Sudden Handling Issues After Brake & Tire Service — Unsafe Bumpy Ride, Wobble, and Instability

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Raphael Novaes, Jun 5, 2025 at 6:41 AM.

  1. Raphael Novaes

    Raphael Novaes Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius
    Model:
    XLE AWD-e
    Hey everyone — I’m reaching out to see if anyone here has experienced this.


    I used to own a 2019 Prius, bought in 2020 with only 9k miles. For years, it drove beautifully — smooth, quiet, and perfectly stable even at highway speeds. But in 2023, after replacing brakes, getting four new tires, balancing, and alignment (around 130k miles), everything changed.


    The car became borderline unsafe to drive:


    • Constant wobbling/bouncing over small road imperfections
    • Roll steer / bump steer — car pulls side to side over any road dips or drain lines
    • Feels unstable on the freeway, especially in curves — I had to fight the wheel to stay in my lane
    • Suspension seemed fine but nothing I did fixed it — I eventually sold the car in frustration


    Since then, I’ve rented multiple 2024–2025 model year vehicles (Toyota RAV4s, Escapes, Honda HR-V, Nissan Rogue) and was shocked to find the exact same behavior in nearly all of them.


    I’m starting to believe there’s a systemic issue — either a major change in suspension design, tire/suspension tuning, or possibly interference from driver assist / traction control AI systems.


    I’ve filed complaints with Toyota and Honda. I’m just trying to find out if others are noticing these handling changes too, and if this could be part of a larger safety concern we should push manufacturers to investigate.


    Would love to hear if anyone with Gen 4 Priuses (or others) have had similar experiences after brake/tire work — or if newer models are handling the same way.


    Thanks in advance,
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
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    Touring
  3. Danno5060

    Danno5060 Active Member

    Joined:
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    Vehicle:
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    Model:
    Base
    It's highly unusual for a Prius to need new brakes after only 4 years. Unless you put on over 50K miles per year, or live in the mountains.

    The first I'd look at is the front suspension components - jack up the car, and try to wiggle the front tires side to side, and top to bottom. If there's any play, look to see where the play is coming from (side to side - tie rods, top to bottom - ball joints, wheel bearings, struts...).

    When you replaced your tires, was there any unusual wear on the old tires?

    My 2019 Prime is handling beautifully at 75K miles. We switch to studded snow tires in the winter months and a high-mileage tire during the summer months. I had the front end aligned a couple of years ago, shortly after I got the car. I also had the driveway curb replaced with a more gradually sloped one, so that eliminated the big bump when entering my own driveway.