2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

RE: 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. APPROX. 23K MILES. ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 14, 2011 WE WERE DRIVING AT ABOUT 40 MPH WHEN WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN - ALL SYSTEMS AND ALL INFORMATION DISPLAYS. IN SPITE OF COMPROMISED STEERING AND BRAKING WE WERE ABLE TO STOP CAR. CAR WAS COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE OTHER THAN BEING ABLE TO TURN ON HAZARD SIGNAL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER. DEALER JUST INFORMED US THAT THE CAUSE WAS A WATER PUMP FAILURE WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO GO INTO A "SAFE" MODE SHUTTING DOWN THE CAR WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR TIME FOR THE DRIVER TO FIND A SAFE RESPONSE. UPON QUESTIONING, THE DEALER ALSO SAID THIS WOULD ALSO HAPPEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS WHICH IN OUR OPINION, COULD POSE A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION NOT ONLY FOR THE OPERATOR BUT FOR THOSE VEHICLES AROUND HIM. FURTHER WHEN ASKED, THE DEALER SAID IT DID NOT KNOW IF THE FAILURE OF ANY OTHER COMPONENTS WOULD CAUSE A SIMILAR SHUT-DOWN. OBVIOUSLY, TOYOTA'S DEFINITION OF "SAFE" MODE IS 180 DEGREES OFF AND THIS IS A SYSTEM DESIGN FLAW THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE IT RESULTS IN A TRAGEDY (IF IT HASN'T ALREADY DONE SO). *TR

THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER A SITTING FOR APPROXIMATELY SEVEN DAYS. IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE PURCHASED WHERE CHECKED AND JUMPED. I WAS TOLD TO NOT LET THE CAR SIT IDLE. TODAY I CONTACTED TOYOTA DIRECTLY AT 800-331-4221. I WAS GIVEN CASE # 1108121588. REPRESENTATIVES WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL AND CHECKED WITH TOYOTA TECHNICIANS FOR THE 2009 PRIUS. APPARENTLY, THE CAR SHOULD NOT SET FOR 4 TO 5 DAYS, (7 DAYS AT THE OUTSIDE) WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN. CONCERN: DEALER AND TOYOTA DO NOT MENTION THIS SERIOUS FLAW. AS A SOLE FEMALE DRIVER IN THE HOUSEHOLD, I WOULD NO HAVE PURCHASED THIS CAR GIVEN THIS VERY PERTINENT INFORMATION. IT MEANS THAT SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS TAKING THIS CAR TO THE AIRPORT FOR A TRIP IS NOT A PRUDENT POSSIBILITY. TRYING TO DO A PERSONAL PART TO USE LESS GAS AND LESSEN EMISSIONS COMES WITH A SERIOUS AND NOT STATED SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKES ARE FAULTY. THE BRAKES DO NOT RESPOND PROPERLY, ESPECIALLY ON SLIPPERY ROADS AND ON A DECLINE. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER IN 10/2010 AND THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING. I CHANGED ALL 4 TIRES ON THE CAR IN 2/2011 AND STILL EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER ON 5/24/11 AND AGAIN THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. THEY MENTIONED "ABS SYSTEM" AND IMPLIED THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING THE ABS SYSTEM KICKING IN. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, AND THUS DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY. BUT, I DO NOTICE THE PROBLEM MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN IT RAINS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 6-MONTH OLD 2009 PRIUS ONE SUMMER DAY ON A DRY, PAVED, SLIGHTLY DOWNWARD INCLINE WHEN THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM OCCURRED. AS I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC CIRCLE AT ABOUT 5 MPH AND THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES, MY CAR JUMPED FORWARD FOR ABOUT A SECOND AND A GOLD LIGHT ON THE DASH WAS BRIEFLY VISIBLE THROUGH MY PERIPHERAL VISION. BECAUSE I WAS FAMILIAR WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS, I THINK THAT I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THOUGH I MAY HAVE REFLEXIVELY RELEASED IT IN MY STARTLE. AT ANY RATE THE CAR STOPPED A FEW FEET LATER. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO COLLISION, LARGELY DUE, I BELIEVE, TO MY HABIT OF COASTING TO A STOP WHEN PRACTICAL. HOWEVER, THIS WAS A BIT UNNERVING, AND ALSO SINCE IT WAS DURING THE PERIOD OF CONCERN ABOUT TOYOTA PRIUS' UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, I MADE A POINT OF REPORTING IT TO MY CAR DEALER. I COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHICH DASH LIGHT HAD FLASHED FOR A SECOND. THE DEALER'S RESPONSE WAS THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY AN UNEVEN SURFACE ON THE ROAD THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. SURE ENOUGH, THERE HAD BEEN BOTH A SHALLOW POTHOLE AND A BIT OF GRAVEL WHERE THE STOPPING PROBLEM OCCURRED. HOWEVER, I TAKE ISSUE WITH TOYOTA'S BLAMING ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM WHEN CLEARLY THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAR CANNOT RESPOND APPROPRIATELY EVEN DURING VERY SLOW SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM HASN'T RECURRED BECAUSE I AVOIDED THE POTHOLE AFTERWARD AND NEVER HAVE TO STOP ON A DIME, POTHOLE OR NO. I HAVE HAD CARS WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS (ABS) AND NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM WITH THEM. THEREFORE, IMO TOYOTA NEEDS TO IMPROVE THE ABS OR THE (THEN NEW) STABILITY CONTROL FEATURE ON PRIUSES, BOTH OF WHICH MY CAR HAS. IN ALL OF THE HYPE ABOUT TOYOTA CARS' SUSTAINED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, I DO NOT REMEMBER THAT THIS OTHER EVENT THAT I HAVE DESCRIBED WAS ALSO BEING ADDRESSED. HOW COME? WHERE ARE NHTSA, NASA, AND TOYOTA ON THIS? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD PROVIDE INACCURATE READINGS OF FUEL LEVELS. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO A BLADDER FUEL TANK PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE BLADDER FUEL TANK UNDER WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000. THE CONSUMER STATED TOYOTA PAID FOR THE REPAIR. HOWEVER, THE GAS GAUGE CONTINUES TO BE INACCURATE AND THE CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO PUT NO MORE THAN SIX GALLONS OF GAS IN THE VEHICLE. ALSO, AT TIMES, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. UPDATED 06/30/11

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SQUIRRELS WERE ABLE CHEW THROUGH THE WIRING AND THE FUSE BOX FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE SQUIRRELS HAD ALSO CHEWED THROUGH THE PLASTIC RADIATOR COVER AND SUPPORT PANEL FOR THE FAN AND THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AS A RESULT OF THE DAMAGES. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO COVER FOR THE UNDER THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT THE SQUIRRELS OR RODENTS FROM ENTERING AND DAMAGING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,091 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,373.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID EQUIPPED WITH AN AFTERMARKET 10KW KIT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WITH THE 10KW PLUGGED IN WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE CAUSING THE STANDARD HYBRID VEHICLE TO BECOME AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE. THE ELECTRICAL WIRING CAUGHT ON FIRE WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE NEAR THE TAIL LIGHT. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE CONTACT AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED BUT THE FIRE HAD BEEN EXTINGUISHED BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC SHOP WHO WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS THEN CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT BECAUSE THE 10KW WAS AN AFTER MARKET PART, THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,126.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE PASSENGER HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY (EVERY BULB, NOT JUST THE MAIN HIGH-INTENSITY BULB) WENT OUT. WIGGLING THE CONNECTOR AT THE BACK OF THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY WHEN THE HEADLAMP GETS IN THIS CONDITION DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I CAN GET THE ASSEMBLY BACK IN WORKING CONDITION BY TURNING OFF THE LIGHTS AND TURNING THEM BACK ON AGAIN. THIS IS DANGEROUS! WHEN THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN, IT WAS SLIGHTLY FLICKERING AT FIRST AND NOW SEEMS DIMMER THAN THE DRIVER SIDE LIGHT. I HAVE ALSO HAD CONNECTOR-RELATED ISSUES ON THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS, WHERE THEY GO OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. TURNING THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF DOES NOT WORK TO GET THE BRAKE LIGHT WORKING AGAIN. I HAVE TO MANUALLY TIGHTEN THE CONNECTOR AT THE BACK OF THE BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY TO GET THE LIGHT WORKING AGAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT IT STALLED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPLACED THE SHORT ENGINE BLOCK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PISTON ROD WAS BENT DUE TO BAD FUEL IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,500.