2012 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE (SPEED LESS THAN 5 MPH) AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR SEEMED TO SPEED UP. THE CAR JUMPED THE CURB AND STRUCK A TREE. A GOOD SAMARITAN ASSISTED AND ACTUALLY GOT IN THE CAR AND FOUND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKES RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE CAR HAS EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. IN 2014 WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVEWAY THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND STRUCK THE HOUSE. SHORTLY AFTER THE BRAKES RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS. TOYOTA WAS NOTIFIED AND INSPECTED THE CAR'S COMPUTER AND BRAKING SYSTEM PER CASE NUMBER 1410012557. AFTER THE INSPECTION TOYOTA SAID THAT THERE WERE NO BRAKE ISSUES FOUND WITH THE CAR AND STATED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM IN THESE CARS.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, ABOUT 65 MPH, GOING TO WORK ON 06/12/18 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:45 AM ARIZONA TIME. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG (EXPLOSION) AND LOOKED AROUND MY CAR. I NOTICED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR BLACK GLASS FLYING OFF THE ROOF OF MY CAR. THERE WERE OTHER CARS AROUND ME BUT NO TRUCKS OR SEMI'S. I CAUTIOUSLY CHANGED LANES UNTIL I COULD PULL OFF THE FREEWAY. WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY CAR I LOOKED AT THE ROOF AND FOUND THAT THE SUNROOF OF MY CAR WAS SHATTERED AND HAD DROPPED INTO THE AREA BELOW THE ROOF. I COULD STILL HEAR GLASS CRACKING AND SEE IT FALLING INTO THE WELL UNDER THE ROOF AREA. I HAD HAD THE INSIDE SHIELD CLOSED SO THERE WAS NO GLASS ON ME. I SLOWLY DROVE TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO ASK FOR HELP. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE AND THAT I PROBABLY HAD SOMETHING HIT MY ROOF. I TOLD THEM THAT I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING FLYING AT ME AND THAT THERE WERE NO TRUCKS/SEMI'S AROUND ME. THEN THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT WOULD HELP ME CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO FILE A CLAIM. I DID (IT TOOK STATE FARM OVER AND HOUR TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO CONNECT ME FOR A GLASS CLAIM). I HAD TO TAKE IT TO A BODY SHOP AND GET AN ESTIMATE, THEN GET IT APPROVED, AND GET A RENTAL CAR. EVEN AT THE BODY SHOP I COULD STILL HEAR THE GLASS CRACKING. EVERYONE KEPT TELLING ME THAT SOMETHING MUST HAVE ME BUT I DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING WHEN IT HAPPENED, JUST THE LOUD BANG LIKE AN EXPLOSION.

THE BRAKE LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ALL CAME ON AT ONCE WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY. IT DID NOT AFFECT THE DRIVABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE SPECIALIST SAID THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND QUOTED A $2500 SERVICE PRICE TO REPLACE IT. IF IT IS THIS KNOWN AND THIS EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE THEN IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THAT WOULD MAKE IT A DESIGN FLAW BY THE MANUFACTURER.

MY CAR WILL TURN ON, BUT IT WILL NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE UNTIL NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. I USUALLY HAVE TO TURN IT ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 10-15 TIMES BEFORE IT WILL ALLOW MY TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE KEY FOB WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK THE CAR. THE CAR WILL STILL TURN ON, AC WILL STILL COME ON, RADIO STILL WORKS. THE ONLY THING THAT DOESN'T WORK ON THE FIRST 10-15 TRIES IS THE SIFTING INTO GEAR. PRIUSCHAT FORUM TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE A LOT. THEY ALL HAVE SIMILAR STORIES WITH THE SAME DETAILS AS MINE. IT TAKES ME ABOUT 5-7 MIN TO GET MY CAR STARTED. ONCE I FINALLY GET THE CAR IN GEAR, NO ISSUES POP UP FOR THE REST OF THE DRIVE. ALL OF THIS STARTED ABOUT WITHIN THE LAST MONTH FOR ME.

THE ACTUATORS FOR THE LOCKS ON 3 OF THE DOORS HAVE FAILED OVER TIME. I HAVE REPLACED THE FRONT-DRIVER SIDE ACTUATOR ONCE PREVIOUSLY AND IT STARTED TO FAIL FIRST. WHEN I LOCK THE CAR, I ONLY HAVE ONE DOOR THAT UNLOCKS WHICH IS THE REAR-PASSENGER DOOR. IF IT FAILS, I WILL BE LOCKED OUT OF THE CAR. IT SEEMS WRONG THAT I CANNOT UNLOCK MY CAR WELL. IT SEEMS WRONG THIS HAS FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES ON A 6YR OLD CAR. IT IS DEFECTIVE AND POTENTIALLY UNSAFE.

RECEIVED A WARNING CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM - IT WAS CODE POA93. ENDED GETTING THE INVERTER PUMP AND RADIATOR REPLACED DO TO THIS CODE. APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA WITH THERE PRIUS'S. THE CAR DIED ROLLING INTO A TOYOTA DEALER.

TOOK MY CAR INTO DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF A NOISE IT WOULD MAKE WHEN I STARTED TO BRAKE AND WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT. THE CAR WOULD ALSO VIBRATE AND SHAKE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THE ABS ACTUATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHICH WOULD COST OVER 4 GRAND! I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR NOW.

BRAKE ACTIVATOR UNIT FAILED AFTER 4 MONTHS OF REPORTING THE ISSUE TO TOYOTA. IT FOLLOWS THE CONDITIONS INDICATED ON TOYOTA WEN ZG1. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN BRAKING MALFUNCTION OCCURRED. VEHICLE WAS CONTROLLABLE AND ALLOW FOR SECURE STOP. BRAKE RESPONSE WAS SLUGGISH AND HARD ON THE FOOT.

I RECENTLY HAD A REPAIR SERVICE DONE ON MY PRIUS PLUG-IN, BUT CAN'T IN GOOD CONSCIOUS UNDERSTAND WHY I HAD TO PAY $756 TO GET INTO MY CAR. I PURCHASED MY 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN IN JULY, 2012. THREE AND A HALF YEARS LATER, I HAD TO HAVE THE DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR REPLACED @ 51K MILES. LESS THAN TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER, THE SAME DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED @ APPROXIMATELY 80K MILES ' IN ADDITION TO ALL THREE OTHER DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS. ROUGHLY SIX MONTHS AGO, THE RIGHT, REAR DOOR LOCK STOPPED WORKING. THEN THE LEFT REAR STOPPED WORKING. THEN THE DRIVER'S DOOR (WHICH WAS NOTICED ON MY LAST SERVICE VISIT). AND FINALLY THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCK. THIS CAR DOES NOT HAVE A KEY TO UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S DOOR, ONLY AN ELECTRONIC FOB. AS A RESULT, I HAVE BEEN CLIMBING THOUGH MY REAR HATCH TO REACH THE RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK, TO UNLOCK THAT DOOR, TO THEN REACH IN TO THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR LOCK; AT WHICH POINT I CAN OPEN THE RIGHT FRONT DOOR AND REACH OVER TO UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. NOT ONLY IS THIS RIDICULOUS AND EMBARRASSING, AS I'VE HAD TO DO THIS IN FRONT OF CO-WORKERS, AND CONSULTANTS I'VE HAD TO DRIVE TO MEETINGS WITH AT MY COMPANY, BUT IT'S INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. I WON'T HAVE MY DAUGHTER OR WIFE DRIVE THE CAR, SINCE THEY CAN'T SAFELY UNLOCK OR ENTER THE CAR. SO HERE I AM, HAVING SPENT $756 TO BE ABLE TO ENTER MY CAR, SINCE THERE IS NO KEY OPTION, AND IN FACT IT'S THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN 30K MILES TO REPLACE THE DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR.

PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL BLADDER CAUSING THE GAUGE TO READ INCORRECTLY. THE GAUGE GETS STUCK AT A QUARTER TANK AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU'RE OUT OF GAS. ONCE THIS HAPPENED, IT CAUSED THE HYBRID SYSTEM TO FAIL AND LOCKED THE CAR UP EVEN AFTER PUTTING GAS IN IT. HAS TO DO A MASTER RESET OF THE ENTIRE CAR TO GET IT TO START AGAIN.