Have you experienced the "grabby" brakes?

I have a III. Grabby brakes backing up, usually out of my driveway which is slightly sloped. Has happened 3-4 times in 1000 miles.

 

seriously. why should i buy this car?

grabby, squeeling, brakes
display may burn out
so-so visability

what else?

 

It's a great car. Very comfortable, terrific mileage, excellent quality and workmanship, etc. Grabby brakes are a small problem that I am certain Toyota will remedy. Visibility is better than my previous Camry. No rattles, very tight.

 

At least twice. Once backing down driveway at a slight slope (engine cold), and once backing up on a level surface (engine warm).

 

I can get mine to do it fairly consistently. If I park with the car on a up-hill slope and attempt to backup first thing after starting it, it will exhibit the symptoms.

 

I hope your not serious, This is a great car, most likely one of the best.
I have 2 of them and love both!
I fixed the cloudy/blurry AC screen
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/64855-cloudy-blurry-ac-screen-18.html

Have I felt the grabby brakes, maybe but it is not that bad at all.
Visibility is the same as my 05 Prius I had. (I think it is good)
I think I have read one or two with bad displays (I hope I did not miss any).

If anyone thinks that for one minute any other car is more reliable or problem free, go search for its forum and see all their complaints, I will guarantee more major problems. This is Toyota's flagship hybrid car, if anything major goes wrong, people will be looking elsewhere for sure!

But like anything else, there are always things that can go bad (I would just hope it is just minimal with these cars, like it is so far).
Good luck
Don

 

I have this forward lurch problem happen far too often. Every time I hit a bump in the road while slowing down I get the shooting forward sensation. Freaks me and my significant other out. My 2004 prius never did this - what changed for 2010? Any resolution?

 

First, I think neggen is talking about the "other" braking issue.

I've had the very low speed grabby problem maybe 8-10 times in 5400 miles. Usually in reverse, out of my garage after sitting overnight or a similarly lengthy period. It did occur once going forward in a parking lot where it had been parked and off during a quick grocery store stop. Can usually tell it is going to happen as the brake pedal sinks lower than normal prior to occurrence.

 

My inlaws have experienced this when backing out of their garage onto their downward sloping driveway. Has sometimes occured on flat surface backing out of parking space at work. Generally the car has sat parked for at least a few hours.

 

Because if you don't, someone else will.

Grabby breaks...squeeky breaks? I have none of those problems, but I guess some do. I've had very few cars in my lifetime that didn't have squeeky breaks at some point. Not the end of the world, if you ask me.

 

The Grabby Brakes issue is one that has been under discussion for quite some time.

Many have encountered this phenomena, while others feel it's driver induced.

We personally have experienced this problem on about 6 occasions, however, they ALL occured relatively shortly after we purchased the car in early August of 09.

It's just come to mind that each time the Brake issue occured, it was relatively warm weather, and the car had relatively few miles on it, under 2000.

Now that cooler weather has arrived, or now that we have a few more miles on the car (2500), the issue has become moot.

Is it possible that either higher mileage or cooler weather affects this situation? For the last 60 days (last 1200 miles) we have not encountered the Grabby Brakes further.

David (aka Blind Guy)

 

Speaking of strange things with breaking, acceleration, etc.... Did you hear that if you have the cruise control on and you hydro plan the car will actually speed up. I don't just mean the Prius any car will do this. Someone told me the new Sienna does not allow the cruise control to be set when the wipers are on. I have not verified that yet.

 

I guess the questions I would ask all those that have experienced the grabby break phenomena is - How severe is it? Enough force to pull your back off the seat, or is it slight? Is it dependent on break peddle force/pressure - ie, do you experience it when the breaks are just lightly depressed? Finally, has it gotten better/worse as the car gets "broken in"?

 

Happened to me twice in the first week while backing down a fairly steep driveway. Hasn't happened since and I've gone down that same driveway since. Both times it happened the car had been sitting for 2 hours of more before I started it.

 

David (aka Blind Guy)

 

Just happened to me tonight. I drove about a mile to the train to pick up my wife. Sat with the car off about 5 minutes. Started up, backing out of the space the brakes got super grabby. Once put the car into drive, the problem went away. Only have 150 miles on the car.

 

My brakes locked up repeatedly backing out of the garage, then again later in the day backing up. After driving 75 miles they were fine. I was a auto tech for ten years before I got my engineering degree. I know the difference between sensative brakes and a problem.

 

Tideland, I have not been able to repeat it but I have been able to get rid of the immediate problem by completely releasing the brakes, without shifting out of "D". Have you noticed when it happens the brake pedal has sunk further down than normal?