Brake failure 2005 Prius

It may have been a computer glitch.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Linda W @ May 26 2006, 01:42 PM) [snapback]261377[/snapback]</div>

Write to Toyota HQ and tell them you need an assurance that your
vehical is safe to drive and that you may consult a laywer who
specialize in LEMON LAW.

Make sure that you document everything that happend:
date, time, who, what, where and when.

--Hilore

 

A couple of weeks ago, while stopped at a red light, my Prius beeped and the brake malfunction light came on. The ICE ran only to charge the battery, it would not power the wheels, so I drove for two miles in "electric mode", as if going in reverse. Turning the car off and on solved the problem, which has not reappeared 500+ miles later.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jamarimutt @ May 28 2006, 08:43 PM) [snapback]262171[/snapback]</div>

You're lucky it happened while you were stopped.

 

Don't know if anyone will read this post so long after the original, but I wanted to add my experience to that of others. On March 15, 2007, I was in stop and go traffic. Cars ahead of me stopped, so I pressed on my brake to stop too. I had approx 15 feet between me and the car in front of me. The brake did not respond. There is no question in my mind that I applied the brake, not the accelerator. (I checked where my foot was, and I also wasn't accelerating). I had enough time to watch the whole thing unfold. With my foot on the brake, I could not stop my car, and I rolled into the car in front of me.

There was no damage to either car because I was going very slowly (less than 10mph) and I was well behind the car in front of me.

Bumping into the car in front of me was what stopped me (not my brake). After I was fully stopped, I was able to pull over to the side of the road, and the brakes worked again.

I had the car towed to the dealership service dept (where I bought the car). The dealership said they couldn't touch the car until a Toyota inspector looks at it. They told me I had to call Toyota "Legal" and report the problem ("product liability claim"). The dealership "quarantined" (their term) the car. The dealership called me a few days later to say the inspector had been there, inspected the car, told the dealership to call me and tell me I can come and pick it up, and the inspector will call me within 30 days. No info from the svc dept about the findings, no way to contact the inspector, no written report. The service dept did tell me that they expect the inspector to tell me that he found no problems, but the svc dept wouldn't state that for certain. Basically, the svc dept took a hands off approach and told me the issue is between me and Toyota Headquarters.

Don't post back about what I might have been doing wrong, or how it's impossible for this to happen. It did happen, exactly as I've described. I am posting this only to share information with others so that the body of knowledge about this problem builds. Maybe down the road it will help me or someone else.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(melmiley @ Mar 23 2007, 07:35 PM) [snapback]411225[/snapback]</div>

Did you try the emergency brake? What about lifting off the brake and then stomping it to invoke ABS? Your story is scary and I want to know what to do if it happens!

Also, I want to give this thread a bump, so I can hear from others about this.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jendbbay @ Mar 24 2007, 02:24 PM) [snapback]411568[/snapback]</div>

I think that if one of these brake failure incidents happened to me I would never then be able to drive the car confidently, whatever the dealer reported, and would probably sell it as soon as possible.

Does anyone else feel like that?

 

I can report a very similar brake failure in a 2005 prius:

the car was cold (I had traveled about 1/4 mile in stop and go) the temp was about 70; I was going about 3 mph and then accelerated hard up to maybe 25, but then wanted to brake hard because it looked like a pedestrian was about to go out into the road. I hit brake pedal very hard (not hard enough to engage the ABS, but it was hard to make sure I stopped well before where the pedestrian was) --- nothing. The pedal went down ( I don't recall vividly, but it seemed to have typical resistance) but the car just coasted: no braking at all. Incredulous, I pressed harder . . . and still nothing. I rolled at full speed past where pedestrian was (luckily they didn't come out into the road) and then, after about a very long 2-3 seconds of coasting, the brakes engage hard and the car slows abruptly. The pedestrian was about 5 feet behind me.

I've played with the brakes since then (braking hard and soft from all speeds, braking in reverse) and they seem normal. I can't duplicate it at all -- although writing this reminded me that the car was cold at the time and I haven't tried to duplicate with a cold car.

 

For those who say, ignore the problem and that is probably just fine, please ask youself if you would entrust your children or other loved ones to a car that has had a random complete brake failure. I wouldn't.

 

This is scary and need to be reported to Toyota hq like said earlier. If this is a real problem I am a little worried now. Ask the dealer if he would put in righting what they say and have the service department head sign it. tell them that if you total your car because of brake failure or kill someone you are going to show the insurance company the full report and the fact that they said is was fine and needed no fixing.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Linda W @ May 26 2006, 06:38 AM) [snapback]261276[/snapback]</div>

Some time back I worked for an Airline that had just recieved new A-320's "Airbus" planes. One full plane taxied out, started take off roll, at a good clip the flight deck instrument panels..all of them went blank and
one engine quit. Pilot taxied back to the gate. Tech's could find nothing wrong. Ran engines, Checked computers (14 of them) nothing wrong.
Company told the pilot to fly the plane or "walk". He wanted another plane which we usually had around but not this time.
He flew it out. That plane never had another problem like it had this day.

At least you have 4 wheels on the ground if your computers mess upl

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ May 26 2006, 01:11 PM) [snapback]261398[/snapback]</div>

If the system is triple redundant, then why have there been two accidents (that I found out about just today) already? See the following link:

http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/brake-fai...2007-t1013.html

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zmre2b @ Apr 5 2007, 09:39 PM) [snapback]418596[/snapback]</div>

I have also had a brake problem with my 06 Prius, around 15,000 miles. On two occasions the brakes failed to activate for 2 – 3 seconds, then they took effect. On the second occasion I started to swerve to avoid the car in front of me before the brakes took effect. On both occasions I was traveling at slow speeds ( under 30 mph), moving uphill, and braking with the intention of coming to a complete stop. There was no rain, sand or gravel, and the car was not skidding. The anti-skid light went on.

I took the car to the dealership, they could not replicate the problem, they said they could not find anything wrong & were going to return the car to me. I insisted something be done, so they sent a mechanic to observe as I test drove the car. I was not able to get the brakes to fail, but I was able to make the anti-skid light go on when it shouldn’t. The dealership then bled the brakes & returned the car to me.

That same day as I approached a stop light, the car did a strange, very slow anti-lock brake response. The brakes applied, then unapplied with about one to 1 ½ seconds between each application. On two occasions since then the brakes have not applied for 2 – 3 seconds after I stepped on them. The anti-skid light went on one of those times, the other time I was too busy looking at the road to notice. I was going over a rough road surface, but not a surface on which the car was skidding.

I have noticed the anti-skid light goes on sometimes when the car is not skidding but going over a rough surface.

I really liked the Prius before this happened, but I do not feel it is not a safe car to drive until is resolved.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kareen @ Jun 2 2007, 01:29 PM) [snapback]454016[/snapback]</div>

It is not unusual for the traction control to engage when you brake while driving on irregular surface or going over a bump. Even though it may feel as if the brakes are disengaged, the car is still very much under control.

 

This may be a much wider spread problem than we think. Please see my story in the thread entitled "brake failure"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nicks @ Jun 4 2007, 11:16 PM) [snapback]455443[/snapback]</div>

A few more posts like this and it will start bugging me.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ystasino @ Jun 5 2007, 12:48 AM) [snapback]455492[/snapback]</div>

Why doesn't it bug you now ? just because no one was reported hurt?

Let me tell you... I will never buy another Toyota, they basically ignore legitimate customer complaints. (see http://priuschat.com/index.php?act=ST&f=19&t=16922 and http://priuschat.com/index.php?act=ST&f=6&t=11858)

Dealer act like they are not responsible for the car because its too sophisticated. As long as they get MSRP for the cars they are happy. But the party will end at some point. Where are the investigating reporters when you need them ?


--

 

I've been in a situation where the brakes did not work for what seemed like forever (probably a few seconds), and I think it's reproducible. While accelerating, I went over a speed bump. Traction control took over because the front wheels lost traction for a moment. Just at that moment, I had to brake hard. There was no response from the brakes, although the front wheels had 'landed', the weight of the car was back on them and there should have been plenty of grip by now. After a few seconds , the brakes were back. Only luck prevented an accident, the car in front of me turned right.

Perhaps others could try to find out how the brakes respond when you try to stop while the traction control is working? Find a safe place to do it please, I'm not responsible for any accident you may end up in.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Jun 2 2007, 06:55 PM) [snapback]454071[/snapback]</div>

For that traffic light, the road surface was not rough. It did not feel like traction control. It was more like anit-lock brakes pumping. However, the brake/release cycle was much too slow to do any good in a situation that really required anti-lock brakes.

 

This thread has got me a little concerned but at the same time all manufactures have failures some more major then others.

Take into consideration how many Prius cars there are and the number of posting members on this site that have not had issues.

Brakes malfunctioning is really bad news but I would take this more seriously if it wasn't newer owners and people that have limited number of postings.

The way I am viewing these posts the people making the claims of the brakes doing nothing signed up to priuschat and hybridcars for the sole purpose of causing concern.

I think that much more information is needed before everyone starts waving the red flags.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AA5b @ Apr 6 2007, 12:39 AM) [snapback]418639[/snapback]</div>

Airbus had a lot of weird software problems early on. Every time they updated the software, something else would be messed up: lower the flaps and all of the toilets would flush; that sort of thing. :blink:

Tom