This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Upon applying the brakes when I hit rough road, pot hole, debris, unlevel pavement, they seem to slip. I don't slow down like I want the car to, I fishtail a little and the stability control comes on. This has happened 3 or 4 times since I purchased the car. 2010 Toyota Prius.
I purchased a 2010 Toyota Prius about 6 weeks ago and have experienced a brake surge problem at least three times. In each instance I was traveling about 20 mph and had applied the brakes. When the car hit a bump in the pavement it surged forward for about 0.5 second before the brakes grabbed again. The road surface was dry on each occasion and my impression at the time was that the brakes just let go.
As owner of a 2010 Toyota Prius with about 10,000 miles on it, my wife (the regular driver) and myself have experienced an anomaly in brake operation on several occasions. Each occasion involves either hitting a bump in the road while braking or being on wet pavement while braking. When this happens, if feels as if the brakes release for a fraction of a second (creating a short sensation of acceleration) and then resume operation. I don't think the car is actually accelerating in that moment. My theory is that while braking, a single wheel looses traction (and perhaps momentarily stops) and then the system releases all wheels for a moment before regular braking resumes. The fact that you are sitting in the car with your foot applying pressure on the brake makes this very attention getting. This has occurred several times since getting the car last August.
- Plano, TX, USA
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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.
My Prius loses its braking ability when I hit a pothole or if I drive over a sewer grate. I've owned the car since July 2009, it is a 2010 model. It also happens when I drive over bumps in the road. This has happened several times since July. It seems to happen more in wet weather.
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the brakes were ultra-sensitive and while driving 5 mph in reverse and lightly depressed the pedal the vehicle lunged forward as if she made an abrupt stop. Occasionally, she had to push the brake pedal extremely hard to stop the vehicle. She has not spoken to the dealer nor the manufacturer to-date. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current mileage was 3,740. The failure mileage was approximately 500.
I have experienced brake issues about 6 times, and my wife has had it happen to her twice, since I bought my 2010 Prius at the end of August 2009. The brake problem usually will happen when braking on an uneven surface such as a pothole or a bumpy road. The issue is that the brakes will momentarily stop working and you get a jerking/speeding up feeling.
2010 Toyota Prius: After turning car on, taking emergency brake off, foot on brake pedal fully depressed, shifting from park into reverse, the car will begin to move on its own without me taking foot off brake. Have to shift it back to park and turn it off for it to stop. Toyota service said "this is normal". has happened 8 times, most recent Jan 15th. All on level surfaces. Only happens if car is on in electric mode only, not with the engine on.
When applying brakes on 2010 Prius (purchased in Sept 2009), the car lurches forward when it hits a bump in the road. This is a reproducible behavior and has been observed since shortly after purchase.
When driving over uneven terrain (ie.; railroad tracks, bumps in the road) my 2010 Prius seems to accelerate. I read about the brakes failing... but it really feels like it is accelerating too. It is very scary when this happens as it feels that you will be thrushed into whatever might be in front of you.
I own a 2010 Toyota Prius purchased new in October 2010. I have had at least 5 instances of the brake failure that have been described in recent reports. The failure occurs when braking and going over a rough spot like a man-hole cover or pothole. There is a momentary and complete failure of the entire braking system.
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.
Braking problem noted with Prius 2010. On uneven pavement while strongly braking, the car lurches forward for a moment, prior to finally braking (felt as though it was "slipping" until it caught the pavement again). This has occurred approximately 5 - 6 times since purchase 07/31/09. Contacted service dept. In 2009 by phone, but they had no other complaints. At some level I was thinking it was just my imagination or some kind of high tech glitch that I had to live with. At servicing in January all systems were assessed without abnormality, although I did not formally complain about my brakes at that time. The issue remains, and I do believe that it is a safety issue, and that rear-ending another vehicle is a real possibility due to lack of control.
Brake failure - as I drive to work each day there is a place where I am turning onto a different road to get to work. As I approach the turn I brake to slow down and I always hit a bump in the road and/or a pothole close to the intersection. As I hit the area, my car shoots forward and it feels like I have lost my brakes. I can recover quickly by keeping my foot on the brake, but if I was closer to the intersection I could overshoot it and hit someone or someone could hit me. I mentioned it to the service manager when I got my first oil change at 5000 miles and he seemed very unconcerned and he said it was probably the ABS brakes failing because the tire lost contact with the road. Well I also have a 2002 highlander and have never had the problem with this car.
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- Cary, NC, USA