2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

OVER THE COURSE OF MY OWNERSHIP OF THE PAST 3 YEARS, I HAVE REPLACED 3 HEADLIGHTS, DUE TO BROKEN/FAULTY SEALS THAT ALLOW MOISTURE INTO THE HOUSING, AND BURNING OUT THE BALLAST WHICH IN MY OPINION IS A DESIGN FLAW AS THE BALLAST RESTS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I CURRENTLY AM DEALING WITH A RIGHT HEADLIGHT THAT GOES OUT AND I NEED TO TURN THE SWITCH OFF AND ON FOR THE LIGHT TO RETURN BRIEFLY. THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY IS ABOUT $250 PLUS LABOR COSTS OF INSTALLATION.

THE 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS IS NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING HEAD LIGHT PROBLEMS. WHAT HAPPENED IS WHEN THE HEADLIGHT ARE TURNED ON THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF SOMETIMES IT'S THE LEFT ONE SOMETIMES THE RIGHT ONE SOMETIMES BOTH THIS HAPPENS REGARDLESS IF YOU'RE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY ON A CITY STREET OR NOT IN-MOTION. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THIS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAPPENS ANYTIME THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON IT IS DANGEROUS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WHEN YOUR HEADLIGHTS TURN COMPLETELY OFF ON A REGULAR BASIS YOU LOSE VISIBILITY. AND CONSIDERING 90% OF THE TIME WHEN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON IT'S NIGHT TIME EVEN WORSE. IN ORDER TO FIX THE PROBLEM WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON AND OFF AND THAT WILL SOMETIMES MAKE THEM TURN ON AGAIN THE THEN BEHOLD THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF AGAIN LIKE I SAID THIS HAPPENS TO ME AT LEAST 10 TIMES EVERY TIME I DRIVE AT NIGHT. IF YOU LOOK ONLINE YOU WILL FIND COUNTLESS PRIUS OWNERS WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS ME YET TOYOTA HAS NOT PUT A RECALL ON THIS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT.

THE HEADLIGHT JUST GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. ONCE YOU TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND THEN ON THEY COME BACK ON FOR A SHORT TIME. THE DEALER IS WANTING $1,400 TO MAKE THE REPAIRS. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES.

HEADLIGHTS FAIL WHILE DRIVING. AT FIRST ONLY THE DRIVER SIDE WOULD GO OUT, THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE WOULD GOT OUT AND MOST RECENTLY BOTH LIGHTS HAVE FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT.

TRAVELING 101 NORTH TOWARD VENTURA, ON THE TOP OF THE DOWN HILL GRADE JUST SOUTH OF THE CAMIRILLO SPRINGS EXIT. ALL LIGHTS ON PANEL CAME ON. ESTIMATE 65 MPH, APPLIED BRAKE TO SLOW WITH TRAFFIC FLOW. NO BRAKES,NO WARNING.SEMI TRACKER TRAILERS ALSO SLOWING. TOOK EXIT BOTTOM OF HILL WITH FLASHES ON, WENT THRU STOP SIGN AS MY SPEED AT APPROX 45-48MPH. WENT THRU SECOND STOP SIGN MADE SHARP LEFT PULLED EMERGENCY BRAKE ON... THIS IS A GARAGE CAR SERVICED BY DEALER ONLY, 3RD TIME FOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEM! NEVER WHILE DRIVING.... THIS WAS NEAR FATAL! THIS WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM OF THE MANUFACTURE, NEVER REPAIRED CORRECTLY! HAVE 3 COPIES OF REPAIRS FOR THE ELECTRICAL STARTING 6 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE CAR...HELP.

MY HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY SHUT OFF FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET. SOME TIMES IT'S ONLY ONE, OTHER TIMES IT'S BOTH. IF I TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON THEY WORK AGAIN FOR A SHORT TIME. THIS IS VERY SCARY TO HAVE HAPPEN WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT NIGHT. IT HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT HAD DIFFICULTY OPENING THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE. ONCE OPENED, THE PANEL ABOVE THE LICENSE PLATE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE PANEL WAS HANGING WITH ALL THE WIRES STILL ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COULD NO LONGER ACCESS THE TRUNK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PANEL NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,545.

THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN A MOVING COLLISION THAT TOTALED THE DRIVERS FRONT END AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO BE INJURED BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. I SUSPECT THAT THE CARS STEERING FAILED WHILE GOING AROUND A SHARP CURVE. THE CAR HAS LOST STEERING ONE TIME BEFORE AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR*DT*JB

I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CONCERNING THE FAILURE OF A COMBINATION METER IN MY DAUGHTER'S 2007 PRIUS. THIS HAPPENED ON STARTUP. THIS ITEM IS RELATED TO THE DISPLAY SCREEN. AS MENTIONED IN THEIR WARRANTY POLICY BULLETIN NO: POL 12-05 DATED 10/12/12 A FAILURE CAN RESULT IN THE SCREEN GOING DARK. IF THIS HAPPENS IN THE NIGHT THIS CAN RESULT IN A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE BOTH BECAUSE OF THE UNEXPECTED AND IMMEDIATE DISTRACTION AND THE LOSS OF CRITICAL VISUAL INFORMATION. THEIR WARRANTY BULLETIN DOES NOT SEEM TO ADDRESS THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE MATTER. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THIS ITEM SHOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL. MY 2009 PRIUS IS ONE OF THOSE MENTIONED IN THEIR BULLETIN. THOUGH I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY FAILURE, I BECAME AWARE OF THIS ISSUE WITH THE RECENT EVENT THAT MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED. NEITHER I NOR MY DAUGHTER HAS RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION FROM TOYOTA. I AM A FAN OF THE PRIUS AS IS MY DAUGHTER, BUT THIS ISSUE IS TOO SERIOUS TO SIMPLY IGNORE. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE ADDRESSED WITH TOYOTA.

WHILE DRIVING THE HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF. MOST OF THE TIME IT IS THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT AND AT OTHER TIMES THE RIGHT OR BOTH OF THEM WILL GO OUT. IF I TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH ON THE STEERING COLUMN OFF AND THEN BACK ON IT WILL TURN THEM ON FOR A FEW SECONDS. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS. I WAS PULLED OVER BY A POLICE OFFICER AND THEY LET ME OFF WITH A WARNING TO FIX IT. IT TURNS OFF EVEN WHILE SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY AS WELL AS WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON AS TO WHEN. *TR