# 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
> NHTSA complaint `750356` · 2009-12-30 · Toyota Motor Corporation
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** TOYOTA
- **Model:** PRIUS
- **Year:** 2009
- **Manufacturer:** Toyota Motor Corporation
- **Component:** SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- **Miles at failure:** 20,200
- **Speed:** 15 mph
## Narrative
ON DEC 11, 2009, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STREET IN CAMBRIDGE, MA (I HAD A COWORKER IN THE CAR) AND WE WERE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AT A STOP LIGHT. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME CRAWLED UP TO APPROACH THE LIGHT AFTER SEVERAL CARS HAD GONE THROUGH-THEN STOPPED @ THE RED LIGHT. I PROCEEDED TO DO THE SAME. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO STOP THERE WAS NO RESPONSE, SO I PRESSED DOWN HARDER-STILL NO RESPONSE. I THEN BEGAN TO PUMP MY BRAKES TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT BUT THERE WAS STILL NO RESPONSE FROM THE BRAKING SYSTEM. IF THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAD NOT FAILED I WOULD HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH RESPONSE TIME AND DISTANCE TO STOP BUT MY CAR KEPT @ A STEADY SPEED AND ENDED UP REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND $1800 DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I'VE HAD OTHER INSTANCE WHERE I'VE HIT POTHOLES IN THE PAST WHILE SLOWING DOWN- AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD STOP MOMENTARILY FROM WORKING. I WORK IN THE BOSTON AREA- WHERE I'M CONSTANTLY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. I'VE EXPERIENCED 2 PREVIOUS TIMES SLIGHT BRAKE DELAY-WHICH I'VE COMPENSATED FOR AND GIVE MYSELF MORE ROOM BETWEEN MY CAR AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME.  IN ADDITION THERE WAS ONE INSTANCE 4MONTHS AGO WHERE I WAS COMING TO A STOP- AND I HEARD ONE OF THE MOTORS (I'M ASSUMING THE ELECTRIC B/C IT CHARGES AS YOU STOP) REV UP AND MY CAR JILTED FORWARD- AS IF I HAD STEPPED ON THE GAS BUT I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE WHOLE TIME. THAT WAS THE ONLY INSTANCE OF THAT.  I'VE HAD MY CAR SINCE APRIL 2009 AND WHEN
---
*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*