2010 Toyota Prius complaints

OUR 2010 PRIUS SUFFERED A NEAR TOTAL POWER FAILURE ON 5/10/13 WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY ADVANCED WARNING, LOST POWER DECELERATING FROM ABOUT 35 MPH TO ABOUT 4 MPH IN LESS THAN 5 SECONDS. EVERY IDIOT LIGHT CAME ON AT ONCE ON THE DASH PANEL AND A "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE" NOTICE CAME UP ON THE ALPHANUMERIC DISPLAY. LUCKILY, I WAS ON A CITY STREET AND NOT THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR SAFELY OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALL FOR A TOW. OUR PRIUS HAS APPROX. 44000 MILES ON IT, IS REGULARLY MAINTAINED AT THE DEALER, NOT MISTREATED IN ANY WAY AND GAVE NO ADVANCED WARNING INDICATION THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL/PROPULSION SYSTEM. THE CAR LOST ALMOST TOTAL POWER, LIMPED ABOUT 50 FEET PAST PARKED CARS AND JUST DIED AT THE CURB AFTER I PUT IT IN PARK. IT WOULD LIGHT UP ACROSS THE DASH, BUT NEVER START THE ENGINE. WE HAVE HAD THIS CAR ABOUT 36 MONTHS. AS THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR, I AM GREATLY WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR AND HAVING THIS PROBLEM HAPPENING AGAIN, ESPECIALLY TO HER AT HIGH SPEED, MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY DRIVING. IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED AT A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY INSTALLED A NEW 12V BATTERY AND EVENTUALLY THE MAIN FIX, A INVERTER/CONVERTER. THE CAR NOW RUNS LIKE DAY ONE. HOWEVER, HOW DO WE TRUST THIS CAR IN THE FUTURE IF IT DID NOT GIVE ANY WARNING OF IMMINENT PROPULSION FAILURE ? I AM GETTING NOWHERE WITH TOYOTA ABOUT THEIR PROVIDING SOME KIND OF ADVANCED WARNING TO GET THE CAR ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD

IN THE PAST (STARTING AT 2,800 MILES) AND REPORTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO THE DEALER (HUNTINGTON TOYOTA), TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THE NHTSA, WHENEVER THE CAR WENT OVER A ROUGH ROAD SERVICE WHILE BRAKING AT ABOUT 10 MILES AN HOUR THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING WOULD CUT OUT AND GIVE THE SENSATION OF THE CAR SURGING FORWARD REQUIRING MUCH GREATER BRAKING EFFORT TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. THE BRAKES WOULD RESET AFTER A FULL STOP AND THEY WOULD ACT NORMALLY UNTIL THE NEXT TIME BRAKING WAS DONE ON A ROUGH ROAD SURFACE. TOYOTA CLAIMED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR THE PRIUS ABS SYSTEM, EVEN AFTER THE FIRMWARE UPGRADE WAS APPLIED. THIS TIME THE BRAKES DID NOT RESET AFTER A FULL STOP AND EVERY WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD LIT UP. THERE WAS NO REGENERATIVE BRAKING AVAILABLE. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER WHO HAS HAD IT FOR MORE THAN A WEEK, AND IS REPLACING MAJOR BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. I WAS TOLD THAT WITHOUT THE WARRANTY THESE REPAIRS WOULD HAVE COST ME OVER $4500. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING AND DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHICH MAY BE FINALLY RESOLVED AFTER ALL OF THE BRAKE COMPONENT REPLACEMENTS. AS AN ASIDE, THE BRAKE PADS SHOW SIGNIFICANT AND UNUSUAL WEAR BECAUSE THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING DID NOT WORK AS IT SHOULD. *TR

CAR OCCASIONALLY UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATES WHEN HITTING A BUMP FOR MAYBE A SECOND. DANGEROUS WHEN IT HAPPENS AS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC SIGNAL. HAPPENS MAYBE ONCE EVERY TWO WEEKS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, GOING THE SPEED LIMIT WHEN MY BUMPER BOTTOM BECAME PARTIALLY DETACHED. IT CAUSED ME TO SWERVE SLIGHTLY. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN AND PUT ON MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS, DRIVING SLOWLY ON THE FREEWAY UNTIL I COULD PULL OFF SAFELY. ONCE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I INSPECTED MY CAR AND SAW A LARGE BLACK BUMPER PIECE DRAGGING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. I WAS 1 MILE FROM THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, SO I DROVE MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE PERSONNEL THAT THIS WAS A DESIGN ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS AS IT IS VERY LOW TO THE GROUND AND MANY CUSTOMERS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BUMPER. IN THE TWO YEARS I HAVE OWNED MY TOYOTA PRIUS, I HAVE NOTICED THAT IT HITS THE PARKING LOT SEPARATIONS BECAUSE IT IS LOW. I MUST STOP BEFORE THE PARKING LOT SEPARATION IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS. IT IS STRANGE THAT THE TOYOTA WOULD BE ALLOWED TO BE SO LOW AS TO CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. EVEN MORE ALARMING IS THAT MY BUMPER BOTTOM SUDDENLY FELL OFF, WITHOUT WARNING. THIS SEEMS LIKE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AND POOR DESIGN THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. *TR

BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING. PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. VERY LITTLE BRAKING POWER LEFT. LUCKILY I DIDN'T HAVE TO STOP SUDDENLY AND WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP SLOWLY. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE BRAKE BOOSTER / MASTER CYLINDER. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS AIR IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I RECEIVED A QUOTE FOR ALMOST $2900 TO FIX THE BRAKES. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE BUT WAS REFUSED. SEARCHING ONLINE FOUND OTHERS WITH SAME FAILURE. IN PARTICULAR, THERE WAS A PERSON WITH 43K MILES WITH EXACT SAME ISSUE, AND TOYOTA REFUSED TO HELP HIM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS FAILURE AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE FULLY AND FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME FOR ANY ASSISTANCE. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE BRAKE BOOSTER BUT I WILL KEEP THE OLD ONE IN CASE YOU NEED IT FOR YOUR INVESTIGATION. I HAD SIMILAR ISSUE ON MY 2004 LEXUS RX330 AND THERE WAS EVENTUALLY A RECALL FOR IT. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A 3 YEAR OLD CAR TO HAVE THIS KIND OF A SAFETY FAILURE. MY WIFE AND KIDS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. *TR

FIRST INCIDENT: APRIL 15, 2013 I LOST MY BRAKES WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM MY NIGHT SHIFT WORK AS A REGISTERED NURSE. I WAS AT AN INTERSECTION TWO BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE WHEN I FELT THE BRAKE WAS FAILING. IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT I WAS DRIVING SLOW TO MAKE A TURN WHEN I FELT THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING. I WAS ABLE TO STEER IT TO A PARKING LOT NEARBY BY USING THE FOOT BRAKE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, I HEARD SQUEAKING NOISES FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS WHENEVER I STEP ON THE BRAKES. I WAS RELIEVED THAT I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. ACTION AFTER THE 1ST INCIDENT: APRIL 24, 2010. WE TOWED THE CAR TO DCH TOYOTA FREEHOLD, AND IT TOOK ABOUT 5 DAYS TO REPAIR THE BRAKES SO THEY GAVE US A LOANER CAR WHICH WE TRULY APPRECIATE. BUT WHEN WE PICKED UP THE CAR, THE BRAKES WERE FIXED BUT THE SQUEAKING NOISE IS STILL PRESENT, AND OUR WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED. WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY TO INFORM THEM ABOUT THE SQUEAKING NOISE AND TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CRACKED WINDSHIELD. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT THEIR TECHNICIANS TESTED MY CAR AND DEEMED IT SAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT THEY WOULD NEVER RELEASE MY CAR UNLESS THEY KNOW IT IS SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD. SECOND INCIDENT: APRIL 29, 2013, I LOST THE BRAKES AGAIN WHILE I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AROUND 7:00 PM. I REALLY GOT VERY SCARED BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH TRAFFIC AT THAT TIME. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND PARK MY CAR SLOWLY TO THE CURB WITHOUT HITTING ANYBODY ELSE BY USING THE FOOT BREAK. ACTION AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT: SAME NIGHT,

ON 01 MAY 2013, I WAS DRIVING MY TWO DAUGHTERS HOME FROM SCHOOL AND THE BRAKES ON MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS FAILED. THE BRAKE PEDAL BECAME VERY STIFF AND THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. I BEGAN TO PANIC BECAUSE WE WERE TRAVELING DOWN A STEEP HILL. I CONTINUED TO PUMP THE BRAKES AND SUDDENLY, THE PEDAL GAVE WAY AND THE CAR CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT. I WAS LUCKILY WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF MY HOUSE. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT MY BRAKE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $5500. I'M SHOCKED. MY CAR IS 3 YEARS OLD. AFTER RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE 2010 PRIUS. WHAT I FIND MOST DISTURBING IS THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, THAT IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SAFETY HAZARD. PRIOR TO OWNING MY PRIUS, I WAS A LOYAL TOYOTA BUYER. I HAVE HAD CONSISTENT ACCELERATION ISSUES WITH MY BRAKES, EVEN AFTER THE RECALL. IF TOYOTA DOES NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, I DON'T INTEND TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TOYOTA PRODUCT. *TR

WHILE I WAS BRAKING TO STOP AT THE RED LIGHT, THE CAR ACCELERATED. I MOVED THE STEERING WHEEL TO HIT THE CURB TO PREVENT CROSSING THE RED LIGHT. IT HAPPENED TO ME COUPLE OF TIMES. THEN I REALIZE IT HAPPENS ONLY WHEN I AM DRIVING OVER UNEVEN SURFACE OR OVER BUMPS. IT IS REALLY SCARY. I ALMOST HIT A CAR SEATTLE DOWNTOWN GOING DOWN THE HIT BECAUSE MY CAR ACCELERATED INSTEAD OF STOPPING. I TOOK IT THE CAR DEALER BUT THEY SAID THERE IS NO PROBLEM. I AM AFRAID THAT I MIGHT GET IN A BIG ACCIDENT. *TR

VEHICLE SURGES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED WHILE TRAVELING OVER RAILROAD TRACKS OR ROUGH PAVEMENT. SURGE LASTS FOR 1 TO 2 SECONDS UNTIL BRAKING RESUMES. VEHICLE BEHAVIOR CAN BE EASILY REPLICATED. *TR

I HAVE A 2010 PRIUS VIN:[XXX] WITH 37,000 MILES. THE CAR EXPERIENCES RANDOM LOSSES OF POWER DURING WHICH THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AND DOES NOT ACTIVATE NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUMP THE ACCELERATOR. ONCE I TURN OFF AND PUSH AGAIN THE START BUTTON, THE ENGINE STARTS UP WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM AND I CAN CONTINUE ON MY WAY. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM 5 TIMES SINCE SEPTEMBER 2012. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER (CALDWELL TOYOTA, NJ) WHERE IT WAS EXAMINED AND THEY TOLD ME THE ONBOARD COMPUTER DID NOT RECORD ANY MALFUNCTION. I AM GETTING WORRIED SINCE SOME OF THE POWER LOSSES HAPPENED WHEN I WAS ON HIGHWAYS AT SPEEDS OVER 60MPH AND I HAD TO COAST TO A STOP IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHETHER OTHER PRIUS OWNERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND WHETHER YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO PROCEED [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP BEGAN RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ON. WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH INDICATED BRAKE FAILURE AND ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM FAILURE. AFTER I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A TOYOTA DEALER, THEY DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER/ANTI-LOCK ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED. THE REPAIR TOOK TWO WEEKS AND COST $3000. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO GO ON. BOTH FUNCTIONED THE DAY BEFORE. HIGH BEAM LIGHTS STILL FUNCTIONED. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVE HOME. *TR

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING AND A MAN STEPPED OFF THE CURB RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME (NOT IN A CROSSWALK). I HIT MY BRAKES, AND HIT A POTHOLE IN THE ROAD AT THE SAME TIME. THE CAR ACCELERATED AND FELT AS IF IT WAS SHUDDERING, IT WAS NOT BRAKING AT ALL EVEN THOUGH I MASHED THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. I WAS FORCED TO SWERVE TO MISS THE MAN, WHICH I THANKFULLY DID. AFTER THAT I GOT MOVING AGAIN I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY WORKED FINE. WHEN I ARRIVED AT WORK I TRIED IT AGAIN BY FINDING SOME POTHOLES IN THE PARKING LOT. @ 15 MPH THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN ONLY WHEN I WAS HITTING THE POTHOLES WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. I WENT TO TOYOTA.COM AND FOUND THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE FEB 2010. I PURCHASED MY CAR IN NOV 2010; I THEN CALLED MY SERVICE DEALER AND TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THAT PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH I TOLD HIM I FOUND THE INFO AT THE PRESSROOM.TOYOTA.COM WEBSITE. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO LET ME KNOW I SHOULD NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING I READ IN THE INTERNET AND OFFERED TO LET ME BRING IT IN AND HE WILL LOOK AT IT. I AM LEAVING WORK EARLY TODAY TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. *TR

IN THE MORNING I STARTED MY CAR AND THE ABS LIGHT AND WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND STARTED BEEPING. I REVERSED MY CAR SLIGHTLY TO CHECK THE BRAKES AND NOTICED MY BRAKES WERE NOT BEING RESPONSIVE. I PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND CALLED THE WONDRIES TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM MY BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND MY ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. DESPITE MY HAVING INFORMED THEM OF MY BRAKE FAILURE, THEY TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP. I REVERSED OUT OF MY GARAGE, SHIFTED THE CAR INTO DRIVE, AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE HILL WITH CAUTION. I DID NOT PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR. MY CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE DOWN THE HILL DUE TO GRAVITY AND REACHED A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, AT WHICH TIME I PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN, AND IT CONTINUED MOVING DOWN THE HILL. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL, AFTER TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 1/4 OF A MILE, I TURNED RIGHT INTO A SMALL STREET WITH A SLIGHT INCLINE IN ORDER TO STOP THE MOMENTUM. MY CAR SLOWED AND I PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND PUT THE CAR INTO PARK. I CALLED MY BROTHER FOR HELP. WHEN HE ARRIVED, I TURNED THE CAR ON TO SHOW HIM THE FLASHING ABS WARNING. IT FLASHED FOR ABOUT ANOTHER 15 SECONDS BEFORE SUDDENLY STOPPING. MY BRAKES THEN BEGAN FUNCTIONING AGAIN THOUGH THEY FELT SPONGY WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON IT. I TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND DROVE SLOWLY TO THE DEALERSHIP. I PARKED THE CAR AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN A REPRESENTATIVE CAME BY, I TURNED ON THE CAR AND SHE PRESSED DOWN ON THE BRAK

MULTIPLIE INCIDENTS: WE WILL BE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND HIT A BUMP / POT HOLE AND BE BRAKING, BUT THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING BACK TO HOME FROM WORK IN DC TRAFFIC WHEN THE TRAFFIC STARTED GOING WHEN THE SIGNAL TURNED GREEN I PRESSED ACCELERATOR ALL OF A SUDDEN AFTER LITTLE SOUND DIFFERENT WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH ALONG WITH THE LARGE RECTANGULAR WARNING MESSAGE SAYING "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM". THE CAR CAN GO ONLY UNDER 10 MPH AND I PULLED ON TO CURB AND TOWED TO NEAR BY DEALER (OURISMAN CHANTILLY TOYOTA). TWO DAYS LATER I GOT CALL SAYING INVERTER IS AN ISSUE TAKES TWO TO THREE DAYS TO GET PART AND WILL BE REPLACED FOR FREE AS THE CAR HAS ONLY 36K MILES ON IT. WE HAVE TO RENT CAR (TOYOTA SHOULD PROVIDE THIS SERVICE AS IT IS THEIR COMMON DEFECTIVE PART AND THE REPAIR IS UNDER WARRANTY). *TR

MADE APPOINTMENT AT FRED HAAS TOYOTA FOR ECT RECALL PENDING COURT ACTION SPOKE WITH SPARKY TWYFORD AND SERVICE MANAGER THAT TOLD ME THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND REFUSED SAFETY INSPECTION OR FIX TO POSSIBILITY UNSAFE CAR MENTION IN THE POST CARD NOTICE. I WAS NOT PLEASED BECAUSE OF RECENT MILEAGE DROP AND LEGAL NOTICE SENT TO ME. IF THERE SHOULD BE AN ACCIDENTG FROM THEIR NEGLIGENCE OF MY EFFORT TO REMEDY CAR, I WOUKLD LIKE YOUR RECORDS TO REFLECT THEIR NEGLIGENCE.

I HAVE A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS THAT REALLY HAS ME CONCERNED. TWICE RECENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, IT HAS LUNGED FORWARD AND I WAS FORCED TO PUNCH THE BRAKES VERY HARD WITH BOTH FEET TO MAKE IT STOP. IT REALLY SCARED ME. LUCKILY THERE WAS NOBODY IN FRONT OF ME OR I WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER (WALKER TOYOTA IN MIAMISBURG, OH) TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT LOOKED BACK AT THE COMPUTER ON THE CAR AND SAW TWO INSTANCES WHERE THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR WERE PRESSED AT THE SAME TIME. SO NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO TELL ME IT IS USER ERROR. THEY SAID I MUST HAVE INADVERTADLY HIT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHILE I WAS BRAKING. NO I DID NOT!!! I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR OVER THREE YEARS AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. NOW IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS. I DON'T THINK SO... I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THEY ADVISED ME TO GET A SECOND OPINION. SO NOW I AM TAKING IT TO VOSS TOYOTA IN BEAVERCREEK. I ALSO NOTICED RECENTLY THAT MY GAS MILEAGE HAS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS. IT'S MUCH WORSE THAN IT'S EVER BEEN SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT. I'M NOT SURE IT IT IS RELATED OR NOT??? *TR

I HAVE A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS THAT REALLY HAS ME CONCERNED. TWICE RECENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, IT HAS LUNGED FORWARD AND I WAS FORCED TO PUNCH THE BRAKES VERY HARD WITH BOTH FEET TO MAKE IT STOP. BOTH TIMES I WAS ON CITY STREETS GOING ABOUT 35 MPH. IT REALLY SCARED ME. LUCKILY THERE WAS NOBODY IN FRONT OF ME OR I WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AND AM AWAITING THE VERDICT. *TR

THE DISPLAY THAT SHOWS THE SPEED INDICATOR AND WHICH GEAR YOU ARE IN HAS A DOUBLE IMAGE AND LOOKS AS THOUGH IT IS OUT OF FOCUS. THE REST OF THE DISPLAY TO THE RIGHT LOOKS FINE. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO FIX IT AND THEY SAID THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ON ALL GEN III PRIUSES. HE TOOK ME TO A BRAND NEW 2013 PRIUS AND IT TO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS A HAZARD AND SHOULD BE FIXED. HERE IS A LINK TO A WEBSITE THAT TALKS ABOUT IT. HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/WHY-THE-DOUBLE-IMAGE.60604/ . *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2010 PRIUS IN A CONGESTED AREA AND CARS IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED SUDDENLY. AS I BRAKED HARD, THE CAR SEEMED TO LURCH FORWARD FOR ABOUT ONE SECOND, MAYBE LONGER, AND THEN THE BRAKES KICKED IN. I NOTICED THAT THE ROAD WAS ROUGH. THE SURFACE WAS DRY. FORTUNATELY, I HAD ALLOWED AMPLE DISTANCE FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, AND THERE WAS NO COLLISION, BUT IT WAS VERY UNSETTLING. IN THE PREVIOUS MONTH, I HAD THREE OR FOUR LESS INTENSE SENSATIONS OF "LURCHING FORWARD," WHICH OCCURRED WHEN I STOPPED AT A PARTICULAR INTERSECTION WHEN I HAD JUST STARTED THE CAR, BUT THE ROAD WAS SMOOTH. *TR

I HAD BEEN HEARING A LOT OF GRINDING NOISES THAT JUST GOT WORSE. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER, THEY DISCOVERED THAT MY BRAKE PADS HAD FAILED/FROZEN. THEY REPLACED MY PADS AND MACHINED MY ROTORS. THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY A CAR I HAD FOR ONLY A LITTLE OVER A YEAR HAD THIS PROBLEM. THEY AT FIRST BLAMED MY DRIVING, AND THEN THE ROADS (I.E. TOO MANY GRAVEL ROADS). NOW, AT 68,300 MILES THOSE PADS HAVE NOW FAILED AGAIN. ONE IS COMPLETELY WORN DOWN AND THE ROTOR IS NOW RUSTED THROUGH. NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. WHEN I DEMANDED AN ANSWER, THEY TOLD ME THAT A "BULLETIN" HAD GONE OUT TO THE DEALERS ONLY STATING THAT DUE TO THE PADS FAILING, THEY WERE "REDESIGNING" THEM. BUT, THEY WOULD ONLY REPLACE FOR FREE THOSE THAT FELL UNDER THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, IN LESS THAN 69,000 MILES I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THIS REPAIR DONE NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE. THEY TELL ME NO OTHER OWNER HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM, BUT I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE. CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THERE ARE OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE, AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. *TR

EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING 2010 PRIUS. DEALER INDICATES BRAKE BOOSTER FAILING AND LEAKED NITROGEN INTO MASTER CYLINDER WHICH SHOULD THEN ALSO BE REPLACED. DEALER INSIST IT IS ONE ASSEMBLY AND ESTIMATES REPLACEMENT TO BE $5,166 ($1,638 FOR BOOSTER AND $2,466 FOR MASTER CYLINDER). DUE TO THE COMPLETE WARNINGLESS FAILURE OF BRAKES WHILE IN OPERATION IT WOULD SEEM TO A CRITICAL SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE DESIGN FLAW IN THE COMBINED BRAKE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE ASSEMBLY CAUSING A BRAKE FAILURE IN OPERATION. *TR

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, I HAVE EXPERIENCED ISSUES WITH THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATING WHILE I'M PRESSING THE BRAKES. SPECIFICALLY, THIS APPEARS TO OCCUR WHEN BRAKING ON UNEVEN SURFACES (IE CONSTRUCTION AREAS, POT HOLES, ETC.). THIS CAN OBVIOUSLY BECOME A DEADLY SITUATION IF ONE IS TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND WITH THIS PROBLEM RUN INTO THE CAR/VEHICLE AHEAD. MOST RECENTLY THIS OCCURRED ON THE SURFACE STREETS IN LOW SPEED, IN TRAFFIC. IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR LURCHES AHEAD WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE PEOPLE AT TOYOTA THAT I WAS MAKING THIS UP. I CAN RECREATE IT GIVEN THE RIGHT SURFACE. *TR

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE ONTO A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY. BECAUSE OF A SLOW AND SHARP U-TURN WHICH PRECEDES THE SHORT ON-RAMP, I DISABLED THE ECO MODE FOR BETTER ACCELERATION. WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON THE GAS, THE CAR IMMEDIATELY EMITTED A LOUD SOUND, BECAME UNRESPONSIVE AND WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ADDITIONAL SPEED. EVEN SO, THERE WAS NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO MERGE ONTO THE ROADWAY WHILE DOING NO MORE THAN 30 MPH. IN THE MEANTIME, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWED A "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" MESSAGE ALONG WITH SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS. I MANAGED TO AVOID ONCOMING TRAFFIC (FROM BEHIND) AND SAFELY PULLED ONTO THE GRASS. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL WITH THE PREVIOUS MESSAGE REAPPEARING EACH TIME. THE CAR REQUIRED A TOW TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THEM THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY, AND THEY EXPLAINED THE CAUSE TO BE A DEFECTIVE INVERTER BASED ON THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE. FORTUNATELY, THE REPAIR WILL BE COVERED UNDER TOYOTA'S HYBRID WARRANTY. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN AND I AM HOPEFUL THIS REPAIR WILL FULLY RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *TR

WHEN BRAKING OVER ROUGH ROAD, BRAKES FAIL. *TR

REAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED AT 61000 MILES. *TR

VEHICLE HAS NO BRAKES AT ALL, WE TURNED THE IGNITION ON AND THE CAR START BEEPING, BRAKE LIGHT ITS ON, ABS LIGHT ON AND SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT IS ON. *TR

I TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT AND STAYED WAY TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE OF A LARGE TRUCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND WENT OVER THE CURB AND BOTH TIRES BLEW. *TR

STARTING MY VEHICLE AND LEAVING MY GARAGE AT 2 MPH THE MASTER WARNING LIGHT, CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHT, AND MALFUNCTION INDICATOR/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WERE ALL LIT UP. WITH A TERRIBLE SMELL ELECTRICAL/FUEL. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE CAR OFF AND LET IT SIT. AFTER A FEW SECONDS I TRIED AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESULT. THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS TO NOT DRIVE AND CONTACT TOYOTA DEALER IMMEDIATELY. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED I AGAIN TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE AND THE WARNINGS WERE NOT PRESENT. THE DEALER INVESTIGATED AND SAID IT WAS OVER ETHANOL IN THE FUEL. THE FUEL HAS BEEN TESTED AND FOUND TO BE 6-8%, WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE. THE DEALER AT THE TIME OF THE REPAIR WANTED $450 TO DROP AND CLEAN THE TANK. INSTEAD I CHOSE TO GO WITH THE PHILLIPS TOYOTA (LEESBURG FLORIDA, PHONE 352-728-2030) DEALER SERVICE MANAGER, DAVID NEWTON TO THE CLOSEST GAS STATION AND FILL UP. SINCE THEN THERE HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM, BUT I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY IN NOW DRIVING THE VEHICLE. AS THIS IS A HYBRID WHICH I PURCHASED TO HELP OUR COUNTRY WITH ENERGY SECURITY (56 MPG) BUT AM AFRAID AS A RETIREE WITH MY WIFE THAT THIS COULD HAVE ENDED DIFFERENTLY IF WE WERE ON THE INTERSTATE TRAVELING. WITH THE REPUTATION OF TOYOTA AND THE UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE INITIAL PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FOUND AND WILL RECUR. THIS COULD HAPPEN ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH A MUCH DIFFERENT OUTCOME. I AM REPORTING THIS TO GO ON RECORD WITH THIS PROBLEM JUST IN CASE AN ACCIDENT OR FATALITY IS INVOLVED THE NEXT TIME, IF IT

PROBLEM WITH 2010 PRIUS PERFORMING UNCONTROLLED HARD BRAKING WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT APPROX 73~75 MPH. THIS HAPPEN ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WITH THE FIRST BEING FEB 10, 2013. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED LATE AFTERNOON ON SAT. FEB 16, 2013. BOTH OCCURRENCES WERE IN LIGHT TRAFFIC, WHEREBY PREVENTING POTENTIAL SEVERE VEHICULAR REAR END COLLISIONS THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS BODILY INJURES AND GRAVE VEHICULAR DAMAGES. VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY A TOYOTA DEALER AND PASSES ALL TROUBLESHOOTING TESTS, FEB 18, 2013. REQUESTED ADDITIONAL TESTS BE DONE ON FEB 19, 2013. TOYOTA DEALER COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM. NO FURTHER ACTIONS WERE TAKEN BY THE DEALER. *TR

THE FOLLOWING EVENT HAPPENED TWICE WITH THIS VEHICLE. TIN BOTH INSTANCES, THE CAR WAS RUNNING AND IN PARK WITH NO ONE IN THE VEHICLE. IT THEN DOWN THE DRIVEWAY WITH NO ONE IN IT. IN THE SECOND OCCURRENCE, IT APPEARS TO HAVE GONE INTO REVERSE ON ITS OWN AND ROLLED INTO A RETAINING WALL CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BUMPER AND BACK PANEL. *TR

MY HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER INDICATED THE REPLACEMENT COST WOULD BE BETWEEN $300 AND $400 FOR A SINGLE LIGHT BULB. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT I ONLY USE THE LIGHTS WHEN NEEDED TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF THAT TYPE OF BULB. *TR

THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. ANYTIME I AM SLOWING DOWN FOR A RED LIGHT AND THERE IS A POTHOLE OR OTHER ROUGH SURFACE CONDITION, THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD AND JUMPS, SO TO SPEAK. GIVEN THE CONDITION OF THE ROADS IN CHICAGO, THIS IS A PRETTY REGULAR PROBLEM. I USUALLY HAVE TO PRESS THE BRAKE MUCH HARDER THAN NORMAL WHILE THIS IS OCCURRING BECAUSE OF CROSSWALKS AND LIGHTS. I THINK THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE; HOWEVER, WHEN ASKING THE DEALER TO LOOK INTO THIS, THEY INDICATED THAT IT WAS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM KICKING IN, AND THAT IT WAS A PERFECTLY COMMON THING TO EXPERIENCE. *TR

LETTER ON BEHALF OF, REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN GETTING TOYOTA TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE INVERTER ON HIS 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS; THIS PART WAS PREVIOUSLY RECALLED ON EARLIER MODELS; REPLY TO THE CLEVELAND DISTRICT OFFICE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, AS HE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE INVERTER WOULD COST $3,400 TO REPLACE.

ALL BRAKES FAILED WHILE I WAS GOING 69MPH ON I-75 SOUTH JUST NORTH OF THE UNION CENTRE BOULEVARD EXIT, APPROACHING I-275 AT THE BUTLER/HAMILTON COUNTY LINE ON SAT. DEC. 22.. ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE WARNING "BEEPS". I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC BUT WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO EXIT ON THE UNION CENTRE EXIT RAMP AND ROLL TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENED THE DAY AFTER I HAD THE CAR AT PERFORMANCE TOYOTA IN FAIRFIELD, OH FOR THE 35,000 MILE CHECK/OIL CHANGE (ON DEC. 21) .THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO PERFORMANCE TOYOTA ON DEC 22; THEY DETERMINED THE MASTER CYLINDER FAILED (LOST ITS VACUUM) CAUSING TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

TODAY, 1/21/2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 245PM WHILE DRIVE BACK FROM DISNEY WITH MY FAMILY ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE(MILE POINT MARKER 294 NB) AT APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MPH OUR 2010 PRIUS SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" CAME ON. MIND YOU I WAS TRAVELING ON A MAJOR ROAD WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY KEPT DECREASING IN SPEED AND I JUST TURNED ON TO THE MEDIAN AND THE CAR ROLLED TO A STOP. LUCKILY THERE WAS A FLORIDA SAFETY PATROL BEHIND ME WHO PUT ON HIS FLASHING LIGHTS UNTIL I WAS SAFELY OFF THE TURNPIKE. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TO BE TOWED. CAR ARRIVED AT XXX(DEALER) TOYOTA AT 502PM AND I AM AWAITING A CALL BACK ON THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO, THERE WAS NO WARNING BEFORE THE CAR FAILED. THANK YOU. THIS IS WHAT I FILED WITH TOYOTA MINUS IDENTIFYING DATA. *TR

INCIDENT #1 BRAKE: ON JANUARY 17, 2013 AS I WAS ENTERING THE INTERSECTION ABOUT 20MPH, I APPLIED MY BRAKES, BUT THEY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND WARNING LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. I PRESSED BRAKES VERY HARD AND CAR ALMOST STOP, THEN, ITS BRAKES GAVE UP. THERE IS SUDDEN SLIGHT "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" AND I ALMOST HIT CAR FRONT OF ME. BUT, I AM ABLE TO MANAGE TO DROVE THE CAR INTO THE CENTER ISLAND. BRAKE WAS TOTALLY OUT, AND THE CAR STARTED DROVE BY ITSELF. I PANICKED AND PRESSED POWER BUTTON TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. CAR DROVE ABOUT 15 FEET AND STOPPED. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I TOW MY CAR TO THE DEALER, THEY TOLD ME THAT LOST BRAKE IS DUE TO SHORT CIRCUIT MADE DOMINO EFFECT TO MULTIPLE COMPUTERS MALFUNCTION. THEY WILL REPLACE WHOLE COMPUTER SYSTEM, BUT SERVICE MAN WOULD NOT GUARANTEE IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. INCIDENT #2 POWER FAILED AND SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY. ON DECEMBER, 2012 AND JANUARY 2013. I WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY AND TRYING TO MERGE INTO THE CENTER LINE, CAR STALLED AND PROMPTED "KEY DOES NOT DETECT" MESSAGE ON THE SCREEN. I ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND BY ANOTHER CAR. WHILE THE CAR STILL HAS A SPEED ABOUT 40MPH, I MANAGED TO RESTART THE CAR BY DEPRESSED BRAKE AND PRESS POWER BOTTOM. IT IS TRUE THIS CAR LOSE BRAKE AND DOES SLIGHT "ACCELERATE". *TR

THE PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSING THE HEAD LIGHTS TO BURN OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR THIS TO CONTINUE. PURCHASED A TOYOTA PRIUS 2010 IN DECEMBER 2010. SINCE THAT TIME, THE HEAD LIGHTS HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM. EACH TIME THERE IS A PROBLEM, BOTH HEAD LIGHTS BURN OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE FIRST TIME THE HEAD LIGHTS FAILED WAS AUGUST 7, 2012 WHEN THERE WERE FIVE OF US IN THE CAR DRIVING 15+ MILES WITH ABOUT A THIRD OF THE DRIVE ON MANY RESIDENTIAL STREETS THAT WERE NOT WELL LIT. THE DEALERSHIP IN FLORIDA WAS CALLED AND IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT IT MUST BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE BULBS BECAUSE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT BURN OUT TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE QUOTED THAT THE COST OF THE REPAIR TO REPLACE THE HEAD LIGHTS WAS ABOUT $150. HE DID NOT ASK IF THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND HE DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT COULD BE SOMETHING IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. HE DID NOT SUGGEST THAT THE CAR BE BROUGHT IN TO HAVE THEM PUT IT ON DIAGNOSTIC MACHINES TO VERIFY WHERE THE PROBLEM MAY BE.WE OPTED TO REPLACE THE BULBS OURSELVES. THE SECOND TIME BOTH HEAD LIGHTS BURNED OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY WAS OCTOBER 21, 2012 AND WE AGAIN, REPLACED THE BULBS OURSELVES. THE COST OF THE BULBS INCLUDING TAX IS $54.36. THIS MORNING IS THE THIRD TIME BOTH LIGHTS HAVE BURNED OUT AT THE SAME TIME AGAIN. THE PRIUS HAS 35,840 MILES. THIS IS NOT REASONABLE. WE HAVE ALREADY SPENT $108.72 TO REPLACE THE BULBS TWICE. IT IS UNREASO

WHEN DRIVING ON AN UNEVEN OR WET SURFACE THE BRAKES SEEM TO LAG FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THE CAR HOPS FORWARD. *TR

MY PRIUS IV, PURCHASED NEW IN 2010, INTERMITTENTLY HAD A LUNGING FORWARD PROBLEM WHEN GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS, POT HOLES ETC. I WOULD HAVE TO STOP IT BY BRAKING QUICKLY, SO I DIDN'T COLLIDE WITH A CAR AHEAD. I INFORMED TOYOTA OF THIS PROBLEM WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR. THEY TESTED IT AND SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING. I MENTIONED THIS TO THEM ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS WHEN I TOOK THE CAR FOR ITS PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OF 5000 MILE INTERVALS. ON DECEMBER 26, 2012 I WAS STOPPED WAITING TO GO LEFT WHEN I WAS REAR-ENDED. I WENT TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE. WHEN I ACCELERATED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD,THE CAR TOOK OFF CRAZILY, AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED FOR ABOUT 6-7 SECONDS, ZIGZAGGING UNCONTROLLABLY ON THE 2 LANE ROAD. IF THERE WERE CARS COMING TOWARD ME, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A HEAD ON CRASH. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE OF SCRANTON,PA AND ASKED THEM TO SEE AND ASSESS THE CAR'S PROBLEM. THEY MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND CONCLUDED.SAID THERE IS NO PROBLEM INTERNALLY, AND SUGGESTED REMOVING THE AFTER MARKET FLOORMAT. I THEN PROCEEDED TO SHOW THEM THE SAME PROBLEMS MANY CUSTOMERS ARE HAVING WITH THE PRIUS , INCLUDING AN ARTICLE BY STEVE WOZNIAK, THE CO-FOUNDER OF APPLE COMPANY, WHO HAD ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WITH HIS 2010 PRIUS. I CALLED THE MAIN TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS LATER, EXPLAINING THE PROBLEM AND THEY TOO SAID THERE IS NO MALFUNCTION , ONLY MENTIONING THE FLOOR MATS AGAIN.. THIS IS NOT THE CASE AS THE CAR HAS HAD ACCELERATION PROBLEMS FROM THE BEGINNING AND TO

IF YOU GO OVER A BUMP WHILE BRAKING - THE BRAKES FAIL, AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND RE-APPLY IN ORDER TO STOP. THIS HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES - AND IS A SERIOUS FLAW ON THIS AUTOMOBILE. THIS CAR IS A FLEET VEHICLE FOR MY COMPANY AND I HAVE ASKED PEERS IF THIS OCCURS ON THEIR CARS - AND THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR BRAKES. WITH ALL THE TOYOTA RECALLS - I AM UNCLEAR WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED...? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PLASTIC COVER ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT WOULD BECOME FOGGY, OBSTRUCTING THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY OF THE ROADWAY WHEN DRIVING DURING THE NIGHT. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS RUST ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT FENDER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO FAILURES FOUND WITH THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON TENNESSEE STREET IN TALLAHASSEE, FL, AND AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THE LIGHT AT THE CORNER OF TENNESSEE AND MONROE STREET, THE TRAFFIC STOPPED JUST PAST THE INTERSECTION. AS I WAS ENTERING THE INTERSECTION, I APPLIED MY BRAKES BUT THEY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR AND A WARNING LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. I HAD ONE OF TWO CHOICES; HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME OR HIT THE CURB FOR THE SIDEWALK CLOSE TO WHERE A MAN WAS STANDING WITH HIS BICYCLE. LUCKILY I HAD JUST ENOUGH ROOM TO GO BETWEEN THE BACK-END OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND THE MAN ON THE SIDEWALK. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED IN MY ACCIDENT, I JUST SCARED THE MAN VERY BADLY, BUT THE REPAIRS TO MY CAR ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE MORE THAN $4,000. *TR

WHILE MAKING A U TURN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING ILLUMINATED. THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE DEALER CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS OIL IN THE THROTTLE BODY CAUSED BY OVERFILLING AND THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH OIL OVERFILLS ON PRIUS VEHICLES. THE LAST OIL CHANGE HAD BEEN 8,000 MILES AND MORE THAN 2 MONTHS PREVIOUS. THE PLACE THAT PERFORMED THE OIL CHANGE AGREED TO LOOK AT CAR AND CLEAN THE THROTTLE BODY. THEY ALSO CHECKED THE OIL AND MADE SURE IT WAS CORRECT LEVEL. THREE WEEKS LATER THE SAME THING OCCURRED. THIS TIME THE CAR LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CAR DIED ON A FREEWAY TRANSITION OVER PASS AND WE WERE STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY CLAIMED IT WAS THE SAME THING. THE OIL CHANGE PLACE SAYS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY IS THIS THE PROBLEM SINCE THEY LOOKED AT IT VERY CLOSELY THE LAST TIME. I REQUESTED TOYOTA TO SEND OUT A FIELD REPRESENTATIVE TO CONFIRM THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE. THEY REFUSED. COMPUTER CODES P3190 AND P0A0F HV. *TR

OK, THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT (LOSS OF BRAKING AT LOW SPEEDS) HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY IN THIS VEHICLE, DESPITE A RECALL IN 2010 AND "SOFTWARE FIX". THE DATE LISTED IS APPROXIMATE. I FELT COMPELLED TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION AFTER HAVING THIS HAPPEN TWICE IN THE PAST WEEK, IN THE HOPES THAT SOME PERMANENT FIX CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE, AND TO WARN PROSPECTIVE BUYERS TO BE CAUTIOUS. IN ALL INCIDENTS, WHEN TRAVELING OVER BUMPS IN A ROAD WITH THE BRAKES ENGAGED, THERE IS A SUDDEN SLIGHT "ACCELERATION", BUT IN ACTUALITY, PROBABLY JUST THE MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING. THIS HAPPENS WHEN GOING OVER: (1) MANHOLE COVERS (2) POTHOLES (3) SLIGHT DIPS IN THE ROAD (FROM SUBSIDING ROAD PATCHING AREAS). DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WORSE IN WET CONDITIONS, AND HAS ONLY HAPPENED TO ME AT LOW SPEEDS (~5 -- ~ 20 MPH). NOTE THAT ORIGINAL CARPETED MATS WERE REPLACED WITH ONES THAT FIT A BIT BETTER, AND DO NOT CAUSE ANY ISSUES WITH THE ACCELERATION PEDAL. ONCE THE BUMP IS PASSED OVER, NORMAL BRAKING OCCURS. WHEN I FEEL THIS VEHICLE MOMENTARILY LOSE BRAKING, I QUICKLY LET OFF THE BRAKE FOR A SPLIT SECOND, AND RESUME BRAKING. I HAVE GOTTEN USED TO THIS DEFECT, BUT I SURE WOULD LIKE SOMEONE TO INVESTIGATE AND PROVIDE A QUALITY RECALL FIX. THIS BRAKING ISSUE HAS HAPPENED IN NORTH CAROLINA (WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED) AND IN MASSACHUSETTS. THANK YOU. *TR

MY COMMUTE IS 62 MILES, ONE WAY. TONIGHT I REALIZED MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. MY HIGH BEAMS WORK. I DROVE THE 62 MILES WITH MY HIGH BEAMS ON. THE FUSES WERE FINE. IT IS ODD THAT BOTH LOW BEAM LIGHTS WERE OUT AT THE SAME TIME BUT THE HIGH BEAMS WERE FINE. I SEARCHED ONLINE SOME AND THERE WERE NUMEROUS SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE PRIUS LOW BEAM LIGHTS. *TR

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS AT DEALERSHIP FOR 25000 MILE SERVICE. ON 11/07/2012 AT 1700 THE DEALERSHIP CALLED AND REPORTED THAT THE CAR IS "INFESTED WITH RODENTS." STATED THAT HEADLINER IS SATURATED WITH URINE/ FECES, AIR AND CABIN AIR FILTERS DESTROYED, WIRES CHEWED, RODENTS FOUND TO BE LIVING IN DASHBOARD, IN DOOR INTERIORS, AND OTHER AREAS. REPORTED THAT THIS WAS "THE WORST CASE WE'VE SEEN." CAR IS OWNED BY TWO PROFESSIONALS- NO CHILDREN WHO WOULD HAVE DROPPED FOOD AND NO FOOD EVER EATEN IN VEHICLE. PURCHASED NEW FROM THIS SAME DEALERSHIP 01/02/2011. DEALERSHIP NOW REPORTS THAT THE CAR IS A HEALTH/ SAFETY HAZARD AND COULD COST "THOUSANDS" TO REPAIR. OUR INTERNET RESEARCH REVEALED THAT RODENT INFESTATION IS COMMON IN THE TOYOTA PRIUS, REPORTEDLY BECAUSE RODENTS ARE ABLE TO GAIN EASY ACCESS THROUGH THE CAR'S VENTILATION SYSTEM. OWNERS REPORTED CONTACTING TOYOTA, WHO DENIED LIABILITY AND DENIED REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN REVERSE WITH THE BRAKES DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY LUNGED BACKWARD TWO FEET. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR NUMEROUS DIAGNOSTIC TESTS BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REMEDIED AND THE CONTACT TRADED THE VEHICLE FOR ANOTHER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHEN I ENCOUNTER A BUMP WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES IN MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS, THE BRAKES FULLY DISENGAGE MOMENTARILY. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO JOLT FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. MY FOOT IS NOT COMING OFF THE BRAKE AT ALL WHEN THIS HAPPENS, SO I KNOW I AM NOT THE CAUSE OF IT. I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE BY MAIL IN FEBRUARY 2010 TO ADDRESS JUST THIS ISSUE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK COMPLETED. IT WAS INTENDED TO FIX THE MALFUNCTION IN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM THAT CAUSED THE BRAKES TO DISENGAGE WHEN THE CAR HITS A BUMP. THE RECALL WORK WAS COMPLETED, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. THE BRAKES STILL DO THE EXACT SAME THING AND FULLY DISENGAGE WHEN I HIT A BUMP WHILE BRAKING. THIS IS UNQUESTIONABLY DANGEROUS AND A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR