2001 Toyota Prius

TOYOTA HAS ANNOUNCED A RECALL OF THE NEWEST GENERATION OF PRIUS CARS TO INSTALL SOFTWARE TO REPAIR A BRAKING PROBLEM. I AM THE OWNER OF A FIRST GENERATION (2001) PRIUS. MY CAR HAS ALWAYS HAD THAT BRAKING PROBLEM. WHEN THE ROAD IS WET OR BUMPY OR AT UNPREDICTABLE TIMES DUE TO ROAD CONDITIONS, THE BRAKES MOMENTARILY FAIL TO ENGAGE AND IT IS AS THOUGH THERE ARE NO BRAKES. THE TOYOTA DEALER HAS NEVER BEEN WILLING TO ADMIT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I THINK THAT ALL MODELS OF PRIUS HAVE THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THE BRAKING/CHARGING SYSTEM INHERENT IN THE CAR'S DESIGN. SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, EARLIER MODELS OF THE PRIUS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS WELL.

ON 12/21/06 THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AS I TRIED TO STOP FOR A LIGHT. HAD TO USE THE PARK BRAKE TO STOP. PRIOR TO THIS MY WIFE COMPLAIN SEVERAL TIME THAT THE PEDAL WAS SOFT AND WENT DOWN. WE COMPLAIN SEVERAL TIME ABOUT THAT AND THE ABS LIGHT COMING ON, ANSWER WE CAN NOT FINE ANYTHING. ON 01/10/07 THE ABS LIGHT DID NOT GO AWAY THEY REPLACED THE MASTER BRAKE CYL. NOT FIX THEY REPLACED ABS ACTUATOR ASSY FIX 12/10/09 BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS ON, BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. *TR

WHILE INVESTIGATING THE PRIUS FOR ACCELERATOR ISSUES, I THINK YOU SHOULD ALSO FOLLOW-UP ON THE WELL KNOWN POWER STEERING ISSUE WITH THE '01 AND '02 MODELS. THERE ARE LIKELY STILL HUNDREDS OF THESE VEHICLES STILL ON THE ROAD. WORSE, EVEN THOUGH THIS ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED BY A FACTORY RECALL (NHTSA ASSIGNED RECALL NO. 00V-285) TOYOTA PLACED A 5 YEAR LIMIT ON THE WARRANTY SERVICE. WHAT IS WORSE, ONCE THE RECALL REPLACEMENT HAS BEEN PERFORMED, TOYOTA WILL NO LONGER PERFORM FURTHER REPLACEMENTS AT THEIR COST. IF THE FAILURE SHOULD HAPPEN AGAIN, AS IT DID FOR ME AS A THIRD OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, IT IS AN EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT (AT OVER $1,300 USD). AT THIS POINT TO MY BEST KNOWLEDGE ANY CURRENT OWNER OF AN '01 PRIUS OR CERTAIN MODELS OF THE '02 PRIUS ARE GAMBLING THAT AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY RELATED COMPONENT OF THE CAR SUCH AS THE ELECTRIC ASSIST POWER STEERING WILL NOT FAIL. IT REMAINS COMPLETELY UNCLEAR TO ME THAT THE REPLACEMENT POWER STEERING ASSIST UNITS ON THESE MODELS ARE ANY MORE HEALTHY AND IMMUNE TO THE PROBLEM THAT WERE THE ORIGINAL UNITS THAT WERE SUBJECT TO RECALL, SINCE MINE FAILED ON ME AFTER HAVING BEEN REPLACED. AS FURTHER EVIDENCE I CITE THE OPERATION FLOW CHART I IN THE SSC Y05 TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION UPDATE FROM YOUR OWN WEBSITE AT WHICH SHOWS THAT EVEN FOR VEHICLES THAT FELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY TIME PERIOD, TOYOTA FELT THAT IF THE WORK HAD BEEN DONE ONCE, IT DID NOT HAVE TO BE DONE AGAIN. HTTP://NHTHQNWWS112.ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/ACMS/DOCSERVLET/ARTEMIS/PUBLIC/RECALLS/2000/V/RCORRD-00V285-3651.PDF IN MY CASE, THE REPAIR WAS EXPENSIVE ENOUGH I TRADED THE VEHICLE RATHER THAN REPAIR IT. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT WAS RESOLD AND THAT IS MY GREATEST CONCERN. I URGE THE NHTSA TO RE-OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE, SINCE THE PRIUS IS ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ACCELERATION ISSUES. *TR

I HAVE A 2001 PRIUS THAT ALSO HAS A PROBLEM WITH BRAKING, SIMILAR TO THAT DESCRIBED WITH THE 2010 MODEL. AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN THE CAR HITS A BUMP OR POTHOLE THE BRAKING IS MOMENTARILY LOST, BUT THEN RESUMES WITHIN 1-2 SECONDS. IN ~ 2003 I HAD A VERY LOW SPEED COLLISION FROM THIS (ABOUT $1000 DAMAGE TO THE HOOD SHEET METAL), BUT HAVE NOW LEARNED TO COMPENSATE FOR IT (BASICALLY APPLY BRAKES HARD AND WAIT FOR BRAKING TO RESUME AFTER THE PAUSE). I HAD REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL EVALUATIONS, INCLUDING AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AND WAS TOLD THAT NO PROBLEM COULD BE IDENTIFIED. I AM REPORTING THIS BECAUSE IT IS REMARKABLY SIMILAR TO WHAT IT PURPORTED TO BE A NEW PROBLEM WITH THE 2010 PRIUS. IT IS NOT NEW. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU WOULD FIND OTHER INFORMATION USEFUL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ALONG ON INTERSTATE, GOT WARNING TRIANGLE AND LOW MAIN BATTERY INFORMATION. IMMEDIATELY, CAR BEGAN TO SPEED-UP ON ITS OWN. I APPLIED VERY HARD BRAKING TO TRY AND SLOW DOWN WHILE TRYING TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT LANE WITH TRAFFIC ON MY RIGHT. CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN BUT I MANAGED TO AVOID TRAFFIC AND GET ONTO THE RIGHT LANE, WHERE THERE WAS AN EXIT FROM THE INTERSTATE. I MADE THE EXIT AND WAS ABLE TO GET CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATION. I THEN DROVE THE ROUGH RUNNING CAR TO THE MY DEALER OFF THAT EXIT. THEY REPLACED THE MAIN BATTERY, AND EVERYTHING IS NOW FINE. I FEEL THAT I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT NOBODY GOT HURT! *TR

I SAW THAT THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT IS MAKING TOYOTA LOOK INTO THE FOLLOWING COMPLAINT IN NEWER MODEL PRIUSES. "THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD OR TEMPORARILY LOST BRAKING AFTER DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE OR OTHER UNEVEN SURFACE. THIS IS A REOCCURING PROBLEM." MY 2001 PRIUS HAS THIS PROBLEM ALL THE TIME. IN ADDITION THE CAR HAD THE HYBRID BATTERIES CATCH ON FIRE , THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAIL, THE ECU FOR THE BRAKES FAIL, THE POWER STEERING FAIL, THE BRAKE PUMP LEAK, THE COMPUTER FAIL (WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO IMPROPERLY SHIFT GEARS). THESE ISSUES WERE ALL FIXED FOR FREE BY TOYOTA EXCEPT THE ECU FOR THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PUMP WHICH WERE FIXED, BUT AT MY EXPENSE. NO INJURIES OCCURED. *TR

I OWNED A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. IN AUGUST 2009 AT ABOUT 113,000 MILES IT LOST BRAKE. THERE WAS A VERY VERY LITTLE BIT BRAKE. IF YOU WANT TO STOP IN 50 FEET IT WOULD STOP IN ABOUT 200 FEET. SINCE IT WAS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE I TRADED IT IN AND BOUGHT ANOTHER CAR. I STRONGLY BELIEVE IT WAS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM NOT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. WHEN THE PROBLEM STARTED THE ABS, BRAKE AND BIG CAUTION SIGN LIGHTS CAME ON, AND ALSO A CONTINUOUS SHARP AND ANNOYING BEEP STARTED. ON MY WAY HOME AFTER I MADE A DEAL TO TRADE IN THE PRIUS, THE BEEP WENT AWAY, BUT THE LIGHTS STILL ON, AND THE BRAKE STARTED TO WORK PROPERLY. THE NEXT DAY SEPTEMBER 1ST 2009 WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN ALL THE LIGHTS ALSO WENT AWAY AND THE CAR BECAME PERFECTLY NORMAL. I DROVE THE CAR ONLY ABOUT 30 MILES, WHICH WAS TO THE NEW CAR DEALER AND BACK, SINCE THE PROBLEM STARTED IN AUGUST. I HAD ALL THE SAME LIGHTS CAME ON IN FEBRUARY 2008. HOWEVER, THE BRAKES WERE WORKING A LITTLE SLOW WITH A DIFFERENT FEELING. TO REPAIR THIS ONE DEALER ASKED $2500 AND ANOTHER DEALER REPAIRED IT FOR $400. THEY SAID THEY FOUND A BROKEN WIRE IN THE ABS SYSTEM. NOW I SUSPECT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SOFTWARE PROBLEM ALSO. THE BRAKE PROBLEM PEOPLE ARE REPORTING MAY EXIST IN MANY MORE VEHICLES THAN REPORTED. THE CARS MAY BE GETTING TOO MUCH ELECTRONICS THAN NEEDED. TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING IS NOT GOOD. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS, PURCHASING THE CAR IN 2002. EVER SINCE I HAVE HAD IT, I HAVE NOTICED IT TEMPORARILY LOSES BRAKING AFTER DRIVING RELATIVELY SLOWLY -- 5 TO 20 MPH -- OVER A POTHOLE THAT HITS JUST ONE WHEEL. IT IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALERSHIP IN 2002 AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE WAY THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WORKED. I NOW KNOW THAT IF THERE IS A POTHOLE NEAR WHERE I WANT TO COME TO A STOP, I MAY HAVE TO LIFT MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND THEN REAPPLY THE BRAKE WHEN GOING SLOW OR JUST PRESS HARDER ON THE BRAKE. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN THAT OFTEN, BUT IT DOES RECUR; WHILE I HAVE INDICATED A DATE IN ANOTHER FIELD OF THIS REPORT, IT IS TODAY'S DATE BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS RECURRENT, ALTHOUGH PROBABLY NOT MORE OFTEN THAN A FEW TIMES PER YEAR, AND I CANNOT SAY WHEN IT LAST HAPPENED WITH ANY PRECISION. I AM NOW REPORTING THIS TO YOU BECAUSE I NOTICED AN ARTICLE IN THE NY TIMES REGARDING WHAT SOUNDS LIKE THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. HE STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING CONTINUED TO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. HE HAD TO STOP AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AT EACH FAILURE IN ORDER FOR THE STEERING TO RESET ITSELF. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL, HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 00V285000, STEERING GEAR BOX, OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DATE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 105,256.

I HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. SPORADICALLY, THE STEERING WILL SHAKE VIOLENTLY. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. MECHANICS CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG. THIS PAST WEEKEND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WHEN ON AND I LOST POWER STEERING. IT CAME BACK ON WHEN I STOPPED THE CAR SO IT MAY BE A COMPUTER GLITCH. THE SHAKING IS GETTING WORSE. *TR