2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

I BOUGHT A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS IN MARCH 2009. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE BRAKING OVER ROUGH ROADWAYS, THE BRAKES HAVE SEEMED TO SKIP (AND THE ABS DASHBOARD LIGHT COMES ON). MY WIFE HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES. WHILE WE INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO THE ROAD CONDITIONS, AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING THE BRAKE ISSUE WITH THE 2010 MODEL, I HAD TO REPORT THAT THIS ISSUE IS ALSO PRESENT IN MY 2009 MODEL. *TR

THE BRAKES ON MY 2009 PRIUS ARE DANGEROUS. WHEN I GO OVER A BUMP OR ROUGH PART IN THE ROAD, I CAN FEEL THE PEDAL ROLL UNDER MY FOOT AND IT FEELS LIKE I MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE BRAKES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED WHILE DECREASING THE SPEED DRIVEN, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT WHEN THE ELECTRICAL ENGINE SWITCHED TO THE GASOLINE ENGINE IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE TO LUNGE FORWARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MALFUNCTION OCCURS FREQUENTLY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. THE DEALER HAS NOT DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,500.

MY 2009 PRIUS, WHICH I LEASED IN NOVEMBER OF 2008, HAS HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS SINCE THE DAY I DROVE IT HOME. OCCASIONALLY THE BRAKE WILL CATCH (WHEN APPLIED), THEN RELEASE, THEN CATCH AGAIN. I'VE REPORTED IT TO TOYOTA 3 TIMES AND TOLD EACH TIME BY THE SERVICE DEPT THAT THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING. IT HAPPENED AS RECENTLY AS 3 WEEKS AGO, WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH ON A HIGHWAY IN ARIZONA IN 22 DEGREE WEATHER. IT WAS A LITTLE SCARY TO SAY THE LEAST. I CAN'T GET TOYOTA TO RESPOND TO MY INQUIRY - AND HAVEN'T DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE. *TR

I OWN A 2009 PRIUS, PURCHASED APRIL 2009. I HAVE MORE THAN ONCE, IF BRAKING IN A SECTION OF BUMPY ROAD OR ON SLICK SURFACES (SUCH AS IN SNOW OR ICE), EXPERIENCED THE CAR JERKING FORWARD/ACCELERATING FOR A SPLIT SECOND. IT ALMOST SEEMS TO STUTTER AS IF THE ABS BRAKES ARE ENGAGING, BUT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THEY ARE WORKING. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY INEXPERIENCE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE IN THE PRIUS, BUT I AM REALIZING NOW THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS FROM MY LOCAL DEALER AND HAVE HAD THE BRAKES DO THE SAME SKIPPING AS THE 2010 MODEL. WHEN BROUGHT TO THE LOCAL DEALERS ATTENTION THEY STATED THAT IS THE WAY THE BRAKES WORK IN ANTI LOCK MODE. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES TO HER AND JUST RECENTLY TO ME AT NIGHT. SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO ACCIDENTS BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. THANK YOU. *TR

IN MARCH 2009, WE PURCHASED A TOYOTA PRIUS AT THE TOYOTA OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP OF ROGERS, AR. ON JULY 29, 2009, I PULLED UP TO THE CURB TO PARK AT A STRIP MALL. UPON APPLYING THE BRAKE, THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD. I TURNED RIGHT ON THE SIDEWALK AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR RAN INTO A POST/UPRIGHT THAT HOLDS UP THE ROOF OVER THE SIDEWALK, DAMAGING THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR (BOTH DOORS, ETC) AND THE POST/UPRIGHT. THE COST TO REPAIR THE CAR AND THE POST/UPRIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY $5,300. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES (THANK HEAVENS NO ONE WAS ON THE SIDEWALK). THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND THE POLICEMAN SAID IT WAS A NON-REPORTABLE ACCIDENT SINCE IT DID NOT OCCUR ON A STREET AND NO PERSONAL INJURIES WERE INVOLVED. WE SAW PRESS RELEASES CONCERNING FLOOR MAT PROBLEMS AND REMOVED THE FLOOR MAT. WE ALSO STOPPED AT THE DEALERSHIP TO INQUIRE IF THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE WE SHOULD DO AND WERE GIVEN A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL. THE PERSON WE SPOKE WITH ASSURED US THAT THE PROBLEMS DID NOT PERTAIN TO THE 2009 CAR WE HAVE. HOWEVER, WITH THE WASHINGTON POST SAYING "TOYOTA SAID IT HAD CORRECTED PROBLEMS WITH THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM IN PRIUS MODELS SOLD SINCE LATE LAST MONTH. BUT THE COMPANY WAS STILL DECIDING WHAT STEPS TO TAKE TO FIX THE PROBLEM IN PRIUS CARS SOLD . . . . BEFORE LATE JANUARY. OUR QUESTION: WHAT IS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR US? *TR

THE BRAKING PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE 2010 PRIUS IS NOT LIMITED TO THAT MODEL YEAR. I HAVE A 2009 (2ND GENERATION) PRIUS AND I HAVE AT TIMES EXPERIENCED THE SAME SLIGHT BRAKING PROBLEM WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP OR A RAILROAD TRACK. *TR

I DRIVE A LEASED 2009 PRIUS. THIS IS MY FAMILY'S FIRST HYBRID VEHICLE. ENROUTE HOME AFTER WORK EACH WEEKDAY (A DRIVE TOTALLING 5 MILES), I DRIVE DOWN A TYPICAL LOS ANGELES MAIN STREET, THAT HAS NUMEROUS POTHOLES. IF BRAKING WHEN RIDING OVER THE POTHOLES, THE CAR SURGES FORWARD FOR A SECOND, AND SEEMS UNCONTROLLABLE. BECAUSE IT HAS DONE THIS SINCE OUR LEASE OF THE PRIUS (WE GOT IT LAST MARCH, NEW), I ATTRIBUTED IT TO MY NEEDING TO GET USED TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HYBRID AND THE 2008 CAMRY WE OWN, AND TRY TO REFRAIN FROM BRAKING OVER POTHOLES WHEN POSSIBLE. NOW THAT I KNOW THIS IS A DEFECT, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT CONTINUING TO DRIVE EITHER CAR WITH MY 3 YEAR OLD IN IT..... PLEASE EXPAND THE RESEARCH ON TOYOTA'S BRAKING SYSTEM FOR PRIUS BEYOND 2010 MODELS. *TR

2009 TOYOTA PRIUS HIT POTHOLE AND CAR LURCHES FORWARD. BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON FOR A SECOND. *TR