2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS WHEN THE "ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE WERE NUMEROUS FAILURES WITH VARIOUS COMPONENTS WITHIN THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMPTION MPG SCREEN ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAYED INACCURATE INFORMATION. THE ENGINE EXHIBITED A REDUCTION OF ENGINE POWER. WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AN EXCESSIVE DECREASE IN ACCELERATION OCCURRED. THE FM AND AM RADIO SELECTOR FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURES. THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. THE VIN WAS REJECTED AND WILL BE UPDATED UPON RECEIPT OF THE SAFETY COMPLAINT FORM.

NOVEMBER OF 2008 I BOUGHT A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. SINCE THEN I HAVE EXPERIENCED 4 INCIDENTS WHERE THE ACCELERATOR BECAME PARTIALLY DEPRESSED CAUSING AN UNPROVOKED ACCELERATION, THE MOST RECENT BEING ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2010. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR THE VERY NEXT DAY (1/25/10) AND REPORTED ALL 4 INCIDENTS. I WAS TOLD BY THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO. I WAS GIVEN AN 800 NUMBER TO CALL TO REPORT MY CONCERNS. I RECEIVED AN AUTOMATED REPLY TELLING ME TO CALL BACK AT ANOTHER TIME. I HAVE BEEN CALLING BACK BUT TO NO AVAIL. I LIVE IN THE HIGH DESERT WHERE IT SOMETIMES SNOWS AND THE HIGHWAY CAN GET ICY DURING THE WINTER. I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHER MOTORISTS IF I CONTINUE TO DRIVE MY PRIUS DUE TO THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF THE ACCELERATOR STICKING. I AM RETIRED AND LIVE ON A MODEST INCOME AND CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF THE ACCELERATOR PROBLEM. IN THE INCIDENTS THAT I HAVE DESCRIBED THE STICKING OF THE ACCELERATOR WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE FLOOR MAT OR ANY OTHER ACCESSORIES. *TR

FUEL BLADDER SEEMS TO HAVE COLLAPSED. WHEN I AM SHOWING 1/4 TANK LEFT I CAN ONLY PUT 6 GALLONS IN THE TANK. *TR

2009 PRIUS PURCHASED MAY 15, 2009 HAS 4,675 MILES ON IT. ACCELERATION/SURGING FORWARD OR NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATING AT OTHER TIMES. I DO NOT HAVE THE FLOOR MATS MENTIONED IN THE RECENT RECALL. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT OTHER POSSIBLE ISSUES WITH SUDDEN ENGINE ACCELERATION AND PROBLEMS CONTROLLING VEHICLE . HAVE TAKEN CAR TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY TOLD ME IT IS "BAD GAS" OR MY DRIVING HABITS. CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER FOR THEM TO TRY AND REPAIR IT. DEALER STILL CLAIMS THEY CANNOT "REPLICATE THE PROBLEM" THEREFORE THERE IS NO PROBLEM. CAR MILEAGE NOW DOWN TO LESS THAN 17 MPG. LACKS HEAT OR HEAT DOES NOT PROPERLY FUNCTION. HAVE HAD 5 INSTANCES OF SURGE /ACCELERATION "INCIDENTS. SOME WHEN GOING UP HILL AND HAD TROUBLE GAINING POWER THEN WHEN I PUT FOOT ON BRAKE IT SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD RAPIDLY;MAYBE TO 60 OR MORE MILE PER HOUR AT AN EXIT RAMP. HAD TO KEEP BRAKING IN ORDER TO STOP. OTHER TIMES ONLY LEAVING DRIVEWAY..WENT FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND CAR HESITATED THEN "SURGED" FORWARD RAPIDLY BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO BRAKE APPROXIMATELY 20 FT AHEAD. THIS HAD HAPPENED THREE TIMES LIKE THIS & TWICE WHEN GOING UP HILLS WHERE I LOST POWER AND THEN THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD AND I HAD TROUBLE STOPPING IT. VERY FRIGHTENING, ESPECIALLY WHEN DEALER TELLS ME NOTHING IS WRONG WITH MY CAR AND WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT..EVEN WHEN I HAVE CONTACTED THEM NUMEROUS TIMES AND HAVE DRIVEN THERE TO SPEAK WITH THEM ABOUT THIS. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS CAR. NOW THE MILEAGE HAS DROPPED RIGHT OFF TO 17 MPGS. WHAT IS GOING ? *TR

ON DEC 11, 2009, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STREET IN CAMBRIDGE, MA (I HAD A COWORKER IN THE CAR) AND WE WERE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AT A STOP LIGHT. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME CRAWLED UP TO APPROACH THE LIGHT AFTER SEVERAL CARS HAD GONE THROUGH-THEN STOPPED @ THE RED LIGHT. I PROCEEDED TO DO THE SAME. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES TO STOP THERE WAS NO RESPONSE, SO I PRESSED DOWN HARDER-STILL NO RESPONSE. I THEN BEGAN TO PUMP MY BRAKES TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT BUT THERE WAS STILL NO RESPONSE FROM THE BRAKING SYSTEM. IF THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAD NOT FAILED I WOULD HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH RESPONSE TIME AND DISTANCE TO STOP BUT MY CAR KEPT @ A STEADY SPEED AND ENDED UP REAR ENDING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND $1800 DAMAGE TO MY CAR. I'VE HAD OTHER INSTANCE WHERE I'VE HIT POTHOLES IN THE PAST WHILE SLOWING DOWN- AND THE BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD STOP MOMENTARILY FROM WORKING. I WORK IN THE BOSTON AREA- WHERE I'M CONSTANTLY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. I'VE EXPERIENCED 2 PREVIOUS TIMES SLIGHT BRAKE DELAY-WHICH I'VE COMPENSATED FOR AND GIVE MYSELF MORE ROOM BETWEEN MY CAR AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IN ADDITION THERE WAS ONE INSTANCE 4MONTHS AGO WHERE I WAS COMING TO A STOP- AND I HEARD ONE OF THE MOTORS (I'M ASSUMING THE ELECTRIC B/C IT CHARGES AS YOU STOP) REV UP AND MY CAR JILTED FORWARD- AS IF I HAD STEPPED ON THE GAS BUT I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE WHOLE TIME. THAT WAS THE ONLY INSTANCE OF THAT. I'VE HAD MY CAR SINCE APRIL 2009 AND WHEN THE TWO INSTANCES OF BRAKE DELAY OCCURRED, I HAD THE TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER CHECK MY BRAKES AND THEY CAME BACK STATING THEY WERE FINE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT I DID REPORT THE FAILURE TO TOYOTA AND HAVE YET TO HEAR FROM THEM ABOUT IT. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL SITES ONLINE WITH CUSTOMERS COMPLAINING ABOUT BRAKE FAILING/DELAYING AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 20MPH. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID (GAS/ELECTRIC) ON MARCH 31, 2009. THE CAR WORKED GREAT, BUT WITH ONLY 490 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, I DID A ROUTINE SHUT DOWN OF THE CAR ON MAY 20, 2009 WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE. DURING THIS EVENT, I SHUT THE CAR OFF USING THE PROCEDURE TAUGHT TO ME BY THE DEALERSHIP SALESMAN, WHICH WAS THE SAME PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THE USER MANUAL. HOWEVER, AT THIS SHUT DOWN, A VERY DRAMATIC POWER SURGE WENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM, JOLTING THE ENGINES IN THEIR MOTOR MOUNTS (I HEARD AN EXTREMELY LOUD SQUEAL WHEN THE ENGINES, BOTH GAS AND ELECTRIC, JOLTED TO A STOP, WHICH I ASSUME WAS THE MOTOR MOUNTS TAKING THE FORCE OF THE POWER SURGE), AND MOVING THE CAR VIOLENTLY FORWARD STOPPING WITH THE TRANSMISSION LOCK AND BRAKE WHICH I HAD SET). THIS WAS A VERY UNPLEASANT AND UN-NATURAL EVENT. FOLLOWING THIS EVENT, THE CAR DID START AND OPERATE THROUGH ITS FUNCTIONS, BUT THE DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. WHAT HAD BEEN A SMOOTH OPERATING SYNERGY DRIVE SYSTEM WAS NOW SLIGHTLY GRABBY BOTH IN ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION, AND I EXPERIENCED HARD 'CLUNK' SHIFTS WHEN DRIVING. APPROXIMATELY EVERY 15TH GAS ENGINE SHUT DOWN, THE GAS ENGINE WOULD 'DIESEL' AND HAVE A DISTURBING LONG CYCLING SHUT DOWN VIBRATING AND JOLTING THE CAR IN AN ALARMING FASHION WHICH IS NOT SAFE. ON JUNE 2, 2009, I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO MY TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WAS TOLD THE CAR "CAN'T DO THAT" AND WAS TOLD THE COMPUTER SHOWED NOTHING WRONG. ON JULY 8, 2009, I WENT TO ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THEY SAID THE CAR WAS ROUGH, AND TRIED TO RE-SEAT THE ENGINES IN THE MOUNTS, WHICH TEMPORARILY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM UNTIL A MAJOR GAS ENGINE JOLTING SHUT DOWN OCCURRED AGAIN. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN ON 24 SEPTEMBER, 2009, AND ASKED TO HAVE THE ENGINE MOUNTS REPLACED. THEY TRIED TO RESEAT THE ENGINES AGAIN, WITH NO SUCCESS, AND THE RANDOM JOLTING GAS SHUTDOWNS ON THE HYBRID SYSTEM CONTINUE, WHICH ARE A SAFETY HAZARD DURING OPERATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPROACH AN INTERSECTION AT 20 MPH THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DECELERATE. CONSEQUENTLY THE DRIVER REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED THAT VEHICLE TO REAR-END ANOTHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE FRONT BUMPER WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,485. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 5,023. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE CRUISE CONTROL SELECTOR WAS ACTIVATED. THE DRIVER'S HAND SLIGHTLY HIT THE GEAR SHIFTER IN WHICH THE SHIFTER MOVED OUT OF GEAR. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF THE SAFETY RISK REGARDING THE POOR MANUFACTURER DESIGN. IMMEDIATELY, THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS MOVED INTO THE PROPER GEAR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

HI. I HAVE A 2009 PRIUS THAT HAS HAD 5 SEPARATE EPISODES OF ACCELERATOR STICKING. SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR 11-09. THE LAST INCIDENT WAS OCT 09. NO FLOOR MATS IN THE CAR. IT HAS ONLY OCCURRED WHEN, AT 55+ MPH, I ACCELERATE RAPIDLY TO PASS ANOTHER CAR. THE ACCELERATOR FELT LIKE IT HAD REMAINED DEPRESSED WITH CONTINUED SPEED ACCELERATION. THIS DID NOT RESPOND TO PUSHING DOWN ON OR PULLING UP ON THE ACCELERATOR, OR TO DEPRESSION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE EPISODES LASTED LESS THAN 10 SECONDS AND RESOLVED SPONTANEOUSLY. I WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY WHY THE ACCELERATION SUDDENLY STOPPED, BUT WHEN IT FINALLY DID STOP, THE SPEEDOMETER INDICATED OVER 70+ MPH. I PUSHED CONTINUOUSLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW THE CAR DURING THE EPISODES, WITH ONLY MINIMAL SLOWING OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE NOT TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER YET, AS EVERYTHING IN THE MEDIA INDICATES THAT THEY DENY ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CARE AND HAVE HAD NO EXPLANATION FOR THE EVENTS EXCEPT THE CAR MATS. *TR

I HAVE WRITTEN TOYOTA ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND THEY HAVE FAILED TO RESPOND. I OWN A 2009 PRIUS. FIRST,NAVIGATION SYSTEM IS VERY POOR AND SENDS YOU TO WRONG ADDRESSES. ON AUG 17,2009,THE FUEL GAUGE WAS AT ONE BAR AND A RED TRIANGLE CAME ON DASH AND CAR STARTED PULLING AND DRAGGING. I PULLED OFF OF THE ROAD ON THE SHOULDER AND TRIED TO RESTART CAR. IT STARTED AGAIN AND THEN IT PULLED AND DRAGGED AND I GOT BACK ON THE SHOULDER. IT WOULD NOT MOVE.I TRIED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL BUT IT WOULD ONLY STAY IN PARK. THIS CREATED A DANGEROUS PROBLEM ESPECIALLY NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR AND THEN THE TOW TRUCK HAD TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS BECAUSE CAR WOULD NOT LEAVE PARK. AS I WAITED FOR 2 HOURS FOR THE TOW TRUCK,THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS I TURNED ON AND THEN THEY ONLY WOULD BLINK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS SINCE IT WAS MY LEFT SIDE THAT WAS EXPOSED TO TRAFFIC. I WAS LATER TOLD THAT THE CAR RAN OUT OF GAS. THIS DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE NONFUNCTIONAL HAZARD LIGHT SYSTEM,THE VEHICLE BEING FROZEN IN PARK AND THE PULLING AND DRAGGING ON THE HIGHWAY. WAS THE GAS GAUGE MALFUNCTIONING? I HAVE WRITTEN TOYOTA MANY TIMES AND COMPLETED SURVEYS EXPLAINING THESE CONCERNS AND THEY FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE OR RESPOND. I THINK A SAFETY ISSUE IS RAISED. *TR