2009 Toyota Prius Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 71 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 2009 Toyota Prius, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 10,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “foot brake” (17% of reports).
- 71vehicle speed control complaints
- 10,000median miles at failure
- 26mention a crash
- 10mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 26%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Foot brake: mentioned in 12 of 71 complaints (17%)
- Suddenly accelerated: mentioned in 6 of 71 complaints (8%)
- Floor mat: mentioned in 5 of 71 complaints (7%)
- Unintended acceleration: mentioned in 5 of 71 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 59 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 71 complaints, 26 mention a crash, 10 an injury.
Toyota Prius vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Prius | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2024 Prius | 2 | 7% | 3,000 |
| 2022 Prius | 1 | 4% | 25,000 |
| 2021 Prius | 1 | 17% | 56,000 |
| 2020 Prius | 1 | 7% | 15,670 |
| 2019 Prius | 4 | 13% | 1,495 |
| 2018 Prius | 4 | 11% | 7,500 |
| 2017 Prius | 13 | 14% | 14,000 |
| 2016 Prius | 14 | 9% | 13,250 |
| 2015 Prius | 7 | 4% | 3,000 |
| 2014 Prius | 14 | 7% | 11,687 |
| 2013 Prius | 22 | 5% | 9,750 |
| 2012 Prius | 13 | 3% | 21,000 |
| 2011 Prius | 28 | 5% | 21,000 |
| 2010 Prius | 287 | 10% | 4,300 |
| 2009 Prius | 71 | 14% | 10,000 |
| 2008 Prius | 156 | 10% | 28,500 |
| 2007 Prius | 124 | 6% | 36,600 |
| 2006 Prius | 84 | 6% | 45,000 |
| 2005 Prius | 109 | 10% | 50,000 |
| 2004 Prius | 52 | 9% | 59,384 |
| 2003 Prius | 5 | 5% | 41,873 |
| 2002 Prius | 12 | 7% | 42,240 |
| 2001 Prius | 25 | 15% | 60,189 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Risk: A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Fix: Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. These changes address the risk of pedal entrapment due to interference with the floor mat. Redesigned accelerator pedals will become available beginning in april 2010 and dealers will replace any modified pedal with the new pedal if desired. Also, dealers will replace any genuine toyota or lexus all-weather floor mats with redesigned all-weather mats, or repurchase the previous mats from owners who do not want the new ones. Additionally, software modifications will be installed on camry, avalon and lexus es 350, is 350 and is 250 models that will ensure that the brake overrides the accelerator in the event both brake and accelerator pedals are applied. Toyota will begin mailing letters to owners on december 31, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331, lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
When I am coming to a stop or need to put on my brakes my car will accelerate at a jump ahead pace As if to take off instead of slowing down and stopping. Regardless whether Iâm turning a corner or Iâm continuing straight when I have to Put on the brakes it speeds up instead.
I went to park in a parallel space when all of a sudden my ABS, (!), VSC light come on with the loss of brake power and a loud beeping noise. With this sudden loss of brakes in the middle of driving, I could have harmed myself and others in any cars around me because I also lost steering…
My prius now has all those dash lights on: !, abs, vcs. I was driving yesterday, on a city street and the lights came on, and the brakes suddenly did not work-hard to push. For months, when i would drive over rough terrain, i had the loss of braking, accelerating, and the slick road icon would…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2009 Toyota Priuss have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 71 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 2009 Toyota Prius (14% of the 502 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Toyota Prius vehicle speed control?
Yes: 1 safety recall list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?
The median reported mileage is 10,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 2009 Toyota Prius?
The most frequent phrase is “foot brake”, in 12 of 71 complaints, followed by “suddenly accelerated” (6).
Other 2009 Toyota Prius problems
See all 2009 Toyota Prius problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Prius years.