NHTSA Tracking Braking Loss on Prius Hybrids

So, are you last two posters saying that you two know better than Toyota themselves??? Because Toyota sure seems to be saying it's something wrong that needs to be fixed.

 

comment deleted

 

Hopefully some good will come of this. If they can find a way to keep the disc brakes on the ready, without decreasing the regenerative brakes, or applying the disc brakes constantly. However, I feel that there will be no effective fix. I'm guessing that the fix they are talking about isn't significant to the problem people are experiencing, because the people still buying the car are claiming the experience.

I am going to laugh my nice person off when their recall/fix is going to be sitting you down in front of a little t.v. and educating you on how the vehicle works. Then you won't be putting words like veteran in quotes.

P.S. I've owned all 3 Prius generations, experienced this problem on all 4 priuses that I have owned. It's simply not an issue, and everyone that I have been talking with on here since 2005 seems to agree. The only people I see really complaining are newcomers. I, and many others have tried to educate you on things like this, but it seems to be falling on deaf ears. /shrug.

It's making me sick. This unintended acelleration issue on other models is equally ridiculous. Every car is designed with brakes that out-power the engine. I have at least (by proxy) a thousand friends with Toyotas and haven't heard of anyone experiencing unintended acceleration. The news is making it out like everyone with a Toyota is experiencing this. Then they have a spot on CNN about how to "deal with your Toyota." They need to have a spot for all Americans on "how to deal with your car period." No one seems to know the basics of driving and safety anymore.

I'm going to unsubscribe from this thread and hope Toyota makes it through all of this.

 

Customer is always right, so if enough complaints are filed they have do something whether it's necessary or not. Toyota has announced that part of the problem is customer education.

 

It's an emergency situation when you hit a pothole and loose traction. It's like loosing traction and having abs engage. The brakes will apply and release and allow the wheel to keep turning and not lock up. However, it doesn't do this in a manner that isn't perceivable to us. Even the best ABS can be felt pulsating or locking up and releasing, if even for a fraction of a second. It's just the way things work in a car.

The only fix that will truly do this, is if they find a way to keep the pads engaged or barely touching the rotor during regenerative braking. I don't see it being fixed with simply a software update.

 

The cynic in me whispers that some are getting the attention they have been craving on TV. People who can actually describe the magnitude of the effect objectively in an interview will be ignored by the media in favor of those who use inappropriately extreme adjectives which sound more "newsworthy". By tomorrow, coworkers who are not especially gifted in physics, probability, or critical thinking skills will be questioning our sanity in driving a dangerous vehicle which might run away with us (or potentially even transform unexpectedly into a robot) since the issues will blur together in the minds of many after watching late night comedians. I'll start getting calls from relatives. Sigh. By next week, or next month, all will be forgotten, and I'll still have a nice car. Such is the nature of journalism in the USA.

 

Re: NTHSA Compaint

We have parked my wifes Prius until a fix is in place. I do NOT feel comfortable with her driving it seeing as how the brakes fail (however momentary, it's still not acceptable) on a daily basis. She experiences it every morning droping our kids off at school and only told me about it this week. She can reproduce it. She also experienced it a different time today. She wants to keep driving it but I feel the car is not safe enough to drive.

We will file a complaint with NHTSA and take it to the dealer.

With all of the cover-ups and the severity of this, this is our first and last Toyota. (not trying to start a war on this at all, just my personal feeling)

 

My wife experiences brake loss daily on her Prius. We have not experienced this issue on any other car we have owend. It's being parked until a fix is in place. It's not safe to drive.

 

I braked over a couple of potholes today just for giggles. Aaaaaa hooooo! Waaaaa hooooo!

 

Re: NTHSA Compaint

In my complaint, I was specific about how the brakes operated on three incidents. It is a matter of semantics on how you want to describe what is happening with Prius brakes under certain conditions. In talking about it to others, I describe it as a "braking hiccup" or the momentary disengagement of the brakes. Failure seems to be the common term used for this problem. While I agree that it is not a complete failure of the brakes to stop the vehicle, it is a failure of the brakes to operate in a consistent manner. I am not a mechanic or an engineer, so perhaps you could suggest the technically appropriate terminology to describe the "issue" with the 2010 Prius braking system? How does Toyota describe it?

Toyota is fully aware of the problem as there have been four accidents as a result of braking "issue." The "issue" has been remedied in January 2010 production. I just wish Toyota was out in front of this issue instead of the silence.

By the way, my Prius is in my garage now. If it's not fixed soon, I'll see about trading it for a post-Jan 2010 Prius. Fingers crossed--it sounds like it will be a simple software update but this needs to happen soon.

 

Re: NTHSA Compaint

I would call it braking dropout, but I don't completely disagree with using "failure" to describe the problem.

 

I think we all need to chill a bit and stop the "ignorant" name calling. We're all adults here and are entitled to our own opinion(s).
For me, i've only been driving for about 32 years. Owned only 5 cars, 4 accidents, 1 my fault. I $$4clunkered my minivan in August for a 2010 III. I have about 5700miles on it now and have experienced the braking/lunge issue over a dozen times. Half the time, while coming to a full stop, the other while <15mph coasting/braking over various surfaces.
I've learned to deal-with/avoid the situation, but it's still causes some adrenalin now and then... Just like many other aspects in regular driving (other drivers, peds, kids, red lights, police, other emergency vehicles, black ice, floods, dark alleys, etc).

Part of how i've adjusted went hand in hand with trying to get better milage. Look ahead and scan surroundings for clues on when to be premptive (e.g. dont accelerate towards a red light, 2 second rule, yada yada). When coming to a stop, I try to hit the magical 6mph about 2-3 car lengths back. I'm getting better at timing things so that I dont have to wait at a red light so long, and often pull up next to someone who zoomed ahead of me a minute earlier.
For me, this particular braking issue, is no longer a big deal. But for new Prius 2010 drivers, I think it is something to get ready and watch out for. I'm not going to complain to the NHTSA about it. And i'm sure they are on their way to getting a resolution. Knowing and experiencing its nuances (thank you PriusChat ;-), I feel absolutly comfortable and much more than acceptably safe, driving this car. Now when my wife drives it... that's another matter ;-).

Just as in the rest of life, one must choose which battles to fight.
Good luck in all of you respective battles, and safe wishes to all.

rich

 

a week after i bought my car el nino hit southern cali. this is my first prius (2010 II) so i was still developing the braking technique. sure i had some close calls but i learned and now i dont follow as closely to people. i try to just press the pedal firmly even though the manual say to start braking early and hold the pedal longer to properly "regenerate." anyways it seems like i "regenerate" better when i'm coasting and and only pressing the gas to maintain momentum.
just my $0.02.

 

Re: NTHSA Compaint

All anti-lock brakes work like this.

-Brad

 

Re: NTHSA Compaint

No they don't. My HHR SS does not, my Trans Am Does not. I could go on. I have owned more cars over the years and this one is the first. My step moms Escape Hybrid does NOT do this.

 

Re: NTHSA Compaint

Sorry, I know I said I was done, but I noticed a miss-spell in my previous post.

I don't mean that all cars have the same sensation, because they don't all have regenerative brakes. I'd have to look it up, but is the escape hybrid front wheel or rear wheel drive? Cause it has regenerative brakes and if it has front wheel drive I would assume the sensation would be similar.

I've had all 3 gens, a mercedes, a bmw, 2 buicks and a hyundai and they have all had abs that wasn't so exact that I couldn't feel the wheels reacting in fractions of a second.. but noticeable. However, I think that you thought we meant the sensation. Other vehicles should not be feeling this sensation, and if they are there is definitely a problem with the brakes. Regular friction brakes shouldn't feel this.

 

comment deleted

 

Re: NTHSA Compaint

I filed a complaint with NHTSA and contacted the dealership. They said they will call me when the recall is announced. My Prius is parked now too.

NHTSA Complaint Form: Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), File A Safety Complaint

 

Hilarious Some of the top engineers in the world at Toyota have looked in to this issue and make an assembly line adjustment and instead we should listen to you because you are an *expert* Prius driver...LMAO. Admit it, you were wrong...stop being so defensive. Enough with the conspiracy theories and no proof posts.