2011 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

A FEW MONTHS AGO I HAD THE REQUIRED SOFTWARE UPDATE TO ADJUST THE SAFETY FEATURE IN THE HYBRID SYSTEM IN CASE OF A FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING ON A SIDE STREET ON 3/1/19 I PRESSED THE GAS AFTER BEING STOPPED, THE CAR JERKED, AND THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WAS ON RAILROAD TRACKS BUT THE CAR DID DRIVE ON THE GAS ENGINE A SHORT DISTANCE TO MAKE IT OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER WHO STATED THE INVERTER WAS BAD, BUT THAT TOYOTA WOULD REPLACE IT AS THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE THAT TOYOTA IS IGNORING. I ALSO OWN A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS V WHICH IS ALSO PRONE TO THIS ISSUE. TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS THIS ISSUE BEYOND A MERE SOFTWARE UPDATE.

I WAS ON DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN SUDDENLY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WAS ON AND BRAKES SEEMED TO HAVE LOCKED. THE CONDITIONS OF THE ROAD WERE DRY AND I WAS DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT. THIS OCCURED ON A FEW DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ONE DAY BRAKE LIGHT, ABS AND TRACTION LIGHT ALL APPEARED. TOOK IT INTO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS BRAKE BOOSTER.

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON AT ONCE, AND THE BRAKES REQUIRED SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL PRESSURE TO OPERATE. WE DROVE HE VEHICLE HOME, AND THEN TO A NEARBY REPAIR SHOP. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER HAD AN INTERNAL LEAK, AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THIS IS THE SAME PART THAT WAS ADDRESSED IN A CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR THE 2010 MY PRIUS; HOWEVER, THE 0211 PRIUS IS NOT COVERED. 110,000 MILES.

TOYOTA HAD A CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM ZJB FOR DEFAULT BRAKE BOOSTER/MASTER CYLINDERS ON THE 2010 PRIUS MODELS. I HAVE A 2011 PRIUS THAT HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THERE IS NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT OFFERED. THIS WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT ON THE 2010 MODELS IS GOOD THRU 11/30/19 REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. EVEN THOUGH MY VEHICLE HAS THE EXACT PROBLEM THERE IS NO RECOGNITION FOR SUPPORT DUE TO THE YEAR OF THIS VEHICLE. I WAS NOT AWARE I EVEN HAD A PROBLEM UNTIL I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR A SOFTWARE RECALL UPDATE. WE WERE EXPERIENCING HEAVY RAIN AND MY INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON WHICH IS WHY THEY CHECKED THIS AND CONFIRMED THE ISSUE ALTHOUGH MY BRAKES ARE WORKING FINE. I AM NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY TOYOTA IS NOT HONORING THE FIX FOR THE DEFAULT OR WHY AFTER DISCOVERING THIS ISSUE IN 2010 THE 2011 WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED. I WOULD APPRECIATE SOME HELP IN THIS MATTER.

WENT IN TO HAVE THE SPARK PLUGS AND 2 COILS(CYLINDERS 1 & 2) STARTED SHAKING, KNOCKING AND SMOKING AT THE TIME I PICKED IT UP. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND HASN'T GONE OFF. THE MECHANIC I TAKE THE VEHICLE TO SAYS IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL CAR, TRYING TO DETERMINE THIS, SINCE HE STATED IT IS NOW MY HEAD GASKET THAT NEEDS REPLACING.

ALTHOUGH TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL NOTICE IN OCTOBER OF 2018 FOR OUR 2011 PRIUS, THE AFFECTED PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND THE LETTER STATED WE WOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE REPAIR COULD BE MADE. ON FEB. 5 OUR CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING CAME ON AND THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE WITH DIMINISHED ACCELERATION/POWER--CERTAINLY A SAFETY ISSUE IN OUR AREA'S HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE AUTO NATION TOYOTA FT MYERS, FL DEALERSHIP SAID THE CAR SHOULD BE DRIVEN IN TO THE SERVICE DEPT. (BUT TOLD MY HUSBAND ONCE IT WAS THERE, IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO OPERATE) AND IT WOULD BE CHECKED AND THEN "GRACIOUSLY" SAID THE INVERTER SYSTEM WOULD BE REPLACED AT NO COST (APPROX. $3800) TO US AS TOYOTA OPTED TO "EXTEND THE WARRANTY". THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN OCTOBER WHEN INITIALLY NOTIFIED AND BEFORE IT FAILED AND BECAME A SAFETY ISSUE AND BEFORE WE WERE TOLD TO "DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP". I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA AND I WORRY ABOUT OTHER PRIUS DRIVERS STILL ON THE ROAD.

AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AFTER BEING REAR ENDED STRAIGHT ON AT 55 MPH, NOT A SINGLE AIRBAG DEPLOYED.

THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF HOW I BECAME AWARE OF THE POWER BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. 'UPON DISCOVERY OF MULTIPLE LIGHTS DISPLAYED ON DASHBOARD SUCH AS BRAKE, ABS SYSTEM & TRACTION LIGHTS, DURING DRIVING THE BRAKING PERFORMANCE HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY & THE CAR NO LONGER PERFORMS BRAKING FUNCTION ADEQUATELY. UNABLE TO RELY ON SAFE BRAKING DUE TO BRAKE RESISTANCE FELT WITH STIFFENING IN WHICH PEDAL DEPRESSES DEEPLY & MORE TIME IS REQUIRED TO COME TO A FULL STOP. WHEN BRAKING THE HYBRID BATTERY DOES NOT CHARGE & RUNS DANGEROUSLY LOW RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE HYBRID BATTERY WHICH CAN LEAD TO SUBSTANTIAL COST TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. 'CAR BROUGHT TO FIRESTONE FOR DIAGNOSTICS. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION BY THEIR TECHNICIAN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER/MASTER CYLINDER WAS DAMAGED & MALFUNCTIONING AND WAS IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. INFORMED REPAIR WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF $1,500.00. SEE ENCLOSED SUPPORTIVE DOCUMENTATION FROM FIRESTONE DIAGNOSTICS.

BRAKE ACCUMULATOR FAILURE. SPECIFICALLY REPAIR T-SB-0079-18 ABS, TRACTION, BRAKE LIGHTS ON. BRAKES NOT AS RESPONSIVE/SPONGEY. NO REGENERATIVE ENERGY FROM BRAKING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED AND WAS STIFF. THE CONTACT HAD TO TAP THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE AND ABS INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CHARLES MAUND TOYOTA (8400 RESEARCH BLVD, AUSTIN, TX 78758 (866) 797-4354) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1901140996. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,384. *TT*JB