2014 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius V. The contact’s grandson stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the pedal was depressed. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the head gasket replaced however, the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 163,335.

Brake being less effective to be spongy and keep losing pressure. The brake actuator constantly making boosting noise. Making driving unsure that the brake working even no warning light on yet.

The contact owned a 2014 Toyota Prius PHV. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 mph when the vehicle would not brake while the pedal was depressed, which resulted in the contact crashing into a vehicle in front of it. No one was injured and a police report was filed. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a lot and then towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed as being totaled. The contact does not know which dealership the vehicle was towed to. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,083.

The seal of the rear lamp assembly becomes unsealed and lets water in. Burns our bulbs and short out electrical system because of this. Second right rear assembly was replaced today and now front units are also foggy so I know that the seal on the lamp unit is also wearing. I read about this with other Prius and other c models. I had to buy actual Toyota parts as there are no aftermarket units.

Hi my name is [XXX]. Toyota headquarter case # [XXX] Incident day July 6, 2018 I had a big technical problem with my 2014 Toyota Prius V where it caught on fire because one of the valve lifters fell into the engine head and broke the engine block while driving. When that happened, the oil began to leak into the muffler and the engine and hybrid wiring immediately caught on fire. Many of my colleagues who also bought the same vehicle for Taxi business use in San Francisco all have a similar issue as mine. A few of theirs caught on fire, and a few others mentioned to me that the head gasket for their same Toyota vehicle blew out and each of them had to replace it at around 120,000 miles. I believe that’s why they don’t manufacture these same vehicles anymore because of the defectiveness in the engine. I opened a case with Toyota Manufacturer back in July 2018 and they sent a specialist to inspect the vehicle after the fire. He found the piece that fell inside the engine and that damaged the engine. The Toyota specialist admit to me that the engine of my 2014 Toyota vehicle is very defective and must be covered under warranty. My mechanic replaced the engine for me with a used one with 28,000 miles. This entire case was documented under my name with Toyota Motors Manufacture. I contacted the highway safety and I tried to file a claim against Toyota at the time, but I never got a follow up on my case after I left various messages. All they said was that they will investigate but never gave me any information regarding the engine fire situation or honor any warranty. I hope this incident will be investigated by your department and have this vehicle under recall. Thank you. PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Brake failure / Unintended Acceleration / Unknown cause Driving at approx 25mph on urban street (road in good condition no potholes, ramps, etc) I began to slowly brake as I approached a red traffic light. Instead of braking, the car began to accelerate quickly. I pressed the brake pedal again - no response. Pressed down hard for a third time which executed an emergency stop. This all happened within 1 or 2 secs. There were no injuries or involvement of other cars on this occasion. However, had I been any closer to the car in front, I believe I would have rear-ended it. Had this occurred a few moments later, at the busy junction 400m ahead, it could have been fatal. I am absolutely sure it was not driver error. I was not distracted, drive regularly, and have been a confident and safe driver for over 30yrs. I have never experienced this in a car before, and in fact wasn't aware that it could happen until I researched it on this site. No warning lights or indicators came on. The car ran normally for the remaining 2 miles back home. I didn't think anything of it before, but prior to this incident (in our 5 yrs ownership) there were approx. 5 instances when the engine would "roar" as if it wanted to accelerate but didn't when I was breaking or slowing down on a highway. Also, there were perhaps 3 instances when the car felt as though it was "running away" i.e. a slight acceleration - for no obvious reason. As neither of these represented safety issues, I assumed the car was just a bit old and these issues would be addressed as part of any service. Now I wonder if they are related to the sudden acceleration. The car is currently having a "health checks" run, but nothing has been found. I am reluctant to drive this vehicle if neither my dealer or Toyota can discern the problem. Overall we have been happy with this car and its performance, but this is an unacceptable "anomaly" as far as safety is concerned. Vehicle available for inspection.

Originally, Toyota issued a safety recall in 2014 to address the inverter defect in model years 2010 to 2014, an attempt to fix the problem on about 800,000 cars in the U.S. by modifying software that controls the hybrid electrical system. It was intended to fix the overheating problems. The inverter controls the power flowing between the battery and electrical motors. The inverter boosts the battery from 200 - 500 volts. They inspected my car saying it was in excellent condition. After, the software upgrade i had major problems. My original Prius battery with around 65,000 miles stopped holding a charge. My 12 volt battery also died shortly after. And my power outlets in my got super hot and spiratually worked off and on. And my driver seat gets hot when i turn on car even though seat button is off. I am sweating all the time. Plus, i have skin conditions and asma. I talked to dimitri, and they tried to charge me 1200for unnecessary repair. Also, failed to call NHTSA as promised

The brakes failed while I was driving. I had received a "Voluntary Customer Support Program" notice several months before this happened. I called the dealership right away and they told me not to worry about it and to put the notice in my owners manual. After the brakes failed, I had it towed in to the dealership and they determined that it was an issue that would be paid for by Toyota. Now my car has been in the dealership for almost 2 months and the part is still not available. They have no estimated time to expect the part. I have a loaner, which they would not give me at first until I complained to the Toyota customer service number. My loaner is a large SUV, which is a gas guzzler and is much bigger than I am used to. I just want my old Prius V back. Repaired.

GOING 70 MPH COMING DOWN A STEEP HILL ON A FREEWAY IN SOLID TRAFFIC, THE CARS AHEAD IN MY LANE SUDDENLY STOPPED. I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND MY HANDS ON THE WHEEL. WHEN THE CAR AHEAD STARTED MOVING, I PUT MY FOOT ONTO THE GAS PEDAL BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. ALL THAT I SAW ON THE DASHBOARD WAS A LIGHT GREEN LONG ARROW POINTING LEFT (NOT THE TURN SIGNAL HIGHER ON THE DASH). I MANAGED TO ROLL INTO THE LEFT SHOULDER. I NEVER TURNED OFF THE CAR BUT AT THAT POINT PUT IT INTO PARK. (BEFORE THAT I HAD NOT TOUCHED THE GEAR SHIFT.)CALLED 911. CALLED THEM AGAIN 10 MINUTES LATER AS NO ONE HAD ARRIVED. SHE ASKED IF I COULD DRIVE THE CAR. AT THAT POINT I PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND MANAGED TO DRIVE A SHORT DISTANCE IN THE SHOULDER. (WHILE I WAS DRIVING BEFORE THE SUDDEN STOP I WAS NOT IN CRUISE CONTROL AS THERE WAS TOO MUCH TRAFFIC.) I MANAGED TO DRIVE HOME WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTY. ON TELLING THIS TO MY SON, HE SENT ME AN ARTICLE STATING THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER TOYOTA PRIUS DEALERS WHERE THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. ( HTTPS://WWW.LATIMES.COM/LOCAL/CALIFORNIA/LA-FI-TOYOTA-PRIUS-INVESTIGATION-20180423-STORY.HTML ) I CALLED THE DEALER AND SPOKE TO A REPAIR PERSON WHO SAID HE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. AFTER THE WEEKEND I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AND SAID THEY NEEDED TO CHECK OUR CAR AND THEY DID THAT. HOWEVER, FROM WHAT I SEE, THEY DID NOT CHECK THE INVERTER WHICH IS WHAT CAN CAUSE THE PROBLEM I HAD. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TESTS SHOWED THAT THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL AT SOME POINT. HOW COULD THEY EXPLAIN THAT? COULD THE CAR SWITCH ITSELF TO NEUTRAL? SEVERAL DAYS AGO I CONTACTED THIS MANAGER AGAIN AND HE HAS NOT EVEN RETURNED MY CALL. WE DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN FEEL SAFE DRIVING IN THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE AN OBI NUMBER WHICH IS 11414427

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE CONTACT RELEASED HER FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATE PEDAL HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WAS FLASHING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROADWAY AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TURNED OFF. AFTER WAITING FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTIONALITY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO TOYOTA TOWN OF STOCKTON (2150 E HAMMER LN, STOCKTON, CA 95210, (209) 751-4077) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHILE READING THE INFORMATION FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST, SHE NOTICED THAT THE INVERTER HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V053000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 44,250.