2012 Prius v Groaning Noise

yep, sort of a groan or low short howl. Same with my v (1800 miles) on cool mornings. I have had a very similar noise before in other (non prius) vehicles and it was due to my replacement of the original equipment disc brake pads with a pad design that was apparently 'harder' than original. It eventually went away as the pad wore itself into place and behaved.
It deserves watching however since it seems to be a pretty common event with the v. Who knows what evil lurks in that computer...

 

Mine is making the same noise. I'm pretty sure I never heard it for the first 1200 miles or so. First heard it (very dramatic and loud) when I was in Seattle at Christmas time and the car had been parked overnight. My brother attributed it to Seattle humidity.

But it is still making the sound back here now in Montana. Disappears within 100 yards of driving. Haven't inquired about it yet at the dealership. About 2500 miles on the car as of this date.

 

Dealer was suppose to get back to me about scheduling second visit to solve this problem after he talked to Toyota again. That was two weeks ago. Not a peep from them....not even a call to say we're working the issue. This is my second Prius, but this lack of communication is going to make it my last.

 

One more addendum to this ... the sound is definitely humidity-moisture related. I went out to drive to the store yesterday, expecting to hear the noise as the car had been parked overnight -- and nada! But the day before that when I had been driving, it was on dry roads and with no precip (temps in the 20-40 degree F range).

Don't know what this says about the noise, but if you want to replicate it make sure your V has been wet the day before and/or exposed to high humidity (e.g. Seattle) ....

 

Have the same problem. Only when starting out. Our temps have been in the low to mid 30's. Dealer indicated it was from dampness and slight rusting on brake rotors/pads. I like you hear it without the brakes being applied so don't think that is the issue. Would like to know if anyone determines the cause.

 

Prius vee’erz – Call the CDC, NHTSA, DHS, whomever!!! The Groaning Virus has made its way to the sunny winter climes of “Hybrid Friendly†Florida.

In the 20-days since 2-Post, Junior Member AnnieS first reported morning "Groaning" being emitted from her Prius “vee,†on 01-05-2012, 04:01 PM, the “Groaning Plague Virus†has traversed the 3,200-miles from cold and chilly Seattle, WA to the warmer climes here Gulf Stream-side on Florida’s Space Coast.

Alas, when I fired up my “vee,†this morning with 61°F OAT, and rolled out of my hangar to fly another sortie in the Petrol Wars, my wife and I heard a brief (What is that, Joe?) “Groaning†noise.

The reported Groaning Virus must have spread via the WWW through PriusChat all the way to Florida. Now the Prius v can add another “vee†to its notable signature “v’s†--- There is “v†for more “vâ€ersatility, “vâ€ery good driver road perspective “vâ€iew “vâ€isibility, “vâ€ery good fuel economy, and now, “vâ€irus too.

 

I'd get that grease out of there as it can find it's way onto the pad surface and they will be permanently ruined. Brake pads must be clean and oil/grease free.

Mike

 

I too have experienced the groan. Was in the 60's yesterday AM. There for a few minutes and then gone.

Annoying - and only hearing it on a few mornings so far (since 12/17).

Would love to have answers.

 

Maybe it means she is hungry op2:

Mike :bolt:

 

I too have hear this sound from time to time and as many of you have said and it happens more under damp or dewy types of weather. This groan or scraping noise is heard on other makes and models of cars as well.

Here is why. Brake pads are a semi metalic compound. When you use your brakes the pad material turns to a dust like powder. You may have seen it on your front wheels when you wash your car(hard to get off sometimes). That is because most of the braking power comes from your front brakes when you stop, however both front and rear are used and make the dust. You hear it from the rear brakes mainly due to that fact and the shape of the car.

Dew or moisture attracts to the brakes which raises the brake dust slightly off the drum or disc (depending on your car). Then when you first drive your car as the pad rides on the disc it scrapes/brushes that metalic dust into small clumps which makes a sound. When the dust is gone, the noise stops. That is also why AnnieS still has the noise even after having her brakes worked on.
If I get the car moving and then put on the brakes I can make the noise go away faster. You must remember that a Prius does not use/apply the brake pads unless you apply them firmly. When braking gently it uses reverse polarity on the generators to slow you down, so the noise goes away faster or slower depending how each person applies their brakes, how much dust there is and of course the weather conditions as I mentioned in the beginning. I hope this helps.

 

Somebody record the sound and post it here.

Mike

 

We have the groan, too. It seems to vary over surfaces as we move out in the morning. Seems suspension related, maybe a bushing of some kind. It doesn't seem consistent enough to be brakes and it varies with turning and wheel position. pretty annoying and audible outside the vehicle too.

 

We had the optional undercoating done at the dealer. Anyone else with the groan have undercoating? by wheel position, I mean height, as in going into a dip makes more noise. as with all, it disappears after a short while. we eagerly await the regional toyota analysis.

 

It's wet brakes and goes away within a few blocks. No problem.

 

I just heard the noise last weekend for the first time with 400 total miles on the odometer. It sounded somewhat like a bad wheel bearing but was not consistent in noise level while driving between 30 and 40 mph.

A few times, it was loud enough to be very annoying while listening to some music. It persisted for much longer that others have noted here. It didn't go away in a few blocks. It persisted for the 5 mile drive to the dealer. The dealer technician test drove the car with me and also noticed it at first. After the technician accelerated and braked the car firmly several times (bringing down my average MPG) the sound faded away and didn't come back. The dealer put the car on the lift, checked the wheel bearings and could not conclude what caused the noise.

It hasn't come back yet over the last few days but I am experiencing some wet weather again now. I suspect the more you use the friction brakes, the sooner the noise will stop. I tend to drive for maximum MPG and use regenerative braking as much as possible which probably will prolong the noise if it comes back.


I have never noticed a noise like this on my 2006 Highlander Hybrid when the brakes are wet.

 

It's a problem when a new car sounds like a creaky wood wagon.

 

New or old, brake pads oxidize. If that's all it is, it's no big deal.

 

I have now had my Prius v 5 w/ ATP for 3 months and I have heard the groan twice now. I back out of my garage down an incline to the street every time I take my Prius out for anything. So I always get to apply the physical breaks at the start of every trip from home because there is no regen breaking when going backwards (right?). The first time I hear the rather loud grown backing down my driveway and riding my brakes, I noticed that there was some fog around. The sound persisted after I started forwards for 100-200 feet and went away. Fast forward 6 weeks for the second occurrence leaving home with my wife in the Prius v. She commented on the "groan" and I told her of the thread here on Prius Chat. This time it did not persist when I started driving forward and I did not notice any extra water vapor or signs of higher humidity. I think it is humidity affecting the brake pads (rarely for me) and don't worry about it.