2006 Toyota Prius SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

MY PRIUS HAS ALWAYS HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES MAKING A CLICKING SOUND WHEN STOPPED AT A LIGHT, ETC. I HAVE COMPLAINED FROM DAY ONE AND ALWAYS BEEN TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. BY 2008 THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING WELL AT TIMES AND THE PEDAL WOULD GO ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AT TIMES AND NOT AT OTHERS. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED THIS AND TOLD ME THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. IN FEB 2008 THE BRAKES COMPLETELY FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN SAID THAT THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS AND THAT THE BRAKES WERE FINE. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS INCIDENTS SINCE WITH THE PEDAL GOING ALMOST TO THE FLOOR AT TIMES AND NOT AT OTHERS. IF I HIT POTHOLES OR AM ON REALLY ROUGH STREETS THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AND I LOSE COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW SECONDS WITH THE INABILITY TO BRAKE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPEATABLE SAID THERE ARE NO ISSUES WHEN THEY CHECK THE CAR. THIS WEEK, ON MONDAY, THE BATTERY DIED AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A REPLACEMENT. AS ALWAYS, I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BRAKES AND NOW THEY SAY THERE IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE ACTUATOR THAT COULD CAUSE INTERMITTENT LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY AND THAT THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. SINCE THE CAR ISN'T UNDER WARRANTY NOW (BUT WAS WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED) THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THEY PUT ME IN A RENTAL CAR FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS SINCE THEY SAID MY CAR WASN'T SAFE TO DRIVE. TODAY THEY DECIDED THEY WEREN'T PAYING FOR THE REPAIR, AFTER TALKING WITH "CORPORATE", AND THAT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT THE REPAIR! WHEN I CHECK THE NHTSA SITE I SEE LOTS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 2006 PRIUS AND AM EVEN MORE CONCERNED THAN EVER. IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR PROBLEM, PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO FORCE AN INVESTIGATION OF YET A NEW ISSUE WITH TOYOTA AND SAFETY ISSUES! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING A RIGHT TURN AT 25 MPH WHEN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHEN APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,000. ..UPDATED 01/04/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE REPLICATION AT THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. ON A RECENT RAINY DAY, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT EACH BRAKE APPLICATION AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT APPLY FOR 1-2 SECONDS. EFFECTIVELY, LEAVING THE VEHICLE WITH NO BRAKES. THE ABS RELATED BRAKE FAILURE WOULD ALSO OCCUR ON BUMPY ROADS AT LOW SPEEDS WITH DRY PAVEMENT. UPDATED 01/11/12

IF YOU USE THE BRAKES AND HAPPEN TO GO OVER A BUMP, POTHOLE, SLIPPERY SPOT, ETC., THE BRAKES STOP FUNCTIONING FOR A FEW SECONDS. THIS HAS HAPPENED EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2006. BECAUSE IT IS A HYBRID, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST SOMETHING PECULIAR TO THE CAR (THE DATE GIVEN IS AN ESTIMATE ONLY). HOWEVER, WHEN THEY MENTIONED THE BRAKE FIX FOR THE 2010 PRIUS, THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE THE SAME AS I WAS EXPERIENCING. I TOLD THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THE FIX WOULD BE DIFFERENT FOR MY MODEL BECAUSE THE COMPUTERS ARE DIFFERENT AND THEY HAD GOTTEN NO INFORMATION REGARDING EARLIER CARS, ONLY 2010S. I MIGHT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE WHEEL GOING OVER THE PROBLEM SPOT IN THE ROAD NOT FUNCTIONING, BUT THE OTHER THREE SHOULD NOT STOP WORKING, AND THAT IS EXACTLY HOW IT FEELS. I HAVE SINCE HEARD OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON WITH AN EARLIER MODEL THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.

MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMPY SURFACE, OVER SMALL POTHOLES, ROUGH PATCHES ETC., THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WILL FLASH ON AND OFF UNTIL THE ROAD SMOOTHS OUT.

EVER SINCE I GOT MY 2006 PRIUS, THE BRAKES HAVE BRIEFLY STOPPED WORKING WHEN I TRY TO STOP QUICKLY OR ON A HILL WHEN IT IS WET OR ICY OUTSIDE. ON FEBRUARY 24, IT WAS VERY ICY, AND THE CAR COMPLETELY LOCKED UP WHEN I WAS GOING DOWN A HILL. I WAS GOING VERY SLOWLY WHEN I STARTED GOING DOWNHILL, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED WHEN I TRIED TO STEER OR PUSH DOWN THE BRAKES AND I GOT IN AN ACCIDENT. I CONTACTED TOYOTA, BUT THEY ONLY TESTED IT WHEN IT WAS DRY OUTSIDE, AND I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE WHEN IT WAS DRY. THEY TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG. SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD INCREASED TROUBLE STOPPING AT STOPLIGHTS WHEN IT IS WET. THE WHOLE CAR SEEMS TO LOCK UP AND I SLIDE TOWARD THE LIGHT FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE BRAKES RE-ENGAGE. I AM TRADING THE CAR IN, AS I AM AFRAID FOR THE SAFETY OF MY CHILDREN IN THIS CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS OPERATING THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. AS SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED, BUT NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE BODY DAMAGES REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 07/26/11*LJ

WHILE DRIVING ON NORMAL, DRY STRAIGHT ROADS, THE SKID CONTROL ACTIVATES AND THE BRAKES ENGAGE. THIS BEGAN HAPPENING 1 WEEK AGO AFTER THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AT THE DEALER. CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD. DEALER STATES THAT ECU MUST BE REPLACED. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER STATES BRAKE ACTUATOR ISSUES *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED NOISES STARTED TO OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, WHEN PARKED AND AFTER THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF.

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN THE 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKE RECALL ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. "THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING CAUSES THE CAR TO HAVE AN "INCONSISTENT BRAKE FEEL" DURING SLOW AND STEADY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES ON ROUGH OR SLIPPERY SURFACES. THE ABS IS OPERATING AS IT'S SUPPOSED TO." I HAVE NOT BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE IT HAS CAUSED OR ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT WOULD ONLY TAKE ONE TIME. PLEASE LOOK INTO ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. *TR

I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A STUDY AND POSSIBLE RECALL ABOUT THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. I AM AN OWNER OF A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. I THINK EVERY MODEL YEAR OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS LINE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. I TOO HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES OVER A BUMP OR RAILROAD TRACKS WHEN BRAKING. THE BRAKES DISENGAGE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND YOU CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN SPEED. AN INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON, ON THE DASHBOARD LIKE YOU ARE SLIDING. IT IS VERY DISCONCERTING. THIS EVENT OCCURS ALMOST EVERY TIME YOU GO OVER A BUMP WHEN BRAKING. I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH OF 2006. I WOULD HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE ALL TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKES IN EVERY YEAR MANUFACTURED. WITH TOTAL SINCERITY - THANK YOU. (PS - THIS FORM REQUIRES ME TO PUT IN AN INCIDENT DATE - THERE ARE MULTIPLE WITH NO SPECIFIC DATE, SO I AM PUTTING TODAY'S DATE). *TR

WHEN I GO OVER A ROUGH PATCH ON THE PAVEMENT WHILE BRAKING IN MY 2006 PRIUS, THE SKID LIGHT COMES ON BRIEFLY ON THE DASH AND THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE. IT FEELS LIKE THE COMPUTER IS PERCEIVING THE POSSIBILITY OF A SKID AND IS COMPENSATING BY ACCELERATING UNTIL THE PAVEMENT IS SMOOTH. FORTUNATELY NO ONE HAS BEEN IN FRONT OF ME WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND I HAVEN'T HIT ANYONE. BUT IT HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY AND IT TAKES A TIME BEFORE THE CAR RESPONDS TO MY OWN HANDLING AND BRAKES AGAIN. THIS IS MORE THAN JUST WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT AND WANT FROM ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL. *TR

THIS IS ABOUT THE 2006 PRIUS. IF I AM BRAKING AND HIT A BUMP, THE CAR MOMENTARILY LOSING BRAKING POWER AND DOES NOT SLOW DOWN UNTIL THE BRAKES KICK IN AGAIN. I HAVE DESCRIBED THIS PROBLEM TO TWO OTHER GENERATION II PRIUS OWNERS AND THEY HAVE SAID THEY EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING, ONE AN ELDERLY GENTLEMAN YESTERDAY. I WILL PUT TODAY'S DATE BECAUSE I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN EVERY DAY COMING DOWN A HILL WITH SOME OLD ROADWORK ON IT. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER FIRST IN 2007. NOTHING WAS DONE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IF I HIT A BUMP, THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT "SPEEDS UP" AND LOOSES CONTROL. THIS IS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM I'VE HAD SINCE WE PURCHASED OUR PRIUS IN 2006. I'VE ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA ITSELF. *TR

IF I HIT A POT HOLE OR BUMP WHILE SLOWING DOWN THE BRAKES FEEL LIKE THE CAR IS SLIDING. *TR

MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS EXHIBITS THE SAME LOSS OF BRAKING ON ROUGH SURFACES THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED FOR THE 2010 PRIUS. I HAVE NOTICED THIS ON MANY OCCASIONS, WHEN BRAKING A LOW, CITY-DRIVING SPEEDS. WHEN I HIT A BUMP, THERE IS A LOSS OF BRAKING. IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR "SLIPS" FORWARD FOR A MOMENT. I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS AT HIGHER SPEEDS, NOR HAS IT RESULTED IN A DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION, SO I HAVE NOT THOUGHT TO REPORT IT PREVIOUSLY. HOWEVER, WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2010 PRIUS RECALL, I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION OF THE BRAKING PROBLEM IN PRIOR YEAR MODELS. I AM SURE THAT THERE MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2006 PRIUS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME LACK OF BRAKING. *TR

LOSE BRAKES MOMENTARILY WHEN THEY ARE APPLIED ON AN UNEVEN SURFACE SUCH AS RAILROAD TRACKS, POT HOLES ETC. ABS LIGHT FLASHES THEN BRAKING RETURNS AS LONG AS BRAKE PEDAL STAYS DEPRESSED. THIS HAS OCCURRED FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT MY CAR AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FUNCTION OF ABS BRAKES UNTIL I SAW THE DESCRIPTION OF THE 2010 PRIUS RECALL. *TR

I DRIVE A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED ODD SKID-LIKE BEHAVIOR WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES ON BUMPY ROADS OR LOOSE GRAVEL. MOST NOTABLY THIS HAPPENS AT LOW AND DECELERATING VELOCITIES (MAYBE 15 MPH?) WHEN THE VEHICLE ENCOUNTERS BROKEN PAVEMENT OR LOOSE GRAVEL. IT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRIUS' 'SLIPPERY SURFACE' ICON ON THE DASH BEING LIT. WHEN THIS OCCURS IT FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES DO NOT FUNCTION FOR A BRIEF PERIOD. I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT, BUT THE EXPERIENCE HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 4-5 TIMES OVER THE YEAR I'VE OWNED IT. MOST OF THE TIMES THAT IT HAS HAPPENED HAVE BEEN AT THE SAME INTERSECTION. *TR

I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME BRAKING ISSUE DESCRIBED IN THE MEDIA ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE BRAKE SYSTEM APPEARS TO FAIL MOMENTARILY WHEN SLOWING AND BRAKING ON UNEVEN SURFACES. THIS OCCURS ROUTINELY (WEEKLY) WHEN TURNING A SPECIFIC CORNER IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, WHERE THE ROAD IS UNEVEN. THE INCIDENT DATE LISTED BELOW IS THE MOST RECENT DATE. *TR

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES GENTLY, ON A MODEST DOWNGRADE, BRAKING EFFECTS STOPS FOR A SECOND OR TWO THEN KICKS IN HARD. THE ANTI-SKID BRAKING LIGHT FLICKERS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS HAPPENS TO ME CONSISTENTLY AT THE SAME LOCATION NEAR OUR HOME: NORTHBOUND, RIGHT-LANE, ON 10TH AVE E, APPROACHING E. ROANOKE ST IN SEATTLE. I HAVE COME TO EXPECT IT NOW, AND TAKE MEASURES TO BE EXTRA CAUTIOUS ETC. IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. IT IS A SAFETY DEFECT. IT IS MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN IF I HIT A BUMPY PATCH OF PAVEMENT AT THE TIME. *CN

I HAVE A TOYOTA PRIUS 06-WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, ESPECIALLY OVER ROUGH ROADS, THEY SEEM TO MOMENTARILY FAIL BEFORE SLOWING THE VEHICLE. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS THAT HAS THE SAME BRAKING PROBLEM REPORTED FOR THE 2010 MODEL YEAR. THE LOCAL TOYOTA GARAGE SAID THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 MODEL. THEY TOLD ME TO CALL TOYOTA BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH. THE VIN NUMBER FOR THE CAR IS [XXX] *TR

FREQUENTLY WHEN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ENGAGE THERE SEEMS TO BE UNEVEN APPLICATION THAT CAUSES A SLIPPAGE AND THE INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON. THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO SHUDDER AND SHIMMY A BIT MAKING THE BRAKING SEEM LIKE IT IS FAILING AND INCREASING THE BRAKING DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS FROM DAY ONE AND THE DEALER HAS ASSURED ME THAT IT IS NORMAL. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN WITH ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE HAD WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. *TR

WHILE BRAKING HARDER OR MORE SUDDENLY THAN NORMAL (USUALLY ON DOWNHILL) THE SKID CONTROL SYSTEM KICKS IN, BUT FOR A SECOND OR TWO THE BRAKES FEEL LIKE THE DISENGAGE AND THEN GO ON AGAIN. FOR A SPLIT SECOND EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS IT MAKES ME HAVE A FLUSH OF PANIC. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, THE PASSENGERS SIDE FRONT TIRE TRAVELED OVER A SMALL PATCH OF ICE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SKID FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SPUN TOWARD THE FRONT SO THAT THE CONTACT WAS THEN FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED SLIDING AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED ACCORDINGLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED COLLISION REPAIR SHOP, WHERE REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000.

I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN I AM BRAKING ON A BUMPY ROAD, OR OVER A POTHOLE, THE BRAKE WILL CUT OUT FOR A BRIEF PERIOD, LEADING TO A SENSATION OF SLIDING. THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY. THE INCIDENT DATE IS JUST AN APPROXIMATION OF THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED. IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. *TR