2004 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED SOMEONE ELSE DROVE HER VEHICLE AND HE EXPERIENCED SLUGGISH ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE. A MESSAGE FLASHED QUICKLY, BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO READ IT. *JB

WHILE HEADING UP MY DRIVEWAY IN MY 2004 PRIUS, THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE, I THREW IT INTO REVERSE AND TURNED BACK TOWARD MY GARAGE WHERE IT CRASHED THRU THE WALL. *TR

2004 PRIUS AT 146K MILES WITH ORIGINAL HEADLIGHTS. DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT TURNS ORANGE AND GOES OUT AFTER 2 MINUTES. PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT GOES OUT RANDOMLY AND TAKES OUT FOG LIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME. A COMPLETE FAILURE OF FORWARD FACING LIGHTING INCLUDING FOG LAMPS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IF A HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF-AND-ON BRINGS THEM BACK FOR AN UNSPECIFIED AMOUNT OF TIME UNTIL COMPLETE FAILURE ONCE AGAIN. *TR

1) EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE: POST-"90L CAMPAIGN" RECALL MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS, VEHICLE DRIVING AT ~15 MPH ON A FLAT CLEAR ROAD. 2) THE FAILURE: UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OBSERVED. ACCELERATED, WITHOUT ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED, TO ~27 MPH. BRAKES SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED. RELEASE OF BRAKE RESUMED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. "RODE THE BRAKE TO DELIVER VEHICLE TO SAFE PARKING LOCATION. CONSEQUENCE: UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CONTROLLABLE BY BRAKING. 3) NOTHING HAS YET BEEN DONE TO CORRECT FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN OR MOVED SINCE FAILURE, SINCE DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE BY OWNER PENDING ANY USEFUL RESPONSE TO NOTIFICATION OF THIS INCIDENT BY TOYOTA INC. (NO USEFUL RESPONSE AS OF YET.) THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CONSUMERS CONCERN. UPDATED 08/30/10 UPDATE IVOQ 09/01/10*JB *TR

I GOT MY 2004 PRIUS IN NOV 2003. MY DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED LAST YEAR AND I WAS CHARGED AT LEAST $200 TO REPLACE LAST YEAR. THE SAME HEADLIGHT FAILED ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO, AND I DO NOT HAVE $200+ TO GET THE BULB REPLACED. I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO DO THIS MYSELF AS HAVE MANY OTHER PRIUS OWNERS. *TR

THE AUTOMOBILE WAS STOPPED AT A INTERSECTION AND THE PAVEMENT WAS WET FROM A LIGHT RAIN. I APPLIED NORMAL PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR AND FELT THE CAR MOVE FORWARD AS EXPECTED. THEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, I FELT THE TIRES SLIP DUE TO A LOST OF TRACTION WITH THE WET PAVEMENT. AT THAT POINT THE ANTI-SKID/TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED AND STOPPED ALL POWER TO THE WHEELS. THIS LEFT ME PART WAY INTO THE INTERSECTION AND NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR EVEN TO THE FLOOR RESULTED IN NO CHANGE, NO MOTOR OR ENGINE POWER. THIS HAS OCCURRED THREE TIME IN SIMILAR CONDITIONS, WITH MIXED RESULTS. TWICE THE PROBLEM COULD OF LEAD TO AN MAJOR ACCIDENT. IN SUMMARY THIS PROBLEM DISABLE THE DRIVE TRAIN IN A UNPREDICTABLE MANNER THAT TAKES THE DRIVER OUT OF THE PROCESS. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS ACCELERATES DUE TO GAS PEDAL GETTING STUCK IN THE FLOOR MAT. THIS MORNING I WAS DRIVING MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2004 THAT I BOUGHT FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER WHO MENTIONED ALL RECALL ISSUES WERE ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. HE MENTIONED THE DEALER SHAVED OFF THE GAS PEDAL TO MAKE IT SHORTER. BUT TODAY, WHILE ON I 495 GOING EASTWARDS JUST BEFORE ENTERING THE HOV LANE, I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OVER TAKE ANOTHER SLOW VEHICLE. THE CAR ENGINE KEPT RAISING NOISE, AND CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. I BRAKED, THE CAR SLOWED A BIT BUT ENGINE KEPT RUNNING FAST... I REALIZED THIS IS POTENTIALLY SAME ISSUE THAT PEOPLE REPORTED ON PRESS AND WITH LOT OF STRUGGLE TRYING TO BRAKE AND SLOW DOWN, REALIZED AND PUT THE CAR INTO N, NEUTRAL POSITION. I AM LUCKY TO KNOW THIS FROM MEDIA REPORTS, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER DEAD GUY ON A PRIUS! WHILE I WAS STILL ON HIGHWAY, NEEDING TO MAINTAIN SPEED I PUT THE CAR BACK ON DRIVE MODE, D AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. I REALIZED, I CAN LIFT THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY LEFT FOOT, AND SUCCEEDED IN UNTANGLING THE PEDAL FROM THE FLOOR MAT. AFTER I DID THAT IT WAS FINE. I ARRIVED AT WORK, BUT WITH EXTREME SHOCK AND DISAPPOINTMENT. I AM WONDERING HOW THIS PROBLEM CAN STILL REMAIN AFTER A RECALL REPAIR IS DONE ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND MY LIFE WAS IN TOTAL RISK AND I SURVIVED TODAY PURELY BECAUSE OF MY TECHNICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS CAR ISSUE. I AM AN ENGINEER IN PROFESSION, A MECHANICAL ENGINEER WITH A MASTERS DEGREE AND I UNDERSTOOD HOW TO REACT. IF IT WAS FOR MY OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS IN THIS SITUATION THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY DIFFERENT. I AM VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA CORPORATION AND ALSO WITH YOU, THE NHTSA FOR NOT MAKING SURE THAT ALL PRIUS OUT THERE ARE SAFETY COMPLIANT. THIS IS REALLY TERRIBLE ! ...BECAUSE ITS A KNOWN ISSUE, AND OLD ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER STATES ACCELERATION PROBLEMS *TGW WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONSUMER SWERVED INTO THE NEXT LANE TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THE MOTOR REVVED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL. THEN THE MOTOR RETURNED TO NORMAL AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL AND THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY TOYOTA. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *JB

MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE'S HEADLIGHTS. THEY INTERMITTENTLY TURN THEMSELVES OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. TRIED REPLACING THEM PER THE MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS BUT THE INSTALLED LAMPS ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE MANUAL, SO REPLACING THEM IS NOT AN OPTION. I CONSIDER THIS A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT. THESE LAMPS ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. ANY HEADLAMP THAT STOPS WORKING WITHOUT WARNING IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE WITH ANY CAR. YOU CAN MAKE THE LIGHT COME BACK ON BY TURNING ALL THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THIS DEFECT IS GOING TO CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND FOLKS ARE GOING TO GET HURT OR WORSE. *TR

MY COMPLAINT HAS TO DO WITH THE HIGH ENERGY DISCHARGE (XENON) HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. BEGINNING SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY 2010 MY WIFE AND I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT WOULD SHUT DOWN AFTER THE LIGHTS HAD BEEN ON FOR A FEW MINUTES. IF THE HEADLIGHTS WERE QUICKLY TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON (SAY, WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT), BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD WORK JUST FINE FOR A WHILE. I TRIED TO REPLACE THE BULBS (D2R TYPE XENON BULBS) WHICH I PURCHASED AT A LOCAL CAR PARTS STORE FOR APPROXIMATELY $90 EACH. AFTER TRYING TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR REPLACING THE BULBS (FOUND IN THE OWNERS MANUAL), I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE BULB HOLDERS. WHEN I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP (CAPITOL TOYOTA) FOR SERVICE IN LATE APRIL 2010, I ASKED IF THEY COULD FIX THE HEADLIGHTS. THE SERVICE REP TOLD ME THAT MERE DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM WOULD COST $600, WITH ANY BALLAST OR BULB REPLACEMENT ADDED TO THAT COST. I HAVE NEVER PAID MORE THAN ABOUT $40 TO REPLACE BOTH OF MY VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS PRIOR TO THIS. I APPRECIATE THAT THESE BULBS SHOULD COST MORE THAN HALOGEN OR OTHER TYPES, BUT THE COSTS I'M ENCOUNTERING ARE OUTLANDISH. IN THE MEAN TIME, WE ARE STILL DRIVING THE CAR WITH THE PROBLEM. HEADLIGHTS WORK FOR FIVE TO 10 MINUTES, AND THEN ONE, AND NOW, SOMETIMES THE OTHER HEADLIGHT WILL SHUT DOWN. RECENTLY, OUR DAUGHTER ARRIVED BACK FROM A BRIEF TRIP COMPLAINING THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE VERY DIM. I FOUND OUT THAT NEITHER HEADLIGHT WAS WORKING - THE ONLY LIGHTS ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR WERE THE FOG LAMPS. WE NOW DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT, AND WONDER HOW WE WILL FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR