10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 46 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 24 / 1
- Average Mileage:
- 35,783 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
I was driving slowing to park my car into a lot, my car suddenly took itself. I slammed the brakes so hard, it was hard enough to drop my bag which was on the passenger's seat. Today, 9th of Feb. Nothing was wrong according to dealer shop.
- Colorado Springs, CO, USA
There are two issues with my 2008 Toyota Prius. When trying to accelerate rapidly, the engine cuts out and hesitates. I think it's related to the traction control, but this happens way too easily. I have new tires and it happens on dry pavement. The second issue is related to the brakes. When braking and encountering small bumps in the road, the car appears to leap forward. There is a sensation of accelerating when this happens, although I'm certain it is just the ABS system. It is a very uneasy feeling.
- Spokane, WA, USA
2008 Toyota Prius. On 11/18/09. 1) I was parked and ready to leave the parking spot when suddenly the car had an acceleration backwards. I couldnt stop the car but luckily I was in a tight parking spot and the car hit the object behind (like a tree) under the 45 degree angle which left the deep rear corner bumper dent. (still there). I called in and complained to brooklyn Toyota and drove in for service the same day ( including to do the tire inspection). Toyota dealer didnt find any problems with the car's acceleration or tires but as a result of the dealer incompetence that was unable to detect a nail in the tire -I had a flat tire just 20 min after I left the dealer. I called aaa for assistance incident # 2181 on 11/18/09. I also called advantage Toyota in lynbrook, li to inspect and possibly fix the acceleration and the bumper. They also said they didnt have any recall notices to fix and couldnt fix the bumper unless taken to a paid collision shop. 2) I also had the car in the advantage Toyota service on 11/4/09 for oil, filter, check up and the brakes and tires. I told them I experience loosing traction / brakes after hitting the bumps or the pothole or man holes.
- Valley Stream, NY, USA
My mother has a 2008 Toyota Prius and was pulling into my driveway. The approach to the driveway is uphill and the driveway is more of a parking area with an access apron. For some unknown reason, the car's engine revved (very high rpms - I could hear it from the basement). The car grazed the side of the house, went through a short wall (brick - about 1 foot tall, 1 foot thick and 5 feet long) and an iron deck gate. The car ended up on the deck after breaking off two 6X6 support posts. The deck has horizontal stainless steel cables instead of pickets, and I believe that these are what kept the car from going over the edge - a 25 foot drop.
- Asheville, NC, USA
This is about my Prius 2008 model. When it goes over bumps or uneven road surfaces, the car tends to surge forward suddenly and unexpectedly. It doesn't occur all the time, but more than enough times for me to notice. Usually, it is when I'm going between 35 and 45 miles an hour over a bump or uneven surface. I correct the surging by applying the breaks gently. I have not yet made the dealer aware of the issue. The approximate incident date I'm reporting is the date at which I noticed it started happening, about one year from when I purchased the car. But since then, it has occurred more.
- Tucson, AZ, USA
On January 22, 2010, I was pulling into a handicap parking place outside a local restaurant when my 2008 Prius suddenly accelerated while my foot was firmly on the brakes. My car went over the handicap barrier and the curb and finally stopped when my car hit the restaurant landscaping. The next morning I called the dealership, talked to three separate people and they wanted me to drive my car in. I told them I didn't feel the car was safe to drive and they should tow it in. They told me they wouldn't do it. Next I called my insurance agent and made them aware of the problem because I was afraid to drive the car in fear of injuries that could occur if the car didn't stop again. They arranged to have my car towed in and repaired. The dealership said they checked the car and found nothing wrong with my car.
- Orange Park, FL, USA
I was driving my 2008 Prius at approximately 35 mph and it began to accelerate. I took my foot off of the accelerator, but it didn't stop. I pumped the brake, but it had no effect. It stopped suddenly, and the car operated normally. The incident didn't last long, and hasn't happened again. Until I read about the other, more serious incidents with the accelerator I didn't even know how to describe it - I'd never heard of such a thing happening. I would have felt foolish talking to the guys at the service center, so I decided to wait to see if it happened again.
- Syracuse, NY, USA
While braking at slow speed, my Prius 08 suddenly accelerated making the car lung forward after going over a bump/pothole...vsc light went on nd then turned off. This has happened numerous times. Brought the car into my Toyota dealer on 2/5/10. They experienced the vsc light going on and said that was normal for the ABS system. They also checked all modules and said no codes came up. They also said this was normal for the ABS system on a hybrid. I have never experienced this in my previous Honda Accord that also had ABS.
- Rensselaer, NY, USA
The brakes fail to work immediately and/or the car speed surges temporarily when braking on a bumpy or surface, such as going over a pot hole. This started happening soon after I started driving the car and happens on a regular basis - the most recent being yesterday. At first, the short loss of control of vehicle speed concerned me, but I have come to expect it now when going over rough road. I started to think it was associated with the ABS system and thought maybe it was supposed to work that way. But now, after hearing about the problems with the 2010 Prius, I thought you should know the same problem exists in earlier Prius models.
- Winston Salem, NC, USA
I am experiencing temporary loss of brakes while braking on uneven surfaces, bumpy streets, potholes, railroad tracks. This is not the same as normal ABS activating, but longer and complete loss of braking for a few seconds. Dealer informed me this is by design. All my other cars (with ABS) do not experience this in the same conditions. Incident repeated daily during my commute. I have to drive much slower because of this and I want this fixed since if it's by design then its a bad design!!! note this is on a gen2 Prius, 2008 model.
- New Orleans, LA, USA
I wanted to include my voice in the recent complaints about the Toyota Prius brakes. I have a 2008 Prius and have experienced the same issue several times- the brakes seem to stop working and the slick-road warning light comes on when I go over a big bump or pothole while braking. Braking comes right back, but I can imagine this might be a bigger issue if there was a vehicle right in front of me, in inclement weather, etc. I have heard people only mention the 2010 Prius model year, so I wanted to let someone know that the 2008 Prius also seems to be affected... thank you.
- Seattle, WA, USA
Please include Prius 2008 as well in your investigation. We have a 2008 Prius. About once a week, sometimes more, we drive over a pothole, our car jerks forward/accelerates for a split second just like the 2010 Prius that is being reported. We didn't think about it until the issue with the 2010 Prius news came out.
- Corona, CA, USA
I drive a 2008 Toyota Prius and have experienced two recurring problems with the vehicle. First, when I make sharp right turns, the engine cuts out. Second, on uneven roads, the hydroplane feature activates and makes it difficult to steer and the car accelerates suddenly. This has happened on many occasions.
- Studio City, CA, USA
2008 Prius: Temporary surge in acceleration when you drive over a pothole or a bump in the road. "traction" light comes on at the same time. Happens frequently but not daily. Same experience as is being described in the news today (2-3-10) in relation to the 2010 Prius. Toyota reports that they have not heard of this problem in previous years' models, but we have experienced this problem many times.
- Louisville, KY, USA
I was stopped and ticketed by a chp officer on highway 5 South of sacramento, ca after being clocked at 93 mph, while I had set the cruise control of my 2008 Toyota Prius at 80 mph.
- San Francisco, CA, USA
2008 Toyota Prius - brakes slip when trying to stop at low speeds, especially on wet roads or on roads with bumps (including manhole covers). This has occurred repeatedly since I bought the vehicle. The dealer, on three separate occasions, said that they ran diagnostics and found no anomalies. I read today that this problem has also been reported on new (2009-2010) Toyota Prius models, and that the Japanese government had ordered Toyota to investigate. However the article said that Toyota was unaware of any problems with older vehicles. I am filing this complaint in the hope that Toyota will extend its investigation to series 2 Prius models (2004-2008) as well.
- San Francisco, CA, USA
We were stopped at a neighborhood intersection. As we began to let off of the brake to make a left hand turn, the car accelerated uncontrollably. Depressing the brake had no effect on the acceleration. Before we turned the wheel to the left to begin the turn, the car had sped across the 35 foot street, jumped a 6 1/2 inch curb, went through a fence, across another street, and was stopped when it hit a second fence. The total distance traveled from being stopped at the corner until the vehicle was stopped by the second fence was 81 feet. The streets were dry and there were no skid marks on the road. However, due to previous rains, the grass areas were moist. There are no tire marks in the grass from the curb until approximately 6 feet before the stopping point. The front lift of the Prius is around 7 1/2 inches. The vehicle had to have significant momentum to go over a 6 1/2 inch curb in just 35 feet. We filed a claim with our insurance on Jan. 7 and requested that the vehicle be inspected for accelerator issues. The car was towed to Toyota whom, upon their own investigation, stated that there was no evidence of acceleration malfunction. The car is being repaired at a body shop with initial damage estimated at over $6000. We have photographs of the damage to the car as well as the scene of the accident and measurements of distances traveled. In 2009, we received a recall letter from Toyota concerning floor mat issues with our Prius. We inspected our factory-installed floor mats, as instructed by the recall letter, and were awaiting their 2nd notification when the "campaign remedy" became available. The floor mat on the driver's side has a locking mechanism and could have, in no way, obstructed the accelerator pedal. The car should be repaired and ready next week. However, we do not believe it is a safe vehicle to drive. What recommendations do you have?
- Beaumont, TX, USA
My 2008 Toyota Prius suddenly & unexplainably accelerated.
- Gardner, MA, USA
S10 appropriate handling - letter to the secretary from Mrs. Judy haley gizmo disputing claim by Toyota that unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles due to faulty floor mats. The consumer disputed Toyota's claim that the many cases of unintended acceleration were due to faulty floor mats. The consumer stated the crash she had was not due to faulty floor mat's which were latched down, but was due to acceleration/brake problems in the computer and electrical systems of the vehicle. The consumer stated she backed the vehicle out of the driveway, she exited the garage and pressed the button to close the garage door. After closing the garage door, she sated she wasn't sure if she placed the gear in drive or neutral, but suddenly the vehicle lunged forward going up to 15-20 mph. Within 5 seconds the consumer crashed into the garage door, rammed into the inside kitchen wall causing extensive damage. The air bags didn't deploy. The consumer suffered injuries.
- Dubuque, IA, USA
- Okemos, MI, USA