Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. The contact was driving approximately 25 MPH on an uneven road. Suddenly, when pressure was applied to the brake pedal there was a temporary delay of braking power. The vehicle was able to continue in normal operation. The failure occurred whenever encountering an uneven road surface. The vehicle has not been inspected for the malfunction. The failure mileage was 28,000.
2009 Toyota Prius brakes complaints
Page 5 of 8: complaints 101 to 130 of 199, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Braking issues with a 2009 toyota prius model. Under rough road condition the brake system does not seem to engage immediately causing a overrun of the distance needed for the vehicle to stop.
I have had more than 10 occasions of braking problems with my 2009 prius. Most recently, in january 2010, but also prior to that. After the last problem, I called the local dealership to see if a brake recall existed but was told "no" only recall for floormats on my model. The issue has occurred on pavement and gravel road, in school zone, traveling at less than 20 MPH. When slowly pulling up to stop sign and applying even break pressure the car will suddenly come to a jolting stop before the anticipated stop. All the kids in the car look at me like I'm crazy for making their heads suddenly hit the back of the seat. Fortunately, no one has been driving closely behind me during these abrupt stops. I am very familiar with the feel of this vehicle, as this is my 3rd prius and I drive many miles.
Three events describe safety incidents concerning the brakes in my 2009 prius; 1) descending a ramp onto rock creek pkwy at calvert street, washington, dc, where road flattened out, car in front stopped abruptly on a dry surface. I responded quickly, applying the brake with hard, lasting pressure.the car slowed but not to match the pressure on the brakes I was applying--I had the pedal to the floor. The car coasted smoothly, seemingly slowly to a stop, terrifyingly about 1 inch from the stopped car. The brakes did not grip sufficiently but miraculously I avoided a crash. 2) at times when I go over a bump in my prius and hit the brakes, the car "kicks" and jumps to the right or to the left or a bit ahead. This is not an unusual occurrence and happens mostly on dry road surfaces 3) I was descening a very slight incline on a city street--reno road. The road was partially damp from a shower an hour or two before, but not puddle. I was going about 28 MPH. The car ahead stopped abruptly because the traffic light at tilden turned yellow. I hit the brakes and the rear of the car bucked a bit and then slid into the left lane. Luckily there was no one in that lane and I was able to regain my position in the lane in which I'd been traveling. 15 seconds earlier and I would have hit someone in the left lane. Nb--on this form I am not sure I chose the right type of brakes. I have regular prius 2009 brakes in my car and I do not know if they are known as hydraulic brakes.
Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. The contact was driving approximately 20 MPH. Whenever encountering a bump or pothole in the road the vehicle began to operate uncontrollably with an illumination of the warning light indicator. Also, the failure occurred while making a sharp turn. The vehicle was taken to a dealer regarding the failure. The contact stated that the malfunction could cause a potential crash. The failure mileage was 20,000. Updated 3/8/10 *cn the consumer stated the yellow brake system warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost traction momentarily. Updated 05/11/10.
Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. While approaching an intersection the contact tried to apply the brakes and stop the vehicle. The contact stated that he was driving approximately 15 miles per hour when the brakes did not engage. The contact crashed into a vehicle in front of him. The VIN was not available. The failure mileages were 7,000. The current mileages were 21,000.
2009 prius (not 2010). When applying brakes on bumpy surface, brakes will momentarily stop working. Occurs all the time.
2009 toyota prius my 2009 exhibits similar braking issues to those being recalled on the 2010. At least weakly during slow braking over a bump, pothole, or damp surface, the "slip" indicator comes on and the car lurches forward for approximately one second.
We bought a 2009 prius on 2/14/09. On 2/18/09 while driving 25mph on a local road during light snowfall, the brakes failed. To avoid hitting the car in front of her, my wife steered into the curb sustaining extensive damage to the wheel, axle, and undercarriage. The car was towed to our local toyota dealership. They found nothing wrong with the braking system and maintained the accident was her fault. A few months later we experienced another brake failure incident, this time without any accident as we were traveling at a slow speed and were able to decelerate by turning up an empty incline. Again the dealership maintains there is no problem. Since they can't find anything wrong with the brakes when they test them, they say there is nothing to fix. We speculate that there is a computer software problem, but toyota is not yet acknowledging that this is the case for the 2009 model. *tr updated 04/19/10
The car in front of me slammed on the brakes and I followed suite. However, as had happened in many occasions before the brakes were delayed for a second or two and the light showing that the care is slipping came on. As usual it felt as if I was sliding on ice although there was none. I don't know if I could have stopped in time but the delay was definitely a factor.
I live on a dirt road 2 miles long with 1 mile uphill. I bought my new 2009 prius on march 10th 2009 and on march 12th could not drive out. Going up the hill when ever the drive wheel slipped the traction control would brake the wheel until, with many brief braking, the prius came to a stop. I was unable to go forward and had to back down the hill till I could find a place to turn around. This created a very dangerous situation. I had the car towed out and toyota checked it and said all systems were working properly. I asked for an off switch and they said impossible. When I came home the same thing happened again and was towed out and again toyota refused to deal with it. I went to arbitration and presented my information along with articles I found on the consumer affairs website about this same problem affecting people all over the nation, some with bad results, especially on ice, stranding them, in intersections. Toyota said this was not covered in the warranty so all my information and my case were totally disregarded. This is the same thing that has happened to others with the same problem. Toyota refuses to acknowledge the problem or add an off switch. I also called the manufactures of all other hybrid or electric cars with traction control and they either have an off switch or offer one just for this reason. I was lucky that my road association spent $16,000 on the road shortly after this happened but as the road is deteriorating and there wont be enough money for several years I may be stuck again in the future. Every other car can get up the road, even at its worst, including a 2003 prius without traction control. This happened again on another dirt road but I was able to get out thru the use of ropes and rocks and a shovel. Is there anything you can do to help as I don't want to hire an attorney to follow through . Thank you
Momentary brake failure when driving over potholes. Also, brakes are "grabby" at very low speeds. Both conditions have existed for several months. Nothing has been done to correct the problems.
2009 toyota prius, brakes do not hold on uneven pavement or icy roads. You lose contact with the road which is very dangerous. The first time I noticed the icy road problem was november 2008, and the uneven lane/washboard road problem was in the summer of 2009. It was mentioned to the dealership but since they could not duplicate the problem no repairs were made.
While driving on a wet city road, the car in front of me stopped abruptly. When I applied my brakes, my car was over railroad tracks. Initially the brakes didn't respond and my car didn't slow down. I didn't hear anti-lock or other brake noises. After a 2-3 second delay, the brakes began to work normally. Had the brakes delayed much longer, I may have collided with car in front of me. I have about 6,000 miles on the car, and this is the only incident when the brakes didn't respond as expected.
On a daily basis, my 2009 toyota prius loses control, skids, (the traction light goes on), fishtails and has brake failures on ice and snow. When I hit potholes or big bumps, the car accelerates and I have to quickly brake. The northbrook toyota service manager drove it today. The car lost control, skidded, the traction light went on, it fishtailed, and the brakes failed on the ice and snow. His comment was "that's the way the car is. It doesn't drive well on ice and snow". We couldn't find a good pothole for the car to demonstrate the acceleration today. I was told by an automechanic that works on our other cars that the 2009 and 2010 prius have problems with their brakes. Presently there is no recall for the 2009 prius. I am afraid I am going to kill someone at an intersection when I can't stop. Yesterday I had 2 catholic nuns in the car and the car failed to turn left at an intersection, almost fishtailing into an embankment before it righted itself. A lexus SUV behind me almost hit me while trying to avoid me. I am hoping that no lives will be lost, or severe injuries occur, before these problems are acknowledged by toyota and fixed.
I bought my 2009 prius in april 2009. I have been having the same brake slipping problem that the 2010's are being recalled for. I have had my car to the dealership three times to have this problem addressed. Each time it was no fault found and "gosh these brakes are complicated and you would have an idiot light go off if there was a problem". I am feeling very unsafe with this vehicle and want to know when my software will be updated.
When driving my 2009 prius in either wet or snowy conditions, I've noticed that the car "skips"/doesn't hold the braking when I apply my foot steadily to the brake pedal. I've noticed this in wet conditions from the time of purchase, in june 2009, and again more recently in snow. I've wound up not driving the prius when the roads are either wet or snowy now, but obviously have been caught in these conditions when rain or snow started while I was on the road. It is not a safe feeling to feel the car slipping.
Toyota 2009 prius brake problem 15 jan. 2010 I took my 2009 prius to lakeland toyota (my dealer), lakeland florida, USA 33880. The brakes had gone all the way to the floor. They have a maintenance record of the event. At the time they could not find any mechanical problems in the brake. I was driving on a rough road on a cold day just prior to the brake failure. Please expand the prius recall to include the 2009 year.
Last may, I purchased a 2009 toyota prius. For some time now, I have been aware of braking issues that sound eerily similar to what is being described with the 2010 prius recalls. I have not reported anything until now because I was able to identify when the problem occurred, and adjust my driving accordingly. Whenever I hit the brake pedal, while simultaneously going over rough, bumpy, or potholed areas of road...my "slippery road conditions" light flashes momentarily on my dashboard. Additionally, it almost feels as though the car accelerates in that split second, but as long as I keep my foot on the brake pedal, I have always been able to stop the car. I make sure to keep adequate space between my car and the cards in front of me, but if I ever had to stop too quickly on road conditions such as I have described above I am certain that I would crash into the other car before my brakes actually took over. I am simply reporting this issue because I wonder if, despite toyota's claim that only the 2010 model is being affected, other year models of the prius are having issues as well. I am entering an approximate incident date below, however, I really can't pick just one. This has happened on a multitude of occasions since I purchased the car in may of 2009.
2009 toyota prius while driving on uneven pavement or icy roads, when depressing the brake pedal the car slides and it feels as if you are losing control over the car. This happens on any uneven surface like speed bumps and or wash board roads, and during the winter months for icy roads. I have an appointment with toyota in colorado to fix since it is still under warranty but they say no recall has been initiated on the 2009 model.
Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. While driving 30 MPH going down hill on a wet road the vehicle surged forward when she engaged the brake pedal and crashed into a vehicle. The brakes fully engaged after she crashed. The failure only occurred whenever she drove over a pothole. The dealer advised the contact to have the vehicle diagnosed and stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The failure has occurred 5 to 6 times. No repairs have been made to date. A police report was unavailable. The failure mileage was 12000. The current mileage was 15500.
When I go over a railroad track or large bumps the braking system of my prius stops operating for a moment.
I have a 2009 prius, and the brakes seem to disengage when going over a bump or pothole. I notice it everytime, in particular when exiting the freeway, if there are bumps on the off ramp.
Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota prius. The contact stated that when driving approximately 15 MPH over an uneven surface and trying to depress the brake pedal, the ABS light illuminated and seemed to hydroplane for a short time. The failure never occurred on smooth surfaces. She called the dealer and was told that the brake system was "too perfect" which was why she experienced the failure. She had not spoken with the manufacturer to-date. The current mileage was approximately 10,000. The failure mileage was approximately 10.
2009 toyota prius vehicle slid into intersection, no collision occurred. Approx 3 ft past stop point. During moderate to hard braking, if a wheel hits sand or a pothole, the "traction control" system engages, causing the brakes to release for approx .25 to .75 second. It is very unnerving (to say the least) to be out of control of my vehicle. It is also repeatable when accelerating on a short entrance ramp around a corner. This ramp is very uneven. The traction control engages and the car seems to steer straight, towards the outside of the curve. I spoke to the dealer about the issue, and was told that the vehicle is behaving normally, and there is no way for an operator to disable the traction control. I thought I would have to live with this, and assumed it was something about this vehicle... But now with the investigation on 2010 I am wondering if my report is similar and if the investigation should be expanded to include 2009.
I wish to report a breaking problem with my 1999 toyota prius. This occured in about sept. 2009. I have a 2009 toyota prius that had about 18,000 miles on it at the time of this failure. I had just pulled out of a gas station (for gas only) when I got a number of warning lights on the dash board. (about 4 as I recall) all the warnings were either tire of break related warnings. I immediately noticed a big problem with the breaks. Only maximum foot presure would actuate the breaks and then they would grab very hard. Fortunately, the local toyota dealer was just around the corner, so I carefully limpped the car in. No damage or accident was caused by this failure. Toyota did fix the problem the next day and reported that the front breaks had stopped working and only the rear beaks were stopping the car. If I recall the fix correctly, they replaced some part called the "break actuator" since then, no problem has been noted
I own a 2009 toyota prius. I was pulling into a parking spot in a shopping center when my car suddenly accelerated. I hit a small tree and the car beside me. The car is being towed to camelback toyota in phoenix az. The car seemed to accelerate even though I stepped on the brake. I did not step on the breake hard but the car just pulled ahead
I am an owner of a 2009 prius. I have experienced from day one, an issue when braking over a bump or pothole in the road. The brakes do not grasp. A picture of a swirving car appears on the monitor of the car showing out of control vehicle. This appears to be the same problem as the 2010 recall. Please recall all affected prius' which now include 2009.
I own a 2009 prius, purchase dec 2008. I have experienced similar brake problems as 2010. When I hit a rough or bumpy road, the brakes get squishy & less effective. I note the anti-skid caution flashes, brakes do become slightly less effective. I am an engineer. I reported this to toyota 2/8/2010.
I have the brake problem being reported for the prius, but mine is a 2009 model. When braking on rough surfaces, the brakes quit for a moment. Since I don't tailgate, I've never felt in danger. But it is a slightly out of control feeling. I've filled in the date below as may 2009, when I purchased (leased) the car. But the situation has been continuous.
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