensates when the wheels are on different surfaces (e.g. gravel/pavement, puddle/pavement, etc.). two of the four incidents are notable because it felt as though i had lost control of braking and i was going to 1. rear-end another car and 2. go off an embankment. i am not an aggressive driver. today, i was alarmed to learn,--reported in the news--that other drivers are experiencing the same issue. toyota has checked out my car (at the 5,000 mile oil change), but reports nothing wrong. something is wrong! if feels as though the abs over-compensates on all four wheels when the surface under one wheel is "irregular" and causes the abs to react to slipping/sliding. i've owned six cars with abs, but none of them gave me the feeling that i'd lost control braking. there is something wrong with this car's abs and i am concerned that toyota will not address it in a prompt manner. your auto-fill form requires that i specify a date of incident. four times, between november 2009 and january 2010, we feel we've lost control of our ability to brake this car at very reasonable (braking) speeds and distances. it's not just one incident. *tr
When driving through an alley, at the end, before i stop for the street, there is a pothole. twice i hit it while braking for the stop sign at the street and something felt weird, like the brake didn't quite hold. honestly i thought i moved my foot from the brake or something. i think it may have happened one other time. i am conscious of if because i wanted to be aware if i was doing something wrong so i could correct it. *tr
2010 toyota prius hybrid brake problem: purchased new in october, 2009, my prius has experienced momentary brake failure while stopping under certain conditions. specifically, when i hit a bump while braking sometimes it feels like the brakes momentarily release and the car launches forward. this has happened 6 to 10 times since i purchsed the car. i alerted the dealer (bernardi toyota in framingahm, ma) about 3 - 4 weeks ago, and they were not aware of the problem. no solution has been offered yet. *cn
Halfway down a hill in this vermont village is a right turn that goes uphill. i have driven this is in winter weather in many different vehicles for over 40 years. on this day there was snow on the road so i was driving slowly going down the hill and was going to make the right hand turn but when i applied the brakes they reacted unlike any other car i have driven in those conditions and just seemed to cause me to slide instead of slowing down. at that point i decided not to turn and continued carefully down the hill. fortunately there were no vehicles in front of me or i felt i might have slid into them. later that week i called and talked to the toyota service manager where i had bought the car. he said he wasn't aware of any problem with brakes, that he had a prius, although an older model, and hadn't had any problem. he had heard from one other person with a braking complaint on the 2010 model. i asked him to inform me if he found out anything but i never heard from him. the condition was serious enough from my point of view that since i have a second car i have not used the prius in inclement weather. i would consider this, in light of recent disclosures, to be a very serious and unsafe condition to put me, me family and others on the highway at risk and would hope that a recall and resolution to this problem would be quick and forthcoming. *cn
1. i bought my 2010 prius new from a toyota dealer in early december of 2009. 2. when i am applying the brakes to slow down, if i hit a pothole, bump, or speed bump the brakes will stop working and the car will lurch forward. i have experienced this brake failure at least 20 times, with varying severity. it can happen any time i am trying to slow down and hit a bump or pothole (e.g.. trying to slow down because the car in front of me is stopping, or because i am approaching a stop sign or red light, or because i am turning or going into a curve). so far, this brake failure has not caused an accident but it has caused me to come very close to hitting the car in front of me on one occasion. i have come to no longer feel safe driving my prius because i cannot trust the brakes when there are bumps or potholes in the road. 3. i brought my prius to the service center of the dealership where i purchased the car. i brought the car in on 2/4/2010. that evening when i spoke to the mechanic, he told me that the brakes are normal and that he did not do anything to fix my car and that i could pick my car up. i then spoke with the manager and told him that i did not feel safe driving the car until they fixed the braking problem. my car is still at the dealership and has not been fixed because they are refusing to acknowledge that the brakes are not functioning safely. *tr
2010 toyota prius brakes briefly fail during low speed breaking. car feels like it surged forward even when foot was on the brake pedal. *tr
When driving my prius, i have noticed the feeling of being thrown forward for a split second after i have applied the brakes when on an uneven surface, ie a grate in the road. this occurs nearly everytime i round a corner by my apartment in which i am forced to brake as i go across a metal plate in the road. *tr
1) while driving my new 2010 toyota prius straight ahead at approximately 10-15 mph on a dry, sunny day, i hit the brakes hard to stop at a red light. the car skidded loudly enough that several bystanders looked at me. this was clearly a failure of the anti-lock braking system. i recently brought the vehicle to my toyota dealer (toyota santa cruz), which inspected the brakes and declared them to be fine. this problem has not recurred, though i have not had to apply the brakes in such a strong manner since that one incident. 2) on two separate occasions, while driving the same prius at very slow speeds (perhaps 5 mph) shortly after starting the car, my wife gently applied the brakes; the vehicle jerked almost to a stop. in other words, a gentle application of the brake pedal led to a very rapid, jerky, stop as if she had slammed on the brakes. *cn
My 2010 prius brakes skip when going over large bumps or holes making the car surge forward rather than slow. i notice it at a higher rather than lower speeds. i thought it was just me until i heard others having the same problem. it was a daily problem as i go to work the same day and it happened in the same spot so the approx. incident date below is sorta invalid. in addition, i don't know i checked the correct "brake" section, i just know it's the brakes. *tr
I have a new 2010 prius ii with only 2500k miles on it. now three times for me and once for my husband we've had problems getting the car to stop/slow down while applying the brake on wet railroad tracks and prior to approaching a patch of ice in the road. you press the brake expecting it to slow down. instead a helplessness takes over as you feel as though the car has suddenly gone into auto pilot and you go sailing on as though the brakes never engaged and you instead hit the accelerator. thank god i'm a cautious driver and have never in 44 years had an accident of any kind but, even my defensive driving skills would be useless if the car does not do what i'm telling it to! i use this car daily to transport myself and two small children and now i'm scared to death to drive it. i was glad my husband had it happen too. i had not told him when it did it to me and the look on his face as he turned to me going over wet railroad tracks and said "did you feel that?" i felt validated knowing that it wasn't just me. today while with my mom and the kids i slowed down to navigate over an unavoidable patch of ice in an intersection. thank goodness no one was in front and the oncoming car attempting to turn left didn't go because i applied the brake and we just sailed on through, barely making the turn that i needed to make just beyond the intersection. my poor mother said, "did you mean to do that?" had any car or person been in the way i have no doubt i would have hit them. this is my first new car in years and now i'm petrified i'm going to crash it and hurt my family and others. this has to be investigated asap. please help! *tr
Prius 2010--pause in braking while approaching stop sign. road conditions were snowy and uneven road surface. braking paused for several seconds, enough so that i would have collided if there had been car ahead at stop sign. happened again about 1 week later in the exact same spot. *cn
When braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second. *tr
I purchased a prius 2010 in november 2009 and have twice experienced a problem where the skid warning lights up on the dashboard even though the car is not skidding and at the same time i've felt the car accelerate even though my foot is on the brake. the first time i thought i would lose control of the car but kept my foot on the brake and the car eventually stopped. the second time it happened when i was doing a u-turn in an unleveled part of the road and since it had happened before i just applied the brake until the skid warning light turned off. i am now scared about the safety of the braking system in this car. *tr
2010 prius iv - braking is delayed in wet conditions and when i drive over a bump or pothole. have to keep the brake pedal pressed and it feels and sounds like the engine accelerates before the brake come on. it lasts for few seconds and does not happen always. *tr
I bought my 2010 prius in july 2009. since then there have been several incidents in which my car seemed to surge forward while i was in the process of braking and hit a bump, railroad tracks or pothole. initially, i convinced myself i must have been letting up on the brake when i hit the bump but when this same thing happened 3 days ago on slippery, icy roads, i knew for 100% certain i had not let up on the brake. my car surged as i was slowly pulling up to a stop sign and gently braking. i came very close to hitting the car in front of me, had to push down on the brakes very hard, which activated the abs. the abs had not been activated in any of the previous incidents because i had not needed to push hard on the brakes as i was in no danger of hitting anything. i have been driving toyotas since 1992 and am stunned that this problem is happening with no fix in sight. the dealership in my town assures us they've never heard of this before, although it is obviously happening all over the country. please investigate this. i have a 5 year old and i no longer feel safe driving my car with (or without) him in it. *tr