2014 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING MY 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS IN JUNE 2014, I STARTED NOTICING A MOLDY SMELL COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER. THE HOTTER OUTSIDE IT GOT, THE WORSE THE SMELL INSIDE GOT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM WITH THEM. THEY INFORMED ME THAT TOYOTA SAYS THIS IS AN "ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE" AND CAN HAPPEN IN NEW CARS AND IS THEREFORE NOT WARRANTIED. THE SERVICE MANAGER INSTALLED A CHARCOAL AIR FILTER IN THE CABIN AIR FILTER AND SAID THAT IT WOULD HELP ELIMINATE THE ODOR. IT DID NOT. IN FACT, THE CHARCOAL AIR FILTER REDUCED THE AIR FLOW INTO THE CABIN WHICH CAUSED THE AC TO NOT COOL. I HAD THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACE THE CHARCOAL WITH AN ORIGINAL AIR FILTER IN SEPTEMBER AFTER COMPLAINING THAT THE AC WASN'T COOL. THE SMELL IN THE AC PERSISTS. IT'S NOT JUST A BIT WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON. NO MATTER WHAT SETTING I PUT THE AC ON, IT DOES NOT HELP (FRESH AIR OR RECIRC). WHEN IT RAINS OR WHEN IT IS REALLY HUMID OUTSIDE, THE CAR SMELLS LIKE A SWAMP (EVEN BEFORE IT IS TURNED ON). THERE IS ALSO HUMIDITY INSIDE THE CAR WHEN OPENING THE DOOR. I'VE ASKED MULTIPLE TIMES TO HAVE THE EVAPORATOR REPLACED BECAUSE I FEAR THAT IT IS NOT DRAINING AND CAUSING MOLD AND MILDEW TO FORM. BREATHING IN THE MOLD IS A SERIOUS HEALTH CONCERN AND TOYOTA WILL NOT AGREE TO ANY KIND OF FIX. I'M ALSO HAVING OTHER VARIOUS HVAC PROBLEMS SUCH AS CONTINUOUSLY FOGGING WINDOWS AND A DRAFT FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. THE CAR DOES NOT HOLD HEAT AND IS VERY COLD DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. *TR

THERE IS A VISIBILITY ISSUE ON BOTH THE RIGHT HAND AND LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE RIGHT HAND SIDE HAS A GLARE/BLURRY EFFECT WHEN MAKING TURNS. THE LEFT SIDE HAD SOME SORT OF CIRCULAR EFFECT THAT NEGATIVELY EFFECTS MY VISION. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO TREAT THE WINDSHIELD WITH RAIN X AS SOME SORT OF FIX. THIS DID NOT HELP. THIS WAS A VERY UNPROFESSIONAL FIX. IN FACT, I BELIEVE THE RAIN X MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE. I DON'T REMEMBER THE ISSUE OCCURRING UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE INITIAL PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE.

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW FROM A DEALERSHIP. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS, I NOTICED THAT WHEN MY HUSBAND SAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT (300LBS) THE NOTIFICATION LIGHT SAID "PASSENGER AIR BAG ON". WHEN MY STEPSON SAT IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT THE LIGHT SAID "PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF". I TOOK A PICTURE TO SHOW THE NOTIFICATION LIGHT AND THE SIZE OF MY 15 YR OLD STEPSON 5' 10" & 175LB-FULLY ADULT SIZE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD "NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM" AND SAID IT WAS JUST THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG NEEDED TO BE RECALIBRATED. AFTER DOING SOME SEARCHING, I REALIZED THAT THE 2012-2013 MODELS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECALLED FOR THAT EXACT SAME REASON. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED WITH TOYOTA, AND THAT NEW CARS ARE BEING SOLD WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I AM NOT HAPPY WITH TOYOTA RIGHT NOW AND THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM. I ALSO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE BACK SEAT BELTS NOT LATCHING PROPERLY WHEN A CAR SEAT IS BEING USED, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY.... *TR

I PULLED OUT ON THE ROAD & THE IT DIED. IT A LITTLE BIT IT STARED UP. THE SAME THING HAPPENED LAST SUMMER. *TR

WE PURCHASED A NEW TOYOTA PRIUS THAT CAME WITH YOKOHAMA ALL SEASON RADIALS. BECAUSE THE TIRE LIGHT CAME ON, I CHECKED THE AIR PRESSURE IN THE TIRES AND SET THEM TO THE PSI AS RECOMMENDED AT ABOUT 1000 MILES. THERE WAS A MINOR IMBALANCE OF 3-4 PSI IN SOME TIRES, BUT NO SERIOUS UNDER INFLATION. WE NOTICED SOME MINOR ROAD NOISE AND VIBRATION. WE HAD A MECHANIC INSTALL MUD FLAPS AND INSPECT THE TIRES, WHEELS, AND BRAKES AT ABOUT 1500 MILES TO SEE IF THERE WAS A VISIBLE REASON FOR VIBRATION. THERE WAS NOTHING OBVIOUS. WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ROAD NOISE AND ABOUT 2000 MILES WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE TIRES, CHECKED THE AIR PRESSURE, AND DECLARED THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG. AT ABOUT 3000 MILES DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED (35 MPH OR LESS) IN A SCHOOL ZONE, WE HAD A COMPLETE BLOW OUT OF THE LEFT REAR TIRE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A GRASSY SHOULDER AND NO TRAFFIC, SO WE HAD NO INJURIES OR OTHER DAMAGE. THE TREAD APPEARED TO SEPARATE AND THERE WAS A SIDEWALL TEAR STARTING AT THE TREAD. WE RETURNED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND ALSO SHOWED THE TIRE TO THREE DIFFERENT TIRE SHOPS (ALL THREE SELL YOKOHAMA TIRES). THE TOYOTA DEALER DID NOT OFFER AN OPINION OTHER THAN TIRE DEFECT - SO WE NEEDED TO DEAL WITH THE MANUFACTURER. TWO TIRE SHOPS THOUGHT IT WAS A DEFECT (EVEN THOUGH THEY SAID IT WAS A HASSLE TO GET A REPLACEMENT PAID FOR BY YOKOHAMA). ONE SHOP REPORTED IT WAS A DEFECT UNLESS THE TIRE WAS UNDER INFLATED, BUT THEY DIDN'T SEE ANY WEAR PATTERN THAT INDICATED UNDER INFLATION. BECAUSE OF THE BLOWOUT AND A SECOND SUSPICIOUS TIRE OF THE FOUR, WE REPLACED ALL FOUR WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND. AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, THE YOKOHAMA TIRE(S) WERE DEFECTIVE AS NEW ON THE CAR. *TR

TOYOTA'S ENTUNE NAVIGATION SYSTEM RANDOMLY FREEZES AND RESETS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS AT HIGH SPEEDS ON A HIGHWAY WHERE A PERSON IS DEPENDING ON THE SYSTEM TO GET SOMEWHERE, IT CAUSES A MASSIVE DISTRACTION AND A RISK TO LIFE AND LIMB. TOYOTA IS OFFERING NO RESOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE AND IT'S DEALERSHIPS ARE REFUSING TO EVEN REGISTER USER COMPLAINTS - "UNLESS THEY CAN REPLICATE THE ISSUE" WHICH IS RATHER DIFFICULT SINCE THE PROBLEM IS RANDOM AND THE DEALERSHIPS WILL NOT TAKE USER REPORTS OF THE ISSUE AS CREDIBLE. *JS

TOYOTA'S ENTUNE NAVIGATION SYSTEM RANDOMLY FREEZES AND RESETS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS AT HIGH SPEEDS ON A HIGHWAY WHERE A PERSON IS DEPENDING ON THE SYSTEM TO GET SOMEWHERE, IT CAUSES A MASSIVE DISTRACTION AND A RISK TO LIFE AND LIMB. TOYOTA IS OFFERING NO RESOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE AND IT'S DEALERSHIPS ARE REFUSING TO EVEN REGISTER USER COMPLAINTS - "UNLESS THEY CAN REPLICATE THE ISSUE" WHICH IS RATHER DIFFICULT SINCE THE PROBLEM IS RANDOM AND THE DEALERSHIPS WILL NOT TAKE USER REPORTS OF THE ISSUE AS CREDIBLE. *TR

2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO PUSH START IGNITION SYSTEM. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BELONGS TO HIS PARENTS. HE NOTICED THE ENGINE TURNED ON BY ITSELF. HE WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND NOTICED THE POWER PUSH BUTTON WAS LIT WHICH INDICATED THE ENGINE WAS ON. THE SCREEN ON THE CENTER CONSOLE STATED NO KEY WAS DETECTED. HE PRESSED THE POWER BUTTON TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, IF HE WALKED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD STAY ON. THE ENGINE TURNED ON BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS IN BATTERY MODE TO REPLENISH THE BATTERY POWER, WHEN THE SYSTEM DETECTS THE BATTERY CHARGE HAS DROPPED BELOW A CERTAIN LEVEL. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DROVE OVER A POTHOLE, WHICH CAUSED THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE TO ELEVATE. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500. THE CONSUMER STATED HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, FOR ERRATIC STEERING WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES AT MODERATE SPEEDS. THE SAME MORNING, WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE WENT OVER A DIP IN THE PAVEMENT. THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE AS IF, IT WAS ON A HYDRAULIC LIFT. THE CONSUMER HAD NO CONTROL OF THE STEERING OR BRAKING. WHAT SAVED HIM WAS THE LEFT REAR BRAKE AND THE TIRE JERKED ON THE PAVEMENT AND PULLED THE VEHICLE BACK STRAIGHT. HE EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE FOR A SECOND TIME. UPDATED 10/29/14 UPDATED 11/21/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE DOESN'T OCCUR WITH MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REFUSED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ALONE.*JS

I FINALLY REALIZED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE HEAD RESTRAINT ON THIS CAR IS CAUSING ME CHRONIC NECK AND HEAD PAIN. IT PUSHES MY HEAD FORWARD, WRECKING MY POSTURE. SITTING PARKED, WITH THE HEADREST REMOVED, THE SEAT IS COMFORTABLE AND ALL THE CONTROLS ARE WITHIN REACH OF MY HANDS AND FEET. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR NEW REGULATIONS CALL FOR A MINIMUM OF 2" FROM THE BACK OF THE HEAD TO THE HEAD RESTRAINT. I HAVE ZERO ROOM, AND MY HEAD IS PUSHED FORWARD. THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE SOME ADJUSTMENT TO ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT BODY TYPES. I'M A MALE, 5' 9" AND ABOUT 160 LBS. *TR