Braking problem

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

I sounds like you work for one of my old competitors, judging from your location, references to microscopes, and this last comment.

Tom

 

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I'd bet $20 dollars you don't even drive a Prius.

 

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

I had wanted a Prius for years and part of what drew me to it was the Toyota reliabilty. I would have waited for them to figure it out.

However I am very aware that no car is perfect. My first car was a 1994 Ford Tempo that caused me more problems than I can count until the transmission would not take me any further at 8 years and 80000 miles. For my second car I looked strictly for reliable and got a 2001 Honda Civic. It was great until last year when the transmission started to have issues after only 57000. This year it was recalled for an air bag issue. I have come to expect problems even with high quality.

I have not had any problems with my 2010 III and even find the braking to be a little overzealous at times. I am relieved about my own experience to date but am hoping that they find whatever is causing the problems and a fix quickly!

 

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

I'm not sure how I feel about all of it. I do love my Prius, but I don't like the brake issue. It does happen to me any time I brake on a bumpy surface. I try to avoid it whenever possible, by braking before I hit a bad spot, but sometimes this is unavoidable. One route that I have to travel has a short, relatively steep slope down to a stop sign. The last third of this stretch is torn up with bumps and potholes. I know I am going to have the brake thing happen, so I try to slow down early and coast to the bottom before stopping at the sign. But if there are a couple of cars ahead of me already stopped, it is tough because I have to stop on the bumps, which gives me that uncomfortable gliding sensation every single time. No matter how much space I give myself, I have still ended up right on the bumper of the person in front of me. So, is this really just a 'sensation'? To me is seems that you lose braking power and do indeed lurch ahead. I don't like it, and I wonder if the time will come that I do end up plowing into someone just because of a bad spot on the road that I didn't anticipate.

Should all of us that have experienced this be registering a complaint? Until now (based on everything I read here after it first happened to me) I have been telling myself it is a quirk of the car. But I don't like having that little worry nagging in the back of my mind. I want to feel safe in my buggy. Maybe it really isn't ok that this happens.

To answer the original question, I guess I would have held off on purchasing mine (or any other car) if there were brake concerns.

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

I'm surprised that to some on this web site, this problem/issue seems new. It's not new, and people have been talking about it for months. There are many, many posts on this topic.

What is new is that the press is just now catching on to this issue.

But to be clear - there have been many reports from G2 owners who claim to have experienced the "exact same thing". So, it would appear this phenomena has been around quite a while, and is NOT unique to the G3.

That said, why was this not a concern to the NHTSA back when G2 owners were reporting this felling/sensation?? Are they just now concerned because of all the other issues with Toyota, ie, shark to blood mentality...or is it really not a defect/flaw, but more a sensation that cars with regenerative braking get? TBD.

 

Ok, I'll play. I must have just guessed when I posted the info on programming the Homelink on the 2010 in the tech forum

Sorry, not a newbie now with over 11 posts...lol

 

Re: Different braking problem??

It sounds to me like she hit that curb pretty hard. Do you have winter tires? How sure are you of her speed when she decided to stop on the snowy road?

 

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

Yes, I would still buy one. I've felt the sensation - once - and quite frankly, it felt weird, but didn't bother me. I now apply more brake pressure, and have never felt the sensation since doing so.

Not an issue to me.

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

I can make this happen at will at a spot on my daily commute - slight downhill on a 35MPH street, braking as I head into a very sharp right turn and go over a manhole cover that is about 2" below street level.

Can you provide a photo of the street and bump? Google hasn't done street view for this street yet but I'll try to get a picture.

Any speeds? At this spot I am braking to around 25mph

Was it a descending roadway? yup

Was a right turn coming up? yup

Vehicle empty? other than me, yup.

My wife says she gets the same sort of thing in her 07 Civic, so I've always considered it just a side effect of ABS. Maybe I'll drive her car to work one day and see if I can make it happen in the Civic.

 

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

_

 

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

I was alarmed when my little brother told me about the brake issue on the news! What a shocker! If I knew. I would not have bought a Prius at all. I need a no hassle car! Not one that I can't feel safe in.

Here's an article I found about that:

Toyota: Now It's the Brakes on the Prius - ABC News

And I felt the brakes feel funny after it snows or rains. My brakes just felt gritty and didn't brake as smoothly as before. My car is only 3 months old!! I bought it brand new in November.

 

Decelerating at a slower rate is not considered accelerating.

 

That would still be you. Sorry. arty:

Your "justification" was lame. very. Go inform some sales people...now off you go. :deadhorse:

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

I'm new to the Prius, only picking up my Gen 3 on new years eve. I've had this happen on two occasions so far, both on down hill sections. One was approaching a right turn the other was straight. I will say at every other occasion the brakes are fantastic.

I called Toyota customer services this morning before I started looking around on the net and was just told to take it to the dealer to have it checked.

 

9 out of a whopping 13 posts within the last couple of days on this thread alone. Wow, what a veteran PC'er you are.


There are a whole slew of newbies racing here to trash Toyota. What fun!

 

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

Do you read? Can you read? If the answers to both of these questions was yes, then this is old news. You would have known about this issue had you bothered to do your homework (you joined this site in Sept and bought in Nov), and thus avoided buying this car. Too bad for you. LOL. There are literally 100's and 100's of posts on this site (alone) on this topic. Owners of G2 have felt this problem, so it's been around for years. Most on here that have felt it, like myself, do NOT believe it's a flaw or defect, but a unique sensation to cars with regenerative braking. When you go to brake over bumpy roads, just press a bit harder than you normally do, and chances are, you will never feel this sensation.

 

Re: Different braking problem??

This sounds like slippery roads. Remember that ABS cannot overcome lack of traction. All ABS can do is attempt to maintain some steering. Many people mistakenly assume ABS reduces braking distance, or somehow magically makes traction appear.

As for ABS pulses, in most cases the ABS on the Prius does not pulse. There is no way to tell that it activates, short of watching the indicator.

Hitting a curb hard enough to puncture a tire is likely to cause front end damage or a bent rim. The scraping sound may indicate this and should be checked.

Tom

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

Wow... I experienced this brake issue early in the first couple weeks of having my 2010. The first time it was more than just a bit discerning I nearly needed a fresh pair of underwear but I chocked it up to an idiosyncrasy of this amazingly complicated computer controlled car. The second time I wasn't as shocked or scared and thought some people could think that the car actually lunged at that moment and there is potential for over reaction.
But now it looks like the flood gates have opened and it's time to kick the big kid while he is down and just totally dump on him. It is tragic that there is this mentality. I commend Toyota for how they are handling these issues. Unlike other mfg's they are working correctly to address the issues. I truly believe a lot of this hoopla is politically driven sensationalism. That is just the times we are in right now. If you don't agree with the government or go along with mainstream you are an unpatriotic idiot. The easiest way to effect change or ruin a company/person is to just keep throwing mud at them and sooner or later enough will stick and their reputation will be so tarnished that they will be ruined.
'We're Not Finished with Toyota': US Transport Secretary

 

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

Whoa! Let's not all pile on GreenGuy33. He's asking a simple question and giving a simple but honest answer.

There's a White Whale sized thread debating what is the definition of "Braking Problem"?

So I think the real question is if you knew Toyota as a whole was going to face the current problems they are facing would you of purchased your Prius?

Everybody can answer that as individuals with individual opinions, but as a whole I think it's a fair question. In efforts to restore brand confidence and image, which has been damaged, it's a question Toyota has to get people answering Yes.

It shouldn't suprise anyone that there are insecurities among Toyota owners as a whole right now, right-wrong, justified or invalid. The spectrum covers people staunchly loving their Toyota Tundra and those driving it into a dealership.

I would have to say for me personally as an individual, I was planning on purchasing this spring/summer. With hearings coming up I'm glad I have the time. I still think Toyota will emerge from this and be the sucessful automaker that they have been. But this recall IS a brand shaking event. I'm also afraid that when this enters the political arena of "hearings" Toyota is in for more negative media.

For Toyota as a company and many owners as a whole-Prius Family and all Toyota's, this IS the Perfect Storm of Doubt. I wouldn't NOT purchase, but I might wait until this storm clears.

 

I fear all of these problems together are going to cost Toyota billions in repair costs, lost sales, and decreased share value.