What 516 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Prius

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP, THE PEDAL HAD EXTENDING TO THE FLOOR RESULTING THE BRAKING DISTANCE TO BE EXTENDED. THE CONTACT INDICATED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE THE FAILURE OCCURRED THE VEHICLE MADE CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT AND A POLE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER FERNELIUS FORD LOCATED AT 10459 N STRAITS HWY, CHEBOYGAN, MI 49721 WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. *BF

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A SIGN POST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED DURING THE INDEPENDENT ACCELERATION. THERE WAS NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

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A FEW WEEKS AGO MY BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS CAME ON AND MY BRAKE PEDAL CHANGED AND BECAME SPONGY. SINCE I WAS STILL ABLE TO BRAKE, I KEPT DRIVING THE CAR AND BECAME USED TO THE SPONGY PEDAL. THEN THE OTHER DAY I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM WORK WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY HIT HIS BRAKES. I HAD TO QUICKLY HIT MINE AS WELL AND THE BRAKES LOCKED UP SENDING THE CAR SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND I CRASHED INTO THE GUARD RAIL CAUSING $1500 WORTH OF DAMAGE. I PICKED UP THE CAR TODAY AFTER HAVING THE DAMAGE REPAIRED BUT I STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

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AFTER APPLYING BRAKES CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD THROUGH GARAGE OPENING CRASHING INTO WALL AT END OF GARAGE BEFORE IT STOPPED. BRAKE WAS NOT SLOWING/STOPPING VEHICLE

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DRIVING VEHICLE DOWN HIGHWAY, TAPPED BRAKES BUT BRAKES DID NOT WORK, ALL THE LIGHTS ON MY DASH LIT UP. I LOST TRACTION IN BRAKES CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL.

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MY BRAKES CONSISTENTLY LOCK AND THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD WHEN I HIT A POTHOLE WHILE BRAKING. THIS CAUSED A CRASH WHEN THE CAR WAS ONLY A COUPLE YEARS OLD WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND IT LUNGED FORWARD INTO THE BACK OF A CAR. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND I'VE SEEN THIS COMMENT OFTEN WITH THIS VEHICLE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY TOYOTA HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE.

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WHEN THE BRAKES ARE PRESSED, IF YOU HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE, THE BRAKES LOCK AND THE CAR HYDROPLANES FORWARD. I HIT THE BACK OF SOMEONE BECAUSE OF THIS DEFECT.

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CAR WAS IN MOTION ABOUT 20MPH. WHEN BRAKES WAS APPLIED, THE CAR FAILED TO SLOW DOWN BUT INSTEAD QUICKLY ACCELERATED. CONTINUOUSLY APPLYING THE BRAKES DID NOTHING. CAR CAME TO A STOP APPLY RUNNING INTO ANOTHER CAR.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE DRIVER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. DURING THE CRASH, THE FRONT END SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000.

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MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2011 PRIUS DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. SHE SAID THE CAR JUST TOOK OFF ON HER ON IT'S OWN SHE TRIED TO BRAKE BUT IT WOULDN'T STOP. IT CRASHED INTO THE MOTORHOME THAT I WAS DRIVING. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS TOTALED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.

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THE PRIUS FAILED TO STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED; INSTEAD THE CAR DID A LURCH WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THEN ACCELERATED FORWARD CAUSING A 4 CAR COLLISION; LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. MADE TOYOTA AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, WHEN THEY INVESTIGATED THEY OF COURSE FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE SYSTEM. *TR

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WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SLOT IN A PARKING LOT, WHICH WAS ON A SLOPE, I APPLIED THE FOOT BRAKE WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE WHATSOEVER. THE VEHICLE GAINED ENOUGH SPEED TO JUMP THE SMALL STOP-CURB AND HIT A CONCRETE WALL NEXT TO IT. THE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS JUST OVER $4000. I THOUGHT I HAD MISSED THE PEDAL. ON JUNE 12TH AND 15TH, I HAD TWO MORE INCIDENTS OF THE BRAKE PEDAL GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WHILE EITHER AT SLOW SPEED OR STOPPED. MY DEALER SAYS IT WAS A PROBLEM ON THE 2010, BUT HE HAS NOT SEEN IT ON A 2011. MY WIFE NOW REFUSES TO DRIVE THE CAR. *TR

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CAR LURCHES FORWARD WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED ON BUMPY OR UNEVEN SURFACES, AS WELL AS SLIPPERY SURFACES SUCH AS METAL PLATES THAT YOU SOMETIMES FIND COVERING CITY STREETS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. ON ICE, WHEN APPLIED FORCEFULLY, NO BRAKING ACTION OCCURS WHATSOEVER, EVEN WHEN PUMPED OR RELEASE AND REAPPLIED. IN JAN 2013, CAR SLID MORE THAN 150' ON A LIGHTLY SNOWY ROAD INTO A DITCH. MY SENSE IS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE, BUT IT COULD BE SOME OTHER COMPUTER OVERRIDE THAT KICKS IN. WHEN STOPPING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A BUMPY ROAD, OR OVER ONE OF THOSE CONSTRUCTION PLATES, IT'S SCARY, AND I FEEL LUCKY I HAVEN'T HIT ANYONE. *TR

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LOVE MY PRIUS UNTIL I STARTED TO BECOME SCARED DAILY BY THE UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO THE CAR'S TENDENCY TO LURCH FORWARD WHILE BRAKING OVER BUMPY GROUND OR POTHOLES WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR SLOWING DOWN TO TURN. IT'S RATHER STARTLING AND FORTUNATELY HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT YET FOR NO OTHER CAR HAS BEEN AROUND WHEN THIS HAPPENS. A DIFFERENT STORY WITH THE OTHER MORE SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM WHEN NEEDING TO COME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP DUE TO SUDDEN STOPPING OF THE CAR IN FRONT. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I EXPERIENCED THE "NO BRAKE" ISSUE WHEN SUDDENLY NEEDING TO PRESS HARD ON THE BRAKE FOR A STOPPED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD PLENTY OF DISTANCE FOR STOPPING BUT BECAUSE OF THE "NO BRAKE" ISSUE HAD TO STEER OFF TO THE SIDE TO MISS THE CAR. SHOCKED AND CONFUSED AT WHAT HAPPENED, THOUGHT MAYBE I DID SOMETHING WRONG BY NOT PUMPING THE BRAKE. THEN TWO DAYS AGO, I WAS SITTING AT A RED LIGHT WHEN IT TURNED GREEN, TRAFFIC STARTED MOVING BUT THEN SUDDENLY STOPPED FOR AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE TO GO THROUGH THE INTERCEPTION. I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE HARD AND JUST KEPT MOVING RIGHT INTO THE REAR OF THE TRUCK IN FRONT. I NOW HAVE ABOUT $1,800 OF DAMAGES FOR THE TRUCK (NO DAMAGE CAUSED TO IT) HAD AN HITCH WHICH PUNCTURED MY BUMPER AND BENT THE AIR CONDENSER. I HAVE DECIDED NOT TO FIX IT FOR IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. WHEN I DECIDE WHAT'S MY NEXT SAFE CAR TO PURCHASE, I WILL HAVE IT FIXED AND TRADE IT IN FOR IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR I'M NOW SCARED TO DRIVE IT. THE DEALERSHIP REPLY TO MY CONCERN IS THE SAME AS WITH EVERYONE ELSE'S COMPLAINT AND REVIEW I HAVE READ, THIS IS HOW THE BRAKE SYSTEM WORKS AND NO ERROR. THEY DO NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS FAULTY BRAKE SYSTEM WHICH CREATES UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. FORTUNATELY IT WAS A TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME THIS TIME. BUT WHAT IF IT'S A PERSON WALKING ACROSS THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME NEXT TIME?? *TR

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I AM AN EXCELLENT DRIVER. I PURCHASED THIS PRIUS IN THE SUMMER OF 2011. WE (MY WIFE AND YOUNG DAUGHTER) WERE PROCEEDING ON JUANITA DRIVE N.E. IN KIRKLAND, WA. MY WIFE AND I AGREE THAT OUR SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 30-33 MPH AND THAT THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 3+ CAR LENGTHS BETWEEN US AND THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF US. THE WEATHER WAS DRY AND SUNNY. SUDDENLY, A VEHICLE THREE VEHICLES AHEAD OF US STOPPED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, AND THE TWO VEHICLES BEHIND IT WERE ABLE TO STOP. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED MY BRAKES TO THE FLOOR AS SOON AS I OBSERVED THE STOPPED VEHICLE AHEAD. I FELT NO RESPONSE - NO GRIPPING OF THE BRAKES OR GRIPPING OF THE WHEELS TO THE ROAD, NO SQUEALING, NO SKIDDING, NO SENSE OF THE BRAKES SLOWING THE VEHICLE IN THE THREE SECONDS I APPLIED THEM. DUE TO VEHICLES IN THE OPPOSING LANE, A NARROW ROAD AND NO SHOULDER (A DITCH WITH TELEPHONE POLES ON THE RIGHT), I WAS FORCED TO DESIGN THE LEAST HARMFUL IMPACT - MY FRONT RIGHT CORNER TO THE REAR LEFT CORNER OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE IMPACT TORE OPEN THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, SHATTERING THE WINDSHIELD NEXT TO MY WIFE AND CAUSING HER LEGS TO FLY UP AND STRIKE THE DASHBOARD, INJURING HER LEGS IN SEVERAL PLACES. HER AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY 7-YEAR-OLD WAS IN HER CAR SEAT IN THE BACK SEAT. THE LARGER SPLIT BACK WAS BEHIND HER. THE BACK BECAME UNHINGED AT IMPACT AND FLIPPED FORWARD, FORCING MY DAUGHTER'S UPPER BODY FORWARD. SHE SUSTAINED MINOR FACIAL INJURIES. WHILE IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE AIRBAG NON-DEPLOYMENT WAS APPROPRIATE (I AM NOT CERTAIN OF THIS), THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THE BRAKING WAS SOFT, SQUISHY, NON-EXISTENT, AND THE BACK SEAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BECOME UNHINGED. *TR

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WE PURCHASED A 10 MONTH OLD TOYOTA PRIUS ON MARCH 16ND 2012 WITH ONLY 1367 MILES. THE PRIOR OWNER WHO WAS LEASING THIS CAR RETURNED THE CAR DUE TO MILEAGE INCONSISTENCY..... ON OCT 5TH 2012, I WAS DRIVING ON SUNNY DRY DAY AT 22MPH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME SLOWED DOWN. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE TO SLOWDOWN BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE IT DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY, I APPLIED COMPLETE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE HOWEVER THE CAR STILL DID NOT SLOW DOWN ENOUGH AND I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. PER THE REPORT FROM TOYOTA THE SPEED WENT DOWN FROM 22MPH TO 5MPH AT THE TIME OF THE IMPACT. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE TOYOTA REPORT THAT I ONLY STEPPED ON THE BRAKE FOR 2 SECONDS AS IT WAS MUCH MORE... BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKE WAS MUCH HARDER AND LESS FORCEFUL PRESSURE MADE THE CAR STOP AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKE FEELS SOFTER AND MORE PRESSURE IS NEEDED TO MAKE THE BRAKE WORK. THIS IS AN ALMOST BRAND NEW CAR WITH 7K MILES ON IT HOWEVER I DO FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR ANYMORE AFTER THIS ACCIDENT AND I FEAR FOR MY LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY. WHAT WILL HAPPEN I DRIVE ON A HIGHWAY AT 60MPH AND THE BRAKE WILL NOT WORK?? TOYOTA DENIES ANY TECHNICAL ERROR WITH THE CAR AND BLAMES THE ACCIDENT ON ME. THERE ARE PLENTY OF REPORTS OF SIMILAR ACCIDENTS REPORTED BY CONSUMERS ON THIS SAME ISSUE HERE: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0DB60B. *TR

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