2011 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

THE PRIUS FAILED TO STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED; INSTEAD THE CAR DID A LURCH WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THEN ACCELERATED FORWARD CAUSING A 4 CAR COLLISION; LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED. MADE TOYOTA AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, WHEN THEY INVESTIGATED THEY OF COURSE FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE SYSTEM. *TR

THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM IN THIS CAR IS OVERLY SENSITIVE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN OFTEN, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED ENOUGH OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS THAT I CAN CLEARLY PREDICT WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. IF YOU ARE SLOWING DOWN MODERATELY SAY FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT, ON A DRY ROAD, BUT ONE THAT IS IN NEED OF REPAVING (NO POT HOLES, BUT JUST A ROUGH SURFACE), AND IF YOU ARE ON A ROAD THAT IS GOING SLIGHTLY DOWNHILL, THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM KICKS IN WITHOUT A NEED. THIS CAUSES YOUR FOOT TO SINK BRIEFLY TO THE FLOOR (ON THE BRAKE PEDAL) AND GIVE THE FEELING OF A LOSS OF BRAKING FOR A FEW SECONDS. THE BRAKE PADS ARE FINE (EVEN WITH SUCH HIGH MILEAGE, I STILL HAVE OVER 70% OF THE ORIGINAL BRAKE PADS LEFT). I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF MY TOYOTA DEALER, WHO SAYS EVERYTHING IS FINE. THE SCENARIO DESCRIBED ABOVE MIGHT ONLY HAPPEN ONCE EVERY FEW WEEKS, BUT BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN NUMEROUS TIMES. I BELIEVE IT IS A SOFTWARE ISSUE, PERHAPS RELATED TO OVERLY SENSITIVE SENSORS, PERHAPS IN THE REAR OF THE CAR. *TR

SECURITY AND SAFETY THREAT IN 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS DUE TO POWER LOCKS FAILING. ACTUATOR IN THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS IS DEFECTIVE AND FAILS VERY EARLY IN THE AUTO'S LIFE. FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK FAILED SEPT 2013. FRONT DRIVER DOOR LOCK FAILED FEB 2014. REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK FAILED SEPT 2014. TOYOTA CHARGES $500 PER DOOR TO FIX, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS SECURITY AND SAFETY RISK IS OBVIOUSLY CAUSED BY THE USE OF CHEAP, DEFECTIVE PARTS USED TO MANUFACTURE THE 2011 PRIUS. *TR

THE DOOR LOCKS ON A GOOD PORTION OF TOYOTA PRIUS FAIL LEAVING THE BOTH THE CAR AND IT'S OCCUPANTS UNPROTECTED. IT IS MOSTLY THE FRONT DOOR LOCKS. TOYOTA REFUSES TO CHECK INTO THE PROBLEM. THEY WANT OVER $400 PER DOOR LOCK TO FIX IT. I FEEL THAT IT IS BOTH AN INCONVENIENCE AND A SAFETY HAZARD SINCE THEY WILL NOT OPEN WITH THE REMOTE OR THE METAL KEY. THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK IS TO ENTER THROUGH THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR AND REACH FORWARD TO THE FRONT DOOR. *TR

WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE GOING OVER A POTHOLE OR CURB, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE SO FAR AND I'VE ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR A FEW MONTHS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK AT 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND CRASHED INTO A PARKING BUMPER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000. UPDATED 11/17/2014*LJ UPDATED 4/29/2015*JS

AS THE NAVIGATION/GPS SYSTEM WAS BEING USED ON A LONG TRIP, THE BACKLIGHT SUDDENLY BURNED OUT. UPON TOUCH, THE SCREEN WAS EXTREMELY HOT. (IT DID NOT COOL DOWN UNTIL APPX. 1 HOUR AFTER THE BACKLIGHT HAD MALFUNCTIONED. WITH THE BACKLIGHT NOT WORKING, IT RENDERS THE ENTIRE NAVIGATION SYSTEM, BLUETOOTH, BACK-UP CAMERA, AUDIO SYSTEM/CD PLAYER USELESS AND NOT USEABLE.(ENTIRE SCREEN IS BLACK.) ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 1/2 YEARS OLD, IT IS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. THE PART COSTS BETWEEN $2400 AND $4500 TO REPLACE. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN RECORDED ON VARIOUS COMPLAINT BOARDS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE ON 2010 AND 2011 PRIUS CARS BY CONSUMERS. *TR

2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ELECTRONIC SYSTEM RECALL. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT PANEL LIT UP, BUT THE READY LIGHT DID NOT LIGHT UP, AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS AND COULD NOT TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS, THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY SHUT OFF. AFTER MANY TRIES, THE READY LIGHT FINALLY LIT UP AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE SAME THING HAPPENED SIX DAYS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. THE DEAR TRIED TO TELL THE CONSUMER, THE PROBLEM WAS THE BATTERY. BUT, THE PANEL SHOWED THE BATTERY SYSTEM WAS OK. THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE HAPPENED A FOURTH TIME. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE RECALL THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED, CAUSED THE ISSUES. *JB

DRIVING IN RAIN IN DARK ON UNLIT ROAD. BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. NOTHING WOULD MAKE THEM COME BACK ON - TURNING LIGHTS OFF AND ON, TURNING CAR OFF AND ON. VERY SCARY. VERY CLOSE TO DRIVING OFF ROAD INTO DITCH. THIS MUST BE A RECALL. TOYOTA AS USUAL WILL DENY THE PROBLEM SO THE NHTSA MUST ACT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 15,000. UPDATED 8/11/14*CN