Two months ago, I purchased a used 2007 prius and have been experiencing some odd incidents with the brakes. For instance, when I was exiting the freeway last week, I ran over a small pothole and the car lunged forward even though I was braking the whole time. Also, when I drive at speeds higher than 60 MPH and press on the brake, it always feels like there is a slight delay before the brakes actually take hold. It feels as if the brake pads on the tires are momentarily disconnected (for less than a second). I asked the toyota dealership if the 2007 model has been affected by all of the recent recalls, but they reassured me that my prius is fine. Nonetheless, I wanted to report these incidents to the federal safety agency in case others are experiencing similar problems. Thank you.
2007 Toyota Prius brakes complaints
Page 7 of 12: complaints 161 to 190 of 331, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I currently own a 2010 prius and have had the brake recall work done. Previously when I was living in belgium, I leased a 2007 prius. I complained to the toyota dealer about the lurching forward of the car when I braked if there was even mildly rough or damp pavement. They told me that it wasn't a problem. My husband and I were in an accident in belgium due to this problem. A stop light turned red and when we tried to stop, the car kept going and we ran into a motorcyclist. Thankfully he wasn't injured but we had about $1,000 worth of damage to the front end of our car that we had to pay for. The dealer continued to claim that there was nothing wrong with the brakes.
I drive a 2007 prius. While going over rough patches, potholes, etc., my car seems to lurch forward and momentarily lose braking control. The vsa light flashes as well. It is definitely worse in the rain, and if I am turning.
For the last 10 months starting after ownership of the car for approx 15 months, after braking and while at a stop with foot on brake pedal, my 2007 toyota prius makes a loud sound like a large metal coil being tightened. Toyota has attempted repair three times over the last 10 months to no avail. Toyota has repeatedly stated that have no knowledge of the cause but are attempting to determine a "fix". After the third repair attempt, the dealer declared my car a "lemon" and suggested I contact their third part arbitration center who has now turned down my case because although the defect was reported while the car was under warranty, the car no longer is under warranty. My state's lemon laws do not support cars no longer under warranty either. I have a car that could not be sold to anyone due to the loud and frightening noise. In addition, the situation worsened considerably after the last attempt at repair.
Constant peculiar noises from brake system, premature brake wear computer system had to be re-initialized at 15,000 miles. Brakes pads had to be replaced and rotors resurfaced at same mileage. Brake pedal depressed to the floor before vehicle stopped, it was an emergency stop. These problems have persisted for almost 3 years and the dealer and factory rep. Says it is normal. Arbitration in favor of toyota. I have never heard these noises in any other vehicle I have driven in 62 years. These noises could be a problem waiting to happen.
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. The contact was driving approximately 40 MPH, approaching a traffic light. When the brake pedal was engaged, the brakes failed to respond in a timely manner. Additionally, the electrical system failed without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired when the complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 23,406. The current mileage was 30,000.
Car seems to lose brake power for a fraction of a second when driving over potholes, on bumpy pavement, or on wet slippery dirt roads. Occurs each time when braking under said conditions.
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. While traveling at a speed of 25 MPH over a rough surface the vehicle began to skid and it became difficult to control, the traction control light also appeared on the dashboard when the failure occurred. The dealer was contacted and sent a representative to diagnose the failure. The contact didn't provide any detailed information regarding the diagnosis that the representative found. The contact also noticed that the failure occurred intermittently. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileages were 27,000. Updated 05/14/10.
1. Wife is leary of driving our 2007 toyota prius because of problem brakes. We need a better description of what happens when we try to turn off the engine going 100 MPH. 2. Lights are poor. We cannot see very far ahead in this deer infested environment. I have better lights on my 1997 hyundai 3. One or the other headlight flickers and goes out for no understandable reason. We turn the lights off and turn them on again and it works ok. This could be a safety hazard. What is being done to fix it. 4. Seating. My first encounter with the toyota complaint system cam about as I was trying to get the driver seat moved back because I have long legs. The dealer said they have no way of fixing this but that I should go to the after market. I asked if toyota would accept an aftermarket solution. The dealer said that they will evaluate it after it is installed to tell us if it meets safety specifications no aftermarket supplier will try to fix this because they have not assurance that it will be accepted by toyota. Yet toyota gives no technical information about what is acceptable. I complained formally to the dealer and got nowhere. I then sent a formal complaint to national toyota. They passed the complaint back to the dealer for response. For me this is a major flaw in the toyota complaint handling system. They have a closed loop when it comes to complaints. 5. I like the car and it gets the mileage I expected. I am not sure I will ever get another toyota if there are reasonable alternative that get good mileage.
Just completed a left turn behind another vehicle. The other vehicle then slowed to make an immediate left turn into a gas station across the road. I was gently applying the brakes to keep my following distance (10ft, traveling about 8mph). The other car suddenly applied the brakes harder to turn, when I pressed harder there was no reaction until I hit the other car, at which point the brakes engaged and I stopped.
Vehicle was sb in lane 2 of 2 when it is reported that the driver lost control struck a guard rail on the right then traveled across two lanes crossing onto a shoulder where it eventually struck a tree. Eye witnesses saw no brake lights at any point. Autopsy concluded that the driver died from trauma caused by impact with the tree. The vehicle was a 07 prius.
2007 toyota prius. Consumer states when applying the brakes, one wheel of the car hits a bump in the road with the brakes applied, the brakes release for a short time.
I own a 2007 toyota prius, and when decelerating on a bumpy road, I have on several occasions felt an unexpected acceleration which lasts only for a fraction of a second, but its enough to cause me to feel alarmed. I have asked my dealer if this has been addressed by recalls as he informed me it has not.
While turning into a parking spot, I experienced a total loss of braking while the vehicle began accelerating without gas pedal pressure. After jumping a curb, the brake pedal became active and the car was stopped.
I was driving my vehicle and exiting a highway when I applied the brakes and the vehicle sped up and hit the vehicle in front and pushed it into two other vehicles.
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. While approaching any type of stop sign and decelerating, if the vehicle traveled over a series of bumps or any uneven road surface, the vehicle would momentarily accelerate and immediately function normally. The contact stated that it felt similar to having depressed the brake pedal and removing his foot midway. The dealer was contacted and advised the him that the vehicle was operating as it was intended. They also advised filing a complaint with the manufacturer, which he did. The manufacturer did not respond. There were no repairs made to the vehicle to date and there were no recalls. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. The contact was driving approximately between 20-30 MPH on a rough road surface. While braking the anti-lock brake system warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle failed to slow down with a slight loss of vehicle control for a few seconds. The vehicle was able to resume normal operation. The failure occurred whenever encountering an uneven or snow covered road condition. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. There was no resolution. The failure mileage was unknown.
2007 toyota prius. Consumer states delayed brake reaction. Must press firmly for brake to stop the vehicle. *tgw the consumer stated she noticed the problem with the brakes when she first drove down a hill. When she applied the brakes, it took a long time for it to hold instead of holding at the first pressing of the brake pedal. The vehicle continued to roll down the hill until the pedal was applied harder.
2007 toyota prius with tire failure and brakes grabbing. *kb the battery and headlights failed. The consumer stated toyota has since removed this particular type of bulb and assembly from production. When the vehicle was 1 year old the consumer was stopped by the police and given a warning for the headlight being out. However, when the consumer and her husband exited the vehicle, they along with the police officer found both headlights were working and he let them go without a citation. The consumer has since discovered that one headlight or the other will just go out on occasion during every drive. The brightness of the headlights began to dim when the vehicle was only a year old. Toyota recommended using the headlights less and they further recommended not using the highly touted feature that allows the lights to automatically turn off after the vehicle has been turned off. Last month, the consumer received a letter from toyota regarding information about a problem with the hid headlights. The letter stated the customer support program would reimburse for some cost relative to the defective headlights. However the local dealer did not agree and the cost far exceeded anything mentioned in the letter. The dealer informed the consumer the cost of installation for new bulbs would be $245 in labor for each headlight replacement, that was in addition to the exorbitant cost of the bulbs themselves.
I own a 2007 prius. I have noticed on many occasions that when you go over a pothole, or there is gravel on the road, the traction control light comes on and for a moment, the car loses its braking ability. You accelerate for a bit before the brakes come on again. It is very scary. Thank god nothing has happened, but how many injuries have to happen before toyota does something?!
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. The contact stated that as he came to a complete stop with his feet on the brake pedal and there was a bump in the road the vehicle would lunge forward and accelerate. The dealer was called, stated that was normal and there was no failure. The contact stated the failure occurred repeatedly whenever he stopped the vehicle. The toyota manufacturer was never called. The failure mileage was 50,000.
2007 toyota prius - braking issue on rainy or slick surface. Upon normal braking on a slick or wet surface the car becomes unstable, the ABS braking becomes irregular and the car goes into a skid and does not stop in a normal fashion or within a normal braking distance. The same braking response occurs if I hit a pothole while braking. The toyota dealer tells me that this is normal. It is not normal as I cannot drive the car under wet or snowy conditions for fear of an accident. The braking issues noted in the 2010 prius make me wonder if a similar condition exists for the 2007 model year. I suspect that it is the ecu which is faulty.
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. She experienced break failure while driving 20 MPH in inclement weather. Her first failure occurred when she was unable to stop the vehicle when the brakes were applied with a vehicle in front of her. She was forced to make a left turn to avoid crashing into a vehicle. She has experienced the failure for a couple of years and thought that it was drivers error. She has not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The failure mileage was 12,000 and the current mileage was 38,000.
Prius 2007, failed to stop at very low speed. With a guest inside my car, I drove over a railroad track. There was a street light up front, and a couple of cars ahead of mine. As I pressed my brakes, the car did not stop. My car rear ended the front car, and my insurance was charged for it. Indeed, I had no idea the prius could have a brake problem. To make it less expensive for my future insurance, I did not had my front bumper replaced, and the driver side outside mirror plastic cover, thinking that perhaps the insurance would not go up. Now I have a doubled car insurance payment. The accident occurred on may 21, 2009. I took my car on the 26 may 2009 for a 40 miles maintenance paid in advance when I bought the car. The brakes were also checked and no problems found by the toyota dealer. I took my car again feb 20, 2010, again, no problems found. Today I am reluctant, on my mind, if the prius will stop or not when brakes a pressed. Car was purchase on february 2007.
When I drive my 2007 prius to work, I pass by 101 south to 110 south freeway. At that curve, there is a little bump, when I drive about 30 MPH at that bumpy spot, I experienced four times lost my breaking system for a second or two. (whenever I loose braking system brake light come on for a second or two) one tine I had nearly miss the car in front. Whenever I drive that spot I am slowing down to 20 MPH. 2007 prius definitely has braking problems. I am afraid to drive my prius. I need help.
This has happened dozens of times, to myself and my wife. We are braking, and whilst braking drive over a pothole or drain. The traction control comes on, and the car disengages the brakes and the car lurches forward. After clearing the pothole, the traction control then disengages, and the brakes re-engage. Several times, I have come close to hitting the car in front. Conditions: clear, sunny, dry roads. Car: toyota prius, year 2007.
Abs, vsc, brake failure.
1. Safety ' while driving on a bumpy road in darien (west avenue near the train station) last year the prius brakes did not stop the car. Although the speed was low (about 5mph), the resultant accident damaged its front end and the car in front of us. 2. Drivability and safety ' the cruise control holds the minimum speed but allows over speed conditions. While returning from danbury on route 7 the cruise control holds 40mph until going downhill. On downhill slopes the speed increases and intervention is required to turn off the cruise control and apply the brakes. 3. Drivability ' during cold weather the main battery accepts a charge but does not return much energy to the drive system. The mileage decreases by 10-15mpg. Toyota of stamford refused to do a free safety inspection.
Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. While driving over any potholes in the road at speeds of over 10 MPH, the traction warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel. The vehicle also made a loud grinding noise while depressing the brake pedal and they would not engage. The contact confirmed that the brakes felt as if they were "locking." the manufacturer and a local dealer were contacted, both of which were not willing to offer any assistance. No repairs were made to the vehicle. On a separate occasion, the headlights intermittently failed to operate. The dealer replaced the bulbs in both headlights. There were no recalls. The failure mileage was under 1,000 and the current mileage was 20,400. Updated 03/04/10. *lj updated 05/10/10
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. The contact was driving approximately 30 MPH on an uneven road surface. While braking the vehicle loss slight control and skidded. Suddenly, the skid control warning light indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The driver was able to gain control of the vehicle. The failures occurred whenever encountering uneven road surfaces, and potholes. The failure mileage was 6,000.
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