slight kick when downshifting/stopping

Hi.

I have had my 2008 Prius (#2) for a little over a week now. I've noticed that when coming to a stop, as the car comes to a stop (from about 6 MPH to 0 MPH), the car does this thing where it feels like it is downshifting really quickly. The car does this slight kicking until it comes to a stop. Can anyone speak to this? Is it normal? Is it just the engine shutting off?

i see.
so it's normal to feel it and be aware of it (as a driver)?

In a few weeks it'll feel normal (or you will have unconsciously adjusted the braking rate you use) and you won't notice it.

Ok. thanks for verifying this. I could've sworn that last week when I first noticed this, that it felt like it only gave one kick (which would explain the switch from regenerative braking to friction braking). but lately i've sense that it is a few kicks (hence my wondering if it was downshifting/transmission related).

Call me paranoid.

Hey paranoid!

One other thing you may be feeling: the mechanical brakes are used so little on a Prius that the front disk rotors frequently rust a bit. This can give a very crunchy feel to braking as you grind the rust off below 7 mph. If you want to clean them faster, and see if this is what you're feeling, in a safe place accelerate to the speed limit and then shift into N and apply the brakes. You don't get any regenerative braking in N so it's all mechanical. This gets the rust off quickly. Then shift back to D and drive normally. See if the "down shift" disappears.

In my other cars I would feel every hiccup and surge and wonder if my transmission was bad.

In my Prius, I'm quickly getting used to it and expect it now as normal. Just about every time I can figure out what the feeling was...ICE coming on, regen braking, gliding to regen, regen to friction braking, etc.

You won't feel any kick from the transmission, either downshifting or upshifting. It's a continuously variable transmission, so there is no conventional shifting of gears and the transitions are smooth throughout all speed and RPM ranges.

You may feel a slight shudder when the engine shuts off while sitting still, especially if the car is cold, but that's not the symptom you're describing of course.

Actually, ever since everyone here had been posting possible explanations on this thread, I've been trying to pinpoint what it is. What I've determined is that it is, in fact, the engine shutting off. I've verified this by keeping the diagram of the car on the MFD screen. I noticed that whenever the engine was shutting off when I was coming to a stop and/or if I was idling and the engine was shutting off, the entire car kicks a little. I suspect that everyone's Prius does this, but I bet the levels of intensity vary a bit. Maybe I'm just a little more sensitive to it than others on here. I just hope it's not one of those details about the car that, as the car gets older and parts naturally loosen up over time, doesn't get worse and/or more intense.

Oh, that little shudder...

If the engine is cold it is much more noticeable. When warm, you may not feel it. It doesn't get worse, but it's always there. You'll get used to it.

More info in The Five Stages of Prius Operation.

What you're feeling is the engine either turning off or coming on. It took me a while to get used to this.