2004 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 PRIUS INTERMITTENTLY GO OFF. IT IS CORRECTED BY TURNING THE SWITCH OFF, THEN BACK ON. *TR

2004 PRIUS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE BRAKING, THERE WAS NO INITIAL RESPONSE TO THE APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE. I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD NOT PRESSED THE PEDAL FIRMLY ENOUGH, BUT GIVEN THE PUBLICITY ABOUT BRAKING HESITATION, I WONDER IF THESE WERE VEHICLE PROBLEMS. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 PRIUS. THE SHIFT LEVER BEGAN TO STICK IN THE SELECT GEAR POSITION INSTEAD OF GOING BACK TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE PARK BUTTON WOULD NOT WORK, CAUSING THE CAR TO MOVE FORWARD IF THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED. I CALLED TOYOTA AND COMPLAINED TWICE. THE GEAR SELECT LEVER NEEDS TO BE MODIFIED SO IT DOESN'T STICK AND THE SOFTWARE CHANGED TO ALLOW THE PARK FUNCTION TO WORK WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED REGARDLESS OF THE POSITION OF THE GEAR SELECT LEVER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING IN CLEAR, NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. SHE THEN APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE DID NOT DECREASE IN SPEED. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL OR FISH TAILED. THE CONTACT COULD NOT MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL AND A NEARBY TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000. UPDATED EVOQ. 05/27/10

MULTIFUNCTION TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY (MFD) MALFUNCTION DISABLES THE WINDSHIELD DEFOGGER. ONE MUST WIPE THE WINDSHIELD BY HAND. IF THE WINDSHIELD FOGS WHILE DRIVING ON A NARROW AND WINDING ROAD OR BUSY HIGHWAY, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS ARE AT HIGH RISK. THERE IS A WEBSITE THAT SHOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND HOW TO FIX IT (HTTP://TECHNO-FANDOM.ORG/~HOBBIT/CARS/MFD/). A MULTI-PIN CONNECTOR HAS A FAULTY PIN. THE SOLDERING CRACKS OVER TIME RESULTING IN A LOOSE CONNECTION. TOYOTA DOES NOT PROVIDE AN AFFORDABLE SOLUTION. THEY OFFER TO REMOVE THE TWO COMPUTER UNITS FROM BEHIND THE MFD AND REPLACE THEM FOR APPROXIMATELY $3,000, RATHER THAN SIMPLY RE-SOLDERING THE CONNECTOR PIN. I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPAIR THIS, AND TOYOTA HAS NOT OFFERED ANY VIABLE SOLUTIONS. THIS AFFECTS ALL EARLY TYPE 2 PRIUSES. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH BRAKE PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE SKIDS OUT OF CONTROL. *KB

I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MY HID HEADLIGHTS NOT WORKING AND HAS CAUSED ME TO NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT EITHER THE RIGHT OR LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL STOP WORKING. IF YOU STOP AND TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF & ON THE LIGHTS WILL FUNCTION AGAIN. I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN AND HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY THE POLICE 3 TIMES. TOYOTA WANTS OVER $2000 TO CHANGE THE HID COMPUTER AND BULBS WHICH I SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD. I SEARCHED THE WEB AND SEE HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL THE PRIUS FOR THE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. *TR

WE OWN A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. ON 02/18/2010 IT LOST POWER ON THE ROAD, MAJOR MALFUNCTION LIGHTS CAME ON, AMONG OTHERS, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER IN CARLSBAD, CA. AFTER DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, THEY SAID THE COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED IT STARTED TRANSMITTING NEW PROBLEM CODES, NAMELY, POA94, POA78, PO279, AND PO555, WHICH MEANT THAT THE TRANSAXLE HAD FAILED, AND COMPUTER CODES SHOW THAT THE INVERTER COULD FAIL ALSO. TOTAL REPAIR COST: $5,594.00 SO FAR. IF THE INVERTER FAILS, IT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF $9,843.00 TO REPAIR. I DON'T SEE WHO WOULD PAY THIS EXORBITANT AMOUNT, LET ALONE BEING ABLE TO AFFORD IT. THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 09/15/2008. THE PRIUS HAD LOST POWER AND WE TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTICS TEST, TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY FOR 9 MILES, IT RAN O.K. AND NO COMPUTER TROUBLE CODES WERE FOUND AT THE TIME. THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS A PRELUDE TO THE VEHICLE FAILURE WERE ARE EXPERIENCING TODAY, AND WE ARE SUSPECTING IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM. AS IT STANDS NOW, THE PRIUS IS SITTING AT THE TOYOTA DEALER. THEY HAD REMOVED THE NEW COMPUTER IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS TOTALED. IN SHORT, THE PRIUS WAS FINE ONE DAY AND TOTALED THE NEXT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

RETURNING FROM WORK APPROX 1700 DRIVING MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON D.C. METRO AREA. IT WAS THE FIRST DAY OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE OPENINGS SINCE THE BLIZZARD OF 2010 HAD STARTED. MY RESIDENCE IS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM A MAJOR PRIMARY ROAD (VA HWY 7 IN LOUDOUN COUNTY). THE ROAD IS SECONDARY STATE ROAD VADOT OWNED AND MAINTAINED DIRT (PACKED GRAVEL) ROAD FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.25 MILES, PROCEEDING INTO OUR MY DEVELOPMENT THE ROAD IS PAVED ASPHALT FRO THE REMAINING .25 MILES. ON THE SECONDARY ROAD THE CONDITIONS OF THE ROAD WAS PACKED SNOW WITH SMALL RUNS OF LOOSE SNOW. THE ROAD IS VERY WINDING WITH SLIGHT INCLINES AND DECLINES THROUGHOUT. EVERY TIME MY CAR WOULD BREAK TRACTION I WOULD LOSE POWER LEAVING ME WITH NO CORRECTION CAPABILITY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. I ALMOST RAN INTO EMBANKMENTS AND OVER THE SOFT SHOULDER SEVERAL TIMES DESPITE SLOWING DOWN TO A CRAWL. ONCE ENTERING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE CAR SEEMED TO STABLE OUT UNTIL I BEGAN DRIVING ON AN UPHILL PORTION OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A STEPPER HILL THAN ON THE SECONDARY ROAD. WHEN MY TIRES BROKE TRACTION ALL POWER FROM THE CAR WAS LOST LEAVING ME IN AN UNCONTROLLED SITUATION OF SLIDING AROUND ON THE ROAD EVENTUALLY INTO THE SOFT SHOULDER OF A DOWNHILL CLIFF. I WAS ATTEMPTED TO START MOVING FORWARD GET MYSELF AWAY FROM THE SHOULDER AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE OR PUT ANY SORT OF POWER TO THE WHEELS. I WAS TERRIFIED AND STUCK. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS FINDING NEW LINES (PATHS) FINALLY REACHING THE TOP OF THE HILL (MY DRIVEWAY) DUE TO THE REMOVAL OF CAR POWER. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN UN SUSPECTING THROUGHOUT THE MONTH ON THE UNPAVED ROADS PLACING ME IN DANGER. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT IN ANY WINTER CONDITION. IT APPEARS THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS WEBSITE AND I HAVE NO WAY TO CORRECT THIS EXCEPT SELL MY CAR. *TR

ON 23 JAN 2010, WHILE DRIVING I-85N IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THE CAR STALLED AT 70MPH. AN AUDIBLE ALERT SOUNDED, THE CAR JERKED AND THREE WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF. I COASTED THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER AND SHUT THE CAR DOWN. I RESTARTED THE CAR -- THE WARNING LIGHTS CLEARED -- AND CONTINUED DRIVING. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, STILL IN THE MOUNTAINS, THE SAME THINGS OCCURRED (STALL WHILE DRIVING 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE.) WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR A YELLOW "!" WARNING REMAINED ON. I CONTINUED THE TRIP TO VIRGINIA WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE WARNING LIGHT WENT OUT. ON 5 FEB 2010, WHILE DRIVING ON I-95S IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THE CAR STALLED, WARNING LIGHTS AND AUDIBLE ALARM SOUNDED. UPON RESTART THE "!" STAYED ON. THIS HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES; ONCE ON I-95 AND ONCE ON I-20. THE LAST TWO TIMES THE RED TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT STAYED ON ALSO. ON 6 FEB 2010, I TOOK THE CAR TO TOYOTA CENTER IN COLUMBIA SC. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($384) BECAUSE AIR GOT INTO THE SYSTEM. I ASKED IF THAT WAS WHY I COULD HEAR "SLOSHING" FROM THE ENGINE WHEN DRIVING; HE SAID YES. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS CONFUSED SINCE THE COOLANT RECOVERY TANK NEVER WENT BELOW THE LOW LINE. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT AIR IN THE SYSTEM WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THE PRIUS AND THAT I SHOULD KEEP THE COOLANT LEVEL HIGHER THAN MARKED. ALSO THAT DRIVING IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS -- BOTH THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE AND THE ANGLE OF ASCENT AND DESCENT -- IS PROBABLY WHAT TRIGGERED THE PROBLEM. PRIOR TO BOTH TRIPS, THE CAR WAS CHECKED BY A MECHANIC. FLUID LEVELS WERE CLEAR AND ADEQUATE. I AM NOW IN THE FLATLANDS OF TEXAS, AND I CAN ONCE AGAIN HEAR THE SLOSHING SOUND COMING FROM MY ENGINE. BEYOND THE EXPENSE I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY STALLING. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR IN RUSH HOUR IN A CROWDED CITY I'M NOT SURE THE CAR WOULD BE SAFELY NAVIGABLE TO THE SHOULDER. *TR