2004 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

I WAS TRAVELING ON I95 WHEN ALL THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON (ABS, BRAKE, ETC.). I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR, BUT THE BRAKES DIDN'T SEEM TO WORK. FINALLY, THE REGEN SYSTEM KICKED IN, AND SLOWED THE CAR. WHEN I JAMMED MY FOOT HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR STOPPED WITH A JERK. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED (WHEN ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON), I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER (KENDALL TOYOTA), THEY RESET AND RECALIBRATED THE COMPUTERS IN THE CAR, AND EVERYTHING SEEMED OK. ABOUT 9 MONTHS LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME, THE ABS COMPUTER HAD A HARD FAILURE. THEY REPLACED IT WITH A LOW MILEAGE USED PART, AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS. THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN LAST THURSDAY. BROUGHT IT INTO KENDALL TOYOTA ON THURSDAY EVENING, AND ON FRIDAY THEY TOLD ME THE I NEEDED A NEW ABS COMPUTER. TURNS OUT TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAS REDESIGNED THE ABS COMPUTER, BUT NEVER SENT OUT ANY NOTICE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. THIS IS WHY THE USED PART DIDN'T LAST LONG. THIS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF I HAD NOT EXPERIENCED FAULTY BRAKING IN THE PAST (SEE BELOW). A NEW ABS COMPUTER PLUS INSTALLATION FROM TOYOTA COST APPROXIMATELY $3000. THE SYMPTOMS I WAS HAVING WHEN I REPORTED COMPLAINT # 10292409 WERE IDENTICAL TO THOSE ABOVE, EXCEPT THAT NO INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON. THEY CAR DID NOT WANT TO STOP (AND EVEN SEEMED TO "RUN AWAY") UNTIL I JAMMED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. SEARCHING THE INTERNET, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH PRIUS. *TR

A COUPLE OF MONTH AGO, I THOUGHT I NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE HID HEADLIGHT WAS OFF WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ON. I WAS DRIVING IN MY OTHER CAR WHILE A FAMILY MEMBER WAS DRIVING THE PRIUS. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PRIUS A SHORT TIME LATER, BOTH LIGHT WHERE ON. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY OFF WHEN IT SHOULD BE ONE. CYCLING THE LIGHTS OFF THEN ON APPEARS TO TURN BOTH HEADLAMPS ON FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME. THERE IS NO INDICATION IN THE CAR WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS, AND I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE SITUATION WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, I CAME ACROSS OWNER CHAT GROUPS WHERE OTHERS WHERE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO READ THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN NHTSA INVESTIGATION INTO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF AN INVESTIGATION HAS HAPPENED AND IF SO, WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME? *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OFF EVERY 10 TO 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING. TOYOTA SETTLED A LAWSUIT ON THIS ISSUE FOR 2006+, BUT NOT MY CAR. *TR

DRIVE MODE SHIFTER STICKS IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. IF THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, WITH THE BRAKE DEPRESSED, AND YOU THEN PRESS THE PARK BUTTON TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE REMAINS IN DRIVE OR REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE WILL MOVE AS SOON AS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS LIFTED, EVEN THOUGH THE DRIVER BELIEVES S/HE HAS ENGAGED THE PARK MODE. COMPLAINT SUBMITTED BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS REGULARLY-MAINTAINED VEHICLE.

MY 2004 PRIUS HAS A TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY THAT CONTROLS MANY FUNCTIONS INCLUDING CLIMATE CONTROLS. ON A RECENT MORNING I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND GOT AN ERROR MESSAGE SAYING "NO EXTERNAL CONNECTION TO AIR CONDITIONER" AT THE SAME TIME I COULD NOT ACCESS HEATER, DEFROST, NAVIGATION, HYBRID MONITOR OR HANDS FREE PHONE. FORTUNATELY, I HAD A RAG IN THE CAR AND COULD KEEP MY WINDOW CLEAN. AFTER 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE RADIO CUT OUT AND THEN ALL CONTROLS CAME BACK. ANOTHER 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING AND THE CONTROLS CUT BACK OFF. THIS PROBLEM NOW OCCURS EACH TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. WHEN I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET, I DISCOVERED THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH THE DISPLAYS ON THE 04 AND 05 PRIUS. TOYOTA ISSUED (TSB) EL002-05 DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE BUT OFFERED NO RECALL. THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE CIRCUIT BOARDS THAT WERE SUPPLIED TO TOYOTA MOTORS. I LIVE IN MAINE AND NOT HAVING ACCESS TO MY WINDOW DEFROSTER IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. I HAVE TO KEEP A RAG IN THE CAR TO KEEP MY WINDOW CLEAN. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSES TO FIX THIS BECAUSE I AM BEYOND THE 3 YR / 36000 MILE WARRANTY. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT CAUSES LOSS OF VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE A RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED WITH THIS DEFECT. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD CYCLE ON AND OFF. TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON WITH THE SWITCH WOULD MAKE THEM BOTH COME ON. UNPREDICTABLE HOW LONG BEFORE EACH HEADLIGHT WOULD TURN OFF, BUT THEY ARE NOT IN SYNC TURNING OFF AND ON. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF AND ON INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING IN THE DARK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MULTI-DISPLAY MODULE FOR THE HEATER AND DEFROSTER UNITS FAILED, CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD DEFOGGER TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE MULTI-DISPLAY MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000. UPDATED 1/30/13 *CN THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A MODULE MALFUNCTION WHICH WAS AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT AND GAVE THE CONSUMER AN ESTIMATE OF $700 TO REPLACE THE MODULE WITH A RECONDITIONED ONE. UPDATED 01/31/13 UPDATED 2/13/13 *CN UPDATED 02/14/13

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE VEHICLE BUT THE VEHICLE TOOK AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME TO SLOW DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.