Problems with 2010 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

When braking at low speeds, if the car hits a manhole cover or uneven, bumpy road, there is a split-second loss in braking (which feels like acceleration since the driver expects to be decelerating at the time). other priuschat site users have complained about the same problem with the 2010 prius - some users claimed this was "normal" when the regenerative brakes switch over to hydraulic brakes and that there was really no loss in braking. it may be "normal" but it's scary as heck when it happens and if a pedestrian crosses in front of the car or a car in front of a 2010 prius stops quickly under just the wrong circumstances, i suspect an accident would result. *tr

I own a 2010 toyota prius, purchased in november, 2009. twice, i have been going over a small bump in the road and the car has accelerated suddenly instead of braking. this happened both in january at the same intersection -- at the intersection of hampden and monaco in denver, colorado. *tr

On several occasions, my 2010 toyota prius has lurched ahead after hitting a pothole, as described in the feb. 4 new york times article. no contact or property damage has occurred. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving approximately 25 mph over rough, bumpy surface or a pothole and trying to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle seemed to seize and glided instead of slowing down. the failure occurred on one occasion. he called the dealer and was told that there was nothing they could do about the failure. 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 approximately 150. the failure mileage was approximately 100.

I bought a 2010 toyota prius on dec. on 12/21/2009, and have noticed on at least 4 occasions that when i brake on top of a bump in the road, the car actually lurches forward, instead of slowing down and stopping. i thought it was just me, but then i heard a story about it on npr, and now feel that this problem has been confirmed by others. i have been lucky that on the occasions when it has happened, there has not been a car in front of me, or i might have hit them from behind. *tr

While approaching a stop sign and applying my brake,car would not slow down. pressed harder on brake,wheels locked up and my car slid through the intersection,car stopped when it hit the curve across the street. approx. 50 feet. i was driving at 10-15 mph when approaching the stop sign. the antilock brakes did not work. there was about 1-2 inches of snow on the road. *tr

1. traffic came to a sudden stop so i hit the brakes. 2. vehicle hit a pothole while i was trying to stop and the brakes felt like they released. i had to hit the brakes again in order to gain control of the vehicle and bring the car to a stop. 3. i was told by the dealership that nothing could be done. *tr

I have a 2010 prius. we have had the problem with the brakes when we go over a bump. in addition, if i am driving in cruise control and have to put my foot on the brakes, there is a brief feeling of acceleration so instead i have gotten used to turning off the cruise control before putting my foot on the brakes thereby delaying braking for a brief moment. *tr

I own a 2010 toyota prius. during the five months i've had it, i had 3 to 4 encounters with brake problem. twice i was driving around 20mph and was braking and preparing to make a turn, but the brake failed to work, and i felt that the car was accelerating out of control. this lasted for only about a second, and i eventually was able to slow the car down and make the turn. in one case the road was very bumpy, in the other case the car hit a pothole right around the time i braked. on a third incidence, the brake didn't work for a second on a slightly icy, slippery highway, when i was going at around 30mph. this may suggest that the brake function poorly on slippery road, although i haven't had another chance to experience this again. *tr

On thursday, january 28th my wife drove our 2010 toyota prius to work. the was a slight coating of snow on the ground. less that one block from our house, driving at no more than 10-15 mph she applied the brakes to stop at a stop sign. she reported that the brakes seemed to lock (not the normal abs feel) and she lost control of the car, which then slid/skidded into a curb which punctured the front passenger tire. the car appeared to have only a punctured tire which was changed by a aaa service truck. after the tire was changed and the service truck left, i attempted to drive the vehicle to a nearby tire dealer. as i tried to drive the car, i heard and felt a loud scraping noise that sound and felt like the brakes were still engaged. even though i was now on clear pavement if i at all tried to apply the brakes,the abs went on, but in an aggressive manner. the abs also went on a couple of times even without me putting my foot on the brakes. the tire dealer said he thought we might have been the frame and told us not to drive the car. the car was towed to a nearby body shop to be inspected by our insurance company, state farm. as of february 2, 2010 no inspection has taken place. it is our contention that something malfunctioned with the brakes which caused the accident. *tr

I attempted to bring my 2010 prius to a stop on a dirt road leading to an asphalt surface that was covered with a recent snowfall of about 2 inches. the brakes did not grab for about 3 seconds during which i attempted to pump the brakes. the car had 4 snow tires mounted on it which usually grab right away. *tr

Brake problems: my 2010 prius, which i purchased last october, has been having sporadic problems with the brakes. it usually occurs on the streets, and at low speeds, and the car seems to lunge forward even though i have my foot on the brakes. it's as if i stopped braking even in fact, i've been putting uniform pressure on the brakes. thankfully, this has not caused any injuries or accidents, but i am concerned about the problem. *tr

I have experienced braking problems with my 2010 prius during the following circumstances, which i have mentioned to my husband and my coworkers when it happened. 1: on my way to work there is a stop sign where i need to make a left turn. just before the stop sign the road is uneven. when i brake there, i feel a jerk and jump before the car stops. 2: i was on my way to work, on 01/28/2010 when it was snowing lightly, the vehicle speed might have been at the most 5-8 miles/hour. i saw the light turning yellow from 50 feet ahead and i started applying the brake. the road had little slope but the vehicle was not only skidding, but also not stopping and i was praying that it will stop before it goes into the cross road. i am the primary driver for this vehicle and i love this car. but i have experienced from the very beginning that the vehicle doesn't stop quickly when i brake, but always thought that was part of hybrid technology and may be to force the driver maintain some space from the vehicle in the front. *cn

2010 prius did not stop even though i pressed brake hard enough to make my foot sore. brakes had been squealing slightly since i purchased car on 12/30/09, but i thought it was the cold. *tr

This is an update to an earlier complaint (#10304111). we had an accident with our 2010 toyota prius which we firmly believe was caused by brake failure. my wife was driving the car on a slippery road, it was lightly snowing, at about 10-15 mph and came to a stop sign. she applied the brakes and said nothing happened. as a car was at the stop sign she turned to avoid the car and hit a raised and sharp curb, which pierced the tire and bent the tie-rod. our car was towed to a body shop. after about 10 days, state farm inspected the car, but by this time the recall for the prius had been announced. the body shop then refused to fix the car and we had to take it to a toyota dealer. state farm has since decided not pursue this incident as they feel the snow caused the accident and that the temporary loss of brakes is not what the recall is about. from our reading of numerous articles (ny times) and the recall information itself, plus what happened, we are strongly stating that there was in fact a temporary or momentary loss of the brakes which directly caused this accident. from our reading of the recall and other complaints, slippery conditions are one of the factors which cause this problem. in our case, this problem was exacerbated as not only was there slippery conditions, but the car was on a hill as well. we have also experienced prior to this accident a skipping or momentary brake problem when going over bumpy roads. when asking about this we were always told it had to do with the abs system and that it was normal. well the recall proves this was not normal and now we've experienced the problem on slick roads as well -- which has now cost us money. *tr

Momentary loss of braking while in at low speed (about 8 mph) on uneven road surface or wet conditions resulting in a surge forward. when in a turn, maintaining control of the vehicle can be challenging. condition is replicable, i.e., i can reproduce the braking loss/surge at the same place in the same conditions, at any time. *tr

I was driving my 2010 toyota prius down the road here in berkeley, ca, and applied the brakes as i was hitting a bump in the road. the brakes did not work. i thereafter lifted my foot off the brake and hit them again, at which point the brakes worked correctly. *jb

After stopping the car, then either moving forward or reversing, brakes will grab. brake grab is strong enough that it feels like i've slammed on the brakes when they are barely touched. in order to correct, i put the car in park, then either d or r. this has happened about 10 times since i bought the car in august 2009. *tr

I have noticed the temporary loss of braking in my brand new 2010 toyota prius purchased in december 2009. when braking on uneven ground, if you hit a pothole in the road the car lurches forward and it feels like you hit the accelerator. please encourage toyota to address this issue. *tr

When traveling over a pothole or bump in the road during brake application of my 2010 prius, i sometimes lose braking power and the car will lunge forward or seem to accelerate. it's scary but thankfully i've been far enough away from the car in front of me that i haven't hit it. i didn't know whether to report this until i heard of the complaints that you were receiving and realized that it was a major problem. *tr

I own a 2010 prius and took the car into the local toyota dealer 2 days ago for the initial 5,000 mile check up to discuss a couple issues i have found with the car. i have experienced on 3 occasions a feeling of brake failure. this has occurred when i am driving over rough road. while the brake is being applied if i hit bumps, the brake pedal drops and i lose the brakes. i have immediately let up on the brake and then reapplied pressure to the brake pedal to get braking back. the dealer tried to achieve the same problem but was unable to replicate it. he said it was just the way the pedal must feel to me. our daughters both have 2006 prius' which i have driven and never experienced this problem with their car brakes. the second problem is with cruise control. again, i have driven a 2006 prius and used cruise control and not experienced the following in the 06 model that occurs in our 2010 model. the car started to accelerate in cruise mode. we have also found it takes a lot of pressure on the brake pedal to take it out of cruise control. the car jerks when tapping the brake pedal lightly to take off cruise control. the dealer again took it out for a test drive and said this is the way the prius feels. i know driving the 2006 model it was not the way the prius feels when you take it out of cruise control. *tr

I was driving my 2010 prius east on ohio street (near state street) in chicago. the street here has some potholes and manhole covers. when i applied the brakes, the car did not brake; instead, it seemed to surge ahead. i was able to stop the car before hitting a pedestrian. this was the most recent episode of this problem. i did not note the dates of the three prior episodes that have occurred since i purchased the car approximately seven months ago. *tr

I own a 2010 prius and when stopping going over a reasonable 'bump' the brakes seem to disengage so you get an acceleration feeling which causes you to react and press the brake again. it shakes you when is happens because you don't know what will happen! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. whenever the vehicle travels over a rough terrain at any speed the contact noticed that the brake pedal released causing the vehicle to suddenly accelerate. the braking distance and pressure applied to the brake pedal also increased in order to stop the vehicle. the dealer stated that the failure could not be reproduced. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 8300.

I have 2010 prius. lost control of the car a few seconds a few times especially in uneven down roads and slow or slippery roads. it jumps (move forward) a few feet, before it stops, even i apply the brake. i felt that brakes didn't work during the period. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. the contact stated that the brakes would not respond when she depressed the brake pedal. the failure occurred on an intermittent basis (a total of 6 times so far). there were no warning lights. she had neither taken the vehicle to the dealership nor called the manufacturer to-date. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the vehicle identification number was not available at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 800. the failure mileage was approximately 60.

2010 toyota prius has a major flaw in the regenerative / hydraulic braking system. if the car is slowing gradually with regenerative braking active and the road surface changes due to a pothole, uneven/broken surface, or speed bump, the hydraulic braking is reengaged very slowly. this causes the car to appear to accelerate for a second or two until hydraulic braking is engaged by the car's computer or because the driver had to increase brake pedal pressure dramatically to slow/stop the car. i have been able to reproduce this daily on a number of the roads i consistently travel. speed during these incidents is usually anywhere between 5 and 30 mph. one example: driving on a road and coming to a stop light... slowing gradually on regen braking, then i hit a part of the road where there is an uneven surface. regen braking stops and car coasts with no braking, sometimes for up to a second or two. this is a major concern as it could result in a car accident or pedestrian death. i have already had at least two near misses where i have had to slow or stop suddenly while braking in regen mode and the switch to hydraulic mode is severely delayed. this could have resulted in rear-ending a car in front of me. issue has been observed since i first obtained the car in july 2009. *tr

I own a 2010 class iii toyota prius. on several occasions, i have applied the brakes and the brakes seemed to release, causing the car to surge forward, before the brakes re-engaged. once this occurred when i hit a manhole cover and once on a slippery road but it has also occurred on dry roads with no apparent reason for the failure. i took the care to the dealer on 30 january 2010 who advised me that there was nothing wrong with my brakes. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota prius. while driving 10 mph with the brake pedal engaged, the vehicle accelerated on its own . the contact was forced to apply pressure to the brake pedal in order to stop the vehicle. the contact has owned the vehicle for 5 months and the failure has occurred twice. the dealer was called and stated that they have not received any recalls for his vehicle; however, to bring it into to the dealership for a diagnostic test. no repairs have been made to the vehicle. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 3227. updated 03/12/10. *lj updated 08/30/10*jb

All three drivers of our 2010 prius have repeatedly experienced the following braking problem: if you drive over a bump, pot hole or manhole cover while braking normally at speeds under 25 mph, the brakes feel as if they instantaneously disengage for about 1 second. normal braking soon returns, but there is a dangerous increase in breaking distance when you need it most. we have identified certain road locations in our area where this problem is repeatable even under dry road conditions. this problem has resulted in a few close calls, but so far, no accidents. however, i am absolutely convinced that a defect such as this will result in some drivers having accidents. *tw *tr

Prius 2010. intermittently lose braking ability. especially when road is wet and uneven. when coming to a stop light and traveling relatively slowly, if the vehicle goes over uneven pavement (pothole or just "rubbly"), it's as if the abs gets confused and very temporarily gives up. this is in city driving. starting from under 20 mph. trying to stop at a light and with cars in front of me. i have driven the exact same route in other cars and not had the same problem. (prior vehicle was bmw 528i (model year 2000). this is a route i drive daily (between dropping my daughter at school and going to work.) i have observed the problem multiple times. *tr

At a right turn i encountered a pothole and applied the brakes. when my car actually hit the pothole i felt, for a very brief time, that the brakes didn't work and the engine rev up a little bit. i was driving at low speed. i could have hit the car in front of me. *tr

My 2010 toyota prius has a serious braking problem, the car lunges forward after apply my brakes over a bumpy surface. this is very unexpected and luckily no one was in front of me otherwise i would have hit them. this already happened several times, took my car to the dealer and no solution, i don't know what to do with a brand new like this. *tr

I own a 2010 toyota prius, which i purchased in august, 2009. i have experienced a braking problem at lease 6 times since then. when i brake while driving over rough roads including driving over metal cover plates in roads, i lose all my brakes for a second or so. it feels like i have hit a patch of ice. it is very scary, and really gets your attention. *tr

25 january 2010, corner of rufus allen and hwy. 50 south lake tahoe, california, 96150, at approximately 1630 local. road conditions mostly dry 65% / 35% thin patchy ice, smooth surface no potholes. applied brakes car lurched forward, momentary loss of brakes until more firm brake application was applied until braking system responded and car stopped short of intersection, no traffic violation, incident of damage. *tr

I purchased a 2010 prius on january 18, 2010. within 1 week of the purchase, the car had hydroplaned two times. each time, i thought i had hit "black ice" as there had been rainy/cold conditions that evening.the feeling i had was that the car surged forward momentarily as i was driving slowly or slowing down. these 2 incidents happened within a mile of each other. i was driving very slowly at the time. i called the dealer, northbrook toyota, and reported the problem to the salesman. the problem happened again a week later when the surged forward as i passed over what looked like a slick sewer cap. *tr

My toyota pruis 2010 which i purchased on nov.30 2009 had unexpectedly lurched forward when i was slowing down and applying the brake. i was taken by surprise and fortunately it stopped after i stepped on the brake very hard. this has happened several times already. *jb

As i was applying my brake my car went over a bump, most likely a man hole cover, for a split second i felt like the brakes stopped working, then it went back to normal. *tr

I have a 2010 prius and saw an article about there being possible brake problems with the model. i have had this problem probably about 6 times since i got the car last july and, when i mentioned it to the dealer, they said there wasn't anything wrong with the brakes when they ran the diagnostic. when it happens, i'm in the process of braking, and there's a "push", almost like the brakes didn't "take", followed by a loss of steering for a second or two. it's also happened to my husband one time. there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to when it happens (wet road vs. dry road, turning or going straight, flat or hill). i originally associated the problem with the brakes because i also have the "sliding" icon come on the dashboard when i'm completely stopped and lean forward in my seatbelt. however, i'm now wondering if it's not the brakes, but the transmission, since it sort of feels like it's not downshifting when it's supposed to, or it shifts back into a higher gear for a second while braking. i came to this conclusion after waiting in the car while it was running. with the car on, emergency brake on, but not in park, there was a definite "jolt" when the gas engine would turn on and then off again a few minutes later. although there hasn't been a crash yet, there were two times when it came really close to that, as i was turning and almost hit the cars on the side street that were in the left turn lane waiting to turn onto the street i had been traveling on. *tr

I was driving my 2010 prius (built before january, 2010) on icy conditions. i coasted to a stop sign and applied the brakes. the car seemed to ignore my braking and continued through the stop sign 2-3 feet. i attributed the problem to the weather conditions and proceeded with caution. at the next stop sign, i was especially careful, but when i applied the brakes, the car seemed to surge forward for 1-2 seconds, enough time to put me in the path of an oncoming pick-up truck. nobody was hurt, but the damage will come to about $11,000. after hearing about the prius' brake problems, i realized that the lack of brake action that i experienced is very similar to other complaints about prius' built prior to toyota's january programming fix. i am upset that toyota knew about this problem, but failed to tell me about it. as a result, i will end up with a less valuable repaired vehicle with a known brake defect and higher insurance rates which will plague my wallet for years to come. *tr

My 2010 toyota prius under certain conditions will have a reduction in braking power. it will give the illusion of acceleration, but i believe the problem is a reduction in braking power. this problem has happened repeatedly and i frequently experience it in a location i regularly drive. as i approach a 4-way stop there is a bump that covers the width of my lane. as the front tires go over the bump the car feels like it start to take off just short of the stopping point. it quickly recovers and i am always able to stop, but the feelings is unnerving since it happens so close to the stopping point. i have contacted my toyota dealer, but they say they have no reported problems and did not even take any information. *tr

My 2010 toyota prius 1) lurches forward when braking while driving on an uneven surface, like a pothole, indent/crevice in road, etc. 2) the brakes repeatedly grab and cause the car to lurch when backing up on an uneven/slippery surface. both problems seem to happen when applying pressure and braking at a slower speed. this problem has occurred multiple times (approximately 4-5) since purchasing the prius in june 2009. *cn

2010 toyota prius ii--purchased august 2009. on january 23, 2010 i crashed my vehicle into a car that had stopped in front of me. i applied the brakes but was unable to stop the car before it hit the car in front of me. i am contacting you because i believe the brake issues with the 2010 prius may have been a contributing factor in the crash. in the 5 months that i owned the car i remarked that the brakes did not seem to function like abs brakes on other cars that i had driven. i chalked it up to the fact that car was new to me and had many features that were different from a traditional car. *tr

While slowing down with the brakes, when i hit a bump or pothole on the road, my car lurches forward for a split second and i lose control of the ability to bake. *jb

The brakes on my 2010 toyota prius failed to engage while driving over a pothole. the car seemed to accelerate briefly but then the brakes kicked in once i hit the brake pedal again harder. this is the third incident of similar problems since i purchased the vehicle in july 2009. *jb

2010 prius brakes do not work properly when hitting a slick manhole cover - car actually lunges forward. seems to be a software glitch when regenerative braking is taking place and one or more wheels can slip on the road surface. *tr

I had my new toyota prius about 4 days. on saturday morning, 1/23/10, i was backing out of my driveway. there was ice, but when i gently put on my brakes, i felt nothing. two seconds later after sliding to the end of my driveway, the brakes caught. i was concerned that the feeling was quite odd, but chalked it up to the ice. then the next morning, it happened again when there was no ice, but wet roads, first coming to one stop light and then about 15 minutes later at another stop light. the same feeling--putting on the brakes and hitting air--then 2 seconds later the brakes grabbed. i immediately drove it to the dealership and left it, citing brake failure. they had it about 2 days and no one believed me. said it was fine. yesterday, 2/1/10, and again today, 2/2/10, it did it again to and from work. i do not feel safe in that car. something is wrong with the brakes. *tr

Toyota prius 2010- when we go into a pothole and apply the brake, the brake doesn't work. instead, it accelerates. once, it hit a curb and damaged the bumper. *tr

Yesterday, i once again experienced an issue that i have observed since i got my 2010 prius in october 2009. there are two intersections close to my home that both are at the bottom of a hill and have potholes about 5 yards from the stop sign. in both locations, when my prius hits the potholes, i have the sensation that the brakes release even though i am keeping pressure on them as i approach the stop sign. this does not happen with our 2007 rav4. i now know that i have to slow down as if the stop sign is before the pothole, but i worry about my wife driving it and about a condition that i won't be prepared for. *tr

Driving on slippery roads, but not unpassable, my 2010 prius braking system failed to provide any assistance in prevention of slipping into a parked vehicle in my lane, resulting in 2900+ dollars of damage, plus, since the body shop was unable to properly inspect the damage without taking the car apart. i was found at fault for this accident, for which i fear my insurance rates will rise. i am a safe driver. never having had an accident before. i new the car was not responding to the brake pedal as it should, and that was before this recall ever came to light. the accident happened on jan. 22, 2010. *cn