2010 Toyota Prius Wheels Problems

I had begun to notice a slight shimmy at highway speed for a few days, but it wasn't pronounced enough to cause concern, especially since the weather was very windy and already subjecting the car to heavy crosswinds. On Monday, [XXX], the shimmy became suddenly more pronounced, so I pulled off the highway ([XXX]) and parallel-parked on street in Cambridge, MA. While parking, I heard a loud creaking and grinding sound, and the car no longer responded to steering inputs. I exited the car and noticed the rear driver's side wheel protruding at a strange angle from the wheel well. I called AAA and the tow truck driver discovered that, behind the wheel, where the wheel meets the rear axle, the arm had rusted clean through. In other words, the wheel had completely fallen off, and was being held to the car only by the brake line. I was towed to a mechanic in Salem, MA. Both the Salem mechanic and the AAA tow truck driver said that they had never seen anything like this in all the years they'd been servicing cars. I told them that the car had never been in a flood or otherwise involved in the kind of extraordinary event that would cause more than typical rust exposure. Had the wheel come off at highway speed, I could have been seriously injured or killed. The issue did not seem to have been caused by driver/owner oversight or normal wear and tear. It seems highly unusual and potentially indicative of a defect or manufacturing error. I hope other 2010 Prius owners are aware of the vehicle's susceptibility to this issue. And I would like Toyota to take some responsibility for the high cost of repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Low pitched rumbling sound from front wheel well when car is moving between 5-25 mph.

AT APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES, I NOTICED A LOW HUMMING/RUBBING SOUND COMING FROM MY WHEELS. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEEL BEARINGS TYPICALLY DON'T NEED TO BE REPLACED UNTIL AROUND 150,000-200,000 MILES, ON AVERAGE. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT IT WASN'T YET LOOSE AND THAT I COULD REPLACE IT WITHIN A COUPLE OF MONTHS. I HAVE NOW NOTICED LOOSE STEERING AND THE SOUND HAS GROWN LOUDER, SO I WILL BE REPLACING THE BEARING SO THAT I DO NOT RISK THE WHEEL BREAKING OFF FROM MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY TO AND FROM WORK. HAVING TO REPLACE THE BEARING THIS EARLY IN THE VEHICLE'S LIFE SEEMS EXCESSIVE, AND FROM MY ONLINE RESEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE TO REALIZE THIS. I'VE ALSO HAD TROUBLE TRACKING DOWN THE PART THROUGH MY LOCAL PARTS STORES, WHICH CONCERNS ME AS WELL BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DON'T CARRY THE PART, OR WHY IT IS SO EXPENSIVE TO ORDER ONLINE. HAS THERE BEEN A SHORTAGE OF THIS PART BECAUSE OF A DEFECT OR NUMEROUS REPLACEMENTS? IF THE WHEEL WERE TO BREAK OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, IT COULD EASILY RESULT IN A FATAL ACCIDENT. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

DURING TIRE ROTATION, TECH WAS RE-INSTALLING TIRE / HUB NUT (LUG NUT) AND HUB BOLT BROKE. VEHICLE HAD APPROX 15,000 MILES. *TR

WHEN BRAKING NORMALLY AND THE CAR PASSES OVER RIBBED ROAD SURFACE AREAS WHICH INDICATE A STOP AHEAD OR RAISED EXPANSION STRIPS, THE CAR OFTEN TIMES APPEARS TO SPEED UP. IT'S AS IF WHEN THE WHEELS COME SLIGHTLY OFF THE GROUND, BRAKING IS INTERRUPTED AND THE WHEELS SPIN MORE RAPIDLY. NORMAL BRAKING RESUMES WHEN THE TIRE REGAINS CONTACT WITH THE ROAD SURFACE, CAUSING A MINOR LURCHING FEELING. ALTHOUGH IT CREATES JUST A MOMENTARY OUT-OF-CONTROL FEELING, IT IS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING OF NO BRAKING. IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AT THE SAME TRAFFIC LIGHT AND EACH TIME IT CATCHES ME OFF GUARD. MY 2010 PRIUS HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN IN FOR THE BRAKING RECALL FIX. *TR

CAR: 2010 PRIUS II DRIVING ON WET PAVEMENT AND APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT. STARTED APPLYING THE BRAKES AND HIT A POT HOLE - VEHICLE SPED UP FOR A MOMENT AND LUNGED FORWARD THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS BUT IT WAS THE MOST NOTICEABLE. EACH TIME IT HAS OCCURRED WHILE BRAKING AND GOING OVER UNEVEN ROADS. THIS TIME ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AT THE LIGHT.

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2010 PRIUS ON OR AROUND JAN 23RD AT AROUND 2:30PM CST, SAW A POT HOLE AHEAD AND STARTED BRAKING. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WENT OVER THE POT HOLE BUT THE BRAKES SKIPPED AND THE VEHICLE DIDN'T STOP AND CONTINUED TO MOVE AHEAD WITH THE SAME SPEED. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS THERE IN FRONT. RE-APPLIED THE BRAKES AGAIN QUICKLY TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. *TR