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.
I have a 2010 Prius, 3D gen, basic pkg. Five days ago, I rear-ended a car stopped on an entrance ramp to rt. 15 in NJ. I hit the brakes -- and the car shuddered forward as if its wheels had seized up. This Prius has had intermittent braking probs since I bought it last August. Usually, this happens on a rough road or during a sudden deceleration. The brakes feel as tho they've locked, and the car almost bounces to a stop, rather than braking quickly and smoothly. I told the dealer -- and they told me nothing was wrong (inferring it was my problem -- that I'm a lousy driver.) I reported the brake problem again after this accident, and was told again there was no problem. News reports now suggest - there is a problem. (btw - my car has also done some brief spurts of acceleration, which is odd in any hybrid. They usually have no real pick-up.) I had never before driven a Prius, so I figured that was how the car ran. Please let me know how to deal with this? the dealer says they'll check the brakes - but they don't know what they're looking for. Also - my car insurance rates will go up because of this accident, and it cost me the $500 deductible. I'm disgusted, to say the least. I thought I'd bought the holy grail of design excellence & fuel economy -- new and improved 3D-generation. I bought an expensive headache.
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.
Sudden brake loss. When braking and when the car is at low speed, if the car hits a bump or manhole cover or snow, suddenly the brakes no longer work. This happens once a week. I have experienced it 10 times in two months.
My Toyota 2010 Prius (purchased in Massachusetts in August, 2009), has issues with the brakes. Going over bumpy or snowy/icy roads, the brakes when applied don't seem to grab properly - they are slow and uneven in response to brake pedal pressure... I notified my dealer and was told there was nothing wrong. Now I am hearing about design flaws with brakes in this model, and I am concerned. What do I do?
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.
- Manhasset, NY, USA
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I own a 2010 Toyota Prius..purchased in August 2009...currently going for 15K miles on the odometer. I want to report issues with sudden acceleration even when I am stepping on the brake. I noticed every time I pass thru uneven road, for example potholes, icy roads, snow. The most common issue I have is as I am going down the road and car hits a pothole or manhole (those with metal covers) the car will suddenly accelerate, although I am stepping on the brake. Sometimes I am afraid I will hit the car in front of me, especially when im in traffic. Even going at 5-15 mph, the car will accelerate when it hits uneven road like pot holes or icy roads. This has happen quite a few times since I purchased the vehicle. Just yesterday, we had about 1-2 inches of snow. I was driving slow and when making a left turn, the car hit some uneven road and snow and accelerated when I was stepping on the brake to make the turn. The car went up the sidewalk and the bumper cracked as it hit the concrete edge that separates the road and the sidewalk. No one was hurt and no property damage was done. The car is working fine, but this sudden acceleration issue is a major concern, especially now that I read and hear in the news that 2010 Toyota Prius are being reported with complaints of sudden acceleration. I thought my issue was an isolated case. Please take this complaint into account. I will be going to the dealership this weekend for the 15K scheduled maintenance and will report the issue to them.
I have a 2010 Toyota Prius and have experienced the same issue recently being reported. While braking, when going over a pothole, bump or wet surface, the car appears to lunge forward for a second. This has recurred at least 10 times since I purchased the car in August, 2009.
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.
2010 Prius. When brakes are depressed, and vehicle is slowing normally, if the vehicle encounters a pothole or other very rough road surface, the brake will sometimes disengage briefly, but abruptly. The car seems to surge forward. In the three times I've experienced this, the brakes 'catch' again very shortly after the pothole -- less than a second.
I have the 2010 Prius braking problem described in the news recently. The brakes seem to fail briefly when I'm stopping. It seems to have occurred when slowing on turns with an uneven roadway or an icy surface. At first I thought that I had hit an icy spot and the car slid a bit, but after about the 4th or 5th time I realized that was not always the case. It's quite scary when it happens, especially since I am in a turn at the time. It may of happened on straight roadway also. I can't remember for sure.
His happens about once every two weeks with our new 2010 Prius. When we press the brake the car accelerates for a second. It seems very dangerous. When I call my dealership they have been dismissive and said it was a problem with the mats, we tried different mats and even took them out and the problem still persists. I haven't called the dealership I N a while but last time they still said it was a floor mat problem.
When slowing down over bumpy surfaces, the car temporarily loses braking control (for a second or so). It is terrifying and needs to be looked into. There are hundreds of people online who have reported this exact same problem.
My Prius is having brake issues. When I took it back to the dealer the service rep rode in the car with me and since it didn't slip during our 2 block drive he said he can't authorize a repair since its not part of the recall. I want to just return this thing before I get in an accident but they told me I will lose 100 points on my credit score. What can I do?!
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.
The brakes on my Prius have failed three times in three weeks in both city and rural driving conditions--two times I was braking while driving down a hill (both under 30 mph) and once while driving on a secondary blacktop road (35 mph). When brake failure occurs, the Prius brakes not only disengage (fail) but the car seems to lunge forward. It's as if I am braking with my foot on the gas pedal and then let up on the brake while the gas pedal is still depressed. It's a nauseating feeling when this happens. I was planning on taking the Prius on a cross-country trip in the spring but will not now because of this braking issue. It is not a safe vehicle. I have great concern for my safety and the safety of others, particularly pedestrian safety at intersections. I am also going to post my complaint on priuschat.com (online priusphile community of which I am a member) in hopes that others will come forward with their braking problems to NHTSA, forcing Toyota to fix this problem. I completed a complaint form for last week on your site (didn't require VIN number) but since brake failure occurred again today, I realize that this is not an isolated incident. Therefore, I am filing this formal NHTSA complaint.
While coming to a stop, my vehicle (2010 Toyota Prius, model iv) lost braking power (felt like an acceleration while depressing the brake pedal) as I went over a pot hole in the road. I was at a very low speed (~5mph). I depressed the brake pedal even further and the braking power returned and I was able to stop.
1. I had a 2009 Toyota corolla and just traded it in and bought a 2010 Toyota Prius this Saturday 1/30/10. On Monday I was driving to work and was still in my community when I approached an intersection and applied my brake. The car skidded through the intersection. Thankfully there was no other vehicles. I read the article today about the incident with the Prius brakes and wanted to submit my incident. 2. it was the first time this occurred. 3. also I contacted Toyota service and one of the service rep told me that they can take a look at it but cant do anything until Toyota issues a fix... what do I do with my car" does lemon law apply? what are my options"
We own a 2010 Toyota Prius and noticed that the car "kicks" a little when applying the brakes lightly. We didn't think much of it at first because we live in Chicago and the streets are quite weathered. We thought the "kicks" we felt might be the car bumping along uneven roads. Thankfully, we have not been involved in any accidents. Other than this issue, we are pleased with the car.
Braking moderately, going over buckled asphalt and or tar strips in the pavement. I have had it happen at least three times, Prius feels out of control then I regain control, wet or dry pavement. Its a brand 2010 Toyota Prius with 5,000 miles.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Lake Hopatcong, NJ, USA