Braking problem

Well, I haven't followed this from the beginning (in fact, just found out about it), but at least that explains what my wife has been "feeling" periodically. She thought it was something with the car...which, I guess, technically is but at least not her imagination.

While I'm typing this a blurb about it is being covered by Sheppard Smith on Fox news. Let the feeding frenzy begin...

Wifey and I will be following this, of course, but aren't overly concerned at this time. She has to have a car to drive, and other than this we have both been pleased overall. I will agree with an earlier poster about touchy brakes (at least when I occasionally drive it), but you can't beat the mileage!

So, if it becomes a safety issue, I guess there will be a recall. Otherwise, being mindful of this "quirk", being forewarned is forearmed...

FYI, we purchased a 2010 Gen III Prius IV in 9/09.

-Matt

 

I have a Prius IV, about 3 months old. I expeienced a car sliding sensation over a small pot hole at the end of my street. It happened 2-3 times in the same spot at about 5-10 mph.

 

Good... like I said... the Prius is just like my current pen... no more value than it... it's all fancy and it's supposed to have a new high tech ergonomic design but I hate how it feels... does it ruin my life? Heck NO, far from even scratching the surface, but it does not mean I have to stop telling everyone how its technology is a crock of baloney IMHO. Should I replace it? Of course not... I will use it until it has no more ink, so I can replace it for a pen that feels like a real pen (you get the idea)... I'm a six sigma green belt for reducing waste... I hate waste and keep my finances pretty tight too... material things are material things no matter what and they do not interfere on my families budget.

Prius = Bad Pen.

Now, can we focus in the Topic for heavens sake?

 

Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

I was out a couple hours ago and went over the bumps near home where it is fairly easy to reproduce to so I tried observing the HSI. I'd like to try it a few more times when there is less traffic but I believe what happened is as soon as the regen brakes "let go", the HSI display instantly went from around 75% into the CHG to 25% into the CHG area. These are guesstimates but I do not believe it completely cleared out of the CHG area.

 

Fine, but one question, why the "f..." did you buy it?

 

It seems obvious, but back on May when I ordered the car, none of the issues I have right now had surfaced because it was just being released to the market. It was too early... It was an infantile mistake of mine... I should have waited... 3 months... that's all I needed to wait to avoid it... Interestingly, my first Prius on order damaged during transport and the Indianapolis dishonest dealer tried to hide it from me until it got fixed in Chicago. Priuschaters helped me to learn what happened. The order was canceled and deposit refunded. My wife said, maybe this is a sign we should get another car... and I thought... no way and ordered a second Prius in another dealer. She was right...

 

This has happened at least 3 three times in in the 6 months I have owned my Prius III . When the I brake if there potholes or a little rough road the car lunges before it stops which is scary as hell. I mentioned it to the dealership last week and the tech said there is lag in the braking system so it takes a split second for the automatic computerized brakes to register...............of course this is nonsense, the car lunges, its not a lag. Today it turns out there have been over 100 complaints to the NTSB and they are investigating it. I called Power Toyota again and they said that unless they could see the car acting up at that time they did not know what to do..................

 

This has happened at least 3 three times in the last 6 months that I have owned my 2010 Prius . When I brake if there were potholes but also on another two occasions where that did not seem to be an issue the car lunged, it almost felt like its flying before it stopped which was scary as hell. I mentioned it to the dealership last week and the tech said there is lag in the braking system so it takes a split second for the automatic computerized brakes to register...............of course this is nonsense, the car lunges (almost seeming to speed up ) , its not a lag. Today it turns out there have been over 100 complaints to the NTSB and they are investigating it. I called Power Toyota again and they said that unless they could see the car acting up at that time they did not know what to do . It sounds like others are having this problem.

 

Yep, that's what we have been talking about here... I also have a Prius III and the problem happens with me anywhere regardless of presence of potholes. It happens about once a week or so. Technically, it's not a lunge... it's a brief loss of braking but it does feel like a lunge, I agree.

 

Re: Japanese Government Orders Toyota To Investigate Complaints Over 2010 Prius Breaks

We traded in our 2000 Focus wagon (over 9 recalls) for our 2010 Prius last summer. I was getting a bit miffed that we kept missing the Toyota recalls over the last couple months. Now it looks like our new car will be like our old car after all.

Since July we've had the brake problem happen about ten times. A recent notable time was when making a right-hand turn at an intersection, and a police car was waiting at the intersection. The surge in the braking happened just as our Prius was pointed at the side of the police car. A half-second later, the brakes grabbed again, and the turn continued uneventfully. Unless you count how fast my heart was beating.

Details: Not sure of the speed... normal intersection turning speed. Three people in the car at the time. The passengers felt the lunge, and commented on it.

Every time the brake problem occurred, there was some sort of road bump. Once it happened when slowing down for traffic on the highway -- truly terrifying.

 

It makes sense that it is some software bug on the regenerative brake system because it never happened in the hwy, which requires more intense braking engaging more the normal brakes.

 

It is not so bad. Let's look at some of your points.

1. Rattles. It is an economy car. It is not a luxury car. I don't have rattles but OK, maybe you have a point.

2. The uncomfortable seats - you should have figured it out on a test drive. What can I say. Did you expect the seats will get better as it aged. Why did you buy the car?

3. Poor cabin configurations for long trips - you should have figured it out on a test drive. Same comment. Did you expect the car to change shape? Why buy if you don't like it?

4. The huge MPG drop in the winter - I would say overall, the Prius is a mileage champ. All the reviews supports it. On average, it does pretty well. Nobody complains about the MPG. And you admit yourself that you save money. So what is the point? You are saving money. Spending a little more in the winter and a little less in summer but saving nevertheless.

5. The brake problem. We will see what happens. We all know what it is - there is some debate about whether it is a problem. I don't want to contribute to the discussion except to note it and say that it may or may not be a problem.

6. Resell value. Since you say you won't sell the car until 100,000 miles, any effect will be pretty small. It just looks big now. But the fact is you are not selling and I am not selling. It is a paper loss only if at all. Try selling a 1 year old (whatever) car. Are there popular cars, at about the same price range, with a higher resell value?

7. And if you are so six sigma, why didn't you buy the Honda Fit or the Corolla. You did realize you would never recover the extra cost by saving gas right? You want to play with technology - you have to pay a price.

So I feel you only have two legit complains. Rattles and brakes. Why are you so upset? It is not like the whole car is defective. I am not minimizing the rattles and brakes but to claim the technology is all bad would be an excessive claim. What about the high mileage. The low drag. Surely that's not fake. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

We will see how the brakes play out - like we, or Toyota has a choice in this matter.

 

Just wanting to document my experience as well. "Loss of brakes," not acceleration necessarily, when braking over rough surfaces. Also experienced some ABS issues during the last bit of snow & ice that gave me cause for concern - as in I could not detect ABS "kicking in" as with my old ride.

 

Re: Floating feeling when braking

Just wanting to document that I've experienced the same deal.
"Loss of braking," not necessarily acceleration, when braking over
bumpy surfaces. Also concerned about lack of ABS "kicking in" during
the last round of snow and ice here - unlike my old ride in which the
ABS and its benefits were easily detected.

 

Yes, it is. And I'm afraid in the upcoming hearings in Washington that is exactly going to be the debated point. It's all going to be a debate over when Toyota knew what about the problem(s) and when they officially recognized them.

So in the auto industry I'd think there is a subtle but significant difference between non-recognition and active denial.

If you feel this is a problem that Toyota should recognize how much time do you give them? How much "tracking" by the NHTSA? Once Toyota officially recognizes the problem, then they are responsible for a resolution. If they never recognize the problem, or it's held forever in a process of never ending evaluation, then it's not defined and they aren't responsible for a solution.

 

Wow, this is the first time I see so many replies on a single issue in a single day.
I have a 2010 Prius and have "felt" the experience of "sudden acceleration", especially when I took the cruise control off by tapping on the brake pedal. However, I say "felt" because I don't know whether the car actually surge/accelerate forward (ie. with an increase in speed than its original speed setting) or just a characteristic of the design for re-generative braking system.
Until I see someone using a speed-gun to proof the car actually increase in speed, I will treat it as a special characteristic of the Prius.
As long as the brake system works, I'd still hug and kiss my Prius. No car is perfect afterall.

 

Just look at today's responses, it's overwhelming.

 

I have 2010 prius II brought in Oct 09. I have found out this in first week. I feel this is a design issue since this never happened in smooth road only in bumps.

 

I think several owners are describing what happens when the automatic traction control kicks in after hitting a pothole or other large bump. I noticed the same phenomenon on my 2007 Prius, which I traded in for my 2010, It's annoying but if it's the traction control, nothing to be alarmed about. In news reports today, there are some references to brake problems on the Prius, but the story I saw wasn't specific.