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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
20 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
24 / 0
Average Mileage:
81,855 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Toyota Prius seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2005 Toyota Prius Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #35

Oct 012023

Prius

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I had lost functionality for some buttons on the steering wheel that didn't directly impact safety. On replacing the clockspring mechanism inside the whweel I decided to inspect the old unit. Four of the lines in the flex cable are impacted by corrosion, three have already failed. The fourth line is one of the airbag's electrical lines. I'm filing an issue report because the airbag would be next impacted by this failure and I believe there's a fair chance the corroded line could fail during the vehicle's attempt to fire the airbag on the wheel.

- Queensbury, NY, USA

problem #34

Sep 122021

Prius

  • miles
On 9/12/21, I was driving 25-30mph when the SUV in front of me stopped on the freeway interchange suddenly and unexpectedly (other cars were not around us). I hit the breaks very hard and fast but could not stop and collided with the SUV. The front end of the Prius lodged under the back end of the SUV and the impact was enough to wreck the Prius. During that collision, the driver side seatbelt engaged, but the passenger side seatbelt did not. My preteen hit his forehead on the dashboard very hard. Additionally, the airbags failed to deploy. I could smell an odor from the dust from the airbags. The car is at a repair shop waiting for insurance adjuster to inspect. There were no warning lamps or other messages of the problem prior to the failure.

- El Sobrante, CA, USA

problem #33

Mar 012020

Prius 4-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
When I go to hit the brakes the car won't stop and the rear end makes noise and raises up. The ABS and brake lights are one as well as maintenance required and SRS airbag light. The master alarm buzzer is on and won't go off. Brakes engaged without hitting the brake causes rim to overheat and brake fluid gets extremely hot. Also sometimes when tap on the brakes they will lock up and you will go sliding sideways or tap the brakes and they straight to the floor. Also the brake actuator starts whining noise and won't go off even if the car is turned off. Don't have documentation from a mechanic but can send video of driving it.

- Scottsboro, AL, USA

problem #32

Jul 102018

Prius

  • 280,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Takara recall - currently have an airbag light onon my instrument cluster. Brake actuator recall - the 'brake' light, vsc, ABS, and brake symbol lights are all on indicating an issue with the brake actuator. I did receive a recall notice about this issue in the past, but the recall said if I wasn't experiencing any issues to ignore the recall. That recall expired on December 31, 2017. As this affects the safe operation of the car, I feel this should be addressed by Toyota as well as the air bag issue.

- Northwood, OH, USA

problem #31

Oct 162017

Prius

  • 130,000 miles
The airbag wiring harness located under the seat failed. This was a costly repair and a potentially dangerous situation while driving the car without functioning airbags.

- Seattle, WA, USA

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problem #30

Aug 052017

Prius

  • 150,000 miles
Air bag light started staying on though intermittent. Noticed it went away if steering wheel was turned. I just had the dealership confirm it is the clockspring.

- Endicott, NY, USA

problem #29

Apr 132017

Prius

  • 222,222 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Clock cable failed.. caused the airbag, horn and cruise control to not work..

- Center, TX, USA

problem #28

Nov 032015

Prius

  • 177,482 miles
I'm concerned because my vehicle's airbags did not deploy during a crash wherein I collided with a car turning left in front of me at approximately 35-40 mph. The front end crumpled and my driver and passenger doors do not fully open due to the damage to the frame of the car. The car is currently being inspected with regard to determination of a likely total loss. While I understand airbags don't always deploy, I felt that this might be a case where they should have deployed.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #27

Nov 232011

Prius

  • 27,773 miles
1) sudden unexpected acceleration 2) steering shaft severed 3) drivers side air bag inoperative along with all steering wheel mounted controls

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #26

Jul 102014

Prius

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. While driving at approximately 25 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated on and off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the main wiring harness needed to be replaced and not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

- Missoula, MT, USA

problem #25

Jul 312015

Prius

  • 280,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owned a 2005 Toyota Prius. After the vehicle was parked and turned off, it suddenly accelerated to 65 mph without warning and crashed into a retention wall. The front air bags did not deploy. No injuries were reported and a police report was not filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to the contact's residence. The approximate failure mileage was 280,000.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #24

Mar 112015

Prius 4-cyl

  • 93,674 miles
The airbag indicator light on the dashboard of my Prius came on and would not go off. On 3/14/2015, I took the Prius to a dealership for a diagnostic check. I was told by the technician that both the drivers and passenger side squib airbag harness would need replacement at a cost of $4,373.07. There was no accident or any outside force to cause the problem. It appeared out of the blue when I started the car on the morning of 3/11/2015. The car is otherwise in near perfect condition.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #23

Dec 192014

Prius

  • 100,000 miles
Stopped at a stop sign. Pulled into intersection of arterial. Didn't see crossing traffic. Collided with crossing vehicle. Entire front end of Prius hit rear quarter panel of pickup truck. The front end of the Prius was completely destroyed. Any and all airbags failed to deploy in Prius.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #22

Jul 212010

Prius 4-cyl

  • 36,000 miles
The airbag warning light came on and would not go off about 3 or 4 years ago, so I took it to the Toyota dealer who did something and reset it. It stayed off for about a year or so then came back on. I took it back to the dealer again who said the diagnostic said it was malfunctioning and that I needed to bring it back to replace some expensive part. I was on the way back to the dealer, when the light went out. The tech did the diagnostic again and said there was nothing wrong with it. The light stayed out for about another year or so and came on again a couple of weeks ago and won't go out. This time however, I have also noticed that the top of the dash on the passenger side has been pushed upward under the "SRS air bag" phrase. This is concerning since the same thing has happened in the exact same place on the other 2005 Prius that I own. I contacted Toyota corporate who responded that there are no recalls on my cars and that for the most part, my cars were out of warranty. The rep said that she would document my report and that I should take them back to the dealer for inspection. This is the same dealer that has not been able to figure out what is wrong with this car the first two times. Meanwhile, I am driving around in a car that may or may not have working airbags because I need to get to work.

- Hot Springs Village, AR, USA

problem #21

May 172014

Prius

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the brakes were depressed and failed to respond. The contact crashed into the rear end of another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the chest, a leg gash and a pulled muscle in the back. The front passenger sustained whiplash. Both the contact and the front passenger required medical attention. A police report was filed. Additionally, the contact stated that the flat surface warning indicator illuminated intermittently as a result the contact had to restart the vehicle on multiple occasions. The key failed to exit the ignition switch on multiple occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #20

Feb 272014

Prius 4-cyl

  • 97,448 miles
On 2/27/14 the SRS indicator light in our vehicle lit up causing us to review the owner's manual, which recommended immediate service. Per technical service bulletin T-sb-0042-11, this issue was caused by failure of the wiring harness, which was diagnosed with scanner code B1826. According to the tsb, the design/material fault can occur in 2004-2009 priuses. The fault, according to a Toyota service advisor, results in a failure of the air bag system. To address the condition, "an updated wire harness must be installed." The cost to repair this design fault is $2,500. And up depending on if one or both sides of the wiring harness has to be replaced. Because this safety related defect needed to be addressed at once we paid to have the vehicle repaired but expressed our view to the Toyota personnel that the defect should have been covered by Toyota. We feel that this defect should have been the subject of a recall. Calls to the GM of the dealership have not been returned.

- Moraga, CA, USA

problem #19

Sep 042013

Prius

  • 126,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that another vehicle crashed head-on into his vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact stated that he sustained a laceration to the forehead and the passenger sustained severed chest bruising. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 126,000.

- Alamogordo, NM, USA

problem #18

Aug 282013

Prius

  • 178,000 miles
The air bag warning light came on while driving. We took the car in to check for the cause and they told us the wiring harness was bad and it would have to be replaced and that the air bags would not work because of a problem (of which they were already aware) with the wiring harness. A defect in the wiring harness - their words- would cost about $2000 to replace. They are aware that this has been occurring in these vehicles, but as of yet there has been no recall or offer to correct the problem. If this isn't a safety issue, I don't know what would be. Please address this issue.

- North Charleston, SC, USA

problem #17

Jun 222012

Prius

  • 106,000 miles
This vehicle was flipped end over end twice and slide on its right side but landed upright on all four tires. The air bags didn't deploy and the right corner in the front took a blunt force while flipping. This could have easily resulted in a death due to lack of deployment. The car was a total loss. This warrants compensation for malfunctioning air bags. The driver received minor bruising and soreness but no major problems arose from this incident. It is my concern for other opportunities of a fatality due to the lack of functioning air bags. I feel I should be compensated because the driver could have so easily died that night. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration with this matter.

- Rougemont, NC, USA

problem #16

Dec 012011

Prius 4-cyl

  • 109,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that at engine startup, the SRS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was advised that the steering wheel needed a replacement spiral cable. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 109,000 and the current mileage was 109,500. Updated 03/06/12

- California City, CA, USA

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