2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO HYBRID ELECTRIC WATER PUMP RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED TWO WEEKS AFTER THE HYBRID WATER PUMP WAS FIXED, A RED TRIANGLE LAMP APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. THE CONSUMER WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS CHARGED 4202/16 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND INFORMED HIM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WENT TO HIS PERSONAL MECHANIC, WHERE THE HYBRID ELECTRIC PUMP WAS REPLACED AND THE CODES WERE CLEARED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE IGNITION, A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL EMITTED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DID NOT DETECT A FUEL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,771.

THE RUBBER COVER TO THE HATCHBACK TRUNK LATCH HAS MELTED. IT IS NOW STICKY AND GOOEY AND LITERALLY IMMOVABLE. THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD, BECAUSE SOMETIMES I CAN'T OPEN THE HATCHBACK WHICH CONTAINS THE SPARE TIRE AND OTHER TOOLS. I HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO ACCESS ANYTHING IN THE "TRUNK" WHEN I'M UNABLE TO OPEN THE LATCH. THE TOYOTA DEALER SAID THIS DEFECTIVE PART IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND QUOTED AN EXORBITANT PRICE TO REPLACE IT. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART AT NO COST TO OWNERS. *TR

WE ARE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH THE LEFT HEADLIGHT GOING OUT AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING. WE'VE TAKEN IT INTO THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE ISSUE FIXED. WE TOOK THIS TO THE SHOP THE LATEST TIME AND THEY TOLD US IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. *TR

SAME BASIC COMPLAINT AS IN OTHER SIMILAR 'SAFETY COMPLAINTS'; FOR ABOUT THE LAST YEAR, HEADLIGHTS GO DIM, FLICKER, ONE OR THE OTHER WILL GO OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON, AND MORE DISTRESSING AND IMPORTANTLY, IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, THEY WILL BOTH JUST TURN OFF COMPLETELY AND AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT ANY SPEED. I HAVE TO TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON TO 'RESET' THE LIGHTS AND GET THEM BACK ON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE OFFICIAL TOYOTA REPAIR SHOP; THEY WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. BLAMED THE BULBS, WHICH IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE OWNERS MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS, AND WANTED TO CHARGE ME $ 550 TO REPLACE ONLY THE TWO BULBS. THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ITEM AS IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE ALL LIGHTS SUDDENLY GO OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THEN HAVING TO FUMBLE AROUND IN THE PITCH BLACK TO TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON AGAIN TO 'RESET' THIS FAILURE. *TR

THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT COMES ON INITIALLY BUT DURING THE DRIVE WILL GO OFF. I CAN TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON AND THE LIGHT COMES BACK ON. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND I DON'T KNOW IT HAS HAPPENED UNLESS I PULL UP BEHIND SOMEONE AND SEE THE REFLECTION OF MY HEADLIGHTS ON THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

I NARROWLY MISSED HITTING A PEDESTRIAN IN A CROSSING WALK AT 5AM IN THE MORNING. THE REASON-BOTH OF MY HEADLIGHTS HAD TURNED THEMSELVES OFF. I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE RIGHT ONE GOING OFF AND AM ABLE TO TURN IT BACK ON BY TURNING THE LIGHT S OFF, THEN BACK ON. BUT NOW THEY BOTH ARE TURNING OFF AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND IT IS HARD TO TELL UNTIL SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS.(IT'S HARD TO TELL AS THIS CAR HAS 2 FOGLIGHTS THAT I NORMALLY KEEP ON, AND THEY GIVE THE ILLUSION THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON). THE PROBLEM IS NOT IN THE HEADLIGHT ITSELF. I KNOW AS I HAD THE PROBLEM PRIOR TO A FRONT END COLLISION ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO IN WHICH THEY REPLACED BOTH HEADLIGHTS.THE PROBLEM HAS TO BE IN WHATEVER COMPUTER CONTROLS THE HEADLIGHTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT AND SHOULD BE MANUFACTURER RECALL ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR

I WAS TURNING LEFT INTO THE GAS STATION LOCATED ON US 22 AND E. JOHN ST. A SPEEDING CAR STRUCK ME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEAR THE DOOR AND FRONT FENDER. THE SPEEDING CAR CONTINUED SO HARD THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER FRAME RAIL WAS RIPPED FROM THE CAR. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. I SUFFERED LEFT KNEE AND LEFT SHOULDER INJURIES NECESSITATING SEVERAL SURGERIES. THE CAR WAS EQUIPPED WITH DRIVER'S SIDE AND FRONT RIGHT AIR BAGS. ALSO, DR AND FR SIDE AND CURTAIN AIR BAGS. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. THERE WERE TWO CARS STOPPED AT THE SIGN. SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET FROM THE STOP, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I STOOD ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I SAID TO MY UNDERSTANDABLY ALARMED WIFE, WE'RE NOT STOPPING. AND WE DIDN'T UNTIL WE SMASHED INTO THE BACK OF A TAHOE STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN, DOING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE PRIUS THAT RENDERED IT UNDRIVEABLE AND PERHAPS TOTALED. MY WIFE HAS A VERY SORE BACK THAT I AM HOPING STARTS TO FEEL BETTER TODAY OR WE WILL HAVE TO SCHEDULE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. *TR

THE BACK DOOR/HATCH SWITCH RUBBER IS MELTING/VERY STICKY. THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST REPORTED IN THE 2007 PRIUS AND OTHER MODEL TOYOTA MODELS. I EXPECT THAT THIS SWITCH WILL BECOME DEFECTIVE AND IT IS THE ONLY MEANS TO ENTER THE HATCH AREA OF THE PRIUS.THE HATCH AREA IS THE LOCATION OF THE SPARE TIRE, FLARES AND OTHER SAFETY PRODUCTS CARRIED IN THE AUTOMOBILE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM OF TOYOTA MODELS AND IS DEFINITELY A FACTORY DEFECTIVE PART. *TR