Problems with 2010 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

When braking and hitting a bump at the same time there is a loss of braking power. the vehicle lunges forward as if the brakes have stopped working momentarily. this caused me to have to use additional crash avoidance maneuvers, in another circumstance could have caused an accident. it feels as if a portion of the braking system shuts off after hitting the bump. *tr

On five separate occasions, when applying the brake to stop at an intersection the car would initially begin to slow down and then, while the brake is still being applied feel like it skipped or accelerated for another 10-15 feet before stopping. the term scary could be applied to the sudden feeling of having the car accelerate when the brakes are being applied. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius hybrid. while driving approximately 2 mph, the brakes were applied and they did not engage. the contact called toyota and was advised to wait for a letter. the contact called the manufacturer and could not get through. the current miles were 3603. the failure miles were 1689.

My 2010 prius accelerates over a bumpy surface or pothole, it surges forward, when i brake over these surfaces. *jb

i purchased a 2010 toyota prius in june, 2009. i noticed that the vehicle seemed to lurch forward when braking - specifically when the road may have even the slightest bump or unevenness. when this occurs, i am not certain that the car will stop. this does not occur during breaking on smooth surfaces. i reported the problem to the toyota dealer in nov. and received this response: wednesday, november 04, 2009 1:05 pm: i'm responding to your question about the prius braking condition. one thing to know about the prius braking system is that when the brakes are applied there is a signal to the generator to engage. this does 2 things, helps regenerate the hybrid battery and assists in braking the vehicle, and the normal brakes also apply to assist in braking. i did have another prius owner ask about this also, i had him come out and drove with him and could not duplicate the stated condition. i think he was pushing to fast and hard on the brake pedal causing the lurch. when i drove his vehicle i did tell him i was trying to be very conscious of how much pressure i was applying to the pedal. i did notice the brakes are very responsive to pedal pressure. before responding to your e-mail i did check online with toyota technical group to see if they had any pertaining service bulletins pertaining to your question, there were no applicable bulletins. i hope this helps answer your question. thanks for choosing seeger toyota, tim evers, service manager the problem has continued and i've noticed it occurs when braking on snow packed roads -- i nearly rear-ended the vehicle in front of me when my car seemed to lurch forward - i could not stop - i had to swerve into another lane to avoid collision. i reported this problem to another toyota dealer (weiss toyota in st. louis, mo.) they did not have any response. when i contacted the service manager again on 2/4/10, i was told that they had not heard anything about a problem with the prius from toyota. *tr

When i am braking and my car hits a pothole, it surges forward and the brakes do not work for a few seconds. this problem occurs every time i hit a pothole or bump in the road. *tr

My husband and i have both experienced the braking issue for the 2010 prius. when we compared notes, we found that we lose control of the brakes when we drive over a small manhole cover near our house. i have also experienced this when driving/braking over a pothole. initially we thought we were experiencing the "slipping" motion because of unfamiliarity of new car brakes. *jb

Every time my car hits a pothole, speedbump while braking the car fails to respond and results in a forward lurch almost causing collisions and safety hazards for drivers with this car. every single time while braking and hitting uneven pavement, potholes, speedbumps etc. *tr

I lose all braking for a few seconds on my 2010 toyota prius while going over rough roads at slow speed. i have not tried this at highway speeds. i wanted to wait to learn more of the problem from my dealer. so when i was at my toyota dealership on 28 jan 10,for my car's first scheduled maintenance, the assistant service manager stated that the problem is prevalent on most toyota vehicles including the truck he owned. but that's not what reports heard today, 3 feb 10. *tr

Brakes on 2010 prius sometimes are "jerky". the pedal feels different and i require less or more pressure to get the car to brake. occasionally when i press the brake the car jerks to a stop instead of a slow, controlled stop. i have been driving for over 20 years & the feeling is similar to how i felt in learning to drive when i didn't know how much pressure to use on the brake pedal. bought car in october 2009 - problem noted about 10 times since that date. *tr

I bought a 2010 prius in october 2009. i brought the prius back to the dealer, stevenson toyota, for a problem that would occur when the vehicle brake was completely depressed and the traction control light would come on. i also mentioned that when i would hit a bump or drive on ice, it did not seem that the vehicle would stop properly and that when hitting a bump, the vehicle would seem to "lurch forward". the dealer said this was a safety aspect of the vehicle and was normal operation. a few weeks later, i called the dealer again to reiterate my concerns about the braking problem and the lurching forward when hitting a bump, they again repeated that it was a safety measure new on the 2010 prius models. now that the recall is out, i am skeptical on the validity of their statements saying that it was a new 2010 safety feature. my wife who also drives the vehicle does not feel safe driving in the snow because of the feel of the brakes when attempting to stop. i bought the car for her but now drive it more because she does not fee safe in the vehicle. *tr

I drive a 2010 toyota prius and have experienced braking problems while braking and going over bumps/rough pavement. i have 6000 miles on my car and have had this happen about 5 times. during one occasion, while slowing for stopped traffic, i drove over a bump, and i felt the break pedal vibrate like the antilock brakes were being activated, then a quick "release sensation", during which i had no brakes, like i hit a patch of ice. i was just able to avoid hitting the car in front of me by swerving into an open drive way. i was also with my wife as a passenger in this car and she had a similar event while braking and hitting a bump in the road. this is not acceptible. *tr

My 2010 toyota prius lurches forward when braking when i hit an uneven surface, like a pothole, indent/crevice in road, or other type of uneven surface. there is a loss of braking for approximately 1 second and you instinctively hit the brake again to regain braking. it is as if the car accelerates for a split second and you lose control before you hit the brake pedal again. it seems to happen when i am braking at a slower speed and coming to a stop. this problem has occurred multiple times (approximately 12) since i purchased and received my prius in september 2009. no accidents have occurred thus far because of this problem., but i am very concerned about this problem and my/others safety. i reported this problem to the toyota dealership i purchased my car from in october 2009. they performed a health check on the car to make sure everything was operating fine and reported that it was, and told me to bring the car back in if the problem continued. i went into the dealership to talk to someone on 1/13/10 to again discuss the problem. the dealership representative said they he is aware of reports of the problem and will get back to me with any new information. *tr

2010 toyota prius braking issue...i have had this issue a number of times. i will be driving and see a pothole/bump coming up. i slow down and brake but once the car goes over the pothole/bump the brakes do not work- instead the car accelerates forward with a lunging/jerky feeling. it is not right. i took the car into the dealer on 10.27.09. they could not "duplicate" this problem and could not fix it. i called toyota headquarters and they opened a case . they said i should take it back to the dealer and to see if they could duplicate it. case # 091139820. there is a big problem with the brakes- the car should slow down/stop and not speed up. if a car or pedestrian had been right in front of my car i would have hit them no doubt. *jb

Tl* the contact has a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that if he tries to stop and hit a bump or pothole the brakes seem to release. when going down a hill on a bumpy road the vehicle was unable to stop until the vehicle reach a smooth patch of road. the failure mileage was 800 and current mileage was 4000.

I bought a brand new 2010 toyota prius and left the dealer on october 23, 2009. i had to stop short at one of the stoplights on the way home and noticed a disturbing lag before the brakes engaged. hours later i was driving down a major highway when traffic stopped suddenly and the brakes would not engage. i rear-ended the car in front of me and modestly damaged the car i hit and severely damaged my new prius. fortunately noone was hurt. my six year old son was in the back seat. *tr

Emergency braking delay in brake action. when the vehicle ahead of me immediately hard-braked on a yellow stop light at a "red light" camera monitored intersection (westbound illinois 38 at summit in villa park, il) i had to brake hard and maneuver to avoid rear-ending him. this was the first, and only, emergency stop situation i have had with my 2010 toyota prius. we were travelling just a bit below the posted 35 mph limit, and i was following at an appropriate interval (3+ seconds or about 3 car lengths). there was about a 1 second delay between jamming on the brake and significant braking action. i never experienced such a delay in my abs equipped 2000 chevrolet monte carlo ss or my 1995 ford windstar lx, since this experience i drive the prius with a greater interval, although this means other drivers regularly merge into the "safety" gap that i am trying to provide. *jb

I have a 2010 toyota prius (generation 3). purchased on 10/15/2009. i have experience unexpected loss of braking when decelerating to about 5-10 mph and when the vehicle hits or goes over a bump. this have happened multiple times. there were no property damage, however, the unexpected loss of braking and a feeling of acceleration is unsettling. i feel this may eventually lead to a vehicular collision. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph and applying pressure to the brake pedal the vehicle lunged forward and accelerated whenever there was a bump or pothole in the road. the dealer stated that the vehicle was functioning normally since the electrical engine was switching to the gasoline engine. the failure occurred continuously. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 2,500.

I purchased a 2010 prius in august 09 and have problems with the braking system. the car "lurches" forward when applying the brakes on a bumpy surface. i was fortunate on a number of occasions that there was distance between me and the car in front of me. after 3 or 4 occasions of experiencing this, i took the car to the dealership in oct to have them check it out. i was told that the brakes were fine, nothing showed up in computer electronics and there were no recalls. they told me that i had to learn how to drive a hybrid and only drive on smooth surfaces! what city has smooth roads with no seams or bumpy surfaces on it. it continued to happen so i called the dealership a week later and was told that if i could recreate the problem the shop foreman would go out for a test drive with me. recreating the problem is nearly impossible. i am a realtor and my livelihood depends on my having a reliable car. i am nervous driving my car and find that i drive always anticipating that i am going to have a brake problem...this is not a safe way to drive. the problem continues and i do not feel safe driving my vehicle. i am happy to hear that you are looking into it. also, check out the prius chat room for more complaints about the braking problem. thanks so much for your investigative work. *tr

Temporary loss of braking on 2010 toyota prius on uneven pavement. one occurrence on 10/20/2009. an earlier occurrence also occurred on uneven pavement - probably in september 2009, but i do not have a record of the date. the dealership performed the recall maintenance today (02/16/2010). please note that the car also exhibits extreme braking immediately after a cold start under wet conditions. this extreme braking is unlike any other cars previously owned over nearly 40 years. the extreme braking does subside after a short distance if the brakes are lightly applied while driving accelerator is depressed to maintain speed. *tr

Upon applying the brakes when i hit rough road, pot hole, debris, unlevel pavement, they seem to slip. i don't slow down like i want the car to, i fishtail a little and the stability control comes on. this has happened 3 or 4 times since i purchased the car. 2010 toyota prius. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that when she was driving over a speed bumps and the vehicle suddenly accelerated with her foot on the brake pedal. whenever she drove the vehicle the failure occurred. she called the dealer and was advised that there was nothing they could do to correct the failure. she has not spoken with the manufacturer to-date. the current mileage was approximately 10,000. the failure mileage was approximately 10.

Please investigate the 2010 prius and its' braking system. while braking on a wet pavement, going down hill or braking when the car goes over an uneven or bumpy service, the car accelerates or lurches forward. fortunately, i was a safe distance from other cars or could have hit something with this surge effect. the car only has 400 miles and this has occurred at least 4 times, the most recent today on a hill with wet pavement as the car was heading down hill. the brake was gently depressed and the car surged forward. *tr

Once, when transitioned from smooth to uneven surfaces during a parking operation on uneven, downhill pavement, i experienced a lack of brake pedal pressure. i do not recall any change of acceleration, simply the loss of brake pedal pressure for a very brief time, perhaps for a second. it surprised and shocked me to a fair degree as i thought, at the time, that my brakes had failed. by pressing harder the brake pedal pressure returned and i was able to stop the car normally. i now take into consideration the pavement surface condition when applying my brakes as i feel the car's braking system is peculiarly sensitive to uneven pavement surfaces. *tr

I purchased a 2010 toyota prius in mid-june. i am writing to report that i have also experienced the loss of brakes while traveling over uneven surfaces three separate times. it is quite unnerving when you are in mid-brake and it momentarily stops working. i am a very safe driver, keeping a good distance between my vehicle and the cars ahead of me; however, sometimes you do need to stop suddenly and i am concerned that if there is a pot hole between me and the car, the prius will not be able to stop in time. this problem has not resulted in any crashes but i hope that toyota takes these complaints seriously and does everything possible to fix the 2010 vehicles manufactured before january 2010. on that note, i was extremely surprised to hear that toyota knew of this issue and fixed it mid-year but did nothing to notify the owners of the initial 2010 model of their findings or offer a fix. that is bad business practice, something i did not expect from toyota. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving 25 mph over uneven pavement the vehicle became difficult stop while engaging the brake pedal. the vehicle also accelerated intermittently. the contact has informed a local dealer about the failure who stated that toyota has not issued a recall. the contact is concerned that the brake failure could potentially cause a crash to occur. the vin was not available. the failure mileage 8,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while the contact was driving approximately 10 mph, the brake pedal was engaged and the vehicle began to lurch forward unexpectedly. the failure recurred whenever driving in rainy weather conditions or bumpy and icy road surfaces. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 10v039000 (service brakes, air:antilock:control unit/module). the recall remedy failed to correct the problem and the failure persisted after the repair. the failure mileage was approximately 1,000. the vin was unavailable.

I've experienced 2 problems with the brakes on my 2010 toyota prius. the first happens when i am applying my brakes while going over a pot hole. the brakes appear to release and catch again. this has happened numerous times under the same conditions. secondly, i've noticed that when the car has been parked and the wheels get wet, whether by rain or from washing the car, as i backup or go forward down an incline, the brakes seem to "grab" or "stick" when light pressure is applied to the brakes. the resulting stop in the car is as though i had jammed on the brakes quickly and with a great deal of force. *jb

2010 toyota prius, 4500 miles while braking, the car hit a set of flush railroad tracks. the bump of the tracks caused the braking system to feel like it stopped working, and i had to re-pump the brakes to get braking to re-engage. the car has had a couple more similar episodes of the brakes seeming to dis-engage. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving approximately 50 to 55 mph on normal road conditions pressure was applied to the brake pedal, followed by no power response for a second. the failure occurred intermittently. in addition, when after a complete stop the vehicle began shaking excessively. the authorized dealer and manufacturer have been notified of the malfunctions. the failure mileage was 400.

2010 prius braking problem. car feels like it is jumping forward while applying the brakes and traveling over bumpy roads or potholes. purchased car in october 2009 and this has occurred more than 10 times. *tr

I own a 2010 toyota prius and have noticed that if you are applying the brakes and one of the wheels of the car happen to hit a pothole or bump the brakes seem to momentarily release and then grab again. my foot is not coming off the brake pedal. it's as if the car lunges ahead for a split second. this has happened more than once. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately 4 mph when the brakes were applied, the anti-lock brake system warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the brakes began to lock. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. the technician confirmed that the brakes were not operating properly after test driving the vehicle. the vehicle remained at the dealer for further inspection. the contact was provided a loaner vehicle. the technician stated that after the final inspection the brakes were operating normally. the failure mileage was 30. the current mileage was 5,500.

2010 toyota prius. from the first week i owned the car here is a description of the problem. frequently, when first starting the car in the driveway, i put the car in drive, then as it began to move forward - the slightest touch on the brake caused the wheels to lock-up, badly lurching myself and the passenger. after driving for a short while the problem goes away. i took the car in for its 5,000 mile oil change - told the toyota dealership (rodland toyota everett wa) about the problem and i was told it was checked out and there was no problem. there is a problem. *tr

2010 prius brakes does not work if the vehicle goes over a bump or a pot hole while brakes being applied..it has happened several times...even complained to the dealer once...dealer says there are no technical buliton or technical fix on the issue. *tr

The brakes on my 2010 toyota prius at times do not engage immediately. it may be necessary at those times to depress the brake pedal by 1/3rd before braking begins. there is a similar delay when braking is used to turn off cruise control. neither of these have caused an accident, but in both cases there is some risk.

2010 prius. when brakes are depressed, and vehicle is slowing normally, if the vehicle encounters a pothole or other very rough road surface, the brake will sometimes disengage briefly, but abruptly. the car seems to surge forward. in the three times i've experienced this, the brakes 'catch' again very shortly after the pothole -- less than a second. *tr

Momentary loss of braking on a 2010 prius model iv. vehicle was purchased on the 30th of september 2010 and currently has 3460 miles. during the first week of operation the brakes did not seem to work correctly. we thought this might be do to the fact that the car was new and the brakes need to be used as a brake in period. we notified the dealership during the second week of operation. they indicated that this was the first concern they have received. they stated that when we bring it in for the first 5000 mile service they would check the brakes. since the momentary loss of braking did not happen that often and only on bumpy roads or over speed bumps we were not too concerned.i did call the dealership again on 2/4/2010 and the service department stated they had not received any information on correcting the problem. what was interesting is that a person in the service department who owns a 2006 prius stated that the problem has been around for years but is much more noticeable in the 2010 model.. toyota has assigned a case number to our complaint ( 1002108541 ). no accident to date but driving the vehicle should not include worrying whether or not the brakes will stop in time. *tr

2010 prius vin brakes will delay and grab at times. are family got two 2010 prius aug 2009 and both have this same problem. delay and grabbing problem. *tr

On 7 different occasions since purchasing our toyota prius 6 months ago, while pushing the brakes, the car has lurched forward as though someone pushed down on the gas. *jb

Prius 2010. 1. when stopping and one of my front tires goes over a pothole, stick, or any other markedly uneven pavement, the brakes release propelling the car forward. 2. i notice most when i am going down hill. so far it has only happened when i am going slowly and braking hard enough to stop the car. it has not happened at higher speeds in traffic when i am merely slowing down in traffic. 3. i brought it to the attention of the service department at the local toyota dealer. i was told that it is the way the brakes are supposed to operate. i pointed out that i have owned 11 cars over the years and rented far more and never experienced this before. the complaint fell on dead ears. *jb

I bought my 2010 toyota prius in the summer of 2009 and on the 2nd day of ownership when i was braking to make a left turn on to my street where i live the car increased in speed up when i was making my turn while braking over a bumpy surface in the road.yhis condition only happens when the roadway has imperfections and is rough.i had told the dealer about this conditon and they said it was the sensors and it was a normal conditon which i think is dangerous because this happend when i was behind another car and came close to hitting the car in front of me. *cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 prius. while driving approximately 5 mph on uneven pavement the vehicle lunged forward and she was forced to engage the brake pedal twice to stop the vehicle. the failure occurred 10 times prior to having it diagnosed by the dealer. the dealer stated that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. the failure mileage was 4. the current mileage was 3,800. updated 03/12/10. *lj the consumer stated the dealer fix the problem as soon as the recall was announced. updated 07/13/10*jb

I have 2010 prius. i am experiencing an energy surge from my back wheels when i step on my brakes while simultaneously going over a bumpy surface like rail road tracks, pot hole or rough ground. it occurs several times a week. the result is that my car suddenly speeds forward when i least want it to - i am braking. i have it thrust me into an intersection. i reported it to my service dept in nov 09. they told me they had never heard of this problem before and had no other complaints. with a front wheel drive i didn't understand why the power seemed to be coming from the back wheels. now i am assuming it is some kind of connection to the abs system. this happens most notably at lower speeds, rounding a corner. but i think it may also be happening on the highway, but the surge is harder to detect at higher speed. *tr

We have an ongoing problem with our 2010 prius, purchased in 9/09. when going over a depression in the road, or a bump, when brakes are pressed, we feel like the car is bucking/accelerating. clearly, it's really that the brakes aren't working momentarily but it's frightening. if we had to stop, we couldn't. this happens each and every time in those circumstances. *tr

I have a 2010 prius and i have experienced frequent braking loss when driving over bumps while braking. the brakes release momentarily. i have experienced this many times!! it is definitely dangerous. *tr

I own a 2010 prius, purchased 7/22/09. i have experienced a sudden surge when traveling over a bump or large pothole. the car momentarily surges and feels slightly out of control. this has happened about a dozen times in the 6 months i have owned the vehicle. i am concerned about my safety and this is why i am writing to you. *jb

2010 prius bought in july of 2009. similar problem to what is currently being investigated. when coming to a stop (usually from highway speed) on a road with potholes, the car will hit a pothole and will lurch forward, as if i had taken my foot off of the brake. so far, continued pressure on the brake pedal has always stopped me in time. *tr

I have a 2010 toyota prius purchase in 9/2009. when i slow down to stop and go over a bump it feels as thought the power breaks go out and the vehicle surges forward. this has occurred since we purchased the vehicle. the original explanation was that we just need to get used to the transition from gasoline power to electric power. however, i don't feel that is sufficient as it is a very dangerous surge. *tr