2012 Toyota Prius V

I BEGAN EXPERIENCING WHAT I DESCRIBED TO THE DEALER AS A "HICCUP" IN MY BRAKES. I COMPLAINED OF THIS PROBLEM THE TWO TIMES I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (FIRST AND NEXT SIX MONTHS), AND EACH TIME THEY FOUND "NO PROBLEM" WITH THE BRAKES. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THIS SNOWY ROUGH WINTER WITH ALL THE ATTENDANT POT HOLES IN THE STREET THAT I CORRELATED THIS BRAKING PROBLEM WITH UNEVEN PAVEMENT. I KNOW THIS HAPPENS WHEN MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE HITS A POT HOLE, AND IT MAY HAPPEN WHEN ANY TIRE DOES, BUT IF I'M APPLY THE BRAKES - ESPECIALLY HITTING THE BRAKES AT THE MOMENT ONE TIRE DIPS INTO THE HOLE -THEY DO NOT ENGAGE AND IN FACT THERE'S A SLIGHT LURCH FORWARD, ALMOST AN ACCELERATION. THE CAR IS GOING TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOMORROW WITH THE HOPES THAT THE PROBLEM CAN BE LOCATED. THIS TRULY FEELS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. *TR

I BOUGHT PRIUS V IN FEBRUARY 2012. I'VE NOTICED FEW TIMES ISSUES WITH BRAKES. WHILE DECELERATING WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW THE CAR TO A STOP AND IF THE CAR GOES OVER A POTHOLE OR SLIGHT BUMP ON THE ROAD THEN CAR ACCELERATES FORWARD BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THIS IS SAFETY HAZARD SINCE IT ALMOST LED TO HITTING THE OTHER CAR'S REAR BUMPER. ALSO, I'VE GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT IN DECEMBER 2013 WHERE THERE WAS ANOTHER BRAKE ISSUE. I STOPPED MY CAR IN THE INCLINE ROAD BY PUTTING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THEN, I CHANGED THE GEAR SHIFT TO REAR AND SLOWLY TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL SO THAT I CAN BACK INTO THE STREET PARKING WHICH WAS ONLY ABOUT 4 TO 5 FEET AWAY. SUDDENLY, CAR SPED DOWN THE ROAD GOING REAR DIRECTION TO THE DIRECTLY OPPOSITE STREET AND HIT TWO PARKED CARS. I HAD PUT THE FOOT DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN I NOTICED THE CAR GOING REAR FAST BUT IT WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR FROM GOING DOWN THE ROAD. I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR OR THE SPEED. THIS IS MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD SINCE SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED WITH LOSING CONTROL OF THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATION. I'VE OWNED OTHER TOYOTA CAR (CAMRY) BEFORE BUT NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE UNTIL THIS PRIUS V. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN BODY SHOP FOR OVER A MONTH WITH REPAIRS. I PLAN TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER TO CHECK OUT THIS BRAKE ISSUE. *TR

DRIVING IN THE EVENING, USING HEADLIGHTS. TURN VEHICLE OFF AND EXIT. WITHIN AN HOUR, GET BACK INTO VEHICLE, START, TURN ON HEADLIGHTS AND THEY (LOW BEAMS) FAIL TO ILLUMINATE. HIGH BEAMS WORK, AS DO PARKING LIGHTS, BUT THE LOW BEAMS STOPPED WORKING, AND THEY STILL FAIL TO WORK. DRIVING WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS OR PERPETUAL USE OF HIGH BEAMS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND DISTRACTION FOR OTHER MOTORISTS CAUSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION. HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE, IN EARLY FEB. 2014. THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY, LESS THAN 36 MONTHS OLD WITH FEWER THAN 36,000 MILES. *TR

AT LEAST 2 OR 3 TIMES A WEEK, WHEN SHIFTING THE CAR INTO DRIVE WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED, THE CAR GOES INTO REVERSE INSTEAD. THE FIRST FEW TIMES I THOUGHT I HAD MADE A RUSHED ERROR, SO I STARTED WATCHING QUITE CAREFULLY. YOU CAN EVEN BE BACKING UP AND THEN BRAKE AND SHIFT THE CAR SPECIFICALLY INTO DRIVE AND IT STAYS IN REVERSE. IT MIGHT TAKE 3 OR 4 ATTEMPTS TO GET IT INTO DRIVE. I HAVE REALIZED THIS MUST BE WHY THEY INSTALLED THE BEEPING IN THE SYSTEM TO ALERT YOU THAT THE CAR IS IN REVERSE, IT MUST BE A MORE PERVASIVE PROBLEM THAN SIMPLY IN MY CAR. I ALWAYS VISUALLY CONFIRM MY MOTIONS NOW, AND 2 OR 3 TIMES A WEEK I WILL ENTER THE CAR AND PUT IT IN DRIVE AND IT GOES INTO REVERSE INSTEAD. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A STEEP INCLINE WHILE I CLOSED A GATE BEHIND ME TO A GATED DRIVEWAY. WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE AND BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR IMMEDIATELY ROLLED BACK AND INTO THE GATE. THE CAR RELEASED AS IF IT WAS A STANDARD SHIFT CAR THAT NEEDED A CLUTCH AND SLAMMED INTO THE GATE. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO OTHER SAFE SPOTS THAT ARE ON HILLS AND FOUND THAT THIS CAR CAN NOT HOLD A STOPPED POSITION ON AN INCLINE. *TR

DRIVER WAS MAKING A SHARP LEFT TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE AT LOW SPEED AND ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL DESPITE HARD PRESSURE ON BRAKE PEDAL BUT INSTEAD ACCELERATED,JUMPED A CURB IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A WALL WHICH STOPPED THE CAR. NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT FRONT BUMPER BADLY GOUGED AND FRONT DOOR SLIGHTLY DENTED. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND GET OFF THE SIDEWALK. VEHICLE IS NOW AT TOYOTA DEALER FOR INSPECTION. UPON REFLECTION 2 OTHER INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHERE WHAT FELT LIKE A MOMENTARY SPEEDUP OCCURRED AGAIN AT LOW SPEED WHILE TURNING AND BRAKING. BUT THESE 2 WERE WHILE MOVING FORWARD AND NOT ATTEMPTING TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. *TR

I WAS IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC. I HAD ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 25 MPH WHEN I NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. THE CAR NOT ONLY WAS NOT BRAKING (I WAS STEPPING ON THE BRAKE AT THE TIME) BUT INDEED SEEMED TO ACCELERATE BRIEFLY BEFORE THE BRAKES RE-ENGAGED (I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE--DEPRESSING IT--THE ENTIRE TIME). THIS HAS HAPPENED FROM TIME TO TIME WITH MY VEHICLE--IT HAS HAPPENED WHEN BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE, AND ALSO WHEN BREAKING WHILE DRIVING OVER ROAD BUMPS OR POTHOLES. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

FROM A STANDSTILL, UNDER LIGHT WINTER CONDITIONS, THERE HAVE MANY TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WILL NOT/CAN NOT MOVE. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED POWER IS SENT FOR A FRACTION SECOND (VERY QUICK PULSE) AND THEN ALL POWER IS CUT OFF AND NOTHING FURTHER HAPPENS UNTIL YOU LIFT OFF ACCELERATOR AND TRY AGAIN. IT DOES THE SAME THING IN REVERSE. THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS CYCLE IS TO PHYSICALLY PUSH THE CAR TO GET IT MOVING(SLOW WALKING PACE) AND THEN THE TRACTION CONTROL BEHAVES VERY MUCH LIKE OUR 2012 CAMRY SE V6. A COUPLE TIMES WE HAD OUR CAMRY RIGHT NEXT TO THE PRIUS(SIDE BY SIDE) AND THE CAMRY WAS ABLE TO GET ITSELF MOVING(WITH TC ON) AND PRIUS WOULD NOT BUDGE. BOTH HAVE THE FACTORY TIRES, THE PRIUS TIRES ARE IN BETTER SHAPE THAN THE CAMRY. I KNOW THE TWO VEHICLES ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT AND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE OF LITTLE HELP; I SIMPLY WANT TO EXPRESS THAT THE CONDITIONS THE PRIUS WILL NOT FUNCTION UNDER SHOULD NOT BE THOUGHT OF AS EXTREME, BUT RATHER ORDINARY WINTER CONDITIONS. IT SEEMS THAT THE PRIUS TRACTION CONTROL PARAMETERS DO NOT EVEN GIVE THE CAR THE CHANCE TO GET MOVING BEFORE SHUTTING THE SYSTEM DOWN. *TR

WHEN OPERATING THE PRIUS V ON A SUNNY DAY, THE REFLECTION OF THE SIDE DASH PANEL BLOCKS THE VIEW OF THE SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE REFLECTION OCCURS IN BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE GLASS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS NORMAL! THIS SAFETY ISSUE HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED TO TOYOTA. THEY ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER AND RESPONDED THE PROBLEM WAS KNOWN AND THEIR WAS NO KNOWN REPAIR. THEY ALSO STATED THE ISSUE HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A DESIGN ISSUE. THIS IS MY FIRST, AND LAST, TOYOTA. THIS ISSUE COULD BE NORMAL FOR A TOYOTA, BUT IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR ME AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND MUST BE FIXED. I INQUIRED IF I COULD PURCHASE BLACK PANELS TO MINIMIZE THE REFLECTION AND WAS TOLD THE PANELS WERE ONLY AVAILABLE IN LIGHT GREY AND LIGHT BISQUE (BOTH VERY REFLECTIVE). UPDATED 8/12/13 *CN *TR