Before I made the appointment, I also searched online to see if Toyota had made any changes to their initial recommendation of 5,000 mile oil change intervals. A while back I’d read that Toyota was considering a 10,000 mile interval for some of their newer vehicles using synthetics. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find anything that looked official or definitive so I called the service manager and headed in.

When I arrived, the person I met with asked me a few questions about what work I would be having done and how many miles were on the vehicle. When he learned that it had only been 5,000 miles since my last oil change, he let me know about the new 10,000 mile recommendation from Toyota Motors. The technician also showed me how to reset the service warning message that had been appearing in my display lately, every time I started my Prius. From memory, I’m fairly sure the steps are as follows:

1) With the Power On, switch the trip-meter to display “TRIPA”
2) Push the Power button to turn the Power OFF
3) (Without your foot on the brake) push the Power ON button while holding in the “km/h” and “MPH” button
4) The display screen will show the progress of reseting of the oil change data.
5) When the reset is complete, release the button and press the Power Off button

Anyway, I asked the tech to send me the official announcement their dealership had received from Toyota, so I’ll copy it below. I didn’t get the free oil change coupon or revised maintenance guide so I’ll have to check on those items next time…

Over the past several months, there has been considerable discussion regarding Toyota and Scion vehicles that have adopted a new engine oil lubrication standard (SAE 0W-20 synthetic) as well as the timeline for the complete integration of this standard. The purpose of this communication is to provide important information regarding the subsequent extension of the oil drain interval for vehicles that have adopted the 0W-20 oil standard.  To that end, I am pleased to announce that TMC has approved our request to move all 0W-20 certified vehicles to a 10,000 mile / 1 year (under normal operating conditions with 0W-20 oil) oil and oil filter change interval effective immediately with the following stipulations:

•         TMS solely bears the cost of Warranty and Maintenance Guide (WMG) revisions (i.e. reprinting and distribution, and scrapping of outdated materials) and any and all owner notifications;
•         TMS works closely with the Dealer organization to ensure that consumers receive real cost of ownership benefit from this change;
•         TMS integrates an updated and TMC approved set of “Special Operating Conditions” (formerly called “severe use”) in all affected WMGs; and
•         TMS helps monitor the impact of this change and report the status to TMC periodically

In essence this change marks a return to the two option format in place several years ago. The good news is that, as mentioned above, the Special Operating Condition criteria and WMG verbiage have been revised to provide greater clarity. The new criteria are as follows:

Special Operating Conditions – In addition to standard maintenance items, the maintenance log indicates services that should be performed on vehicles that are driven under especially demanding conditions. These “special operating conditions” and their required maintenance items are clearly indicated in each chart.

You should perform these additional maintenance services only if the majority of your driving is done under the special operating conditions indicated. If you only occasionally drive under these circumstances, it is not necessary to perform the additional services.

•         Driving on dirt roads or dusty roads
•         Towing a trailer, using a car-top carrier, or heavy vehicle loading
•         Repeated trips of less than five miles in temperatures below 32°F / 0°C
•         Extensive idling and/or low speed driving for a long distance such as police, taxi or door-to-door delivery use

The details of our 0W-20 interval change implementation strategy are as follows:

•         This change will be applied retroactively in an effort to enhance both the current customers’ ownership experience and the marketability of these key products;
•         Consumers who have paid for an oil and filter change at 5,000 miles will be provided a coupon for a free oil change at their local Toyota Dealer;
•         Customer communication will include distribution of a revised Warranty and Maintenance Guide as well instructions on how to obtain and utilize the free oil change coupon;
•         The maintenance reminder lights on these vehicles will continue to illuminate every 5,000 miles even though the nature of these services has changed

When it happened, I was lucky as there were no cars in front of me and none in the intersection. I was traveling a few miles under the speed limit (posted at 25 mph) in a residential area near my home and came to a four-way “stop sign controlled” intersection. It had been snowing earlier that day so I was taking it slow, knowing I could hit a patch of icy road at any time. As I put on the brakes to slow down, nothing happened.

At first I thought it had to be ice (we’ve all experience that before) but as I continued past the stop sign and through the intersection, my speed did not really change. I was sure I had anti-lock brakes and remembered that I wasn’t really supposed to pump them, but since I wasn’t slowing down I tried that too. Again, nothing happened at first – until I took my foot completely off the brake pedal and slammed it to the floor. By this time, I was probably 4-5 car lengths past the intersection. I remember thinking to myself, “that was NOT ice”. In my estimation, the brakes simply did nothing.

Others who have reported similar issues on forums and in the press noted that they hit a pothole or rough area to trigger this braking issue. I don’t recall anything like that when it happened to me. I just pressed on the brake pedal and nothing happened. When I got home I went online and searched to find out what my car had for a brake system. You can see from my 2010 Prius window sticker  it has anti-lock brakes with EBD and Brake Assist, and it also has enhanced vehicle stability control w/ TRAC. I’m not a brake expert, but I assumed both of those were good things.

I couldn’t find anyone else who reported the same type of issue on Prius websites and forums, so I came to the conclusion that I simply hadn’t pressed hard enough on the brakes. I know the brakes are different from other cars (regenerative braking to recharge the battery) and they sometimes feel a bit squishy, so I convinced myself that it was an isolated incident and that I’d need to be more firm in future braking.

This incident occurred about 6 weeks ago and thankfully it has never happened again, but now I see others coming forward with similar stories. I guess I just didn’t want it to be true, since I am a big fan of the 3rd generation Prius. Now I have to decide what to do. In my opinion, we will be seeing a recall on this problem soon.

From the Toyota Pressroom:

Statement Regarding 2010 Model Year
Toyota Prius Inconsistent Brake Feeling

In certain 2010 model year Prius vehicles, Toyota has received reports that some customers have experienced inconsistent brake feel when the vehicle is driven over potholes, bumps or slippery road surfaces.
 
Toyota is currently in the process of confirming these reports and investigating the vehicle driving conditions under which the reported phenomenon occurs. It would be premature to comment until the investigation has been completed. 

Worries Over Prius Brakes from MSNBC.com
New York Times article regarding Japanese government ordering investigation of braking issues.
CNN article covering complaints with malfunctioning brakes and unexpected acceleration

Prior to buying it, I owned several small to mid-sized sport utility vehicles (Honda CR-V, Lexus RX, Mercedes ML, and Toyota Highlander) and I always felt that sitting up a little higher gave me greater visibility, and because SUVs were larger and heavier than average sized vehicles, they would provide me with more protection in an accident. Even with the increased rollover risk, right or wrong, I figured that sticking with a 20 MPG SUV was safer than buying a smaller car, like the Gen II or Gen III Prius.

One crash test video I’d seen when doing my research is below, and it shows a Generation 2 Prius going head to head with a much larger sport utility vehicle. In my opinion, the SUV faired better than the Prius, but I’m no expert so I’ll let you be the judge as to how well or poorly either vehicle performed.

If you are interested, here is a link to several more Prius crash test videos – but he main reason I’m writing this article is because the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (iihs) just announced that the 3rd Generation, 2010 Toyota Prius earned their Top Safety Pick award. When I read the news I wanted to know more.

First of all, in order for a vehicle to become a Top Safety Pick, it must have electronic stability control and it must earn a “good” rating on all three crash tests (front, side, and rear). While good doesn’t sound great, it is in fact the best rating given. The other ratings are acceptable, marginal and poor.

The IIHS side impact crash test simulates an SUV or pickup truck hitting the tested vehicle at 31 mph. The frontal trials mimic a 40 mph offset crash with another vehicle in the same weight as the test car. The rear sled test simulates the stationary test vehicle being rear-ended by one going 20 mph.

Earlier this year Forbes had an article that highlighted the most dangerous vehicles, based on these same crash tests and others from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Chevy Trailblazer and Jeep Libery (SUVs), Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent (small sedans), and Ford Ranger (small pickup) all made Forbes’ list, not one you want to be on by the way. My point in mention the article is that contrary to what some believe, not every car gets a good rating…it is earned. From what I’ve read, only about 1 in 3 small cars earn a Good rating.

According to an article in the New York Times, the IIHS didn’t actually do their own front and side crash tests on the 2010 Prius, but instead relied on prior crash test data from Toyota on the Gen II model. I couldn’t find this mention on the IIHS website, but with the Gen III Prius being totally redesigned – I don’t think we should rely on old data, even if this is now the standard.

Earning the IIHS Top Safety award is the best any vehicle can do, so in that regard I’m glad to hear the news. At the same time, the laws of physics don’t change because of it. Now we wait for the NHTSA report and hopefully some video to back it up.