general problems of the 2003 Toyota Prius

For no apparent reason when driving, the emergency brake will engage, without pressing the e brake pedal. Also, intermittent once car is parked and doors locked, alarm will just start going off for nonreason.

Occasionally, when braking, the car will begin to brake, then lurch forward a little, and then brake again properly. It's disconcerting at best and scary and dangerous at worst. I've had this brake problem for years but finally realized that it's a significant Toyota flaw with the abs, and that newer Priuses and lexuses were recalled because of a similar problem. Toyota did not recall the 2001-03 Priuses and refuse to accept that it's anything but the result of age (as per Aug 2020). However, I've seen online that many owners have had this problem since they first bought the car! I bought it used and can't remember how long it's been happening. It's not every time I drive the car. It hasn't caused an accident, but it certainly could. And if I crash into someone, it will be considered my fault, even though it's very clearly Toyota's fault! I'm very disturbed that people have been reporting this issue for years, that Toyota dealers have referenced it as a problem, too, and that Toyota refuses to accept responsibility and fix the problem.

The vehicle would not come to a stop when the brakes were applied. An alarm/light indicator came on for abs brakes at the same time. I had to apply the emergency brakes for the vehicle to come to a stop. I was able to avoid two vehicles and came to a stop in the bus stop area. The vehicle was towed for repair but the repair shop cannot find the root cause of the problem without the need to replace the entire braking system. For a vehicle with only 36k miles this seems highly unusual and a severely dangerous situation.

A number of times when I brake on uneven roads, the brakes on my 2003 Prius feel as if they aren't working. They have always caught almost immediately, so that I haven't thought of reporting the problem until the recent reports on the newest Prius model. Incident date is the most recent, even though the problem has been there since I bought the car.

I have a 2003 Toyota Prius and also experienced the exact same braking problems as has been reported about the 2010 Prius. If I go over a dip in the road while braking, occasionally the brake will not hold (even if it is fully depressed) and I need to release and depress again. I was told by the dealer that this was the antilock braking system and not a real problem with the car. I now suspect that it is the same software glitch as the later Prius.

I own a 2003 Prius. When I bought it, before I ever drove it (was snow and ice) dealer told me to be careful of the brakes. He said, when applied, it may feel for a split second that I was speeding up or not stopping. The car does this on slippery and rough rd and always has. I thought that was the nature of the hybrid and have learned to drive accordingly but it is definitely a trying situation.

In reading recent media reports regarding braking failures of the 2010 Toyota Prius, I realized that I have experienced similar lapses in my 2003 Prius' braking since the day I bought the car. I wanted to get this on record as it seems the media reports believe this to only be a problem in the 2010 model when this may be an issue that has been going on for a long time. Basically, whether or not the phenomenon occurs during braking depends on several factors and seems to occur more often if the road is wet. If one happens to be rolling over a manhole cover, or hitting a pothole or bump at the moment the brakes are depressed it feels as though, for a brief moment, that the car is skidding forward across the change in roadway surface. This also happens when braking over a thickly painted crosswalk line or the word stop painted on the road. The common factor seems to be braking as the car's tire transitions from a high friction to reduced friction surface. I believe I could reproduce this on demand given the right conditions. Early on I brought it to the attention of my dealership but their was no followup. Fortunately it has never caused an accident, but under the right circumstances it could. I've dealt with the problem by either braking before or after the road surfaces I know to cause the brake slipping effect.

I hope you are not limiting your investigation of Prius brakes to the 2010 model. I have had the same problem on my 2003 Prius since the day I drove it home. When going over uneven surfaces, particularly metal plates or manhole covers, braking momentarily stops and does not resume until the wheels hit the regular road surface. Although I have had no accidents, the sensation of skidding is frightening.