2006 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

THE FRONT AND BACK LIGHTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE (PASSENGER) SIDE FAILURE SPORADICALLY. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY MY REAR LIGHT. NOW I'M STARTING TO NOTICE THAT IT IS MY RIGHT SIDE FRONT HEADLIGHT TOO. TONIGHT I NOTICED THAT BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR LIGHTS ON THE RIGHT SIDE WERE OUT. WHEN MY FRONT HEADLIGHT FAILS, I CAN TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON. WHEN I TURN IT BACK ON, THE LIGHT WORKS AGAIN, BUT I'M NOT SURE FOR HOW LONG. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I'VE READ ONLINE FORUMS AND THIS DOES NOT LOOK TO BE AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLANK AND THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER FELL ASLEEP WHILE DRIVING AND CRASHED INTO A ROAD BARRIER. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD INJURIES AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 71,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AT 5 MPH, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE MOVED IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE SPIRAL CABLE, STEERING SHAFT, THE CONNECTING YOKE, AND THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT EXTENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE STEERING FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V188000: (STEERING: ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO FILED A COMPLAINT AND OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000. UPDATED 10/19/12 *CN UPDATED 10/23/2012 *JS UPDATED 11/19/12 *BF UPDATED 11/20/2012 *JS *DT *TP

ICE WATER PUMP FAILURE AT 51,000 MILES. 13 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. DEALER AND CORPORATE OFFICE WOULD NOT COVER ANY PART OF REPAIR. *TR

BOTH EXTERIOR LIGHTS AND ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS WENT OUT LATE AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON AN OLD COUNTRY ROAD. VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS! BY TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH COMPLETELY OFF AND BACK ON WE GOT OUR LIGHTS BACK. WE HAD ALREADY SPENT OVER $250 FOR HEADLAMPS BEFORE THIS SO IT WAS NOT THE BULBS. IT'S CONTINUING TO HAVE A PROBLEM HOWEVER WE USUALLY GET SOME FLICKERING OF THE LIGHTS JUST BEFORE ONE OR BOTH LIGHTS GO OUT SO WE DRIVE WITH ONE HAND ON THE LIGHT SWITCH TO BE READY TO TURN OFF AND ON THE LIGHTS. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT WE HAVE TO BRING IT WHILE IT IS HAVING A PROBLEM WHICH IS A PROBLEM SINCE THE SHOP IS NOT OPEN AT NIGHT AND WHILE HAPPENING FAIRLY FREQUENTLY NOW IS NOT PREDICTABLE ENOUGH TO SHOW THE REPAIRMAN. PLEASE RECALL THIS VEHICLE. WE ARE NOT ALONE AND STILL LOVE OUR PRIUS. *TR

WHILE MY 16 YEAR OLD SON WAS PRACTICING DRIVING MANEUVERABILITY WITH MY WIFE IN A PARKING LOT, THE STEERING SHAFT COMPLETELY FAILED AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED OR STEERED. THEY PARKED THE CAR SAFELY AND GOT A RIDE HOME. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SPLINES ON ONE OF THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS COMPLETELY FAILED. THE UPPER PARTS OF THE STEERING MECHANISM COULD TURN WITHOUT TURNING THE LOWER PARTS. TOYOTA HAD A RECALL ON SOME 2004-2006 VEHICLES WITH THIS EXACT DESCRIPTION OF PARTS BUT MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. MY FAILURE IS EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED: LOW SPEED WITH THE STEERING TURNED AT THE END OF TRAVEL. SEARCHING THE PRIUS FORUMS ON LINE, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. EVEN CARS THAT HAVE HAD THEIR STEERING MECHANISMS REPLACED HAVE FAILED A SECOND TIME. THE ISSUE IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF THE STEERING SHAFT. FIRST, THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PLACES FORCES ON THE STEERING SHAFT THAT WOULD NOT EXIST IN HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING. THE SPLINE NOW HAS THE FORCE OF THE DRIVER PLUS THE BOOST OF THE POWER STEERING. AT THE END OF TRAVEL, THE POWER STEERING IS FORCING THE LINKAGE TO TURN EVEN THOUGH THE DRIVER IS JUST SLIGHTLY TURNING THE WHEEL. THE RACK AND PINION AND THE ASSOCIATED SHAFT AND LINK WERE DESIGNED FOR NON BOOSTED FORCES. THE SECOND DESIGN DEFECT IS THE FACT THAT THIS SAFETY CRITICAL PART DOESN'T INCLUDE SOME TYPE OF REDUNDANCY FOR FAILED SPLINES. IN STATE OF THE ART DESIGNS AVAILABLE SINCE THE 1970S, THE CLAMPING BOLT PROVIDES A SECONDARY FAIL- SAFE FOR LOOSING THE SPLINE INTERFACE. IF THE SPLINES FAIL, THE BOLT INTERFERES WITH THE SHAFT AFTER A FEW DEGREES OF MOVEMENT. THIS GIVES THE DRIVER A SLOPPY BUT SAFE WAY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. UNLIKE THE PRIUS FAILURE, THIS SYSTEM CAN KEEP THE DRIVER IN CONTROL. MY TOYOTA DEALER DID NOTHING FOR ME BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY. TOYOTA CUSTOMER LINE DID NOTHING. *TR..UPDATED 06/28/13 *BF UPDATED 07/1/2013 *JS

ONE OF HEADLIGHTS (PASSENGER SIDE) SUDDENLY SHUTS OFF. THEN I COMPLETELY TURN THEM ALL THE WAY OFF, THEN IT WORKS AGAIN FOR A FEW MINUTES. SO FAR WE HAVE CHANGED: HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, LIGHTS COMPUTER CONTROLLER, AND NUMEROUS LIGHTS BULBS. SO FAR THIS ISSUE HAS COST US OVER $3000 BUT TOYOTA DOES NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS IS APPARENTLY AN ISSUE WITH EVERYONE THAT OWNS A 2006 PRIUS FROM WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON LINE WITH OTHER USERS. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE HID HEADLAMP WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. THIS WAS OUT FOR ABOUT A DAY THEN TURNED BACK ON WHILE DRIVING AGAIN. I HAVE NOW NOTICED THIS HAPPENS EVERY FEW DAYS AND ONLY WHILE IN MOTION. *TR

I OWN A 2006 PRIUS 2006. ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS KEEPS GOING OUT AND I HAVE NOW RECEIVED A FIX-IT TICKET FROM THE LOCAL POLICE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT I ALREADY TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO GET IT CHECKED OUT AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEM. ALSO, I CAN'T REALLY TELL WHEN OR HOW THE HEAD LIGHT GOES OUT SINCE I CAN'T SEE IT. I CAN ONLY TELL WHEN I SEE THE REFLECTION IN THE BACK OF ANOTHER CAR OR WHEN IN FRONT OF A STORE/WALL ETC. IF I TURN THEM ALL THE WAY OFF AND BACK ON COUPLE OF TIMES THEN THE LIGHT COMES BACK. SOMETIMES IT WILL STAY ON THE WHOLE TIME, SOMETIMES IT WON'T. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO OUT, SOMETIMES IT WON'T. IT IS NOT AN EVENT I CAN MAKE HAPPEN AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER (TOYOTA OF ORANGE) AND THEY CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN EITHER. I HAVE ALSO COME ACROSS A BLOG WHERE MANY PRIUS OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/HEADLIGHT-PROBLEM.34584/ *TR