2006 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED ILLUMINATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE HEADLIGHT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS EQUIPPED WITH YOKOHAMA AVID TIRES, SIZE: 185/65R/15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE TIRE TREAD WAS CRACKED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TR

THE COOLING SYSTEM IN MY CAR IS DEFECTIVE. THE WATER PUMP IS APPARENTLY LEAKING WHEN I HAVE COMMITTED NO PRECURSIVE ACTION TO CAUSE IT. THIS ISSUE IS RELATED TO THE SAME ISSUE IN MY OTHER SIMILAR TOYOTA PRIUSES, WHERE DEFECTIVE ELECTRIC WATER PUMPS UNEXPECTEDLY STOP WORKING. THE OTHER CARS ARE CONSEQUENTLY RECALLED AND I BELIEVE MINE SHOULD BE AS WELL. HTTP://NEWS.CONSUMERREPORTS.ORG/SAFETY/2012/11/TOYOTA-PRIUS-AND-OTHER-VEHICLES-RECALLED-DUE-TO-WATER-PUMP-AND-STEERING-ISSUES.HTML THANKS. *TR

I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR FROM THE DEALER AFTER PURCHASE TO FIND THAT THE LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON AGAIN AND BOTH LIGHTS LIT. THE LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY TO BE NON-OPERATIVE OVER THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER ON 1/23/13 AND THEY FOUND THAT THE LEFT FRONT HEADLAMP ECU NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HAD BEEN BROUGHT AGAINST TOYOTA FOR THIS SAME ISSUE, HOWEVER DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE, I WAS NOT ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION UNDER THE SETTLEMENT. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AND A KNOWN COMMON PROBLEM ON HID EQUIPPED PRIUS MODELS, YET I WAS FORCED TO PAY $288.81 TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED. I HAVE FILED A CASE WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER, #1301220397. HEADLIGHTS THAT SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. IT APPEARS THAT HID HEADLIGHT EQUIPPED PRIUS MODELS CONTAIN A DESIGN DEFECT. IT IS FOR THIS REASON I AM REPORTING TO THE NHTSA IN ORDER TO FORCE TOYOTA TO CONDUCT A RECALL ON ALL SUCH EQUIPPED MODELS. *TR

I BOUGHT MY PRIUS NEW IN 2006, AND THE SRS LIGHT HAS TURNED ON INTERMITTENTLY SINCE THE FIRST YEAR. I FIRST TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS AN ANOMALY AND WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. THIS CONDITION CONTINUED PERIODICALLY OVER THE LIFE OF THE CAR WITH THE SAME RESULTS EACH TIME. AFTER THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, WITH A CODE TOYOTA INFORMED ME THAT THE WIRING ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THE CODE IS B1821 AND THE PART NUMBER IS 82161-47310. THEY SUGGEST THAT I HAVE THE DRIVER'S SIDE WIRING ASSEMBLY REPLACED FIRST, THEN THEY CAN DETERMINE WHETHER THE PASSENGER SIDE WIRING ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AS WELL. THE COST FOR THE DRIVERS SIDE ALONE IS $2415.34. AFTER I COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE, THEY OFFERED TO REIMBURSE $737.75 FOR THE PART, IF I HAVE THE WORK PERFORMED BY A TOYOTA DEALER. I WOULD STILL HAVE TO PAY $1,612 FOR LABOR (13 HOURS) PLUS SHOP CHARGES AND TAX. IF I HAVE TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SIDE WIRING HARNESS REPLACED AS WELL, THEY WILL EXTEND THE SAME OFFER. I ARGUED THAT THIS ERROR HAS BEEN HAPPENING PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF MY WARRANTY AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO ACTION RECOMMENDED UNTIL AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. I ALSO ARGUED THAT THERE IS NO WAY THAT I COULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING TO CAUSE THIS TO HAPPEN, AND THAT IT IS UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT WIRING INSIDE MY VEHICLE THAT IS COVERED, NOT EXPOSED TO SUNLIGHT OR WEATHER, SHOULD FAIL AFTER 6 YEARS. I ASKED TOYOTA TO PAY FOR 100% OF THE COST OF THE REPAIR, BUT THEY REFUSED. MEANWHILE, ONE OR BOTH OF MY AIRBAGS ARE NOT WORKING AND WILL PROVIDE NO PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT-END COLLISION. *TR

CUSTOMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, WITH LOW-BEAMS, LEFT LIGHT WENT OUT. CUSTOMER SWITCHED TO HI-BEAMS AND ALL THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. CUSTOMER REPORTS THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE CAR HAS DONE THIS. *TR ON FIRST INSPECTION UNABLE TO VERIFY COMPLAINT, ALL LIGHTS FUNCTIONING AS THEY SHOULD. INSPECTED FUSES AND WIRING AND ALL GOOD. WHILE INSPECTING LIGHTS, LIGHTS FAILED AFTER BEING ON ONLY 10 MINUTES, AND TURNED OFF. THIS WAS A DOUBLE LIGHT FAILURE WITH BOTH HI & LOW BEAM FAILURE, ON BOTH LEFT & RIGHT LIGHTS! LOCATED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN RELATED TO THIS CONDITION. PERFORMED ALL TESTS OUTLINED IN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AND LOCATED BOTH FRONT HEADLAMPS DEFECTIVE WITH SWOLLEN CENTER FOGGED OVER CAUSING LIGHTS TO OVERHEAT AND ECM FOR HEADLIGHTS GOING INTO FAIL SAFE MODE AND SHUTTING HEADLIGHTS OFF. REPLACED BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHT BULBS AND VERIFIED REPAIRS. AFTER REPAIRS, RAN HEADLIGHTS FOR 30 MINUTES WITH NO FURHTER FAILURE. RETURNED VEHICLE TO CUSTOMER.

WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL HEAD LIGHTS ON OUR PRUIS STOP WORKING. USUALLY YOU HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF TO GET THEM TO GO BACK ON WHEN THEY TURN OFF ON THEIR OWN. WE HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS APPROX. 4 TIMES OVER THE YEARS AND AGAIN WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE HEADLIGHTS. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED SHE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE SAME FAILURE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND ON ONE OCCASION THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,580 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,855. *TR

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERMITMENT HEADLIGHT ISSUES ON THE DRIVER SIDE GOING OFF AND HAVING TO PULL OVER AND TURNOFF HEADLIGHTS AND TURN BACK ON TO GET LIGHT BACK ON. WE HAVE COMPLAIN MANY TIMES TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. FINALLY DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS REPLACED, THEN WEEKS LATER ON THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT STARTED DOING THE SAME I.E., HEADLIGHT GOING OFF AND HAVING TO TURN OFF AND TURN BACK ON LIGHT CONTROL. TO THIS DAY THIS NOT RESOLVED PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

THIS IS 2ND TIME FOR THE HID HEAD LAMPS INTERMITTENTLY FLICKERING/FAILING ON MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE 1ST WAS IN AUG 2009 AT ABOUT 86K MILES. THANKFULLY THE LOCAL KOONS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN WESTMINSTER MD REPLACED BOTH BULBS AT NO EXPENSE THANKS TO THE KOONS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ANNAPOLIS MD WHERE I HAD ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE CAR ARRANGING APPROVAL THROUGH THE REGIONAL OFFICE. NOW ABOUT ANOTHER 3 YEARS AND 145K MILES, THE SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA U.S.A. ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND THAT IN SOME CASES THE HID HEADLIGHT CONTROL ECU MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT WAS UNNECESSARY, NEEDING ONLY BULB REPLACEMENT AND REDUCING THE PRICING TO $150/BULB. WHILE MOST VEHICLES TODAY OPERATE WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AUTOMATICALLY, I'VE ONLY USED MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS TO PRESERVE HEADLIGHT LIFE BUT THESE BULBS ARE STILL A PROBLEM. HEADLIGHTS ARE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL VEHICLE EQUIPMENT AND MUST BE RELIABLE. HEADLAMPS THAT FAIL EVERY 3 YEARS DO NOT MEET THE RELIABILITY TEST IN MY VIEW. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ONGOING ISSUE. I'M ASKING TOYOTA TO WORK WITH ME ON REPLACEMENT COST AND THE TYPE OF HID BULB THEY'RE USING. I'M TOLD BY MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS THAT VISUAL INSPECTION WILL SHOW A SMALL BUBBLE SOMEWHERE IN THE BASE THAT INDICATES IT'S GOING BAD. THAT TELLS ME THAT SOMETHING ABOUT THE BULB IS NOT RIGHT AND THEREFORE NOT RELIABLE/SAFE. THANK YOU. *TR