I don't know if this is related, but I have noticed a sort of 'grinding' sound only at the beginning of movement after a start. The sound is more like a short 'hum' oscillating as I drive forward, but it goes away after a while.
Does anyone know if a TSB was ever issued on this? I have a v2 with 3000 miles on it and now that the weather is turning damp and cool I too have this "grinding".
Ugh I've been experiencing squealing brakes, grinding noises when turning, and the horrific cold start all in the past month! The squealing started a few weeks ago and persisted several mornings in a row to the point I slowly rolled out of my driveway and street to minimize braking. I don't recall if it was humid but it was not wet and hadn't recently rained so I was somewhat perplexed by the squealing. This past week I heard horrific grinding noises coming from engine when I started up car after letting it sit 18 hrs. I had it towed to Toyota and they couldn't replicate or find any issues. Now I'm hearing grinding at times, particularly when turning. I imagine these issues will only get worse as winter approaches considering it's only November and I park in a partially heated garage
I too started having horrible squealing brakes and grinding noises, thankfully I heard them when I was pulling into my garage at home and could address the issue, I don't know what I would have done if I was 100 miles from home... I immediately parked the car and went inside to eat dinner. After a good meal I began trouble shooting the issue. and took the opportunity to rotate my tires at the same time that I was inspecting the car and searching for the noise... THINGS TO REMEMBER: When rotating the wheels, The GEN II Prius only requires 80 ft. Lbs of torque, check to see what the Prius V requires. Otherwise you run the risk of snapping a wheel stud, and you don't want that! (I've done it myself) buy a "click: type torque wrench and set it to 80-82 lbs ($65 or more but Walmart sells a basic one for $65) Rear wheel: With the wheel off (and emergency brake released) I removed the drum brake "drum" and tapped it on the ground to knock out most of the brake dust, I then wiped it out with a cloth to remove more of the brake dust. I used compressed air to gently blow-off the internal components and clean them up, checked for anything loose or out of place. Front wheel: I took a hammer and gently tapped in-between the wheel studs, I knocked out tons of crud, brake dust, huge rust chips etc... I inspected the rotors, and dust shield on the back side of the rotor. Driver's side was fine (other than the dust, crud and rust that had built up over time). I did the same thing on the passenger side. I knocked out a lot of brake dust, crud and rust out of the passenger side breaks too. I noticed that the dust shield on the right/passenger front rotor looked like it was extremely close to the rotor so I bent it back so there wouldn't be a chance of contact. Now no squealing brakes or grinding noises. I drive 120+ miles a day so I'd say my issue is solved, I hope you can do the same for your prius. Good luck! Let me know if you have any questions or need help.
My wife and I purchased a Prius V in July of 2012 and at first absolutely loved this new car. However, about 6 weeks ago, we noticed a strange rubbing sound coming from the right rear brake area. It sounds like a wiper blade passing over a dry windshield. I Have read all of the posts and am astounded at how Toyota dealerships have treated their customers about this issue. They have blamed rust as the culprit - but the brakes are designed to be self-cleaning/drying. I was a certified mechanic in California and that experience has given me insight as to what the problem originates from. I suspect that the rotor is out of balence - perhaps warped just a little bit to bite the brake pad and rub against it. As I am not the only person who has this particular mechanical problem with my Prius V, it makes me believe that the cause has something to do with factory assembly. The squealing sound of brake pads is caused by the pads vibrating over the rotor surface - which could be fixed by appying brake grease to the back of the pad and pins that hold the brake pad in place. It could be that the colder temp weather also plays a part. Since there are several of us who have this problem with our new cars, I also live in the Pacific North West Damp and cold.
My 2012 V3 has 19+K miles and has this squealing/groaning only in reverse whenever it is wet or damp and has been sitting overnight. Today it was so loud that it hurt my ears. It doesn't last long, just a minute. Has anyone else had this happen and does anyone have an answer about what it is or if it is something I need to worry about? I will tell the dealer and if it is ignored I will call Toyota. Please explain the regenerative braking system to me. Also, what is ICE? I just joined this forum and am reading some very interesting posts. I love the car, especially the mileage. I get 48mpg in warm weather and 43-44mpg in colder weather. I'm loving that. But I have never had a car that squealed or groaned in reverse and don't think this should be happening.
I have taken my Prius V 2012 to the dealership 3 times regarding this issue. I was advised that Toyota is aware of this issue but there is nothing they can do at this time. They recommended that I follow up with them every time I bring in my car for maintenance to see if Toyota has a fix for it. Apparently it is not uncommon for Toyota to take a great deal of time to figure out a fix before they recall their vehicles. I too notice that it starts first thing in the morning or when there is rain or it gets in the 40s. I recommend that if you bring it into the dealership bring it in the night before so they are more likely to hear the sound. If you drive it over there chances are lower that they will hear the sound.
