Toyota May Recall 2010 Prius

Great. Just when I finally got my new one. :/

 

Ok, please don't get carried away. I have had 3 Prii, all 3 generations.

There where "recals" for every single generation, they send a letter, you bring it to your dealer, and they fix the issue. period. end of story. The "sky" is not falling, life will go on, the planets will not fall out of the sky. Toyota will still be around.

I read the story on the link. I am not worried, and neither should you be.

FYI, the issue seems to just be more aggressive regenerative brakes, and really nothing more. Yes, it sometimes takes 1/2 second to switch from regen to friction brakes, I would hardly call it a big problem. The 2nd gen Prius also did this, to a lesser extent. my 2004 Prius had 80K trouble free miles when I traded it in, it was in at least 7 or 8 "recalls" for things, Toyota made it right each time. I have no doubt they will continue to do so.

 

Well said Mitch- I too am confident that Toyota will eventually issue a recall for this item (any new car I've ever owned had them for all sorts of things) and there will be a remedy available to owners that will eliminate this issue...without any loss of FE or driveability.

 

I read all about the brake issues here on PC before I bought my new III in mid-Jan.
I expected a S/W update of some sort and it didn't sway my decision to buy at all.
It just isn't that big of deal IMO.

 

CNN just reported that the US HTSA is investigating 2010 Prius brake issues.

 

Just bought mine yesterday. Specifically drove over some RR tracks and bumpy pavement during the test drive, but didn't feel anything like what many folks have described. If anything, the brakes seemed more "grabby" than I expected.

 

When was your Prius made? You might already have the fix. Toyota already fixed in on the manufacturing line, even while denying there was a problem.

 

This is just great. I'm leaving it parked for 17 days and have no garage and now my neighbor is afraid to drive it around so I don't come home to a dead battery. Guess I'll have to disconnect the battery and deal with the some of the computer funk my dealer says that can cause when the car is first driven again or just chance it; guess the chance of it dying is 50/50 or slightly less.

 

Wrong, and Wrong. First, this isn't like the knob broke off the radio. Oops. Brakes don't work right. Couple that with the reported problem of unintended acceleration. Brakes don't work right and car speeds up unexpectedly. That, my friend, is a recipe for a little more than bad PR.

Are we certain Toyota is coming clean now with full and complete information, that the issues are totally boxed, well understood and solved?

Second, it's not a problem of "more aggressive regenerative brakes." To be clear, it's a problem of braking dropout, i.e. you are driving and the computer decides to drop braking off for a moment to switch braking mechanisms. Let's get this straight: Some people confuse it with the acceleration issue because it feels like that when brakes suddenly drop out while they are pressing on a brake pedal. The real question is whether this is always momentary (on the order of a several hundred milliseconds) or whether it sometimes lasts longer. Put another way, can the computers that control braking lock up in the middle of the switch over from regenerative to hydraulic and render the braking system useless for longer periods?

There are claims that brakes stop working in the Prius, and there are claims that it happens simultaneous with unintended acceleration: Seattle News - The Flip Side of the Perfect Prius - page 1

Toyota, explain.

 

Your neighbor doesn't have to drive it. Just get into the car and start it. Leave it in park and it will start the ICE to recharge the battery. I don't think 'Park' is having any stopping issue's (Just kidding).

 

When I press Park, the Prius often rolls forward before stopping. This is worrying, it could hit the car in front

 

Yeah, I sure hope Toyota "own up" to this faulty "park" button, and issues a TSB/Recall to fix it, otherwise, the sky might fall They'll probably try and brush this one under the rug, same as they are doing for the accelrator pedals/braking issue. hehe.

rotflol

Mitch

 

They should add some manner of parking brake.  

 

I don't know now. I have been watching this closely, and have tried hard to remain open-minded. However, I have feared that there may be something not-yet-revealed -- a software problem -- that causes the WOT condition.

Now today, Toyota admits to there being such a problem.

Toyota Recall: Toyota Prius Software Problem - ABC News

By the way, this is not the idiotic issue that really exists in Woz's own brain. This is the possible real problem that causes some cases of WOT that are not explained away by floor mats or accelerator pedals.

This feels like it could be quite nasty. Toyota, apparently by its own admission, has been holding off on admitting that they know of situations that have not yet been explained/handled and which cause WOT.

 

I'd still rather have a Toyota than a Ford. Drove behind an explorer today with burned out tail/brake lights. I see that all the time on American and German cars.

 

Toyota UK Prius brakes statement: No problems reported in UK or Europe
04 Feb 2010 by Michael Valvo

Toyota GB PLC can confirm that there have been no reported problems in the UK or Europe with the braking performance of the current, third-generation Prius, since its launch in August 2009.
Toyota dealers in North America and Japan have notified Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) that they have received complaints related to brakes in the current-generation Prius. There have been no reports of any accidents or injuries related to this issue.
In their complaints, customers reported inconsistent brake feel when the brakes are slowly applied and the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is activated, when driving over potholes, bumps, or slippery road surfaces.
On the basis of the information provided, and Toyota’s investigation into the reported problems, Toyota did not find that vehicle safety was compromised. However, Toyota will continue to investigate the issues one by one, including whether or not we regard this to be a safety issue.
Toyota made a change to the software in the ABS control on the current, third generation Prius in late January this year. This was done to alleviate a control-related phenomenon Toyota identified as the source of the problems reported by its customers.
This type of change during production is part of Toyota’s strategy of making incremental improvements to its vehicles, to continue offering better quality vehicles to its customers.
Miguel Fonseca, Managing Director Toyota GB, said: “We can assure Prius owners that no safety issue has been identified with the braking system fitted to their cars, and that no problems have been reported by customers in the UK or Europe. With safety as our main concern, Toyota will continue to investigate thoroughly any problems that are reported.”​

 

C'mon Jen, read the articles.

• ABC today: Toyota Admits Software Problem With Braking System
• Woz's question was about the use of the Cruise Control, which he apparently didn't understand how to use it
• The WOT issue that you reference concerns the gas pedal and throttle in non-Prius'

These aren't related. You've been a driver of a Prius. Have you encountered any of these issues - ever? I haven't.

 

I'm living in Los Angeles and go to westwood to work daily. I know there are 2 places that I can reproduce the unexpected acceleration issue. These 2 places always have cars bumper to bumper. I worry I could rear end the front car if this happens again. Now I switch to bus for this part of the road and leave Prius in the car pool lot. I hope Toyota will have a fix soon.

 

I think the big problem is that people are confusing a "lack of braking" with "unintended acceleration". The engine is not propelling the car in these cases. The brakes are just disengaging for a short period of time so the car does not continue to slow during this time.

The floormat/gas pedal problem is unintended acceleration. The sticky gas pedal is unintended acceleration. The Prius brake issue has nothing to do with acceleration.

I experienced the problem while braking over railroad tracks, and though it surprised me, the car quickly regained control and all was well. If you just leave a safe distance behind the car in front of you, especially on rough roads, you'll never have a problem.