2006 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

PASSANGER SIDE HEADLIGHT DIMS AND THEN TURNS OFF AT RANDOM TIMES - LIGHT WILL SOMETIMES COME BACK ON WHEN YOU TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. PROBLEM HAS RETURNED WITHIN MINUTES OF TURNING THEM OFF THEN ON AGAIN. *TR

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY GONE DARK WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, EITHER SINGLY OR IN TANDEM. OTHER TIMES THEY FAIL TO COME ON AT THE START OF A TRIP, BUT ONE OR BOTH WILL BE ON AT THE DESTINATION. IT ONLY SEEMS TO AFFECT THE MAIN HEADLAMPS, NOT THE AMBER LIGHTS OR THE SMALL ROUND LIGHTS BELOW THEM. WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED WE REPLACED THE BULB IN ONE HEADLAMP, BUT THAT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE PROBLEM. IT'S FRIGHTENING WHEN DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT MIDNIGHT. *TR

UPON ARRIVING HOME, I WAS INFORMED THE LEFT HAND HEADLIGHT WAS NOT WORKING. BY SWITCHING THE LIGHT OFF AND THEN ON, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE LIGHT TO WORK. THIS HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE THAT TIME, ALTHOUGH NOT JUST THE LEFT LIGHT. THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WILL ALSO FLICKER OFF AND THEN THE HEADLIGHT STALK HAS TO BE TURNED OFF AND ON TO GET THE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AGAIN. THIS ISSUE CANNOT BE DUPLICATED BY ME, AS THE LIGHTS SEEM TO HAVE A LIFE OF THEIR OWN. WHAT FRIGHTENS ME IS THAT THE LIGHTS WILL ALSO GO THROUGH THIS ERRATIC BEHAVIOR WHILE I AM DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT, NOT ONLY WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY. I DID RECEIVE INFO ON GETTING TOYOTA TO ASSIST IN THE COST OF BULB REPLACEMENT, BUT SINCE I WORK CONSTANTLY IN REAL ESTATE SALES, I DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO MY DEALER, AND HAD NOT USED AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC TO MAKE REPAIRS. ALSO I HAD BEEN ABLE TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS TO WORK WITH THE RE-SWITCHING PROCESS. BECAUSE THE SITUATION HAS ESCALATED AND I FIND IT OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY, I VISITED THE DEALER THIS MORNING ONLY TO BE TOLD THEY HAD NO LIABILITY AFTER THE EXTENDED 50000 MILE LIMIT, AND MY CAR NOW HAS 85000 MILES! IT SEEMS TO ME TOYOTA KNOWS THEY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE ECU WHICH CONTROLS THIS HEADLIGHT FUNCTION, BUT ARE NOT GOING TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION UNTIL THE NHTSA FORCES THEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND I DO NOT WANT TO END UP TRYING TO DRIVE WITH NO LIGHTS IN THE DARK!! *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. LAST WEEK, AT 86,000 MILES, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC, A LARGE RED TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT SHOWED UP ON MY DASH WITH THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO CHECK THE MANUAL AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON MANY WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK. CALLED THE DEALER. THEY TOLD ME TO GET TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHICH I DID. AFTER 2 DAYS THEY DETERMINED THAT IT NEEDED A NEW HYBRID TRANSAXLE FOR $5,000+ PLUS MISCELLANEOUS OTHER REPAIRS TOTALING $7,723. TOYOTA SAYS THE TRANSAXLE IS COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY (60,000 MILES) NOT THE HYBRID WARRANTY (100,000 MILES). THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS REPAIR, T-SB-0306-08 THAT STATES THAT IT IS COVERED UNDER THE CALIFORNIA EMISSION WARRANTY IN CERTAIN STATES, DEPENDING ON MODEL YEAR, UP TO 150,000 MILES. THERE SEEMS TO BE NEW INFORMATION THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID SHOULD BE FLUSHED AT 30,000 MILES. MY DEALER HAD ONLY SUGGESTED THIS 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM, WHEN I WAS IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE BEFORE A TRIP. I PLANNED ON DOING IT AT MY NEXT SERVICE. I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS? IS THIS A COMMON ENOUGH PROBLEM THAT IT COULD BE A ?DEFECT?? I READ SOMEWHERE THAT IF 4% OF CARS HAVE THE PROBLEM THEN IT IS A DEFECT. IS THAT RIGHT? OVER WHAT TIME PERIOD IF SO? IF NOT, HOW DOES THAT GET DETERMINED? HOW CAN I FIND OUT HOW MANY TRANSAXLES HAVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE 100,000 MILES ON 2004-2008 MODEL PRIUS?S? IS THIS REPAIR COVERED IN CARB STATES OR NOT? I BELIEVE THAT MARYLAND IS A CARB STATE NOW. WOULD THIS WARRANTY BE RETROACTIVE TO MY CAR? IS TOYOTA RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT SUGGESTING I GET THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSHED PRIOR TO THIS? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS REPORTED INJURED HOWEVER A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT ADVISED THE CONTACT TO SPEAK WITH HIS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS REVERSING INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY STOPPED REVERSING. THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL ONCE IT WAS SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED. THE FAILURE HAD SINCE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE EVENTUALLY NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNEXPECTEDLY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL DURING THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURES OCCURRED DURING VERY HOT WEATHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

I NEEDED TO WAIT FOR A SERVICE PERSON TO ARRIVE AND OPEN THE DOOR TO THEIR BUSINESS. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, WHILE GEAR WAS SET IN PARK OUTSIDE A BUILDING WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING AND RADIO ON, THE CAR SUDDENLY JUMPED AHEAD BY SEVERAL INCHES. IT STOPPED JUST AS SUDDENLY. VERY SCARY. I HAVE LEFT THE CAR IN PARK WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING A FEW MORE TIMES TO SEE IF IT WOULD DO IT AGAIN. NO REPEAT INCIDENT SO FAR. IT MOVED A SHORT DISTANCE, BUT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO HIT A CURB, PERSON, OR CONTAINER WHO/THAT WAS NEAR THE CAR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME ON SUBURBAN SURFACE STREETS AT DUSK, FOLLOWING A FRIEND TO MY HOME. MY CELL PHONE RANG, AND I ANSWERED USING THE BLUETOOTH FEATURE OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS MY FRIEND, CALLING TO LET ME KNOW THAT MY LEFT HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. IT HAD BEEN FLICKERING AND HAVING ISSUES OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, AND WE THOUGHT THE BULB MIGHT BE LOOSE. WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC ON JUNE 19TH, 2012 TO HAVE THE SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED AND THE HEADLIGHT LOOKED AT. HE INDICATED IT WAS THE BULB, AND THAT IT WOULD COST $350 TO REPLACE. COINCIDENTALLY, A RELATIVE SAW A NEWS STORY THE OTHER DAY ABOUT MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS MADE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND TO THE TOYOTA COMPANY, SO I DID SOME ONLINE RESEARCH. I WAS VERY DISHEARTENED TO READ AN INVESTIGATION MADE BY KCTV5 OUT OF KANSAS CITY WHICH EXPLAINED YOUR FAILURE THUS FAR TO DEMAND A RECALL, DESPITE AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT THE SYSTEM FLAW HAS BEEN CORRECTED IN THE 2010 AND NEWER PRIUS MODELS. PLEASE DEMAND A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED! AS THE DAUGHTER OF A RETIRED HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR ON-THE-ROAD SAFETY. AT THIS POINT, I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE AT NIGHT, AND IT IS MY FAMILY'S ONLY VEHICLE. PLEASE DO SOMETHING! *TR

THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED AS I WAS DRIVING THE HIGHWAY BOTH OF MY HEADLIGHTS COMPLETELY FAILED. THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD COME BACK ON AFTER TURNING THEM OFF AND BACK ON. FIRST TOYOTA TOLD ME IT WAS CAUSED BY A BAD AUXILIARY BATTERY AND CHARGED ME OVER $200 FOR THE BATTERY. BUT THAT VERY NIGHT I HAD THE SAME ISSUE AGAIN,TOYOTA TRIED TO TELL ME THAT THE BULBS ARE JUST BURNT OUT. I AM NOT AN IDIOT, LIGHT BULBS DO NOT BURNOUT AT THE EXACT SAME TIME AND A BURNTOUT LIGHTBULB DOES NOT COME BACK ON. AFTER FIGHTING WITH TOYOTA AND THEM WANTING TO CHARGE ME ALMOST $2000 TO FIX THIS ISSUE (I HAVE A 100,000 MILE WARRANTY) THEY REPAIRED IT FREE. NOW 2 YEARS AND 24,000 MILES LATER THEY ARE GOING OUT AGAIN. I HAVE FIVE DAYS LEFT ON MY WARRANTY THAT I HAD TO FIGHT TO GET TO COVER IT BEFORE. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND HAVING BOTH YOUR HEADLIGHTS GO OUT ON YOU! *JS

BOTH HEADLIGHTS GO OUT ON A RANDOM BASIS WHILE DRIVING. THIS MAY OCCUR 30 - 50 TIMES IN 5 MILE TRIP.