Prius Problems - How does it affect you?

Doesn't affect me as I am a Gen II owner.

But if I were a Gen III owner, I would not be scared. I would continue to drive it. In fact I may buy a Gen III just for the heluhvit.

Realize there are only 124 reported vehicles experiencing this problem out of MILLIONS. The media plays everything up.

Now is a really good time (but I won't say 'great') to buy a Prius since Toyota has already been slowly correcting the issue since the news.

 

I believe this will strongly affect other potential buyers. I still like the Prius, but I am going to have a really hard time trusting Toyota.

 

That is an incredibly naive statement. There are probably multiple many more incidents unreported. When I took my car in for service the Toyota dealer told me it's just how their advanced technology works, and that there weren't any reports of problems. I knew it probably was an out-and-out lie, but I chose not to follow up until I verified it again. I didn't file a report with the NHTSA for fear that my car would be tagged as a lemon and reduce its resale value. That was a couple months ago. I've experienced braking dropout four or five times in 10k miles, but not recently, and once earlier also experienced a high-speed surge on the freeway. (These are two separate issues, I now realize.) I've had my car since late June. The service writer at Toyota wanted me to feel stupid and overly sensitive for reporting a problem. I was planning to climb their tree the next time it happened, but I guess that won't be necessary now. By the way, I almost wrecked the thing with these issues, coming inches from rear ending a silver BMW.

 

It doesn't affect my view of Toyota vehicles. I have owned two and they have given me years of trouble free driving. As a new prius owner, I love my car. I have had it for three months and I have not witnessed the brake problem yet. Perhaps, I haven't hit any really bad pot holes at slow speeds. I am happy that they are dealing with the brake issue as quickly as possible.

I think Toyota has a image problem with new buyers and this acceleration recall may take years to overcome mentally. If you want to buy a Toyota, do it now before the hype dies down. You could end up getting a great deal. Every auto maker has their share of problems and will continue to do so. When you are one of the largest auto makers in the world, at some point there is going to be mistakes made. It is more difficult to control potential problems as one gets larger as a company.

From my understanding, the prius is one of the most reliable cars on the market. It was the main reason along with cost savings that I bought mine. The prius is also Toyota's future as a business. They are putting their best resources into it and it will be pivotal to how Toyota competes in future auto market. I think there strategy is working and it is ahead of other companies.

 

I just got my 2010 a couple of days ago. No hesitation at all, as we got a pretty good deal. During the test drive we tried to recreate the braking issue described on the forums here, but weren't able to. Maybe we got one that was built after Toyota implemented the fix, maybe we'll experience it later. Part of the reason I'm not worried is that I've lost the brakes on cars before. Granted, it was due to icy winter roads, but I think the same principles apply (if anything those were worse because I also lost my steering ability). It's scary, but the key is to not panic and try to maintain whatever control you can. From what I gathered here, you might need to press a little harder to get the friction brake to kick in.

Our other car is a '99 camry with 180K miles. That car runs great and I've never had a problem with it. It's only one data point, but it sold me on the reliability of the brand. My take is that there's a bit of a snowball effect with all of this media coverage. Each bit of bad news just builds on what came before. As for their corporate behavior...well, I'm a little disappointed that they didn't notify current owners after they implemented a manufacturing fix, but I'm not too surprised. A lot of businesses operate on the principle of deny, claim user error, and deny again until you're forced to confront the issue. Do I like it? No, but if my blood started boiling every time I heard of a company focusing on the bottom line, I'd be miserable. From the accounts I've read (mainly CNN, WSJ, and MSNBC), there haven't been any major injuries or deaths resulting from this. From what I've read on the forums, it seems like there have been some terrifying moments and a few near-accidents. A potential accident is much different than an actual accident, and that's going to factor into how a company responds. It's unfortunate that some companies won't act until the negative incidents reach some sort of threshold, but that's always been true of corporations and seems to be standard operating procedure.

 

No effect on me other than following and posting to threads related to it. Perhaps they'll be software update for the 2nd gens but it was never a big deal to me.

Yep. Agreed but more so on just the combination of all the issues, mainly the non-Prius ones. The damage has been done esp. given the (sticky pedal) issue has been in the news EVERY day since 1/21. The Prius braking issue just adds to the fire.

I think people will associate Toyotas w/sticky pedals, unintended accelerations, etc. for a long time, just like the Audi case still comes up.

 

My advice is to find a reputable dealer, preferably the one where you'll get the car serviced, and push for a good deal. I wouldn't worry about getting the absolute lowest price, as long as it's something you're satisfied with. We probably could have paid a hundred or two lower at a dealer who was 40 min. away, but our local salesman said that we'd get a different level of "investment" from the service dept if we bough with him. I'd have still gotten quality service, but they weren't going to focus as much on keeping me happy because they know that I'd be willing to just go wherever I get the lowest price. If I bought it locally, I'd get more attention and some other perks (loaner cars, free wash/vacuum, etc) in order to make sure I come back for my next car. Basically, he'd act as an additional check to make sure that my questions/concerns were taken seriously and addressed satisfactorily. That kind of assurance was worth an extra hundred or so. Your mileage may vary, but I was very happy with our salesman's ability to answer questions and the lack of drama during negotiations. We gave him a competing quote, he talked to the sales manager and came back saying they'd match it. No going back and forth, no nickel-and-diming. My guess is that things are slow at a lot of dealerships and they're pretty willing to deal. The $500 rebate and $500 loyalty cash clinched it for us. Good luck.

 

I agree that the above statement that there is "ONLY 124" report is really naive and irresponsible. Many Prius owners have stated that they have had similar issues but basically got brushed off by the dealers.

I am not upset or surprised at all the the 2010 Prius has this problem. That's to be expected for a new model with new technologies. Just look at the Ford Fusion.

What totally blow my mind is how Toyota handled this problem, which in my view is violation of trust. Braking function is sacred in the car and has direct safety implication. If I can't start my car, it is inconvenient. It I can't brake, or if it haphazardly takes longer than usual, that's a totally different story. What they should have done is to at least issued a warning months ago. And why did they not want to fix our cars when they introduced the fix into the new cars?

I now found myself braking at least 1 or 2 car lengths earlier than necessary. We Prius drivers already have the undeserved reputation on the road for being slow off the ramp (Funny how cars go-out-of-their-way to make room for you when you get on-ramp. Although with my Prius III, I like to use the PWR mode to surprise everybody.) Anyhow, now we probably will have the reputation of being early or erratic brakers. People probably gets nervous now when they see a Prius in their rear view mirrors. LOL. May be it could work to our advantages on the road.

Yes, the luster in the brand in general, and Prius as a lifestyle statement is gone.

As for me, I am just glad I leased rather than buy.

 

I am quite impressed with the $2000 off MSRP. That is probably below dealer cost and sounds like a great deal.

As for recall notices, I haven't checked the mail in a while so I have no idea if I have one or not. I personally have not had any problems with any aspect of my car. I am a bit miffed by the media coverage.

The best thing to do right now is buy the car you want and trust you made a good decision.

 

No effect on me. Our 2010 Prius is the best car I've ever owned, and I've had many cars in my 47 years of driving! Would buy again in a heatbeat.

Just to name a few of the cars I've owned/driven and worked on: Jaguar XK120 XK150, Chevy, Dodges, English Rover, Morris Minor, Divco, many VWs, Honda Civic & Accord, International Harvester, Volvos, Renault Dolphine, Hillman, Geo Prizm, Mercedes and our family currently owns and operates a 1921 7-passenger touring model 735 Stanley Steamer.

 

I hope the way it affects me is by lower prices at my local dealership, so I can buy one.

And any of you guys out there that have a 2010 Prius V with ATP with white outside and tan leather inside that are wanting to sell yours. I got cash.

 

The Prius brake problem does not affect me directly. I have had my 2010 III since August and have not had the publicized brake issue. I have tried to duplicate it over rough surfaces and have not been able to do so.

Even if it did, I fully understand the issue and personally do not see it as a safety issue. I do understand how those that have experienced the issue may feel and agree that Toyota needs to resolve the issue.

This is my first Toyota but I have not lost any confidence in Toyota and am confident that they will do the right thing for their customers. I have had many more recalls from my past GM, Ford and Chrysler vehicles for more serious issues than either the accelerator pedal or the brake issue. That does not make it right, but I think Toyota is getting a lot more bad press than the US manufacturers ever did.

 

This doesn't effect my view of Toyota either. I currently have a Gen II, but will eventually get a Gen III. Over the years, Toyota consistantly has had much better than average reliability ratings, which is my major criteria in selecting an automotive brand.
It's unfortunate of all the media hype, probably because it's rare for Toyota to do recalls, compared to others. It seems like Ford, GM and Chrysler are doing recalls of this magnitude on a regular basis. It doesn't get as much coverage, because of the regularity.

 

It just makes me realize how many naive people are really out there!!!!

The sky is falling, the sky is falling.....

Get it fixed, get over it!!!

 

Well, the brake problem has happened to me several times when I brake a little hard at 40mph - 25 mph. But once I know why it happens (thanks priuschat), it doesn't bother me much. I just keep a little bit more distance and not to brake too hard so not to trigger the situation. I guess it may make me a safer driver

 

The Toyota Prius is far and away the best car I have ever owned. I haven't owned as many different ones as radiocycle, but in 35 years of car ownership and 40 years of driving, I've owned six new cars and two used ones.

My Gen II (2005) Prius VI was the best car I ever owned hands-down, until I bought my Gen III in August 2009. The Gen III is a marked improvement.

I have never really become a fan-boy for any make of auto until I bought a Prius. Now I'm a Toyota fan. Thus, I'm quite disappointed with their seeming foot-dragging on their current problems; but I'm even more frustrated with the hyperventilation and hysterical screeching in the over-reacting American media.

Been driving my Gen III around in the beginnings of the Great Snowpocalypse of the East Coast today. No problems, no worries.