Braking problem

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

We have almost 5000 miles on our 2010, and haven't experienced a single issue.

Thanks to GreenGuy for implying that the rest of us are aholes.

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

Disagree. If I'd heard only rumors before buying, I might have hesitated.
However, if you redefine your question as, "Would you still have bought a Prius if you had already experienced the brake issue?" my answer would be, "Yes, definitely." I do NOT see it as a risk factor.

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

I have experienced this in my gen II and III. It is something I have gotten use to and just know it is going to happen. But, it shouldn't be this way. I think it is a design flaw with the VSC or traction control.

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

I guess I'm am one of the lucky ones. I have over 35,000 miles on my 2009 now and I have never experienced a braking issue or an acceleration issue.

I'm not trying to downplay or ignore the issues others have encountered. Just stating my facts.

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

Well, we won't really know if it's a real safety issue unless Toyota really takes a notice of it and does some investigating on their part. I've said all along that this is a POTENTIAL safety issue for some and it needs investigation and I'm glad it's being brought to light. I knew it was simply a matter of time before it because a real talked about issue for the 2010 Prius- and I also think it's just a matter of time before someone gets hurt or injures someone because of this issue. I just hope Toyota does the right work and finds the adjustments that need to be made to the car before someone does get hurt and this thing then really becomes another, unnecessary blemish on Toyota.

I think it's safe to say that if Toyota is beginning to hint and suggest there's an issue, then all of us who have been saying (to the dismay and rebuttal to the many of you here who have tried to dismiss the issue as 'newbieism' or 'bad-driverism' or 'chicken-littleism') all along that this needs address will soon be vindicated.

I do not think this is an issue that effects EVERY 2010 Prius. Some have never experienced it and may never. Others can reproduce it almost at will. I love my car and can deal with the braking issue now that I'm aware of it- and it's happened twice to me now. The second time I was more prepared for it. Unless the braking situation worsens (the cars are new, who knows how the condition may change) I don't think it will ever be a real safety issue for me.

So, I can smell a lot of crow and humble pie baking in the "I Told You So" kitchen- who wants a slice???

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

Buy a Toyota with so much safety issues? Floor mats, pedal, breaks...

Absolutely not!!!!

The only thing that made me buy the Prius against all other odds was that Toyota held good record for safety and reliability.

In the end of the day, I knew I would be much happier driving the much more solid and spirited TDI system, but since I drive 40-50K miles per year in my car, I decided to compromise driving experience for better safety and reliability. Better be safe than sorry…

Bad move... should have got the Insight in that case…

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

Who gives a crap about the Cobalt, we all drive Priuses. This "problem", which I haven't experienced yet, affects us all.

 

Different braking problem??

I have experienced the brake/acceleration that most have complained of over bumpy roads. I had this in my 2005 Prius and it has continued in my 2010 (which is only about a month old, less than 4,000 miles)

My new braking issue occurred the other day under slightly snowy conditions. Leaving our house and less than 1 block away, my wife slowed to stop at the stop sign, maybe going 10-15 mph. She said when she applied the brakes she got no ABS pulsing, but more of a locked brake feeling (no matter how hard she pushed). She ended up skidding into a curb which punctured a tire, all at very slow speed. I then came to the scene to change the tire and she drove away in our other car. After having the tire changed, I went to drive it to a nearby tire dealer. When I went to drive away, there was a terrible scraping sound which to me sounded like the brakes were still engaged. When I went to stop, no matter how easy I applied the brakes the ABS would engage. I drove the remaining 2 blocks to the tire dealer, on both dry and snowy roads. The scraping continued as did the ABS going on whenever i applied any brake pressure and even a couple of times when I didn't even try to brake. (note there was nothing visible that could explain the scraping - no loose parts that I could see, no bent rims, tires were not hitting anything, etc.). The tire dealer thought something in the frame might be bent, and said I shouldn't drive it. However, there is no visible damage, but I did have it towed to a body shop and am awaiting the insurance company to inspect it.

I have seen some reports indicating braking problems under similar conditions and to me, there definitely seems to be something odd with the brakes. It's hard to fathom how hitting a curb at a the slow speed she was going could have caused a bent frame.

I told the body shop and state farm about the odd braking that occurred so hopefully I will learn more once the car is checked out.

Anyone else hear of anything similar?

Jeff

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

No, this is a real and big problem and cannot be ignored... Already talked about this before...

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-h...r-100-prius-brake-complaints.html#post1052722

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

I am aware of the floor mats as a real issue if they become unclipped, so far as I know, no Prius has the 'sticky pedal made in America' issue, I have heard a great deal of owners surprised by how their brakes work, but no brake failures, yet.

I have no regrets about buying a Prius except not doing so earlier.

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

It shows up on mine. It looks like it traded yesterday and was off $1.76

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

Of course I would not have purchased any car with a known issue, that would just be foolish. I've had no problems with my GenIII Prius but I would have held off till the whole thing was clarified.

I bought mine for environmental issues, Toyota has had a stellar reputation. I think they're going through growing pains and need to get it together, I'm sure they will.
Tony Renier

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

Which Bob Wilson and others are doing on the main thread. Problem is, there is a lot of hype, hysteria and anecdotal evidence getting in the way. Now with it hitting the news, the Prius (and Toyota) bashers are out in force.

I don't deny other drivers have experienced something but all I can say is I haven't (yet?) and I drive a lot of bumpy roads.

I have also experienced how good the Prius brakes are and when I get to drive my GF's Yaris, I am reminded how good because the Yaris's brakes are feeble in comparison.

Maybe I should start a brake failure thread on the Yaris chat forum

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

I have had problems with the brakes on my 2010 Prius when I try to slow down over a bumpy section in the road. It feels similar to hitting a patch of ice. Luckily, I have not had to stop abruptly to avoid a car in front of me. That is definitely a concern.

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

My wife is going to delay her purchase of a Prius and will wait and see how it all shakes out. She has not decided not to buy a Prius as she is a Loyal Toyota Owner and feels certain that if there is a braking problem that could cause an accident Toyota will solve it and all will be well in Toyota land.
On the other hand I have highly recommend that my MIL buy a Toyota right now.

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

I'm not personally troubled by the braking issue, which I have felt, I think. I am confident that Toyota will ultimately solve this and stand behind the cars. I am troubled from the standpoint that the car is not meeting the expectations of many. The issue will be resolved.

If I might make a suggestion: Until a real fix emerges, try braking more in those places where this occurs BEFORE the bump, let off the brakes at the bump, then reapply. No reason to put yourself through this bad sensation when you can anticipate it. I tend to do this in any car just to unweight the front suspension for the impact, but that's just me. As a bicyclist, if you brake over bumps you develop empathy for car suspension components, and if you brake over railroad tracks you tend to crash.

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

No, a lot of us are saying what's true, instead of what the one or two Bloody Murder screamers are saying. Many of us can't even make our cars "accelerate" while braking. That needs to be pointed out and reinforced.

Of those who do experience the issue, the vast majority do not regard it as dangerous. Those who do regard it as dangerous are relaying the possibilities, as opposed to situations where it actually WAS dangerous.

Unlike the pedal stick issue of other Toyota's, we've only heard of a single minor accident that someone claimed was caused by this issue. ANd seeing as forums like this attract people with a specific issue, that says something.

So no, we're not saying it's nonsense, but rather that people like you who turn it into a life-and-death issue are blowing things way, way out of proportion.

TO be honest, I think there are two issues here: 1) some Prius' have slightly misadjusted brakes from the factory that cause an issue when switching from regenerative braking to mechanical braking, and 2) the Prius' ABS system can operate silently which is disconcerting for some.

THe first case are those who say that ABS kicks in and regen braking kicks off and if they hold the brake pedal constant the car continues with reduced braking power. If they push harder, it brakes fine.

The second case are those who talk about the car "accelerating" or losing brakes for a second. In my attempts to reproduce the problem, I've noticed that ABS response is not universal: it doesn't always have a fast pulse in the pedal and grinding noise under the hood. Sometimes it's a slower pulse, and sometimes it's silent.

The couple of times that I can look back and say "Maybe that was what people were talking about" I felt the car slip, but it was under conditions where this made sense to me: on top of a wet metal plate in the road, etc. I really believe that the second set of people are experiencing the effect of ABS without hearing/feeling the feedback of ABS, and so it's a weird, scary feeling. If the brake pedal started pulsing and they heard the grinding, they wouldn't even think twice about the experience.

(And let's not even get started with the other two braking features. What will people say about that? I was making a turn on slushy streets and the stability control kicked in and braked the front left tire, and it felt like the wheel had just folded and crumpled under the car. In fact, it had not: it was just a sensation I'd never felt before and it was noisy and the car did not slide around the corner as I expected. I think the other issues are similar, at least the second group of people.)

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

I keep reading that there are 100 complaints, does anyone know how many 2010s have been sold and what percentage is 100 of that amount.
Just curious.2010s

 

Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

I didn't know the Prius has brake issues. I only knew about the accelerator pedal/floor mat issue, which I'm not too concerned about because I'm keeping an eye on the position of my floor mat until I get recall service.

I probably would have waited to buy my Prius until the problem was resolved in order to avoid the hassle of taking the car in for recall service. Otherwise, it would not have affected my decision because these issues sound fixable, unlike the rollover problem with Isuzus and the like.

As far as the brand name is concerned, there's a big difference between a couple of safety issues, which would generally be addressed pretty quickly by any manufacturer, and chronic quality issues. In my mind Toyota isn't known as much for safety as its known for quality. And a couple of missteps alone, no matter how widespread or serious, doesn't negate their long-standing record of excellence.

 

Re: Japanese Government Orders Toyota To Investigate Complaints Over 2010 Prius Breaks

A Japanese press wrote Toyota Executive Vice President Shinichi Sasaki, who oversees quality control, reported to Japanese government that Toyota already modified the computer program of Prius brake ECU to improve the brake system since January production.

source: Prius brake system improved since January (Japanese only)

We don't know the improvement is done for whether Japanese market only or not.
Hope you'll see the news update for the US and other regions soon.

Ken@Japan