2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO ADD FUEL. THE DEALER HAS PROVIDED THE CONTACT WITH SEVERAL OPTIONS TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM WHICH INCLUDED TURNING THE NOZZLE SIDEWAYS AND TAKING THE NOZZLE OUT FROM TIME TO TIME WHILE ADDING FUEL. THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THESE TECHNIQUES ARE DIFFICULT TO PERFORM. SHE ALSO STATED THAT THE SAFETY RISK IS HIGHER SINCE THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF GAS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 320. UPDATED 09/08/09 *BF UPDATED 09/29/09.*JB

THIS IS A REQUEST IN ORDER FOR THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO BEGIN SAFETY AND DEFECT INSPECTIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING AUTOMOTIVE DEALERS: TOYOTA, HONDA, MITISHIBISHI. *TR

WE OWN A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS AND WE'RE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE PRIUS'S STEERING WHILE OPERATING THE CAR OVER 60 MPH. THE CAR WANTS TO SHIFTS FROM SIDE TO SIDE. WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY MOVING THE WHEEL , ATTEMPTING TO STEER THE CAR STRAIGHT . DURING ANY CROSS WINDS THE PROBLEM IS WORST. WE CONTACTED THE LOCAL DEALER AND TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AND BOTH INDICATED, "THE CAR IS WORKING AS DESIGNED." INVESTIGATING MY CAR PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, I DISCOVERED PRIUSCHAT.COM . THERE I FOUND MANY OTHER OWNERS OF DIFFERENT YEAR PRIUSES WITH THE SAME STEERING PROBLEM. *TR

HI THERE, I RENTED A NEW 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AS I WAS DRIVING IN ONE OF THE INSIDE STREETS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, I GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT EVEN THOUGH I WAS DRIVING WITH A LOW SPEED OF 15-20 MPH I REAR ENDED A CAR THAT SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES ALL OF A SUDDEN. I SLAMMED HARD ON MY BRAKES AND IT SKIDDED A LITTLE AND HIT THE VAN REAR END BUMPER AHEAD OF ME. THE ACCIDENT DID A QUITE A BIT OF DAMAGE TO MY RENTAL PRIUS. THE FRONT BUMPER OF THE CAR IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO HERTZ AND THEY SWAPPED THE CAR; I TOLD HERTZ TO CHECK THE BRAKES THOROUGHLY; BECAUSE THERE IS A DEFINITELY A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES AT LOW SPEED. PLEASE HELP. EVEN THOUGH MY INSURANCE COMPANY WILL TAKE CARE OF THE DAMAGE; I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE SAME SITUATION OF LOW SPEED AND BRAKES DO NOT WORK. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS EITHER ONE HEAD LIGHT WILL GO OUT OR ON SOME OCCASIONS BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON THEY WILL COME BACK ON. *TR

I AM WRITING TO LET YOU KNOW OF A PROBLEM I AM EXPERIENCING WITH A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS THAT I PURCHASED NEW JUST ONE WEEK AGO AND WHICH STILL HAS LESS THAN 500 MILES ON IT. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO I WAS APPROACHING A STOP AT AN INTERSECTION, IN TOWN WHERE MY SPEED HAD BEEN ONLY ABOUT 15 MPH. WHILE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, JUST PRIOR TO A FULL STOP, THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, PRESSING HARD, AND THE BRAKE EVENTUALLY OVERRODE THE ACCELERATOR AND STOPPED. LOOKING AT THE DASH I SAW THAT THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT FLASHED ON BRIEFLY. IT WAS A SUNNY DAY, NO RAIN, NO SLICK SURFACE. NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME, SO NO DAMAGE TO ME OR ANYONE ELSE. ANOTHER INCIDENT HAPPENED THIS MORNING IN MY GARAGE. I GOT INTO THE PRIUS, FOOT ON THE BRAKE, PUSHED THE POWER BUTTON, AND THEN A MOMENT LATER, STILL IN PARK, I FELT A SURGE. THE CAR DID NOT LUNGE FORWARD, BUT I STRONGLY FELT THE REVVING AND SURGE OF POWER, AND THE CAR LIFTED FROM THE POWER. THESE INCIDENTS CAUSED ME TO SEARCH THE WEB FOR SIMILAR EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS, AND I HAVE FOUND MANY, SOME WITH SEVERE CONSEQUENCES. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT IN HINDSIGHT I REALIZE THAT TWO OTHER THINGS I HAVE NOTICED ABOUT THE BRAKES MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO RELATE. I SOMETIMES HEAR A SLIGHT GRINDING DISK SOUND WHEN I BRAKE, AND I HAVE ON A FEW OCCASIONS NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES ARE SKIPPING AND THE ABS ENGAGING, AS IF I WERE ON A SLIPPERY OR GRAVELED SURFACE. YET THAT WAS NEVER THE CASE; THE ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY AND TAR WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I LOOKED BACK EACH TIME TO SEE WHAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE BRAKES TO ACT STRANGELY. THERE WAS NO APPARENT CAUSE. IN RETROSPECT, AFTER HAVING EXPERIENCED THE ACCELERATION AT THE STOP SIGN, I REALIZE THAT THESE OTHER ODD BRAKING ISSUES MIGHT BE SYMPTOMS OF THE BIGGER BRAKING ISSUE. *TR

MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS WAS LESS THAN 4 MONTHS OLD. AS I WAS PARKING IN FRONT OF MY APARTMENT, I COULD FEEL THE CAR STILL ACCELERATING WHILE I HAD ALREADY MOVED MY FOOT TO THE BRAKE. BRAKING AS HARD AS I CAN I REALIZED MY CAR WASN'T RESPONDING AT ALL. THE CAR CLIMBED ON TO THE CURB INTO THE GRASS, HIT A LIGHT POLE, TILTED TO ITS RIGHT SIDE (I WAS PARKING TO MY RIGHT) AND FELL DOWN ON ITS SIDE. I TRIED TO TURN THE CAR OFF, BUT WONT TURN OFF. THE WHEELS WERE STILL ACCELERATING AS I WAS TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE SEAT BELT, CALLED OUT FOR HELP AND GOT OUT THROUGH THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. I CALLED 911. POLICE HELPED ME TURN OFF THE VEHICLE; UNTIL THAT TIME, THE CAR WAS STILL ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS 2ND GENERATION. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS AT VERY LOW SPEED (LIKE IN MY CASE, WHILE PARKING) OR WHEN ITS FLOORED ALL THE WAY. THIS SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED. THE CAR IS WITH GEICO, MY INSURANCE COMPANY FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. *TR

PRIUS BLADDER TANK IS A BAD AND FLAWED DESIGN LEAVING THE CONSUMER WITH INACCURATE TANK AND MILEAGE READINGS. *TR

HI THERE, I HAVE A NEW 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AS I WAS PULLING INTO THE PARKING SPOT AT THE GARAGE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR STARTED ALL OF A SUDDEN MOVING VERY SMOOTHLY WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE REGARDLESS OF MY ATTEMPTS TO STOP IT. IT WAS HITTING THE WALL IN FRONT OF IT A COUPLE OF TIMES UNTIL I MANAGED TO POWER DOWN THE CAR. THE FRONT BUMPER OF THE CAR IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER TO CHECK BRAKES THOROUGHLY. THEY DID AND TOLD ME THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE WITH THE BRAKES. PERSONALLY I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE BRAKES HAVE MIND OF THEIR OWN AND I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THEY WILL NOT FAIL ON ME IN TRAFFIC SINCE I AM A MOTHER, I HAVE A 1-YEAR OLD BOY. HIS SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME. RIGHT AFTER MY CAR WAS PURCHASED IT HAD TO STAY AT A DEALER FOR A WEEK SINCE THERE WAS SOME ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, I BELIEVE WITH DOORS. BOTH THAT FACT AND NOW THE BRAKE FAILURE MAKE ME WONDER IF MY CAR IS A LEMON. PLEASE HELP TO SORT THIS OUT. THANK YOU! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE STRUCK A GARAGE DOOR AND THE CONTACT REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE DUE TO THE BRAKE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOR THE BODY DAMAGE, NOT FOR THE BRAKES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 1,200.