2010 Prius ABS Braking Problems?

My car is a July 09 production model so well before the brake recall. I have not had a need to forcefully apply my brakes except when testing the fact that the brakes will override the accelerator during the SUA broohaha. When I forcefully applied the brakes with the accelerator floored I just about ate the steering wheel but the brakes never locked up but stopped me in a real hurry.

The only reason you should have skidded was if you hit a slick surface and the tires lost traction. Have you tried to brake forcefully again? If you can duplicate it then you can take it to the dealer and show them.

 

Dude,
Sorry to hear about the accident. What kind of damage happened?

There have been others that have complained about the emergency braking capabilities here. Most get shot down as trolls though.

 

"unexpectedly"?

Could it be related to those issues?
http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Complaint/2010/Toyota/Prius/ABS+Control+Module
http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Complaint/2010/Toyota/Prius/Hydraulic+Brake
http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Complaint/2010/Toyota/Prius/Electric+Brake

 

Coincidentally I made my first real "panic" stop with this Prius 3 days ago. I have tried the brakes before to see what they felt like but this time it was for real.

I was going down a 2 lane highway at about 60 MPH and this gal in a dark red Corolla ran a stop sign and went from one side road directly across in front of me to another side road. Thankfully I was looking where I was going and the ABS worked exactly as advertised, not even a squeak from the tires. I only missed her by a couple of feet and I don't think she even saw me, just kept on talking on her cell phone while cruising down the road looking cool.

Even thought I have tried these brakes before I was still surprised at how quickly I was able to stop.

Oh, and BTW I did have my headlights on too.

 

Sorry but YOU caused the rear end collision. Nothing wrong with the ABS brakes. You were following too close for the stopping distance of your car. You made a mistake.

Sounds like no one was hurt though the whiplash injuries are tricky (and real), one of the reasons I went with the Prius vs. Prius C to get the AHR (Active Head Rest) safety feature.

 

Agree. No matter how suddenly the driver ahead stops you are responsible if you hit him. You are expected to be in control of the car at all times, and that means being able to stop under all conditions.

 

I have found the brakes on the Prius to be a bit different in "feel" and they are very touchy going over bumps while braking. They almost feel like they are letting go too much -- but I bet they are not.

Definitely have them checked after the body fix -- what is the condition of the tires? Some tires still make a lot of noise in a panic stop even though they are not in an actual skid ...they are slipping just a bit as the ABS cycles.

And some of the Low rolling tires don't stop as well.

 

I live in Cleveland and we get a lot of snow and ice. That is the best time to check your brakes. My ABS brakes work perfect. The car is a 2010 Model IV and I bought it Oct 2009.

 

I know the exact feeling OP is referring to.
The gen. 3 Prius ABS feels different than typical ABS. Typically you can expect loud noise from the actuators and a rumbling in the brake pedal. In the Prius, the ABS operates silently and without feeling in the brake pedal. You can still steer, but it feels "wrong" if you are used to ABS of other vehicles.

The actual reason why the brake distance was unexpectedly long is partially because the tires have very poor friction (compared to the large weight of the gen. III), and the Prius has poor balance (due to the suspension setup), so if you tried to turn a bit while braking, the car is not very good to distribute weight equally on the two front tires, and thus increases the braking distance further.

Non-manufactured-installed tires help a lot, but some have poor rolling resistance - see other threads for this subject.

 

What a load of cock.

I have an early gen3 which has had the upgrade and it stops fine. The ABS works fine and the emergency brake assist works very very well - though has only gone on once when a dog ran out in front of me.

The OP is cheesed off because he was too close to the car in front - simple as. It doesn't matter that the guy in front of him stopped at a yellow light or if a child had run out in front of him. He stopped and you should have allowed enough room to stop too.

It's annoying but it sounds like it's your fault. Being hard on the guy who you hit isn't the best way to mitigate any possible injury claim from him!

 

ABS doesn't help you stop faster; it helps you maintain control over the car. Except for certain surfaces (e.g. ice and sand), skidding is actually the fastest way to stop; just not necessarily the safest.

So whether or not it felt to you like you were tailgating, it seems like you were following too closely to be able to stop. (Sorry to jump on the bandwagon of bashing you, though. )

 

And thanks for the offensive private message you sent too. You're obviously a charming person.

 

Doesn't look like any Prius drivers who, like yourself, caused a rear end collision by following too closely, have posted in reply.

I'm sure some have made the same mistake you did but likely have nothing to add to the comments here already ie don't blame the brakes, the other driver, etc. for your mistake.

 

I can understand that when you rear-end someone who abruptly stops, they have, in fact, contributed to causing the accident. Legally, we know that the person behind is responsible, but abruptly stopping did contribute to the accident. And since you mentioned in your OP that you didn't need a lecture... come on, guys, give him a break, he just wrecked his car and he's justifiably upset. Lighten up.

I don't believe that Prius has a history of brake problems, I believe there were incorrectly reported incidents of brake problems with other Toyota models, which later proved to be caused by floor mats or driver error. I'm not trying to take sides, but that's my understanding of the facts. There was a very minor ABS software modification, that's all.

Back to your accident: Do you have pictures of the skid marks? My understanding is that, on dry pavement, a Prius will make skid marks before the ABS engages, and once ABS engages, the skid marks will be very faint. Unfortunately, in a rear-end collision like yours, ABS probably makes things worse, because you don't need control, you need minimum braking distance, and at that low a speed, the skid is unlikely to overheat the tires enough to make them lose adhesion with the road. But that's how it is; ABS prioritizes saving your life over saving your front end.

Do you have a photo?

 

I have the opportunity to drive both a '05 & '10 Prius. If you brake light or soft over rough or uneven road surfaces, it takes a bit longer to stop. Don't know why but the bumps cause the brakes to behave stange as opposed to other vehicles. I assume your road surface was smooth...

 

you've been bashed enough so i will hold back my knee jerk reaction regarding your situation.

Now, i would blame your tires first, before i assign it to the ABS nor the steering.
the Braking per se in the Prius is so different compared to my RX 350 and Range Rover..
i feel like i need more time to brake and leave enough space between me and the car in front every time i'm in the Prius. ( Regenerative Brakes.. if i'm not mistaken).

Then there's the steering.. which is so dull it lacks feedback on a regular operation.
Prius steering vs a BMW 3 series steering is night and day.

Good thing is no one was seriously hurt in this accident.
Now let the insurance Co. do it's job for you and the other driver.