Summary of problems reported on Prius 2010

[tumbleweed]

Originally Posted by Ohpoh

im glad im not the only one having this problem. Whenever i go on bumpy road or bumps while im slowing down, the car seems like its accelerating or the engine is kicking in. I get alittle scared that if i dont brake hard, im going to hit the car in front of me.

You guys are far from the first to notice this problem, there are a couple of long threads about it. Braking problem

[dc202]

Originally Posted by Orf

What is a Safety Connect button and where is it?

It's available in cars manufactured late August and beyond. Not sure where it is located. My car does not have it. It allows you to get assistance via mobile network connection.

[Orf]

Originally Posted by dc202

It's available in cars manufactured late August and beyond. Not sure where it is located. My car does not have it. It allows you to get assistance via mobile network connection.

Thanks 202.
Probably have to wait to the next James Bond movie to see where it is.

[ggood]

Toyota’s all-new telematics service, Safety Connect™, will become available on the 2010 Prius. Safety Connect will offer four safety and security features: Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, Emergency Assistance Button (SOS), and Roadside Assistance. Safety Connect will be available by subscription, with an included one-year trial subscription. MSRP for the system and service will be $450. One-year renewal subscriptions to Safety Connect will be available for $139.95, with multi-year subscriptions also available.

[Orf]

Originally Posted by ggood

Toyota’s all-new telematics service, Safety Connect™, will become available on the 2010 Prius. Safety Connect will offer four safety and security features: Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, Emergency Assistance Button (SOS), and Roadside Assistance. Safety Connect will be available by subscription, with an included one-year trial subscription. MSRP for the system and service will be $450. One-year renewal subscriptions to Safety Connect will be available for $139.95, with multi-year subscriptions also available.

Thanks 007.

[garygid]

THE BACKUP BUG - DANGEROUS UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION
(Not just the annoyance of Abrupt Braking)

Just yesterday, my Prius-III backed up with sudden unintended acceleration, with my foot only on the brake pedal. No, the accelerator pedal was not "stuck" or being touched in any way. The parking spot was level.

I recognized what was happening because it happened once before, just over 2 months ago, just a few days after I got the car, when I was backing out of an inclined driveway. Perhaps insignificant, but both times, I had a passenger in the passenger seat.

I suspect that some unusual element of the timing of turning the car ON, and shifting into Reverse, and possibly the internal state of the computer and the hybrid power system combine to produce this "abrupt" reverse acceleration as I am gently easing off my foot pressure on the brake pedal. Others describe this as an annoying "Abrupt Braking", and the abrupt braking effect does occur, but only in response to the much more DANGEROUS "unexpected, unintended" reverse power (acceleration), to stop the car motion. No matter how gently the brake is eased further ON to stop, the stop is "abrupt", not smooth.

Yes, in this case pressing the brake gently, just a little, stops the car, but with a big "Jerk" (the Abrupt Braking effect). Then, shifting into Neutral and then to Reverse again "resets" the software so that further backing is the normally expected gentle movement of the car.

However, the unexpected "jump" backward (due to the unexpected power and acceleration) might have caused an accident, crashing my car into anything behind it. This is DANGEROUS.

And, after the crash, who would believe me when I said, "The Prius-Backup-Bug did it, not Me!"?

Sincerely trying to help Toyota have a better Prius,
Gary,
Prius-III + Nav, made July 2009 in factory "5"

[Vancouver]

I've documented a rather strange "feature" for the handsfree button. It basically stops working when you have turned off the screen. This seems like a poor programming choice.

It seems to be confirmed as a designed "feature" as opposed to an issue with just my car.

[Jim05]

My List:

Manufacture Date:
6/20/09.

Display / electronics

Problem: Red arrow in energy monitor hard to see in daylight
Yes

Problem: Car computer overestimates MPG
Yes

Problem: Air Conditioning display is cloudy/blurry
Yes

Problem: Delay in answering calls with Nav and Bluetooth
Yes

Problem: Satellite radio signal is weak
Yes

Problem: Satellite radio display is truncated to 16 characters
Yes

Problem: Ghost image on speed display
Yes

Problem: Slip indicator comes on when at a full stop
Normal for Hill Assist

Problem: Can't hear nav voice over stereo
No

Problem: Phone numbers disappear from contact list
Yes

Problem: Apparent screen burn-in
Not sure yet

Problem: Navigation DVD not detected at car boot up
No

Problem: FM radio reception is weak
Yes

Other interior features

Problem: Cargo net panel separation
N/A

Problem: Auto-dimming mirror sensor wrongly positioned
Yes

Problem: Seatbelts on the rear seats are difficult to fasten
No

Problem: Rattle noises from various sources inside the cabin
Yes

Mechanical

Problem: Brakes grabbing in reverse
No

Problem: Momentary loss of braking power when navigating over a bumpy surface of pot hole
No

Problem: Disengaging cruise control requires a firm push on the brakes
Yes

Problem: Squeaking sound from wheels during rolling start
No


Battery

Problem: Small (12 v) battery discharges too much when car not used for more than 10 days
N/A - have never sat that long

[CivicQc]

Originally Posted by garygid

THE BACKUP BUG - DANGEROUS UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION
(Not just the annoyance of Abrupt Braking)

Just yesterday, my Prius-III backed up with sudden unintended acceleration, with my foot only on the brake pedal. No, the accelerator pedal was not "stuck" or being touched in any way. The parking spot was level.

I recognized what was happening because it happened once before, just over 2 months ago, just a few days after I got the car, when I was backing out of an inclined driveway. Perhaps insignificant, but both times, I had a passenger in the passenger seat.

I suspect that some unusual element of the timing of turning the car ON, and shifting into Reverse, and possibly the internal state of the computer and the hybrid power system combine to produce this "abrupt" reverse acceleration as I am gently easing off my foot pressure on the brake pedal. Others describe this as an annoying "Abrupt Braking", and the abrupt braking effect does occur, but only in response to the much more DANGEROUS "unexpected, unintended" reverse power (acceleration), to stop the car motion. No matter how gently the brake is eased further ON to stop, the stop is "abrupt", not smooth.

Yes, in this case pressing the brake gently, just a little, stops the car, but with a big "Jerk" (the Abrupt Braking effect). Then, shifting into Neutral and then to Reverse again "resets" the software so that further backing is the normally expected gentle movement of the car.

However, the unexpected "jump" backward (due to the unexpected power and acceleration) might have caused an accident, crashing my car into anything behind it. This is DANGEROUS.

And, after the crash, who would believe me when I said, "The Prius-Backup-Bug did it, not Me!"?

Sincerely trying to help Toyota have a better Prius,
Gary,
Prius-III + Nav, made July 2009 in factory "5"

Thanks for reporting this. Could you create a new thread describing the problem? As soon as you can confirm that another member experienced the same problem, I will add it to the list.

[stevejust]

Repost from: Do you hear rattling noises?

MANUFACTURE DATE: 06/09

I have a package 3 w/solar roof, and with the illuminated door sills and other crap I was stuck with, it brought the sticker price to north of $28,000.

The center console/sky bridge rattles where the light gray piece and the two black pieces of plastic around the controls meet. It drives me nuts. Car as about 2k miles on it.

At first we thought it was coming from one of the glove boxes, but we can stop the rattle by tightly holding the lower plastic part of the center console on the sky bridge.

Also, sometimes the interior retractable panel for the sunroof rattles, especially when it is open.

If I'd paid $22k for the car, it may not bother me as much as on a car that cost $28k. Either way, it's not what people expect from Toyota, and IMHO, they'd better figure out a way to retroactively put the sky bridge console together so that it doesn't rattle. I don't regret buying the car, and there's still no other car I'd rather have, but this is not something that should happen on a $28k car.

P.S. I would normally not buy a new model-year car because of exactly these kinds of problems, but the cash for clunkers deal was too good to pass up, and I put a lot of faith in Toyota to get things right. Opps.