Problems with 2010 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

As owner of a 2010 toyota prius with about 10,000 miles on it, my wife (the regular driver) and myself have experienced an anomaly in brake operation on several occasions. each occasion involves either hitting a bump in the road while braking or being on wet pavement while braking. when this happens, if feels as if the brakes release for a fraction of a second (creating a short sensation of acceleration) and then resume operation. i don't think the car is actually accelerating in that moment. my theory is that while braking, a single wheel looses traction (and perhaps momentarily stops) and then the system releases all wheels for a moment before regular braking resumes. the fact that you are sitting in the car with your foot applying pressure on the brake makes this very attention getting. this has occurred several times since getting the car last august. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving speeds of less than 15 mph over a pothole, the brakes malfunctioned and reset themselves within minutes without having to shut the engine off. neither the manufacturer nor dealer was contacted. there were no recalls. the failure and current mileages were 2200.

2010 toyota prius iii -- brake problem, similar to that described in news release of 4feb10. car momentarily accelerates whenever hitting bump, even though brakes are being applied. ongoing over the past several months. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. he stated when driving over uneven road surfaces or speed bumps in the road the vehicle would momentarily lose braking power. also, when depressing the brake pedal over any type of uneven road surface the vehicle would surge momentarily. the dealer was contacted and informed the contact that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the failure persisted and the dealer was contacted a second time where the contact was informed that they were aware of the issue, however did not have an explanation or a remedy for the failure. the failure persisted and the dealership was contacted a third time where the contact was advised there was an open recall on the vehicle nhtsa recall number: 10v039000:service brakes, air:antilock:control unit/module) and to bring the vehicle in to perform the recall service. after recall repairs were performed on the vehicle, the contact experienced the exact same failure. the failure mileage was approximately 1,000 and the current is 7600.

When standing still , the brake pedal can be pushed to the floor, extremely spongy feel . toyota says this is normal. when the brakes fail due to software error ( recall notice was received today finally ) i can also easily push the pedal to the floor. i do not like this feeling hopefully the recall will take care of this . visibility is terrible due to the roof supports, are pedestrian accidents up, we can not see ,to return to the right lane after passing. *tr

I have a 2010 prius, which has experienced the brake delay problem that i read about in the news today. it has happened approximately 3 times since i purchased the car in november 2009. i pressed on the brake, and the car did not slow immediately. each time there was a momentary delay, which frightened me. *tr

I have a 2010 toyota prius (purchased in october 2009). i have noticed on several occasions the brakes momentarily don't work after going over a bump. i feel a lose of control of the car. *tr

1. applying brakes normally, but during braking hit a bump, or a seam in the road, or wet pavement, or small patch of ice. 2. abs system kicks in, however appears to kick in too aggressively and all braking force seems to disappear while car feels as if it is accelerating. maintaining brake force or re applying brake eventually brings car to halt. 3. nothing has been done to remedy this. no warning lamps are lit, etc. i will call toyota tomorrow. have owned car since new, about 6 months, and this scenario has occurred several times now. *tr

We purchased new 2010 prius at the end of last september in 2009. both of us have had the experience of "losing control" of the car while braking on icy roads. my first experience happened during our first big snow fall. i was approaching the entrance ramp to an express way and had to apply the breaks when a car infront of me began to slow down and slide to the left side of the ramp. as i applied the breaks, the car began a series of quick forward jerks associated with knocking sounds. i also heard a slight change in how the engine sounded. fortunately, i escaped a traffic accident since my prius drifted to the right before control was reestablished. it was frightening. this is the first car i have owned that has an anti lock braking system. i assumed that is why i experienced the loss of control and why it felt so uncomfortable. when i told the dealership about it, i was advised to take the car to an open area and practice using the brakes in order to get used to it. since then, my husband has had the same experience while trying to stop the car on icy roads. he tells me that the "jerking" and the knocking sound is not part of a normal anti lock breaking system. this is why i am reporting our experience to the u.s. national highway traffic safety administration. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated whenever she was applying the brakes, the brakes cease to work periodically when going over a bump or a pot hole. the vehicle lurches forward as the brakes are depressed whenever she hits a bump. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and contact was told it was her imagination and nothing is wrong with the brakes. the toyota manufacturer had not been called at the time of the complaint. this failure has happened from the day of purchase . updated 03/15/10 *bf the consumer stated when the brakes were depressed ocassionally, the braking mechanism would fail momentarily which caused the vehicle to lunge forward . the consumer had repairs made to the vehicle. however, the problem continued. updated 09/15/10

I bought toyota prius 2010 in early december 2009 and have experienced at least five times brake problem. i basically can't make my car stop effectively when i hit the brake. it is worse when you drive fast or in a snowy or icy days. now i have to slow down way before the stop sign so i can avoid the brake problem, and i wouldn't let anyone else to drive the car for the fear of car accident. *tr

It was snowing and very slippery. i was slowing down and turning into my driveway when suddenly it felt like i had no brakes. this is different from abs which had gone off occasionally during the trip. as a result i ended up hitting a snow bank at the end of my driveway. *tr

Coming up to stop sign, perhaps 25mph, at intersection of service roads leaving workplace. car coming (also probably 25mph) from the left. there was some light snow (not covering), but nothing unusual. applied brakes to stop. brakes worked at first, but then seemed to stop working for several seconds, leaving my wondering if i was going to go through the stop sign and have a slow-speed collision with the car coming from the left. luckily the brakes eventually seemed to grab, and the car rolled to a stop right at the intersection. *tr

Driving in slippery conditions and we attempted to stop on a manhole cover and the brakes did not catch. we almost had a crash, but managed to stop just in time. this was not the first time that this had occurred. we had a similar incident when we hit a large pothole. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while the contact was driving 5 mph traveling over an icy road surface, the brake pedal was engaged causing the vehicle to slide. suddenly, the vehicle crashed into a snow bank. the anti-lock brake system was inoperable during the failure. there were no prior warnings. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 400.

Brakes locked up when gently pushing on pedal at low speeds in forward and reverse, anti lock brakes engage while stopped if your foot wiggles on brake pedal, brakes do not engage strong if you hit a small bump while braking causing you to not stop on target and anti lock brake symbol briefly flashes on at the same time. *tr

I own a 2010 toyota prius purchased new in october 2010. i have had at least 5 instances of the brake failure that have been described in recent reports. the failure occurs when braking and going over a rough spot like a man-hole cover or pothole. there is a momentary and complete failure of the entire braking system. *tr

Brakes are terrible. vehicle computer causes brakes to unload when going over very rough road or potholes. if stopping just behind traffic, collision is always imminent. brakes are also extremely sensitive, especially at low speeds. while trying to feather the brakes while backing out of a parking space (for instance) the computer seems to tell the brakes to fully clamp down without applying additional force to the brake pedal. this causes a lurching motion as opposed to a smooth backup at idle speed. also, when coming to a stop, the slower you go, the more sensitive the braking becomes such that you are trying to not over-apply the already sensitive brakes you inevitably end up stomping on them at the last minute because the amount of travel from zero to full braking is miniscule. i have owned all three generations of prius. the first had brakes that were unusual due to the regenerative system, but they had acceptable amount of pedal travel and were not a problem. the second generation's brakes were much improved over the first edition and they felt almost like normal brakes. but this third generation's brakes are absolutely hideous! i complained about them to the dealer about a month ago and they said they were normal and that all prius brakes were like that. that doesn't make it right! i am glad all this publicity has vindicated my assertions. *tr

We have a very long steep driveway. i apply some braking when descending and then more as i reach the bottom before i enter the street. there is a water diverter bump about ten feet before the end of the driveway. it is about an inch or so tall and about six inches wide, crossing the full width of the driveway. several times when i have rolled over the bump and i am applying more brakes, the brakes stop working for a second or so and then regain power. at first it felt like i was accelerating, until it happen a second time and i was more aware of what was going on. applying heavier braking before the bump, seems to stop this sensation. the last time the brakes did this was when pulling to the side of the road to let faster traffic by, onto a rough gravel driveway entrance. initially the brakes worked then for an instant they are gone, then back again. before the recall we called the dealer who said we were just not used to anti lock brakes! we have had anti lock brakes for many many years in many different vehicles. we know when the anti-lock brakes are doing their job. this is not the same type of pulsing upon heavy breaking. this happens in the 2010 prius when using normal braking pressure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph while driving over pothole with his foot on the brake pedal when the vehicle accelerated on it own. this failure occurred 5 times and has continued to occur every two weeks. the dealer confirmed that the abs system caused the failure to occur. no repairs were made to the vehicle. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. the failure mileage was 200 and the current mileage was 900.

While braking, my car hit a bump and it felt like there was a sudden surge of acceleration. i had to press the brakes extra hard to feel like i regained control of the car. this is definitely a repeatable problem, just drive the car over a pot-hole or a bump while you're breaking to recreate the condition. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving 15 mph in snowy conditions the contact applied the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and it failed to stop and proceeded through the intersection and crashed into a pole. no one was injured during the crash. the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer to repair the front end. the contact stated that the braking system failed and caused the vehicle to crash. the failure mileage was 8,800.

From a dead stop, moving forward or in reverse, brakes will lock or grab & will not release easily. *tr

2010 toyota prius - braking issue on slippery service - i find the braking distance required to stop the vehicle is excessive when compared to my previous vehicle on slippery services. this has resulted in the vehicle rolling forward into intersections before coming to a stop. i live in mn where road conditions can become less than ideal. i do not believe that i am traveling at an excessive speed but i have know adjusted my driving habits to account for the extra distance required to stop. *tr

In reverse car speeds and brake stiffens and unable to slow reverse speed. also, two times while accelerating at 25 miles per hour the car seemed to lift up then settle down. very frightening. *tr updated 02/02/10 *bf the consumer stated when the vehicle was in reverse, the brakes froze. the day after the vehicle was at the dealer, the consumer parked on a small incline, the front facing up. when she started the vehicle, she pushed the start button, put the vehicle in reverse, disengaged the emergency brake, and immediately the brakes froze and the consumer started to go backwards without control of the backing up the car. the consumer was unable to control the backwards movement so she immediately shut down the power. she then started the vehicle again, put it reverse, disengaged the emergency brake and everything was normal. updated 03/01/10 updated 05/05/10.*jb

Drove car over several potholes and attempted to bake quickly. brakes failed and i hit car in front of me. my car bounced off car in front of me and i again hit brakes sharply. they failed again and i hit the car in front of me again. road conditions were wet and slippery. *jb

Brake not responding when applied. *tr

I have a 2010 toyota prius. while driving behind a car on 17th street in manhattan the car in front braked coming to a light i in turn hit the brakes and hit a pot hole at the same time, the car's brakes seemed to jump or release and i had to push down in a panic to try and control the car, i missed slamming into the car in front by inches. *tr

I was driving from l.a. to roseville ca on i-5 north in my new 2010 toyota prius. because i was driving at night it wasn't very busy and i had the cruise control on at 65 mph. in the distance i saw some cars pushing their brake pedals so i wanted to brake as well a little to 1) deactivate the cruise control, 2) reduce speed. pushing it very gently, absolutely nothing happened. this scared me and i pushed harder, then my 2010 prius started braking way more aggressively. i noticed along the way and also after this that this behavior is consequent. while driving on the highway, i cannot use the brake pedal to release the cruise control and diminish speed, because nothing happens when you push the brake pedal gently, it takes a little time before it reacts. i find this disturbing, because in my 2000 ford crown victory, even the very slightest touch on the brake pedal already causes the cruise control to turn off and very lightly diminish speed. in the prius in order to achieve this i have to press the brake pedal hard, then after some delay it starts braking fast. in the beginning i thought this is normal for the prius, but i find it quite disturbing and sometimes scaring. hence, i must take way more distance to cars ahead of my on the highway, because i cannot brake as fast and stop as soon as the other cars can. honestly, it is very scary and it makes my feel unsafe while on the highway with the prius. i am driving my crown victoria when i am driving on the highway now a days. *tw *tr

In my 2010 toyota prius, as i'm braking on a rough surface, it feels as though the car accelerates for a split second. it happened most recently on 12/22 as i was coming to a stoplight on a road with patches of snow/ice debris in cambridge, ma. it has occurred maybe 5 times since i bought the car in august, and at first i thought i was just imagining it. when it happens, my heart races and i press the brake harder, which seems to make it engage. the end result is that the stopping distance is longer than it should be, and it's definitely scary. i took the car into the dealership on wednesday, december 23rd to have it checked out. the car was approved as functioning as normal, with a write-up saying the master mechanic looked at it, took it for a drive on a bumpy surface, and cleared it as fine. the client services manager explained that i just needed to get used to the sensation when the abs kicks in. *tr

I have a new toyota prius 2010 and have experienced the loss of braking combined with a simultaneous acceleration about 4 times now. it is incredibly scary. i have never had this happen on any other car that i've driven. it happens when i hit a bump in the rear. i now see that many people are experiencing this as i saw an article on msnbc.msn.com. i now see that others are experiencing the same problem. this has to be investigated. the last time it happened i was facing a cliff and had the car not stopped, my daughter and i would have gone off the cliff and probably would have perished. this is asking for accidents to happen and something must be done to fix this problem. there are way too many of these cars on the road. i do not have the win number on hand, but will add it tomorrow. this has occurred approx 4 times and the car accelerates at the same time i lose braking capabilities. *tr

Regarding our 2010 toyota prius purchased in august of 2009, we have experienced braking issues in two instances: 1) when braking for a stop sign and hit a bump in the road the car surges forward 2) when braking on icy surface the brakes seem to lock up causing control problems. in speaking with the dealer they indicated that they had know knowledge of a fix to the issue and after speaking with toyota they gave us a rental that was supposed to have come out of production after the software was fixed to correct the brake problems. while driving the rental we experienced the same issue while braking over a bump in the road.

2010 prius delayed braking - multiple times. *tr

I have driven my 2010 prius (which i bought new from local toyota dealer) since july, 2009. i have noticed on several occasions that when the car drives over a break in the pavement (pothole, or roadwork where the pavement height drops), it suddenly feels "airborne," and will not brake or slow down for several yards, no matter what i do. i have worried about not being able to stop and hitting a car or a pedestrian front of me, but so far each time my car has had this airborne-like problem, i have been far enough away from the car or person in front of me to stop. other people driving 2010 prius cars have reported having the same problem. toyota should be required to solve this braking issue, and recall the 2010 prius to repair this problem. *tr

I own a new 2010 toyota prius. i have always suspected the brake has problem. it happened several times that the vehicle will surge forward on slippery, uneven surface or pot holes when i hit the brake. *tr

2010 prius: brakes had momentary failure on a snow-covered speed bump. vehicle speed was about 10 mph. this was the first of several incidents. *tr

On several occasions my 2010 toyota prius accelerated for a few seconds as i placed my foot on the brake. on at least one occasion it happened as i went over a bump in the road. there has been no accident and no injuries. the acceleration occurred for a few brief seconds. i am concerned that this problem could occur when there is a pedestrian or auto close in front of me. *tr

I have experienced braking issues with a 2010 prius purchased in july '09. while braking on ice or snow when first depressing the brake pedal for light braking nothing happens, no braking. when then depressing the brake pedal more firmly braking then starts suddenly but more aggressive than desired. this problem occurs on ice or snow only but i have not driven on extreme washboard or gravel roads. i have had the experience more than once and have begun to anticipate it happening regularly on ice or snow. *tr

While coming to a stop, my vehicle (2010 toyota prius, model iv) lost braking power (felt like an acceleration while depressing the brake pedal) as i went over a pot hole in the road. i was at a very low speed (~5mph). i depressed the brake pedal even further and the braking power returned and i was able to stop. *tr

When traveling forward over uneven, bumpy pavement, pot holes, or speed bumps and applying the brakes at the same time the car suddenly accelerates very strongly. the acceleration happens even though you are pressing on the brake pedal and your foot is completely off the accelerator. the sudden acceleration is so strong that it nearly jerks the steering wheel out of your hand. this incident has happened once when my wife was driving the car and three times when i have been driving. it almost feels like the brakes stop working for a second or two and the car accelerates by itself. when it happens it is quite startling. i took the car to the dealer and they said nothing was wrong with it. this is a serious safety issue that needs to be looked into. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. whenever he engaged the brake pedal while driving various speeds ranging from 5 mph or higher over a pothole, a bump in the road, ice or any change in the road surface the vehicle momentarily accelerated before the brakes would engage. he also stated that he heard a rattling noise within the engine compartment after the vehicle was started. the dealer was contacted and a diagnostic test was performed but produced no codes. the failure could not be duplicated and the vehicle was released to the owner. no repairs were made to the vehicle. there were no recalls. the failure mileage was 2,000 and the current was 8,000.

Brakes temporarily disengage during braking if can hits a bump or pothole in the road. it is only a momentary instances before the brakes re-engage, but it gives the feeling of accelerating. it has happend to me about a half dozen times since purchasing the car (2010 toyota prius) in august 2009. luckily no cars or pedestrians were in front of me when this problem occurred. *tr

We drive a 2010 prius, purchased this fall. on three separate occasions, when i tried to brake in an area with some ice, the car accelerated rather than stopped. on two of the occasions, i failed to stop at an intersection (no one coming in the opposite direction) and on the third, the ice patch was about 3 ft in diameter on one side of the car only. i was going rather slowly, following a car that slowed for a speed bump. luckily the other car accelerated and i did not hit it. the speed bump slowed me down and then the brakes started working. *jb

I've experience braking problems with my 2010 prius. as others have reported i too have had at least a dozen incidents in which i am applying the brakes and there is either a bump in the road or more often a pothole. usually this has been when i was approaching a stop sign and braking moderately. the experience is such that the brakes seem to disengage at the time in which i hit the pothole or bump and the car lurches forward for just a split second. to me it feels like going over an ice patch and the sensation is similar to hydroplaning as well. this has not caused any accident but does contribute to a feeling of lose of control and causes you to possibly stop a little later than you intended to. i have 10,000 miles on this car and have had it since august 2009. i also experience another braking issue. sporadically when i start the car and the engine has not come one and the car is only using battery, the brakes seem to have no play in the pedal. the car starts to move and when i tap the breaks they just lock with a thud and the pedal goes all the way to the floor. i then re step on the brakes and they work properly and feel normal. this usually happens in my driveway or parking lots and my first reaction is that i hit something because the car slams to a stop. *tr

I was approaching an intersection in december during a snow storm. the road was snowy and i braked, but my 2010 prius did not immediately stop. i went 10 - 15 feet before the car stopped. it was very scary, but luckily there was no other car in the road, or i would have been hit. *jb

My 2010 toyota prius brakes fail ( disengage or release) when braking on icy surface or while braking and a bump or pot hole is hit. i fist noticed this issue on dec. 19, 2009 after a snow storm but it continues to happen even on dry road when a small bump is hit. i reported it to toyota and they told me they could not find any issues with the brakes. nothing was done to correct the problem. the car actually goes faster when you hit a bump while braking. the brakes release and it feels like you have no brakes at all for a few seconds. this is not right! it happens very unexpectedly and you can not judge your braking time correctly. it happened to me recently when stopping at stop sign before entering a cross road. i hit a patch of rough road and it drove me to stop passed the stop sign and was lucky there were no on coming traffic. *tr

Events leading up to failure: hitting the brakes and hitting a bump in the pavement of the road at the same time. how often: all the time, if you are hitting the brakes, and hitting a bump at the same time. what was done: nothing. toyota claims nothing is wrong. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. when the contact attempted to apply the brakes while driving on a slippery surface the brakes did not fully engage which increased the stopping distance. the dealer was unable to reproduce the failure. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 5000. updated 03/09/10. *lj updated 05/13/10

On december 18, 2009 at 4:40 pm in the still-light late afternoon we struck a deer in the road with our 2010 toyota prius. the car was less than one month old and still on its first tank of gas. we have lived in a semi-rural area of new jersey for over 30 years. deer in the road is a frequent occurrence here. but in 30 years, though we have had countless sudden collision-avoidance stops in other cars including our 2007 prius, we have never had an accident. on december 18, traveling at approximately 35 mph on dry, but aged asphalt we observed a deer entering the road. to avoid a collision, the brakes were jammed on. but this time the braking event seemed to occur in slow motion. it was the first sudden stop required of this new car. eventually the abs system engaged and the car came to a stop, but only after striking the deer with such force that the car sustained $2500 worth of front end damage. lights, the bumper and front panels needed to be replaced. the airbags did not deploy. police and insurance reports were filed. toyota has recently acknowledged a software-based delay of one second in transferring braking from the electronic regenerative system to the hydraulic brakes. at 35 mph, that is an extra 51 feet traveled in that one second before the hydraulic brakes engage. that 51 feet would have provided more than enough distance to avoid the collision. until this unsafe condition is resolved, we have taken our 2010 prius off the road. *tr

2010 toyota prius brakes on two separate times have almost caused an accident. both times slippery conditions were present. *tr