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 went to park in a parallel space when all of a sudden my ABS, (!), VSC light come on with the loss of brake power and a loud beeping noise. With this sudden loss of brakes in the middle of driving, I could have harmed myself and others in any cars around me because I also lost steering capability. This is a problem that there was an extended warranty for, but there should be a recall. My car is a 2009 and was only covered before the pandemic and now it is 2021 and I have no recourse, but to try and fork over $3500 for which I don't have. I am a second owner and this is a very common problem amongst Prius owners. I didn't have any other symptoms that I could point out prior to this situation. I have had my hybrid battery, engine, ecu and most recently a stolen catalytic converter replaced. This ABS actuator problem needs to be addressed for another 5 years with a free repair. I would hate to have hit some other car and had my car smash into a wall, another car, pedestrian, pole or any other object based on it's ability not to stop.
My Prius now has all those dash lights on: !, ABS, vcs. I was driving yesterday, on a city street and the lights came on, and the brakes suddenly did not work-hard to push. For months, when I would drive over rough terrain, I had the loss of braking, accelerating, and the slick road icon would illuminate. The is exactly the same ABS module problem affecting 2010 Prius, ands needs to be recalled and repairs covered.if I didn't stay so far behind other vehicles, I would have rear-ended someone.
Consumer writes in regards to vehicle steering loss, brake loss and acceleration issues, corporation failure to inform consumer of counterfeit drive train issues that injured consumer. Smd the consumer stated Toyota failed to warn them about being convicted of "using the intellectual property of hybrid drive inventor without his permission."
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Prius. While driving at 2 mph and making a left turn, the vehicle accelerated independently and the contact lost control of the vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into a garbage truck. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and drove home. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for repairs. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was unknown.
Driver went to park and the brakes did not respond! in fact the vehicle went from 2-5mph to approx 30+ & kept picking up speed and went into storefront. Driver was able to wrestle vehicle into reverse and it went equally fast back into a parked car where it finally came to a stop. Hugely frightening and potentially lethal.
- Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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2009 Toyota Prius. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle acceleration issues. The consumer stated the vehicle was inspected on May 10, 2010. On February 11, 2010, the consumers wife was approaching a small business in a parking lot. She was almost at a dead stop, when the vehicle suddenly went a rapid acceleration mode, jumped a curbed and sidewalk, and hit a brick wall of a business building. There was severe damage to the vehicle as well as to the brick wall of the building. The air bag did not deploy.
Toyota Prius 2009 headlights were on and off finally the left side went off totally. The seal outside the headlight didn't prevent of water came into the system and damaged it. Also while driving the car accelerated and decelerated by itself. And while stopping the car jump.
A year ago, upon taking off from a stop my car began to stall. I drive two blocks it continues to putt along and stall, then after less than a mile it starts to run as normal. I take my car in to be told it is out of gas, which it did not indicate low fuel, it had over a quarter of a tank. I insist they continue to check my car over days of them driving it, after a week they experience something similar and replace my junction box. Since then I've replace the water pump, taken my car in for a steering recall. Also, there are instances where my car upon take off stalls, but nothing severe, just something you feel when accelerating. Recently, 6/5/14, I experienced the same issue, but this time I immediately put gas into my car even though my indicator panel shows I have fuel. Only this time I start my car and the air conditioner is not working and it continues to stall, after turning my car on and off several times and driving a few blocks the ac cuts on and my car begins to run fine. I have been told by Toyota that bc there is no indicator light and it's running fine there is nothing they can do. There was a recent recall in February of 2014 with similar issues I am experiencing but my car was not apart of the recall. Not sure what else I can do. Numerous Toyota dealerships have been of no help and I fear that my safety is at risk.
Driver intentionally accelerated to avoid collision, then Prius unintentionally accelerated after impact with the other vehicle, crossing the median and crossing the opposite direction street lanes then up on to the sidewalk and hit the concrete bridge rail and finally stopped. Have contacted Toyota, they want up to a month to pull the crash data from the car. I asked if they could pull the data in a week, they said up to 30 days the car will have to sit at the dealership. A month is unreasonable to go without a car. They refused to send the investigator to pull the data at the body shop, said it must be done at the dealership. I gave them the name & address of the body shop.
My wife and I were driving down a residential street approaching a stop sign. There were two cars stopped at the sign. Several hundred feet from the stop, I took my foot off the accelerator. The car did not slow down. I stepped on the brake. The car did not slow down. I stood on the brake as hard as I could. The car did not slow down. I said to my understandably alarmed wife, we're not stopping. And we didn't until we smashed into the back of a Tahoe stopped at the stop sign, doing major damage to the Prius that rendered it undriveable and perhaps totaled. My wife has a very sore back that I am hoping starts to feel better today or we will have to schedule a doctor's appointment.
I pulled my Toyota Prius into my driveway, stepped on the brake, opened the garage door and waited for my husband to get out of the car. He opened the passenger side door and started to move his foot out the door but before he even got one foot out, the car surged ahead and ran into the garage, pretty much destroying all the storage units on the right side of the garage. My husband thinks the car was going between 35 and 40 mph. Since my accident there have been two other incidents of Toyota accelerating independently in palo alto. One ran into a house on Park Avenue, destroying the front wall and front door of the house. A few days later, a Toyota ran over a curb, across a lawn and into a corner of a house on North California ave. Both of these incidents were reported to the police unfortunately, I cannot get the name and contact of the other two drivers because my name is not on the police reports. My questions are these: Is there any legal way to get the information about these other 2 drivers" also, someone told me they thought there is a class action suit out against Toyota because of acceleration problems. Is there any way to find out about that" I am aware that this is probably just a problem I will have to deal with but I always try everything.
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Prius. The contact stated while the brakes were depressed the vehicle accelerated abnormally. The contact crashed into a post office building as a result. The contact sustained injuries to the head, shoulder, neck and back. The police were contacted and a report was taken. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop. The manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 32,000.
I was gliding into a commercial parking space with my foot off the accelerator in the second before I moved my foot onto the brake. Suddenly, the accelerator pushed down by itself, the car surged forward towards the truck in the space in front of mine. I slammed on the brake. End of incident. No mat was in the way. I had taken part in the recall.
I was driving my 6-month old 2009 Prius one summer day on a dry, paved, slightly downward incline when the following problem occurred. As I approached a traffic circle at about 5 mph and then applied the brakes, my car jumped forward for about a second and a gold light on the dash was briefly visible through my peripheral vision. Because I was familiar with anti-lock braking systems, I think that I kept my foot on the brake pedal, though I may have reflexively released it in my startle. At any rate the car stopped a few feet later. Thankfully there was no collision, largely due, I believe, to my habit of coasting to a stop when practical. However, this was a bit unnerving, and also since it was during the period of concern about Toyota Prius' unintended acceleration, I made a point of reporting it to my car dealer. I could not identify which dash light had flashed for a second. The dealer's response was that there was probably an uneven surface on the road that caused the problem. Sure enough, there had been both a shallow pothole and a bit of gravel where the stopping problem occurred. However, I take issue with Toyota's blaming road conditions for this problem when clearly the problem is that the car cannot respond appropriately even during very slow speeds. The problem hasn't recurred because I avoided the pothole afterward and never have to stop on a dime, pothole or no. I have had cars with anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and never encountered this problem with them. Therefore, imo Toyota needs to improve the ABS or the (then new) stability control feature on priuses, both of which my car has. In all of the hype about Toyota cars' sustained unintended acceleration, I do not remember that this other event that I have described was also being addressed. How come" where are NHTSA, nasa, and Toyota on this"
I have a 2009 Prius base with 42K miles. After placing the vehicle in park and waiting in the vehicle, it suddenly lurched forward about 1 or 2 inches and with enough force to shatter a light post. This seems a dangerous flaw. It happens frequently; after speaking with a repair shop, I was told this is normal for a Prius and is part of the recharging design of the hybrid system. I was advised to use the parking brake whenever possible. This seems dangerous.
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that when the vehicle stopped it suddenly accelerated. The contact attempted to apply the brakes but the vehicle would not slow down causing the vehicle to crash into a wall. The crash the air bags did not deploy and the contact suffered injuries to the neck, knee, and chest. The contact called the manufacturer regarding the crash and the manufacturer stated that they wanted to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe and does not want it repaired. The failure mileage was 9,000.
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the vehicle was at a complete stop when it suddenly accelerated. The vehicle crashed into the brick wall although the driver was attempting to apply the brakes. The driver experienced severe whiplash, swelling in her chest, bruising on her ribs and shoulder. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There was no mention of the vehicle being destroyed. A few months prior to the failure the dealer performed an complete vehicle inspection and dealer stated that there was nothing wrong it. The manufacturer was not notified. The current and failure mileages were approximately 8,000.
2009 Toyota Prius. Consumer states problem with brakes the consumer stated on four occasions, when he applied the brakes, the vehicle would continue to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer after the third incident. However, the dealer was unable to diagnose a problem.
Event: Incomplete brake feel, during slow and steady application of brakes on slick or rough road surfaces, when the anti-lock brake system (ABS) is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction. The system engages and disengages rapidly (many times per second) as the control system senses and reacts to the tire slippage. If the same brake force is applied under these conditions, in the worst case, this may lead to an increase of vehicle stopping distance and thus raise the possibility of a crash. Toyota says that the older priuses, like mine, use a different ABS system, and so are not subject to recall. But it seems like a similar issue. Failure: Whenever there is a slick, wet road. Correction: I checked with the dealer, all systems were checked safe, tires' psi were adjusted, it was felt that there was some tire noise. Incident continues intermittently.
The contact owned a 2009 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the vehicle abnormally accelerated at a rapid rate of speed. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into a brick wall. The contact was uninjured. A police report was available. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer however, the contact did not feel safe driving the vehicle and traded the vehicle for another. She stated she had experienced numerous unintended acceleration incidents prior to the crash. The contact called the manufacturer who inspected the vehicle but offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 20,001 and the current mileage was approximately 20,045.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Sherman Oaks, CA, USA