2006 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT WOULD NOT DISENGAGE AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOWEVER SHE NOTICED THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN BRAKING TIME WHEN APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE STROKE SENSOR RETENTION LOGIC FAILED AND THE SPEED CONTROL ECU WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,219.

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE CAR IS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE IT WILL START FOR A MOMENT THEN GO INTO NEUTRAL. WHEN THIS OCCURS IT WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND ONLY IF THE GEAR SHIFT IS HELD IN REVERSE OR CONSTANTLY SHIFTED INTO REVERSE WILL IT ALLOW YOU TO DO SO. IT WILL THEN ONLY GO INTO PARK WHEN YOU TURN OFF THE CAR. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND IT OCCURRING IN MANY PRIUSES OF VARYING YEARS AND ALSO OCCURS SHIFTING INTO DRIVE, AND CAN OCCUR WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION AT HIGH SPEEDS. I HAVE FOUND THIS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FROM TOYOTA THAT SEEMS TO BE REFERRING TO THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER IT IS ONLY COVERED BY THEM IF THE CAR IS UNDER 3 YEARS OR 36K MILES. THE ISSUE DIDN'T EVEN BEGIN FOR ME UNTIL THE CAR WAS 7 YEARS OLD. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. I AM UNABLE TO ATTACH THE FILE SO BELOW IS A LINK TO THE SITE THAT HAS THE ATTACHMENT. HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/SHIFTER-SLIPS-INTO-N-REPLACE-SHIFTER-T-SB-0142-11.98016/. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 118,000. *TR

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYS SOME OF THE DASHBOARD ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, WHICH CAUSES YOU TO AVOID THAT AREA OF YOUR WINDSHIELD. THIS IS A DEFECT IN ALL 2006-2009 TOYOTA PRIUS CARS. WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT YOU START LOOKING AT THIS REFLECTION AND IT CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN. YOU ALSO DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR VIEW THROUGH THE REFLECTION. IT IS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING. WHEN YOU ARE ON A COUNTRY RODE LATE AT NIGHT, WHERE THERE MAY NOT BE ANY STREET LIGHTS, IT IS EVEN WORSE. THIS PROBLEM WAS FIXED IN THE 2010 MODELS AND BEYOND WITH A LONGER EDGE ON THE DASHBOARD AT THE TOP. I HAVE TALKED TO TOYOTA ABOUT THIS, BUT HAVE GOTTEN NOWHERE. I FEEL THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED AND I AM TURNING TO YOU FOR HELP. I COULD HAVE GOTTEN LAWYERS INVOLVED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, BUT I WANTED TO TRY AND RESOLVE THIS PROFESSIONALLY. I AM NOT LOOKING TO GET RICH OR MAKE MONEY OFF THIS PROBLEM. I JUST WANT MY CAR AND EVERYONE ELSE'S PRIUS FIXED. THIS ISSUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AROUND. I HAVE NOTICED IT MORE LATELY WITH CLOUD COVER AND DRIVING ON BACK COUNTRY ROADS AT NIGHT. IT IS SCARY. *TR

SINCE 2008 BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD RANDOMLY GO OUT USUALLY ONE AT A TIME BUT SOMETIMES BOTH. BY TURNING THEM OFF AND BACK ON WOULD GET THEM WORKING AGAIN. THE FREQUENCY KEPT INCREASING TILL 2013 WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA CORP. # AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID TO HAVE THE BULBS REPLACED AT MY OWN EXPENSE BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY . 142000 MILES. I CALLED TOYOTA DEALER TO HAVE THIS DONE AND GOT A PRICE OF $550.00. WOW. WITH A LOT OF RESEARCH I PURCHASED 2 HEADLIGHTS THAT WERE EXACTLY THE SAME ON LINE FOR $90.00 AND REPLACED THEM MYSELF (NOT AN EASY TASK). AT THIS POINT I'M NOT HAPPY BUT CAN LIVE WITH IT. NOW FOR MY REAL COMPLAINT!!! 2 WEEKS AFTER THE BULB REPLACEMENT MY LIGHTS ARE DOING THE SAME THING. SOMETIMES ONE THEN THE OTHER OR THE REAL EXCITEMENT WHEN BOTH GO SAME TIME. TURN THEM OFF AND BACK ON AND THEY ALWAYS COME BACK ON, MAYBE FOR A MINUTE OR TWO. TOYOTA ASSURED ME BEFORE I REPLACED THEM THAT THAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I WAS AT A DEALER YESTERDAY AND THEY HAD NO INPUT. TO ME IT SURE SEEMS THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM OTHER THEN THE BULBS THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT ADMIT. WE TRY TO NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AT NIGHT BUT AT TIMES WE HAVE TO. I WOULDN'T FEEL RIGHT SELLING THE VEHICLE EITHER, IT'S NOT SAFE!!!! KINDA STUCK WITH NO SOLUTION OR HELP FROM TOYOTA. ANY FEEDBACK WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR

BOTH HID HEADLIGHTS GO ON AND OFF RANDOMLY. THE DEALER WANTS MORE THAN $1000. TO REPAIR EACH ONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AND REPLACED THE BATTERY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, A RED TRIANGLE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000. UPDATED 02/25/14*LJ

MY WIFE ALMOST HIT A TRIO OF PEDESTRIANS WHO WERE WALKING IN THE ROAD, AND WHO WERE VERY POORLY LIT BY THE 2006 PRIUS HEADLIGHTS. THESE HEADLIGHTS (LOW BEAMS) ARE ALWAYS EXTREMELY DIM AND IN MY OPINION ARE UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH AT NIGHT. HIGH BEAMS SEEM TO LIGHT THE ROAD ADEQUATELY. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT CAUSED BY INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF THE HEADLIGHTS (A PROBLEM WE'VE ALSO DEALT WITH), BUT IS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE ILLUMINATION OF THE ROAD. WE ALSO DRIVE A 2005 ACURA TL AND A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA AND BOTH OF THESE VEHICLES PROVIDE GOOD ILLUMINATION OF THE ROAD AT NIGHT. A VEHICLE DRIVING BEHIND OUR 2006 PRIUS WILL OFTEN CAST A SHADOW OF OUR CAR IN THE AREA IN FRONT OF THE CAR, IN THE AREA THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ILLUMINATED BY THE HEADLIGHTS. I'M SURPRISED THAT THERE'S NO RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE AND THAT TOYOTA HASN'T RECTIFIED THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IN MY OPINION MAKES THE VEHICLE EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. *TR

THIS IS MY 10TH HEADLAMP REPLACEMENT. THE DEALERS DID MOST OF THEM OVER THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. I AM ALSO AN OWNER OF A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. NO PROBLEMS WITH THAT ONE. *TR