TOYOTA Complaints

TOYOTA 2008 PRIUS TRUNK HATCH RELEASE RUBBER PIECE MELTED. 2008 MODEL WAS ONLY 2.5 YEARS OLD WHEN THIS HAPPENED. DEALER SAYS $197.00 FOR THIS PART. *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 CALIFORNIA. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS, AND IS SELLING THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS FOR $200 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. 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 CALIFORNIA FOR EXAMPLE). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE, THE FACTORY JACK DID NOT RAISE THE CAR HIGH ENOUGH TO INSTALL OR REMOVE THE TIRE AND FAILED. THE FACTORY JACK WAS LABELED AS HAVING A LIFTING CAPACITY OF 2,200 LBS HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WEIGHED APPROXIMATELY 4,000 POUNDS. THE CONTACT DETERMINED THAT SITUATION TO BE A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER NOR WAS THE MANUFACTURER MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FACTORY JACK WAS NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

I TOOK MY 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 TO LONGO TOYOTA FOR BRAKE BOOSTER RECALL IN NOVEMBER 2010. THEY KEPT MY CAR NEARLY 7 WEEKS BEFORE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. A FEW DAYS AFTER PICKING UP MY VEHICLE, WHILE I WAS PARKED DROPPING OFF MY PASSENGER, MOST OF THE CONTROL PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED (BRAKES, ABS, TRAC OFF, VSC, CHECK ENGINE). I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID TO BRING THE CAR BACK. I TOOK THE CAR BACK AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTS WERE RUN AND CONCLUDED THAT A CODE WAS STORED BUT IT WAS NOTHING SPECIFIC THAT HAD FAILED. BRAKE SYSTEM WAS BLED. IN JUNE 2011, THE LIGHT CLUSTER ("CHRISTMAS TREE" IS HOW THE DEALER REFERS TO IT) ILLUMINATED AGAIN WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PICK UP MY CAR FROM MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER (BOB SMITH TOYOTA). AGAIN, THE CAR WAS LEFT. AGAIN IT WAS REPORTED TO ME THAT THE SYSTEM HAD STORED A CODE BUT NO SPECIFIC COMPONENT WAS IN FAILURE AND THE BRAKES WERE BLED. APPROXIMATELY, JULY 20, 2011 AND JULY 23, 2011, THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN, ONLY FOUR OF THEM (TRAC OFF, VSC, ABS, BRAKES). I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA DEALER ON TUESDAY, JULY 26 AND WAS FORCING THE ISSUE ON JULY 29, 2011 AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR AUGUST 1, 2011. ON JULY 31, 2011, THE SAME FOUR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING AND STAYED ON. I STOPPED, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND EXPERIENCED A VERY SPONGY, SQUISHY BRAKE PEDAL. I CONTACTED TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION TO FURTHER ADDRESS THE CONCERN OF MY VEHICLE NOW BEING UNSAFE AS A RESULT OF THEIR RECALL. TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION WAS VAGUE AND SAID THAT THE MATTER COULD ONLY BE ADDRESSED BY LONGO TOYOTA, THE DEALER THAT PERFORMED THE RECALL, SINCE THE PARTS WARRANTY WOULD ONLY BE WITH THEM. IN CONTACTING BOB SMITH TOYOTA, THE SERVICE ADVISORS SWEARS THAT THE PROBLEM CAN BE RESOLVED BY THEM. IT APPEARS THAT PERFORMING THE RECALL WEAKENED THE INTEGRITY OF MY BRAKE SYSTEM. AS ONE REPRESENTATIVE SAID, "YOU WILL NOT HAVE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND YOU WILL STILL BE ABLE TO STOP. IT WILL JUST TAKE LONGER." *KB

VEHICLE VSC LIGHTS COME ON AND CAUSE A TEMPOARY LOSS OF POWER . THE VEHICLE FRONT ENDS ALSO STARTS TO SHAKE WHICH CAUSE A TEMPOARY LOSS OF CONTROLL. THIS STARTED 6 MONTHS AGO AND IS HAPPANING DAILY. *TR

DRIVER'S SEAT SLIDES WHEN I ACCELERATE OR STOP. IT OCCURS EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO CHECKERED FLAG TOYOTA IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VA TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. IT IS OBVIOUS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRACK THE SEAT SITS ON. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISER HOW HEAVY I WAS (I WEIGH 135LBS) AND TOLD HER THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE FIXED, THE ENTIRE SEAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. CHECKERED FLAG WILL NOT RESPOND TO MY SERVICE REQUESTS. *TR

I HAVE A 02 TUNDRA SR5 HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM W/STEERING COLUMN SHAFT WHEN I TRY TO PUT ON DRIVE THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER BROKE FREE CAUSING UNEXPECTED GEAR SELECT. I HAVE TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC COVER IN ORDER TO HAND SELECT THE GEAR THE ALUMINUM SHAFT SUB-ASSY CONTROL BROKE OFF AT THE SCREW ATTACH TO THE COLUMN SUPPORT THIS IS APPEAR TO BE A FLAWED DESIGN FOR ATTACH THE SHIFT LEVER. I HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE HOUSING FOR THE COLUMN SHIFTER AND THEIR SUPPORT. THE OLD PART IS AVAILABLE FOR FURTHER STRESS ANALYSIS / DESIGN MODIFICATION FOR SUBSEQUENCE MODEL. *TR

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE, AS I LIFTED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO BEGIN BRAKING, MY 2007 TOYOTA AVALON, WHICH HAD ALREADY HAD THE RECALL FIX PERFORMED LAST YEAR, SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND LEAPT FORWARD RUNNING INTO THE BUILDING WALL THAT WAS ABOUT 5 FEET IN FRONT OF THE PARKING SLOT. THE CAR CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP, AT WHICH TIME MY FOOT WAS CLEARLY ON THE BRAKE. I JUST SAT STILL FOR A FEW MINUTES, SORT OF IN A SLIGHT SHOCK OF WONDERING "WHAT THE H... JUST HAPPENED?" MY LEFT KNEE, ELBOW AND RIGHT SHOULDER IMMEDIATELY BECAME PAINFUL, BUT NOTHING SEEMED TOO BAD SO I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BACKED AWAY FROM THE WALL INTO THE PROPER POSITION IN THE PARKING SLOT. THE CAR APPEARED TO RUN OKAY, I RAN THROUGH ALL THE GEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS, CHECKED THE BRAKES, THEN TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND GOT OUT. I WAS EXPECTING TO FIND SERIOUS FRONT END DAMAGE, BUT THE ONLY THING BESIDES PAINT SCRATCHES WAS A BENT LICENSE PLATE FRAME. I CHECKED FOR LEAKS UNDER THE HOOD, AND FINDING NOTHING APPEARING DAMAGED THERE I DROVE SLOWLY HOME,(ABOUT 5 MILES). TWICE I FELT A SLIGHT SHUTTER WHEN MOVING MY FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR TO BRAKE WHEN PREPARING TO STOP. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY; HE FELT THE SAME "SHUTTER" ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP(20 MILES). THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG, ANY EVIDENCE OF AN INCIDENT IN THE SENSORS AND I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPT. ASST. MANAGER THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. SO, BASICALLY, TOYOTA SAYS I HAVE TO HAVE A MAJOR ACCIDENT BEFORE THEY CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.I AM NOT APPARENTLY SERIOUSLY INJURED AT THIS TIME, BUT THE PAST 3 DAYS I'VE BEEN VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND I'VE GONE THROUGH DANGEROUS AMOUNTS OF TYLENOL. WE'LL SEE WHAT THE NEXT FEW DAYS BRINGS. I HAVE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT NEXT WEEK FOR A REGULAR CHECKUP JUST IN CASE. I DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN. MY HUSBAND WILL PROBABLY BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO DO IT, BUT I DOUBT THAT I WILL. *TR

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. VSC TRAC/VSC OFF SKID CONTROL LIGHTS ALL ILLUMINATE. VEHICLE SHUTTERS AGGRESSIVELY AND DECELERATES SUDDENLY (OCCURRED AT LEAST 8 TIMES BETWEEN 65 AND 45 MPH). VEHICLE BECOMES VERY UNSTABLE AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL UNTIL FULL STOP. UNSAFE TO OPERATE!! *TR

TOYOTA RAV4 MAKES POPPING AND CLUNKING NOISE WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. THIS IS DUE TO LOOSENESS IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT SPLINES AND JOINTS (TOTAL COST:$468; PART NUMBERS 45221-42071 [STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT] AND 45260-42090 [STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY]). THIS IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. IT IS A PRODUCT DEFECT IN STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AS EVIDENT BY THE TSB ISSUED BY TOYOTA. *TR