TOYOTA Complaints

2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA (AND A NUMBER OF TOYOTA MINI-VANS) ARE PLAGUED WITH A DEFECTIVE AND COSTLY REPAIR ASSOCIATED WITH THE REAR HATCHES ON A NUMBER OF TOYOTA VEHICLES. THE HANDLE THAT OPERATED THE HATCH IS VERY FRAGILE AND BREAKS FREQUENTLY. THIS PLASTIC HANDLE BREAKS ON A 1-2 YEAR BASIS AND THE REPAIR COST IS OVER 400 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE HANDLE. OPENING THE HATCH IS NOT POSSIBLE WHEN THIS BREAKAGE OCCURS AND ANYTHING THAT WAS PLACED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WILL BE DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO RETRIEVE. ALSO, WHEN THE HATCH IS CLOSED AND THE LATCH IS BROKEN, NONE OF THESE VEHICLES CAN GAIN ACCESS TO THEIR SPARE TIRE WHICH IS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND IS REMOVED USING A TOOL THAT IS ONLY ACCESSIBLE WHEN THE HATCH IS OPEN. SO, WHEN THE HATCH BREAKS, YOU ARE STUCK ON THE ROAD IF YOU HAVE A FLAT. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS. IT IS ONE THING TO CHANGE A TIRE - IT IS ANOTHER TO NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE A TIRE DUE TO TOYOTA'S IGNORANCE. I HAVE HAD 4 HANDLES THAT HAVE BROKEN TO THE TUNE OF 1600 DOLLARS FOR A 1 DOLLAR PIECE OF PLASTIC. SOMEONE NEEDS TO SLAP TOYOTA AROUND AND GET THIS ON A RECALL LIST. VARIOUS U-TUBE AND OTHER FORUMS GO INTO THE TOYOTA HATCH PROBLEM. PLEASE CONSIDER CONTACTING TOYOTA AND REQUIRING THEM TO FIX THEIR TIME BOMB JUST WAITING TO EITHER HURT OR LEAVE BUYERS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR A CHEAP PIECE OF PLASTIC. THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. *TR

2006 TOYOTA SIENNA AIR BAG LIGHT IS LIT. POSSIBLE AIR BAG MALFUNCTION. RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY WANT YOU TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST IF THE PART THEY DEEMED TO BE DEFECTIVE IS OK. THIS HAS NOT YET LED TO ANY CRASH, INJURY, ETC. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, AND TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND THEY ARE AS EVIDENCED BY THE LETTER RECEIVED, THEN THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED WITH OUT CHARGE TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

TOYOTA PRIUS (2008) HATCH RELEASE RUBBER COVER PIECE DETACHED AND TORE APART. NOTE THAT MY RX300 SELECTION OF MAKE/PART NUMBER IS BOGUS, AS I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHO MADE THIS RUBBER COMPONENT. *TR

I AM REPORTING A DEFECTIVE 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS TRUNK HATCH RELEASE. THE MATERIAL APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE. IT APPEARS TO BE A GENERAL ISSUE DUE TO POOR QUALITY CONTROL AND FAULTY DESIGN BY TOYOTA. THE REPAIR COST FOR THIS CRUCIAL FUNCTION IS OBSCENELY HIGH (AROUND $500). *TR

2007 TOYOTA PRIUS REAR HATCH HANDLE FAILURE. RUBBER COVER MELTS INTO ELECTRIC SWITCH MAKING IT INOPERABLE. *TR

2007 TOYOTA PRIUS TAILGATE LATCH RUBBER HAS DEGRADED AND EFFECTIVELY MELTED TO WHERE THE LATCH FAILS TO WORK MOST OF THE TIME, AND DEPOSITS RUBBER GOO RESIDUE WHEN CONTACTING THE LATCH. THE PART IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE AS INDICATIONS OF THE PROBLEM STARTED WITHIN 3 YEARS OF PURCHASE. CLEARLY SHOULD BE A RECALL OR REPLACEMENT VIA TOYOTA. IF NOT LABOR, AT LEAST COST OF NEW PART. *TR

HATCH LATCHES SHOULD NOT MELT DOWN IN 2-3 YEARS, AND ACCESS TO THE HATCH IS A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE. AS WITH MANY OTHER 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS VEHICLES THE RUBBER MATERIAL ON THE HANDLE OF THE REAR HATCH HAS BEEN DETERIORATING ON MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS AND IS GETTING MORE DIFFICULT TO USE. WITHOUT AN EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT BY TOYOTA THE PART WILL FAIL BEYOND THE ABILITY TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH. TOYOTA REFUSES TO RECALL THE PART AND REPLACE IT AS A DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

THE BACK LATCH OF MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS DEGRADED ("MELTED" ALMOST). IT NO LONGER FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, AND I AM UNABLE TO OPEN THE BACK HATCH DOOR EASILY. SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES CONSIDERABLE EFFORT AND PERSEVERANCE TO GET IT OPEN. I AM CONCERNED THAT IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE DOOR OPEN. THIS IS A MAJOR CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

THE PLASTIC PART ON THE REAR LATCH FOR THE TOYOTA PRIUS IS NOW LIKE GUM. AFTER INTERNET RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR ALL TOYOTA LATCHES AND IT COSTS ABOUT $280.00 TO FIX. I HAVE A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS AND THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE CHARGED. *TR

AFTER ONLY ABOUT 3 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 2 YR. MARK. I THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT BE A SINGULAR ISSUE, BUT HAVE FOUND THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL CAR OWNERS, PARTICULARLY IN FLORIDA. I LIVE IN LOUISIANA . TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS, AND IS SELLING THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS FOR $600, 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. 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 LOUISIANA, 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. AND NOW MY TRUNK WON'T OPEN AND IT IS ABOUT DETACH FROM THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA PULLING NEEDED TO OPEN IT. WHY HAS IT NOT BEEN RECALLED? IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY. THEY TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OVER $600 TO DO IT AT THE DEALER, BUT THEY SHOULD PAY FOR IT. *TR