general problems of the 2008 Toyota Prius

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius and have experienced braking problems since I purchased the vehicle. Any time I go over a bump/pothole, while turning, results in a floating sensation, surge forward, and momentary loss of steering. I almost had an accident 2 weeks ago at an intersection when this occurred. Serviced my vehicle yesterday and they claim the skid control system is working as it was designed. There is definitely a fatal flaw in this system and likely a chip issue. Toyota is not doing anything.

On my 2008 Toyota Prius, when I hit a bump or pothole at relatively low speed, the car sometimes goes into "anti-skid" mode, leading to a brief (~1/2 second), disconcerting period of lurching/acceleration/loss of braking ability before the car returns to normal. This problem is usually accompanied by the lighting of the yellow skid icon indicator on the dash.

2008 Prius. Often when I go over a bump the anti-lock braking system kicks in and it feels as if I have lost control of the car. I don't think I could stop suddenly. I haven't had an accident but I am uncomfortable driving sometimes even in good weather. The service department was no help.

Frequently while driving on dry, clear and clean roads, my car braking system will seem to fail and feel like the car is going into a skid. The abs warning light comes on as well - although there is no reason for brake trouble. Seems to be happening more and more frequently lately.

My 2008 Toyota Prius loses braking power every time I brake when going over a bumpy or uneven surface and it takes 1/2 to 1 second before they re-engage. Took car to Toyota dealer and had service technician go on a test drive with me. When the service technician experienced this loss in brakes, he explained that the traction control system was designed to release the brakes on the tire (during bumpy road surface) to prevent lock-up, but if I kept my foot on the pedal long enough the brakes would re-engage. My complaint is the length of time it takes for the brakes to re-engage was too long and might result in an accident. The technician stated that the time lapse was normal/standard for abs and Prius drivers needed to adjust their driving habits to allow for it.

I drive a 2008 Prius. When braking and driving over a pot-hole, bump, or other road work the anti-lock braking system engages, and the brakes release for an extended period of time (>1 second) causing the car to coast during this time. I drive on busy city streets and on highways with stop and go traffic, and this uncontrolled brake release represents a safety hazard. I have driven vehicles with anti-lock brakes before, and this kind of braking release is much longer and results in a much greater loss of vehicle control than in other vehicles I have driven. In a specific recent incident, I hit a car immediately in front of me. In the incident, I was driving over bumpy pavement and the car in front of me stopped abruptly. As I tried to brake sharply to avoid hitting the car in front, the braking released because the anti lock brakes engaged, and instead of stopping safely, I hit the car. Although there were no injuries and damage was minor, the incident (and the regularity with which the brakes release under normal driving conditions) seems to me to represent a significant safety problem for the vehicle.

2008 Toyota Prius with anti-slip rear-wiggle upon hitting small bumps in road. The anti-slip electronic system is way too sensitive as it is responding to small bumps in the road. I can understand how this may be helpful at high speeds or icy conditions, but at slow speeds the blinking yellow skid-control dashboard light and rearend wiggle as the system tries to recover does seem annoying. The system is overly sensitive.

Most recent failure was a few days ago but this has been a problem since I purchased the 2008 Prius in March of 08--- I thought it was a quirk in the car --- something that just naturally happened when I would go over a pot hole or bumps in the road --- the car would lurch forward --- I had no control over the car --- no brakes --- I didn't realize that this was not a "natural" response until I heard the description on a news broadcast a couple weeks ago. Model years prior to 2010 should be included in the investigation. I am going to make an appointment with my dealer. Thank you.

2008 Toyota Prius touring version. Since buying the car is 12/07, I have noticed several problems. When slowing, if gas engine kicks off it is harder to brake (minor). When going over bumps (I. E, railroad tracks, rutted roads), brakes don't seem to work even when pressed hard (moderate problem). I make sure guy in front is far away from tracks before proceding. In snow (>4") car will stall - cannot spin tires (medium) so can't get the car to move without having to dig it out. Website (priuschat. Com) says this is overly aggressive traction control which protects hybrid components. Doesn't help when in traffic and stall out. Major problem - if quickly accelerating, engine will lose power with fast plummet in mph. Feels like the engine has died. Eventually with catch after it feels like it has stalled and will jerk and then slowly accelerate again. If acceleterating to avoid being hit this makes the situation much worse. I believe that the root of all of these problems is either traction control of vsc. Yellow icon flashes on dashboard when brake power lost on bumpy roads. Slipping of tires during fast acceleration or in snow causes car to stall. All events happened multiple times (multiple times from 500 to 36000 miles). Search dustyhuskie on Priuschat for details. Figured that I would have to live with the problem and get used to it.

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius. I've noticed that when I run over a bump or a pothole on the road, the car seems to accelerate or jolt forward. It happens while I brake to a stop sign and run over a bump or pothole. It has also happened while letting go of the gas pedal but not stepping on the brake. Usually when this occurs the light for the traction control engages as if it detects a skid, even though there is no skid. I have to press the brake very hard in order to stop or slow down the car. I tend to leave extra room in front of me just in case the car accelerates unexpectedly, but there is definitely a problem with unexplained acceleration.

I just reported the brake problem for this car, but there's also a problem with the tcs. When trying to accelerate on slick surfaces there is a momentary loss of traction resulting in an overly-long compensated period of seriously reduced acceleration; this has caused safety problems in intersections, where I am unable to quickly accelerate out of the way if conditions are slick or sandy, it is so unsafe that I wish I could turn off the traction control system. .

The car's anti-lock brakes fail to engage when the traction control kicks in. Thus, the car slides forward uncontrollably. I have avoided accidents only by swerving. Additionally, the traction control will activate when on dry pavement. Thus, normal stopping can be difficult if the car's traction control is activated (typically due to a bump/pothole).

2008 Toyota Prius. Have not experienced the braking failure currently being investigated in the 2010 Prius, but I have experienced multiple similar failures with the traction control system on both slippery and bumpy roads where the car will completely disengage from the drive train for an unreasonably long period of time, and then pulse wildly between having the drive system engage and disengage. In minnesota with slippery roads for many months in the year, it can be very tricky making a left had turn even when oncoming traffic is a very safe distance away. You can "stall" mid turn in a very vulnerable broadside position. Same issue has happened, to a lesser degree on bumpy roads, not just icy roads. I have not pressed Toyota on the issue. I raised it once in conversation and they simply said that it was just how the traction control operated. I am telling you as you open the investigation into the 2010 Prius braking system. I think the scope is wider than brakes, it is acceleration as well, and I don't think it is limited to the most recent model of the Prius. I drive a late model previous generation Prius.

I am an owner of a 2008 Toyota Prius. I have also experienced the braking problems that have been associated with the 2010 model. When hitting a bump in the road or an uneven part of the road, the brakes will not take hold and the vehicle seems to accelerate or jerk forward. Also the anti-lock brake light flashes.

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.

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius. I bought it new 4/12/08 in bend, oregon I live in madras, oregon. The problem has happened 3 times, it happens on packed snow slick conditions. It happened 2 times making 90 deg turns at 20 mph, I slow down into a right turn and half way thru I touch the gas and the car starts to slide and it will not come out of it. 1st time I hit the curb on the left side of road and went clear up on sidewalk. It did damage to left front tire. 2nd time same turn but there was now side walk I went off the road. 3rd time I was going into a left hand turn normal conditions would have been a easy 55 mph corner. With packed snow I was going about 30 mph I slowed into the turn and half way thru I touched the gas pedal and it instantly went into a slide and hit the snow bank on the right hand side and knocked me back into the road. On the Prius when you step on the gas and the tires start to spin it stops the tires from spinning instantly. If you hold the gas pedal the same it will start and stop power to the wheels until it gets to the point of no spinning of the tires. I think that when I touch the gas and the tire spins it instantly stops the tire from spinning and the car goes into a slide and it will not let me control the slide because the tires are still in the lock mode and it slides out of control. I do not want to drive the car on slick roads but I don't want to sell it and have someone else get in a wreck because of the problem. I am going to try and contact Toyota and tell them.

When I am braking and go over a bump in my 2008 Prius Toyota, it feels like the brakes disengage for a second and the car goes faster. I noticed this mainly during winter driving in snow and ice.

Driving on snowy or slippery road conditions can cause my 2008 Toyota Prius to lose power completely. In December I was going up a very slight incline, in approximately 2 inches of snow. The Prius lost a little traction going up the incline and then shut off completely. I had no control at all as my car went backward down the incline and then straight into a snowbank, where I was stuck. Luckily there was no car directly behind me. It was very scary. I looked online for information about this problem, found a ton of it, then went and bought some very expensive snow tires. Now I'm using those and hoping I will not lose any traction at all with them.

This is for a 2008 Toyota Prius. This problem occurs during normal daily/routine driving, and occurs almost daily. Problem: while braking, if I encounter any non-smooth surfaces (small pot hole, slight gravel, etc) or while braking and turning--the braking pressure/force momentarily releases for about a 1/2 second ,and is immediately followed by a flashing abs light. When this occurs, the car also momentarily lunges forward due to having no braking force. On 4 occasions I almost ended up into cross traffic at an intersection. This has occurred since I first owned the car back in July 2009 and is not a recent development. This same problem occurred today during my commute to work on wintry mx weather roads, but I did not have any near collisions. No repairs or work has been performed on my car to fix this problem. I assumed this problem was inherent to hybrids, but in light of recent Prius braking problems on the news, I felt it was my duty to report that my 2008 Prius does have a braking issue.

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius and from the day I drove it off the lot its had braking problems. I have always just assumed the car was useless in bad weather because the smallest amount of rain or snow seemed to prevent me from braking. I would begin to slow down and if the car noticed a tire slide even an inch it would seem to activate the traction control and the break would release. I thought this was some sort of horribly designed safety device to prevent hydroplanning. But I've been paying more attention to when my brakes release and it's anytime I slow down and hit a pot hole, or slow down for a dip. The moment the tires lose any contact/friction on the road the brakes stop working. So far it's been most dangerous when turning onto side streets or into parking lots with a bump or dip. If a car is coming out of the same driveway I'm slowing to enter I have to "pump" my brakes when I turn so I don't hit the other car. It's much worse in any snow/rain. It's almost as though when I begin to slide a little and the brake releases it actually accelerates. The brakes give out on a daily basis, this is not rare or insignificant. This has got to be a manufacturing error with the braking system it's just so consistently faulty.

We own two (2) Prius cars. One is a 2008 touring model Prius; the other is a 2010 Prius v purchased in December 2009. Both cars have the braking issue when the antilock brakes are used on rough roads such as potholes. I have made this known to caldwell Toyota - I was told both cars operate within specifications. Both cars "jump and lurch forward" when the brake pedal is "slammed on". I know that the 2010 Prius should be recalled and repaired. My concern is that the same issue exists in the 2008 Prius. Why is the 2008 year not being recalled?.

I was involved in a accident in my 2008 Toyota Prius. I was traveling east on greenback lane in citrus heights CA on Dec. 24 2008 slight sprinkling at the time at about 35 mph when the cars in front of me began to stop I couldn't get the car stopped and rear ended a van . The brakes didn't work for a second or so and I kept pressure on and finally they started to work but to late to avoid the collision. I hit a minivan and it pushed him into a 2005 chevy trailblazer. I didn't realize at the time my car may be defective until all the news started to surface and now many others are having the same symptoms. Everyone else said they weren't injured at the time but now the driver in the trail blazer says he has whiplash injuries.

Brakes release at stops where only slight road conditions exist and here there should be complete braking. I have found this happens at numerous times during the period I have owned my 2008 Prius. I believe there are valid concerns with this vehicles brake system that need to be acknowledged and addressed by the manufacturer.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. While attempting to accelerate, the contact noticed that the vehicle would pause and the tires lost traction. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated the vehicle was performing normally and could not be repaired. The current and failure mileages were 25,000.

I have a 2008 Prius that has the same problem as that reported with the 2010. Every time I brake on a rippled or bumpy surface, there is a repeated momentary loss of braking. On a certain downhill stretch of road near me, it happened every time I drove it, until it was resurfaced. Another problem is that if the vehicle is on an inclined surface of crushed rock, there is a complete loss of power. The dealer describes this as an "overly sensitive traction control system" that cannot be adjusted. This is also hazardous because on slick surfaces, each momentary loss of traction results in an overly-compensated period of seriously reduced acceleration; we have been sitting ducks in intersections, unable to quickly accelerate out of the way if conditions are slick, not because of the surface itself, but because of the way the vehicle mis-handles the situation.

I have a 2008 Toyota Prius that experiences the same hesitancy and shaking while braking that the 2010 recalled models have. I initially took the vehicle to Toyota within the first year of ownership and they claimed to not be able to duplicate the problem. They also told me last week at the dealership they have had other 2008 owners state the same problem, but since the vehicles are not under recall, there is no recourse for these cars. I have never had a crash due to the problem, but it makes handling a bit difficult when the brakes shake. I feel the recall fix should be made available to other model years as well.

1) the even happens during normal braking from 40 mph over a road with potholes. . Read more...

2008 Prius which experiences momentary loss of braking on rough roads or surfaces which cause the feeling of a loss of braking momentarily.

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius and I have been experiencing the same braking as the issues as the recent 2010 recall since I have owned the car brand new. When coming to a stop on a semi rough road (all the time) the cars brakes stutter and the antilock engages and dis-engages creating the car to not have proper braking control. Nothing has been done to correct the issue.

Traction control issues with 2008 Toyota Prius. The traction control makes the car almost undriveable on snow covered roads due to power being removed from driving wheels. Suggest adding a switch to disable the traction control.