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Braking problem

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by eglmainz, Jun 22, 2009.

  1. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?


    Just because you or many others have not experienced the problem it does not mean it is not a big deal. Everything regarding human safety is a big deal these days and that's a good thing!

    Does anybody remember the Vioxx problem? About 80 million people took that drug at some point, yet "only" 0.1-0.17 % of patients actually develop heart attack, a minor portion of which were actually fatal. That was more than enough to withdraw it from the market and generate billions (yes, billions) of dollars in sales loss.

    Myself was close to crash my Prius because of the break problem.

    Safety first, always!
     
  2. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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

    I think now is the time to buy. The 2010 Prius is a great car. The current rash of media hype about problems is just a tempest in a teapot.

    If it were me in the market for a Prius, I'd buy now, and use the current bad press as a negotiating tool. I suspect you will never drive a better bargain.

    Tom
     
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  3. ksstathead

    ksstathead Active Member

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

    So, you strongly support a return to national 55 mph speed limit, Indy?
     
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

    Maybe 55 is too high. We need to also eliminate water. People can drown in it. If you drink to much of it, you can die from pulmonary edema. It's dangerous stuff; it has to go.

    ;)

    Tom
     
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  5. MERIDIAN

    MERIDIAN Junior Member

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    Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

    Funny that the latest attack on Toyota Prius brake (potential) problem is surfacing,last night I was picking up dinner and was driving through an intersection in my town- a fire cheif blasted through a red light w/o warning siren.I slammed on the brakes and the Prius DROPPED ANCHOR on a dime,I'm lucky I was not rear ended by the Explorer behind me but the driver was alert.The Prius stopped so hard that stuff flew forward that I did'nt know I had!:D
     
  6. guinness_fr

    guinness_fr Junior Member

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    yup

    I had read about the possible braking issue in August in a French Prius owners forum, but I ordered my Prius in September anyway and I do not regret it.
    With over 3,000 miles on the car I have not experienced it yet and I try to drive in a way that, should it occur, it would not do harm (plus I'm prepared for it).
    I'm eager to hear about what the fix might be with as much details as possible though.
     
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  7. octavia

    octavia Active Member

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

    I think it's important to gather all the information before making a call. We still don't know all the details. Maybe we should let the investigations complete first.
    Agreed. All cars have issues. The fact that this is a biggun' and is with a car maker who is known for NOT having big safety issues makes it a bigger deal. Would there be this much hype if it were a car maker who has consistently produced faulty products?

    Agreed. I'm glad there are people going into problem solving mode rather than finger pointing mode.

    I do remember several people bringing up braking issues last fall and being told they were imagining it, over reacting, or otherwise full of crap. I do see a lesson here in listening to others. Those initial complaints were valid and those folks who came here to an obviously prius friendly( fanatically so) place to express their concerns could have been met with a more open ear.
     
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  8. LeeB

    LeeB Junior Member

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

    I haven't experienced the braking problem in the in the 4 months/3K miles I've had my Prius. I'd buy the car again. However, I'd really like to know why some of us don't have the problem while others experience it daily. I drive over lots of bumps, potholes and railroad tracks. Perhaps as wfolta suggests above, some cars have a misadjustment that impacts the transition from regenerative to friction braking.
     
  9. neergh

    neergh New Member

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

    I'm a newbie to the Prius and ordered one yesterday :) even though I'd read about the possible brake issue. Every vehicle manufacturer has problems I think it's unusual for Toyota. You can't let these things deflect you from what you want to do!



    Harry
     
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  10. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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


    I like your thinking :)

    I'll try and negotiate a set of new rubber mats when I drop the car off for service in the next couple weeks. :thumb:
     
  11. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

    I've had this same experience on a couple of occasions when our local deer felt suicidal. Brake Assist is an amazing feature.

    Tom
     
  12. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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


    Did this upgrade/modification sort the problem? Does my car just need a software upgrade to sort the issue or is it more complicated than that?
     
  13. mikepaul

    mikepaul Senior Member

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

    Toyota is being hammered over issues which MAY come down to bad batches of parts during specific production runs. We may never hear all the details to know if it's a general engineering failure. If I heard that a few folks had this problem or that, I'd think about it and check to see if a LOT of people ended up having the same problem. I wouldn't let it scare me away from another Toyota purchse like I see on TV now. To do that, there'd have to be proof that Toyota experienced dozens of the same problems and covered them up...
     
  14. billlunker

    billlunker New Member

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    Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

    I have a 2010 prius and I have had this braking problem happen as well. It occurs at slower speeds and as I drive over uneven pavement and usually in a turn. It always makes me jump because the car momentarily lurches forward with seemingly no brakes. It has happened with just me in the car and with a passenger.
    I put it up to the anti-lock brakes and the uneven surface but it is disconcerting. It doesn't take too much imagination to have a scenario where as a Prius driver comes around a corner someone steps off a curb and the cars brakes do their disappearing act.
     
  15. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    Re: Toyota warns of possible brake problems in 2010 Prius

    I've been pretty quiet about it, but it actually happens to me in my 2010 just about every time I take the turn in the google map below. It is a very sharp turn and goes from one level of asphalt to another.

    VSC Kicks In Here - Google Maps
     
  16. Chaz

    Chaz Junior Member

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    Read the comments inline above as I explained in detail. Looks like the are investigating now just as I predicted:cheer2:...who is clueless now...LOL
     
  17. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?


    Sorry, but what a poor analogy.

    Vioxx was unsafe to use because a very small portion of patients developed heart attack.

    Any drug for that matter is unsafe for use if not within the recommend dosage in the label. Not only prescribed drugs actually... 10 pills of Acetaminophen (available over the bench) can cause serious problems…

    Likewise, a car with a safety concern, even a small one, should have the problem addressed in a timely and proper manner, and maybe even be banned from market as well, depending on the urgency and consequences, just like Vioxx was.

    The recommend driving speed is like the label for drugs. If not used as recommended, you should understand the risks...
     
  18. Indyking

    Indyking Happy Hyundai owner...

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

    Safety assessment Tom... that's what I do best... trust me.
     
  19. Much More Better

    Much More Better Active Member

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    Re: Would you still have bought a Prius if you knew about brake issues?

    Yes I would.
     
  20. mbarrows

    mbarrows Illini Bird

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

    Damn! My 2010 was manufactured 11/27/09 so I just missed the software upgrade to the braking ECU.