2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid: multiple warning lights

Filed Mar 7, 2019 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 140,000 miles · GA

The hand brake light keeps coming on and off while driving. The car feels like it's coasting and have no traction control. All of the sudden, all lights turn on dashboard and check vsc system comes on, brakes are hard to engage and steering control is difficult. Car drives like that for about 5 minutes and then all goes back to normal. Few days later it starts up again with the break lights coming on and off. It happens during different driving conditions: straight city street, while turning, going down a hill or attempting to come to a stop. This makes it really scary as I am in a very dangerous situation when I am trying to break and the break do not engage and steering control is affected. I have taken it to mechanic after the incidents and they cannot diagnose the issue and there are no failure codes. However, the issue keeps going on making me terrified to drive the car.

Filed Nov 7, 2016 · Brakes · IN

Unknown my vehicle was mobile, at the normal speed limit of 35mph on a city street, and all of a sudden there was a burning smell. By the time I found a safe place to stop my all the lights on my dash went on, with a whizzing sound coming from the front end of the vehicle.

Filed May 23, 2014 · Acceleration, Brakes · 70,000 miles · MI

Driving down the road all lights on dash appeared (ABS, trac, brake, check engine, master warning, check vsc system) with no warning and complete brake loss followed with it, then it would disappear and brakes functioned properly, seems temp related as it would only happen on cold days, and when car is cold early in the morning, during day when engine warm everything worked fine, tech could not find anything wrong with the car twice until left over night found out to be faulty brake actuator assembly. This is only related to camry hybrids not prius or other toyota hybrids, my whole family drives toyotas hybrids father in law and 2 brothers have priuses I also had prius for long time never had issue, now me and my wife switched to camry hybrids and both camry hybrids experienced same brake failure with faulty brake actuator, no coincidence, there is something unique about camry hybrid brake actuator that makes it go bad in very dangerous way, problem occurs sudden and disappears without trace for technician to find out what's wrong " everything is fine car is safe to drive" is what they said, but in morning commute brakes failed again. I don't care the replacement part costs $1700 but its the same part that will fail again who know when. Toyota needs replace the actuators with ones that are on priuses or address the issue and redesign the unit.

Filed Jan 30, 2014 · Acceleration, Brakes · 33,000 miles · OH

First incident: temperature was extremely cold overnight. Parking brake light came on when I started car and remained on throughout my 10-minute trip. Brakes worked fine for 10 minutes though stop signs and red lights. I didn't drive over 35 MPH the entire trip. When I arrived at work, I tapped the brakes to turn into the driveway. "check vsc system" message appeared, parking brake light remained on, ABS light came on, exclamation point light came on, one other warning light came on. I thought car had stalled because my brakes didn't seem to work so I coasted past the driveway. I stepped on the accelerator and noticed the car was still on so I slowly drove to the next driveway. I turned off the car, restarted it, and all the warning lights came back on. I slowly drove back to work and noticed the brakes worked albeit not very well. When I stopped the car in the parking lot, all the warning lights disappeared. Second incident: temperature was extremely cold overnight. Parking brake light came on when I started car and remained on throughout my 10-minute trip. Brakes worked fine for 10 minutes through stop signs and red lights. I didn't drive over 45 MPH the entire trip. I came to a red light and tapped the brakes. "check vsc system" message appeared, parking brake light remained on, ABS light came on, exclamation point light came on, one other warning light came on. Although the brakes worked in reduced capacity, I stopped in time but I was driving 25 MPH. I was near a toyota dealer so I slowly made my way there with all the warning lights illuminated and reduced brake capacity. All the warning lights disappeared shortly after I stopped the car in the dealer's maintenance shop. Dealer could find no history of either incident in the computer log.

Filed Jan 28, 2014 · Acceleration, Brakes · 70,000 miles · NC

While driving "check vsc system" warning displayed along with several warning lights. At that time the brakes on the vehicle felt squishy and much less responsive.

Filed Mar 1, 2012 · Brakes · 39,529 miles · TX

I was driving and all of a sudden there was a buzzer and several warning lights came on the dash - master warning light, brake system warning light, brake system warning light, and there was a warning message that said "check vsc system". Then when I tried to apply my brakes, they started pumping and I had a hard time stopping. I managed to make it the few blocks to my house and I called the dealer service department. They said it was unsafe to drive and I had it towed to the service department. The car had been there 8 days prior for a normal service appointment. They said that the stroke sensor had gone out and when I asked how it happened they said it just malfunctioned for no reason. The cost to replace was $433.14. I am concerned about driving a car that can suddenly malfunction and lose braking function without warning. The car had received its regular service/maintenance just a week before, so there is no reason that the brakes should have failed without warning.