Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM | |||
| 04/14/2011 | 58800 | ||
| My 2007 toyota prius accelerates while braking after hitting bumps on the road. i was braking to come to a stop, the car propelled forward 2-3 times, the traction light flashed twice all why i had full pressure applied to the brake pedal. luckily the car in front of me had not stopped completely otherwise there would have been an impact as i had no method of making the car stop moving forward. the car will also propel forward when going over rail road tracks or other bumps/potholes in the road. from a driver standpoint, if the car loses contact with the road there is something electronic that causes it to accelerate even if the brake pedal is depressed. | |||
| 05/25/2010 | |||
| Whenever i brake when going over a bump, such as a manhole cover, pothole, or cobblestone road, the abs system engages and for a moment the brake does not seem to be working, the car is not slowing. i am worried it could lead to an accident if another car were close in front of me. when my husband mentioned the problem to the toyota dealer, the brakes were checked and we were told there was nothing wrong. however, this continues to happen and the moment without braking is too long for comfort. | |||
| 05/12/2010 | 22130 | ||
| This failure occurs whenever one wheel looses traction with the road. instead of the antilock braking kicking in, the brakes on all wheels are backed off giving the feeling the car is accelerating. this happens when you go over a bump or snow. on snow you have to allow additional braking distant. this is the same problem as described for the 2010 prius. | |||
| 05/08/2010 | 35500 | ||
| For approximately the past six months the passenger side headlight in our car has gone out intermittently. this occurs when there is any vibration in the road from, for example, uneven road surfaces. additionally, our car accelerates after hitting a bump or a pothole. | |||
| 04/12/2010 | 45000 | ||
| On monday, april 12, 2010, in the morning, on a rainy day in sacramento, california, i was driving about 15 mph when the traffic in front of me slowed. i was driving over railroad tracks with steel plates between the tracks in my 2007 toyota prius. i braked but the car did not stop. i had time to actually look down at my feet to confirm that it was definitely the brakes that i was applying major pressure to. i also noticed that the light was on indicating that the car did not have traction. i hit the car in front of me. the first words out of my mouth were, i had no brakes, i'm so sorry, but i had no brakes. the initial estimate for my car is over $6,000, i have not heard what the estimate is for the other car. i did everything i could have done, the car failed me. | |||
| 02/26/2010 | 48000 | ||
| I noticed in the last few months that the slippery sign on my prius 2007 came on many times even under very safe road conditions. for example, when i did a right turn slowly, the slippery sign would come on. on february 26, 2010. i was driving my car when it started to sleet. all of a sudden, my car lost control and started to spin until it hit the snow bank on the road side. in the following week, the car slipped twice when i approached stop signs slowly and applied brake lightly. we examined the rear tires which were the original tires with 48,000 miles on and the markings were mostly worn out. i would also want to point out that these old tires passed inspection on the same day of the accident and we just changed the tires hoping to improve the traction. after the tires were changed on march 6, 2010, it slipped once in the following two weeks under the same situation when i approached a stop sign slowly and applied brake lightly. the road conditions were all perfect when these 3 slippages happened after feb. 26, 2010. i have read some articles(consumeraffairs.com) and chat rooms(priuschat.com) online and found quite a few similar experiences from other prius drivers. | |||
| 02/15/2010 | 45081 | ||
| I have multiple times experienced a dangerous over-sensitivity of the traction control system on my car. it consistently happenes in the following scenarios: a) if i am driving at a low speed, say 20 mph, on a smooth, dry paved road and then panic break the trac system kicks in and temporarily cuts power to my car, resulting in a momentary loss of braking. b) if i am waiting at a stop light in the right hand lane, about to make a right hand turn, and there is even a moderate amount of gravel on the road or the road is wet, then i accelerate to make my right turn, the trac system again kicks in, resulting in a momentary loss of acceleration. i have been compensating for these occurrances, however i feel very unsafe in this car yet no one seems to want to do anything about it. when i took my car to the dealer, they literally just said that the car was operating as it was designed to. well then maybe it is the design that needs to be re assessed. | |||
| 05/18/2006 | 650 | ||
| This event has occured on a number of occasions with my 2007 toyota prius. when i am applying the brakes and go over a bump or pothole, the traction control light appears and the brakes weaken for a moment. the light will go off and the breaks feel like they go back to full strength. i am aware of this issue and have modified my driving becasue of it. recently while approaching an intersection i had to slow very quickly and hit a pothole while the brakes were applied. i traveled several feet further because the brakes were not reacting at full strength when the light was on. i have heard of other 2007 owners complaining but when i contacted my toyota dealer they said there was nothing they could do until there is a recall. that was the only time i contacted my dealer because it made me so upset. it is safe to say that from the moment i have purchased the car (within the first week) to current, if i am breaking and hitting a bump or pothole of significant disruptance at the same time - this situation replays itself. the date of incident is around the first date of the first occurance. it has happened nearly 100+ times since then. | |||
| 03/11/2010 | 42000 | 1 | |
| I am writing to explain two problems i have had with my toyota prius. i want to have a documented of report of these problems in the event that they result in a serious accident, as i fear they might. i have experienced these problems on a number of occasions. the first problem occurs whenever i drive over rough or uneven payment. when the traction control kicks in, it feels as if the car is surging and it is necessary to step on the brake, sometimes with both feet, very hard in order to get the car to slow down or stop. i have taken the car in for this problem a couple of times. i have driven cars with traction control in the past and never felt the surging that occurs with the prius, when driving other cars using other traction control systems. the other issue with the car is that occasionally, when accelerating, my normally silent prius makes a loud revving noise. whenever i hear this noise, i immediately take my foot off the gas. thankfully, so far, the noise stops and the car slows down. the noise does not occur every time i accelerate, but it seems to be happening with increasing frequency. i am not sure if other prius owners, especially those who have been involved in accidents, have reported this issue or noticed the revving noise prior to their accidents. but, i thought it might be an important piece of the puzzle that should be reported. i hope this information is useful. quite honestly, i am a concerned each and every time i get into my car. but, with a year remaining on my lease i have little choice but to engage in what i feel is increasingly a game of toyota owner russian roulette to get to school and do all the things i need to do. *tr | |||
| 03/09/2010 | 1 | ||
| Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). i own a 2007 toyota prius, i have been having the same issues other drivers are reporting in that the vehicle will increase speed when going over bumps, or on a slippery road. i always assumed it was some traction control system and it was normal, however the recent news stories have made me aware that my situation with my vehicle is not normal. i have contacted toyota about this major issue, however they advised me that because the vehicle is no longer under warranty that they are not held liable for the vehicle. they also stated that due to no recall being issued for this model and year that nothing can be done, unless i am willing to pay to have the issue at hand resolved. i do feel that the braking issue is identical to the 2010 issues. not sure what to do, and therefore i am writing to you. the incident date would be when ever i drive my vehicle, no crash has happened yet however. [xxx] *tr | |||
| 02/06/2010 | 51000 | 1 | |
| Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) sudden loss of power when tires lose traction (2007 toyota prius - vin: [xxx] ). *tr | |||
| 02/22/2010 | 48900 | 1 | |
| I drive a 2007 prius. recently when driving over pot holes, the stability control kicks in and the vehicle lunges forward ( unintended acceleration). this behavior is pronounced on bigger pot holes and less in severity on uneven roads or smaller pot holes. *tr | |||
| 10/10/2007 | 1000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2007 prius. i have noticed on many occasions that when you go over a pothole, or there is gravel on the road, the traction control light comes on and for a moment, the car loses its braking ability. you accelerate for a bit before the brakes come on again. it is very scary. thank god nothing has happened, but how many injuries have to happen before toyota does something?! *tr | |||
| 09/06/2009 | 9500 | 1 | |
| 2007 toyota prius - braking issue on rainy or slick surface. upon normal braking on a slick or wet surface the car becomes unstable, the abs braking becomes irregular and the car goes into a skid and does not stop in a normal fashion or within a normal braking distance. the same braking response occurs if i hit a pothole while braking. the toyota dealer tells me that this is normal. it is not normal as i cannot drive the car under wet or snowy conditions for fear of an accident. the braking issues noted in the 2010 prius make me wonder if a similar condition exists for the 2007 model year. i suspect that it is the ecu which is faulty. *tr | |||
| 02/22/2010 | 36000 | 12 | |
| This has happened dozens of times, to myself and my wife. we are braking, and whilst braking drive over a pothole or drain. the traction control comes on, and the car disengages the brakes and the car lurches forward. after clearing the pothole, the traction control then disengages, and the brakes re-engage. several times, i have come close to hitting the car in front. conditions: clear, sunny, dry roads. car: toyota prius, year 2007. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2009 | 10000 | 1 | |
| I have owed both a 2005 and 2007 prius and have experienced two problems with both vehicles that are a safety concern, although no accident has resulted from these problems. 1) in snowy conditions, when traveling up an incline, the traction control system can turn off power to both drive wheels with the result that the car can not make it up the hill. granted this can happen even to a more conventional car, but the prius does this under circumstances when other cars have no problem negotiating the hill. the owners manual claims that this is to protect the electric engine, however, it seems that there should be an override of some sort that allows the internal combustion motor to turn the wheels when traction is poor. this system has also led to circumstances in parking lots during snow, where it becomes impossible to move the car even though other conventional cars are able to negotiate the snow without a problem. 2) in circumstances where the prius must merge quickly into traffic for instance when turning into busy traffic at an intersection, if you floor the gas pedal the car initial accelerates, but then the acceleration fades dramatically, before it resurges. this can be circumvented by not pressing the gas pedal so hard, however, the instinct is to step on the gas as hard as possible. this is not only hair-raising when it happens, but also could lead on an accident. *tr | |||
| 12/06/2008 | 19000 | 1 | |
| My wife has a 2007 prius, on which we run dunlop graspics snow tires, 185/65r15, in the winter, on all 4 corners. we have run the graspics on a dodge caravan, ford mustang, and acura rsx, with good results, on snowy / icy roads. anyway, we were in canada, december 6, 2008, beautiful sunny day, temp about 6 deg. f. roads in the city had 1 - 2 inches of snow, with enough salt to make a nice greasy mixture, (too cold to melt the snow). i stopped at a stop sign before making a left turn. from full stop, and there were some on coming cars but a distance away, i gently stepped on the gas to make the turn - nothing - okay the traffic a little closer, but still a long ways away. i give it a little more gas, and maybe we are moving. finally it is creeping across, and we complete the left turn with no bent sheet metal. after this experience, and with no one else in the prius, i did some experimenting. the traction control appears to work too well. it seems to allow no slippage, and there is no feeling of forward progress, or that the tires are even trying. i did find some similar comments on the internet. i called toyota and they are so concerned about damage to the prius drivetrain that the traction control is designed to allow no slippage. the person on the phone at toyota said that if the tires spun and then got traction, there may be damage resulting in a $6000 repair bill. i said, %$#@ the $6000; i had 4 people in a car that was very dangerous at snowy intersections. i asked to talk to some one else and got no different answer, except that they had received similar calls, and the only advice was to use snow tires. no deaths or injuries. no fire no crash. not reported to police. *tr | |||
| 02/12/2010 | 35000 | 1 | |
| When braking while driving over potholes, speed bumps, manhole covers, or any kind of bump in the road, car lurches forward, and brakes do not work at that moment, in addition, the traction warning light flashes telling driver car has lost traction with road. it occurs every single time the brakes are depressed while driving over a bump, pothole, manhole cover, or any kind of bump in the road. have come extremely close to rear-ending an individual in front of me at an intersection because there was a bump as i approached the intersection, and was braking to slow down. have taken to dealer once and told brakes are fine, unable to duplicate problem. taking back again to have service technician ride with us so we can demonstrate problem. *tr | |||
| 01/15/2010 | 29000 | 1 | |
| Traction control stability control vsc cuts power instead of gently braking one wheel. *tr | |||
| 02/09/2010 | 77000 | 1 | |
| Toyota prius 2007. will not move when on any slippery surface. the traction control has no override. this could get someone killed when they are trying to merge into traffic and the traction control shuts the power to the wheels when it is severely needed. this only happened in my driveway, my other vehicles went through the snow with no problem, the prius kept losing power and there was no way to shut it off. some one is going to get killed when the traction control doesn't know what to do and sits there while the vehicle is smashed by the oncoming vehicle. to reiterate once the traction control takes over the driver has no control over the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 02/10/2010 | 100 | 1 | |
| This is not one incident, it happens whenever the road is slick (rain, or even sprinkler runoff!) or if i drive over a pothole--the power to the wheels is cut and the engine feels like it is going to stall. it is extremely difficult and nervewracking to drive while it is raining. the most dangerous times that this happens is when i am at a signal, making a right turn i need power to the engine to merge into traffic, and make sure that oncoming traffic is not interrupted. there have been times that i feel like my car won't go or hesitates when i need it to go! and if it's this bad in wet conditions, i would never even consider driving the prius in snowy conditions. i have read that this is all due to a problem in the traction control system. very unsafe!! *tr | |||
| 01/28/2010 | 1000 | 1 | |
| I have an ongoing problem with my 2007 prius with braking and traction control in slippery conditions (rain, snow, ice), and on slippery or uneven surfaces (railroad/trolley tracks, manhole covers, etc.). i have reported it to the toyota dealer several times starting in the summer of 2007 and have been told there is no problem. the car seems to lurch or slide under these conditions which is alarming even at very low speeds. the traction control light flashes, and there is a momentary inability to brake or stop the car. *tr | |||
| 02/08/2010 | 40205 | 1 | |
| I have a 2007 toyota prius and have experienced the same braking issue that is being reported about the 2010 prius. i have noticed that when i am driving or braking while going over pot-holes, railroad tracks, or very bumping roads i can feel a sudden and momentary loss of braking and/or acceleration. i also noticed that the traction control indicator light on the dash always turns on when this happens. i took the dealer just after i purchased the vehicle and was told that everything was normal. this has been happening for the last 2 and a half years. it has happened 3 or 4 times this week alone. i have gotten used to this happening but have also been very concerned that it will cause a rearend collision, or something even worse. this needs attention asap. thank you *tr | |||
| 12/01/2007 | 7500 | 1 | |
| Date: 02/09/2010 time: 10:01:20 creation date: 02/09/2010 creation time: 09:58:43 i would like to report a braking/traction control/loss of engine power safety problem with my 2007 toyota prius. the problem happens while driving on snow covered flat road surfaces (1 inch of snow), snow covered hilly roads (1 inch of snow), and bumpy road surfaces. when the traction control system (trac) engages on these road surfaces, i lose the ability to brake and also lose power to the engine simultaneously. i have had four (4) near-accidents due to this safety problem. 1.snow covered (1 inch of snow) going downhill (slight hill)- lost brakes after trac traction control system engaged was unable to stop car - went through stop sign. car went onto busy highway (50 mph zone) and would not stop. luckily no cars were coming and i avoided a very serious accident. 2. snow covered (1 inch of snow) going downhill - lost brakes after trac traction control system engaged and almost crashed into cars that were slowing down ahead of me. 3. snow covered (1 inch of snow) going uphill - trac traction control system engaged and i lost all engine power as i was turning left up a steep hill. i almost crashed into large rocks at the roadside. i was able to avoid a crash. 4. snow covered (1 inch of snow) driving on flat road surface. i turned off of snow covered road into a parking lot area. trac traction control system engaged and i lost the ability to brake. my car went at least 15 feet in the parking lot area before stopping. luckily there were no parked cars there and i did not have an accident. a recurring problem with trac and loss of engine power also occurs on the hilly road leading up to my house. when the road is snow covered (1 inch of snow) or icy the trac traction control system engages and i lose all power to the engine. it makes it nearly impossible to get my car up the hill due to the loss of power when trac engages! *tr | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 20000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2007 toyota prius and have experienced occasional momentary loss of braking (my foot firmly on the brake pedal) while driving over a bumpy surface. while braking over small pot holes, railroad tracks, rough patches, etc., the car seems to lunge forward apparently as the brakes release for a split second (approximately 1/4 to 1/2 second). the road conditions can be wet or dry. at the same time, my traction control light will flash on and off until the road smoothes out. that split second is enough to cause an accident with the car in front of me if i don't give myself extra room or slow down prior to the bumpy condition (1/2 second at 20 mph = 15 feet of unwanted travel). i drive over the same railroad tracks just prior to a traffic light every day and i have had to adjust my driving habits to keep this dangerous, additional stopping distance from recurring. this has occurred approximately 15 to 20 times in various bumpy conditions since i bought the car over 3 years ago. i have had some close calls, but no accident yet. i have not complained to toyota, but due to all the complaints i have read about online, i assumed they would do something eventually. *tr | |||
| 01/31/2010 | 39500 | 1 | |
| I have a 2007 toyota prius and have experienced the same braking issue that is being reported about the 2010 prius. i have noticed that when i am braking while going over pot-holes, railroad tracks, or very bumping roads i can feel a sudden and momentary loss of braking. i also noticed that the traction control indicator light on the dash always turns on when this happens. *tr | |||
| 05/31/2007 | 100 | 1 | |
| I just wanted to let you know that the braking problem associated with the vsa icon in the toyota prius is not isolated to the 2010 model year. my 2007 prius does exactly what i have seen described in the media. it has done this ever since it was brand new. i had never driven a hybrid before, so i thought it was just the nature of the beast. but it is very unsettling when the car lurches forward when i drive on a road with an uneven surface. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2010 | 52000 | 1 | |
| 1. first time occurrence event: icy roads, around freezing point, lasted one or two days. a few days ago recurred. 2. failure: car brakes very abrupt opposed to the gentile brake that is applied 3. done: nothing yet, waiting for recall info. *tr | |||
| 09/24/2009 | 2 | ||
| I believe my 2007 toyota prius has a problem similar to the recent media reports regarding the braking system in the 2010 prius. i have on several occasions over the past few years observed a lapse in braking power when going over a bump. a few times, this lapse resulted in my vehicle coming uncomfortably close to the vehicle in front of me. *jb | |||
| 01/04/2008 | 8416 | 2 | |
| I was driving my toyota prius up my long and fairly steep driveway over about an inch of snow when the power suddenly kicked out because of the trac system and i slid backwards into a tree. it happened a second time with just a small dusting of snow. i guided it into the mountain but damaged the exhaust system running over a rock. i never had a problem with my previous car which was a saturn sedan. the toyota dealer said it was a safety feature where the engine cuts out if there is any wheel spinning and to get snow tires which i did (with studs). still i rarely go out in the snow anymore. it still slips on occasion even with the studs. it would be especially dangerous if another car was behind me. luckily the tree stopped me or i would have gone into a ravine. other owners have complained to consumer affairs but toyota has not acknowledged this safety problem. *jb | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 1 | ||
| Obviously there has been a lot of media coverage over the past day or so over the third generation prius and brake issues. while i have a 2007 prius (second generation), i can say that my car also suffers from the same issue while braking on an uneven road, going over a bump, etc. (this has happened on dozens of occasions). with my foot on the brake pedal, my cars feels as if it momentarily lurches forward before the brakes once again react. my traction-control light momentarily flashes on my dashboard when this happens. this comment from a poster on your website exactly describes my problem: when braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second. since my car is not a third generation prius, i find it interesting that it is suffering from the same problem that apparently only involves the newest model. *tr | |||
| 01/16/2010 | 52000 | 1 | |
| During turns at times my 2007 pruis will bog down and have no power. i have reported the problem to the dealer and they believe it my be a sensor problem where the abs senses to much spin and cuts power to the transmission. it takes about 5 to 10 seconds to get the power back to the transmission. during this time the car cannot move. *tr | |||
| 02/03/2010 | 44000 | 1 | |
| The complaint involves a 2007 toyota prius. since new this vehicle exhibits a momentary loss in braking when suddenly encountering bumpy or slippery surfaces. the events are typically accompanied by a flashing warning light indicating a slippery surface. these events result in a slight but noticeable decrease in braking force. both my wife and i can detect when this occurs. no parts have been replaced and we have not visited the dealer. we thought that this was normal operation for our car until recent toyota news releases. *tr | |||
| 01/29/2010 | 0 | 1 | |
| When braking, if the car hits any kind of pothole, speed bump, or imperfection in the road that causes the traction control light to illuminate, all braking power is lost and the car glides (as if neither the brake or gas pedal are depressed) until the traction control light goes off, at which point braking power is returned. the traction control is very sensitive and many small bumps or imperfections can set it off, and the lack of braking power has caused me some close calls in the past. *tr | |||
| 10/31/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| I had a 2007 toyota prius that seemed to have issues whenever i would hit the brakes on slickwet roads or sometimes when i would hit a bump. it felt as if the brakes would not apply and the car would feel like it accelerated forward instead of stopping. usually the brakes would kick in after a second or two of this kind of slipping. however, in early november of this year while taking my son to karate on a wet day we hit a spot of repaired road that caused this to occur again, instead of correcting itself it felt like i had no control of the car and the car veered off to the side of the road, went up an incline and flipped the car onto its side. fortunately in this case no one was injured at all as i was going fairly slow and the car quickly came to a stop when it went on it side. i always thought the issue was with the anti-lock brake system but i recently saw an article about 2010 prius having this issue and i thought i should report that this happened to me on an older version of the prius as well. *tr | |||
| 01/18/2010 | 60000 | 1 | |
| 2007 toyota prius breaks fail to work for a split second when the car hits a bump and brakes are applied. with the car slowing down and the brakes are applied, if i hit a bump, the brakes will stop slowing the car for about 0.5 seconds and the low traction light will blink. *tr | |||
| 12/04/2009 | 27741 | 1 | |
| I am writing to report transient failure of the anti-lock braking system in our 2007 toyota prius. since may 2008 we have noticed episodic accelerations during light braking (at intersections for instance) when the car encounters pot holes, grates, railroad tracks or slippery pavement. we seem to lose control of the vehicle momentarily. only with heavy brake pedal depression does the vehicle come to a complete stop. until january 2010 we thought this was a unique feature to our vehicle and we were hypersensitive to its idiosyncrasies. unfortunately, in january 2009 this defect lead to a low speed motor vehicle collision wherein my wife was unable to stop the vehicle when another driver abruptly pulled in front of her. no one was hurt, thankfully, but both vehicles were damaged. all other nearby drivers were able to stop in time and no other collisions occurred. on december 4, 2009 this same vehicle was involved in another low speed motor vehicle collision when a driver ahead suddenly stopped to avoid a pedestrian. the prius was unable to stop in time (even under heavy brake pedal pressure) and collided with rear bumper of the car ahead. more than $5,000 in damage occurred to the prius alone; though no one was hurt. in both instances nearby and subsequent vehicles experienced no problems stopping. there were no signs of ice or slippery pavement either time. furthermore, neither my wife nor i have ever been involved in accidents in the past or with other cars. we didn't recognize that this could be a manufacturer's defect until complaints to the nhtsa became public and widely discussed in december 09 & january '10. please note, however; our affected vehicle is a 2007 model year and we have experienced symptoms including loss of control and inappropriate acceleration just as described by others in the online community for 2010. *tr | |||