2004 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO MOVE FORWARD WHILE THE CONTACT'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND HE WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DATE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 103,690.

DRIVING APPROX 35 MPH. APPLIED BRAKES LIGHTLY TO SLOW BEFORE A SHARP RIGHT TURN. BRAKES "FROZE" AND REQUIRED EXTREME PRESSURE TO SLOW AND THEN STOP THE CAR BEFORE REACHING AN INTERSECTION APPROX. 100 FEET BEYOND THE CURVE. THE CAR STALLED AND LOST POWER DURING THIS MANEUVER, WHICH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY VERY STRONG SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER AND MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR, IT FELT AS IF THE BRAKES HAD SEIZED SUCH THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PROCEED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TO A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON REPEATEDLY UNTIL THE WARNING LIGHTS EXTINGUISHED AND NORMAL OPERATION RESUMED. MY LOCAL SHOP (NOT A TOYOTA DEALER) SAID THERE WAS A CODE FOR COMMUNICATION FAILURE WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM BUT NO INDICATION OF DAMAGE TO THE BRAKES OR WHEELS. THIS WAS THE FIRST INSTANCE FOR THIS PROBLEM, WHICH HAS NOT OCCURRED SUBSEQUENTLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRUIS . THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HE ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BY APPLYING THE BRAKE, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN . THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DOES NOT WANT TO PICK THE VEHICLE UP DUE TO THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52000. UPDATED 03/04/10 *BF UPDATED 07/23/10*JB

TWICE MY TOYOTA PRIUS HAS "SURGED" UNEXPECTEDLY. I WAS COASTING INTO A PARKING SPACE BOTH TIMES, SO WAS ABLE TO STOMP ON THE BRAKE AND STOP THE CAR. WHEN THE FIRST RECALL WAS ISSUED I KNEW IT WASN'T THE FLOOR MAT. MINE WAS THE ORIGINAL ONE AND WAS FIRMLY ATTACHED. IT DID NOT MOVE AND "ENTRAP" THE PEDAL AND I DID NOT HAVE MY FOOT ON THE GAS WHEN THE SURGES HAPPENED. I DID NOT BOTHER TO REPORT IT AT THE TIME, AS I AM AN OLDER FEMALE AND HAVE BEEN TREATED LIKE AN IDIOT AT THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE PEOPLE. THE CAR HAS BEEN FINE IN EVERY OTHER WAY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A THROTTLE OR COMPUTER/ELECTRONIC PROBLEM AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY KNOW IT. *TR

HID HEADLIGHTS ON 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. TURNING SWITCH ON/OFF WILL TURN THEM BACK ON. BOTH HAVE GONE OUT CREATING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION.*CW

LESS THAN NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR; ONLY HAVE 32K MILES ON MY 2004 PRIUS. THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BLINKS OFF OR DOESN'T LIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. NOTHING DONE TO REPAIR IT SINCE THIS PARTICULAR COMPONENT ISN'T NOT UNDER WARRANTY THAT I'M AWARE OF. *TR

THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT! LIGHTS CAN GO OUT AT ANYTIME. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR SEVEN MONTHS. MULTIPLE INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURES LEADING UP TO HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENTS FOR PASSENGER AND DRIVERSIDE. THE PASSENGER SIDE FAILED FIRST (01/2009) AND ON AVERAGE WOULD FAIL 1-2 TIMES PER WEEK. DRIVER SIDE FAILED FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS MONTH (01/2010) AND HAS ONLY FAILED ONE TIME TO DATE 01/16/2010. NOW ONE YEAR LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS STATED TO FAIL AGAIN. ALL FAILURES ARE SIMILAR IN NATURE IN THAT THEY WILL COME BACK ON TYPICALLY AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. HOWEVER ON OCCASION THEY MAY COME BACK ON BY THEMSELVES. MY BROTHER AND I HAVE REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE (2 HOUR PROCESS) AND AM IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING TWO NEW BULBS FROM A LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE. $150 EA VS TOYOTA $325 EA AND DOES NOT INCLUDE INSTALLATION LABOR. THE AVERAGE GUY SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT THIS BULB REPLACEMENT IT IS DIFFICULT. I STILL HAVE THE FACTORY ORIGINAL BULB THAT WE REPLACED. D2R 35W HID MY PLATINUM EXT WARRANTY ($1400 FROM DEALER) DOES NOT COVER LIGHT BULBS. *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. JUST LAST WEEK THE TOUCH SCREEN THAT CONTROLS THE HEATING / AIR CONDITIONING, THE RADIO, THE CURRENT MPG INFORMATION AND CONDITION OF THE NI-METAL HYDRIDE BATTERY AND THE GAS ENGINE INTERCONNECTIONS, BEGAN TO FAIL. SOMETIMES IT WORKS FOR A WHILE, THEN IT STOPS FOR SOME TIME THEN IT MIGHT OR MIGHT START WORKING AGAIN BEFORE I GET WHERE I AM GOING. IT IS EXTREMELY INTERMITTENT IN ITS CORRECT OPERATION. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT MANY OTHER 2004 AND EARLY 2005 PRIUS OWNERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM, BUT THAT TOYOTA IS REFUSING TO ISSUE A RECALL. THE NEW PART IS VERY EXPENSIVE (~$4,000). REFURBISHED PARTS ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE FOR THE PRIUS, I SUPPOSE BECAUSE IT IS A RELATIVE NEW MODEL TO TOYOTA. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS TO YOU, IN THE HOPES THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME WAY OF LETTING TOYOTAL KNOW THAT ONE MORE OWNER IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I DID NOT KNOW IF YOU CAN FORCE A MANUFACTURER TO ISSUE A RECALL WHEN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF OWNERS COMPLAIN, OR IF THIS IS ONLY THE CASE WHERE SAFETY IS INVOLVED. *TR REGARDS, DALE W. HOWARD

HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. THEY COME BACK ON WHEN I NOTICE AND TURN THEM OFF AND ON AGAIN. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLIGHT PROBLEM - THIS IS CLEARLY A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN DRIVING, MY HEADLIGHT (BOTH) SHUT OFF INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES, ONE. SOMETIMES THE OTHER. SOMETIMES BOTH. NO INCIDENT YET BUT SURELY THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I CAME VERY CLOSE TO AN AUTO ACCIDENT ON 1/3/2010 DUE TO THIS ISSUE! I CALLED THE DEALER TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHTS REPLACED AND THEY ARE WANTING $870 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE BULBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! $375 PER BULB AND $60 PER HEADLIGHT FOR SERVICE!!!!!!!! *TR