2011 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED, THE TRACTION CONTROL, BRAKE AND ABS FAILURE LIGHTS CAME ON. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ACTUATING THE ABS SYSTEM. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE USING THE SERVICE BRAKES. SINCE I WAS TRAVELING AT A LOW SPEED, I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND COME TO A FULL STOP USING THE PARKING BRAKE. NOW THE VEHICLE IS PARKED AND UNDRIVEABLE. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER REQUESTING SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER OR HYDRAULIC BRAKE BOOSTER IN STOCK. I CHECKED A SECOND DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT YOU CAN ONLY GET THE TWO UNITS TOGETHER AND THAT THEY WERE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER WITH NO ETA. SINCE PURCHASE, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE ISSUE THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING WHERE THE BRAKES RELEASE OVER ROUGH ROAD SURFACES AND THE VEHICLE FEELS AS IF ITS ACCELERATING. IF YOU RELEASE AND REAPPLY THE BRAKES IT WOULD STOP. LIKE OTHERS, I DISMISSED THIS AS A PECULIAR DYNAMIC OF THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER I AM NOW CONVINCED THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN THIS BRAKING SYSTEM WHICH REQUIRES A DEEPER INVESTIGATION. I HAVE BEEN IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND I CAN ATTEST THAT IT IS NOT NORMAL TO HAVE A TOTAL LOSS OF YOUR BRAKING SYSTEM LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY IN A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE THAT IS RELATIVELY NEW AND HAVE LOW MILEAGE. THIS VEHICLE IS NOW PARKED AND AVAILABLE FOR YOUR INSPECTION IF NEEDED. *TR

THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IN THE PRIUS IS DEFECTIVE. IT IS PRONE TO GROWING MILDEW AND/OR MOLD IN THE SYSTEM, WHICH RESULTS IN TOXIC AIR BEING PUMPED INTO THE CAR. I HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS SEVERAL TIMES, AND THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A LARGE BODY OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE MILDEW PROBLEM ONLINE WHICH SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG PRIUS FROM 2010 TO THE PRESENT. SINCE NOTICING THE MILDEW SMELL IN MY CAR, I HAVE HAD SEVERE ALLERGY PROBLEMS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN THAT IS ADVERSELY AFFECTING MY HEALTH, AND GIVEN ITS PREVALENCE AMONG CARS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL, I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FLUSH DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, AND IN FACT MAY HAVE MADE IT WORSE. *TR

WAS DRIVING A 2011 PRIUS WITH JUST UNDER 25,000 MILES ON OCTOBER 18, 2012 ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY. A REAR TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW OUT. THERE WAS A ROLLOVER END FOR END DOWN A VERY STEEP AND LONG DITCH. THERE WERE SEVERE BACK INJURIES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 20 WITH MY WIFE WHEN THE SUNROOF EXPLODED. THERE ARE TWO PANES OF GLASS AND THE EXTERIOR PANE SENT SHARDS OF GLASS OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE INTERNAL PANE OF GLASS STAYED IN PLACE BUT SOME SHARDS OF GLASS FELL ON MY WIFE AND MYSELF. THE TOYOTA DEALER SAYS THIS WAS DUE TO A CRACK FROM DEBRIS WHICH HIT THE CAR AND COMPROMISED THE INTEGRITY OF THE SUNROOF. THEY COULD NOT PROVE OR SHOW ANY MARK INDICATING THIS AS A FACT. IT WAS A VERY SCARY SITUATION AND I FEEL OUR SUNROOF WAS MATERIALLY FLAWED AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR

VEHICLE LOSES BRAKING FUNCTION WHILE TRAVELING OVER POTHOLES, RECESSED MANHOLE COVERS, AND ALL OTHER TYPES OF ROUGH ROAD SURFACES. BRAKING FUNCTION IS DELAYED AND DOES NOT RETURN TO PREVIOUS POWER/BRAKING STRENGTH AFTER TRAVERSING THE OBSTACLE; THIS RESULTS IN THE NEED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL FURTHER TO RE-ENGAGE ENOUGH BRAKING FUNCTION TO STOP THE VEHICLE SAFELY. SERIOUS CONCERN IS THAT IF THE VEHICLE IS UNDER HARD BRAKING AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT WILL THERE BE ENOUGH TRAVEL LEFT IN THE BRAKE PEDAL TO REENGAGE THE BRAKES ENOUGH TO STOP. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS REGULARLY, ONE OR MORE TIMES PER MONTH, SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. UP UNTIL NOW MOST OCCURRENCES HAVE BEEN JUST A MINOR ANNOYANCE. I RESEARCHED THE PHENOMENON ON THE WEB AND MANY JUST WRITE IT OFF AS A NUISANCE / MINOR QUIRK OF THE VEHICLE SO I ACCEPTED THAT OPINION AND CONTINUED ON ENJOYING THE CAR. THAT IS UNTIL MAY 21, 2013 WHEN UNDER HARD BRAKING (30-35MPH DRIVING SPEED THEN HEAVY BRAKING TO 0MPH) THE VEHICLE TRAVELED OVER A RECESSED MANHOLE COVER AND IT FELT LIKE IT FULLY LOST ALL OF ITS BRAKING POWER AND NEARLY SENT ME INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE STOPPING HARD AHEAD OF ME. I HAD TO FLOOR THE BRAKES BEFORE I FELT ANY BRAKING POWER RETURN AFTER THE BUMP. THIS ISSUE WILL LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY. PLEASE KEEP AN EYE ON IT. *TR

HAPPEN TWICE HIT THE BRAKES FAIRLY HARD ON ROUGH PAVEMENT NOT REAL ROUGH DIDN'T BOUNCE JUST FELT LIKE I WAS ON ICE NOTHING THERE JUST A SECOND OR SO BUT FELT LIKE A LONG TIME IF A CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN IN FRONT OF ME DON'T KNOW IF I COULD HAVE STOPPED IN TIME. *TR

WITHIN 2 YEARS OF PURCHASING NEW 2011 PRIUS VEHICLE, HID HEADLIGHT LAMP FAILED. *TR

WITHIN 2 YEARS OF PURCHASING NEW 2011 PRIUS VEHICLE, BOTH HID HEADLIGHT LAMPS FAILED (ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS) WITHIN ABOUT 3 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. NO WARRANTY AVAILABLE, AT CUSTOMER EXPENSE. *TR

I WAS APPLYING MY BRAKES AS I WAS GOING DOWN A SLIGHT INCLINE OVER A BRIDGE THAT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION SO THE ROAD IS BUMPY. THE CAR ACTED LIKE THE GAS WAS APPLIED INSTEAD OF THE BRAKES. IT LURCHED FORWARD A LITTLE BEFORE THE BRAKES FULLY ENGAGED. *TR

I HAVE EXPERIENCED BRAKE ISSUES WITH MY 2011 PRIUS MODEL SINCE I LEASED THE CAR IN DECEMBER 2011. WHEN I AM TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS AND I TRY TO BREAK GOING DOWN HILL AND /OR BREAK OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE CAR ACCELERATES PRIOR TO FULLY STOPPING. THIS HAS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES SINCE I LEASED THE VEHICLE. IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHILE I TRAVEL AT LOWER SPEEDS AND THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD AS I HIT THE BREAKS. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WAS EXPERIENCED WITH 2010 MODELS OF THE PRIUS AND APPEARS TO BE ANOTHER ACCELERATION ISSUE WITH TOYOTA MODELS IN GENERAL. WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ON THE 2011 PRIUS FOR DEFICIENT AIRBAGS, THIS IS AN EQUALLY CONCERNING FAULT IN THE CAR THAT SHOULD BE REVIEWED. *TR