In 2007, we purchased a certified used toyota prius 2005 with 13,298 miles. We have owned this car ever since. We currently have about 81,000 miles on this vehicle. Brake failure incident on june 30, 2014, I was driving the 2005 prius slowly (10-15 MPH) along a roadway located in a tecumseh, mi city park: as the car approached a local street, I braked for a stop before making a right-hand turn. As I engaged the brake, the ABS system red light appeared, the red brake light was lit and the related buzzer was activated as well. As I braked, my right foot went all the way to the floor. I experienced complete and total brake failure. I finally stopped the car with the emergency brake. I drove the prius very slowly over the two miles home, using the emergency brake to stop as needed. My wife and daughter were riding with me in the car and witnessed the incident. On july 1, 2014, I contacted aaa and arranged to have the car towed to a repair shop in ann arbor, mi ' 30 miles away. After a week, at the repair shop I arranged to have the vehicle towed to the local toyota service facility. Over the previous five months, I experienced another curious problem that may be brake related. When braking on bumpy roads (we have horrible pot holes on many major streets and roads) or curb cuts, the car accelerates ever so briefly. The feeling of loss of control is very disturbing. It remains to be seen if this problem is related to the brake failure noted above. There were no injuries as a result of this brake failure. However, I had just returned home from business in a neighboring community 35 miles away. I often drive backcountry county roads with posted speeds of 55 MPH. If I had experienced the brake failure then, I might well have been killed along with others.
2005 Toyota Prius brakes complaints
Page 4 of 11: complaints 71 to 100 of 282, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Brake, ABS and (o) with exclamation mark inside have been on , the seller was not honest with me about why the lights were on, I went to the toyota dealer and they said it is not safe to drive the vehicle, repairs would cost $7000.00.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. The contact stated that the brakes were depressed and failed to respond. The contact crashed into the rear end of another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the chest, a leg gash and a pulled muscle in the back. The front passenger sustained whiplash. Both the contact and the front passenger required medical attention. A police report was filed. Additionally, the contact stated that the flat surface warning indicator illuminated intermittently as a result the contact had to restart the vehicle on multiple occasions. The key failed to exit the ignition switch on multiple occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. The contact stated that the brake and ABS warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where unknown repairs were performed however, the failure recurred three days later. The contact stated that the brakes malfunctioned and additional pressure to the brake pedal was needed to stop the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 92,000. The VIN was not available.
While driving home on the fast lane driving 65 MPH a sudden alarm came up. The red triangle with exclamation mark, ABS and brake light came on with a tone. When I press the brake the car, it would not brake. I was able to slow down my car by releasing the throttle off. I brought my car to the dealer only to find that would have to pay $3000 for the replacement of the brake ecu and actuator. The other problem is if you drive a bit fast over pothole and speed bump. You lose braking for a moment. *tr updated 8/2017
Traction control engaged on a hill with light snow cover completely stopping the wheels and preventing any forward motion, creating a dangerous situation. Pedestrians had to push the car up the hill while the accelerator was pressed to get to the top. Backing would have placed the car in a dangerous position with oncoming 50 MPH cross traffic . There should be an override for situations such as this to enable some forward motion to be maintained even if there is some wheel slippage. Occurred friday 14 feb 2014. This has occurred in the past on gravel driveways and other roads. This instance was by far the most troubling since pedestrians were involved.
I had just had my oil changed and when I was leaving I started the car but the dashboard lights didn't come on. I drove on and still nothing. When I was at a stop light, the lights came on with the error message that my brakes were engaged. I tried multiple times to depress and release the emergency brake, but the same message. I couldn't move the vehicle because the front brakes were locked. I had it towed to the dealership and they said they had to get toyota involved but it sounds like three computers are fried. This is very frustrating since I got the vehicle because it had such wonderful reviews (yes this was some years ago) how do computers just "up and fry" without any warning. I am hopeful that toyota will do the right thing and step up and take the necessary steps to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. Also, whatever they could do for me would be greatly appreciated since I was a die hard prius fan.....until now???
Brakes did not apply instantly when coming to a stop light. We almost hit the car in front of us. Thankfully we applied the brakes early, but it seemed like the brakes were not being applied and that the wheels just kept on moving. I had to pump the brake again to make sure it would apply more pressure. We came within a few inches of rear ending the car in front of us. And this has happened about 10 times now. This should be a recall before a major accident or death, heaven forbid, occurs.
The braking system for my 2005 prius has been malfunctioning since I bought the car in the summer of 2012. While trying to slow down on a rough road surface the brakes refused to brake for 1 or 2 seconds, causing a higher-than-anticipated speed when going around a turn. This problem increases the distance the vehicle needs to stop and I consider this a high safety concern and a major product defect. No accidents or injuries have been sustained from the problem on this vehicle so far.
Headlights go out while driving. Driver headlight went out while driving 55mph. Pulled over & noted driver headlight out. Turned car off & then restarted & both headlights went on. Drove a couple miles & noted headlight out & this time it was the passenger headlight that was out. This has happened a few times in the year @ 1/2. We also had a problem in the past with the headlights being aimed too low in front of the car causing trouble seeing. It turned out to be the auto aiming computer was malfunctioning & it was replaced by warranty. We also had to have the skid control brake computer ($2500.) replaced 12/06/2012 due to brake malfunctioning (brakes would hardly stop the car).
I was driving with my three children coming from school and slowing down us 301 towards traffic light when t tried to apply the brakes, the car did not stop. I had to reapply the brakes and the pedal went down very deep before the car jerked and slowly stopped. Thank god there was no car in front, otherwise would have been a collision. Went to the toyota car dealer and they said that the failure code was dtc c1247 and told us to replace the skid control unit. Basically, the ecu of the brakes malfunctioned and the car did not have brakes on it. Please do a recall before anyone gets hurt on this.
I was pressing the brake, but instead of stopping my prius accelerated,and jerked under the stopped vehicle in front of me.the brakes acted like accelerated pedal. Prius occasionally had the accelerating jerks without pedal input, but after fixing all the recalls, I thought the car is fine. But this time, it was not a jerk, it was a full leap, that destroyed the whole front of the car. It was towed from the accident and it is beyond the repair. I had it only for 9 months.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, a grinding noise was heard from the rear end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technicians advised that the failure was undetected. The technician also stated that there were other vehicles with the same failure and the manufacturer was working on a remedy. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was taken to the dealer on numerous occasions for the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 200 and the current mileage was 2,122.
This complaint related to the brake system. Ever since the car was taken of the dealer ship, the brakes act in a sudden, jerky manner approaching a stop. The brakes function normally at normal speeds, but as I approach a stop, it feels like (for comparison purposes)as if you where pulling the emergency brake on a normal car while the car is moving slow. Along with this, when I press the brake pedal hard a noise is generated from the engine compartment. The above description has been exhibited ever since I bought the car brand new at triangle dealer at kennedy ave (carr#2) in san juan, puerto rico. I took the car to the dealership approximately on jan 28, 2005 (I bought it october 16, 2004) to have the breaks checked and the service employee told me that because it was a hybrid car, that was normal behavior. For the time being the car always exhibited the brake strange behaviors and recently a brake light lit on for the ABS and brake warning light. My car is now 130,000miles and over 8 years. I took it to the dealership and they indicated that the brake actuator assembly was damaged and needed to be replaced at a cost of $2500. Im sure this is a design issue that toyota has not claimed responsibility for. Im sure that due to the expense of it. I just want my experience to be accounted for. Thanks!
While cruising at 35 MPH, experienced sudden onset of high pitch noise along with the red warning light and ABS light being illuminated on console. When attempting to brake, noticed that the brake pedal felt very stiff and not depress. Fortunately, there were no cars in front, and was able to gradually stop the vehicle by pressing on the brake as hard as possible. The braking distance felt a lot further than usual. After coming to a stop and waiting a few minutes, stopped and restarted the engine. The high pitch noise stopped once the engine turned off. Once the engine was back on, the brake pedal felt normal again, and while the ABS light was no longer illuminated, the red warning light remained on. Took the car immediately to the toyota dealer where my car is normally serviced, and they indicated there was a fault code c1300 and recommended replacing the skid control ecu (part# 89540-47130). Looks like there is at least one other incident reported on this (odi id# 10320472). This seems to be a major safety hazard due to potential loss of braking power if this component goes out. Request investigation and safety recall as appropriate.
I am the first owner of this 2005 prius and have kept up with all maintenance and recall issues. This is my first complaint. On a perfectly fine weather day, I was driving my usual route home coming to a line of stopped cars in the left turn lane on a relatively flat, unbumpy surface street and was about 1 car length from the stopped car in front of me when I applied my brake. To my astonishment, with the brake fully engaged, my car kept going forward as if I had no brakes and rear ended the car ahead of me. Luckily neither of us were hurt as I had already slowed down for the stop. There was no damage to my car (my license plate holder hit her bumper and caused a couple of paint chips on hers, which will probably cost me thousands of dollars to repair) but I can tell you I was thoroughly shaken up. No emergency lights or code lights went on inside the car. From reading other complaints on this site, I see this is not a new problem. I will be reporting this to my toyota dealer and to toyota.
I was on the freeway far right lane moving onto an interchange to another freeway when traffic suddenly stopped ahead. I slowed in preparation to stop with plenty room to do so. The car behind me was too close and rear ended my car. After the impact, my brakes failed and I ran into the car ahead even though I should have been able to stop in time, causing significant damage to the front of my car in addition to the rear damage. *tr
I rolled slowly (<1 MPH) uphill to the parking slot (l.a. Code, 2%grade down away from buildings) up to the parking cement stop, and was ready to shut it down. The engine started to race, about to go over the cement stop when I put my foot on the brake. The car continued over the cement stop. I pushed harder on the brake and the car started to drive over the sidewalk. Then the car drove through the plate glass of the studio and then came to a stop inside. I put the car into neutral and tried to turn the car 'off'. The car's engine was still on after several tries to turn it off and I had my foot off the brake and on the floor. Then the car took a turn to the left and drove through the wall (my foot was still on the floor). I got out of the car without taking it out of neutral and it was still "on". I took the key with me to the middle of the room (I used the keyless ignition) so the car should have "chimed" because; the passenger side door was open, I was out of the car, and the car was still left "on". However, the car did not chime (indicating it did not detect I was 12 feet away). My teacher came up to the shattered glass window of the studio at the same time the security officer for the mini mall a few minutes after I got out of the car. I was looking for my insurance card in my purse when the three of us witnessed the car "rev" again and the wall began to shatter with plaster and wooden studs falling around the car with no one driving (the car was in neutral). Because of the movement of the car, without a driver and in the wall, the security guard tried to get people out of the building. The towing company could not 'pull' the vehicle out of the wall with their tow truck for more then 20 minutes so, I gave my car key to the police officer and he gave it to the towing company. The man from the towing company drove the car out of the wall and out of the studio.
Brakes on 2005 toyota prius started intermittently acting up about a year ago, after six years of no problems. Observed symptoms were extreme jerkiness of brake operation despite constant pressure on brake pedal. Symptoms observed at any speed, but especially noticeable at slow speeds (coming to a final stop, such as at a traffic light, or in reverse backing out of driveway). When applying brakes at highway speeds, jerkiness felt like alternate over braking / under braking. Symptoms were quite scary the first times it happened. Had personal mechanic check out brakes. Test drive confirmed problem, but he was unable to find anything wrong with hydraulic brake system. Since problem was intermittent, we decided to see what happened. Problem continued intermittently, gradually increasing in frequency to the point in the last month where it was happening much more often than not. Took car to toyota dealer for diagnosis. Problem was not evident on day of service. They checked computer for stored error codes, and found none. Rear brake drums showed slight wear and were out of adjustment, so drums were cleaned and turned and brakes adjusted. No difference in observed behavior; by end of the next day, jerky behavior noted as bad as it had ever been. Took car back to dealer. They replaced the stroke sensor even though there was no stored error code. This appears to have fixed the problem, since there has been no recurrence of problem in a week or driving since repair. Brakes feel totally normal again, for the first time in a year. Note on diagnosis procedure: the dealer seemed to initially discount my detailed, written description of the problem, and reacted only to their observations. While understandable, it is frustrating to the owner and could lead to a serious problem not getting fixed. I feel that the symptoms as described to them pointed directly to the stroke sensor and it should have been replaced on that basis.
(1). I slammed on the brakes, but there was no power brakes. The 2005 prius slowed, but did not stop until it crashed into another vehicle. I was going approximately 35 MPH, and I traveled 3 car lengths before colliding with the other vehicle. (2). Loss of power assist had previously occurred while backing up, but this was the first failure going forward. (3). Total loss(totaled,, $7,000 damage). The 2005 prius is now at an automobile recycling yard. )4) I notified toyota. But I had to call them back several times, and after 15 days, someone finally answered, instead of me getting their voice mail. If the power brakes had failed at an intersection, it could have been a fatal crash.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds he noticed the engine light, the ABS, and the brake light illuminated. The vehicle then started to make a loud clunking noise and then when decelerating he noticed that the ABS starting to kick in when it shouldn't. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and they advised him that the computer had malfunctioned on the ABS system and the right front wheel had locked up. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised him they will escalate the failure. The failure and current mileages were approximately 110,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Were driving a 2005 toyota prius, when the brakes suddenly started behaving erratically, would not depress when pressure was applied. All ABS /vsc lights came on, drove to the nearest dealership (glendale, ca toyota). They said that the brakes had short circuited and needed to be replaced. ($2500 part), subsequently they said that the skid control ecu was also gone and had to be fixed. This was another $1500 part. On reading other complaints, this sounds like a major and common issue, does not appear that toyota is addressing or even reviewing the problem. This is a single owner car, all maintenance service followed and with only 62,000 miles on the car.
Note: the date above does not reflect first date of occurance. This is the event date that LED to toyota admitting something is wrong with the car. Please read narrative: on three occasions the car has died while being parked at work and at home. On one occasion the car died in my garage. After the vehicle was jumped it seemed fine. No lights were left on nor were any electrical devices plugged into the accessories. When it started up the car stated that the parking brake was not properly engaged and the vehicle needed to be moved to a level surface. It was in my driveway. Another time the car did the same thing, dying at work in the airport employee parking lot. The car required being jump started and again it gave the same message. A co-worker stated that they had heard the car alarm go off at one point about an hour prior to shift change. Both times the vehicle was checked and the report was nothing was wrong with the car. Most recently on 3/27/2011 the same thing occurred. This time when jump starting the battery the cars engine started and the car lunged forward at me with lights and alarm sounding. I was unable to shut down the alarm and went into the car and pressed the power button to shut the engine down. When I powered the engine back up the car alarm was again sounding and all the lights on the dash were illuminated. Powered it down and up again and this time no audible alarm but the exclamation mark in the triangle was illuminated as well as the message about the parking brake. I powered it down and up one last time and, with the message still illuminated, drove off. The message shut down when I got to the security gate. Toyota tested the vehicle on 4/1/2011 and reported that c1300 and c2300 faults were found (ecu and ABS actuator). As the car is out of warranty, cost will be about $3,000.00. (more info exists but no room here)
Nov 15 2010 the car was in service for 5000 miles check. The dealership declared that the brakes and coolant flow valve needed replacement and stated the car was unsafe to drive. Upon agreeing for repairs the dealership said the car was safe to drive and it will take 2 weeks for parts to arrive. 15 dec 2010 the car was taken in for stated repairs ($2000), since then the car has have intermittently braking failures at low speeds under 20 MPH and at stops on a downgrade. The car was taken in for repairs again in 16 jan 2011. The car stills has intermittent failures, the lights to the parking brakes, ABS brakes, vbc lights and the warning lights are still on since the repairs. While replacing the tires firestone on 30 jan 2011 found the code 1247 on the ecu by their technician. The lights on the dash board are still on at all times. After leaving firestone, the car surge forward while stop on a downgrade while the brake depress, I felt the pressure release thus I depress harder on the brakes petal until it was on the floor, I had to use the emergency brake to stop. I will take the car into the toyota dealership for the third time 31 jan 2011.
Low-speed brake failure: accelerated lightly away from traffic signal to approximately 5-7 MPH, traffic then slowed, applied brakes normally with no noticeable deceleration or pedal resistance. Removed foot from brake and then reapplied brakes very hard, pedal again offered little resistance, no noticeable deceleration. Roadway surface dry, free from dirt/gravel, smooth with slight downgrade, temperature believed to be slightly above freezing. Impacted car ahead at low speed ' no airbag deployment, minimal damage to this car (est. $750), additional minor damage to two cars ahead. After crash, shut car off. After restarting car, brakes appeared to work normally. Upon inspection found no fault codes present, no warning lights, brake pads had substantial material remaining, brake fluid level normal, tires with substantial tread depth. Car has been maintained in accordance with manufacturer recommendations since new, all recalls have been complied with. . Car was fully warm, had been driven 14 miles since start. Car had been operated at freeway speeds for last 5-6 miles before traffic signal. Based on past experience along this frequently traveled route, hybrid storage battery was almost certainly full from energy stored during deceleration from freeway speed on exit ramp, thus hybrid system would be unable to deliver regenerative braking at time of bake failure/crash.
During wet weather, the brakes grab. This usually occurs during the first 10 mins. Of driving. Based on the recent recalls, I decided to do some research online to determine if others owners had similar problems. I have not taken the car in to the dealership. The brakes have been this way since I've owned the car.
We have noticed repeatedly (a dozen or more times) over three years of owning this car and 100k miles, that as we brake going over a bumpy section of road, the braking system fails and the car actually accelerates for one or two seconds. This is especially alarming when we need to brake suddenly in a curve on a bumpy road as it seems we will lose control of the car. I always brake with my right foot and my right foot remains off the accelerator and on the brake throughout these episodes. Our car is equipped with the vehicle stability system and the passenger notices that the stability system warning light comes on during these episodes. It is not simply that the car coasts when the braking fails, the engine actually sounds like it is revving up and the car noticeably speeds up. Once the bumpy section has been passed, normal braking resumes. This has nothing to do with the floor mat. This situation should be reproducible thru testing.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and attempting to decelerate, the vehicle would not stop and the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact received injuries to the neck and chest. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured. The contact was transported to the hospital via ambulance. A police report was available. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was 30,000. Updated 01/24/11 *cn updated 04/18/11
My car, a 2005 toyota prius, was stationary at a stoplight on a clear, sunny day. My foot was on the brake and the brake was fully depressed. I could feel a sudden pressure change in the brake, and warning lights came on. I drove the short distance to work, but the car was handling badly (wobbly) and the brake was very soft and only partially effective. After work, a few hours later, the car seemed to be handling normally and braking normally, but I drove to the closest dealer as a precaution. They checked the computer and found code c1357 (decreasing pressure solenoid malfunction). They replaced the brake actuator assembly.
Yesterday on a long trip through the mountains, lights came on my dash on my 2005 toyota prius that indicated a hybrid problem. Hoping to get to a place where I could get service I continued on. (I also noted that the cruise control light would not come on.) then the brake light and ABS came on the dashboard with an auditory alarm. I tested the brakes and they seemed okay and there was no berm to pull off. Then I hit the brakes on a curve and the peddle went down low. I pressed hard and got it off the road on a wide spot that by the grace of god appeared. I had it towed to the nearest dealer. Today, the dealer said they checked all codes and inspected the braking system and can find nothing wrong and all codes have left. They said the hybrid battery seemed to be low but they find the battery and charging system to be ok. (they said brakes do not work when the battery is low and the battery is charged by braking which I was doing plenty of in the mountains.) they also said the computer is ok. They drive it and nothing is wrong.
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