2008 toyota prius. On jan 29, 2010, I was slowly pulling into a parking stall when the accelerator engaged and the car surged forward. I applied the brakes and nothing happened. I let off the brakes and slammed them on harder and the car would not stop. My car hit the side of a am/pm arco station building. I turned it into my insurance and paid the $500 deductible. My car was taken to dealership and they could find nothing wrong at that time. The car has not surged since.
2008 Toyota Prius driver assistance complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 82, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I have a 2008 toyota prius that experiences the same hesitancy and shaking while braking that the 2010 recalled models have. I initially took the vehicle to toyota within the first year of ownership and they claimed to not be able to duplicate the problem. They also told me last week at the dealership they have had other 2008 owners state the same problem, but since the vehicles are not under recall, there is no recourse for these cars. I have never had a crash due to the problem, but it makes handling a bit difficult when the brakes shake. I feel the recall fix should be made available to other model years as well.
I was involved in a accident in my 2008 toyota prius. I was traveling east on greenback lane in citrus heights ca on dec. 24 2008 slight sprinkling at the time at about 35 MPH when the cars in front of me began to stop I couldn't get the car stopped and rear ended a van . The brakes didn't work for a second or so and I kept pressure on and finally they started to work but to late to avoid the collision. I hit a minivan and it pushed him into a 2005 chevy trailblazer. I didn't realize at the time my car may be defective until all the news started to surface and now many others are having the same symptoms. Everyone else said they weren't injured at the time but now the driver in the trail blazer says he has whiplash injuries.
Reproducible lag in brake response when driving over bumpy conditions at low speeds (8-20mph) on dry road conditions. If I brake before a sharp bump (e.g., pothole before stop sign), there is a delay in brake engagement on the order of second(s), and the traction control light flashes on the dashboard. The brakes will eventually engage. This is most noticeable and reproducible when I am driving on a university campus that is in the foothills of salt lake city on a declining and curvy road. However, I have encountered this brake issue periodically when hitting potholes or sharp bumps on slight declines at other venues. However, this has LED to several episodes of the car stopping later than anticipated, and I worry that my scenario represents a "sentinel event" for future safety issues. I inquired about this at a dealership, and their response was that "you just have to adjust to the brake feel compared to your old non-hybrid car."
We have a 2008 prius which has a couple of dangerous things about it which the dealer says is 'the way it's designed to work'. 1.I believe they are recalling the 2010 prius for this problem, but the 2008 has it also. The cars braking system completely releases all the brakes, so far I've just noticed it in the rear wheels, when going around a curve and the wheel hits a bump and looses traction. The traction control light goes on and all the brakes are gone for a short period of time. It feels as if the car is also accelerating during this period of time, but that could just be a result of loosing the braking system. 2.the engine 'completely shuts off' when the front wheels spin. In snow on a grade which can easily be driven on with a vehicles slipping from time to time, the prius motor shuts down when a driving wheel spins and all forward momentum is lost ' ie after spin, no engine, power, spin, no engine several times the car comes to a stop in the road. I also can't get up my neighbors driveway if it rains because of this. If crossing a lane of oncoming traffic from a stop sign and the wheel spins we are in 'mortal danger' of being hit.
As the traffic began to accelerate after stopping at a traffic light the brakes on my 2008 prius, which I had for less than a day, apparently failed. I had plenty of room ( 3 to 4 car lengths) when the van in front of me stopped short. I slammed on the brakes, but the vehicle failed to stop (the highway was wet and I assumed the anti-lock brakes activated causing the stopping distance to be extended, but there was no evidence of the ABS engaging). The resulting accident caused over $ 4,000 in front end damage. Also, the ESC appear to "skip" while traveling over a railroad track near my home.
Driving on snowy or slippery road conditions can cause my 2008 toyota prius to lose power completely. In december I was going up a very slight incline, in approximately 2 inches of snow. The prius lost a little traction going up the incline and then shut off completely. I had no control at all as my car went backward down the incline and then straight into a snowbank, where I was stuck. Luckily there was no car directly behind me. It was very scary. I looked online for information about this problem, found a ton of it, then went and bought some very expensive snow tires. Now I'm using those and hoping I will not lose any traction at all with them.
Most recent failure was a few days ago but this has been a problem since I purchased the 2008 prius in march of 08--- I thought it was a quirk in the car --- something that just naturally happened when I would go over a pot hole or bumps in the road --- the car would lurch forward --- I had no control over the car --- no brakes --- I didn't realize that this was not a "natural" response until I heard the description on a news broadcast a couple weeks ago. Model years prior to 2010 should be included in the investigation. I am going to make an appointment with my dealer. Thank you
I have a 2008 toyota prius. From day one, I have had a problem with braking over uneven terrain. When the vehicle goes over the uneven terrain, and you are braking, the stability control light goes on the dash and the brakes stop working until the vehicle is past the uneven road. This also happens on icy roads when the vehicle starts to slip, the brakes fail. I did not think there was anything wrong until I heard of similar complaints. I am taking the vehicle in to the dealer this week for it's service and will be reporting the problem to them at that time.
2008 toyota prius with anti-slip rear-wiggle upon hitting small bumps in road. The anti-slip electronic system is way too sensitive as it is responding to small bumps in the road. I can understand how this may be helpful at high speeds or icy conditions, but at slow speeds the blinking yellow skid-control dashboard light and rearend wiggle as the system tries to recover does seem annoying. The system is overly sensitive.
My 2008 toyota prius has the same problem as reported in the 2010 recall. When approaching an intersection (or doing anything), if my car hits a bump or pothole, the skid control takes over and I can not manually brake. Why is this not being addressed? The date in question I was approaching an intersection and hit a pothole and even though I was hitting the brakes, not until the skid control was finished could the brakes actually fire, and that didn't happen until my car was halfway in the intersection!
Traction control issues with 2008 toyota prius. The traction control makes the car almost undriveable on snow covered roads due to power being removed from driving wheels. Suggest adding a switch to disable the traction control.
We own two (2) prius cars. One is a 2008 touring model prius; the other is a 2010 prius v purchased in december 2009. Both cars have the braking issue when the antilock brakes are used on rough roads such as potholes. I have made this known to caldwell toyota - I was told both cars operate within specifications. Both cars "jump and lurch forward" when the brake pedal is "slammed on". I know that the 2010 prius should be recalled and repaired. My concern is that the same issue exists in the 2008 prius. Why is the 2008 year not being recalled?
2008 prius which experiences momentary loss of braking on rough roads or surfaces which cause the feeling of a loss of braking momentarily.
I own a 2008 toyota prius and I have been experiencing the same braking as the issues as the recent 2010 recall since I have owned the car brand new. When coming to a stop on a semi rough road (all the time) the cars brakes stutter and the antilock engages and dis-engages creating the car to not have proper braking control. Nothing has been done to correct the issue.
The car's anti-lock brakes fail to engage when the traction control kicks in. Thus, the car slides forward uncontrollably. I have avoided accidents only by swerving. Additionally, the traction control will activate when on dry pavement. Thus, normal stopping can be difficult if the car's traction control is activated (typically due to a bump/pothole).
I have a 2008 toyota prius and apparently I'm experiencing the same problems as the 2010's in the recall. After reading the description from new releases I realize that I have been experiencing the problem. The event is reproducible and occurs whenever I'm braking and the car hits the slightest bump or dip in the road. If I do not let go of the brake just before the bump/dip/small pothole, the brake seems to disengage and the car feels as if its lurching forward. The engine does not seem to rev but there is a definite feeling of acceleration. I have noticed this pretty much since I bought the car but did not think all to much of it, I just adjusted my driving habits as best as possible. ( I thought perhaps the ABS or traction control was just too sensitive) I drive through out the day and a road I travel on has gotten pretty beat up with all the snow removal so I have to be very careful driving on this road if there is any traffic, as I must anticipate the bumps/dips and brake accordingly otherwise this event will occur. Again the issue is reproducible thankfully I have not had an accident due to this.
With the brake pedal engaged, the brakes shut off temporarily while the traction control light is on. This failure occurs daily when I approach the stop sign in my neighborhood. As a approach the stop sign (brakes engaged), the road dips slightly which turns on the traction control. At this point the brakes turn off (with my foot still on the pedal) until the traction control light goes out indicating that the traction control has disengaged. So far I have been lucky and have not hit anyone after rolling through the stop sign. This is not a new problem as it has happened basically every day since I bought the vehicle. I have been dealing with it until I saw the notice about the 2010 prius with exactly the same problem. I would like to submit a formal complaint so that the 2010 prius brake investigation can be expanded to include the 2008 prius.
2008 toyota prius touring version. Since buying the car is 12/07, I have noticed several problems. When slowing, if gas engine kicks off it is harder to brake (minor). When going over bumps (I.e, railroad tracks, rutted roads), brakes don't seem to work even when pressed hard (moderate problem). I make sure guy in front is far away from tracks before proceding. In snow (>4") car will stall - cannot spin tires (medium) so can't get the car to move without having to dig it out. Website (priuschat.com) says this is overly aggressive traction control which protects hybrid components. Doesn't help when in traffic and stall out. Major problem - if quickly accelerating, engine will lose power with fast plummet in MPH. Feels like the engine has died. Eventually with catch after it feels like it has stalled and will jerk and then slowly accelerate again. If acceleterating to avoid being hit this makes the situation much worse. I believe that the root of all of these problems is either traction control of vsc. Yellow icon flashes on dashboard when brake power lost on bumpy roads. Slipping of tires during fast acceleration or in snow causes car to stall. All events happened multiple times (multiple times from 500 to 36000 miles). Search dustyhuskie on priuschat for details. Figured that I would have to live with the problem and get used to it.
Brakes release at stops where only slight road conditions exist and here there should be complete braking. I have found this happens at numerous times during the period I have owned my 2008 prius. I believe there are valid concerns with this vehicles brake system that need to be acknowledged and addressed by the manufacturer.
I have a 2008 prius. If I have my foot on the brake and the stability system light comes on, the brake seems to release for a split second. This has not caused an accident, but I wanted to report it since the 2010 prius is being investigated
1) the even happens during normal braking from 40 MPH over a road with potholes. The location is here: http://maps.google.com/?ie=utf8&hq=&hnear=cleveland,+cass,+missouri&ll=38.67887,-94.675729&spn=0.00139,0.00284&z=19 2) the car loses all braking for 1-2 seconds after running over the pothole. If somebody was in front of me, it would result in a accident. It happens 5 days a week as part of my daily commute. 3) toyota says it is normal for the prius to do this.
Own 2008 toyota prius. In the past few months having trouble with the anti- locking brake system. While going over bumps or potholes feels that the car has no control almost like driving on ice. This problem is occuring more frequently. Also, making turns the brakes seem to grab and then eventulally release. While making a turn on a off ramp , the anti-locking brake system continually employed making it difficult to steer the car around the turn.
Can't brake effectively on snow or when car hits a pot hole
My car is a 2008 prius. The incident is that my car didn't stop and skidded into a concrete curb, damaging the right front power steering rack. It was snowing, about 1-2" accumulated. Driving into my office parking lot, there is a street with a steep but short hill - maybe 50feet or less - (it was not plowed or sanded). At the foot of the hill, there is a left turn into a level parking lot or a right turn under a highway overpass, or straight ahead into shrubs and the river. I slowed down before going down the hill and as I went down the hill I lightly pumped brakes. Tried to come to a complete stop at foot of the hill but car didn't stop completely, but was going slow. So, I made the left turn into the parking lot. The body of the car turned into the lot, but was not in control. With the brakes on, and the wheel turned to the left, the car went into a slide sideways to the right. The right front wheel slammed into a concrete curb and the car stopped. It felt as if I had no brakes - coming down the hill they couldn't stop me and there was no skid control coming on at any time. The failure: given the weather conditions I don't know how to prove a failure but I suspect something with the brakes. I have owned this car for one year (purchased it used) and during that time the one thing that bugs me in the car is the brakes and the skid control. They just feel strange, I go over a depressed manhole in the road and the dsc comes on and it feels like I skid - it should just feel like a bump. Repairs: this is the list -entire power steering rack on right front to be replaced- tie rod, lower control arm, wheel, rim-all bent. Front cover and lower ball joint damaged-to be replaced. Over $3000 in repairs; they will be done this week (8 feb). If you want the old parts I can ask for dealer to save them. Car is @ toyota dealer. Mileage & speed are my best guess; components I guessed - your terms were not familiar to me.
I own a 2008 toyota prius. I've noticed that when I run over a bump or a pothole on the road, the car seems to accelerate or jolt forward. It happens while I brake to a stop sign and run over a bump or pothole. It has also happened while letting go of the gas pedal but not stepping on the brake. Usually when this occurs the light for the traction control engages as if it detects a skid, even though there is no skid. I have to press the brake very hard in order to stop or slow down the car. I tend to leave extra room in front of me just in case the car accelerates unexpectedly, but there is definitely a problem with unexplained acceleration.
I just reported the brake problem for this car, but there's also a problem with the tcs. When trying to accelerate on slick surfaces there is a momentary loss of traction resulting in an overly-long compensated period of seriously reduced acceleration; this has caused safety problems in intersections, where I am unable to quickly accelerate out of the way if conditions are slick or sandy, it is so unsafe that I wish I could turn off the traction control system..
This is for a 2008 toyota prius. This problem occurs during normal daily/routine driving, and occurs almost daily. Problem: while braking, if I encounter any non-smooth surfaces (small pot hole, slight gravel, etc) or while braking and turning--the braking pressure/force momentarily releases for about a 1/2 second ,and is immediately followed by a flashing ABS light. When this occurs, the car also momentarily lunges forward due to having no braking force. On 4 occasions I almost ended up into cross traffic at an intersection. This has occurred since I first owned the car back in july 2009 and is not a recent development. This same problem occurred today during my commute to work on wintry mx weather roads, but I did not have any near collisions. No repairs or work has been performed on my car to fix this problem. I assumed this problem was inherent to hybrids, but in light of recent prius braking problems on the news, I felt it was my duty to report that my 2008 prius does have a braking issue.
Car seems to slip on uneven road surface. When driven over potholes or bumps in the road, the wheels seem to speed up before stabilizing back. The stability control light flashes on when this happens.
I am an owner of a 2008 toyota prius. I have also experienced the braking problems that have been associated with the 2010 model. When hitting a bump in the road or an uneven part of the road, the brakes will not take hold and the vehicle seems to accelerate or jerk forward. Also the anti-lock brake light flashes.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2008 Toyota Prius?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history