2006 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

THE PRIUS WAS BEING DRIVEN UP A HILL WHEN IT SUDDENLY STALLED AND THE GASOLINE ENGINE DIED. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SAFELY MOVE THE VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC, SINCE THE ELECTRIC MODE WAS NOT CAPABLE OF MOVING THE VEHICLE FORWARD UP THE HILL. THE VEHICLE'S FUEL METER ON THE DASH DISPLAYED 3 BARS REMAINING (INDICATING THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OVER 1/4 TANK OF FUEL REMAINING). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER, WHO SAID A SOFTWARE RELOAD AND CLEANING THE THROTTLE BOTTLE FIXED IT. A LITTLE OVER A WEEK LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON INTERSTATE, AND THE DRIVER WAS PASSING A SEMI-TRAILER. WHILE IN THE PASSING LANE, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN, AND CAUSED GREAT DANGER AS IT HAD VERY LITTLE ELECTRIC POWER TO LIMP TO SAFETY. THE GAS ENGINE WOULD NOT RUN OR START AGAIN, WITH THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS AS BEFORE. AGAIN THE FUEL METER SHOWED 3 BARS REMAINING. HOWEVER, IT WAS FOUND THAT IT TOOK OVER 11 GALLONS OF GASOLINE TO THEN FILL THE TANK, AND THE TOTAL TANK CAPACITY IS IN THE 11 GALLON RANGE. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET RESULTED IN OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, WITH ONE ENTRY CITING A TOYOTA TECHNICAL MANUAL THAT INCLUDED THE STATEMENT REGARDING THE FUEL GAUGE, "THE INCLINOMETER MUST BE RESET IF THE CUSTOMER COMPLAINS THAT THEY CAN ONLY PUMP A FEW GALLONS OF GAS INTO THEIR TANK OR THAT THEY RUN OUT OF GAS WITH THREE OR FOUR BARS LEFT ON THE FUEL METER." IT IS VERY CONCERNING & FRUSTRATING THAT TOYOTA APPARENTLY IS AWARE THAT THEIR VEHICLES CAN RUN OUT OF GAS UNEXPECTEDLY DUE TO A FAULTY FUEL GAUGE, AND IT CAN PLACE THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGERS IN GREAT DANGER. I HAVE CONTACTED THE TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT THE EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILL ($300) THAT DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY ARE WILLING TO LOOK AT THE CAR AGAIN, NOW THAT THEY UNDERSTAND IT IS LIKELY A BAD FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM, BUT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT TOYOTA HAS APPARENTLY KNOWN ABOUT. *TR

MY HEADLIGHTS FLICKER OR FAIL WITH NO WARNING, USUALLY JUST ONE BUT SOMETIMES BOTH. IF I FLIP THE SWITCH ON AND OFF THEY USUALLY COME BACK ON BUT SOMETIMES IT TAKES SOME TIME. I RUN THEM DURING THE DAY FOR SAFETY, SO I CANNOT TELL WHEN ONE WILL RANDOMLY CUT OFF. THIS ALSO PUTS ME AT RISK OF A TRAFFIC VIOLATION. *JS

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT A HEADLIGHT WENT OUT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR IT CAME BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. ONCE WHEN A HEADLIGHT WAS OUT THE SECOND HEADLIGHT WENT OUT MAKING IT EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND DIFFICULT TO PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY, JUST MISSED ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON RESTARTING ONE OF THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE SITUATION, IT IS LIFE THREATENING. I HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND CONTINUES TO HAPPEN. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA AND THEY SAID I HAD TO COME IN WHEN IT WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THEY LATER SAID THAT IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HOW MANY LIVES HAVE TO BE LOST UNTIL THEY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BESIDES SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG. *TR

THE ASSISTED HYDRAULIC BRAKE PUMP SEEMS TO NOT BE WORKING CORRECTLY, THERE'S A PUMP NOISE THAT KEEPS COMING ON IN THE CABIN, LIKE THE BRAKE PUMP CANNOT KEEP PRESSURE. IT'S A RATTLING NOISE THAT IS COMING ON AND IT'S EVERY FEW SECONDS. LIKE IT'S TRYING TO BUILD PRESSURE TO ASSIST BRAKING. *TR

IN 2006 WE BOUGHT A TOYOTA PRIUS CAR $ 28000.ON 05/22/2009, MY HUSBAND AND HIS FRIEND [XXX] HAD A CAR ACCIDENT. MY HUSBAND'S CAR WAS HIT FROM BEHIND WHEN HE WAS DRIVING A TOYOTA PRIUS WITH HIS FRIEND SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSAGE SEAT. THE BACKS OF THE CHAIRS OF THE DRIVER SEAT AND FRONT PASSAGE SEAT WERE MOVE AND BROKEN. MY HUSBAND AND HIS FRIEND BOTH GOT HURT, AND MY HUSBAND WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR 6 DAYS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

HEADLIGHTS, GO ON AND OFF ON THEIR OWN. SOMETIMES ONLY ONE WILL GO OFF, SOMETIMES BOTH. HAPPENS WITH HIGH BEAMS AS WELL. LIGHTS COME BACK ON IF I SWITCH THEM COMPLETELY OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. MAY STAY ON FOR 30 MINUTES, MAY ONLY STAY ON FOR A COUPLE MINUTES. VERY DANGEROUS AS THE LIGHTS HAVE GONE OFF AT NIGHT TIME CAUSING LOSS OF VISIBILITY. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING IN THE DARK AT 6:00AM ON I64E MY HEADLIGHTS WENT COMPLETELY OUT. I HAD TO MOVE OFF THE HIGHWAY, TURN MY VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. WHEN I RESTARTED IT, THE LIGHTS TURNED BACK ON. *TR

WENT TO DEALER FOR 90K SERVICE. WAS TOLD LEFT HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. REPLACED. HEADLIGHT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY. NEED TO TURN LIGHTS ON-OFF TO HAVE HEADLIGHT TURN BACK ON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE BOLTS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 219,600.

I WAS REAR ENDED AT BY A CAR GOIN ALMOST FULL SPEED IN A SPEED LIMIT ZONE OF 45 AT A RED LIGHT, WHILE I WAS SLOWING DOWN. WHILE APPROACHING THE LINE OF CARS IN FRONT OF ME I STARTED SLOWING DOWN PUMPING MY BRAKES TO LET TO DRIVERS BEHIND KNOW I WAS SLOWING DOWN. I WAS THEN REAR ENDED AND SHOT INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, LIFTING UP THE FRONT OF MY CAR AND SMASHING INTO ANOTHER VECHILE. MY FIREWALL WAS COMPLETELY BENT IN AS WELL AS HALF OF THE FRONT BUMPER AND FRAME TORN OFF. I HAD NO AIRBAGS DEPLOY ON EITHER THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER SIDE. IT MAKES ME CONCERNED THAT IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED AT THE RED LIGHT, I COULD HAVE OBTAINED SEVERE INJURIES COMPARED TO THE WHIPLASH AND SHOULDER PAINS I CURRENTLY HAVE. *TR