2003 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, AN UNKNOWN WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND FUNCTIONED AS NORMAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V304000 (STEERING). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN HER FROM HITTING HER HEAD ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 10/2/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED SHE DID NOT REPORT THIS INFORMATION. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SEATBELTS WHICH WAS NEVER TAKEN CARE OF. THE CONSUMER DID NOT SUSTAIN INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONSUMER SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION TO ENSURE HER INJURIES WERE ACTUALLY MINOR. UPDATED 3/30/2015 *JS

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGINS TO SHUDDER. AT ONE POINT, IT POWER STEERING MAKES A SPONTANEOUS TURN TO THE LEFT, WHICH I PREVENT WITH MY HANDS, BUT NEVERTHELESS MOVES THE CAR TO THE LEFT ENOUGH TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF THE DRIVER IS NOT PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION, OR HAPPENS TO BE TOO NEAR ANOTHER CAR. THE POWER STEERING IMMEDIATELY SHUTS OFF, AND THE REST OF THE TRIP CONTINUES WITH NO POWER STEERING, UNTIL THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. THE NEXT TIME THE CAR IS TURNED ON, THE POWER STEERING IS BACK (UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN). *TR

PURCHASED CAR ON EBAY FROM A PA DEALER, DID NOT KNOW, NOR WAS I TOLD THAT THE CAR HAD NO AIRBAG. WHETHER IT WAS REMOVED OR NOT REPLACED I DON'T KNOW. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND RECEIVED A COMPOUND FRACTURE OF HER RIGHT LEG. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE NOT TO NOTIFY A BUYER OF MISSING AIRBAGS. MY WIFE HAD TO BE AIRLIFTED FOR TREATMENT, AND STILL IS UNABLE TO WALK CORRECTLY. SHE HAS CONTINUOUS PAIN. *TR

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT COME TO A STOP WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. AN ALARM/LIGHT INDICATOR CAME ON FOR ABS BRAKES AT THE SAME TIME. I HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKES FOR THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A STOP. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID TWO VEHICLES AND CAME TO A STOP IN THE BUS STOP AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FOR REPAIR BUT THE REPAIR SHOP CANNOT FIND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WITHOUT THE NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM. FOR A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 36K MILES THIS SEEMS HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND A SEVERELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING IN COLD WEATHER. IT HAS HAPPENED MOST DAYS THIS WINTER WHEN TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW 45F DEGREES. IT WAS MOSTLY AN ANNOYANCE AT FIRST, AND WOULD HAPPEN WHEN STARTING THE CAR, BUT TWICE IT HAS NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. THE FIRST NEAR COLLISION FROM SHAKING WAS IN JANUARY WHEN TRYING TO PARK BETWEEN TWO CARS IN A PARKING SPOT AND I COULDN'T CONTROL THE WHEEL UNTIL I PUT THREW THE CAR INTO PARK, TURNED IT OFF, AND TURNED IT ON AGAIN. THE SECOND, AND MOST SERIOUS INCIDENT SO FAR I NEARLY HIT A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSWALK WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE ON A DAY WHEN IT WAS IN THE 20'S. TURNING RIGHT THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING SO VIOLENTLY IT BROKE FREE FROM MY GRIP, I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND IT VEERED LEFT INTO THE ONCOMING LANE TOWARDS A PEDESTRIAN. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND ONLY MISSED HIM BY ABOUT 3 FEET. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A 2 YEAR SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE EPS, BUT THAT THE CAMPAIGN EXPIRED 12/31/13, AND THEY WERE THEREFORE UNABLE TO DO A REPLACEMENT BECAUSE I DIDN'T BRING THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THE DEADLINE, AND THEY DON'T SEE IT AS A SAFETY ISSUE. WE WERE NEVER CONTACTED BY TOYOTA ABOUT THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN, AND THE ISSUE DID NOT BECOME DANGEROUS OR EVEN PARTICULARLY BOTHERSOME UNTIL NEARLY A MONTH AFTER THE CAMPAIGN EXPIRED. DUE TO THIS NEARLY CAUSING TWO ACCIDENTS IN A SHORT TIME SPAN JUST PAST THE CAMPAIGN DEADLINE, AND THE FACT THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL OF PRIUS, I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE ESCALATED TO A GENERAL RECALL OR EXTENDED WARRANTY BASED ALSO ON MILEAGE INSTEAD OF SOLELY ON THE CALENDAR YEAR TO NOT PENALIZE LOWER MILEAGE VEHICLES COMING INTO THE PROBLEM BEYOND THE EXPIRATION OF THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT MANDATED SERVICE CAMPAIGN. *TR

ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON THEN WENT OFF. I BROUGHT CAR TO MECHANIC WHO CHECKED BRAKES. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THEN I HEARD A HIGH PITCHED ALARM SOUNDING NOISE WHILE THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT WARNING WAS ON, THEN BOTH WOULD TURN OFF THEN ON THEN OFF.....THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON TO WHAT IS CAUSING THIS TROUBLE. WHEN I CHECKED THE INTERNET, OTHER PRIUS OWNERS COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS AS WELL. SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND AFTER ALL THE "CODES" HAD BEEN FIXED, THE ALARM SOUNDED YET AGAIN. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL NOTICE FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

STARTED VEHICLE , BEGAN TO PULL OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. HAD TO STOP VEHICLE TO WAIT FOR STEERING WHEEL TO STOP SHAKING. HAS BEEN DOING IT EVERYTIME I GO TO START VEHICLE . SEEMS TO DO O.K. DRIVING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 10 MPH. STARTING TO GET SLIGHT VIBRATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAYS POWER STEERING RACK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $3400.00. *TR

WHILE BACKING UP SLOWLY (UNDER 10), THE CAR SUDDENLY SPED UP, UNINTENDED ACCELERATED, TO HIT THE MOVABLE BARRIER AND ANOTHER CAR BEFORE BRAKED.

MY 2003 PRIUS (FIRST GEN, FROM JAPAN), HAS BEEN THRU A FEW RECALLS - 1 WAS TO SEAL THE BATTERY BETTER EARLY ON (04ISH), THEN IT WAS GIVEN NEW PINION SHAFT NUTS. LATEST ISSUE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE ALL ALONG, JUST NOT DIAGNOSED/FIXED TIL NOW. SOMETIMES THE 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT WOULD COME ON, WITH THE CAR/! /TRIANGLE GRAPHIC ON TOUCH SCREEN. THIS TIME IT DIDN'T GO AWAY. LONG STORY SHORT, IT WAS THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMP THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DEALER SAID IT WASN'T CYCLING PROPERLY, LEAKING ANTIFREEZE; ALSO A BIG HYBRID BATTERY ISSUE WAS SHOWING UP, BUT THEY SUSPECTED WHEN FIXING WATER PUMP IT MIGHT CLEAR UP BATTERY ISSUE. DID RESEARCH, FOUND THIS HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE FOR A LOT OF PRIUS OWNERS. SAW THE CONSUMER REPORTS & THIS STORY, FROM A TOYOTA NEWS RELEASE. THE FOLLOWING IS EXACTLY WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED, & MY CAR WAS PART OF THE PINION SHAFT NUTS/STEERING COLUMN RECALL, BUT NOT WATER PUMP RECALL!: "TOYOTA IS RECALLING 670,000 OF THEIR POPULAR PRIUS HYBRIDS IN THE US TO CORRECT TWO SAFETY ISSUES. THEY SAY ALL OF THE VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED TO SEE IF A PART IN THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED DUE TO AN ISSUE THAT COULD CAUSE EXCESSIVE WEAR. 350,000 OF THESE SAME PRIUS VEHICLES (FROM 2001-2010 IN JAPAN ) ARE ALSO BEING RECALLED TO REPLACE THE ELECTRIC WATER PUMP FOR THE HYBRID SYSTEM. TOYOTA SAYS THE PUMP COULD FAIL AND CAUSE THE HYBRID SYSTEM TO STOP RUNNING. THEY SAID ITS DEALERS WILL INSPECT & REPLACE ANY DEFECTS FREE OF CHARGE. RECALL NOTICES WILL GO TO OWNERS IN DEC. 2012. ABOUT 2.77M VEHICLES WORLDWIDE ARE AFFECTED."TOYOTA DID NOT PAY FOR MY REPAIR, $669; THAT WAS WITH A 15% OFF COUPON! I AM KEEPING MY RECEIPT. TOYOTA NEEDS TO INCLUDE MY VIN IN THE NEXT BATCH OF RECALLS FOR THIS DEFECTIVE WATER PUMP, WHICH HAS BEEN DEFECTIVE SINCE DAY 1, BUT A SLOW DIAGNOSIS, THAT MAY HAVE AFFECTED THE OVERALL FUNCTION OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM BATTERY PERMANENTLY. NO FUN! *TR