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.
The contact's daughter owned a 2007 Toyota Prius. While the contact's daughter was driving 55 mph, she suddenly depressed the brake pedal; however, the brakes failed to stop the vehicle. The contact's daughter attempted to depress the brake pedal several times, but the vehicle failed to stop. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained an injury to the right eye, which caused swelling. The contact's boyfriend sustained bruises to the chest area. Medical attention was required. The vehicle was towed to autonation Ford gulf freeway (12227 gulf fwy, houston, tx 77034, (713) 489-2089), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000.
While I was driving, the car suddenly made a very loud sound, that did not go away. Along with that, the lights on the dash lit up, the brake light, the red hazard exclamation triangle light, the ABS and vsc light. It felt the brakes were not working and I would need to press it down hard for it to slow down. This has happened three times! and each time I took it in to Toyota, their diagnostic tests showed nothing. They think it could be the battery but they did not suggest changing it. The three episodes that happened, luckily no injuries or crashes. But it is very concerning as I feel this will happen again and they have not figured out what the problem is.
As I was coming back from livermore to san jose down the sunol grande last weekend, my dash lights suddenly went out meaning I had no speedometer or wait to tell how much gas I had and the ABS and stability control went out while going 65 miles an hour down a steep hill.luckily I was able to get home and don't ask me how I figured out to get the car to turn off. I called the one 800 Toyota number and it turns out there was a problem with something called the combo meter on these cars and it had an extended warranty for a total of nine years. My warranty expired they said April 2016. This seems like a serious safety issue that Toyota should cover if they are concerned about their customers safety.
Driving on a rainy day, ABS and vsc lights on dash came on. My car violently fishtailed almost 180 degrees, back and forth 6 times on a curve getting off a freeway (about 45 mph) nearly crashed. I proceeded very slowly to side street. Car shimmied to right making a left turn. Felt like I was driving on ice. Called a tow truck. Dealership found rodent damage to wires to wheel speed sensor. I discovered manufacturers using soy oil on wiring. $1300 repair.
The headlights turn off during driving, so I exit the freeway and turn them on and off and they start again and so on, I already changed the bulb did not help, I took it two times to the longo Toyota in el monte California and they refused to repair it stating that they could not duplicate it, I I complained about the noise of the ABS system and they refused to repair it there is recall on both
I have owned two 2007 Toyota Prius. Both have been totaled due to what I believe is a failure of the hybrid drivetrain to disengage during emergency braking. This report is regarding the first vehicle. I have filed a separate report for the second vehicle which I still have in my possession. First 2007 Prius, purchased new in 2007. On Dec 9, 2009, to avoid a collision, I fully pressed the brakes with full force however the Prius continued to propel forward. I should easily have been able to stop the vehicle in time. As it continued to propel forward, I collided with the other car. The speed at the moment of impact was approx 25 mph. No airbags were deployed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss due to the extensive cost of repairing the hybrid system. I have the photographs of the accident and the police report. Second Toyota Prius: I purchased an exact replacement used 2007 Prius in Dec 2009. On October 17, 2015, a car stopped abruptly in front of my wife who was driving at approx 40 mph. She reported pressing on the brakes with full force but that the Prius continued to propel forward. She hit car in front then swerved to the right as the Prius continued to propel forward. She steered to the left into the center median and the Prius stopped. The car then caught on fire. No airbags were deployed. I have the photographs of the vehicle and the police report. I contacted Toyota in Nov 2015. An investigation was opened. A Toyota 'field technical specialist' inspected the vehicle. I signed an 'edr consent form' for Toyota to read any data from the vehicle. However due to the fire, they were not able to read any data. On January 26, 2016 I received a letter from a legal claims administrator at Toyota motor sales, usa, Inc., stating 'our inspection was unable to confirm any evidence of a manufacturing or design defect in your vehicle'.
I have owned two 2007 Toyota Prius. Both have been totaled due to what I believe is a failure of the hybrid drivetrain to disengage during emergency braking. First 2007 Prius, purchased new in 2007. On Dec 9, 2009, to avoid a collision, I fully pressed the brakes with full force however the Prius continued to propel forward. I should easily have been able to stop the vehicle in time. As it continued to propel forward, I collided with the other car. The speed at the moment of impact was approx 25 mph. No airbags were deployed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss due to the extensive cost of repairing the hybrid system. I have the photographs of the accident and the police report. Second Toyota Prius: I purchased an exact replacement used 2007 Prius in Dec 2009. On October 17, 2015, a car stopped abruptly in front of my wife who was driving at approx 40 mph. She reported pressing on the brakes with full force but that the Prius continued to propel forward. She hit car in front then swerved to the right as the Prius continued to propel forward. She steered to the left into the center median and the Prius stopped. The car then caught on fire. No airbags were deployed. I have the photographs of the vehicle and the police report. I contacted Toyota in Nov 2015. An investigation was opened. A Toyota 'field technical specialist' inspected the vehicle. I signed an 'edr consent form' for Toyota to read any data from the vehicle. However due to the fire, they were not able to read any data. On January 26, 2016 I received a letter from a legal claims administrator at Toyota motor sales, usa, Inc., stating 'our inspection was unable to confirm any evidence of a manufacturing or design defect in your vehicle'. I continue to own the vehicle and have it in my possession at this time.
Without any warning, the brakes on my vehicle barely responded to the touch, as though all the power was gone to them. Luckily I was only entering my son's school parking lot and with the little bit of braking ability I could stop in time. However, if this failure had occurred on a major road or highway, I could have been in a terrible accident or hurt someone else. I see that this has happened numerous times now that I have read through other reports. How is this not a recall issue?? to suddenly, and without warning, have a major loss of brake effectiveness is incredibly dangerous!!!
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving 70 mph, the brake pedal depressed on its own and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The brake hazard warning indicator illuminated several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 52,800.
12/17/2013 vehicle experienced complete brake failure on the freeway. Brake lights and alarms went on. Brake pedals were non responsive and went to the floor when pressed. Managed to pull over to side of freeway and have vehicle towed to dealership. At dealership was told that the brake computer or brake actuator had failed. Dealership replaced brake actuator. Mileage on vehicle at the time was 128,451. Brake actuator failed again. This time vehicle failed to stop while driving on residential street. Brake warning light and alarm went on briefly. Drove vehicle to dealership. Dealership diagnosed problem as brake actuator failing again. Current mileage about 170,000. Luckily both times nobody was hurt, no property was damaged. However, I don't believe it that a vehicle should suddenly not be able to brake due to a computer malfunction, especially 42,000 miles apart.
The rubber cover over the rear hatch latch got soft and would stick onto my hands. I had to pay to have it replaced. Also my breaks grab especially when the weather is damp.
The headlights go at without warning. Sometimes one goes out sometimes both while we are driving. Bulb replacement does not fix the issues. This has continued to be a problem for years. Toyota service has not offered a fix that works! I have been driving on the highway or local roads when, all of a sudden, all the lighting goes dark. I have had success in relighting the headlights by turning off the headlights at the main switch and then turning them back on. Extremely dangerous. Breaks are also a menace: On wet roads it is especially noticeable when using the breaks. If you are breaking and a tire goes over a more slippery surface than the pavement, such as a manhole cover, the ABS system cuts breaking to all the wheels such that the car continues on as if the breaks are not being applied - the car effectively releases the breaks and you loose control of the car until its systems decide to return controls to the driver. This happens over and over and over. Try it on a road with a bit of loose gravel on it or the leftover coarse sand from winter road maintenance or going through a milde pothole where gravel has spilled onto the road....breaking in these conditions will consistently cause the car to diminish breaking power to such an extent that the car is no longer lowing down. We own 6 cars of varying makes and this is the only car that has this issue. The other side of this same issue is that if you are pulling out into traffic and a drive wheel hits a slightly slippery patch, the engine power is cut for so long and so severely that we are at risk of being hit. This happens every single time. Toyota service has not offered a fix. Though we have told them abou this issue repeatedly, they typically do not write it down and tell us it is normal. It is not normal or safe.
Our Prius was burglarized while parked. The side window was smashed, purse stolen along with electronic key. Vehicle was towed by gieco's body repair agent, brighton auto repair (4 days later-unknown to us). Vehicle was taken to camelback Toyota where they replaced and programmed key. They also initiated and performed recalls. The vehicle was returned with brake failure warning light activated. Camelback toy. Said the bulb was burned. When asked if they replaced it or removed the dash, they said no. The vehicle would slam us forward every time we pressed the brakes. Toyota camelback returned our vehicle with 14 sensors burned. To this day, we have to use both feet to stop the vehicle. They refused to repair the damage caused by their repair techs. They said recalls were performed until they found out our vehicle had a salvage title. All work was stopped at the steering column (where most brake sensors are located). To this day gieco, brighton and camelback Toyota refuse to repair our vehicle. Everyday we place our lives in danger because of their faulty repairs and damage they caused. No one seems to care even after I filed with BBB. Please let us know if you can be of assistance. It is our daily driver and we do not have the money to repair all the sensors they burned and the damage to our brake system (over $3500 in damage. When the vehicle was burglarized, the brakes were in perfect working condition. Now we have to tolerate a continuous loud beeping sound and brakes with no hydraulic power booster or ABS. Sometimes we have to use both feet to stop the vehicle.
When applying the brakes in traffic on a city road with a posted 35 mph speed limit, the car felt as though it surged forward briefly and accelerated followed by the anti-lock brake dashboard light coming on and off and then the brakes finally started working to slow the car down. This has happened about 10 times the last few weeks and has nearly caused me to rear-end other vehicles on the road.
On Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 5:04 pm while traveling at about 57 mph South on hi way 101 at about the mile post 255.5, my 2007 Toyota Prius suddenly and without any change in steering by me, veered to the right off the road and into the guardrail. There seemed to be no reaction to my frantic steering and braking in the attempt to return the car to the road. After the car hit the guardrail it traveled about 15 feet spun back out into the southbound lane and was hit on the rear right side by a car traveling in the southbound lane. This caused the car to be propelled across 2 northbound lanes of traffic and come to rest with rear of my car embedded into the far side guardrail. Miraculously no one was hurt. The police were called and my 61 year perfect driving record was ruined. My car was totaled by the insurance company...updated 08/27/15 update 9/15/15 updated 4/21/20
I was not the driver, but the passenger who was asleep until the car felt like it hit a pot hole. The accident was nearly fatal. This is an update of an initial report based on what I now believe. We were East on I-80 at near mile 21, which has no exit (as reported by tow truck driver). Since my initial report I used satellite images to verify the approximate area of highway to match what I saw when I woke up after experiencing the car doing what felt like hitting a pot hole, but which I now believe was a new run offset run of partial shoulder. Speed is an estimate. My wife was looking for a place to pull over and change drivers on the shoulder. I think she did pull on the shoulder and the ABS brakes engaged on the dirt side of the partial shoulder and steered the car off the highway. When I opened my eyes I could see the car was heading back to the highway, but the car was at small slope of perhaps 20 or so degrees. She wife should have stopped on the grass following the Contour down the slope but followed reflexes trying to get back on the highway. I believe that is the actual cause of the roll over, but it would not have happened had the car stayed on the pavement. ABS should never engage when the car is moving in a straight line. It only helps when turning and otherwise harms. In the Prius everything is computer controlled and this could have been implemented. I had one other incident where ABS brakes from Toyota caused my prism to spin off the highway on ice when I was driving straight ahead. The Prius computer should also have been programmed to restrict the steering radius based on the car's speed and side directional slope. This was a doubly design preventable accident that nearly killed my wife, who has no recall of the accident before rescue due to injuries. Without redesign ABS brakes should be banned especially with bad shoulders.
The vehicle mileage given is approximate. The passenger estimates the speed at about city street speeds at time of accident since the car was slowed to get on the shoulder. The accident is complicated because the driver can't remember much of what happened beyond she was pulling over to the right shoulder to change drivers or rest, but the front seat passenger was abruptly woken up from a scheduled nap by what seemed to him like a pothole or perhaps an abrupt edge to the road followed quickly by a rough ride. When he opened his eyes he saw the car on the wild clumps of grass like vegetation on the outside of the reflector stake line and an odd shoulder that was only partially cement or pavement with a substantial gap between the side reflectors and hard surface. This was semi-confirmed when reentering Wyoming with his oldest son driving and seeing similar partial shoulders, but the son was unwilling to drive farther to the accident scene. The passenger's believes the traction control engaged and caused the car to go off the shoulder, in part because of a similar problem with a Geo Prius lsi ABS brake system on ice that caused what would have not otherwise have been significant vehicle damage. The alternative explanation is a defect or debris on the shoulder itself. The driver tried to get back on the highway instead of following the slight Contour down of the shoulder outside right of way and that or traction control may have caused the car to leave the partial shoulder. The vehicle was last seen at hp towing in evanston, Wyoming. It was totaled and title will be transferred to allstate insurance. The seat belts in this car are too thin and tend to twist up preventing consistent support. The passenger protective cage in the Toyota Prius did an impressive job of protecting the occupants but a plastic layer would have prevented injuries and contents loss.
The 2004 - 2009 ABS/brake actuator assemblies have known issues. The repair cost is approximately $2000 or more. The part alone is $1500 or more. It appears with this being a common issue (per the service center associate and Prius forums), that even a used part would not sustain without recurring issues thereby making it a requirement to use only new oem parts. The ABS/brake actuator assembly failures can cause severe safety consequences due to brake failure. Given that the issue commonly occurs when the warranty expires but with less than 200,000 miles this should be something that is covered by Toyota and the problem should be addressed with the manufacturing of defective parts in all subsequent Prius models.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Houston, TX, USA