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2009 Toyota Prius brakes complaints

Page 4 of 8: complaints 71 to 100 of 199, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2009 Toyota Prius brakes problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Dec 1, 2010 · Brakes · 17,500 miles · VA

Braking ability decreases temporarily what appears to be a second or so while driving when applying brakes and going over a bump or small pothole. Decreased braking ability while going over bumps/potholes appears to occur every time. The last time of occurrence it appeared that the car may have accelerated momentarily when initially braking and going over a very shallow small pothole.

Filed Aug 27, 2010 · Brakes · 8,000 miles · MT

2009 toyota prius. When braking the brakes would disengage temporarily causing the car to go faster. I have come real close to rear ending the car in front of me during adverse road conditions. I have driven for 35 years in snow and slick conditions and I know when a car isn't braking right. I always maintain a save distance and this is the only car that has done this. This scarier part is that this happens every time when braking if the road is at all slick. I took it to my local dealer to get it checked. After treating me like a total moron accusing me of not knowing how to drive they said they did do a thorough run through and didn't find any problems.

Filed Jul 12, 2010 · Brakes · NJ

2009 toyota prius. Consumer states problem with braking system *tgw the consumer stated when he applied the brakes to stop, he realized they did not engage and neither did the ABS. The vehicle continued at the same slow speed finally coming to stop only after a truck sheared off the front license plate on the consumers vehicle. There was no other damage to the vehicle.

Filed May 28, 2010 · Brakes · 11,400 miles · WI

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. While driving at 35 MPH approaching an intersection, the contact depressed the brake pedal but when the vehicle went over a bump in the road, it did not slow down. The contact had to apply more pressure to the brakes to slow the vehicle down. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The failure occurred again after the contact picked up the vehicle from the dealership. The failure mileage was approximately 11,400. The current mileage was 11,634.

Filed May 24, 2010 · Brakes · 24,000 miles · IN

Inconsistent brake feel on rough or wet surfaces. Though brake pedal is depressed, brakes don't feel like they are engaging properly, it feels like a violent shudder. Recently, on wet pavement I narrowly avoided hitting the car in front of me when I had to stop suddenly and the brakes took much too long to stop the vehicle.

Filed May 23, 2010 · Brakes · 9,000 miles · NY

Going over pot holes it feels like the brakes skip. It occurs almost every time I go over a hole of some sort and apply the brake. I asked toyota to double check that the ABS brakes were working correctly. Toyota says its normal and that the ABS system works by momentarily interrupting the braking force to prevent a skit and the resulting loss of control.

Filed May 22, 2010 · Brakes · 6,000 miles · SC

2009 prius model1220 a 2 experiences where car seemed to "surge" when brakes applied in traffic. Only lasted seconds but disconcerting. Abs did engage initially (felt pulsing). Took car to dealership 5/17 after first episode. Nothing found wrong; tech could not duplicate problem. Had second experience 5/21.

Filed May 19, 2010 · Brakes · 31,000 miles · CT

When braking on a bumpy surface, the car brakes seem to disengage for a second and the car shoots forward. The last time this happened I was going down a hill at an intersection and the car went around the corner much faster than I would have liked.

Filed May 18, 2010 · Brakes · 500 miles · WI

I own and drive a 2009 toyota prius, and I have noticed a lapse in braking while braking on rough roads. This goes back to dec. 2009, shortly after I purchased the vehicle. On my current commute, I'm noticing this lapse in braking almost daily.

Filed May 18, 2010 · Brakes · CT

Toyota 2009 prius loses brakes temporarily when going over bumps in the road.

Filed May 16, 2010 · Brakes · 13,000 miles · LA

2009 prius, on three occasions I experienced a slight hesitation in the braking of this car. I emailed toyota about the problem on 2/15/2010, and bib not receive a answer until 5/10/2010. I made an appointment with the local dealership before I received their answer on 5/10. The local dealer said they did not find a problem or any brake error on the computer. Why should it take so long to answer my email and I still have no solution to my braking troubles.

Filed Apr 30, 2010 · Brakes · 31,500 miles · MI

I depressed the brake pedal suddenly going about 35 MPH to avoid a car stopped in front of me. The brake didn't "catch" immediately, delaying stopping time and forcing me to swerve off the road to avoid a collision. The brake problem has occurred before, approx. Once a week. The dealer told me its due to the transition between battery and gas engine and there's no remedy.

Filed Apr 19, 2010 · Brakes · 9,200 miles · 00 · crash · 1 injury

I was moving toward a stop sign and slowing as usual. The road is level and it was dry. Suddenly there seemed to be no braking and the next thing I knew I had been hit by a truck traveling at right angles from my left. I apparently went through the stop sign. I brought the car to a stop safely at the side of the road to check on the truck which had swerved into a fence. The driver of the truck was cut by glass. My car had the bumper and grill torn off and unibody bent. This was a brake failure. Unlike some reports, the road was not rough. This was a low speed failure. Another few feet and my driver's door would have been hit and I could have been seriously injured.

Filed Apr 16, 2010 · Brakes · 480 miles · NY · crash

S10 appropriate handling re toyota brake problem fm owner of a 2009 toyota prius. *kb four days after purchasing the vehicle, the consumers wife was heading down a gentle incline toward a traffic light at an intersection shortly after a light snowfall, the street was wet, but there was no ice on the road. As she braked to slow down, she noticed there was no deceleration and continued to press down on the brake pedal to no avail. To avoid crashing into other cars, she veered sharply to the right into a curb and came to a stop. The vehicle sustained extensive damage to the wheel, axle and undercarriage. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and after the inspection, the consumer was informed there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The dealer implied the consumers wife must have applied the brakes incorrectly and was not accustomed to ABS. A few months later on another wet rainy day, there was a similar incident of brake failure.

Filed Apr 14, 2010 · Brakes · 6,250 miles · OH · crash

On 4/05/2010 as I was driving west on galbraith road I was headed downhill to a red light and applying my brake to slow down for the light. As I was slowing the road became extremely bumpy and my brakes all of a sudden felt like I was sliding or floating even though I had the pedal depressed. With my stomach in my throat I lifted my foot off the pedal and reapplied. It then began to slow again. I thought I was mistaken. On 4/12 at 9:30 am as I was leaving my house I was headed down the hill. I was braking to maintain my speed. I hit some bumps in the road and all of a sudden it felt like car was not slowing although I had the brake depressed. With my stomach in my throat, I removed my foot and re depressed the brake and it was fine. I decided I needed to call toyota. However when I got to the bottom of my condo complex and was making the right turn out I had my foot on my brake to control my turn, the same thing happened when I hit the bump out of here and I over corrected my turn with my heart in my throat and I hit a small retaining wall gashing the passenger side of my car and ripping open my rear tire. My car is currently on a toyota lot awaiting my insurance adjuster before toyota will repair or inspect the vehicle.

Filed Apr 8, 2010 · Brakes · 15,000 miles · NC

2009 toyota prius with 15000 miles. When I step on the brake (going less thank 30 MPH) they slip for no reason. It was a nice sunny day, temps in the high 70s. I was in the process of making a right turn and the brakes slipped for a few seconds. The yellow light comes on the dash board showing traction control coming on. This happened coming down a small hill to a intersection , it happens with out warning and for no reason, the brakes were just checked and I was told they are ok from the local dealer. It seems to be happening more often.

Filed Apr 1, 2010 · Brakes · 10 miles · MN

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. While driving approximately 55 MPH across the railroad tracks, the brakes would release momentarily before being reapplied. The contact also experienced the identical failure after driving over a pothole. The failure occurred about two hundred times. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the contact had not called the manufacturer when the complaint was filed. The current mileage was approximately 33,000. The failure mileage was approximately 10.

Filed Mar 30, 2010 · Brakes · 480 miles · NY · crash

Fax on behalf of re a safety concern related to their 2009 toyota prius; respond attn caroline/nyc office. *tgw four days after purchasing the vehicle, the consumers wife was heading down a gentle incline toward a traffic light at an intersection shortly after a light snowfall, the street was wet, but there was no ice on the road. As she braked to slow down, she noticed there was no deceleration and continued to press down on the brake pedal to no avail. To avoid crashing into other cars, she veered sharply to the right into a curb and came to a stop. The vehicle sustained extensive damage to the wheel, axle and undercarriage. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and after the inspection, the consumer was informed there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The dealer implied the consumers wife must have applied the brakes incorrectly and was not accustomed to ABS. A few months later on another wet rainy day, there was a similar incident of brake failure.

Filed Mar 15, 2010 · Brakes, Electrical · 5,000 miles · CA

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. While driving 2 MPH in reverse, the contact shifted the vehicle into drive and noticed that the vehicle was still reversing. The vehicle was then shifted back into reverse and then back into drive before the vehicle would drive forward. The failure has occurred on three different occasions the vehicle had not been diagnosed by the dealer. He contact also stated that when pressing the start button the vehicle would not start. The brake light also illuminates on the instrument panel even though the brakes are not engaged. The failure mileage was 5000 and the current mileage was 10000.

Filed Mar 11, 2010 · Brakes · NY

I have a 2009 toyota prius and the brakes sporadically don't work/respond when I got uneven road, hit a pot hole, or corner. It doesn't last long.

Filed Mar 11, 2010 · Brakes · CA

We rented a 2009 prius when we were in las vegas. We almost got into a collision in the parking lot of a casino when someone pulled out in front of me all of a sudden. I pressed on the brake pedal as hard as a could and the car did not want to stop. I t was if the pedal was pushing on air. It did not go down as expected and the car barely came to a stop. This happened well before all the recalls with gas pedals sticking and such. I think that the sudden application of the brake pedal might of locked up the cylinder. The effect was similar to trying to push on a shock absorber really fast. They lock up and don't move very much. I am no small person 6'-2" and 285 lbs. And I was stomping on it !

Filed Mar 10, 2010 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 17,000 miles · NJ

I have a 2009 prius that is not a part of the "braking/traction" recall, however I've experienced the same exact problem from day one of driving the vehicle. On wet or uneven surface the traction control kicks in and car seems to lose power in the brake and accelerator for a few seconds and it is not possible to control the vehicle. In other words, you should be able to either brake and prevent a bad situation or accelerate your way out, and neither are possible for a few seconds. This happens nearly every day on the 2009 prius. Looking at consumer blogs, it is obvious this has been a consistent problem with the prius, and not just the 2010 model.

Filed Mar 10, 2010 · Brakes · 15,000 miles · NY

I have a 2009 prius. The issue that I experience which is giving me concern is that when I'm pressing on the brake and I pass over a bump or rough terrain or something, all of a sudden, I feel the braking to stop and the car seemingly accelerate or lurch forward and the slippery road indicator signal (sorry I don't know what it's called) will pop up for a second.

Filed Mar 10, 2010 · Acceleration, Brakes · 6,300 miles · NY

I was driving my 2009 toyota prius, exiting the staten island expressway and as I approached the intersection the light began to turn yellow and I tried to stop (the road surface was uneven). When I put my foot on the brake the car lurched forward into the intersection so I had to go though the red light and I was lucky that the oncoming traffic hadn't begun to move yet.

Filed Mar 4, 2010 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 1,000 miles · CA

2009 toyota prius: when driving over pot-holes, bumps, or uneven patches of road at all different speeds, the car's "traction light" will flash and the car will momentarily surge forward. It seems at this time that the brakes also temporarily lose power. This happens several times a week. This worries me as I feel this could lead to car accidents or put pedestrians in danger. Spoke with many other prius owners and they report the same problem. Contacted the dealership where I bought the car and the service manager told me this was a "normal function" of the ABS. I still feel this is a safety issue that is not being properly addressed. I've driven many other cars with ABS and none of them behaved this erratically.

Filed Feb 26, 2010 · Brakes · 250 miles · GA

Tl*the contact owns 2010 toyota prius. While driving 25 MPH in the rain or turning a corner the tire warning light illuminated and the brakes would not engage. She will take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was 250. The current mileage was 900.

Filed Feb 25, 2010 · Brakes · 47,453 miles · NY

I keep hearing about prius brake problems on 2010 models but my 2009 has the same problem. I read this in an article online and realized that my 2009 model has the braking problem as the 2010 model. Article: "going downhill and approaching a stop sign. My foot is steady on the brake and I am gradually coming to a stop. Then, I inadvertently go over a bump in the road and the prius lunges forward. I had to immediately slam hard on the brakes in order to keep the car from going into the intersection. Fortunately, there was no car or person in front of me as I was stopping."

Filed Feb 24, 2010 · Acceleration, Brakes · 9,719 miles · CA

Multiple issues with 2009 prius. First: loss of air pressure in front left tire from time I picked up the vehicle to present. I continually need to put air in the tire, usually on a weekly/bi-weekly basis. The other tires are fine. Second: for the same tire, the tire pressure light would not be triggered until ~23 pounds, should have been triggered in same tire at 33 lbs. Third: vehicle would not stop when applying pressure on brakes at slow speed. This has occurred about 6 times in a 6 month period. Simultaneously, the vsc light went on and the slid indicator went on. The terrain was on either asphalt or concrete roads, slightly downhill (concrete) and one street is a bit rough (filled in pot holes). Also, both areas are within a quarter mile of each other and near the ocean. With each occurrence the vsc went into effect. On 11/21/09 it jolted hard much more than the other occasions; this date was the incident on the bridge when the car was going in a slight downward direction. I lost control of the vehicle for several seconds and was afraid that I would hit the car in front of me; I beeped my horn to warn the driver in front of me. My vehicle did stop in time but it took alot longer than it should have taken. On a later occasion, I was going about 5-10 MPH faster on a nearby street and attempted to stop for a stop sign and it did the same thing, however the vsc did not jolt back as hard. The vehicle was not angled down as much as the 11/21/09 incident. On 11/21/09 I took the vehicle to cabe toyota dealership and they looked at the car but found nothing wrong with it. I also had the car looked at by toyota corp today and was told that the driver feels that I felt the ABS brakes only. This is not the case. When I stepped on the brakes each occasion it was as though there was nothing there and I had no control in stopping it. This was especially true when the vsc kicked in (the jerking). Each time it lasted many, several or more seconds.

Filed Feb 24, 2010 · Brakes · 33,000 miles · ME

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. While driving 5 MPH toward a stop sign and applying the brakes, the vehicle failed to stop. The traction control light illuminated as soon as she removed her foot from the brake pedal. When the light was not illuminated, the brakes functioned normally. The failure mileage was 50. The current mileage was 33,000.

Filed Feb 24, 2010 · Brakes · 2 miles · MI

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. He stated that while driving at low speeds less then 5 MPH when braking and going over a slight bump on the road the brakes disengaged momentarily. The failure occurred frequently and continued to do so whenever he drove on an uneven road. The dealer has not been notified. No repairs were made to the vehicle. He also stated that he does own another vehicle experiencing the same brake failure. The failure mileage was 2 and the current mileage was 27000.

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