Problems with 2010 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

I have noticed an issue with the brakes not working for a second when i am going downhill in the parking garage, and going over a speed bump, when i go over the bump while the brakes are slightly pressed, it momentarily loses braking after going over the bump. i think it is an issue with switching from regenerative braking, to regular mechanical braking. i am able to repeat the issue consistently in one location in a parking structure that i park in. i noticed it around oct 2009 and have been noticing it since then. *tr

Toyota prius 2010. problem reported to dealer 12-18-2010. brakes become inoperative when passing over uneven surfaces, vehicle also at this time vehicle lurches forward. this occurs frequently. contrary to your form requirements there is no one "approximate incident date". shifter sometimes is difficult to put into neutral, rather it will instead go from drive to reverse. if there is also a sudden acceleration problem, this could be a big problem when trying to regain control. *tr

1. low driving speeds (<30 mph), moving down hill, decelerating as approaching a stop sign. 2. when the front wheel strikes pot hole, the braking action stops/decreases, the car moves forward more quickly. in the current case, there are a series of three pot holes, so hitting each pot hole increases the forward motion despite having break pedal depressed. consequence, is immediate difficulty to come to a stop at a stop sign. 3. no current correction has been attempted. *tr

Problem vehicle: 2010 toyota prius purchased in september 2009. when foot is on or off brake at speeds < approx 45 mph, and a large bump/pot hole/etc is traversed, the brakes fail for about a second (which feels like an uncontrolled acceleration). for that second the car is uncontrolled. this has happened at least 15 times since september 2009. this is especially dangerous is sudden braking is required or road conditions are hazardous. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving 45 mph and attempting to engage the brake pedal it extended to the floor; however, within a few seconds the brake would respond. she experienced the brake failure three times; during the second failure the brakes didn't respond and she collided into a vehicle and injured her neck. she has not taken the vehicle to the dealer since the failure occurred only when she hit a bump in the road. she will take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 3,000 and the current mileage was 10,000. updated 03/09/10. *lj the consumer stated she experienced brake problems with her vehicle twice while slowing down to come to a stop or to make a turn. the consumer stated she felt a release of the brakes and a surge after hitting a pot hole in the road. two ago, while driving, she hit a bump in the road and she felt the same acceleration, like the gas pedal was applied, but she was braking at the time. the consumer was involved in an accident where she was rear-ended. she was at a stop with her foot on the brake. the consumer stated when she was hit, she was pushed forward and hit the vehicle in front of her. updated 05/13/10

I have a 2010 toyota prius - it has 6,000 miles on it. two times the brakes have failed to engage when i have stepped on the brake pedal. it takes appx. 2 to 3 seconds before the brakes engage. *tr

Since i bought my 2010 toyota prius, i have been noticing that when i go over a bump or pothole in the road that the car lurches forward and seems to accelerate or i can't brake. it occurs a few times a week since i bought it in sept..2009 it is currently at the dealer and i don't know if they will be able to fix the problem. they didn't seem very confident that they would be able to. *tr

I purchased a 2010 prius in september 2009. within the first few days of driving i experienced a disconnect when i would hit the brake when going over a bump. this has happened at least 20 times since. i am contacting the dealer but i have not driven the car very much because i am upset about my safety as well as others on the road. *tr

I purchased a 2010 toyota prius in september. i have noticed that during the first few minutes of driving after the car has been started, if i go over a speed bump the car is much more difficult to brake to a stop. after the car is warmed up, this issue goes away. there is a speed bump i have to go over on my way home from work and have experienced the problem consistently. *tr

I have a 2010 prius purchased in september of 2009. it now has just over 5000 miles on it. since the beginning, probably the first weekend i owned the car, when braking if i hit a bump in the road, uneven surface, or a pothole or something, the car often feels like it lurches forward and i have to immediately release and rebrake. the car feels out of control. i have very often felt like i narrowly missed lurching forward into the car in front of me. the toyota dealership service department insists they only know of recalls regarding the sticking accelerator pedals, nothing about this braking issue. yet i read plenty online about this problem, so i know it isn't only happening to me. what can you do?? i've listed all three types of brakes in the equipment area of this form, because i don't know what it is - something about the hybrid braking system also charging the engine? also i listed the date as the day after i bought the car but this is ongoing, not a single incident by any means. *tr

I have a 2010 toyota prius purchased in july 2009. during ownership i experienced when there was a crease, hole or bump in the road when braking - it accelerating and lunges. i avoided situations like that and when the recall came, i took it to butler toyota (also had the floor mat hooks installed prior), on april 5, 2010. they supposedly fixed it. about a week later, i came upon a manhole cover in a road while braking and making a turn so going slow, and the same thing happened. the next day i purposely went through it to "test" and it did the same thing but lunge into the other lane. i was scared and called butler toyota. they told me to call national toyota to report. they contact butler and i went back in may 21, they did not repair it and "shrugged" their shoulders saying it's the abs. they offered to have a field tech person come drive my car. i called national again and they seem to be "mediating" this with butler. i found a report from consumeraffairs.com that this very similar issue was occurring back in 2008 and they called it "traction control". no one from toyota has told me this. i want it fixed or a different car. i have a teenage with a permit and if he was driving this and it occurred, he would probably run into someone because it takes you by surprise. i do fear him driving it due to his inexperience and i frankly am concerned and am very cautious as a result. *tr

Just wanted to add my two cents worth that the brakes on my 2010 prius aren't right. when i hit a pothole while braking, the car lurches forward a few more feet. it has almost put me into oncoming traffic a couple of times. this has happened numerous times. i purchased my car on august 28, 2009. please let me know when repairs and adjustments will be available to the public. *tr

Tl*the contact has 2010 toyota prius. the contact was engaging the brake pedal while driving 15 mph into a pot hole. once the contact drove into the pot hole the brakes released and she was forced to pump the brakes in order to stop the vehicle. the contact stated that there was a loud screeching noise as well. the failure mileage was 600. the current mileage was 5,600. *cn updated 02/17/10

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that the brakes failed while driving approximately 25 mph on a normal road surface. there was minimal hesitation when the brake pedal was engaged. the failure mileage was 1,200 and the current mileage was 9,700.

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that when he hit a bump in the road or a pothole and depressed the brake pedal, the brakes seemed to released or let go; instead of slowing down, the vehicle would continue moving at the same speed. he noticed the issue on an intermittent basis and only when on a rough or bumpy surface. he had not taken the vehicle to the dealership but called; he was told that they were looking into the problem. he had not called the manufacturer to-date. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 7,200. the failure mileage was approximately 2,100.

Prius, when brake was depressed it sped up when driving slow and hitting a pot hole this happened twice before toyota came out with the information about the brakes and once since the information has been in the news. i bought the car in august had the first incident in sept. one around christmas and one this month. didn't really know what was happening until now. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that the brakes were momentarily unresponsive at low speeds when driving approximately 10 mph over a pothole. she stated that the failure occurred 50% of the time she drove over a pothole or bumpy surface. she called the dealer and was told that the abs was the cause and it was normal. she called the manufacturer and was unable to speak with a representative. the vehicle has not been repaired to-date. the vehicle identification number was not available at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 4,000. the failure mileage was approximately 500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving 5 mph over railroad tracks with his foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated on its own. the failure does not occur while driving over smooth road surfaces. the dealer has not been contacted. no repairs were made to the vehicle. the failure mileage was 2000 and the current mileage was 11000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving over a rough surface, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. he stated that the anti-skid activated while driving on that type of surface. the failure occurred 100% of the time on roads with a rough surface. the dealer told him that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. he had not spoken with the manufacturer to-date. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was 13,202. the failure mileage was approximately 600.

While braking and turning and going over a small bump my prius seems to lose its brakes and accelerate for a split second . it has happened about 4 time in the last 6 months. *tr

Our 2010 toyota prius has experienced the loss of brake action, or the sensation of speeding up, when going over a bump, occasionally around corners and on uneven surfaces. *tr

On occasion the braking on our 2010 prius has not felt right. sometimes when braking and hitting a bump or pothole, there seems to be a brief period where the car feels like its accelerating or the brakes are not slowing it down properly. keeping pressure on the brakes gets by the problem but it is very unsettling and i have never had this problem with brakes in any car before. it has happened a few times since we bought the car in july 2009 but very intermittently. the date i am picking is just an approximate date for one of the incidents. i am reporting this now in light of the recent publicity about similar events reported by other owners, which made me realize what i had been noticing was a real issue. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the vehicle lunged forward and accelerated while the contact was driving approximately 20 mph and attempting to engage the brake pedal. the vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer who confirmed that it responded normally since the electrical engine switched over to the gasoline engine. the contact observed that the malfunction occurred continuously. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 17,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that when she attempted to stop the vehicle by engaging the brake pedal while driving approximately 26 mph over a pothole, the vehicle lunged forward. the dealer confirmed that the vehicle was functioning properly since it has an electrical engine. the failure continued to occur and has become more consistent. the failure mileage was 11,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius which was purchased in august 2009. she stated that whenever she applied the brake pedal during inclement or rainy weather conditions and uneven pavement, the vehicle lunged forward. the brakes would not engage and there would be a momentary hesitation. the dealer was contacted and advised her that it was normal and she must have been driving too fast. the contact confirmed she was not speeding and that even while traveling at speeds of less than 10 mph or in a parking lot, the failure would occur. the ecu module and the abs system was reprogrammed under the service brakes recall campaign id number: 10v039000. there were no additional failures since the repair was made. the failure mileage was 200 and the current mileage was 5,000.

Braking problems with 2010 toyota prius. since the purchase of this car on august 22, 2009, under the cash for clunkers program, my wife has repeatedly described the situation in which the brakes release unexpectedly. specifically, when braking at low speeds while driving over a rail crossing (single track), the brakes release momentarily as the car experiences the bumping motion induced by the tracks. this can be replicated at will. in addition, she has noticed a similar momentary release of the brakes when approaching a stop sign on a slick road when the anti-lock brake mechanism was engaged. in these few cases, the car rolled past the stop sign and partially into the main travel way. note this was not the result of sliding on slick pavement or the pulse-release of the anti-lock brake system but the release of brakes. none of these cases resulted in any physical impact or property damage--just the disconcerting feeling that the momentary loss of braking engendered. when my wife first noted this, i went to http://priuschat.com/, the prius owners forum (which i think is sponsored by toyota). the braking issue was noted by other forum members. *jb

Toyota prius 2010 going downhill pushing the brakes to stop before red light in the uneven pavement the car suddenly loses all fours wheels brakes for a fraction of a second . when the wheel that passed the road bump the brakes come back again and stop the car. it happened three time in the last 4 months that i have the car. same car defect in the fuel system. after leaving in the garage for 5 consecutive days, the car did not started automatically as it should do. it made for several seconds a metal to metal noise before the engine finally started to funtioning as usual. seams like the engine starved of fuel. same car excessive vibration on the driver side door panel when the radio or music is on. it stops when i hold with my knee tha panel. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that the brake failed to engage when he drove approximately 25 mph on rough road surfaces. the dealer stated that the abs engaged and that was a normal brake function. the failure occurred several times intermittently. the toyota manufacturer has not been contacted. the failure mileage was 46,000.

I have had a 2010 toyota prius since september 2009. i bought it from a dealer-toyota of lake city, seattle, wa. i have been experiencing the following problem: a momentary reduction in braking performance while traveling over an uneven road surface or bumps and applying the breaks. it feels like the brakes slip and the car jerks forward when the brakes are applied while traveling (especially downhill) on an uneven road surface or bumps. this problem occurs every time/day i drive on an uneven road surface or bumps, and try to apply the brakes. nothing has been done to correct the failure as no recall has been issued yet. dealer notified of problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. whenever the contact attempted to engage the brake pedal while driving 35 mph when the vehicle lunged forward and then it accelerated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and advised that the vehicle was operating normally for since it is equipped with an electrical engine switch. the failure has occurred repeatedly. the failure mileage was 6,000.

I want to report a momentary brake failure of 2010 prius over uneven roads 2 months ago. i didn't report it earlier because i didn't know if it was a one-off or systematic issue. two months ago, i was driving a newly owned prius with hardly 4000 miles on it over a stretch of rt. 93 from andover to boston. i was traveling at about 65 - 70 mph on the left fastest lane. i cam across a bumpy patch, probably the road was being repaired, and it was not late for me to slow down as i didn't expect such unevenness on a major highway. i stepped on the brake while the car was being tossed up and down by the bumps and i immediately felt that the car lost braking. luckily, there was no car ahead of me and the braking did recover after the car settled down. i owned 4 toyota's from suv to the hybrid and prius is the only one that has this problem. i just want to support other people's complaints about this car. i must say that the braking did recover quickly that a collision was not likely unless someone drive the car very fast on an uneven road that is also crowded. however, a car should not behave like this under any conditions. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving approximately 35 mph in rainy weather conditions, the driver encountered a pothole in the roadway and the anti-lock brake system engaged. suddenly, the brake pedal traveled to floor without resistance and a no power response. the vehicle slowed down after extreme and continuous force was applied to the brake pedal. the failure occurred when there was inclement weather conditions and potholes. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 1,000.

My 2010 prius which was purchased in august of 2009 on several occasions when braking on rough surface or pothole slips momentarily. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the vehicle began to accelerate without warning while driving approximately 15 mph over a pothole. the contact was forced to apply extreme pressure to the brake pedal in order to stop the vehicle. the dealer advised the contact that the vehicle will continue to respond that way whenever the electrical engine switched to the gasoline engine. the failure mileage was 3,000.

Problem is onset of acceleration when brakes applied in 2010 prius 4, purchased at antwerpen toyota, clarksville, md in august 2010. problem has been detected 2 times, without accident, but with significant increase in anxiety. both incidents were approaching a stop sign, and seemed to be related to change in acceleration due to rapid braking. first incident in september 2009 was considered a 'driver issue' since i had owned the prius only 1 month. however, second incident in november 2009 was clearly not a driver issue, and was initiated the same way--stopping at a stop sign after driving at highway speeds for some time. neither incident involved a traffic accident. *tr

I have noticed an issue with the brakes in my 2010 prius (iv) purchased in late august 2009 from wellesley toyota in wellesley, ma. i have noticed an odd pulsing in the brakes, much like the feeling of alb system kicking in. the car seems to continue moving right through my braking. i sometimes have to then slam the brakes to make the car stop. this is usually taking place as i am slowing to a stop sign or light -- and frequently when i'm going downhill. i had thought it had something to do with the switch between gas & electric powering but i can't be sure of that. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving approximately 10 mph over a speed bump or a pothole with her feet on the brake pedal the vehicle lunged forward and accelerated. the dealer stated that the vehicle was performing normally since the electrical engine was switching to the gasoline engine. the failure mileage was 6,000.

Approximately five times while driving my 2010 toyota prius i have experienced problems with stopping when one of my tires either is on a manhole cover or on uneven road(one tire in a pothole). when this occurs i am usually going approximately 30 mph. i apply the brake slowly to start to slow down for a stop sign. my right front tire rolls over a manhole cover and while my foot is still on the brake my car accelerates, lunging forward. this lasts for 1-2 seconds when i have no control over the vehicle. after this 1-2 seconds my brakes stop the vehicle. the entire time my foot has been on the brake. i know that if a car was in front of me at the time, i would have rear-ended it. every time this has occurred my traction control light goes on. i have had my car to the dealer 3 times with the same complaint. they even took the car out for a drive with me and of course we could never recreate what has happened to me. i was never told that other people were experiencing the same problems. however, in talking to people at the dealership, they said it may be the traction control because it is supposed to make your tires spin slower if you loose traction. it seems as if it does the opposite and speeds the tire up. i asked if there was any way they could check my traction control system to make sure it was working properly, but was told there is no way to check it. i am not sure if anyone has thought about the traction control system. it seems like everyone is pointing fingers to the braking system. it might be worthwhile to check into the traction control as well. it seems like a short amount of time to not be in control. but for that 1-2 seconds my heart always drops because i have no control over my vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. she experiences poor brake functionality during brake application. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for inspection. the technician could not duplicate the failure, so he could not provide a remedy. the failure mileage was 1,000.

Car: prius 2010 (purchased in august 2009) problem: braking failure on uneven surfaces or potholes i feel very unsafe and dangerous whenever i hit uneven surfaces or potholes because i feel i am losing control over my own car, especially since i am in los angeles where roads are not that great condition. i almost hit people several times because the brake and hit several cars when i was braking.... and, the brake is so weak that it doesn't hold the car that well on the hills. it goes backward whenever i stop at the traffic light on the hill and driving. i tried to talk to the dealer who helped me with purchase, but he made me look like i am a bad/unsafe driver who doesn't know how to drive well. the incident happened shortly after i purchased the vehicle, but i thought it was really my fault to not handling the "new" technology car well. it is very regretful to purchase a vehicle like this with so much money. *tr

While i was driving in city traffic and braking firmly as traffic slowed, one or both of my right-side tires passed over a manhole cover or hit a shallow pothole (this has happened several times). braking effort completely stopped for a second or two -- the car felt as if it were surging forward, but this was probably just the change from deceleration to coasting. braking resumed, either automatically or following increased pressure by me on the brake pedal, i'm not sure which. no collision resulted, but one easily could have if i had been following another car even a few feet closer than i was. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated when braking from speeds of at least 30 mph, the vehicle would abnormally surge forward. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. the contact stated the failure had occurred since the date of purchase and continued to recur intermittently. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 300 and the current mileage was 9,650.

When slowing down, if the car hits a pothole or bump in the road, it seems to accelerate. as soon as i put pressure on the brake, it stops. it almost feels like the car jumps ahead for a brief moment. *tr

1. while applying the brakes at low speed while riding over uneven or different road surfaces (such as pot hole or bridge). 2. the brakes seem to grip, then release, then grip again causing a miscalculation of braking distance required to safely stop the vehicle. it happens every time during the circumstances described in item 1 above. 3. nothing has been done to resolve the issue, although i understand that prius models sold after january 2010 have had this problem fixed. *tr

There are times that on my 2010 prius that the brakes seem to fail. if there is anything in the road (i.e raised lane markers, potholes, raised concrete) that the tire engages in during braking, it takes longer than it should to make a safe stop. also, when i park on a slight incline there seems to be braking issues where the car 'jerks' when i am in reverse. these two issues continue on a regular basis. *tr

2010 toyota prius with 2500 miles. since purchased on 8/2009, i had more than ten experiences of unexpected acceleration (sudden unintended acceleration) on reverse that feel like two or three time (stronger) faster than normal reverse. accompany the higher speed reverse, a heavy, abrupt braking with a slight touch of the brake during this event. the big "jerk" (braking) rock the entire car and banged heads again the headrests.this only happened with electric mode and most time with the car parked a slight incline. this unintended acceleration sometime happen a few time a day or it can go two, three weeks without any problem. the dealer can not find anything wrong with my car. and toyota have no information about this problem. however, if you go to priuschat forum under gen iii 2010 prius main forum-braking in reverse, there are many people with the same problems. i strongly believe this is very dangerous if a new driver get in my car and not know about it. there is one post in priuschat forum that best explain the problem: just yesterday, my prius-iii backed up with sudden unintended acceleration, with my foot only on the brake pedal.... i recognized what was happening because it happened once before, just over 2 months ago. just a few days after i got the car. when i was backing out of an inclined driveway... i suspect that some unusual element of the timing of turning the car on and shifting into reverse, and possibly the internal state of the computer and the hybrid power system combine to produce this "abrupt" reverse acceleration as i am gently easing off my foot pressure on the brake pedal... the abrupt braking effect does occur, but only in response to the much more dangerous "unexpected, unintended" reverse power (acceleration), to stop the car motion. no matter how gently the brake is eased further on to stop, the stop is "abrupt" by garygid orange county, ca. i am trying to work with toyota on this issue. thank you. *tr

I purchased a 2010 toyota prius (model v) in august 2009 and have had issues with the brakes ever since then. when driving on rough or uneven pavement, if i depress the brake to slow down, the car seems to skid or almost shoot forward instead of braking. the end result is that instead of immediately stopping, the car ends up sliding for about a second before stopping, which could obviously lead to an accident given the extra distance the car is traveling instead of braking immediately. after this happened repeatedly on a street near my home in san francisco, i took the car to the toyota dealer from which i bought it on november 24, 2009 (city toyota in daly city). after evaluating the car overnight, they gave me a written report (a copy of which i'm happy to provide) and told me that it had something to do with the antilock brakes but said it was a "normal characteristic of [the] vehicle." note that while they were looking at my prius, they gave me another loaner 2010 prius (model iii) and that car had the exact same issue (also noted on their written report). after listening to the news and seeing an article this morning where toyota admitted there were braking issues with 2010 prius cars made before january 2010, i became extremely concerned about the safety of my car and potential for an accident. i also understand that there are over 100 complaints for the same issue and want to add my experience to that list to ensure that toyota does a proper recall of my 2010 prius to fix the issue. i'm also extremely annoyed that i was told by a dealer that this was a "normal" condition only to find out now that it's absolutely not normal and that there are a significant number of individuals that have experienced the same problem, some of which have caused accidents. i just want the problem corrected. *tr

Have experienced the 2010 prius brake condition several times *cn

Toyota 2010 prius braking problem -- i purchased the car 8/09 and within about 1 month noticed brief braking failure -- at first thought it was my imagination. later thought it was from losing grip with the road surface momentarily as in going over a surface irregularity. this happened several times albeit intermittently. then for a couple of months it was not a noticed problem. last weekend i experienced it again. it was on a clear and seemingly even surface as i tried to slow coming to a traffic light. it is brief and then the brakes do successfully engage. *jb

The brakes seem to release if they are being applied while driving over a rough surface - speed bump, potholes, etc. this has occurred about 10-15 times since buying the vehicle in august 2009. *tr