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.
I started having problems with my headlights when I bought my used Prius March 9, 2010. First it was just one headlight... I found that if I shut the lights off and back on the headlight would come back on. It would do it once in awhile... then it would switch from the left to the right headlight and started doing it more often...soon both lights would shut off while I was driving and it would occur several times a month. Lately, it has started shutting the lights (either or both) every couple minutes some times even every couple seconds... I hate driving at night... this has become a really bad problem. I just had a auto shop look at the car and they said they couldn't find anything wrong with the lights... I think Toyota should fix this issue at no cost to the customers no matter how old the car is...it is a safety issue!
The trunk hatch cover/switch on my 2007 Prius has completely melted and locked up. Myself, and many other Prius owners of this year, are victims of a faulty component and can no longer access our spare tires in case of an emergency. This is a terrible safety issue and these components should be recalled.
The back latch of the 2007 Toyota Prius has degraded and melted. It no longer functions properly and I have safety concerns regarding the use of the rear door in case of emergencies. There are a series of complaints reported and it is not due to high heat or chemical exposure. Please advise as to how to get this replaced.
I'm in NJ on 1/8/15 I was shopping at costco. It was sub zero temeperture and I had a full cart. I injured my fingers and got frostbite while trying to open hatch. It was stuck. The weather was cold and windy. I got very sick from the incident because of the stupid hatch, the rubber part is like stuck and can't feel latch it doesnt open. I'm really really upset.. omg
- Livingston, NJ, USA
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The rear hatch release on my 2007 Toyota Prius has begun to deteriorate and turn into a rubbery and sticky black mess. This issue interferes with the use of the hatch as the rubber not only gets on your fingers but appears to be blocking the release mechanism. The issue first began this past summer and as outside temperatures rose, the rubber melted.
Exterior rear hatch latch handle sticky/melting. Covered with tape to avoid touching the mess when using the door. Latch and lock operation has become unreliable and hatch must be slammed to ensure closure. Practically identical to complaint id 10632829.
Over time the black rubber on our hatch has melted. It has gotten harder and harder to open the trunk. Finally we popped the plastic part off due to the pressure needed to open the trunk. It no longer opens. My husband had a flat tire on 6/13/2014. He could not get in to the trunk and had to drive the car to a tire place to buy new tires. The fact that he couldn't get in to the trunk was inconvenient and expensive. My greatest concern is that this is a safety issue. You can't get in or out of the trunk in case of emergency. That is pretty scary, especially since we are traveling with 2 small children.
Failed component is the rubber cover on the trunk/hatch switch. Heat has split the cover compromising the integrity of the electrical switch. Heat has made the rubber a sticky mess. This has made the trunk/hatch difficult to open, impossible for my wife. Repairs for this mistake made by Toyota will cost $65 for the part and as much as $150 for labor. Some dealers apparently have paid for repairs in some areas of the country. I'm aware that there have been hundreds of complaints about this problem. It is obvious that the rubber cover is defective and should be made good by Toyota. If, in an emergency one is unable to access the hatch for equipment; cables, extinguisher, spare tire, flares, etc., this could be seen as a serious threat to injury or worse.
The bulbs turn off intermittently for no reason. I already replaced the bulbs but the problem did not go away. This is very unsafe. I made my research and there are many complaints of this kind of problem with the 2007 Prius. Toyota should recall and fix this problem. This is very unsafe.
Drivers side optional all-rubber floor mattes have defect of workmanship or design which causes eyelet for left hand floor matte hook to become torn stretching the hole out/breaking the hole and shifting the front edge of floor matte towards the accelerator pedal.
Rubberized floor mats for car drivers side have flaws in workmanship so that they tear where the retention hook is on left side. The effect is the matte comes loose and jams the accelerator pedal. Even though this is similar to previous floor matte recalls on this model, the dealership will not honor the rubberized mattes with these flaws under the previous recall. Another recall looks to be in order for this same kind of problem again.
Rear hatch lock has soft plastic cover which melted in my hand when trying to open car. Plastic cover turned black and soft and sticks to skin when you touch to open the car. Lock also now does not open properly now due to electrical problem in the part. Should be recalled.
After only about 4 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 Toyota Prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. I can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. To open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. We believe this melting process started at about the 3 yr. Mark. We live in Texas where temperatures were extremely warm last summer. Apparently Toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. From a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. I have had several instances where I was not able to get the hatch open on an extremely hot day. To me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that Toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in Florida for example). I am aware of the outstanding work done by NHTSA on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 Isuzu axioms, and I find this problem to be similar in nature, so I am asking for your Agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from Toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. I think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years.
The rubber tailgate release handle above the license plate has started to melt and has become a sticky, gooey mess. This black goo comes off on your hands whenever you open the tailgate. I fear this substance could be hazardous to a persons health, such as causing cancer. I also fear that because of its condition the handle may become inoperable in a life-threatening situation. I believe this is a serious part defect that Toyota should be responsible for fixing regardless of whether the car is under warranty or not. Thank you.
The trunk latch for our 2007 Toyota Prius started melting into a gooey mess about 3 years after we purchased it. It seems that many other owners of the 2007 Prius have experienced the same thing. Toyota will not replace it as defective equipment; however, it is obvious that door handles are not supposed to melt, even if you live in a warm climate.
Trunk latch rubber has deteriorated to the point of stickiness and black coming off on your fingers when opening. Sometimes, it takes a few tries before it will open. In the winter during cold weather, the rubber is very hard and you cannot open the trunk (hatch) at all. The only way we were able to open the hatch was to first run a hairdryer on it to enable us to open the door. This could potentially cause a safety hazard if access to the back was required in an emergency. Toyota has failled to issue a recall for this defect. Our car has always been garage kept and not left parked in the sun. Plus, we have owned numerous other cars, to include Toyota, which have never had a problem with a trunck (hatch) lock.
After 3 years, my 2007 Toyota Prius hatch release ( a black rubber strip ) has melted to a gooey tar strip. Toyota needs to put a recall on these hatch release buttons.
Twenty miles from my destination, both headlights went out, leaving only fog lights. This occurred at night, in the rain, on an interstate highway. The dealership advised both lights were burnt out and charged in excess of $400 to replace the bulbs. Updated 01/20/11
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the key to the vehicle was radioactive. The contact was concerned about the safety risk because he wore a pacemaker. The dealer informed the contact that there was no need for concern. The current and failure mileages were approximately 56,000. The consumer stated he was involved in two accidents and was injured. He didn't give any other specifics. Updated 07/22/10
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- Burien, WA, USA