I have a 2001 prius that also has a problem with braking, similar to that described with the 2010 model. At low speeds when the car hits a bump or pothole the braking is momentarily lost, but then resumes within 1-2 seconds. In ~ 2003 I had a very low speed collision from this (about $1000 damage to the hood sheet metal), but have now learned to compensate for it (basically apply brakes hard and wait for braking to resume after the pause). I had reported this to the dealer on several evaluations, including after the accident, and was told that no problem could be identified. I am reporting this because it is remarkably similar to what it purported to be a new problem with the 2010 prius. It is not new. Please feel free to contact me if you would find other information useful.
2001 Toyota Prius brakes complaints
Page 2 of 2: complaints 11 to 16 of 16, newest first, as owners wrote them.
While driving along on interstate, got warning triangle and low main battery information. Immediately, car began to speed-up on its own. I applied very hard braking to try and slow down while trying to move to the right lane with traffic on my right. Car did not slow down but I managed to avoid traffic and get onto the right lane, where there was an exit from the interstate. I made the exit and was able to get control of the acceleration. I then drove the rough running car to the my dealer off that exit. They replaced the main battery, and everything is now fine. I feel that I was very lucky that nobody got hurt!
I saw that the japanese government is making toyota look into the following complaint in newer model priuses. "the vehicle surged forward or temporarily lost braking after driving over a pothole or other uneven surface. This is a reoccuring problem." my 2001 prius has this problem all the time. In addition the car had the hybrid batteries catch on fire , the catalytic converter fail, the ecu for the brakes fail, the power steering fail, the brake pump leak, the computer fail (which caused the car to improperly shift gears). These issues were all fixed for free by toyota except the ecu for the brakes and the brake pump which were fixed, but at my expense. No injuries occured.
I owned a 2001 toyota prius. In august 2009 at about 113,000 miles it lost brake. There was a very very little bit brake. If you want to stop in 50 feet it would stop in about 200 feet. Since it was very unsafe to drive I traded it in and bought another car. I strongly believe it was a software problem not a mechanical problem. When the problem started the ABS, brake and big caution sign lights came on, and also a continuous sharp and annoying beep started. On my way home after I made a deal to trade in the prius, the beep went away, but the lights still on, and the brake started to work properly. The next day september 1st 2009 while driving in town all the lights also went away and the car became perfectly normal. I drove the car only about 30 miles, which was to the new car dealer and back, since the problem started in august. I had all the same lights came on in february 2008. However, the brakes were working a little slow with a different feeling. To repair this one dealer asked $2500 and another dealer repaired it for $400. They said they found a broken wire in the ABS system. Now I suspect it might have been a software problem also. The brake problem people are reporting may exist in many more vehicles than reported. The cars may be getting too much electronics than needed. Too much of anything is not good.
I am the owner of a 2001 toyota prius, purchasing the car in 2002. Ever since I have had it, I have noticed it temporarily loses braking after driving relatively slowly -- 5 to 20 MPH -- over a pothole that hits just one wheel. It is a recurring problem. I complained to the dealership in 2002 and was told that there was no problem and that it was probably the way the anti-lock brake system worked. I now know that if there is a pothole near where I want to come to a stop, I may have to lift my foot off the brake and then reapply the brake when going slow or just press harder on the brake. It does not happen that often, but it does recur; while I have indicated a date in another field of this report, it is today's date because the problem is recurrent, although probably not more often than a few times per year, and I cannot say when it last happened with any precision. I am now reporting this to you because I noticed an article in the ny times regarding what sounds like this very same problem. I have not had any accidents as a result of the problem.
While parking the consumer's vehicle accelerated suddenly. *nm the consumers vehicle hit an electric box as a result of the unexpected acceleration while trying to park. A second occurance of this problem happened in a mall parking lot.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2001 Toyota Prius?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history