2002 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

2002 PRIUS SEAT BELT PROBLEMS MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE. CUSTOMER STATES THE SEAT BELT HAD TORN OR BEEN CUT ALMOST ALL THE WAY THROUGH. CONSUMER STATES IT HAPPENED AGAIN TO THE REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT. *KB THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO USER ERROR OR BECAUSE THEIR DOG CHEWED ON THE SEAT BELT. TOYOTA REFUSED TO REIMBURSE THE CONSUMER A SECOND TIME. *JB

2002 TOYOTA PRIUS REAR ALIGNMENT CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE REAR TIRES CANNOT BE ALIGNED DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE VEHICLE**CC UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE ON THE DATE OF DELIVER THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE SWAYING OF THE REAR END OF THE CAR AND THE REAR TIRES WERE BE SEVERELY WORN. THE DEALER TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO FIX THE DEFECT BUT TO NO AVAIL, THE TIRES WOULD DETERIORATING EVERY 3,000 MILES. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD TO RETURN TO THE DEALER EVERY 3,000 MILES TO INSPECT THE TIRES. THAT TASK WAS DONE UP UNTIL NOVEMBER 2006 UNTIL THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED YET AGAIN TO PURCHASE 4 NEW TIRES. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER IN FEBRUARY WHO INFORMED HIM THE REAR AXLE WAS BENT CAUSING THE DEFECT. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRIED TO CONTACT THE ORIGINAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WHO INFORMED HIM TO PURSUE THE DEALER OR TAKE IT TO A GOVERNMENT AGENCY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED VIOLENTLY WHEN MAKING SHARP RIGHT AND LEFT TURNS. DURING THIS FAILURE THE POWER STEERING INDICATOR DIMMED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER SENSOR PROVIDED ABNORMAL READINGS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.*AK

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON MY CAR CAME ON AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AT A COST TO ME OF $1100. THE THROTTLE BODY HAD TO BE REPLACE, AND ALSO THE ECM. THE CAR ONLY HAS 75000 MILES. *NM

"CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON. DEALERSHIP ADVISED NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ON MY 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS (85,000 MILES) AND WOULD COST $ 2,000.00 USD. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED! *JB

INCIDENT: CAR ENGINE ON 2002 PRIUS HAVING TROUBLE STARTING AND DYING AFTER HAVING BEEN STARTED. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE "ENGINE CONTROL UNIT" WAS SHOWING AN ERROR AND DUE TO A MANUFACTURING OR SOFTWARE PROBLEM, COULD NOT BE REPROGRAMMED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA RELEASED A REPORT ON TOYOTA PRIUS 2002 RECALL LAST JULY 06 AND TOYOTA WILL RECALL THIS BY AUG 06, BUT THERE NOT DOING IT. VEHICLE SAFETY DEFECT/NONCOMPLIANCE NOTICES RECEIVED DURING JULY ... ... 34,771 MY 2001-2002 ECHO AND PRIUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. ... WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING ... THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN EARLY AUGUST 2006. ... TOYOTA AND DEALERSHIP ARE TRIED TO GET AWAY FROM THIS ISSUE TO MY CAR PRIUS 2002. AT THE DEALER THEY TRIED TO CHARGE ME FOR $10,000 TO FIX THIS AND NOT GUARANTEEING THAT WILL SOLVE THE STALLING PROBLEM THAT WAS LAST OCT 06. DEALERSHIP ARE NOT TRAIN TO DIAGNOSE PRIUS CAR BUT THEY SELLING FOR IT. PROOF THEY WANT ME TO PAY $600 JUST TO DIAGNOSE FOR SPECIALIST TECHNICIAN. NOW THEY (TOYOTA) TRYING TO GET AWAY TO FIX STALLING PROBLEM TO MY PRIUS 2002. PLEASE HELP, AS I'M OLD NOW GOING BROKE. *NM

2002 PRIUS HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH TIRES HAVING TO BE REPLACED OR REPAIRED. *TS THE CONSUMER HAS HAD TO REPLACED 6 TIRES AND HAS HAD 3 TIRES REPAIRED. THE TIRE ON THE VEHICLE ARE SPECIAL TIRE AND CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED AT A TOYOTA DEALER. *NM

POWER STEERING FAILURE. WHEN FIRST STARTING CAR STEERING CAN SOMETIMES VIBRATE VIGOROUSLY, THEN WARNING LIGHT CAN COME ON SOMETIMES POWER STEERING WORKS FOR A WILE THEN FAIL OTHER TIMES IT FAILS IMMEDIATELY MAKING STEERING VERY DIFFICULT. *JB

I PURCHASED 2002 PRIUS IN JUNE, 2005. IN SEPTEMBER 2005 POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY BETWEEN TUCSON AND PHOENIX. DEALER SAID THE POWER STEERING TORQUE SENSOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND WOULD COST $1450.00 TO REPLACE. TOOK TO MY OWN MECHANIC (AUTHORIZED PRIUS MECHANIC) WHO CONFIRMED THE DEALERS ASSESSMENT AND ALSO TOLD ME THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT PROVIDE PARTS TO REPAIR THE POWER STEERING SO ENTIRE UNIT MUST BE REPLACED. PROBLEM DISAPPEARED FOR ABOUT 1 YR. THEN IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT STARTED TO COME ON WHILE DRIVING FROM TUCSON TO LAS CRUCES. ALSO, STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY WHEN BACKING UP OR TURNING WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION. BATTERY ALSO FAILED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO LEAVE NM AND HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY AT A COST OF $140 WITH ONLY A ONE YEAR WARRANTY AND NO ONE EXCEPT TOYOTA SELLS THE BATTERY. AFTER DISCUSSING PROBLEMS WITH MY MECHANIC I CALLED TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY WOULD REPLACE POWER STEERING COLUMN - THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS TOO OLD AND HAD TOO MANY MILES ON IT (ONLY 59K). I OWN A 1975 CELICA THAT HAS 265K MILES AND IT HAS NEVER NEEDED ANY STEERING COLUMN WORK - HOW COME A CAR 30 YEARS LATER NEEDS ONE AFTER ONLY 59K? I USED TO THINK TOYOTA MADE A GOOD PRODUCT AND STOOD BY THEIR CARS, BUT I GUESS I WAS WRONG. THE 2002 PRIUS IN NOT A ROAD-WORTHY CAR AND THE SAVINGS IN GASOLINE CONSUMPTION DOES NOT COME ANYWHERE CLOSE TO PAYING FOR A $1450 REPAIR ON AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE STEERING COLUMN. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE TAKING THE PRIUS OUT ON THE FREEWAY AND STEERING WHEEL CONTINUES TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY. I WILL REPLACE THE POWER STEERING UNIT ONLY WHEN REPAIR PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE OR THE PART BREAKS DOWN COMPLETELY. I DOUBT I WILL KEEP THIS CAR VERY LONG AND I KNOW I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA IN THE FUTURE. NOW WHEN I AM ASKED HOW I LIKE MY PRIUS I TELL PEOPLE TO BUY A HONDA CIVIC INSTEAD. *NM