2004 Toyota Prius service brakes, hydraulic problems

“MY 24 YR. OLD CHILD WAS DRIVING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AT 5 MPH WHEN THE CAR STOPPED AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS INCLUDING BRAKES AND ENGINE AND TRIANGLE WENT ON. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. IT WOULD NOT TAKE A BATTERY JUMP. HAD IT TOWED TO TOYOTA SERVICE AND THEY DISCOVERED CODE P0335 PRESENT AND VERIFIED A FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, REPLACED IT, AND CLEANED THROTTLE BODY. THE CAR WORKS NOW. COST FOR DIAGNOSIS AND SERVICE WAS $367.07. THIS FAULTY PART WAS A PART OF A RECALL DATED IN 2006 FOR 2001 AND 2002 PRIUSES. WE WISH TO ADVISE THE AGENCY THAT WE BELIEVE THE YEAR 2004 AND PERHAPS OTHER YEARS OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE SAME RECALL AS THE 2001 AND 2002 PRIUS MODELS WITH RESPECT TO A FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. WE BELIEVE OUR CAR HAD A FAULTY SENSOR AND THAT WE SHOULD BE A PART OF THE EARLIER RECALL, AND ALSO OBTAIN A FULL REIMBURSEMENT FOR CHARGES. THIS SUDDEN STOPPING BY THE VEHICLE POSES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ANY DRIVER. OUR CHILD WOULD HAVE BEEN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY JUST A FEW MINUTES LATER AND COULD HAVE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A HORRENDOUS ACCIDENT. WE URGE YOUR AGENCY TO BE PROACTIVE IN INVESTIGATING THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. *TR”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THE CRASH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED FOR THE FAULTY BRAKES. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE ABS WARNING LIGHT BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE. THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR UPON APPLICATION. THE CONTACT PROCEEDED TO DRIVE, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP UNLESS THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED REPEATEDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE ABS ACTUATOR. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE DEFECT COULD POSSIBLY BE RELATED TO THE SKID CONTROL UNIT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND RECOMMENDED THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”

“WHILE DRIVIMG UNDER CRUISE CONTROL AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, A CONTINUOUS LOUD BEEP OCCURRED, ACCOMPANIED WITH THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS ON THE DASHBOARD: RED "BRAKE" WARNING AND YELLOW "((!))", "ABS" (ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM), AND "VSC" (VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL) WARNINGS. ATTEMPTING TO PULL OVER AND STOP, THE BRAKES HAD NO POWER ASSISTANCE BUT, FORTUNATELY, COULD BE OPERATED UNDER HEAVY FOOT PRESSURE. AFTER PULLING OVER AND STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE, ALL THE WARNINGS AND THE BEEP WERE STILL THERE WHILE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN TO A SAFER LOCATION AT A GAS STATION. BRAKING WAS STILL ENTIRELY UNDER FOOT PRESSURE ONLY. AS THIS WAS IN CANADA, DRIVER TURNED OFF THE ENGINE WHILE TRYING TO DECIDE THE NEXT COURSE OF ACTION. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE ENGINE WAS AGAIN STARTED IN ORDER TO MOVE THE CAR SLIGHTLY IN THE PARKING LOT (TO GET AWAY FROM A PUDDLE) AND ALL SYSTEMS, INCLUDING BRAKE POWER ASSISTANCE, WERE NOW OPERATING NORMALLY WITH ALL THE WARNINGS OFF. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER AND THE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT STATES, "COULD NOT DUPLICATE CUSTOMER'S COMPLAINT". THUS, NO REPAIR WAS DONE NOR FURTHER ACTION WAS TAKEN BY THE DEALER. *TT”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CONCRETE DIVIDER ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AFTER THE CRASH. THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THEIR BACK AND NECK AND WERE UNDER GOING THERAPY FOR THEIR INJURIES. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT FILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CRASH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WHICH WOULD NOT OPEN. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT AN INSPECTOR WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS BRAKES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE REPORT FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY DID NOT INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY FAILURE AND WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE BODY DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AFTER THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A VEHICLE AHEAD OF HER. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE BUT SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND SHE HAD NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER FOR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 32,000.”