2010 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

While driving at highway speed on Interstate 87 in New York, the 2010 Toyota Prius suddenly lost power while multiple warning lights on the dashboard illuminated, along with a "Check Hybrid System" notification. The engine would operate but at significantly reduced power. I drove it to an independent garage to identify the diagnostic trouble codes, which included P0A94 and P324E, an inverter problem with the hybrid battery and a problem with the intelligent power module. The currently is currently awaiting a confirm diagnosis at a Toyota dealership in New Jersey, but the problem is exactly what thousands of other 2010 - 2014 Prius owners have reported, yet Toyota has yet to issue a recall to replace the inverter.

Impending failure of the brake booster / brake booster pump assembly. ABS and brake warning lights remain on and a constant electrical whining sound can be heard from the brake booster assembly. Toyota is aware of the problem and offered a customer support program that expired in 2019 ( https://attachments.priuschat.com/attachment-files/2019/12/178663_162714_ZJB_Phase_2_.pdf )

REGENERATIVE BRAKES STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING IN CLEAR CONDITIONS ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60MPH, ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND BRAKES LIGHTS ON DASH ILLUMINATED. ALMOST CRASHED AS BRAKE PEDAL NEEDED TO BE PRESSED REALLY HARD AND ALMOST TO THE FLOOR TO STOP THE CAR. KNOWN ISSUE AND DEALER REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM

I WAS JUST TOLD THAT MY 2010 PRIUS NEEDS THE BRAKE BOOST ASSEMBLY (CYLINDER AND BOOST) AT A COST OF $2,570. IT WAS CAUSING MY 4 MONTH OLD, 12V BATTERY TO DRAIN. I THOUGHT THAT WAS OUTRAGEOUS SO I LOOKED INTO IT AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS AN "ENHANCED EXTENDED" WARRANTY ISSUED (NOT A RECALL) , BUT FOR MY VEHICLE IT EXPIRED APRIL 2020. ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I UNCOVERED THAT THIS PART ALSO CAUSES THE PRIUS TO LURCH FORWARD WHEN BRAKING AND YOU HAPPEN TO DRIVE OVER A BUMP. TRAIN TRACKS, OR POTHOLES WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS WITH MY PRIUS. FORTUNATELY, I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS SO FAR. I HAVE READ THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THIS ISSUE. TOYOTA SHOULD STEP UP AND FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE PEOPLE ARE INJURED DUE TO THIS DEFECTIVE BRAKING SYSTEM. MY DAUGHTER DRIVES A 2015 PRIUS. IS ANYTHING MORE BEING DONE? OR ARE THEY GOING TO WAIT UNTIL MORE ACCIDENTS HAPPEN? I STUMBLED ACROSS THIS ISSUE WHEN MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS 12V BATTERY REQUIRED FREQUENT JUMP STARTS. I REPLACED THE BATTERY ($300) DEC 2020. PRIOR TO THAT, I CALLED AAA AND GOT A JUMP START. BECAUSE OF COVID, I WASN'T DRIVING THE VEHICLE DAILY (WORK FROM HOME) SO IT WAS ASSUMED THE CAUSE WAS THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE DRIVEN FREQUENTLY.

I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW IN 2010. TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. TWO WEEKS AGO THE ABS LIGHT, EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT, AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ALL CAME ON AND WON'T GO OFF. DEALERSHIP SAYS I NEED $2000 WORTH OF WORK. BRAKE BOOSTER/MASTER CYLINDER, BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY, BRAKE ACTUATOR INTERNAL LEAK. BRAKES ACTING WEIRD. DEALERSHIP SAYS I DON'T NEED TO DRIVE CAR, JUST PAY $2000 WHICH I DON'T HAVE. THEY SAID TOYOTA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO DECEMBER 2020, WHICH JUST PAST. I NEVER GOT LETTER SAYING IT WAS A PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN HER DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ROLLED BACKWARDS OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. AS A RESULT, THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE RAN INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED.THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AND WAS TAKEN TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 173,991. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.*DT

I WAS DRIVING AND PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO MAKE A TURN. AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN I NOTICED SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH BOARD INCLUDING BRAKE, ABS, AND TRACTION CONTROL. THE BRAKES WERE VERY MUSHY BUT WORKED ENOUGH TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A SHOP. THE SHOP ASSESSED THE VEHICLE WHICH DISPLAYED CODE C1391 AND SAID IT WAS BRAKE RELATED POSSIBLY ABS SYSTEM. THEY CLEARED THE CODE IN MY VEHICLE AND BRAKES WORKED NORMAL FOR A VERY SHORT TIME BEFORE THE SAME WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED AND BRAKES WENT MUSHY AND NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I THEN LOOKED UP POSSIBLE RECALLS OR ENHANCED WARRANTIES AND I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NO RECALL OR EXTENDED/ENHANCED WARRANTY FOR ANY BRAKING ISSUE ON MY VEHICLE BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY CHARGED ME TO TEST FOR A CODE. THEY CAME UP WITH CODE C1391 AND STATE IN THEIR PAPERWORK THAT THE CAUSE IS "BRAKE BOOSTER INTERNAL FAILURE" AND RECOMMEND REPLACING THE BRAKE BOOSTER. THEIR PAPERWORK SHOWS REPLACEMENT OF A BRAKE PUMP AND BRAKE BOOSTER HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THAT IT EXPIRED 9/26/2020. THEREFORE THE DEALER WOULD NOT FIX MY CAR AT THE COST OF TOYOTA. MY VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 91,000 MILES AND OTHERS WITH HIGHER MILEAGE HAVE DOCUMENTED THAT TOYOTA HAS REPAIRED THIS KNOWN, WELL DOCUMENTED, EXPENSIVE (ABOUT $4,000) AND CONTINUED DANGEROUS BRAKING PROBLEM IN SEVERAL CASES. PER THE DEALERSHIP AND MY CONTACT WITH TOYOTA THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE AT THEIR COST., WHICH AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IS ABOUT $4,000 PARTS AND LABOR. AN ADDITIONAL ISSUE IS TRUSTING TOYOTA SERVICE AND/OR PRIVATE MECHANICS THAT THEY WILL REPLACE THE PROBLEM PART(S) OR REPLACING ADDITIONAL PARTS MAKING THE REPAIR BILL HIGHER OR MAYBE NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM WHERE ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE TOO LONG.

TRAVELING HOME FROM TAMPA TO ST. PETERSBURG ON INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH AND SUDDENLY BREAKS FAIL. BRAKE, ABS, AND TRACTION LIGHTS COME ON. PUSHED PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND WAS ABLE TO GET ENOUGH BRAKING TO PULL OFF THE INTERSTATE AND INTO A GAS STATION AND INTO A PARKING SPOT SAFELY. NO WARNING-JUST IMMEDIATE FAILURE. MIRACLE NO ONE KILLED. READING MANY OTHER SIMILAR STORIES FOR YEAR. WHAT IS GOING ON THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED????

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF TAMPA BAY (1101 E FLETCHER AVE, TAMPA, FL 33612: (813) 402-1323) ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 152,000.

I INHERITED A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS 3RD GENERATION WHEN MY MOTHER PASSED A FEW YEARS AGO. I'VE SINCE HAD SEVERAL UNNECESSARY AND COSTLY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR AS WELL AS DEALERSHIP'S OUTLOOK, TREATMENT, AND INDIFFERENCE TO THE DANGER THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS FACE--AS MANY ALREADY HAVE. THE FOLLOWING ARE SITUATIONS THAT I'M EXPERIENCING NOW. FIRST, I WAS RECENTLY LEAVING THE PHARMACY WHEN ALL OF MY WARNING LIGHTS (ABS, BRAKE, TRACTION ) SUDDENLY CAME ON AND MY BRAKES FAILED AS I WAS HEADING HOME. I'M A SINGLE MOTHER OF A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD AND I HAD TO GET HOME TO HER. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FROM MY HOME AND I WAS NEARLY IN 3 ACCIDENTS THAT COULD'VE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THANKFULLY THE ROAD WAS DRY, CLEAR, AND WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC. WE HAVE BEEN HOMEBOUND FOR WEEKS, WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR DOCTORS, FOOD, ETC. OUR VEHICLE IS OUR ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, AND WE MUST GET TO DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS, ETC. SECOND, THE CAR HAS INEXPLICABLY STALLED TWICE. THIRD, I'M CONSTANTLY HAVING TO REPLACE LIGHTS, AND HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE FOR LIGHTS NOT WORKING. FINALLY, AN AIRBAG HAS BEEN RECALLED AND ONCE I CAN AFFORD IT I'LL GET THAT FIXED AS WELL. I SPOKE WITH MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS, AND AFTER EXPLAINING THE PROBLEMS, I WAS INFORMED (SEVERAL TIMES AS I WAS REPEATEDLY TRANSFERRED) THAT I HAD TO PAY AN INSPECTION FEE THAT ALSO CHANGED WITH EACH PERSON. FINALLY, I WAS TOLD I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR THERE FOR DAYS AND THAT I WAS GOING TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THE CAR. I'M UNABLE TO PAY THAT MUCH MONEY--AND THE AMOUNT KEPT CHANGING AS WELL. I HAVE RESEARCHED THESE PROBLEMS AND NOW UNDERSTAND THE METHODOLOGY AND INTIMIDATION USED ON POOR PEOPLE SUCH AS MYSELF. TOYOTA SHOULD BE ASHAMED. FIX THESE PROBLEMS THAT WILL ENDANGER AND POSSIBLY KILL YOUR CUSTOMERS FOR NOTHING MORE THAN THEIR OWN INCOMPETENCE AND GREED.