2006 Toyota Prius service brakes, electric problems

“WHEN BRAKING QUICKLY USUALLY ON ROUGH SURFACES, WET ROADS, SLOPES BRAKES TEMPORARILY FAIL AS IF NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR GIVING ME AN ADRENALINE RUSH. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING LIKE THIS FOR 4 YEARS THINKING IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF PRIUS. JUNE 30TH 2011, I STEERED INTO THE PARKING LOT AND WAS PARKING ON THE FIRST SPOT AT THE RIGHT IMMEDIATELY AFTER ENTRY TO PARKING LOT AT THE SPEED OF 5 MPH. APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY TO CURB I WITHDREW MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND PUT ON THE BRAKES SLOWLY. I WAS EXPECTING THE CAR TO HALT PRIOR TO THE CURB LINE AS USUAL. BUT IT DID NOT STOP ON THE CONTRARY IT ACCELERATED AND WENT OVER THE CURB AND RIGHT ON THE FENCE. THE FENCE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET FROM CURB; BEFORE IT WENT ON FENCE I LOOKED AT MY FEET AND MADE SURE IT WAS ON THE BRAKES AS COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE CAR AND YES I AM 100% SURE IT WAS ON BRAKES. I ALSO APPLIED PARKING BRAKES AND PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL AND SHUT OFF THE POWER, WHEN IT STOPPED OVER THE FENCE. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO DEALER AS THE CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED 4 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AT 32,431 MILES. THE DEALER DID HEALTH CHECK SCAN TWICE TAKING 6 HOURS FOR EACH SCAN. AFTER FIRST SCAN I WAS…”

“FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS COMPLETELY FAILED TO FUNCTION, DESPITE THE PEDAL BEING FULLY ENGAGED, AND I ROLLED INTO THE CAR AHEAD OF ME AT LOW SPEED. THE FIRST INCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY, THE SECOND WHILE APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, AGAIN, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. ON BOTH OCCASIONS MY FRONT BUMPER WAS SERIOUSLY MANGLED - COSTING ME SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPAIR AND INCREASING MY INSURANCE RATES CONSIDERABLY - WHILE THE OTHER VEHICLE SUFFERED LITTLE TO NO DAMAGE. MY NECK IS EXTREMELY STIFF AND I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR. *TR”

“IN NOVEMBER OF 2007, I WAS DRIVING MY WIFE'S 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS TO TAKE THE FAMILY TO LUNCH. I APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION, I WAS ON THE CEL PHONE, AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK AND I CRASHED INTO A TRUCK WHO WAS OUT IN THE INTERSECTION, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE PRIUS. MY WIFE HAD BEEN COMPLAINING FOR MONTHS THAT THE PRIUS HAD BRAKE FAILURE INCIDENTS ONCE A MONTH. I WOULD TEST DRIVE THE CAR, AND COULD NOT GET THE BRAKES TO FAIL. THAT IS UNTIL THE INCIDENT MENTIONED ABOVE HAPPENED. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. I INFORMED THEM THAT THE BRAKES FAILED. I INFORMED THEM THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO DRIVE THE CAR EVERY DAY FOR A MONTH BEFORE THEY COULD GET THE BRAKES TO FAIL. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR A MONTH, BUT DID NOT TEST IT AS I RECOMMENDED......AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULD NOT SEE ANY PROBLEM, FORCING ME TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE DAMAGES TO THE CAR $1,566.57....AS WELL AS FOR THE $1,440.38 RENTAL CAR BILL. I IMMEDIATELY PICKED UP THE CAR AND DROVE IT TO ANOTHER MANUFACTURERS DEALERSHIP AND TRADED IT IN ON HONDA ACCORD. THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO RISK MY FAMILIES LIVES, DRIVING THAT CAR ANOTHER DAY. STATE FARM CLAIM NUMBER #[XXX] *TR”

“WHEN I GO OVER A BUMP OR UNEVEN SURFACE OR GRATE OR SLIPPERY SURFACE WHILE BRAKING IN MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, THE ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM) AND/OR VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL/TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN THESE SYSTEMS DO SO, IT FEELS LIKE I LOSE ALL BRAKING POWER AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE CAR ACCELERATES. IT IS MOST APPARENT WHEN IT IS WET OUT, BUT I'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN EVEN IN DRY CONDITIONS. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION FOR THE ABS, BUT THEY SEEM TO BE CORRECTING THIS SAME PROBLEM FOR 2010 PRIUSES THROUGH A SOFTWARE CHANGE--BUT NOT ANY OTHER YEAR MODELS. *TR”

“WHENEVER THE BRAKES ARE BEING APPLIED AT THE TIME I GO OVER RAILROAD TRACKS OR ROUGH ROAD SUCH AS POTHOLES, THE BRAKES FEELS LIKE THEY DISENGAGE FOR A SHORT TIME ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS (PURCHASED NEW IN 2006). SOMETIMES THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON MOMENTARILY BUT NOT ALWAYS. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2006. I REPORTED IT TO MY TOYOTA CAR DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD "THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT." NOT IN ANY OF MY OTHER CARS THAT HAVE ANTI LOCK BRAKES. TOO BAD TOYOTA JUST CANT TELL THE TRUTH EVER. THIS IS ABNORMAL BRAKING BEHAVIOR. *TR”

“WHENEVER BRAKE IS BEING APPLIED AT THE TIME I GO OVER RAILROAD TRACKS OR ROUGH ROAD SUCH AS POTHOLES, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON AND IT FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES DISENGAGE FOR A SHORT TIME ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS PURCHASED NEW IN 2006.. MY HUSBAND'S SUBURU FORESTER DOES NOT GIVE THIS UNSETTLING FEELING, AS IF LOSING CONTROL, WHEN IN ANTI-LOCK BRAKING MODE. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR, ON AN OCCASIONAL BASIS. I REPORTED IT TO MY TOYOTA CAR DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT BEFORE MY WARRANTY WAS UP AND WAS TOLD "THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT." I SUSPECT IT MAY BE RELATED TO THE REGENERATION OF THE ELECTRIC BATTERY WHILE BRAKING SINCE THIS IS A DIFFERENCE FROM OTHER VEHICLES. *TR”