Problems with 2010 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

My 2010 toyota prius is having braking problems when i apply the brakes while/after hitting a bump or pothole. for example, when i approach a stop sign and apply the brakes while hitting a bump, the car lurches forward briefly (1-2 seconds) before the brakes kick in. the brakes work fine when no bump is encountered during braking. i can repeat this failure consistently with a bump in my neighborhood. no fix yet. *cn

Brakes on 2010 toyota prius fail when the vehicle encounters a rough road surface when braking.(four incidents) i suspect many of these complaints are going unreported because dealer service departments are telling customers the vehicles are braking as designed.

Driving a 2010 prius coming to a stoplight. went over a raised portion of road resulting in a very noticeable bump. car seemed to lurch forward and braking didn't seem to work for a short time. thought i was going to go through the red light into cross traffic but brakes took hold and i was able to stop.

I suffered a temporary loss of braking while approaching a toll booth on the new jersey garden state parkway. the loss occured immediately after hitting a large bump as i was slowing to pay the toll. soon after braking returned and i was able to continue slowing and did not strike anything. *cn

While driving eastbound on moorpark street, approaching dixie canyon avenue, i braked in preparation to make a right hand turn, and the brakes released when i hit a small pot hole. the brakes re-engaged approximately 1-2 seconds later. *cn

I stepped on break padel on my 2010 toyota prius on a bumppy uneven road but the car didn't stop properly and slipped a few feet instead. *cn

Braking on rough surface results in car jumping forward and then eventually stopping. *tr

Driving my 2010 prius today, i experienced a brake failure such as the one i've been hearing about on the news. here's what happened: i was braking, slowing to a stop approaching a stoplight (going no faster than 10 mph at the time), my car rolled over a manhole cover that was slightly lower than the surface of the road (no more than one inch deep) and suddenly it felt like my car was gliding on ice with no ability to stop, the brakes had completely failed; additionally, i heard a slight grinding sound come from the front right wheel well. i took my foot off the brake, re-depressed the pedal, and everything was instantly back to normal. the duration of the incident was no more than a second, but it was terribly alarming just the same. following this incident, i have contacted two different toyota dealerships' service departments who stated that they did not currently have any repair plans for this problem, apologized for the "inconvenience," and one of the dealerships (toyota of hollywood (ca)) took my phone number while the other dealership told me to wait for a letter from toyota. i inquired of toyota of glendale (ca) if i should get a rental car for the time being (hoping to be offered a loaner) and they told me not to, and to 'drive safe.' i'm totally livid, this is a very scary problem to experience. *tr

Two failures. first while traveling at high speed from canada to nyc on december 26, the left side of my electronic display went out, specifically the speedometer and gas mileage component of the display blanked out. it took toyota about a week to figure out how to fix it. secondly, i brought my 2010 prius into my local dealer because of the braking acceleration issue. it had happened about 10 times since i bought the car on june 30, 2009. as the car was braking to a stop, there seemed to be an acceleration associated with the braking. when i brought it to star toyota of bayside, they had the technician drive the car for about 3 miles and stated that they found no trouble. *tr

There was a delay from the time i applied the brakes in my 2010 prius when driving on slippery, snow covered roads until i could feel them start to slow the car. the abs system also seemed to act more slowly. i also drove my 1998 ford explorer on the same roads soon after driving the prius. the explorer abs system reacted more quickly and definitely stopped more quickly than the prius. *cn

Friday; 02/05/2010 i own a 2010 toyota prius i have been experiencing when i apply my brakes for months when driving over a uneven surface or a large holes. my vehicle does not respond when i try to slow down or apply brakes. its like i lost control. i tried to explain this condition to the selling dealer but he did not have a answer up to now. my 2010 toyota was purchased 09/22/2009. *tr

While driving on 2/5/10 in snowy conditions at about 15 mph, i slid through a stop light in my 2010 prius. i was driving cautiously, applied my brakes early, knowing the light might change. it changed to yellow and i had no brakes and slid into the intersection as the light turned red. i have had anti-lock brakes in my last two cars and have had my abs engage previously on my 2010 prius. during this event, no braking of any sort took place even though i had the brake pedal depressed. fortunately, i was not hit by other cars in the intersection. i have not had the problem examined yet, but will be taking my prius to the dealer. *cn

Momentary brake loss. 2010 prius, mfg. date 12/09. purchase date 2/1/10. low speed slowing down with light braking for stop light. happened over a man hole cover (i think). when it felt like the brakes quite momentarly. *cn

2010 toyota prius braking problem. going down steep long hill, with rough surface, we encounter this problem 1 or 2 times a week, repeatedly. it feels like we are "flying" down the hill briefly, out of control, while in fact, we are going approximately 15 miles per hour and are applying the brake in the same manner as always. this is very scary, as the hill has a huge deep ravine on one side, and a high cliff on the other side, and a cliff off a beach into the salt water at the bottom of the hill. the road is very narrow, with 2 vehicles going up and down only able to pass at selected positions, otherwise, one lane traffic. please demand that toyota recall this vehicle, and replace the software that controls the braking system. i understand from the news that they have this fix in place on new cars since last month. please recall this vehicle asap! my vehicle number is [xxx] production date 6/09. thank you. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2010 toyota prius iii. the consumers daughter was involved in an accident. the brakes did not stop the vehicle when they were applied. she collided with the vehicle in front of her, which then hit another vehicle. *jb

Temporary brake failure when braking over potholes or braking in a turn *cn

As i slow down in my 2010 toyota prius, if the car goes over any bumps, i feel an "acceleration" (actually a sudden stop in deceleration) as i am applying the brakes. i went to my toyota dealer and they acknowledged that they'd heard of the issue, but denied it was a problem. *tr

On wednesday, feb. 5, 2010, driving a 2010 prius on a michigan road at 25 mph, some ice or freeze over, approximately 9:30am. i approached the stop sign and there was no brake engagement, no sound or feel of an antilock brake system . i couldn't stop the car, so i had to proceed thru the stop intersection. there wasn't an accident since there wasn't a car crossing the intersection. *tr

Toyota prius 2010. my car has a braking problem , the rear wheels seem like they are not holding. if you hit a bump and the wheels are in the air =then grabs the ground . i thought that i was hitting pot holes causing this but there was none to see . *tw

I have a 2010 prius iii that was purchased on dec 23, 2009. i experienced a momentary loss (approx 0.5-1 sec) of braking power when i was driving over a road with some bumps. essentially, the brakes completely cut out, but came back while i was holding back the brake pedal. my mileage at the time was approx 4000 miles. so far, this has not repeated. another issue is inconsistent braking. holding the brake pedal down with constant force (my judgment) will cause the car to slow abruptly while at low speeds(<10 mph). this is a very different feeling from the regenerative braking portion (feels like little/no braking at all) and braking at higher speeds (>10 mph). *cn

My husband and i bought a 2010 toyota prius in november 2009. we both have noticed a sort of jerky feeling while braking over a small bump or pothole but we didn't think much of it until last night when i was driving home with my children. i was driving down a residential area at about 30 miles/hr. and was slowing down to stop at a red light. while i was braking i hit a medium sized pot hole. my car just leapt forward about 10 feet. i had my foot on the brake firmly the entire time but the car would not stop. finally my car came to a stop. i was very shaken by this incident. if there was a car in front of me i would have totally rearended them. i came home and immediately called the toyota dealership. i left a message with the service department. my call was returned by the manager this morning. she said that she had not heard anything from toyota about any brake issues and then she asked me whether i was speeding! she did not seem to believe me and basically said that there was nothing that they could do.*tr

Like many others, i too have experienced the brake problem with the 2010 prius. when going over a pothole (while using the brake), the brake fails momentarily and the car lurches forward. *tr

Toyota prius brake loss of control - when the vehicle goes over a bump (e.g. pothole, manhole) when the brake is being applied, it doesn't immediately stop but instead seems to lurch forward with the sensation of loss of control. this especially happens on city streets or in icy conditions. if there was a person or car in front of the vehicle, the prius would have hit the person/car. this happens every day at the same stop (bump in road when turning), as well as random places at least weekly since purchasing the car in september 2009. *jb

My 2010 prius lurches when i go over pot holes or rough patches. i can control the lurch, but it does not feel right. it does not happen all the time. i am not sure what makes the difference between it happening and not happening. i received the title to the car in 8/27/09. *jb

Temporary loss of control of my vehicle as i was going over a speed bump. i felt like my brakes had failed. *cn

I've owned my 2010 toyota prius for 5 months now and frequently (at least twice a month) experience problems when braking on uneven ground. when i am hitting the brakes and run over a pothole or sudden bump, the car stops slowing down and almost shoots forward (feels like i'm hydroplaning) for a split second then resumes braking. this happened most recently today and could have caused an accident if i were closer to the car in front of me when it occurred. *jb

When slowing to a red light on md 212 at us rt 1 in beltsville, md, my 2010 toyota prius rolled over a bumpy stretch of road and the regenerative brakes stopped braking. the car rolled forward in "free wheel" fashion until i stomped on the brakes hard at which point the friction brakes kicked in and stopped the vehicle in time to avoid an accident with the vehicle in front of me. the traction control indicator lamp lit, and remained lit until i released the brakes to accelerate when the light turned green. seems to be the same problem everyone is reporting in the news this morning. i've had the car 1.5 weeks, and this is the first time i've noticed the problem, although my wife claims it happened to her during our test drive. *tr

Our 2010 prius sometimes lurches forward on hitting a bump or driving on rough terrain. this happens predictably at certain locations. both my wife and i have observed this behavior, maybe a couple of times/week. not certain whether it's momentary acceleration or loss of braking but we think it's loss of braking. we have not yet taken any corrective action. i read in the paper that toyota is planning a recall. *jb

My current 2010 prius has the "jump" issue with the brakes, but this is not the first time that this has happened with the prius. my 2002 prius had the same issue, and i was not the only one. i was a member of a prius yahoo group, and this was a topic of discussion for a while. so while i do feel the "jump" i just thought it was part of the prius experience. whenever i drive over a pothole, it feels like the car is trying to jump it. when hitting the brakes, it feels like there is acceleration for just a second. this is not an intermittent problem. it happens every time. *tr

Braking power momentarily stops when hitting a bumpy surface such as pot hole or uneven road surface. even pressure causes momentary loss of braking power but power returns after a second and braking resumes. *tr

When driving over uneven terrain (ie.; railroad tracks, bumps in the road) my 2010 prius seems to accelerate. i read about the brakes failing... but it really feels like it is accelerating too. it is very scary when this happens as it feels that you will be thrushed into whatever might be in front of you. *tr

Brake failure - as i drive to work each day there is a place where i am turning onto a different road to get to work. as i approach the turn i brake to slow down and i always hit a bump in the road and/or a pothole close to the intersection. as i hit the area, my car shoots forward and it feels like i have lost my brakes. i can recover quickly by keeping my foot on the brake, but if i was closer to the intersection i could overshoot it and hit someone or someone could hit me. i mentioned it to the service manager when i got my first oil change at 5000 miles and he seemed very unconcerned and he said it was probably the abs brakes failing because the tire lost contact with the road. well i also have a 2002 highlander and have never had the problem with this car. *tr

Sometimes when i'm braking it feels like a surge in power of my toyota prius - 2010. *tr

When braking to a stop at relatively low speeds, if you hit a bump or a pothole, the car stops breaking and lurches forward. this lasts for less than a second before normal braking resumes. *tr

2010 prius braking problem. we thought is was us or the car. we bought in august 2009. my wife almost hit another car on 2/4. slow speed, bumps, the car did not appear to stop while braking, then it finally stopped. i told my wife of problems earlier, but they were periodic. *tr

I own a toyota prius 2010 purchased in the summer of 2009. i have experienced braking issues under certain conditions. *jb

I own a 2010 toyota prius. i have had multiple times when i have hit a bump and was applying the brakes and the car seems to skip or float. on feb 4, 2010 i was approaching a stop sign and was braking. just before the stop sign i hit a bump and the car slid through the stop sign and into the intersection. *tr

I have a 2010 prius and had a 2005 prius with all the safety features. when i had the 2005 prius, i noticed on some roads that during braking, the brakes would release then reengage, giving the sensation that the car is accelerating. this happens when the road has a series of dips (washboard). the first couple times this happened, it was rather frightening because the car in front of me had stopped, and i felt as if i were accelerating. this is a reproducible event that occurs at a known location that i simply avoid. the road in this particular area is also down slope, which lends to the acceleration feeling. i have driven my 2010 prius over this same area with very much the same result. my initial assessment was that the traction control took over to regain traction, however i would not thing this is acceptable. the toyota dealership said this is normal behavior and is not a problem. please feel free to contact me and i can describe better the conditions for this very reproducible event. *tr

The following describes exactly the problem: " .... momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump." i've had this happen several times since i purchased my prius in nov 2009, most recently this morning on the way to work (going down hill!) on the road. i've never hit anyone or anything but the risk of that happening is there and must be addressed with a recall & repair. *tr

The brake lights on my 2010 toyota prius do not illuminate under light braking. there is a very discernible "gap" after depressing the brake pedal before the brake lights illuminate. under light braking, the brake lights will not warn the driver of the car behind me that i am actually braking. this results in people tailgating me, and sometimes sounding their horn signal at me, while i am slowing down. once the pedal is depressed far enough -- under moderate to severe braking -- the brake lights will eventually illuminate. this has been confirmed by several co-workers and friends who also own this model of prius. all of our cars have the same issue with the brake light switch. *tr

I drove over a bump while braking and it felt like the car was sliding on ice. it felt like there were no brakes. *tr

2010 toyota prius brake problem. this occurs when hitting a brake when on some sort of rough road area, like a pothole or a bump. it feels like either the brake isn't engaging or it's speeding up. it's hard to tell. either way, it's scary and it can cause an accident. for instance, if you're driving in manhattan and you hit a pothole as you brake with a car in front of you. (i was lucky when this problem kicked in and i hit that pothole as there was no car in front of me at the time.) this problem has happened to me close to 10 times now. please note that this has happened numerous times. it happened within a couple days of when i got the car. i didn't see "brakes" on your list of parts that were defective. i did see "service brakes" in 3 categories, but i didn't know if "service brakes" was some special meaning, nor did i know which kinds of brakes had the problem (or even which kind the car has). *tr

Prius 2010 slow braking. i thought it was just me but now i found out the braking is rather slow and a lot of others feel the same way. i have to adjust my braking when i switch cars with my wife and have to extra careful when i switch back to prius. *tr

I purchased a 2010 toyota prius in december 2009. i live in duluth minnesota where the streets are hilly, bumpy, and often icy. at least twice a day, as i'm coming down a hill toward a stop sign and apply the brakes, i notice the brakes seem to give out (i.e., cease to function) for a brief interval, perhaps a second or two. during this brief interval, the car seems to surge forward. i reported this to the dealer this morning and they said no fix is yet available. *tr

My 2010 toyota prius brake problem: to begin driving my prius from a stopped position one releases the brake pedal before pressing the accelerator pedal. quite often when attempting to release the brake pedal on my prius there will be an instant jerk and any vehicle movement appears to be dead locked. after several attempts it will then appear to straighten out and then driving is ok. considering my driving habits, this is very much a safety problem for me, and also i don't trust the car. *tr

When our 2010 prius goes over a bump the brakes seem to disengage and speed feels like it is increasing. althouhg todays date is on the event this has been an ongoing concern since purchasing the vehicle last year. *jb

2010 prius braking issue. i have felt the loss of braking while going over potholes atleast 4 times since i have owned my 2010 prius since last year. *tr

I have had a brief failure of the brakes on my 2010 prius iv. i was driving in town coming back from the school where i teach. i slowed as i came up on another vehicle stopped at a stoplight. although i had my foot on the brake, it did not start to brake for a couple of seconds. i narrowly avoided an accident. *tr

2010 toyota prius. brakes would not work at low speed when approaching an intersection covered with sand/ gravel from recent snow abatement work. car rolled through stop sign. *tr

2010 toyota prius frequently accelerates briefly when braking after hitting pothole or going over a bump. in addition, frequently at start up, the brake pressure is extremely high, and the slightest release of the brake causes the car to lurch rapidly either forward or back, depending upon whether in drive or reverse. *tr