2010 Toyota Prius VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS- CAR TENDS TO ACCELERATE AFTER HITTING SOME POTHOLES OR BUMPS IN THE ROAD WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED. THE FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES, I CAME VERY CLOSE TO REAR-ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE THE BUMP OR POTHOLE WAS IN THE ROAD AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND I WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOP. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPEAT INCIDENT BUT NOT ALL OF THE TIME (MAY DEPEND ON HOW HARD THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED OR HOW FAST THE CAR IS GOING AT THE TIME). I NOTICED THIS SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING AND RECEIVING THE CAR ON 24 OCT. 2009. MENTIONED TO TOYOTA SERVICE STAFF AT A NEW CAR ORIENTATION PROGRAM, BUT WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS ISSUE... AND PERHAPS THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD WERE CAUSING ME TO NOT APPLY EVEN PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE. I HAVE ADJUSTED MY DRIVING ROUTE AS TO NOT TO GO OVER THE POTHOLE WHICH CAUSES THE MOST PROBLEMS (OR TRY TO BE VIGILANT ABOUT SITUATIONS WHICH MAY CAUSE LURCHING) BUT WAS CONCERNED WHEN I SAW AN ARTICLE REPORTING THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR ISSUES (HTTP://WWW.FREEP.COM/ARTICLE/20100203/BUSINESS01/100203028/1318/2010-PRIUS-OWNERS-COMPLAIN-OF-FAULTY-BRAKES-LURCHING-OVER-BUMPS). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRUIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PETAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES AND IT STOPPED. SHE THEN TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND IT DROVE NORMALLY. THE ISSUE HAS OCCURRED A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLIANT.THE DEALER WILL BE CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2500.

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY 2010 PRIUS FOR ALMOST 6 MONTHS NOW AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THE CAR JERKING FORWARD AND FOR A FEW SECONDS SPEEDING UP AS IF THE BRAKE DOESN'T WORK. THIS HAPPENS SPECIFICALLY IF A POTHOLE OR BUMP IN THE ROAD IS HIT AND I'M BRAKING. MOSTLY WHEN SLOWING DOWN BY HITTING THE BRAKE. I ACTUALLY NOTICED THIS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WHEN I BOUGH THE CAR BUT SINCE I'VE BEEN READING UP A LOT ABOUT THE 2010 PRIUS NOT IN THE TOYOTA RECALL LIST, I THOUGHT IT IS IMPORTANT TO REPORT IT AND GET IT FIXED. ONE EXPERIENCED THE STRANGEST FEELING WHEN THIS HAPPENS. ALMOST AS IF THE BREAK PEDAL IS HIT AND THE CAR JERKS FORWARD AS IF THE PEDAL IS STUCK AND THE CAR BODY MOVES FORWARD. *TR

2010 PRIUS ACCELERATES WHEN DRIVING OVER SPEED BUMP, POT HOLE OR OTHER UNEVEN SURFACES. *TR

I OWN A 2010 PRIUS, AND HAVE EXPERIENCED AN ACCELERATION ISSUE ON ABOUT 3-4 OCCASIONS SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN AUGUST OF 2009. THE ISSUE I HAD WAS PERFECTLY DESCRIBED IN A RECENT ON-LINE ARTICLE FROM MONEY.CNN.COM ON FEB 3. HERE IS THE QUOTE - "THE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED VIA OUR DEALERS CENTER AROUND WHEN DRIVERS ARE ON A BUMPY ROAD OR FROZEN SURFACE," A TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. SPOKESMAN IN JAPAN, SAID. "THE DRIVER STEPS ON THE BRAKE AND THEY DO NOT GET AS FULL OF A BRAKING FEEL AS EXPECTED." THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED, AND IT ALSO SEEMS TO POSSIBLY BE RELATED TO THE SHIFT FROM GAS TO ELECTRIC WHICH OCCURS WHEN SLOWING DOWN. AFTER BRAKING, THERE IS A SUDDEN, BRIEF SURGE OF ACCELERATION. I HAVE NOT BROUGHT THIS INTO THE DEALER, BUT PLAN TO SOON. *TR

I HAVE A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN JULY 2009 IT HAS JOLTED FORWARD WHILE I AM APPLYING THE BRAKES WHEN I DRIVE OVER A POTHOLE OR BUMP IN THE ROAD. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS IN DECEMBER 2010. TWICE IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS MY CAR HAS UNEXPECTEDLY LURCHED FORWARD AS I WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP AT A RELATIVELY LOW SPEED. SINCE IT WAS THE SAME SPEED BUMP BOTH TIMES, I REASON THAT IT MUST HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE HEIGHT OF THE BUMP AND/OR MY ANGLE OF APPROACH. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BOTH TIMES. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE I HAVE READ THE NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT OTHERS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH 2010 PRIUS' AND THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO KNOW. I HAVE NOT TAKEN ANY ACTION BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE VEHICLE OR THE ROAD SURFACE. *TR

THE BRAKES MOMENTARILY RELEASE/SKIP WHEN BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP WHILE PASSING OVER A BUMP OR POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON A REGULAR BASIS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN JULY 2009. *TR

SINCE PURCHASING MY 2010 PRIUS IN AUGUST, I HAVE EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE EPISODES OF CAR FEELING AS IF IT WERE SUDDENLY ACCELERATING WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, POTHOLES OR OTHER IRREGULARITIES IN THE ROAD. I BELIEVE WHEN THIS HAPPENS I OFTEN ALREADY HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, BUT I FIND MYSELF HAVING TO SLAM THE BRAKE ON HARDER TO PREVENT WHAT IS AT LEAST A STRONG SENSATION OF THE CAR "TAKING OFF". FEELS JUST LIKE WHEN RIDING A HORSE AND IT IS ABOUT TO BOLT! WENT TO DEALER IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER, AND THEY COMPLETELY BLEW ME OFF, SAID "NOTHING IS WRONG", NO OTHER REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING (CLEARLY A LIE IT NOW APPEARS). *TR

WAS PARKING ON SLIGHT INCLINE FACING DOWNHILL. HIT BRAKE TO PUT CAR IN PARK, BUT CAR LURCHED FORWARD, OVER CONCRETE BUMPER IN FRONT OF PARKING SPACE. JUST HAPPENED, HAVE NOT TAKEN CORRECTIVE MEASURES YET. ALSO HAVE NOTICED CAR LURCHING FORWARD WHEN SLOWING AROUND TURNS, HAS NOT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS YET, NO ACTION TAKEN YET. *TR

AS I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL OF MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS TO HIT THE BRAKE WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND SURGED FORWARD. IT DID NOT STOP UNTIL I SLAMMED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE AND I HAD ASSUMED IT WAS A FREAK ACCIDENT, BUT I WANTED TO REPORT IT IN LIGHT OF THE TOYOTA RECALLS THAT HAVE OCCURRED. *TR

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. GOING DOWNHILL AND APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. MY FOOT IS STEADY ON THE BRAKE AND I AM GRADUALLY COMING TO A STOP. THEN, I INADVERTENTLY GO OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE PRIUS LUNGES FORWARD. I HAD TO IMMEDIATELY SLAM HARD ON THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GOING INTO THE INTERSECTION. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO CAR OR PERSON IN FRONT OF ME AS I WAS STOPPING. (I LOOKED AT PRIOR COMPLAINTS AND THIS MATCHES MINE). *TR

2010 PRIUS SEEMS TO LURCH FORWARD WHEN DRIVING OVER POTHOLES AND OTHER BUMPS WHILE BRAKING. THIS HAS HAPPENED NEAR INTERSECTIONS AND WHEN TURNING INTO PARKING LOTS. THE CAR SEEMS TO SPEED UP BRIEFLY, ENOUGH TO SCARE THE DRIVER. I'VE ALMOST ROLLED THROUGH STOP SIGNS AND NEARLY RUN OVER A FEW CARS WHEN TURNING INTO PARKING LOTS. *TR

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION WHILE BRAKING OVER BUMPS, POT HOLES AND SLICK ROADWAYS. *TR

WHEN DRIVING MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS THE CAR HAS A TENDENCY TO ACCELERATE FORWARD AS I AM HITTING THE BRAKES. I HAVE NOTICED THIS IS USUALLY AROUND POTHOLES OR ANY OTHER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. IT HAPPENS PRETTY REGULARLY AND IT SCARES THE PANTS OFF ME; TO SAY THE LEAST. I HAVE FOUND NO RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA CONCERNING FIXING THIS PROBLEM AND AM WORRIED THAT WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS I'LL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR MISTAKE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE OUT OF THE GARAGE HE EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AT LEAST THREE TIMES WITHIN A MONTH. ALSO WHEN HE WAS DRIVING AT 5 MPH AND COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND AS HE JAMMED HIS FOOT HARDER ON THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE KEPT GOING . THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS; HOWEVER, DURING A TEST DRIVE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE, DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CALLED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,700.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. HE STATED THAT WHEN THE GASOLINE ENGINE WAS ENGAGED IN ANY GEAR, INCLUDING THE PARK POSITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE. HE ALSO STATED THAT UPON TURNING THE GASOLINE ENGINE OFF, THE VEHICLE WOULD MOMENTARILY ROLL BACKWARDS. THIS WOULD OFTEN OCCUR WHILE ANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE WAS UTILIZED, TO INCLUDE THE HEATER, DEFROST AND RADIO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS IT WAS DESIGNED. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE TO DATE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,398.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE DRIVER STATED THAT SHE WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH WHEN SHE SWITCHED LANES. WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO STOP BUT THEN IT LUNGED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN WHILE HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DRIVER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE THEN CAME TO A STOP AFTER HER FOOT REMAINED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DRIVER DID NOTIFY THE DEALER OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 10,000.

MY 2010 PRIUS HYBRID ACCELERATES FROM ELECTRIC TO FUEL MODE ON ITS OWN. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP 2 TIMES FOR PROBLEM. TOYOTA SERVICEMEN STATES IT WILL OCCASIONALLY DO THAT DEPENDING ON THE MODE THE VEHICLE IS IN. I FIND IT TO BE VERY DANGEROUS AS I DO NOT HAVE CONTROL WHEN IT WILL HAPPENS. SERVICEMEN ALSO SAID THAT IS WHY THERE IS AN ALARM BEEPING TO LET DRIVER KNOW IT IS BACKING UP. THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE THE ALRM IS NOT GOING TO CONTROL THE MODE THE VEHICLE IS IN. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE ALMOST HIT OTHER VEHICLES OR PEDESTRIANS WHEN BACKING UP. I NOW TRY NOT TO USE REVERSE TO AVOID A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF OTHER VEHICLES HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

2010 TOYOTA PRIUS; WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE IS SPORADICALLY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ACCELERATION. LIFTING MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE A TINY AMOUNT CAUSES THE CAR TO FEEL LIKE IT IS "SURGING" BACKWARD. THE CAR IS CONTROLLABLE, BUT IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE FROM BEING IN REVERSE MOST OF THE TIME. SHIFTING TO PARK AND BACK TO REVERSE SEEMS TO MAKE IT GO AWAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 4 TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN AUGUST 2009. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) FEBRUARY 15, 2010 AT 3:29 PM I SPOKE TO [XXX] AT TOYOTA 1-800-331-4331 ABOUT PROBLEMS I'VE EXPERIENCED WITH MY 2010 PRIUS. I TOLD HER ABOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL DANGER, WHERE THE CAR HAD BEEN GOING ALONG NICELY ON CRUISE, BUT SUDDENLY RAPIDLY ACCELERATED WHEN, ON AUGUST 11, 2009, I WAS ON THE TRIP BETWEEN NEW JERSEY AND ILLINOIS COMING THROUGH THE TENNESSEE/KENTUCKY AREA. I HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65MPH ON CRUISE AND IT RAPIDLY ACCELERATED TO OVER 80MPH AND I PANICKED WHILE TRYING TO GET IT TO SLOW DOWN. I TRIED SLOWING IT DOWN USING THE CRUISE BUTTON, THEN DEPRESSED THE CRUISE OFF BUTTON. DIDN'T WORK. IT DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO THE BRAKE UNTIL I BRAKED REALLY HARD. THEREFORE, MY DRIVING IT WAS SEVERELY LIMITED TO DRIVING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS IN TOWN. OTHER UNINTENDED ACCELERATION HAS OCCURRED EVEN WHEN NOT USING THE CRUISE. THE CAR BOLTED FORWARD NUMEROUS TIMES ON A BUMPY SECTION OF ROAD ON MY ROUTE HOME FROM WORK; IT HAPPENED OFTEN ENOUGH THERE THAT I COMPENSATED BY TAKING A DIFFERENT ROUTE. EFFORTS TO STOP THE FORWARD LUNGE INCLUDED BRAKING WITH NO RESPONSE, USING THE KNOB TO SHIFT TO A DIFFERENT SETTING, AND SCRAMBLING TO FIND THE [XXX] BUTTON TO PRESS PARK. SOMETHING FINALLY STOPPED IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT. THE NEXT SCARE OCCURRED AFTER IT SNOWED. I DROVE SLOWLY ON THE PLOWED ROAD, BUT WHEN THE CAR ENCOUNTERED SNOWY LUMPS IT RAPIDLY ACCELERATED LUNGING FORWARD AGAIN. MY ATTEMPTS TO STOP CAUSED ME TO SKID DANGEROUSLY INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. I PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AND HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT AGAIN IN WELL OVER A MONTH DUE TO THE DANGER. IN FEBRUARY, MY CO-WORKER[XXX] URGED ME NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE SHE HAD HEARD ABOUT A RECALL AND WAS AFRAID FOR ME, BUT I HAD ALREADY PARKED IT BY THEN ' KNOWING SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. IT HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE PRIOR TO MY LEARNING THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES ' SOME HAVE DIED OR BEEN INJURED AS A RESULT.

OUR 2010 PRIUS WAS EXPERIENCING SURGING OVER BUMPS, WE HAD IT RE-PROGRAMMED LAST WEEK AND TODAY WE EXPERIENCED THE SURGE AGAIN WHEN WE WENT OVER A BUMP, JUST LIKE BEFORE. *TR

IN MY 2010 PRIUS, THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY ACCELERATES WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS DISENGAGED. THIS HAPPENS EVERY 10TH OR 15TH TIME OF DISENGAGEMENT. WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED HARDER THE VEHICLE SLOWS PROPERLY. THE UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION IS VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN CHECKED BY THE DEALER AND I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING IS WRONG. I CALLED FOR A SECOND TIME AND WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. I WILL TAKE IT IN ANYWAY NEXT WEEK. *TR

CRASH DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE, SUDDEN UNINTENDED,SUDDEN UNCONTROLLED DANGEROUS ACCELERATION, SURGING FORWARD MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY WHILE TRAVELING EXTREMELY LOW SPEED UNDER 5 MPH ON AN UNEVEN BUMPY COUNTRY ROAD SURFACE, POTHOLE, OR BUMP, LURCHED FORWARD SKIDDED SIDE WAYS INTO TREE. FREQUENTLY OCCURS. MAJOR COLLISION DAMAGE, IN REPAIR SHOP 1 MONTH. *TR UPDATED 04/27/10.*LJ UPDATED 08/11/10

I HAVE A 2010 PRIUS. EVERYONE IN THE MEDIA IS TALKING ABOUT BRAKE ISSUES BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAR ACCELERATES AFTER IT HITS BUMPS IN THE ROAD. IT FEELS LIKE AN ELECTRONIC PROBLEM. THE BRAKES AREN'T THE ISSUE.*TR