2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

THE RUBBER COVER TO THE OUTSIDE TRUCK LATCH HAS MELTED COMPLETELY IN HOT FLORIDA WEATHER AND HAS BECOME GOOEY TO THE POINT OF DRIPPING ONTO MY LICENSE PLATE. THE TRUCK IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OPEN AND SOMETIMES I AM UNABLE TO LOCK OR OPEN THE CAR BECAUSE THE TRUNK IS NOT ALL THE WAY CLOSED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IF I NEEDED TO GET INTO THE TRUNK TO GET A SPARE TIRE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO. GIVEN MANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE DATING BACK TO 2007 MODELS, TOYOTA SHOULD STOP USING THIS TYPE OF COMPONENT AND SHOULD RECALL THIS ITEM AND FIX IT WITH A DIFFERENT MATERIAL SO THIS DOES NOT KEEP HAPPENING. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THE EXPOSED LATCH WILL CAUSE ELECTRICAL DAMAGE TO THE TRUNK OR LIGHTING BECAUSE OF SEVERE RAIN THAT OFTEN OCCURS IN FLORIDA WHERE THIS PROBLEM SEEMS PREVALENT. *TR

THERE HAS BEEN NO INJURIES OR VEHICLE DAMAGE. I LEFT OFF TOTAL REPAIR COST BECAUSE THE REPAIR SHOP HAS NOT FINISHED SOLVING THE PROBLEM. IN 2013 I STARTED HAVE HAVING HEADLIGHT PROBLEMS AND HAVE IT ABOUT THREE MONTHS SINCE. I HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT BULBS SEVERAL TIMES ON BOTH SIDES. ONE TIME THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD OPERATE OPPOSITE( ONE SIDE WOULD BE HIGH BEAM ONLY AND THE OTHER WOULD BE LOW BEAM ONLY AND WHEN SWITCHING THE SWITCH INSIDE TO HIGH BEAM THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD SWITCH AS TO WHAT THEY DID ONLY. ON WED 8/20/14 THE LOW BEAM QUIT WORKING. I EARLIER PURCHASED A NEW PLUG AND 2 NEW BULBS IN CASE I HAD A PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP( MY ONLY TOYOTA DEALER IN MY TOWN CAN NOT BE TRUSTED) WHERE I LIVE. HE INSTALLED THE NEW PLUG AND WE TRIED EACH OF THE TWO NEW BULBS AND THEY EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEM - THE LOW BEAM WAS JUST A SPEC OF LIGHT; NOT ENOUGH FOR THE LOW BEAM. HE TESTED THE VOLTAGE IN THE GROUND SIDE OF THE PLUG AND THE FUSE POSITION IN THE FUSE ASSEMBLY AND IT LIT UP HIS VOLTAGE TESTER WITH A SPEC OF LIGHT. HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT SYSTEM SENT THE VOLTAGE TO THE LOW BEAM SIDE FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT. I AM TAKING THE CAR BACK ON WED 8/27/14 TO FINISH THE JOB. *TR

ON JUNE 22, 2010, PURSUANT TO TOYOTA FLOOR MAT RECALL #90L REGARDING POTENTIAL INTERFERENCE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, MY EXISTING TOYOTA FRONT FLOOR MATS WERE REPLACED WITH NEW TOYOTA ALL WEATHER MATS. AFTER ABOUT 2 YEARS, THE REPLACEMENT MATS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED ON 8/25/2012. THE FAILURE WAS WITH THE RUBBER MATERIAL WHICH FRAYED AT CONTACT OF MY RIGHT FOOT WITH THE MAT AND AT THE 2 HOLES THROUGH WHICH THE RETAINER CLIPS ARE ATTACHED. BOTH FLOOR MAT HOLES TORE LINEARLY ALLOWING THE FLOOR MAT TO EVENTUALLY CREEP UNDER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ON AUGUST 4, 2014 I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER SET OF FRONT FLOOR MATS BECAUSE OF FLOOR MAT FAILURE IDENTICAL TO THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION. CURRENT MILEAGE AROUND 81,000 MILES. THE REPLACEMENT FLOOR MATS THAT TOYOTA PROVIDES ARE OF INFERIOR QUALITY AND NOT ABLE TO WITHSTAND 2 YEARS WORTH OF ROUTINE DRIVING. TOYOTA WILL NOT GUARANTEE THEIR MATS BEYOND 1 YEAR, IT IS OF CONCERN THAT THE FAILING FLOOR MATS SET UP A SAFETY SITUATION EXACTLY COMPARABLE TO THE SAFETY CONCERN THEY WERE MEANT TO ALLEVIATE. THERE IS NO WARNING PROVIDED BY TOYOTA THAT THEIR MATS WILL FAIL AFTER ABOUT 2 YEARS OF AVERAGE DRIVING AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE INSPECTED AND IF DAMAGED, REPLACED. HOW MANY UNSUSPECTING MOTORISTS WHO HAVE REPLACED THEIR FLOOR MATS 2 OR MORE YEARS AGO ARE AT RISK? *TR

LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT BEGAN TO FLICKER, THEN FAILED COMPLETELY ON HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. TAKEN IN FOR REPAIR ON 8/2/14. WAS TOLD THAT ENTIRE HID ASSEMBLY UNIT AND COMPUTER SUB-ASSY HAD TO BE REPLACE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE COULD BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, BOTH HEADLIGHTS, WITHOUT WARNING WENT OUT. IMMEDIATELY, I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH TO OFF. THEN, PAUSED A MOMENT BEFORE RELIGHTING THEM, UNFORTUNATELY RELIGHTING THEM NORMALLY FAILED. SO AGAIN, I WORKED WITH THE SWITCH, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THESE WOULD RELIGHT IF AND ON IF I HELD THE LIGHTS ON USING THE 'DIMMER MODE' TO BRIGHT THE ROAD. UNFORTUNATELY, MINE LIKE OTHERS, IS UNPREDICTABLE AT BEST - SO REPRODUCING THIS INCIDENT 'ON DEMAND' IS DIFFICULT AT BEST. IN READING OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING AND COSTLY PROBLEM. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS HEADLIGHT CHALLENGE HAS BEEN PART OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. SHAME ON TOYOTA FOR NOT ISSUING A RECALL ON THIS MATTER - PRIUS OWNERS, AS WELL AS FELLOW DRIVERS WHOM WE SHARE THE ROAD WITH ARE AT HIGH RISK. *TR

HEADLIGHT ON RIGHT SIDE (PASSENGER) FADES OUT RANDOMLY - GETTING WORSE OVER PAST 6 MONTHS. NOW BOTH LIGHTS GO OUT. TURNING OFF/ON *USUALLY* FIXES, BUT DOESN'T LAST. *TR

HEADLIGHTS EITHER PASSENGER OR DRIVER SIDE WILL GO OUT FOR NO REASON. TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON WILL RELIGHT BOTH HEADLAMPS, BUT ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. *TR

HEADLIGHTS AT FIRST SEEMED TO ONLY FLICKER THEN I HAD A HEADLIGHT GO OUT THEN I NOTICED THAT I COULD FLIP THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF GET IT TO COME ON. NOW ITS TO THE POINT WE CAN NOT USE THIS CAR AT NIGHT. ITS BECOME A SAFETY HAZARD AND I DO T THINK ITS SOMETHING I SHOULD PAY TO REPAIR AND THINK TOYOTA IS STUPID FOR NOT RECALLING. *TR

COMING OUT OF THE GROCERY STORE I STARTED MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS AND I NOTICE THAT IT LOST BRAKING POWER AND THE ABS,VSC,(!),AND EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND THERE IS A RECALL FOR 2009 PRIUS CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM, BUT ONLY ON VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 3/2009-10/2009 MINE WAS MANUFACTURE ON 10/2008. I THINK THE RECALL SHOULD BE ON ALL 2009 MODELS REGARDLESS OF MANUFACTURING DATE. THERE ARE MANY OWNERS ONLINE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WHERE SCARED, AND I COULD OF EASILY HURT SOMEONE WALKING IN FRONT OF MY CAR AT THE GROCERY'S STORE PARKING LOT. I CAN'T DRIVE THIS CAR ANYMORE PLEASE EXTEND THE RECALL TO ALL 2009 MODELS REGARDLESS OF MANUFACTURING DATE. THANK YOU. *JS