2010 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

ON 6-18-13 AT 9:45 AM, AT NJ TURN-PIKE SOUTH , MILESTONE 108.3, NEWARK, NJ. I ,OWNER OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS 201, DRIVING AT 45 MPH PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR TO STOP BUT COULD NOT . I HIT THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY STOPPED. MY 2010 PRIUS WAS TOTAL LOST IN THIS ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE TOYOTA 6-4-13 RECALL ANNOUNCEMENT, MY 2010 PRIUS IN THE RECALL LIST IS EQUIPPED WITH A BRAKE PRESSURE ACCUMULATOR THAT MAY DEVELOP A FATIGUE CRACK ON AN INTERNAL PART DUE TO VIBRATION THAT CAUSED MY FAILURE TO STOP COMPLETELY IN THIS CAR REAR-END COLLISION ACCIDENT ON 6-18-13. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON AN EXIT RAMP. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY STOPPED BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHICH CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE POWER BOOSTER PUMP WAS LEAKING INTERNALLY. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V235000 (SERVICE BRAKES). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

SLOWLY PASSED OVER A SPEED BUMP, WHICH CAUSED A BRIEF SENSATION OF ACCELERATION (COMMON IN THIS PRIUS). THEN BRAKING WAS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED, WITH BRAKE TRAVEL QUITE LONG AND STOPPING POWER DIMINISHED. ALL BRAKES WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON. PROBLEM CONTINUED UNTIL I STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED IT OFF. WHEN CAR TURNED ON, WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED BUT WENT OUT AFTER DEPRESSING BRAKE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP. TOLD THAT BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. VIN IS OUTSIDE THE RANGE GIVEN BY TOYOTA FOR RECALL PUBLISHED ON 6/5/13. HOWEVER, SYMPTOMS ARE IDENTICAL FOR THIS VEHICLE. I'M CONCERNED THAT TOYOTA MAY NOT BE INCLUDING ALL VEHICLES THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM IN ITS RECALL PLANS. *TR

WHEN BRAKING WHILE APPROACHING STOP SIGN HAVING SLOWED TO ~10 MPH, I ENCOUNTERED A BUMPY SECTION OF ROAD. THE BRAKES FEEL LIKE THEY RELEASED FOR ~1 SEC CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LURCH FORWARD BEFORE THEY (BRAKES) KICKED IN AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED 5-10 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER IN 4/2013. MY COMPLAINT MIRRORS THOSE THAT RESULTED IN THE RECALL BELOW BUT MY TOYOTA DEALER SAYS, BASED ON MY VIN THAT MY CAR WAS NOT AFFECTED. REPORT RECEIPT DATE: FEB 09, 2010 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V039000 COMPONENT(S): SERVICE BRAKES, AIR ALL PRODUCTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RECALL VEHICLE MAKEMODELMODEL YEAR(S) LEXUSHS2010 TOYOTAPRIUS2010 DETAILS 17 ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS MANUFACTURER: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. SUMMARY: TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS AND LEXUS HS250H PASSENGER VEHICLES. CUSTOMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED INCONSISTENT BRAKE FEEL AFTER ABS ACTUATION DURING SLOW AND STEADY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES ON ROUGH OR SLICK ROAD SURFACES. STOPPING DISTANCES MAY BE INCREASED COMPARED WITH A CUSTOMER'S EXPECTATION FOR A GIVEN PEDAL FORCE. CONSEQUENCE: VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCES MAY INCREASE RELATIVE TO A CUSTOMER'S EXPECTATION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL REWRITE THE PROGRAMMING OF THE ABS CONTROL UNIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 3, 2010, AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN LATE MARCH 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 AND LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987. *TR

IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO, MOST NOTICEABLY RANGING 50K MILEAGE, I'VE STARTED FALLING ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. I'VE NEVER FALLEN ASLEEP DRIVING NOR HAVE I FELT THIS WAY WHILE OPERATING ANY OF THE 4 VEHICLES I'VE OWNED. IT HAPPENS DURING MY COMMUTE TO/FRO WORK GENERALLY 40-70 MINUTES LONG, LONG AND SHORT DRIVES BUT MORE OFTEN ON COMMUTE AND 30 MIN OR LONGER TRIPS. ITS AT RANDOM AND I'VE ANALYZED ITS NOT THE BASIC AND OBVIOUS ISSUES CAUSING IT; LACK OF SLEEP, FOOD, ADEQUATE HYDRATION ETC. IT GOT SO BAD I COULD NOT DRIVE TO WORK IN THE MORNING OR EVENINGS WITHOUT PULLING OVER AND TAKING A 20 MINUTE NAP. SOMETIMES ITS WORSE THAN OTHER TIMES AND IT FEELS LIKE I'M PASSING OUT, NOT QUITE TIRED AND DROWSY, I AM ALL-OUT CAN'T KEEP MY EYES OPEN, ROLLING EYES, HEAD BOBBING. EVENTUALLY WHEN I MAKE IT HOME SAFE, THINKING I'LL GO TO BED RIGHT AWAY I AM ALERT AND ACTIVE ALL NIGHT - THIS IS THE BEHAVIOR OVER AND OVER. I'VE DISCUSSED WITH THE DOCTOR AS WELL AND I'VE BEEN GENERALLY FATIGUED FOR A FEW YEARS NOW, I'VE OWNED THE PRIUS SINCE 2011. SOMEONE SAID ONLINE IN A FORUM "ITS A COMMON OCCURRENCE OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE EXPOSED TO HIGH LEVELS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION TO FEEL EXTREMELY TIRED AND FATIGUED." BUT FOLKS SAY ITS NOT ENOUGH TO CAUSE THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR. ANOTHER USER ALSO MENTIONS FALLING ASLEEP IN THIS FORUM (JUNE 5TH 2013) AND THERE'S BEEN OTHER NOTATIONS ON THE INTERNET, FOR EXAMPLE HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/PRIUS-EMF-RADIATION-AND-TOYOTAS-BOLD-FACE.116044/PAGE-6#IXZZ2VYI4P2S7. *TR

WHEN FLASHING THE LOW BEAMS/HIGH BEAMS ON/OFF I ROUTINELY BLOW THE LOW BEAM BULBS. NOT BOTH AT THE SAME TIME BUT EVENTUALLY BOTH WILL BLOW. I UNDERSTAND FROM READING FORUMS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM HOWEVER TOYOTA WILL NOT ADDRESS IT UNLESS YOU ARE UNDER THE 36K WARRANTY. THIS SHOULD BE A MANDATORY RECALL.

WHEN HITTING LARGER SIZE POTHOLES OR BUMPS IN THE ROAD I LOSE CONTROL OF WHAT FEELS LIKE THE REAR END, ITS AS IF THE VEHICLE BRAKES GIVES WAY WHEN THE REAR TIRES HIT THE OBJECT, CAR SHIMMIES SLIGHTLY, THE BRAKES STOP WORKING FOR AT LEAST 3 SECONDS AS THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD. THE BRAKE ALSO DEPRESSES FURTHER TO THE FLOOR WHILE IT HAPPENS. THERE'S A PARTICULAR SPOT ON MY WAY TO WORK THAT CONTINUES TO CAUSE THE PROBLEM. ITS HEADING DOWN A SMALL DECLINING HILL BEFORE A TURN TO THE LEFT. IF I WERE TO TAILGATE SOMEONE AND HAVE THAT HAPPEN I WOULD SURELY HIT THEM BECAUSE THERE'S NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW SECONDS AFTER HITTING THE OBJECT. THIS OBJECT GOES STRAIGHT ACROSS THE 2 LANES AS IF THE CONCRETE PAVING WAS POURED TOO HIGH IN A LONG HORIZONTAL LINE. I THINK IT HAS TO BE ABOVE A 4-5 INCHES OR SO BECAUSE I'LL HIT SMALLER ONES AND I'M FINE AND I'VE TESTED IT ON DIFFERENT OBJECTS, ITS HIGHER RAISED ITEMS CAUSING THE BEHAVIOR. IT HAPPENS WHEN ITS DRY, WET OR ICY OUT, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE APPLYING THE BRAKE TO REALLY FEEL IT AS FAR AS I CAN TELL. MY PASSENGER ALSO FELT THE LOSS IN CONTROL EACH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED AND ITS BEEN NUMEROUS SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE. *TR

I NEARLY HIT A PERSON WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. THE PERSON WAS YELLING BUT I COULD NOT HEAR THEM. GOOD THING THEY MOVED QUICKLY. MY RADIO WAS OFF AND I WAS NOT USING A CELL PHONE. HOWEVER THE PRIUS BEEPS LOUDLY INSIDE THE CABIN WHILE IN REVERSE. IT IS LOUD, DISTRACTING AND FRANKLY ANNOYING. OUR TOYOTA HIGHLANDER DOES NOT BEEP WHILE IN REVERSE. NO OTHER CAR I EVER OWNED OR OPERATED BEEPED INSIDE WHILE IN REVERSE. SOME LARGER VEHICLES HAVE AN EXTERNAL BEEPER BUT NONE THAT I KNOW BEEP INSIDE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE BEEPING WAS NECESSARY TO REMIND ME I WAS IN REVERSE. THE CAR IS PART ELECTRIC SO THEY SAY I NEED THE BEEPER TO KNOW I AM IN REVERSE. THAT ARGUMENT IS PLAIN STUPID FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT ELECTRIC HYBRIDS MUST HAVE AN INTERNAL REVERSE BEEPER BY LAW. I THINK BEEPER IS A HAZARD IE: I ALMOST RAN SOMEONE OVER. IS THE REVERSE BEEPER INDEED A LAW ? CAN I GET IT DISABLED ? *TR

I'M A OWNER OF A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. I ALMOST CRASH INTO ANOTHER CAR, DUE TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM OF THIS VEHICLE. I HAD TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD PAVEMENT TO AVOID THE CAR ACCIDENT. I HAD MULTIPLE TIMES NEAR MISS CAR ACCIDENTS BEFORE REPORTING THIS ISSUE. DUE TO THE VERY POOR BRAKING SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE. THE BRAKE RESPONSE IS VERY POOR. IN A QUICK REACTION FOR BRAKING, THIS CAR'S BRAKES WILL NOT STOP IN TIME TO AVOID ACCIDENT. AFTER A RECENT CLOSE CAR ACCIDENT 6/3/2013, I HAVE TO GIVE A LOT OF DISTANCE BETWEEN MY CAR AND OTHER CARS FOR BRAKING IN TIME TO AVOID A CAR ACCIDENT. AS A BUYER PURCHASING A NEW CAR, THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR SAFETY FOR A FAMILY OWNED CAR. I PURCHASE THIS CAR FOR A FUEL GAS SAVING CAR, BUT IT'S SCARY DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. DUE TO VERY POOR BRAKE SYSTEM IN THIS 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. TOYOTA COMPANY NEEDS TO RECALL THE BRAKING SYSTEMS FOR ALL 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. IT'S NEEDS TO BE CHECKED AND FIX FOR BETTER BRAKING QUALITY. I WANT TO SELL MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS, DUE TO THIS ISSUE OF BRAKING, BUT I CAN'T SELL THIS CAR DUE TO I STILL HAVE TO PAY OFF MY AUTO LOAN. MY FAMILY FEARS FOR MY SAFETY AND OTHER TOYOTA PRIUS OWNERS OUT THERE. PLEASE SOMEONE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. I FEAR FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND THE OIL CHANGE COVER FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. THE COVER IS BENEATH THE CAR'S ENGINE NEAREST THE PASSENGER-SIDE TIRE. THE PANEL HAD SHOWN WEAR AND IT LOOKED LIKE A PLASTIC FASTENER FAILED. THE PANEL WAS ABLE TO BE RECOVERED. *TR

AS WE WERE DRIVING THE CAR DOWN A HILL WE BEGAN TO FEEL A JERKING IN THE BRAKES. AS WE DROVE ONTO THE RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY, WARNING LIGHTS AND A BUZZER WENT OFF AND THE BRAKES FAILED. EVERY 15-30 SECONDS MY HUSBAND, WHO WAS DRIVING MY CAR AT THE TIME, SAID HE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF BRAKING FOR A COUPLE SECONDS, AND THEN HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKES AGAIN. *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

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES THEN THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE CONTACT PUMPED THE PEDAL AND EVENTUALLY THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE BRAKE BOOSTER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 144,000.

MY BACK-UP CAMERA WENT DARK & STOPPED WORKING IN THE CENTER CONSOLE. THIS RENDERED THE ENTIRE CONSOLE INOPERABLE; NAVIGATION, RADIO, BLUETOOTH, ETC. I WENT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, & CALLED TOYOTA. I WAS TOLD THIS HAPPENS WITH JBL EQUIPMENT, & IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 43,252 MILES ON IT. THEY TOLD ME THAT I COULD PAY $2500 FOR A REFURBISHED CAMERA/CONSOLE. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE FAIR TO THE CONSUMER. I DO NOT LIKE DRIVING AROUND WITHOUT THE BACK-UP CAMERA--A SAFETY FEATURE, & THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO TOYOTA & THEIR DEALERS. TOYOTA SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THIS CENTER CONSOLE ON THIS MODEL. *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

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 AND KEEP IT RUNNING FOR ABOUT 1 - 5 MINUTES. THANK YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS, EQUIPPED WITH GOODYEAR ASSURANCE FUEL MAX TIRES, TIRE SIZE 215/45R/17. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AND REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRES DEFLATED. THE TIRES WHERE INSPECTED AND THE CONTACT LOCATED CRACKS IN THE INSIDE SIDEWALL OF ALL FOUR TIRES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE DOT NUMBER FOR THE TIRES WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. ..UPDATED 07-17-13 *BF

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

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, WE TOWED THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR, AND AFTER A WEEK OF WAITING, THEY FINALLY CAME BACK TO US SPECIFYING THAT THE WHOLE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE PAD ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND WILL COST MORE THAN 4K FOR PARTS ALONE. CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT ASSIST US, SINCE WE EXCEEDED THE WARRANTY PERIOD. *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 BRAKE TO FEEL THEM. THE ABS LIGHTS SUDDENLY CAME ON AGAIN AND SHE SAID THE BRAKE PRESSURE DID NOT FEEL RIGHT AND THERE WAS SOMETHING DEFINITELY WRONG WITH MY BRAKES. AFTER IT WAS ASSESSED I WAS INFORMED I NEEDED A NEW ABS ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND AN ACCUMULATOR PUMP FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER. TOTAL COST WAS ESTIMATED AS $4600. *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

THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. AS I BRAKE AT LOW SPEEDS, THE CAR SURGES AHEAD AS THOUGH YOUR FOOT IS ON THE ACCELERATOR. SOMETIMES IT WAS SO SUBTLE, YOU WONDERED IF IT REALLY HAPPENED. TODAY (11/23/14) THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO MISTAKING IT. THE CAR SURGED FORWARD A COUPLE OF FEET AS I WAS SLOWING TO TURN LEFT. IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME, I WOULD HAVE HIT THEM FROM BEHIND. *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.

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

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 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

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

REAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED AT 61000 MILES. *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 I TRY TO BRAKE, OCCASIONALLY, THE CAR JUMPS FORWARD, INSTEAD OF STOPPING. IT MOVES LIKE 6 INCHES TO 12 INCHES. IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN WHEN I TRY TO BRAKE AT A STOP SIGN, WHEN THE ROAD IS ROUGH, OR THERE IS A POTHOLE. IT GIVES A FEELING OF THAT CAR ACTUALLY ACCELERATED INSTEAD OF SLOWING, AND FEELS UNSAFE. *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

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

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 HAPPENS AGAIN. THANK-YOU AND I CAN EMAIL MY FILE WHICH HAS BEEN SENT TO SHELLCUSTOMERCARE@SHELL.COM UNDER THEIR REFERENCE#[XXX], AND FLORIDA DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES, [XXX]. I HAVE ALSO REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE TOYOTA CORPORATION REPRESENTATIVE THROUGH THE DEALER SERVICE MGR. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AT ABOUT 125,000 MILES, THE ENGINE WARNED ME OF LOW OIL. IT WAS THE FIRST SUCH WARNING EVER WITH THIS VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME I COULD SECURE ONLY 2 QUARTS OF THE REQUIRED SYNTHETIC OIL AND IT WAS STILL OVER 1 QUART LOW. ABOUT 500 MILES LATER I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA CHULA VISTA AND EXPLAINED. THEY ADDED 3 MORE QUARTS OF OIL AND SUGGESTED A SERIES OF OIL CONSUMPTION TESTS. I CALLED TOYOTA MOTOR USA CONSUMER RELATIONS AND OPENED A CASE INDICATING THAT I WAS CONSUMING (BURNING NOT DRIPPING) 1 TO 2 QUARTS PER 1,000 MILES AND MY MPG HAD DECREASED FROM 46 AVG TO 35 AVG. THE OIL CONSUMPTION OVER THE NEXT 3 MONTHS AVERAGED 1 QT/600 MILES AND MY AVG MPG DETERIORATED FURTHER TO 29 MPG. IN JULY TOYOTA CHULA VISTA PERFORMED A TEARDOWN AND ENDED UP REPLACING THE LOWER ENGINE, CYLINDERS RINGS, AND VALVES. I WAS INFORMED THAT OTHER 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS ENGINES EXHIBITED FAILURE/WEAR OF THE CYLINDER WALLS AT ABOUT THE SAME MILEAGE. FIELD TECHS WERE CONTACTED AGAIN BY THE CHULA VISTA SERVICE MGR AND I CONTACTED TOYOTA NATIONAL SEEKING SOME ASSISTANCE IN THE $6,400 REPAIR BILL. BOTH LOCAL FIELD REP AND NATIONAL DECLINED THOSE REQUESTS. WHAT GOOD IS A 10 YEAR HYBRID BATTERY WITH A 3 YEAR ENGINE? *TR

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN BRAKING TO A STOP, ABRUPT FORCE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO THE BRAKES IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WOULD SLIDE ABNORMALLY AND THERE WAS A DECREASE IN BRAKING DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER:13V235000 (SERVICE BRAKES) AND WAS SERVICED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE BRAKE FAILURE NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FULLY REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10000.

DRIVING ON FREEWAY AND CAR OVERHEATED. THERE WAS NEVER ANY WARNINGS OF OVERHEATING PROBLEMS BEFORE. PULLED OVER ON FREEWAY AND HAD CAR TOWED TO AUTO SERVICE. WATER-PUMP WAS NOT WORKING, FAN STOPPED TURNING, COST TO REPLACE WAS $1260, TOYOTA WOULD NOT HELP AS CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. *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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH YOKOHAMA AVID TIRES , LINE SIZE: 195/65/R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIRE TIRES WERE BALD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRES WAS 14,500. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,500. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS AND ANTI-SKID WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED HOWEVER, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS USED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND DIAGNOSED AS BRAKE FAILURE. THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 8/26/13 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED TOYOTA ADMITTED TO INSTALLING A FAULTY BRAKE PUMP. THE CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 13V235000. UPDATED 09/10/13

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.

REPETITIVE AND FREQUENT LOW BEAM BULB FAILURES. REPLACEMENT BULBS LASTING ONLY 3 TO 6 MONTHS BEFORE NEEDING TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. ALWAYS DRIVE WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON LOW BEAM DURING THE DAY.

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 FURTHER CLARIFY, I WAS ABLE TO FINALLY STOP THE CAR... THE MAT WAS NO WHERE NEAR THE ACCELERATOR. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS FOR OTHERS' SAFETY, MY PASSENGERS AND MY OWN SAFETY. I TAKE CARE OF MY CARS FAITHFULLY. YOU CAN VIEW MY RECORDS. I AM ALSO FEARFUL IF I TRADE THIS CAR, SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT GET INJURED OR KILLED. CAN YOU PLEASE CHECK AND ADVISE. *TR

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

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

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