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.
Our leased 2007toyota Prius sometimes "jumps" forward unexpectedly when going over a stone or bump on a dirt road or other street, briefly increasing acceleration. This has happened when traveling a straight road and also when taking a corner onto a dirt road. Braking doesn't slow down the acceleration, increasing the chances of a collision with a vehicle or other obstruction that may be in front of our car.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that whenever she was driving the headlights came on and shut off intermittently. Occasionally, the headlights would not come back on for fifteen minutes after they shut off. The accelerator pedal also began sticking to the floor; however, there were no floor mats in her vehicle. The dealer informed her that for $400 they would replace the bulbs in the vehicle. There were no related recalls. The VIN number was unknown. The failure mileage was 75,850.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. He stated that when he approached a stop light and engaged the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. The air bags deployed; however, the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer to be repaired. The dealer confirmed that the failure could have been due to the floor mats. The vehicle is being repaired and the insurance company will be responsible for the repair cost. The contact is very concerned of the safety risk and the possibility that the failure could reoccur. There were no injuries. The failure and current mileages were 15000.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 25 mph the vehicle in front of him made a sudden stop; however, after engaging the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into hit the vehicle in front of him. The vehicle he crashed into also crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries. The contacts insurance rate will double due to the crash. The failure mileage was 29,000 and the current mileage was 31,500. Updated 12/7/09 updated 12/08/09.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. During brake application at 25 mph, the vehicle continued to accelerate. After she was able to decelerate, the vehicle would no longer accelerate to the intended speed. The vehicle has not been taken to the dealer for inspection. The failure mileage was 500. The current mileage was 18,000.
- Glenolden, PA, USA
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The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While parking her vehicle, it began to accelerate rapidly. The vehicle drove over the cement curb and then crashed into a store-front. The driver sustained injuries to her neck and shoulders. A police report was filed. The vehicle was repaired through her insurance company. The failure and current mileages were unknown
I was driving home from work on the morning of August 16th, 2008 when my 2007 Prius began to hydroplane. I struck the left guardrail, spun right and then the car catapulted across the interstate. I hit a concrete barrier and the car then rolled onto its left driver side and skidded maybe 100'. I chalked it up to the roads being wet but the odd thing was that the car accelerated once I hit the left guard rail and started to cross over the interstate. At this point, the brakes and steering would not work. I crashed head on into the concrete barrier on the right side of the interstate. My story sounds very much like some of the posts I have read. It is frightening that so many people have experienced the same ordeal and that Toyota continues to deny it and blame it on the floor mats!
I was "T-boned" on my drivers' side on July 3, 2009 in my 2007 Prius. The car had extensive damage and the electric motor was dismantled and replaced (same one) as part of the repair. At the time of the accident it was fine and I averaged about 48-52 mpg. It was in the Toyota repair shop from July 7th through late August and wasn't returned until mid-September. I have not been driving it since I last picked it up because I did not feel safe it. The problem was never found and I was told "...if we can't find the problem, we can't fix it...if it happens again, bring it back, it's under warranty." Yesterday (November 4, 2009) I had to drive it to work (downtown) because my husband had our van and I found that it is still accelerating in odd ways like it did when we got it back in September. While in stop and go traffic at a low speed when I went to accelerate to a higher speed (appx. 50 mph) it wasn't accelerating properly, then suddenly "kicked into" acceleration then I had to slow it down with the brakes. The Toyota hybrid engine dismantling manual (I found online when I was told Toyota could not find the problem) on page 1 #1-5 shows how the vehicle should be operating. As I've described since August, the day I first picked it up, this is not how it's functioning. In light of the news yesterday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found no defect exists in vehicles with properly installed floor mats. And in fact, the NHTSA said, Toyota vehicles have a very serious defect. I would like to know what Toyota can do now to get my Prius working properly (or consider it totaled) before I (or my family) are in a horrible accident like the 16 people who have already died or the 200+ who have had serious accidents as a result of this issue! by the way, there are no car mats in it, but there were before the accident and this issue never occurred before Toyota's "repairs" to it! updated 11/13/09
I bought a 2007 Prius from copeland Toyota-Scion dealership. From the beginning, I noticed that it accelerates on its own during the drive. For example, while going at 55 mph, suddenly, it travels at a higher speed without my intervention. I feel like being hydroplaning, leaping or shooting by a few yards, and then it would be back to normal. Initially, I did not pay attention to it, but I brought it to your dealership and spoke one of their counselors nearly two years ago. I was told that one of your technicians will have to ride and diagnose the problem and since it happens randomly, there is no way anyone one can detect. First, I noticed this problem in December 2006. Since then, it has been happening once in a way. The average frequency can be 3-5 times a month, and it could be more based on the highway usage. I was unaware of the ramifications until the recent recall notice. I wanted to send this information in September when the recall on floor mats was announced. I am more and more concerned about this unpredictable speeding on its own which could be very dangerous as it happened with several crashes reported (today, I saw a news segment on the nbc tv involving a Prius). A creeping floor mat can get the gas pedal stuck, but would not cause sudden acceleration. Sudden acceleration may be more severe in the cases of crashes, while mine is less severe, at least thus far. If there is a fix for this, I rather have it done as soon as possible, before it gets any worse. Thanks, and I hope to hear from you soon. Yours truly, S. chavali
My Toyota Prius accelerated at extremely high speed as I pulled into my driveway. I crashed through the garage door into the boxes and furniture stored in the garage. I had my foot pressed all the way down on the brake but could not slow down or stop but accelerated to a very high speed. There was significant property damage and car damage. It was reported to allstate. No other vehicle was involved. The airbag did not activate! I do not know the exact speed other than to say it was extremely fast and very, very terrifying!
I suspect the current Toyota recall is more than a floor mat malfunction. I own an '07 Prius. Ninety percent of the time the car shuts down immediately upon "firmly & briefly" depressing the power button, precisely as described in the owner's manual. However, about 10% of the time it does not shut down on the first push, and will move forward when I take my foot off the brake. I have to push the power button a second time to stop the engine. The dealer actually told me I should push the "park" button before pushing the power button to turn the car off. It says nothing about doing that in the manual. Now they're saying you should hold the power button 3 seconds to turn off the car? the manual says (P. 141 and elsewhere) "the hybrid system will start and stop by firmly pressing the "power" switch briefly with the brake pedal depressed." Three seconds is certainly more than "briefly, " and more than it takes to turn off the engine 90% of the time. Fortunately, I haven't hit anyone or anything, I've gotten used to it, and I'm careful to be sure the engine has actually stopped before I take my foot off the brake. Once in a while, I have to push the power button a second time, an inconvenience hardly worth mentioning. However, I'm now concerned that the minor problem I'm experiencing could progress into something much more dangerous. Look at the mat: Someone would have to deliberately install it so it was over (rather than under) the accelerator pedal to cause a problem. I don't think it's the mat. I think there's a problem with the computer.
At 4:45 pm on 2/5/2009, I drove my 2007 Toyota Prius West on sw andover St. In seattle wa. I slowed as I made a right turn to park perpendicular to the street with a 6 foot high chain-link fence in front of me on top of a retaining wall. The bottom of the wall is 6 feet below street level on a paved parking area. As the Prius approached the fence, I braked to stop, but the car did not slow, so I floored the brake. The car hit a fence post, pulling it out of its mount and then the car moved over the top of the wall pushing the pole and fence over its hood & roof, . the front of the Prius dropped to the area below the wall while the rear remained on the top. The fence mesh stretched but slowed the Prius's forward movement and kept the rear from going over the wall.. the dashboard was still lit and I lowered the electrical windows and yelled for help. The first arrival told me to "turn off the car". this is significant because the only way he could have known the car was running was if he heard the sound of the Prius's gasoline engine that only kicks in at higher speeds. I opened the door and jumped down to the pavement. The police came and made a report. I did not receive a citation. The Prius was extracted by a tow company and hauled away. Fortunately I received no physical injury. The chain link fence was truly a safety net. On 2./12/ 2009, my insurance company, usaa, declared my Prius "totaled" and made a settlement payment. I thought perhaps my brakes had failed. I had my Prius receive a routine 25,000 mile check at the Toyota dealership just eight days before the accident. From articles on www.consumersafety.com I learned that similar accidents with the Prius have happened to other people. After reading their experiences, I now believe that "unintended acceleration" was the more likely cause of my accident.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving 20 mph, the vehicle surged forward and increased in speed. The brakes did not hold. The contact crashed into a tree and the vehicle was destroyed. Her right knee was crushed and the left knee was fractured. She received lacerations from the seat belt on her neck and her ribs were bruised. The passenger sustained broken ribs, a punctured lung, internal bleeding, optical nerve damage, a tracheotomy, and spinal injury. The dealer was notified. A police report was filed and pictures are available. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were almost 10,000.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While approaching a red light at 2-3 mph, the vehicle automatically accelerated. The contact broadsided the front passenger side of another vehicle. Her vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 4,500. Updated 4/8/08 state of California traffic report. Updated 04/08/08
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact's spouse was backing down a 20 degree slope with her foot on the brake pedal. The vehicle accelerated backwards downhill at approximately 5 mph, but then accelerated to 35 mph. The contact continued to depress the brake pedal. The vehicle struck a tree and the contact's head struck the head rest. He sustained a head injury and can provide a police report. The dealer was notified and the vehicle was repaired. The current mileage was 12,700 and failure mileage was 10,600.
Cause: Flat tire in the front left or front right of the vehicle. The front left demonstrating the most severe hazard failure: The traction control system engages regularly due to a discrepancy between the spare and normal tire size. Traction control cuts power to the drive wheels and cannot be overridden, causing vehicle to lose speed in non-deterministic manner. Vehicle is not responsive. Condition is worst during the first 40 miles driven on the spare tire but consequently improves due to learning inside the car computer. Unfortunately, vehicle is most dangerous when the driver has the least control over the situation. Correction: None, the manufacturer claims the vehicle is operating as designed.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Meredith, NH, USA