2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

MY HEADLIGHT PASSENGER SIDE KEEPS GOING OUT AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF TURNING ON. THIS KEEPS ME FROM DRIVING AT NIGHT. MY COMPUTER CONTROLS ON MY DASH BOARD THAT WORKS THE AC. AND DISPLAYS THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAR DOES NOT WORK. MY ABS BREAK LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. THIS HAS AFFECTED MY BREAKING SYSTEM ON MY CAR. ALL OF THESE ITEMS I HAVE MENTIONED ALL OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR.

THE COMBINATION METER WENT OUT ON MY PRIUS. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE DASHBOARD WENT BLANK. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE DRIVER IS UNABLE TO SEE THE SPEED OR ANY OTHER SAFETY LIGHTS. THE MOST ALARMING ISSUE WAS WHEN OUR VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AFTER THE DASHBOARD WENT BLANK. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION WE WERE UNABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF WITH THE PUSH BUTTON 'START.' THE CAR CONTINUED TO RUN ON RESERVE EVEN AFTER THE BATTERY TERMINALS WERE DISCONNECTED. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND TOYOTA HAD ALREADY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THIS PART TO NINE YEARS FROM ORIGINAL DATE OF USE. UNFORTUNATELY FOR US, OUR CAR WAS NINE YEARS AND ONE MONTH. THE SCARIEST ISSUE IS THAT THE CAR DRIVER IS UNABLE TO TELL THEIR SPEED AND THIS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR ALSO IS EXTREMELY DARK (AT NIGHT) WHEN THE DASHBOARD IS NOT DISPLAYING AND CAUSES ISSUES WITH VISABILITY.

DISPLAY FOR ODOMETER, SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGE GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY.THE 'COMBINATION METER' (A.K.A. 'INSTRUMENT PANEL' OR 'CLUSTER', THE THING YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN FRONT OF YOU) IS BAD. THERE ARE SEVERAL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE CIRCUIT BOARD THAT CONTROL HOW IT 'POWERS UP', AND THEY FAIL. LACKING THE ABILITY TO POWER UP, THE DISPLAY GOES BLACK. JOE MYERS QUOTED US $1156 FOR REPAIR, AND ONE WEEK REPAIR TIME. SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT REPAIR PART IS FIXED PART SO THAT PROBLEM WILL NO LONGER OCCUR. WE MUST DRIVE THE VEHICLE TILL WE REPLACE IT. NO OFFER WAS MADE TO PROVIDE A LOANER CAR IF 07 PRIUS WENT INTO SHOP FOR REPLACEMENT CLUSTER. IT IS REALLY UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT KNOWING SPEED THAT CAR IS TRAVELING. AND WE WOULD NOT KNOW GAS LEVEL. WHO WANTS TO RUN OUT OF FUEL? VERY UNSAFE. WHY ISN'T TOYOTA OWNING UP TO THIS DEFICIENCY? SHOULDN'T IT BE A RECALL REPAIR? WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND WE HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE SHOP FOR REPAIRS SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE.

THERE IS A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR MY 2009 PRIUS WHICH EXPIRES IN MARCH OF 2018 FOR THE COMBINATION METER KNOWN AS CSP ZTV. I TEXT MANUFACTURER AND THEY SAID ITS WARRANTED. THE FIRST DEALER I TOOK IT TO REFUSED TO REPLACE IT 2 DAYS AGO SAYING IT EXPIRED. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT DIDN'T AFTER I READ THE DATE IT STARTED BEING IN SERVICE AND SHE SAID IT IS IN PLACE UNTIL MARCH.THE 2ND DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR UNLESS THEY CAN DUPLICATE CONDITIONS. I CAN NOT TELL THE WEATHER TO FREEZE I AM NOT GOD BUT THEY ARE PLAYING GOD WITH MY MONEY AND MY LIFE TO SAVE THEIR MONEY AND THEIR JOBS. I WANTED REPAIR DONE BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN BUT THEY ARE REFUSING. I COULD RUN OUT OF GAS AND BE KILLED BECAUSE OF FAULTY METER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T READ DISPLAY OR GET A SPEEDING TICKET. THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM CAN VERIFY THIS IS THE PROBLEM BUT THEY ARE NOT A TOYOTA DEALER. WHAT IF WE HAVE A MILD WINTER AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THIS YEAR BUT HAPPENS FALL OF 2019 THEN I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AND ITS THEIR FAULT NOT MINE THIS IS LAWLESSNESS BECAUSE SOMEONE IS TRYING TO KEEP FROM PAYING FOR THEIR ERROR. THIS IS STEALING. HOW CAN I GET A REMEDY TO THIS? THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DO A RECALL INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING IT IS NOT RIGHT TO DO TO CONSUMER. IT IS STATIONARY FOR DISPLAY LIGHTS BUT YOU DON' T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL TURN ON AND RESTARTING CAR DOES NOT RESOLVE PROBLEM. ALSO WHEN YOU CAN'T LEAVE CAR THERE BECAUSE LIGHTS AREN'T ON IF CAR DOESN'T SHUT OFF THIS A DILEMMA AND TOW TRUCKS DON'T CARRY THESE METERS. ALSO WHEN CAR DOESN'T QUIT RUNNING IT IS STATIONARY. THE RECALL IS CSP ZTV.

TOYOTA KNOWS THERE IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE WITH THE BREAK ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY IN 2004-2009 MODEL YEAR PRIUS VEHICLES, AND HAVE ISSUED A "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM - ZG1" TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR REPAIRS RELATED TO THIS PART. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING A MALFUNCTION IN THIS PART, BUT TOYOTA IS UNWILLING TO HONOR THE WARRANTY BECAUSE THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARING ON THE DASH. THE BREAKS FEEL LIKE THEY WILL FAIL AT ANY MOMENT, POSING A CLEAR SAFTETY CONCERN. I WAS LITERALLY TOLD THAT MY WIFE IS TO DRIVE OFF THE LOT, WITH FAILING BREAKS, HOPING THEY FAIL EVEN FURTHER SO THAT WARNING LIGHTS APPEAR, BUT NOT SO MUCH THAT THEY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHEN IT GETS BELOW 30 THE LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE DASHBOARD GO OUT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED ON AND REMAIN OFF WHILE DRIVING AND YOU CAN'T SEE HOW FAST YOU ARE DRIVING OR ANY OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL OR WARNING LIGHTS TO KNOW IF YOU NEED GAS, TIRES ARE LOW, ETC. I TOOK INTO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL ON IT BUT I DO NOT SEE IT LISTED.

ONCE MY CAR GOT PAST 100,000 MILES, THE NON-SPECIFIC WARNING LIGHT STARTED COMING ON AND THE WORD "PROBLEM!" WOULD COME ON THE SCREEN. MANUAL SAYS TO ASK DEALER WHAT THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM IS. CERTIFIED TOYOTA DEALER KEPT SAYING THEY DON'T KNOW. TURNS OUT AFTER MY OWN PERSISTENCE THAT THE PROBLEM IS HEAVY OIL CONSUMPTION. NOT BURNING; NOT LEAKING. JUST HIGH CONSUMPTION. TAKE CAR FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND IT SEEMS TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT KEEPS PRESSING ME TO GET A NEW ENGINE, RATHER THAN OFFERING ANY INTERMEDIATE SOLUTIONS. COULD HAVE TOLD ME THOUSANDS OF MILES AGO TO AT LEAST KEEP ADDING OIL, BUT THEY NEVER BOTHERED. I NOW KNOW AFTER ABOUT A YEAR THAT I HAVE TO START ADDING A LOT OF OIL JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE OIL IS CHANGED AND FILLED. IF I WAIT UNTIL REGULAR MAINTENANCE INTERVAL, ALL OIL WILL BE GONE. ENGINE WOULD HAVE BROKEN DOWN IF I DIDN'T PERSIST IN FIGURING OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. WENT THROUGH 3 REGULAR SERVICE APPOINTMENTS BEFORE I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON MY OWN. PROBLEM WAS AT ITS WORST WHEN BRAKING, BUT LIGHT CAME ON AT OTHER TIMES AS WELL. I HAVE YESTERDAY'S DATE HERE ON THE COMPLAINT, BUT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ABOUT A YEAR.

EMGINE COOLANT SENSOR IS MESSED UP. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR 2004 TO 2007 OR 8 BY TOYOTA. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE AND THE SAME PARTS USED UP TO 2009 BUT THEY WILL NOT COVER IT EVEN THOUGH IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE BY TOYOTA

WHILE DRIVING, MY HEADLAMPS WILL FLICKER AND THEN GO OUT. SOMETIMES THIS COULD TAKE 5 MINUTES, SOMETIMES THIS COULD TAKE 20. WHEN FLICK THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON, THEY RESET FOR A LITTLE WHILE. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING, BECAUSE THEY'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. MY VEHICLE BEGAN DOING THIS AT 98,000 MILES AND CONTINUE TO DO THIS AT 130,000 MILES. I'VE READ ON FORUMS THAT OTHER DRIVERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME THINGS.

IF MY CAR SITS IN THE SUN, ON OCCASION THE AUDIO CONTROLS - AM/FM, VOLUME, POWER, TRACK SELECTOR, ETC. FAIL TO FUNCTION (THEY ARE UNRESPONSIVE). IF THE CAR IS TURNED OFF, THEN BACK ON, THEY WORK. THIS IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN, PER SE. MY CONCERN IS NOT THE AUDIO PORTION NOT WORKING, BUT THE SYSTEM DESIGN AND QUALITY OF COMPONENTS. WERE THESE SAME COMPONENTS USED ELSEWHERE IN THE CAR? I'VE ONLY SEEN THIS HAPPEN WHEN MY CAR HAS BECOME HOT SITTING (NOT RUNNING) DUE TO THE WEATHER. USUALLY WHEN I PARKED FACING WEST AND THE SUN HAS BEEN HITTING THE FRONT OF THE CAR ALL DAY AND I LEAVE FROM WORK. THIS HASN'T HAPPENED IN THE PAST 2-3 YEARS BECAUSE I'VE KEPT MY CAR OUT OF THE SUN WHEN PARKING. IT OCCURRED BETWEEN 2012 AN 2014. I DO NOT HAVE AN EXACT DATE OF WHEN IT OCCURRED EVEN THOUGH YOUR FORM FORCES ME TO SPECIFY ONE.