2012 Prius v Groaning Noise

In 2005 I bought a gorgeous new Toyota Avalon.

Almost from Day One the steering wheel would collapse to the dashboard every couple of weeks. Usually while making a turn.

Toyota dealer in San Diego was (naturally) unable to replicate the problem. Repeated calls to Toyota's Customer No-Service department in L.A. produced no satisfaction.

It took TWO YEARS and a formal complaint to NHTSA in Washington before Toyota admitted that their vendor had manufactured bad steering columns for a large number of Camarys and Avalons. They replaced the column.

So do not count on Toyota corporate to admit the Prisuses have a groaning issue. Ain't gonna happen.

 

If it is not a safety issue (as this type of brake noise is not) expect no help on the brakes. I found my pulsing noise was due to a hard spot while rotating the wheel by the mounting studs. The normal drag at that leverage is more than I have felt on other cars. The piston must be held snug by the electronic controls and my rotors are not worn hardly at all (1700 mi). There is an irregulatity however minor. I tapped the caliper to minimum drag position and the pulsing tone went away (2 weeks so far).

A collapsing steering column is a safety issue but it took your persistence.

 

I recently got my Prius V up in Calgary, Alberta and started think I'm experiencing the same(?) groaning noise since about 6000km. Decided to do a search and found this forum and thread.

Noise is definitely worse in the cold and turning and eventually goes away after 1-2 minutes. Took it to the dealership and they tried to "fix it". Didn't help.
I made a video of the noise at 2C -- it kicks in after the first left turn. It's a little shaky since I'm trying to drive at the same time. Is this the same noise everybody else is speaking of?

youtu.be/XoyAyzRvEG4
(I'm new and can't post a URL... so you'll have to copy and paste yourself)

 

Similar issue. I haven't heard it myself, as my wife drives our v during the week. She claims the brakes seem to make a noise when she pulls out of the parking garage in the morning. It seems to go away rather quickly and happens just on the start. Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is. I'll probably just mention it to the dealer on the first maintenance check. By the way, we live in Los Angeles, so I don't think it's freezing temperature that causes this issue.

 

Reading thru this post - I have had similar issues on non-toyota car. If I can offer any insight...since my dad is a master tech... and i'm not saying this is the toyota issue - but we experience it on our pontiac minivan from time to time. if it hasn't been drive for a while or in a prius case - if the mechanical breaks haven't been used - only the regen braking ... and you live in a moist area - or it has rained... then likely - the cause is the poslished surface of the break rotors/drums has rusted... the groaning or grinding noise - is likely the break pads dragging on the rust build up ... in a block or so - the rust rubs off - then there's no more interefence and the noise goes away. there'a not a big gap between break pad and rotor. so it only takes a little rust to make a lot of noise. my wife's van usually doesn't make noise until the first time we apply the brakes - and you'd sware it was metal to metal then the next stop sign - no noise. what it tells me is that they probably used a cheaper alloy steel then they could have which is more susceptible to rusting.

 

Mudman, what you describe makes sense ... at least regarding my experience with the "groaning" in my V. I purchased my car in Tampa (very humid) and would notice the groaning when I first drove the vehicle every morning. The noise was very brief and wouldn't occur again throughout the day. Since returning to San Antonio (significantly less humid) the "groaning" has disappeared.

 

Guill: I agree with your suggestion. As I mentioned in my post #48, the nature of my sound is not a low groan. It is closer to an owl hooting - A mid-frequency tone that sounds like a resonance to it. As I said there is definitely a relation to speed as the tone appears momentarily at each tire rotation.

I since found that there is a high resistance spot when rotating the axle by the mounting studs. (The mass and leverage of the tire masks the torque variation.) That means the rotor is not true. The dealer supposedly eliminated chatter in the parking brake. So I am left with the pad chattering, most likely due to a faulty anti-chatter sticky material between the pad and the caliper. I would rather have the groan as the high frequency makes people turn their heads when I pull away at church or somewhere else.

I am (since my first visit on Feb 2, 2012) working the Central Atlantic regional office and Torrance CA. Torrance has no knowledge of it. A technical person from Torrence is supposed to call in a day. I will post an update when available. I want to find out why my dealer says there is a hold on any dealer activity on this problem.

 

What he said.

 

Ours happened on a snowy day. The car sat for a couple hours while at the car show and was fine leaving there. We stopped for dinner for an hour or so and heard it backing out of the parking space. I don't know how long it takes rust to form but I'd think more than an hour. And I'm sure mechanical brakes were used in our transit to the restaurant. My spouse still stomps on the brakes to this day. W

 

Rust forms immediately, in a few minutes. I washed our v the other day and the rotors were rusty before I rinsed it off. I've noticed equally rapid rust formation while washing several of our other cars as well.

 

We are having the same problem, same noise and I am in Los Angeles..yes it does get cold here at night. I hear a rubbing, grinding noise when I back out of my driveway, and when I start driving down road as well. Only lasts a few blocks. I don't think it is brake related and might be the axle. I have not taken it in yet since they want me to leave it overnight.

 

I have experienced the same problem - groaning noise, mostly from the rear, when the car has been parked outside for a few hours in moist conditions. The noise persists for about about a few blocks and then fades away.

 

I'm NEW here! (i misspell alot)

I have a meeting (deposition) with my toyota dealer, toyota corperate and a meediater on June 7th in regards to this problem. There technichions have spent months trying to fix this problem and nothing. I fully expect the rep from toyota corperate to say that I am the only one having this problem. I would love to say "well.... there are alot of people having this problem" SO if you would like to be apart of a list of people I can hand to this toyota rep that would be great! Please emial me with any info you can give me at [email protected]

Thanks!

 

I live in Tennessee and have the same issue when it cold and/or damp in the mornings. I took the car to the dealer and they said that Toyota is not sure what the problem is but they are looking into it. They wrote up a ticket on it and stated that when Toyota knows more they will have me bring it back in. They said that it is not a saftey concern. Just an annoyance of the noice.

 

On May 15 I spoke to the Central Atlantic Toyota representative. She said then that a technical bulletin is about 6 to 8 weeks away. She stated that the problem has been identified as the parking brake. This does not match my observations stated above. I suspect that I will get the fix and still have the noise - unless the fix is a new rotor. The rotor is a machined casting that includes the parking brake drum. Then the variable drag of the pad pressure on the rotor should go away.

Is the top Technical person on the Forum aware of this?

Post Script: The site change made my bookmark invalid so I had to search through the top Forum site.

 

Exactly. The Gen II Prius has the same issue although not as bad. It sounds like they changed the pad compound as you said to a softer pad thats leaving alot of brake dust on the wheel. That coupled with the fact that the brakes are hadly used due to regen and you have a very corroded rotor.
If everyone here looked at there rotors in the front they will notice there rusted from lack of firm braking. A rusted rotor makes for loud brakes.

Do what most gen II' owners do: Get up to speed and put the car in nuetral and apply the brakes firmly a few times. This will remove surface rust on the rotor. Car still rolling put it back in D and drive away. Putting the car in neutral removes regen and then you are are on the car's friction brakes only. The brakes will not be good without regen so don't do this if anyone's in front of you the first time till you get used to it. I do this all the tme on my 2007 and never hear anymore groaning.

Besides its a very very good thing to know how to put the car in neutral in an instant in case of any run away engine issue. Do it a few times and you'll be able to do it without even thinking about it. Try it!

 

I just got a call from the dealer that there is a bulletin out to provide the fix!! He hd not read it yet, but I can see it after a 30 mile trip there. I will see it in a week for my 6 month service. He said as soon as he gets the necessary parts he will call again.

 

The groaning/whining happened to me last week and again, this morning and lasted about 10 minutes. I will check to see if it comes back.

 

How did it go? Any word on the problem?