Problems with 2010 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

When slowing for a stop sign - i struck a bump in the road and the brake did not feel like it applied for a quick moment. it caused me to stop further in to the intersection than i expected, or would have liked. *tr

1. going slightly downhill, one of the front tire went over a pothole, on other occasions, going over a slightly bumpy wet road 2. temporary (about 2-4 seconds) brake loss, has occurred about 3-5 times in 3 months 3. nothing done so far, waiting to visit dealer at 5000 miles or for toyota to issue some kind of recall. *tr

My 2010 toyota prius was delivered on december 15. i have observed that the brake pedal drops abruptly at times while slowing. i am not sure yet if it is after hitting a bump or just the transition of speeds. it is very sudden. it might result in loss of control if one is not aware of this. *cn

2010 prius - brakes stop working if they are being applied when car goes over bump or uneven road service. *jb

I purchased a 2010 toyota prius v in november 2009. shortly afterwards my wife experienced the problem with the brakes. she went to apply the brakes but the car just would not slow down. she practically had to stand to apply enough pressure to bring the car to a stop. we went back to the dealer twice, but could not find anything wrong. *tr

We purchased a 2010 prius in june and took it in for servicing in december. at that time we reported exactly the same problem that is now in the news -- when braking at low speed the vehicle occasionally lurches forward for an instant before slowing down. at the time we reported it, the dealer said that it was just the transition from electric to gas at the moment we applied the brakes. it now appears to be a more serious problem so i am writing to add our experience to your files. this problem does not happen often, but it is unsettling when it does since the driver does not expect the car to accelerate, even momentarily, during braking. in a tight situation or heavy traffic, this could easily cause an accident. so far when it has happened, there have been no consequences, but it is something we worry about. the date below is the date we reported the problem to our toyota dealer. *tr

While driving my 2010 toyota prius on roads with lots of bumps, potholes, sewer covers, etc, i have braking problems. when driving over one of these "obstacles" and i touch the brakes, the car lurches forward as if accelerating or slipping. i can then release the brake and step on it again to slow/stop the car, but if there was a car close in front, i would have certainly hit it. i purchased the car in august 2009 and have had this same problem happen at least 6-10 times. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the consumer stated as he began to slow down and applied the brakes. the vehicle traversed a portion of the roadway that had some potholes on it and the brakes released for what seemed a second. the consumer was doing about 30 mph and pressed the brake pedal more firmly. it seemed as the vehicle was attempting to use abs in a condition that it deemed was an uneven roadway/icy road conditions. however, the condition at the time was bare and dry. the consumer believed that the vehicle would operate as expected in dry smooth roadway conditions, but when the road surface was bumpy or slick, the abs system would act as if the vehicle were going to slide. the dealer performed the software update to alleviate the problem. failure mileage was 4,500. *updated 03/01/10 *bf updated 05/10/10*jb

I have owned a 2010 prius since august 2009. since the purchase i have put 10,000 miles on the vehicle. to date i have experienced the braking problem on three separate occasions. my husband had one experience. it appears that when the front tires hit an uneven or different surface the brakes will disengage very briefly and then catch when the tires hit even ground. *tr

I have a 2010 toyota prius purchased 2 november 2009 that is having the braking problem on an intermittent basis. sometimes when braking, the car will "lurch" forward when it should be coming to a stop. it happens just before i expect it to stop, and have compensated by braking more slowly in anticipation of stops. i worry about what would happen in a sudden, emergency stop, however. thank you. (the date below is just to complete the form; you should have a category for intermittent problems that aren't tied to a particular date.) *tr

Braking power suddenly gave out momentarily. this occurred at low speed. however, i was approaching a crosswalk with a pedestrian in it. if felt like the car lurched forward. i read the article in the nyt this morning which noted this problem with the prius and this definitely fits my situation. it does not happen frequently (3 or 4 times at most), but it is obviously a safety issue. i purchased my 2010 prius new on nov. 3, 2009 from toyota of seattle. i contacted the dealer about this issue a few days ago, but have received no response. *tr

Coming out of a parking lot downhill ... hit a bump ... brakes failed and almost sideswiped by oncoming traffic. hit the brakes a second time and car stopped just in time to avoid a collision. this is the only time we have had this happen ... brakes have worked ok rest of time. nothing done yet to correct the "bump" defect at slow speeds. *cn

Experienced loss of braking while decelerating on a down hill slope with ramp from i-55 north to bayless in st. louis when hitting a pot hole in the 2010 prius hybrid. the pothole has since been fixed and have not experienced any problems since. *tw *tr

Momentary loss of braking when abs activates causes car to travel an unexpected 12 feet. has happened 4 times since dec 2009. happens when slowing down for stop sign, or making left or right turn in traffic, when there is a slippery patch causing abs to trigger. *tr

whenever i hit a bump while applying brakes on my 2010 toyota prius, the brakes stop working for a short interval (about a second). i first noticed this issue about two months ago while driving to a doctor appointment. there was a small, unavoidable pothole about 200 feet before a traffic light. the light had turned red, and i was braking as i hit the pothole. to my surprise, my prius lurched forwarded nearly hitting the car in front of me. fortunately, the brakes re-engaged as i attempted to brake harder. i have had to travel that same road 3x a week for the past two months, and the problem is consistent and occurs every time i hit that bump when braking. i have since noticed it at other times, always when i hit a bump and am braking. the braking lag is substantial enough to have almost caused me to get in an accident on several occasions. the bumps that have triggered it have not been anything outside of what is very common to driving. i have called the dealership, and they acknowledge that there is no repair offered at this time (but claim that they expect one in a few weeks). they have offered me a rental car for a few weeks. *tr

Something weird happens when i am braking. as i am slowing and braking evenly, there is a very brief surge like i hit the accelerator, but my foot is no where near the accelerator. it feels like the brakes are not working at all for a brief moment. it seems to happen when i hit a bump, but it can also happen for no apparent reason. it has happened about 5 times now and it seems to be increasing in frequency. it also happened once when my boyfriend was driving it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately between 35-40 mph and encountered a bump in the roadway. there was pressure applied to the brake pedal, followed by no power response for a few seconds. the vehicle resumed to normal operation. in addition, there was an excessive knocking noise coming from the engine during the start up which occurred on two separate occasions. the vehicle had not been inspected for the malfunction. the failure mileage was 15,000.

I am writing in response to an article i read on msnbc.com where people mention a problem of which i have experienced the same thing. i have owned a 2010 toyota prius for 2 months/5,000 miles. on numerous occasions, i can feel the brakes slip. to be more exact, it feels as though, when i apply the brakes, the car lurches forward and then begins braking. there is a specific situation near my house where this consistently happens. it is when i am coming down a steep hill, and i apply the brakes to prepare for a right turn, the car performs as i mentioned before. it lurches, and then begins braking. *tr

My toyota prius has the problem that has been reported in the news. the vehicle has brake/stability control issues as soon as one of the wheels leave the suface of the road. the anti-lock "system" seems to be too aggressive and thereby is dangerous. there is nothing that the driver can do to avoid this. it is a traction-control/brake issue. also, rear vision is about as bad as looking out the rear of the oscar mayer weiner mobile. the side mirrors need more rear vision. *cn

1. events leading up to failure: moderate braking (~0.2 - 0.4 g) at moderate speed (~20 mph) while driving over choppy pavement such as might exist where road work is being done. 2. failure: as the car passes over the choppy pavement, braking force declines sharply without a change in brake pedal pressure. the consequence of this is that the car stops farther down the road than expected despite reflexive increased brake pressure on my part. this has happened three times in 7500 miles of very moderate driving. so far i have not had a collision or other accident from this unexpected behavior. i have never experienced this behavior in any other car including dozens of rental cars. 3. what was done to correct the failure. nothing. tw*

I've been monitoring the toyota recall news because i have experienced similar braking issues with my new 2010 prius. the best way i can describe it is as if the braking system "hiccups" when the brake is applied while traveling over an uneven road surface. as this was a new vehicle type that i had never driven before i thought it was inherent. *tr

We have experienced engine surges/lack of braking with our 2010 toyota prius on 5 different occasions during aug 2009 - feb 2010: -1: hit pothole with right front tire and experienced surge. -2: hit exact same pothole on another day and same result (surge). -3: while driving on paved road hit some ice and experienced surge. -4: while approaching stop light, applied brakes, when front right side of car hit gravel, experienced surge. -5: while preparing for left hand turn on busy street, when car went over a large drainage grate in the turn lane, experienced surge. *tr

Driving 35mph on straight road and ran over some unseen potholes. applied brakes and they did not function as expected. much less braking power than normal. *tr

2010 prius "freewheels" if you hit a bump while braking. this occurs every few weeks. nothing has been done to correct. *tr

Issue with brakes of prius 2010. we lose some control of the vehicle or it veers when the brakes are pushed sometimes. it happens very rarely but when we push the brake, the car will sometimes seems to slow, then accelerate a couple of feet before stopping. *tr

I have a 2010 prius purchased in late july 2009. i have definitely had problems with the braking system in winter weather on slippery surfaces. when braking, it feels like the antilock brake system fails and the wheels lock up momentarily. i don't let my wife or kids drive the car in slippery conditions. this is definitely an issue for me and i believe it should be investigated and pursued. i have contacted the dealer - alderman's toyota of rutland, vt about the issue. they are aware of the problem. *tr

I purchased a toyota prius 2010 in october last year. i have had one braking failure incident when the car failed to brake as i was approaching a stop street. the brakes did not respond and then a few seconds later kicked in and the car came to a slow stop. i have also experienced about 6 incidents where my car accelerated while my foot was on the brake. these incidents occurred when i traveled over a bump or variance in the road. i have scheduled a service so that toyota can review the braking system in my car. *tr

I have a 2010 toyota prius iv. on at least two occasions, when i pressed the brake pedal and hit a pothole, the car's brakes seemed to have stopped working for 1-3 seconds. it felt as if i lifted my foot off the brake pedal but i was pressing it about 1/3 of the way down. this increased my braking distance substantially. luckily there was no car or pedestrian in front of me. if there was one, i would have definitely hit them. *tr

Car hit bump or pothole on the freeway, while braking, braking power was significantly reduce for a short period of time. *tr

I'm the owner of a 2010 prius and twice now when applying the brakes firmly during a rain soaked day while going over the temporary steel plates used during road repairs as soon as the back wheels hit the surface the car shoots a head as if the brakes are temporarily not applying pressure at all. no one was hurt it is just very unsettling . *tr

During the first snowfall in dec 09 i was driving my wife's 2010 prius because i wanted to take this new car out to see how it would perform in icy conditions. as i approached a roundabout/traffic circle at less than 10 mph the brakes did not respond at first. i nearly rear ended the suv that was stopped at the circle. the ground was covered in ice. i had to spin the car at an angle to avoid hitting the suv. i am now reading that other people have had the same problem. i read that toyota has addressed that there is a problem but has not issued a recall. i have experienced brake slippage/not engaging when first pressing on the brakes 6-10 times with this car. applying the brakes over potholes seem to have the same effect but it seems more dangerous that this happens on icy roads since i live in the frozen tundra of green bay wisconsin. *tr

I own a 2010 toyota prius, and like many have experienced the brakes "cutting out" when slowing down and going over a rough section of road. i drive throughout the houston, texas area and have had this issue happen many times, usually unexpectedly. there are a few places i drive regularly that create the issue and i anticipate them and adjust my driving accordingly. *tr

2010 toyota prius hybrid brake problem: purchased new in october, 2009, my prius has experienced momentary brake failure while stopping under certain conditions. specifically, when i hit a bump while braking sometimes it feels like the brakes momentarily release and the car launches forward. this has happened 6 to 10 times since i purchsed the car. i alerted the dealer (bernardi toyota in framingahm, ma) about 3 - 4 weeks ago, and they were not aware of the problem. no solution has been offered yet. *cn

Bought a 2010 prius in october 2009. it currently has 3500 miles on it. at least three times the car felt as if it slipped on ice when applying the brakes (weather conditions were perfect - no ice, snow or rain). their is difficulty in clearing fog from the windows and one time i had trouble setting the cruise control. *tr

I purchased my 2010 prius in nov 2009. as admitted by toyota this feb 4, 2010, while braking, i have momentarily lost braking and the prius lurched forward. *tr

I purchased a new toyota prius 2010 in december 2009. almost immediately i noticed braking was 'odd' and i felt like when i would brake sometimes, the car jolted forward before stopping. after some self monitoring, i realized this particularly happened when crossing railroad tracks near my home en route to work. i have not had an accident but instead, have tried to brake more slowly and in general this has helped. however, a few times in traffic i have had to stop abruptly and about half the time it does the same thing, causing me to fully slam on the brakes. in the past i have had several toyota cars and rarely needed the full force of my anti-lock brakes in such situations. i have reported this problem to the dealer and he requested i wait until the 'break-in' period was over before making any decisions. that break-in period was defined as 5000 miles and i am now at about 4800, and the problem has not changed. when i reported it to the dealer, i had about 3000 miles on the car, and it was about one month after purchase (early january). at the time, the brakes were checked and no problem was identified. today i contacted the dealer about turning the vehicle back in since i am concerned and not happy with the vehicle's performance. *tr

When driving my car the brakes don't always seem to respond immediately. occasionally, but no always, the car will fail to brake when pedal is depressed and seems to move forward faster before finally braking. it is sporadic and when i first asked a dealership they said i was just unaccustomed to prius braking systems and that over time i would become more familiarized. this has happened several times and each time the vehicle was at a low velocity = 35mph. *tr

My 2010 prius won't stop on rough or iced up roads. *tr

Toyota prius 2010 brakes while on reverse gear suddenly becomes too sensitive and brings the vehicle to complete halt even on the slightest application of brake and when released the vehicle accelerates very fast and there by needing to hit brakes again which jolts the car back to halt. though it happens only on reverse it makes the car highly unpredictable while backing up. toyota dealers seem to ignore this complaint when taken for servicing and hence reporting on this portal. *jb

2010 prius: when applying braking pressure on slippery pavement there is a noticeable lag before braking action occurs. this can also occur on gravel roads on washboard surfaces. *tr

2010 prius with abs problem. on uneven surfaces (i.e. potholes) or icy roads i have not had 3 events where the brakes were not effective. one situation was so bad and almost caused a serious accident under snow/icy conditions that i brought the car to toyota immediately. i have a service record of that in mid december 2009. the service department kept my vehicle for a couple days and did icy road testing but never fully recreated the situation. i have documentation from the service department on this despite their not acknowledging a problem. i have a lot of recollection of the details leading up to the 3 scenarios that have occurred now and can likely give good insight. btw, from the stories i read today in the press i think toyota (and the stories) have the problem mostly described. i still have other concerns based on my experiences from the 3 events. *tr

I have noticed a braking problem with my 2010 toyota prius. i was slowing down because of a cow in the road and as i was slowing i hit a small bump and suddenly my brakes completely stopped working for about a second and it almost felt like the car was accelerating. i thought i was going to run into the cow and then the brakes grabbed again and i continued to slow down. it was not a good feeling. i also experienced a similar issue when i hit some ice on the road. when i hit the ice there was a brief second where the brakes seemed to be doing absolutely nothing at all. i could not feel the normal abs feel or anything. *tr

We have toyota prius 2010 model and there has been incidences in the past couple of months where the brakes have not functioned properly. on dec 7th 2009 on a traffic light signal my car despite applying the brakes kept on moving and ended up hitting another car. my car was damaged but i just couldn't comprehend the reason as to why the car didn't stop. even after couple of weeks when my husband was driving, while we were stopped at the traffic light, the car kept rolling forward. all we could think was that may be we were not pressing the brakes hard enough, but since other people have come out with similar problem with prius, the whole thing is making sense to us. i use prius regularly with my two young kids in the back but now i am scared to even drive it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving approxiamtely 20 mph and making a left or right turn with the brake pedal engaged, for a fraction of a second. the anti skid light illuminated and the brakes failed to slow the vehicle down. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the failure mileage was 3,000. updated 03/04/10. *lj updated 05/14/10.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving 5 mph depressing the brake pedal over a speed bump, the vehicle lunged forward and the vehicle proceeded to accelerate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that there was a computer glich that caused the failure to occur. the failure mileage was 5,000.

2010 toyota prius. consumer states brake failure in which the malfunction happened twice and caused an accident. *tgw the consumer stated the factory defect was not brought to light until after the second incident. although, toyota corrected the brake issue, the consumer has costs and outstanding problems with the vehicle because of the damage done in first incident, including problems with the wheel bearing. the consumer is requesting toyota reimburse him for monies paid to fix the vehicle and also to fix the wheel bearing that was not identified and not replaced. the consumer stated the first incident happened when he was about to make a right turn. there was snow on the roads and as he was making the turn, traveling about 9 or 10 mph, he started sliding toward the curb on the other side. he tried to brake, but he continued to slide. an instant before he hit the curb, the anti-lock brakes activated, but it was too late. he slid into the curb with the wheel turned, broke the wheel rim and flattened the tire. the second failure occurred when he was coming out of a mall parking lot heading toward a main street. the consumer stated he was coasting to the stop sign and applied the brakes, but nothing happened. he pushed them as hard as he could and again at the last second the anti-lock brakes activated. *jb

On about 5 or 6 occasions, i have experienced a momentary loss of braking capability in my 2010 toyota prius, which i purchased in november, 2009. no injuries or accidents of any kind have occurred and the loss of braking was for only a second or so, but when i read the reports today of nhtsa's investigation i knew that what i had experienced is exactly what has been described by others. this incident has occurred when braking at a relatively low rate of speed (25mph or less) over a bumpy, uneven surface in which both front tires are going over the uneven surface. the brake pedal depresses as normal and the brakes begin to work, but at the moment of contact with the bumpy area the brakes stop working momentarily, causing the vehicle to begin moving forward quickly for just a second. it feels almost like the vehicle is sliding or speeding up for just a second before resuming a descent in speed. i absolutely love my prius and in all other ways it is a great vehicle, but i did feel it was important to report this incident given your ongoing investigation. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated his brakes are not holding when he steps on the brakes. the contact stated it feels as if he is braking on ice, sliding to make a stop. the failure is intermittent. the contact called the dealer and they stated they had not heard of this problem. the contact will be taking the vehicle in to be repaired.the failure mileage 6700.

My wife and i purchased a 2010 toyota prius (new) in july, 2009. we have driven it slightly more than 8,000 miles. i have two safety related complaints to report with the braking system: complaint #1 - several times (perhaps 10-15) when applying the brakes after coasting a short distance as i prepare to stop, i have momentarily lost all braking. it feels as if i have hit a patch of glare ice with all four wheels. it always happens the moment i first apply the brakes, and then after a moment (perhaps a second or less) the braking system returns to normal operation. for that brief time there is no braking action at all. complaint #2 - several times (perhaps 8-10) when taking the car from "park" to "reverse" to back out of a parking space, the braking system is so sensitive that it is nearly impossible to control the car's speed. the brake pedal has nearly no "play" or "feel" to it, causing the car to jerk to a stop when the slightest pressure is applied. this results in a pattern of "coast a few feet and jerk to a stop, coast a few feet and jerk to a stop", repeated several times while backing up the necessary 30 +/- feet. i don't recall ever experiencing this problem while moving forward. since i have experienced each of these malfunctions multiple times over these past seven months, the "approximate incident date" below is arbitrary. *tr

I own a 2010 toyota prius and have experienced several times the braking failure problems recently discussed in the national media on snow and ice and on rough road surfaces. this has happened several times during the winter weather season particularly on snow and ice. i purchased my prius in july 2009. *tr