Brake Disc Caliper Problems of Toyota Prius

When stopping suddenly sometimes the brakes on my 2004 Prius would not respond immediately as they should. They would release the calipers completely and the only way to stop would be to let off the brakes and press them again. It does not happen often but it is regular enough that this has always concerned me very much. Today I was following a car who slammed on their brakes very suddenly and therefor I also had to slam on my brakes. This same issue occurred and I did not have time to release the brakes and press them again causing me to hit the back of the car that I was following. I maintain my cars very well and this car was in top condition with brand new tires. The brakes do not even activate enough to squeal or leave any rubber behind. There is no way that I could possibly have stopped in time. This is not safe and needs to be resolved for other people who have these cars.

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Driving through the rocky mountains, my brake actuator failed causing the front caliper to seize. I was unable to brake safely. The vehicle swerved during braking and failed to respond in time to prevent collisions. Had I been in a high-traffic area, injury or fatality would have been likely. This is a known issue and Toyota extended the warranty on this part. Unfortunately, though I am still within the mileage limit, the warranty period expired weeks before the problem was diagnosed. I stress that this is a known issue which presents an imminent danger to drivers, passengers, and the public at large.

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2014 Toyota Prius. Consumer writes in regards to defective caliper replacement.

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My 2012 Toyota Prius v (mileage: 55155) has had a failure of the rear brake pads and rotors due to excessive rusting. Please note the front brakes are in great shape and show very little wear. The service manager was quick to point out that he was only a franchise store and was not responsible for the design of the rear brakes. He stated that this happens occasionally on the hybrid cars they service and if the manufacturer had coated the brake (I believe he was referring to the slide area of the caliper where the brake pads rides) that the brake pad would not have hung up and worn out along with destroying the rotors. I am a former licensed aircraft mechanic and a licensed engineer with the state of illinois. Clearly there is no reason for the rear brakes to fail before the front brakes and certainly not the rotors. This car has been serviced by the dealer every 5000 miles, which demonstrates the failure was not due to neglect. This failure mechanism needs to be addressed before it causes an accident.

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On 07/20/15 the brakes failed completely while driving. On 08/05/16 the same brakes failed again while driving. It is the same issue verified by two Toyota dealerships, (front left caliper and brake pad replacements needed). The car was bought new. The brakes have failed twice, they cite safety defects. On 08/15/16 I photographed left front brake issue. They claim they, "don't know why it's happening. " it is clear the car is unsafe and should be replaced entirely. I reported the first brake failure 07/20/15 the brakes failed while driving. The dealer stated it was a safety related defect that they could not figure out why and thus sent the original brakes to Toyota for inspection & investigation. I never heard back. On 08/05/16 (12 months 15 days later, approx. 12,000 miles driven) the same brake failure happened again. Filled it with brake fluid on 08/15/16 make it to deerfield Toyota (closest) that stated I would have to take it to the original to avoid paying. Very dangerous. Then took to same, eric jones, lipton Toyota, fort laudredale, FL, as last time. He stated the replaced calipers and brake pads were defective. The car remains there, 10 days awaiting a back order. I inquired further on 08/22/16 to which mr. Jones stated the car was bought new with defective brakes/ calipers and that they had replaced them 07/2015 but that they had replaced them with Toyota defective brakes again. (especially specifically the front left caliper and brake pads). Brakes have failed twice. It is clear the defective issue is from the car. Photos reveal that the replacements never resolved the issue as it has been occurring ever since then. To continue driving to see if a 3rd brake failure occurs is to risk mine and others on the road lives. 1st reported safety concern to NHTSA on 07/20/15, reference #10735054 : randy reid. I am scared. Help please.

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Applied brakes while car was moving slowly, less than 10 mph, and heard loud grinding sound coming from left front as car stopped. Shifted to reverse and car barely moved, about 1 foot, which was accompanied by the loud grinding sound, then stopped. Turned car off and could find nothing interfering with the wheels but did find pieces of brake pad on the ground along the path the left front wheel had followed. The left front wheel appeared as if the calipers were holding whatever remained of the brake pad and/or backing tight against the rotor. Brake function had been normal for prior 7 11/12 years, ie, since I purchased it as a new car. There was a bothersome grinding, sometimes rattling or squealing noise from the left front wheel since the first year of ownership and I was repeatedly told by the dealer that nothing was wrong. Brake rust had gradually accumulated on the left front aluminum wheel but not on any others and the dealer blamed that on winter salt. It was towed to a different dealer and the front brake pads were replaced along with the front rotors being resurfaced. Despite my request, the brake pad from the other side was not kept nor was its thickness recorded. Nothing I told the service manager was relayed to whoever worked on the car and that person only recorded that the tow truck driver said the left front wheel was frozen fast. The car, 2002 Toyota Prius, had 43561 miles on it when this occurred and should not have had significant brake pad wear given the hybrid braking system and braking gear as well as my driving style. After the above repair was done, I learned that there was a recommendation that the left front rotor be replaced. I will have this done by a private mechanic so that the part will not be discarded.

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Fluid on left rear tire rim and loss of hub cap. Discovered leaking brake cylinder assembly and soaked disk brake pads. Master cylinder brake level down to to minimum fill level. Brake fluid pooling on garage floor under left rear wheel.