Braking problem

Re: Acceleration Surge Going Over Bump

I would agree with this. Also, a lot has been written on this subject, and how these "specialized news" outlets have helped contribute to the polarization of America. Not to get political, but it seems there is a news outlet catoring to every different polital faction - from ultra right, to ultra left. These organizations tailor the "news" to pander to their specific audience. Back when I was growing up, pretty much everybody got their news from just a few sources. We all saw the same news. Not true today. Mine was Walter Cronkrite...."and that's the way it is". IMO, there has been none better, than Walter Cronkite, in reporting the news in a fair and objective way.

 

Update: Ray Lahood has already retracted his statement that Toyota owners should stop driving their care.
U.S. official: Bring recalled Toyotas to dealers - Autos- msnbc.com
"Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Wednesday that he misspoke when he told a Congressional subcommittee that owners of recalled Toyotas should "stop driving" their vehicles until they were repaired."

Methinks they realized that the fear mongering went too far and his bias was showing.

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

There's a lot they can do. For one, they can consollidate all the multiple threads on the same subject, into one thread. Archive others. I would also screen IP's. No doubt there users here with multiple screen names, but with the same IP. Etc.

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

Finally, some order to all the hysteria! .

 

What a deuchbag. Just more grandstanding and posturing. I read in today's Washington Post that rep's from Toyota will be testifying before Congress next weak. Now this should be rich! These Congressmen will be strutting around like Peakocks looking for a mate...except what they will be posturing for are votes back home, and not sex . Bring jobs back to America and kick out Toyota will be the slogan....This is going to be good entertainment, folks. Catch it on CSPAN.

 

I have to say that I had a 2005 Prius for four years and never, I mean never experienced anything like what has been described. My 2010 on the other hand has had the dreaded lack of braking problem on more than one occasion. While at first disconcerting, I have grown used to the feel and when it might occur. I certainly can see an accident being caused by this anomoly, as braking is momentarily absent, therefore stoppong distances have to be increased. That being said, I am concerned with my wife or kids driving and experiencing this phenomenon. My wife in particular might not react by further pressing the pedal until braking resumes. I am at a loss. I have not complained to Toyota or the government as yet. What is the consensus as to how to procede.

 

Interesting stuff. Some G2 owners have reported experiencing the same things as on the G3. In fact, it's been in the press that this is not knew to the G3. So I guess it all depends...

 

Same here... I always have that apprehensive feeling before braking afraid of it happening again, especially with so much ice/snow at this time of the year. I did scare the heck out of someone the other day because the "quick jump" during breaking caused a short slide off when making a curve... the driver in the other side thought I was going to hit him, so did I... if people don't think that is a safety issue, I can’t help it.

You can call Toyota or mail a complaint.

http://www.toyota.com/help/contactus.html

I'm actually writing a letter and mailing it. More chances of a follow-up I think... well, I hope...

BTW, I am cc'ing the complaint letter to the NHTSA as well...

[FONT=arial,helvetica]http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9fee1be6b2b2000bc22cf37490008a0c/[/FONT]

 

Be sure to tell them you're buying a different car from the manufactuer that first brought you the REAL "unintended acceleration" - ie, VW/Audi. Yeper, VW (Audi) has great customer relations, and knows how to handle problems with Americans who don't know how to drive their products. Not.

But I sleep better at night knowing that former Prius owners, such as yourself, want to make sure this problem (or whatever it turns out to be) gets looked and addressed. Whew, that's a huge load off of my mind.

Say hello for me, to all your unemployed union buddies down at the Moose Lodge. :rockon:

Who Dat? Go Saints! :cheer2:

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

About 2 weeks ago I had a situation where I was crossing train tracks while going down a small incline towards a traffic light. I was gliding downhill, and I estimate I was going no faster than 20 mph. My foot was not on the gas or the break. Suddenly the car accelerated. I immediately hit the break and the car slowed down. I don't know if this is a related issue or not, but for a split second I didn't feel in control of the cars acceleration. It was a strange sensation.

I haven't had the issues since and never had anything like it previously. I have just under 5k miles on my 2010. Since the location that this happened is near my house, I am going to try to simulate the situation again to see if I get any unexpected acceleration.

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

This sounds very similar to what other's (including myself) have expereinced. I personally belive it's associated with the regenerative braking, so now, I press down more firmly. Since doing this, I have not had a re-occurance of this phenomena.

 

* This is NOT an accurate statement! It has been noted by many posters on many Threads, that stopping does NOT ncrease during one of these anomalies, and there is NO absence of braking.

One poster even staged a comparison with his Prius and other vehicle, and found there to be NO increase in braking distance during this transition from regenerative to friction braking.

And, as I stated in an earlier post, when riding as a passenger at the onset of one of these events, I felt NOTHING, yet my wife, as the driver, felt the perceived surge in speed, yet as a passenger, there was NO perception of ANY increase in forward momentum.

So one would draw the conclusion that: 1. braking is NOT increased and 2. NO increase in speed is realized, so one would deduce that it is more a perception by the driver that during this transition, it is perceived as a more significant event than it actually is.

David (aka Blind Guy)

 

The Gen III Prius is capable of more aggressive regenerative braking. This may account for why the "brake loss" situation is more pronounced in the Gen III.

Tom

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

A possible explanation for this occurring when your foot was not on the brake or gas is the slight regen that the car uses to simulate a conventional automatic transmission. It may have released that slight regen when you crossed the tracks. Going downhill may increase the feeling of acceleration since gravity would pull you forward as soon as that slight regen drops out. If this occurs, I think acceleration, though very slight, could occur, simply due to gravity.

 

Let me clarify myself before the flaming begins, I don't drive the Prius, and I CAN NOT impathize with those who have experienced this problem, and the initial terror it must induce, and I say problem, because that's what it actually is, whether it's perceptual or real.

Toyota needs to remedy this problem to the satisfaction of Prius owners, if not, the Prius will carry a stigma that may follow it for quite some time, and that's not something they need to add to their plate at present.

This is VERY probably a software issue, and if Toyota has the wherewithall to design and implement 3 different generations of Prius, they can certainly acomadate this trivial engineering anomaly, considering the overall complexity of the total vehicle.

They BETTER hop to it.

David (aka Blind Guy)

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

As someone else noted, it is against instincts to look at the dash when the braking action has suddenly decreased. Being one that can recreate it fairly easily (not every time) I think it would be hard to tell if the HSI zeroes out when it happens or not because it happens so quickly and it is only a very short time until you are stopped anyway.

For the record, I have held the brake pedal in the same position when it occurs and stopping distance IS SIGNIFICANTLY increased, in my car, and in my occurrences. It lends some credence to the idea that the friction brakes do not come in with the same braking force as the regen that just released.

 

Asahi Shimbun reported that Toyota has revised the computer program concerning the possible brake defects and started already manufacturing the modified Prius from the January production. But Toyota has not decided yet to recall 2010 Prius produced in 2009.