Problems with 2010 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

When applying the brakes to come to a stop at a red light, my 2010 toyota prius iv hit some rough road and began to surge/accelerate even with my foot on the brake. i pressed harder until the brakes were re-engaged. this has happened under similar circumstances (rough road) three times since taking ownership of the car sept 15, 2009. *jb

My 2010 prius brakes briefly stop working when i'm braking while driving over a bump or pothole. i have not been in an accident however this can lead to an accident in the future. this happens periodically and can be recreated. *tr

Lack of braking when hitting a bump in the road. in my case, there is a bumpy section of road under construction at the intersection of shiloh rd and fm 1171 in flower mound, tx. this problem occurs every time i brake at the traffic light at that intersection. *tr

We have twice experienced a brake cut-out, where we are coming to a stop sign with foot on brake and hit a bump/pot hole and the car lurches ahead as though we have temporarily removed our foot from the brake even though we haven't. *tw

While driving over a small utility access cover in the road, at a relatively low speed, our 2010 toyota prius momentarily lost braking power and seemed to accelerate for a very brief moment. although braking power was regained very quickly, this was alarming since there was a pedestrian in the crosswalk immediately in front of the vehicle. although this has occurred only once at the time of this report, we have also experienced unusually sensitive braking while in reverse. this problem was alleviated by shifting into neutral and then again into reverse. the problem while in reverse has occurred twice at the time of this report. this is my 3rd toyota prius and the first with any braking issues. the car has less than 2500 miles on it now and had approximately 1500 at the time of the loss of braking power. *tr

Toyota prius 2010 - breaks failed to stop car on 3 separate occasions during the past month. each occurrence was at an intersection (roads each time were plowed for snow, but still a bit slick). the car eventually stopped due to the vehicle slowing down, but still not breaking. one occurrence was at an intersection where the car did not break at a red light and i quickly turned the wheel to the right to proceed onto a side road. i have called the service department at the toyota dealership (where the car was purchased last fall), and have not received a response. *cn

I have been driving my 2010 prius for 6 months and have experienced the following nearly 10 times: when braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second. this results in less control over where the car comes to a complete stop. the most unnerving instances of this occur when approaching the end of a road or a crosswalk. i nearly hit a child because of this unpredictable reaction to a pothole. also, the brakes are less effective in snow than any other car i've ever driven. no matter how slow i'm going or how hard i hit the brakes, i've found that i'm guaranteed to skid several feet, oftentimes into intersections/traffic. perhaps unrelated to the pothole issue, but maybe not. both issues are extremely dangerous. *tr

2010 prius braking problem: when braking and vehicle encounters a bump in the road vehicle accelerates and surges forward. this has occurred approx 15-20 occasions. fortunately we have been able to stop the vehicle safely. reported to dealer and was informed this was "normal". *jb

Event occurs at slow speeds when coming to a stop on an icy surface. initially brakes feel like they are working properly. then the brakes appear to stop working for split second. there is a sense that the car is accelerating, but i believe the sensation is caused by the brakes not working. after a split second the brakes appear to work properly again. has only occurred at low speeds on an icy surface. the concern is that the required stopping distance is extended beyond expectations. this has occurred about 10 times this winter. after the first incident, i thought the car was sliding on the ice. however after repeated occurrences, the sensation is not sliding. the sensation is that the brakes have stopped working for a split second. *tr

I have experienced the momentary loss of brakes on my 2010 prius numerous times under various driving conditions. all of the instances occurred at fairly low speeds and i considered it more of a nuisance or " nature of the beast " than anything else. once was on a level, dry, residential road approaching a stop sign. another has happened a number of times at the same spot (a right hand turn onto a residential street - my route home from work ). and a couple of times on snow covered roads ( i actually thought those were very short skids before the abs engaged) *tw

2010 toyota prius brake problem. brakes do not work properly particularly in snowy day. *tr

I bought a 2010 prius in late december and about two weeks ago, i was driving on a local street, which had some potholes on it. i could see a pothole ahead of me. another car was coming from the opposite direction, which prohibited me from avoiding the pothole. i therefore braked slowly and came almost to a full stop as i went over the pothole. my foot was on the brake during this entire episode, but as i went over the pothole, the car suddenly accelerated. although i did not have an accident or hit anything, the reaction of the car was very unusual. since then, there have been some occasions when i have been at a light or stop sign with my foot on the brake and it has felt as if the car were about to move ahead, despite my foot being on the brake; it has felt like i needed to apply more pressure than normal to the brake in order for the brake mechanism to work properly. *tr

On two distinct occasions our 2010 prius brakes appeared to disengage with the car continuing forward without slowing. this occurred regardless of how hard the brake pedal was pushed. this is not related to the accelerator pedal. in each instance, our local toyota dealer was contacted and they insisted there was no problem. *tr

2010 toyota prius bought on sept 28, 2009. i have experienced the following thrice "when braking, if a pothole is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates ." the first time i thought i was imagining it, but when it happened on a couple of occasions after that i realized it is real. i am extra cautious while driving this car compared to my family's other cars. in normal course of operation the brakes are working fine. *tr

We own a 2010 toyota prius and noticed that the car "kicks" a little when applying the brakes lightly. we didn't think much of it at first because we live in chicago and the streets are quite weathered. we thought the "kicks" we felt might be the car bumping along uneven roads. thankfully, we have not been involved in any accidents. other than this issue, we are pleased with the car. *tr

I have a 2010 prius. on at least three occasions, in the last six months, the following has occurred. when i am traveling and i apply brake pressure the vehicle begins to accelerate. no matter how hard i press on the brake pedal it does not slow down or stop the vehicle. it actually begins to speeds up while my foot is pressing down on the brake pedal. the acceleration has only lasted approximately 5-6 seconds. however, it is very frightening when you are traveling at a high rate of speed and trying to slow down especially off a freeway off ramp. the last thing you want to do at that time is accelerate even if it is momentarily. this has occurred in various places. it has happened while i am getting off of the freeway and on city streets. there was nothing i did in particular that corrected the failure. the prius just stopped accelerating on it's own. *tr

Regarding my 2010 toyota prius i purchased in november 2009: sometimes on icy, snowy streets there has been a delay after i press the brake pedal before the anti-lock brakes activate. the car has just skidded at first. this delay in braking has also occurred when i have applied the brakes on bumpy surfaces. total incidents have been five--three on ice, two on bumpy surfaces. *tw *tr

Brakes seem to fail when braking over a depression in the road or when braking on icy patches of the road. this has happened at least five times in december, 2009 and january/february 2010. prius *tw

When my vehicle is first started in the morning the brakes grab suddenly. this occurs at least twice a week. i have owned the new car for 1.5 months. i have not taken the vehicle to the dealer. *tr

When applying the brakes on my 2010 prius, there is a surge in the car when it hit a manhole cover (bump). this happened under 20 mph on gentle brake application. upon pushing on the pedal further, the car resumed braking and stopped. this "surge" lasted only a fraction of a second but was very disturbing and should not occur. *tr

My 2010 prius accelerates over bumpy road conditions irrespective of whether or not my foot is on the brake or not on anything at all.

I have a 2010 prius and am also having brake problems. the brakes intermittently seems to slip for a couple seconds. it seems to happen at low speeds, on hills, and in the middle of the time i am pressing on the brake. it has happened both while continuously pressing the brake and also as i ease off the pressure on the brake. the behavior is occasional, but recurring. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated under normal conditions as she was driving at 45mph and coming to a stop with her feet on the brakes the vehicle lunged forward before stopping. the contact call the dealer and inform them of this and was told there is no problems with the vehicle and they never heard of this failure. there had been no prior maintenance performed on the vehicle prior to the failure. the failure mileage was 1,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that whenever she attempts to stop on an uneven road, the brakes fail to stop the vehicle. whenever the failure occurred the speed varies. the vehicle also briefly lunged forward and accelerated. the brakes squeak continuously when the vehicle is driven. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the vehicle was functioning normally since it has an electrical engine combined with a gasoline engine. the failure mileage was 18,000.

01/13/2010 - i went to the service dept at toyota of wallingford to complain about the loss of brakes in a new 2010 toyota prius while driving over uneven ground. i had owned the car one month with 1500 miles on the odometer. the loss of control of the car is terrifying because the car seems to accelerate forward. the service attendant was aware of the issue and described the situation. he took the car on a test drive. he assured me it was not a safety issue. *tr

Braking does not occur immediately on occasion on toyota 2010 prius. traction light even comes on as if you are skidding. this has occurred several time for me since owning the car in sept 2009. i have had a prius from each generation (this is my third prius) - this did not occur in those. did call dealer on this. exact dates not kept but will put an estimate of last time below. *tr

Multiple events/failures, here is a summary: 1) while braking over rougher road conditions -- not potholes, but regular roughness/bumps in roads -- brakes feel like they momentarily no longer function/go out. as soon as you return to smooth road surfaces, the problem corrects itself. this has occurred on numerous occasions, the dealership with whom i purchased my vehicle were unaware of the problem when i called them, even thought it has been discussed in the national news. 2) brake malfunction on slippery roads. i was driving to work and going very slow, leaving more than enough space to stop from the car in front of me. i approached a red light and lightly applied the brakes. having plenty of space to stop, i realized that my car was not slowing as it should. regardless of the pressure applied there was no change. i ended up stopping by rearending the vehicle in front of me. the damage was minimal, but scary nonetheless. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while the contact was driving 20 mph, she attempted to stop the vehicle and noticed hesitation when the brake pedal was engaged. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 2747.

Several times since i purchased my 2010 toyota prius on dec. 23rd 2009, i've experienced momentary loss of brake control while braking. it happens for like a split second then return to normal. i haven't noticed any connection between when it happens and rough road surfaces. *tr

2010 toyota prius seems to accelerate when i apply brakes to slow down and car goes into shallow pothole. this event is repeatable and happens every time i slow down at a particular stop sign with a pothole in front of it. fortunately there has never been a car in front of me and i now know to avoid this spot. car behaves normally once it has cleared the pothole. this occurs at slow speeds ( 20mph down to 0 ) has not happened anywhere else, but happens everytime at this location. *tr

I have a 2010 prius that "lurches" when i brake. this only happens every once and a while. i took it to the toyota dealership, they looked it over and said it was fine. to say the least i continue to be very concerned. *tr

I bought a 2010 toyota prius in june of 2009. on several occasions, i have noticed the brakes not working properly when i have tried braking while going over a speed bump. instead of slowing or stopping, the car feels like it actually is lurching forward. it corrects itself almost immediately, but there is that second when it feels like it isn't going to stop. in reading several stories about reported brake issues with the prius, i realized that other people are having the same issue. i have put in below the approximate date that was the last time this happened. *tr

2010 toyota prius braking problem. i bought a 2010 toyota prius approx 4 months ago. during the approx 10000 miles i have put on the car, i have experienced a braking issue approx 5 to 6 times. most times i was braking for a stop sign in a 30 mph zone. once i was braking for a red light in a 45 mph zone. each time, there was bumpy road during the braking, and the brakes released. i can't say if the car accelerated, or it just seemed that way because of the brake release. it did not cause any accidents, but once it was on a snow covered hill and i slid out into a 2 lane 50 mph highway. there was no traffic, and therefore no accident. another time, i was stopping from 45 mph at a red light, and under braking, again on bumpy roads, the brakes released and i nearly hit the car in front of me. the brakes released enough allow me to panic and jam the brake pedal to the floor. the car stopped quickly. *jb

The cruise control on my 2010 toyota prius does not always cancel while braking. this has resulted in unintended acceleration after braking while the cruise control has been set. a driver expects that the cruise control will automatically cancel while applying the brakes but this does not happen under light braking. this is even more pronounced while driving up a steep hill. on january 11th, 2010, i was in a situation where i actually applied the brakes to reduce my speed while traveling up a steep hill and felt the car "fighting" against me to maintain a steady speed. after i had slowed my prius to match the speed of the car in front of me, the cruise control unexpectedly caused the car to accelerate again, placing me at a less than safe distance to the car in front of me as we crested the hill. *tr

I have a 2010 prius and have experienced surges when coming to a stop on snow or ice. i have almost hit the car in front of me several times. this is dangerous and should be fixed *tw

Toyota prius 2010 - it has happened to me, multiple times this winter, during icy roads that when i try to brake the car accelerates as if someone hit the car from behind. then, the car eventually stops. i have had the car for 6 months and i live in the midwest and it has only happened this winter when roads are icy or slushy. *cn

We own a 2010 prius and several times since we purchased it in november 2009 we have noticed issues with the braking system. on each occasion we were driving over an uneven or slippery surface (e.g., potholes, icy manhole covers) and when the brake was pressed it didn't immediately engage or catch. rather, the brakes engaged after the car passed the slippery or bumpy surface. the problem seems to result in an acceleration (or perhaps slower deceleration) when one steps on the brake pedal. on at least one occasion, an indicator light on the dash display lit up. *tr

His happens about once every two weeks with our new 2010 prius. when we press the brake the car accelerates for a second. it seems very dangerous. when i call my dealership they have been dismissive and said it was a problem with the mats, we tried different mats and even took them out and the problem still persists. i haven't called the dealership i n a while but last time they still said it was a floor mat problem. *tr

I knew something was wrong, even before reading the online complaints about the 2010 prius and its braking problems that echoed my suspicions---- when sometimes braking over a pothole or railroad tracks or ice or any kind of bump, there is a surge of acceleration. to the extent that one time my 15 year old daughter said, 'what was that?" i'd driven a saab 93 for 130,000 miles before we recently bought the prius--i never felt anything like this before. *tr

Braking irregularity on icy surfaces, vehicle feels like rear wheels skid 4-8 feet then all wheels grab when normal braking for a stop sign. enough deceleration to have seatbelt grab and dog projected into front seat area from rear cargo platform. same feeling as if brakes were locked up while moving on solid ice and the surface changed to dry road. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving approximately 40 mph on uneven roads, the vehicle failed to stop immediately when the brakes were applied. the vehicle also lunged forward. the failure mileage was unavailable. the current mileage was 5300.

While braking on a short hill with uneven pavement surface vehicle brakes failed momentarily and then took hold as i pressed harder on the pedal. this occurred 3 times on the same hill. *tr

When i brake my 2010 prius and hit a bump it lurches forward, causing momentary loss of control. *tr

I have had several problems with my 2010 toyota prius. i have found the brakes to be undependable in situations of uneven pavement or anything but perfect road conditions. after applying the brakes, the car continues to move forward as if the brakes were never applied. this continues for several seconds causing a dangerous delay in performance of the brakes. this has occurred several times this winter, and is unfortunately not predictable. one instance led to my car slamming into an snow and ice bank damaging the lower front part of the car. any other car i have driven would have stopped long before having contact with the bank, as the pavement was dry yet uneven. another issue i have had is unreliable acceleration, again a hesitation of several seconds after the accelerator pedal is pushed that is dangerous as well making performance unpredictable. both these situations leaves me uncertain of what kind of performance i can expect form both the brakes and accelerator at any given time. since i drive my daughter to school each day, i am nervous every time i get into the car and concerned about the safety of my daughter and the other students. i also regularly wake up in the middle of the night fearful about driving my prius to school and work the following day. so far i have done nothing to correct the situation as toyota dealerships are so swamped by other recall appointments that it is nearly impossible to get an appointment for anything but a recall. so far toyota has not contacted me about the brake recall solutions or recall process, so i am at a loss about where to turn. *tr

The brakes on our 2010 prius have repeatedly had problems. most have occured with my wife driving the vehicle. she had told me several months ago about the car feeling like it was "sliding" or the brakes not being very effective for a short time. i passed this off as the the car being different than other cars since it was a hybrid. then about 3 weeks ago i had it happen to me. while turning and going over a small hump in a driveway about 15 mph, the brakes just seemed to release for about a half second and i almost ran into an iron gate. i cannot describe the other events that my wife has had in detail because occurred over the last several months and she does not remember the specific details besides that they happened over uneven pavement while applying the brakes. *cn

2010 toyota prius anti-lock brakes fail to stop skidding on minor ice. *tr

2010 prius - braking effectiveness is lost on rough surfaces. the car gives the sensation of lurching ahead. in addition, we have experienced surging problems when using the cruise control. rather than accelerations to the preset speed, the acceleration continues past the setting until the cruise control is canceled by tapping the brakes. *tr

When i hit particular intersections or when the ground is covered with ice or snow, my brakes will begin to slow down the vehicle. but then they fail. i lose control of my vehicle. i have to re-push the brake pedal for it to actually brake. it is scary and dangerous because i have no control over my car when the brakes are out and one of these times it is going to cause an accident. since i purchased the car brand new in july, it has happened to me over 10 times. i only have 5300 miles on my car. i'm not sure what i can do to correct the problem. *tr

Incident 1: weather condition - cold and dry. road condition - bumpy, washboard just before a stop sign pressed on brake pedal, car slowed until washboard section of road came up, then brake seemed to disappear briefly and then car stopped. very frightening. if there was someone in front of me i would have hit them. no injuries, no crash. incident 2 weather condition: snow, snow falling, 1" on roadway. location: parking lot. came around corner very slowly due to weather conditions. abs came on early when applying brakes and the brakes appeared not to work for a brief time and then they worked but stop was much longer than it should have been. i almost hit a wall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated when driving downhill and attempting to brake, the brakes would not engage and intermittently could not be depressed. the contact had received repairs under nhtsa recall campaign id number: 10v039000 (service brakes, air: antilock: control unit/module). the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure and no further repairs were made to the vehicle. the manufacturer was contacted via email and the contact was awaiting a response. the failure persisted. the failure mileage was 5,000 and the current mileage was 9,000. updated 07/06/10.*jb updated 11/15/10 *cn the consumer stated there is still a delayed response in the braking mechanism when going down hills. updated 11/24/10 *jb