2008 Toyota Prius service brakes, electric problems

“JULY 16TH OUR SON WAS DRIVING HIS 2008 PRIUS WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED AND THERE WAS ACCELERATION WITH THE CAR. HE REARENDED AN SUV AT A STOP LIGHT. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR. THEY WERE GOING TO CHECK IT OUT, BUT DUE TO THE FACT OF AN ACCIDENT, THEY HAD OUR SON CALL TOYOTA TO GIVE THEM A REPORT OF WHAT HAPPENED. TOYOTA SAID THEY WOULD SEND A REP. TO EXAMINE THE CAR, WHICH THEY WOULD NOT BE THERE FOR 2 WEEKS. WE WAITED AND THEY FINALLY ARRIVED AROUND AUGUST 4TH OR 5TH. THE DEALERSHIP CALLED AND SAID WE COULD COME AND GET THE CAR, WHICH I WAS CONCERNED NOT KNOWING IF THERE WAS DEFECT OR NOT. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TOLD US TOYOTA TAKES ALL RESPONSIBILITY OUT OF THEIR HANDS. I FELT THAT WAS RIDICULOUS SINCE THEY SELL TOYOTA VEHICLES. ON AUGUST 12TH OUR SON CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE A LETTER COMING IN ABOUT 35 DAYS. WE ARE STILL WAITING AND FEEL THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA HAS DONE NOTHING BUT PASS THE BUCK. WE ALSO PURCHASED ANOTHER PRIUS AT THE SAME TIME. BY THE WAY THEY BOTH TOLD MY SON IN THE BEGINNING THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL. AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED OUR SON REALIZED THAT THERE WERE…”

“I HAVE A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS, AND REPEATEDLY EXPERIENCE THE "BRAKE DROP-OUT" PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED ON NUMEROUS PRIUS-RELATED WEBSITES. (SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/FORUMS/GEN-II-PRIUS-TECHNICAL-DISCUSSION/80218-TRACTION-CONTROL-DISABLING-BRAKES-OVER-BUMPS.HTML, OR HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/FORUMS/PRIUS-HYBRID-NEWS/75647-TOYOTAS-NEXT-PAGE-RANKING-NIGHTMARE-PRIUS-BRAKES-4.HTML, AMONG OTHERS). I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN RAISED WITH NHTSA NUMEROUS TIMES. THE PROBLEM I EXPERIENCE IS THAT WHEN I DRIVE OVER A BUMP OR POTHOLE, PARTICULARLY AT A LOW SPEED, WHILE BRAKING, A WARNING LIGHT FLASHES ON AND THE CAR MOMENTARILY LURCHES FORWARD. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE FELT CLOSE TO GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT. I UNDERSTAND FROM THE EXTENSIVE ONLINE DISCUSSIONS OF THIS PROBLEM THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH A TRANSITION FROM THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM TO THE TRADITIONAL FRICTION BRAKING SYSTEM, BUT THAT ONLY EXPLAINS THE PROBLEM, AND DOES NOT SOLVE IT. I UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM IN THE GEN III PRIUS, BUT HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT THE GEN II PRIUS. ALSO, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FLOOR MAT RECALL FOR THIS CAR. *TR”

“I AM EXPERIENCING A FEELING THAT THE BRAKES ON MY 2008 PRIUS SEEM TO DISENGAGE WHEN I GO OVER A BUMP AND SOMETIMES WHEN I AM BRAKING SOMEWHAT ABRUPTLY. THE UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING THAT THE CAR IS NOT GOING TO STOP AND ACTUALLY FEELS AS IF IT IS ACCELERATING ONLY LASTS MOMENTARILY- BUT IT IS A SCARY FEELING. THE CAR WAS CHECKED BY THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FROM WHOM IT WAS PURCHASED. THEY ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE ABS SYSTEM FOUND IN THE MODEL. I AM HOWEVER, NOT AT ALL COMFORTABLE WITH THE INSECURE FEELING THAT THE CAR IS NOT GOING TO STOP. *TR”

“I WAS DRIVING A RENTED TOYOTA PRIUS 2008 HYBRID ELECTRIC ON APRIL 8TH IN MISSISSAUGA ONTARIO AND MET WITH THREE VEHICLES COLLISION. ON A SOLID GREEN SIGNAL, A MIN VAN COMING FROM EAST, OPPOSITE DIRECTION CUT OFF THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC FROM WEST. FIRST CAR SLAMMED THE BRAKES AND DID NOT HIT THE WRONGFUL MINI VAN. SECOND CAR HIT THE FIRST CAR. I REAR ENDED SECOND CAR. I WAS IN SAFE DISTANCE AND APPLIED BRAKES. THIS CAR DID NOT STOP AND KEPT MOVING AND HIT THE SECOND CAR. IT WAS A RAINY DAY. NORMAL CARS WOULD STOP WITHOUT HITTING. NO ONE INJURED. I THINK TOYOTA HAS TO ADVICE ALL YEAR MODELS TO FIX THE BRAKE PROBLEMS. CONTACTED TOYOTA SCARBOROUGH. IT SAYS THIS CAR IS NOT IN RE-CALL LIST. HOW RECALLING LIST PREPARED, I DO NOT KNOW. AFTER INCIDENTS? I WILL NEVER DRIVE PRIUS AGAIN. *TR”

“2008 TOYOTA PRIUS [XXX] WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, IF I DRIVE OVER A BUMP, IE RAILROAD TRACK, THE BRAKES DISENGAGE FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND THEN REENGAGE. IT FEELS LIKE YOU HIT A PATCH OF BLACK ICE. I HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT, ONLY A FEW SCARES. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY TOYOTA AS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2010 PRIUS, BUT NOT THE 2008 PRIUS. THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS ON MY 2008 PRIUS. *TR”

“I HAVE A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS THAT WE PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL OF 08. ON MARCH 19TH I WAS DRIVING IN HEAVY STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON A STREET WITH CONSTRUCTION PANELS ON PARTS OF SURFACE. I WAS LEAVING A CAR LENGTH IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THE CAR AHEAD STOPPED, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR KEPT GOING AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR END OF THE CAR AHEAD. NO ONE HURT BUT DAMAGE TO BUMPER AND HOOD OF MY CAR. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP NEXT MORNING. TOYOTA REP LOOKED OVER IT, RAN DIAGONSTIC CODES AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I KNOW THE BRAKES FAILED. WE HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE CAR AND TOYOTA SERVICE.”