Updated: Toyota Recalling 270,000 2010 Prius Hybrids in Japan & US for Brake Issue

News update by Japanese press.
recall in US, SSC in JP and others - Prius brake fix (Japanese only)

It looks Toyota is going to issue the recall in the US only.
For other countries, it will be SSC for free.

The official comments from the CEO, Akio Toyoda.
Newsroom : Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda Announces Global Quality Task Force / Toyota
TOYOTA: Announcement

Ken@Japan

 

Re: Toyota Recalling 270,000 2010 Prius Hybrids in Japan & US for Brake Issue

This is my experience on my 2008. A right turn lane near my home that has a storm drain and a few bumps where my right wheels go, just before the stop line.

For a while I was consistently getting the braking to cut out there and it would FEEL like a surge and freak me out. Now I try to steer a bit left of the drain and make sure to brake ahead of time and virtually cease braking before I hit it.

I've never noticed this in my wife's 2010, although I don't drive it much, and now I compensate for that turn anyway. She hasn't reported this issue to me either.

In previous cars with ABS the pedal would buzz and it would feel like the brakes were broken and a natural response is to brake harder. I think this natural response was better with a buzzing pedal than with the "brakes completely gone" feeling.

 

Pearl (GII) has always done the brake release thing. No, the car doesn't accelerate when it does it, it just stops braking for about 1/2 sec. It did it on 107 St approaching the Yellowhead trail, just at the intersection. Every time I drove on this road. As I slow much before I know I will have to stop, it never caused a problem (in other words, I don't leave my braking too late ). Last year they repaved the road, so it doesn't happen there any more. It happened on a crack in the road that had widened to about 6" and was about 4-5" deep and 2-3' long. An expansion crack, perpendicular to the direction of travel. I quickly started ensuring I wasn't braking when I traveled over it, subconsciously.

Now I admit this could be a problem if there were enough rough bumps at stop signs. But it's also no different than washboard at stops on gravel roads, which tend to cause the rear end of PUs and SUVs to slide sideways.

It feels as though this brake release is triggered by shocks to the chassis, not just the wheel, but that may just be the feeling it generates.

Good that they've fixed it in the GIII.

I'm not going to be like so many others and "pile on" Toyota when they're down. I still love my car and the way it works.

 

Hi Ken,

After reading Mr. Toyoda's comments, I don't see that a recall is yet in effect:

"As Toyota revealed yesterday, new Prius now in showrooms include an improvement. For Prius in the hands of customers, I have instructed that consideration be made as soon as possible regarding the way to address such units. Once a decision is made we will inform the public."

Based on the above, it appears that no decision has been made regarding what to do with 2010 Prius built prior to the January cut-over date.

 

Hi Dr Evan,
I'm not sure the differences among SSC and recall in the US, but they are different in Japan.
I posted my understanding at following thread.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...l-we-getting-recall-notice-2.html#post1054873

Hi Patrick,
Sorry for my unclear post.
Yes. Akio Toyoda has not commented about the recall.
The message from the press was underground information and it is not confirmed yet.

Anyway, a recall or SSC will announced soon, I believe.

Ken@Japan

 

Ford's brakes go into failsafe mode and the pedal drops by an inch. The car had to be restarted to function normally. How is that not a safety issue?

 

SSC applies only if your car is under warranty. I think recall applies to every cars they sold including outside the warranty. 2010 Prius is so new that every car wouldn't be out of warranty.

 

No, SSC is applicable to any vehicle within the cited serial number range, regardless of warranty coverage or not.

 

I'm just sitting back, paying careful attention to braking, and waiting for Toyota to come through for those of us who have pre-Jan 2010 manufactured vehicles (got mine in November 2009). Had one incident when car was new, before I read of the problem with brakes. I attributed it to slippery roads as we have lived in Co, VT, and AK and I have missed a few stops signs on ice in my day. Usually I'm well off the brakes coming up to a stop sign--this day I was in a hurry. No snow, but temps about 30 degrees--sign in the shade of a tree. My thought was ice--heard the ABS "thump" and let up on the brakes--didn't hit them harder. It was a little used intersection and I went several feet into the road past the stop sign. I have an ideal potholed road near me to test on and so far have not been able to duplicate the "problem."

 

Come on Toyota, lets get all the cars that needs recalling on the list. A brake problem is a brake problem no matter what year. I still say the floor mat causing the throttle to stick is the same problem as the other cars that are on recall. How can the floor mat be involved in sticking when it attached to a hook. I looked in my 2006 prius and the mat isn't even close. If I find out that they are holding back on the remaining vehicles and mine is in the recall I am strongly considering another car manufacture.

 

Re: Toyota Recalling 270,000 2010 Prius Hybrids in Japan & US for Brake Issue

Hey mad-dog-one I feel about the same way. Mine was made in Oct. '09. I took delivery on BlackFriday (Nov.). I have not looked to try to duplicate the problem, but have not experienced it accidently either. I sooo "appreciate" my friends and relatives who are e-mailing me all these stories about the Toyota problems! Believe me I'm monitoring them, and this forum, but will believe what I hear from Toyota through my dealer! I think my correspondence from these folks is due to more than just concern. Just a thought.

 

I agree it is a safety issue for Ford as well as Toyota. The Ford issue seems to happen less often but it seems worse because you need to shut off the car to reset. In the Ford if you press the brakes harder they work fine (with no regen), in the Prius, you loose a second of braking but then you are fine.

 

I posted this on another thread:

I bought my car back in August of 2009 and noticed the problem within the first month of purchase. The driveway to my apt complex here in Austin is right off a major highway and the construction where the pavement meets the concrete isn't to seamless, and so as I slow down on this 55 mph highway to enter the driveway I go over the bump on this seam.

Like I said, a major highway, so I am still moving at a quick rate of speed and as I am braking and approaching this seam, boom my brakes just give out (no funny warning lights as others are describing) and my car continues to move forward into the opposing traffic's (from the driveway) lane. This scared the sh*t out of me and everytime it happened I knew that I was just lucky that there happened to be no car in that lane when my car accelerated forward.

I have since learned to get to the shoulder way in advance, slow down much more and approach the seam at under 5mph since the problem is non existent at that speed.

For the last 7 months I have always been in fear when approaching some type of bump while braking and I have had to adjust everytime I do have to brake and go over a bump. I'm sorry, but I paid $26,000 and that I have to do that is just plain ridiculous.

I took it to a local dealership (Charles Maund in Austin, which has horrible service by the way) in August and they said they didn't have time to look at the problem and just pretty much gave me the run around.

MY wife called a dealership in Round Rock two days ago, concerned since we are now hearing of other people with the same problem, and the first question the guy asks is, "are you calling just because of what you are seeing on TV?" I mean, how absurd! We were calling cause my f*ckin brakes are giving out! He then proceeds to say that there is nothing wrong with the car (without even looking at it) and there is nothing he can do about it. She insists on taking it in, and he tells her, fine but he will have to charge us $100 if there is no problem. Is this not covered in the manufactures warranty? I know these are local dealerships, but come on, it sounds like they just want to stick their heads in the sand and hope we will all go away.

 

I'm having difficulty understanding the "simplity" of the CEO "apology" with the basic information in this article (requires translation)...

Sorry, not allowed to post the link (yomiuri.co.jp)...

"Bug is experiencing is new Prius launched in May last year. Then improvement already take to production minutes from January, and is the target number of actual prospects become scale ２７ million in the u.s.-Japan. This company is ready whenever you're on the Ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism and the u.s. Department of transportation to recalls report.
　It is possible, service quality for independent repair to recall system of Japan to the vehicle structure itself problematic if "recall" and a structural defect there to "campers" stop service "campers" Toyota.
　One cause a short delay before when you work slippery road surface, it can be stopped safely "antilock brakes, System (ＡＢＳ)" bad brakes, brake tactful."

 

Yes, it will go away. Drive more sensibly when conditions are iffy. Oh, wait, can't do that, must be the car's fault, NEVER the driver. Maybe try a different car. Complaints seem to stem from not wanting to change driving habits/behavior. Can't really legislate better drivers, so let's blame the machine. And could all the complaints be MORE dramatic? Sheesh, what, are people auditioning for movie roles? Please let us all know if ya got the part, 'cause I gotta tell ya, everyone's doing a great job with this...

 

Wow. You totally misunderstand my post or really just are not able to comprehend anything. The brakes don't work when they are supposed to. Period.

I'm sorry, is the possibility of my car slamming into another vehicle with me and my wife in it, bothering you? You want me to be dramatic, sure, why don't you drive the car, disable the airbags, seatbelts, park another car in the oncoming lane, and watch you try to brake over the bump and see what happens. That is pretty dramatic if you ask me.

Ridiculous. I post and cry out for help and instead I get flamed for my concerns. It is no wonder people are afraid to speak out about these issues.

And for further clarification, I have never been involved in an accident, received any type of traffic violation, and yes I consider myself a safe driver. So please do not insult me by insinuating that I need to change my driving habits when the way I drive has been perfectly acceptable with every other automobile I have ever used until the 2010 Prius.

By the way, I never auditioned for a move role, but I was an extra in a Tommy Lee Jones movie once. (I hope all you regulars here are as welcoming to newcomers as finman here).

 

El Gato,

Don't base your opinion of all of Priuschat membership by the attitudes of one or two. You'll find that there are plenty of us here who see the situation very differently from how finman sees it. His opinion is what it is, his opinion. I find, that after reading so many threads on this one topic that there are different "camps" on the braking issue. And, like a bellcurve, they fall in a range from the extreme on one end to the extreme on the other. SO, here's my take on it...

One extreme end of the bell curve says that the issue is nonexistent and the car is performing as it should and that it's just in the head of the drivers. New drivers of Prius don't know how to drive and should sell their vehicle ASAP and buy something more technologically in the middle of the road. Nobody is as good behind the wheel of a Prius as they are or as knowledgeable about the car. Toyota's a perfect company and everyone's attacking it needlessly. Covert concpiracies abound at this extreme end and their last breath in life will likely be "TOYOTA"...

The opposite extreme end says that Toyota's out to kill everyone who owns a Prius, or drives near one, that they were sold a bill-of-goods that has no resale value and is unsafe for their wives/husbands/children/family/pets to drive or ride in and that the cars are unsafe at any speed and should be parked forever and, likely, replaced with a Ford or GM, preferably a diesel- or at the very least a VW TDI. And, they typically also feel Prius drivers drive slow and are all tree-huggers. Personal paranoia typically is plentiful at this end of the bell curve.

Somewhere in the bigger middle are people who say that they love their Prius, have no regrets about buying it, have felt the brake loss dropout, think that for them it's not likely a safety issue, but want Toyota to do the right thing and issue a remedy for it asap so others don't perceive the issue as a safety issue and stop any possibility of injury to owners or pedestrians or others because of someone who may panic and cause an accident due to the issue. And these middle people don't quite understand how the two extremes can hold so hard and fast to the positions they do. Their next new car may be a Toyota, or it may not be- they'll wait to see how well their Prius does over the years and how well the car manufacturer serves its customers and the public.

I'm somewhere in the middle of said curve. Oh- and welcome to Priuschat!

 

I see your problem.
In the meantime, until the fix coming, please try to shift into neutral before you pass the point.
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...5-workaround-braking-issue-2.html#post1055158

Ken@Japan

 

There is so much wrong with this post and other data from you that it has to be suspect. It really does. Consider it a flame if you wish but you're making yourself look suspicious.

First from all reports this braking issue doesn't happen anywhere near 55 mph. When and if it does occur it happens at very slow speeds under 20 mph as your braking approaching 12-15 mph. This is where the regen braking transitions to the friction brakes normally. Want to avoid the feeling ... press the brake pedal harder and you skip right past the transition. Problem solved. Seriously.


However as your first post you have made yourself very suspicious.

1. The Prius III doesn't come with leather unless you've added it aftermarket
2. There is no 'G Touring Package' on the 2010's. Those were options on the Gen 2's only.

Phishy IMHO.