OMG 2008 Prius screeching and grinding metal!!!!

The most similar reports I have seen posted relate to a small stone getting stuck between one of the front brake disks and its (inner) backing plate (dust cover?). Still to be cautious, a trip to the Toyota shop would be appropriate to check for DTCs. If it drives w/o making noise, just go. If the noise is still present, you'd have to consider a flatbed tow.

If you can inspect the front brakes at home (easier with the wheel removed), you might find the source of the noise. Let us know...

 

I agree with the last post. This happened to us too soon after we got our 2006 car. It sounded terrible and we thought we had a major mechanical fault. We got home, jacked up the wheel and removed it. there was a small stone lodged in between the brake disk and the metal shield for the disk. It was easily prised out with a screw driver. I thought it might have scored the disk. Took it to Toyota but they said no problem.

 

It's a standard disc brake. Just like every other car with disc brakes.
I've had it happen to me, once, on a VW. OMG, it IS scary sounding!

The rock has to be JUST the right size, and hit the rotor JUST right, so this is pretty rare... but not unheard of.

If your dealer or shop tries to charge you for removing an errant rock from your brake, I'd change shops. Period.

 

You can often dislodge the pebble by pulling/pushing the shield away from the disk without removing the wheel. On other cars, I'd warn you that the disk could be very hot.

I get about one stuck rock per year driving at high speeds on mud and gravel.

 

i'd like to say that you won't be tagged twice, but these are 'independent events'. The best news is that you will be fully prepared and calm if your brakes every make another lucky catch.

No, I take that back. The best news is that your pals at priuschat made the obvious guess (based on previous posts) and got it right this time.

 

Same exact thing happened to me. Kinda put two and two together as to what the problem was. I live in an area where the city sprays down oil then puts gravel on top of it. After the noise started, I purposely looked for decent sized bumps. After hitting one, the rock came loose and the grinding stopped instantly. I'm with you though, a very unnerving sound!

 

I've had that happen to many different vehicles, though oddly enough not to my Prius ... yet. If you drive on a gravel road for any distance, that can happen in summer

 

same thing happened to me EXCEPT i was driving POS and caught a piece of metal from a truck hauling construction debris (we think) well it squealed about 15 seconds and caught and it stopped my car in its tracks breaking the u-joint on the drive line in the process. my neck snapped, and after that i basically had so much physical problems i had to walk away from the job i had working in a paper mill two years later and get a desk job (best thing that ever happened to me!! would have been too stubborn and too stupid to have done it on my own)

would have been nice to have someone else pay for it besides me but could not prove anything... but im ok now and much happier

a rock is not hard enough to do that... and yes it does sound scary.

 

my only experiance with this is a small stone in the disk brakes. *shrug*

 

ya, the physical issues i had actually cleared up for the most part over time. granted this was 15 years ago... what made it so bad is that it all happened when i was only moving about 25 mph... but with absolutely no warning at all as to what was gonna happen, i was not braced for it or nothing...

 

Hi - I don't own a Prius (a Honda Civic, to be honest), but I found this thread on a google search and I believe it fits my exact problem. I was off-roading in the Redwood National Forest (Fern Canyon) and on my way back to SF, I noticed an intermittent screeching coming from the front right tire. It sounded like metal on metal and I was pretty worried... however, upon inspection, I could see nothing wrong and I made it home OK.

Today, I noticed it starting again and so I decided to pop off the tire. Inspecting the rotor, I see a small stone-sized object between the shield and the inner disk. I tried to dislodge it, but I didn't have anything slim enough to slip through to hit the stone.

So, my question - before I stick a knife or a wire hanger up there to dislodge the stone, are there any electrical concerns I should have? Is it possible to shock/electrocute myself? I assume not since it's all metal and I can touch the rotor without problems, but I figure I should ask in case it's best to just pay a "professional" to do this easy, easy fix. (the lowest quote I got was $35).

Thanks,
tom

 

tommyZ I see no problem (electrical or otherwise) with removing the stone with knife, wire etc. Electricity does not go there. If you happen to slash the hydaulic fluid line, that would not be good. if you don't mind paying the nice man $35, that would be fine also.

 

save yourself the money, if you can change a tire, you will have no issues getting the rock out...btw, removal of tire is not necessary.

 

Happened to me years ago in a Mazda 323, driving in the city. Really unnerving sound. I turned right around back to the parking garage at work and jacked up the front. It was no trouble to pin down which side the trouble was on, because just turning the tire slowly by hand sounded like I was killing a cat. I probably overreacted and removed the whole rotor and hub and looked at the bearings. I never did spot whatever chunk of grot was responsible, which probably dropped out unnoticed while I was taking stuff apart, but it was all nice and quiet again on reassembly....

-Chap

 

yay! I took off the tire (can't reach it otherwise), slipped a normal butter knife in between the guard and the plate to open up the gap a bit more... and voila! Little stone pops out! No more screeching, no more worries.

Thanks so much Prius People!