I have a 2008 prius that has the same problem as that reported with the 2010. Every time I brake on a rippled or bumpy surface, there is a repeated momentary loss of braking. On a certain downhill stretch of road near me, it happened every time I drove it, until it was resurfaced. Another problem is that if the vehicle is on an inclined surface of crushed rock, there is a complete loss of power. The dealer describes this as an "overly sensitive traction control system" that cannot be adjusted. This is also hazardous because on slick surfaces, each momentary loss of traction results in an overly-compensated period of seriously reduced acceleration; we have been sitting ducks in intersections, unable to quickly accelerate out of the way if conditions are slick, not because of the surface itself, but because of the way the vehicle mis-handles the situation.
2008 Toyota Prius driver assistance complaints
Page 4 of 4: complaints 71 to 82 of 82, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I own a 2008 toyota prius and it also has a problem when braking while driving over a rough surface or pot holes. The traction control light comes on and there is a 1-2 second delay before the real brakes kick in. I have learned to be aware of this issue and press the brakes harder until the brakes start to work.
I wanted to include my voice in the recent complaints about the toyota prius brakes. I have a 2008 prius and have experienced the same issue several times- the brakes seem to stop working and the slick-road warning light comes on when I go over a big bump or pothole while braking. Braking comes right back, but I can imagine this might be a bigger issue if there was a vehicle right in front of me, in inclement weather, etc. I have heard people only mention the 2010 prius model year, so I wanted to let someone know that the 2008 prius also seems to be affected... Thank you.
I own a 2008 toyota prius. I bought it new 4/12/08 in bend, oregon I live in madras, oregon. The problem has happened 3 times, it happens on packed snow slick conditions. It happened 2 times making 90 deg turns at 20 MPH, I slow down into a right turn and half way thru I touch the gas and the car starts to slide and it will not come out of it. 1st time I hit the curb on the left side of road and went clear up on sidewalk. It did damage to left front tire. 2nd time same turn but there was now side walk I went off the road. 3rd time I was going into a left hand turn normal conditions would have been a easy 55 MPH corner. With packed snow I was going about 30 MPH I slowed into the turn and half way thru I touched the gas pedal and it instantly went into a slide and hit the snow bank on the right hand side and knocked me back into the road. On the prius when you step on the gas and the tires start to spin it stops the tires from spinning instantly. If you hold the gas pedal the same it will start and stop power to the wheels until it gets to the point of no spinning of the tires. I think that when I touch the gas and the tire spins it instantly stops the tire from spinning and the car goes into a slide and it will not let me control the slide because the tires are still in the lock mode and it slides out of control. I do not want to drive the car on slick roads but I don't want to sell it and have someone else get in a wreck because of the problem. I am going to try and contact toyota and tell them.
2008 toyota prius. Have not experienced the braking failure currently being investigated in the 2010 prius, but I have experienced multiple similar failures with the traction control system on both slippery and bumpy roads where the car will completely disengage from the drive train for an unreasonably long period of time, and then pulse wildly between having the drive system engage and disengage. In minnesota with slippery roads for many months in the year, it can be very tricky making a left had turn even when oncoming traffic is a very safe distance away. You can "stall" mid turn in a very vulnerable broadside position. Same issue has happened, to a lesser degree on bumpy roads, not just icy roads. I have not pressed toyota on the issue. I raised it once in conversation and they simply said that it was just how the traction control operated. I am telling you as you open the investigation into the 2010 prius braking system. I think the scope is wider than brakes, it is acceleration as well, and I don't think it is limited to the most recent model of the prius. I drive a late model previous generation prius.
I drive a black 2008 toyota prius and after reading the news reports, I think there might be similar braking issues with my vehicle. The condition definitely does not happen very often, but I would say at least 5-10 times over the 23 months (march 08 - present) that I have had the vehicle. With the brake pedal applied after going over a rough spot or pothole in the road, it felt like the car was skidding or sliding. The car would resume normal operating conditions within a few seconds. The car was never out of control, but the steering wheel and brake pedal definitely felt very loose which is different than under normal circumstances. Also, when this condition occurs, the low-traction indicator light on the dashboard illuminates for a few seconds. These incidents occurred when there was not other traffic around. Up to this point, I attributed the condition to driver error, but I would rather add my description and err on the side of being overly cautious.
I have read news reports about the 2010 prius braking issues. As an owner of a 2008 prius, I have experienced near identical behavior. When braking, if the car hits a pothole or a bump, I momentarily (maybe 1/2 -1 second of time) lose all braking power before braking then resumes. After this 'hiccup' the ABS/traction control light blinks 3-4 times. The issue has never resulted in an accident, however I have changed my driving habits to ensure I have extra room to stop as the issue is both recurring and quite frequent (there is one offramp on my way home from work with a small bump that causes this issue 35-50% of the time). I know that the current story is that the 2010 prius has a 'redesigned' braking system, so prior models and generations are supposedly not affected by the problem the federal safety agency is currently investigating. My experience, however, leads me to believe the problem is more widespread and does in fact impact earlier generation prius cars, possibly in a portion of the braking control system common to both the older and newer prius models.
2008 toyota prius. Brakes fail/inoperative when driving over bumpy roads and/or potholes. It seems as though the ABS or the electronic stability control engages when there is no need. This is the same type of incident that is being reported in newer prius models as well.
When going downhill and approaching a right turn near my home I apply the brakes and often runover the same uneven surface on the road. That triggers my 2008 toyota prius' traction control light to blink on and off a few times and my brakes seem to stop applying pressure at that point while my car's speed increases for 1-2 seconds then the traction control light goes off and the brakes work fine. I am just worried about all the issues with toyota cars and want to make sure my family is safe. Hence, telling my small story before it happens and I can't control it.
When braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second.
I own a 2008 toyota prius and from the day I drove it off the lot its had braking problems. I have always just assumed the car was useless in bad weather because the smallest amount of rain or snow seemed to prevent me from braking. I would begin to slow down and if the car noticed a tire slide even an inch it would seem to activate the traction control and the break would release. I thought this was some sort of horribly designed safety device to prevent hydroplanning. But I've been paying more attention to when my brakes release and it's anytime I slow down and hit a pot hole, or slow down for a dip. The moment the tires lose any contact/friction on the road the brakes stop working. So far it's been most dangerous when turning onto side streets or into parking lots with a bump or dip. If a car is coming out of the same driveway I'm slowing to enter I have to "pump" my brakes when I turn so I don't hit the other car. It's much worse in any snow/rain. It's almost as though when I begin to slide a little and the brake releases it actually accelerates. The brakes give out on a daily basis, this is not rare or insignificant. This has got to be a manufacturing error with the braking system it's just so consistently faulty.
We bought the prius on june 2008 and it has only 4023 miles but in last one month it broke down three times . First time the car stopped on highway a strong beep sound and then check engine light, vehicle stability control light and a big red alert triangle came up the car lost it's power completely and got stalled in the middle of hwy - pretty scary. Then on 6/2/2009 we noticed that we cannot open the hatch back door and the car is completely dead. Both times we towed the car to the dealer and first time they said they did not find any thing wrong and they have reset all the computer, second time they said the battery was drained out without really ny proper reason. Last night we drove the car may be about 15 miles or so and it's the same situation the beep sound and all the hazard lights came on in the middle of the road and the car is dead again and we had to tow to the dealer. Three times in one month and in the middle of the road with a $30,000 dollars car is unacceptable. Some one really can kill us from the back because it is so sudden that no way they could predict that we are going to be stalled within 5 seconds from 65 miles/hour speed. We have a child and she travels on the back seat all the time. What is the solution for it? Toyota needs to take the responsibility. It is a real safety issue for our family.
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