Problems with 2010 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Dear sir, i would like to bring a problem to your attention. i purchased a 2010 toyota prius, vin# [xxx] , in june 2009. the problem is not the brake problem being described in the predicted recall. my problem is as follows: when the vehicle is driven and then parked (shut down ) and started again, the brakes will lock up at the slightest pressure on the brake pedal. when starting out of a parking spot, either forward or backward, the slightest touch of the brake pedal will lock the brakes and stand the car on it's nose. i have found that if the problem occurs, i can either stop the vehicle ( shut off with the start button ) or hold down hard on the pedal for 10 to 20 seconds, the brakes perform normally. i returned the vehicle to the dealer in august 2009 for an oil change and reported the problem, but the service department dismissed the complaint as 'could not duplicate the complaint' even though i explained that it did not occur every time. i can not connect the problem with any particular situation. it can occur with normal driving or in eco mode. i feel it is an annoyance more than anything else, but could pose a problem in certain circumstances. i will gladly answer any questions you may have regarding this problem. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. occasionally when he drivers over a rough terrain or speed bumps when attempts to apply the brakes, the brakes will not function for several seconds. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership. the current and failure mileages were 6000. updated 01/29/10 *bf updated 02/01/10.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving approximately between 10 to 20 mph on an uneven road surface; proceeding to a complete stop and applying pressure to the brake pedal, was followed by a no power response. suddenly, the vehicle resumed normal operation within a few seconds. the failure continued to occur intermittently whenever encountering an uneven road surface or pothole. the vehicle has not been inspected for the malfunction. the failure mileage was 300. updated 02/26/10 *bf the consumer stated she was satisfied that the complaint described the problem she reported. updated 04/29/10.*jb

Tl*the contact owns 2010 toyota prius. while driving approximately 20 mph on an uneven raised roadway surface; proceeding to make a left turn. pressure was applied to the brake pedal, followed by an unintended acceleration. the vehicle resumed to normal operation after applying pressure to the brake pedal. the failure occurred whenever encountering an uneven road surface. the vehicle has not been inspected for the malfunction. the failure mileage was 400.

During moderate braking when there are uneven or potholes in road there is a hesitation between the dynamic braking and the disc brakes. there seems to be a delay enough to scare the driver especially if it was the first time. *tr

My 2010 toyota prius was purchased in july 2009. when i try to brake on a bumpy road the brakes fail and the car actually momentarily accelerates. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving 15 mph and engaging the brake pedal the vehicle failed to stop immediately. occasionally, the vehicle also responded as if it were hydroplaning on normal road conditions and within moments, the brakes would reset. the dealer stated that the vehicle was equipped with an abs. the failure was a normal occurrence for the vehicle. there were no recalls. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 7 and the current mileage was 3500.

While driving my 2010 prius, i have experienced unintended brake release on 6 occasions since taking delivery of the car in june 2009. during the summer, on dry pavement, the 1st incident occurred while approaching an intersection and going into a right turn, the left front wheel rolls over a (flush to the pavement) manhole cover. the car lost braking and jumped/slipped forward. fortunately, there was no car close in front of me. this occurred 2x as this is one of my normal routes to work. on 2 other occasions, near my home approaching an intersection in which i needed to slow down, the car jumped when applying the brakes. the pavement was in 2 sections (split horizontally), one part concrete and the adjoining section asphalt. the car slipped/jumped forward while braking. the 5th occasion occurred approaching an intersection and the car lurched forward as i tried to stop almost hitting the car in front of me. this was on dry pavement, don't know the reason. going over potholes on at least 1 occasion,the same reaction. had mentioned to the dealership several times, the first time being at a new owner orientation meeting. they were not familiar with this issue. was advised if it keeps occurring, to bring the car in for an inspection. i now have an inspection scheduled for friday feb 5th at the dealership. *tr

Infrequently, but repeatedly, while braking at low speeds, the brakes on my 2010 toyota prius will briefly cut out. when this occurs, the car will often seem to surge forward for the briefly period; it is hard to tell if this is simply a period of discontinued deceleration, or in fact a brief burst of acceleration. in over seven months of ownership, this has occurred at least 10 times, but certainly less than 50. it typically seems to happen when traveling on wet roads (i live in seattle) or after sudden change in the nature of the road (i.e. a pot hole or change of road surface height/type). so far this has not resulted in any injury or crash, but is concerning. *tr

My 2010 pruis tends to lurch forward when braking. this mainly seems to occur when the surface changes while braking, like driving over a manhole cover, pothole or slippery surface. i have experienced this every since i bought the car in june 2009. i reported it to the dealer at my first check-up, and was told that it was a function of the unique braking system on the prius, and that they hadn't heard the complaint before (too new in the model year). no record was made of my complaint. i have lived with it ever since, and it happens at least twice a week; just happened again yesterday. at one intersection on my commute i hit the same surface every time and it lurches almost every time. it feels almost as if i have lifted my foot off the brake pedal and it lurches forward, although i can't say if it feels like it is accelerating or if it is just the inertia of the car that causes it to lurch forward. it has not caused an accident yet, but since the car lurches a few feet forward, i know that i would hit any car too close in front of me. i also worry that in snow or ice it would cause a skid to occur or send me into a different lane. i was not at all surprised to hear about this on the news this morning, and regret that i did not know about this complaint form to file or i would have back in july. i can't state an incident date since it is ongoing. *tr

Momentary brake failure on 2010 prius, has occurred on numerous occasions. *tr

My 2010 toyota prius, purchased in july 2009, experiences braking problems on wet or slightly bumpy roads. when i hit the brake, the car jumps forward in these conditions. if i were tailgating the car before me, it could crash. *tr

Momentary lack of braking on 2010 toyota prius bought summer of 09. has happened many times. also brakes grab erratically jerking the car severely when in reverse. same problems are noted by many, many owners on priuschat.com forum.*tr

Shortly after date of purchase of my prius i have reported to toyota service department on numerous occasions that the brake system feels faulty: the brakes often lock or do not function at all when the car is at a slight incline either going up or down a road. there is also a constant high pitched noise emanating from the wheels. toyota has claimed that it is a "characteristic feature" of the car and have been unable to locate the issue. toyota has reviewed this issue at a minimum or 5 or 6 times and have not done any repairs to my car at all. the car was purchased and is always taken to keyes toyota in van nuys, ca. i am submitting a date below with this form as requested, but the issue has been ongoing for many months since june 2009. i specifically expressed my concern to toyota because i often have my infant and toddler niece and nephew in the car with me. toyota claimed there is no reason for concern and that they "could find nothing wrong with the car". *cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that when driving over a rough surface while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle accelerated; however, the failure did not recur on smooth road surfaces. the failure occurred on a weekly basis. he called the dealer and was told that there was nothing they could do to repair the vehicle until the manufacturer advised them. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. the current mileage was approximately 5,000. the failure mileage was approximately 20.

Purchased 2010 prius v apporx. mid-june. drving in first wk of ownership, observed break problem. vehcile had approx. 50 miles on. drining 25-30 mph on straight, smooth, blacktop road on a sunny, nice day. a car backed out of a 45 deg parking spot without warning, i had to slamp on breaks at the same time the gas/electric motors were switching. the break pedal lost feeling that it had pressure until i pushed the break pedal another 2 inches more to feel pressure and that the breaks were grabbing. i did not report this in june, due to i thought i was imagining things due to the emergency stop took my attention to some degree. i was a service manager for chrysler years ago, so i am very familiar with vehcile mechanical systems and i have purchsed approximately 25 new vehciles in my lifetime.

I own a 2010 toyota prius and am experiencing the exact problem that was just announced about the brakes. when i brake over a bumpy surface the brakes go almost to the floor before i am able to stop. also happens on snowy/icy surfaces. i had toyota look at my brakes on 10/27/09 at toyota scion of oak lawn, il. i was told by them that my brakes checked out fine. *jb

Tl* the contact has a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that the vehicle feels as if the brakes release if he hits a bump while pressing the brakes. the contact stated that it felt like the vehicle surged forward.the contact stated that it only happens when the vehicle hits a bump or pothole. the failure mileage was 100. the current mileage was 5000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that the brakes failed whenever the vehicle is driven approximately 15 mph over bumpy pavement. the failure has occurred since the vehicle was purchased. the most recent failure mileage was 10,456 which was also the current mileage.

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that as she was coming to a stop and the road was wet when there was gravel on the road the brakes would not engage while being depressed. the vehicle lunged forward and hit the curb a couple of times. when driving at a high speed and slowing down the brakes did not hold and a crash almost occurred. the contact stated that on several occasions brake failure occurred since the vehicle was purchased. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the failure was not related to the brakes but how she drove the vehicle. the toyota manufacturer have not been called for the failure. the failure mileage was 14,905.

I own a 2010 prius and purchased in 5/2009. i simply want to confirm that the brakes seem disengaged when going over bumps and stutter bumps, and this is short lived. for me, this was not enough of an issue to initially complain. however, i could see that if there was a series of stutter bumps, i might lose braking altogether. *tr

2010 toyota prius purchased april 2009. reported to dealer shortly after purchase that antilock brake system releases brakes and lunges car forward if tires encounter uneven surface (e.g., pothole) while braking. occurrence has resulted in missing stop signs, but no accident to date. toyota dealership reported that this was normal operation despite my calling the dealership on two separate occasions. *tr

2010 toyota prius iii, purchased december 2009 from dch brunswick toyota, north brunswick, nj 08902 i experienced atleast 3 different incidents of the following, sometimes at the same spot on a road - when braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second. *tr

I was driving my 2010 toyota prius (which i purchased in july of 2009) around 6:30 pm wednesday jan. 27th 2010 in an area with many traffic lights. the temperature was below freezing. i was going between 25 - 30 mph and i was following two other vehicles at a safe distance. the vehicle in front of me came to a sudden stop in response to the vehicle in from of him stopping suddenly for a red light at a traffic light. i hit my brakes and it felt as if there was a momentary pause before the brakes engaged. i hit the vehicle in front of me at less than 5 mph. the accident caused damage to the hood and front end of my vehicle. the vehicle in front of me was a suv so i caused only slight damage to his rear bumper (the front end of my car went under his bumper). i was folllowing at a safe distance and feel that the momentary pause from the time i hit my brake pedal to the brakes engaging caused me to bump into the vehicle in front of me. *tr

Have a 2010 toyota prius purchased in dec. '09. wife was approaching an intersection, braked, proceeded straight through the intersection, and as she crossed the crown of the street (for drainage), she experienced a momentary loss of braking. it has occurred one time so far. nothing has been done to correct failure. *tr

Driving normally on a rough road i came to an intersection where i had to apply the brakes. in this instance i applied the brakes and the vehicle started to slow as normal. i then hit a rough patch of road and the brakes appeared to have failed. there was no braking power at all. i then reapplied the brakes and the vehicle started to slow as normal and the vehicle then stopped. for the period where there was no brakes it was scary. *tr

Brake failure on our 2010 prius. *jb updated 02/17/10 *bf the consumer also stated he experienced sudden acceleration. updated 03/05/10

2010 toyota prius sometimes has very grabby brakes when reversing and applying slight force on brake pedal. brake response is almost like a panic stop. this happens occasionally when starting car and putting in reverse. the remedy is to put car in park then put in reverse. *tr

Brake on my toyota prius 2010. a few month ago, i was driving on a street with many potholes in san francisco. i was coming to a stop on a red light. i applied the brake to slow my prius. as i was applying the brake, the car's front wheel hit a pothole. i suddenly feel a total lose to brake on the car for a slight second as the car seem like/feel like surge ahead. a fraction of second later, the brake went back to normal. it was a very scary feeling. i did feeling unsafe. i talked to the master mechanic in the toyota dealer. he said the it is normal as the abs kick in when the car hit the pothole. it is doing it job. however, i had driven more than 5 cars with abs and vsc and never have the kind of issue. this only happen once. *tr

2010 prius brake problems. *tr

Both my 2006 toyota highlander hybrid and my 2010 toyota prius have predictable brake lapses when traveling. i am aware of one site on the way to work, and one on the way home which have predictable surges during braking. i first reported this to my dealer in 2006, who could not replicate the event in the neighborhood near the dealer. the prius acts exactly the same. for my cars it always occurs when braking on a road at the place where a descend turns into an ascend. *tr