2012 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, BOTH THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE IN THE PAST. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED AND STATED THAT HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS UNDER CASE NUMBER: 170517007. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

WHEN DRIVING ON UNEVEN GROUND, LIKE POT HOLES, THE BRAKES FAIL. LITERALLY IF YOU HAVE YOUR FOOT ON BRAKE WHEN DRIVING OVER A POT HOLE, YOU CAN FEEL THE BRAKES RELEASE AND THE CAR WON'T STOP. I'VE HAD SIMILAR ISSUES ON BUMPY GROUND. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS HAD THE PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED IT, PROBABLY ON A WEEKLY BASIS, AND I'VE WONDERED ABOUT THE SAFETY AND WHETHER IT'S JUST RELATED TO ABS. I'VE ALSO INQUIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP. LUCKILY, I'VE NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. BUT, THIS WEEKEND MY FRIEND WITH A PRIUS HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, SO I DECIDED TO REPORT MY COMPLAINT.

FOR SOME TIME I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN BRAKING, IF MY CAR HIT A BUMP, THE BRAKES WOULD DISENGAGE FOR A SECOND OR TWO EVEN IF THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS FULLY PRESSED, AND THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD UNTIL THE BRAKES REENGAGED. IT WAS A SIMILAR SENSATION TO HYDROPLANING, EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD OCCUR ON A DRY ROAD. THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM LIGHT WOULD BE ON WHILE THE BRAKES WERE OUT, AND I AM TOLD THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON THE BACK OF MY CAR ALSO WERE ON, BUT NO BRAKE FUNCTION FOR A SECOND OR TWO. A FEW DAYS AGO I WAS BRAKING AT A STOPLIGHT IN NORMAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK AT ALL. I HAD TO STOP THE CAR USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE MECHANIC HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. MY CAR ONLY HAS 30K MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN WELL-MAINTAINED.

MY PRIUS IS USING 1 QUART OF OIL PER 900 MILES, THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DID A OIL STUDY AND VERIFIED THAT INDEED THE CAR IS USING 1 QUART PER 900 MILES, BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND STATED MY CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND COULD BE REBUILT FOR 9000 DOLLARS-THIS IS A COMMUTER CAR ONLY AND HAS ONLY BEEN USED FOR OPEN ROAD DRIVING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THERE WERE RODENTS ENTERING THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CABIN AIR FILTER DID NOT HAVE A MESH GRILL WHICH WAS ALLOWING THE RODENTS TO ENTER THROUGH A HOLE IN THE CABIN AIR FILTER THEN INTO THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT CONSOLE AND INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE WIRES WERE SOY BASED CAUSING THE ATTRACTION OF RODENTS TO THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN FOR AN INSPECTION. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS ALSO CONTACTED WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE CABIN AIR FILTER DID NOT HAVE A MESH GRILL WHICH RESULTED IN THE RODENTS ENTERING THROUGH A HOLE INTO THE CABIN AIR FILTER THEN ENTERING INTO THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT CONSOLE ACCESSING THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE A HARDWARE CLOTH GRILL WAS INSTALLED ON THE CABIN AIR FILTER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND RODENTS WERE NO LONGER ENTERING THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT WAS REQUIRED TO CLEAN THE FECES REMAINING IN THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE UTILIZING A MASK, GLOVES, AND DISINFECTANT AND IN ORDER TO AVOID CONTACT WITH A VIRUS FROM THE FECES, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED NOT TO VACUUM LET THE VIRUS BECOME AIRBORNE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE RAT FECES IN THE VEHICLE COULD RESULT IN A FATAL DISEASE IN THE EVENT A CHILD WOULD RIDE IN THE VEHICLE AND ACCIDENTALLY EAT THE FECES. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT IF RODENTS ENTERED THOUGH THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AND DEFECATED INSIDE, ACTIVATING THE AIR CONDITION UNIT IF THERE WAS FECES, A VIRUS COULD BECOME AIRBORNE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE THEN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT THE FAILURE WAS AN OUTSIDE INFLUENCE WHICH WAS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE DESIGN OF BOTH HONDA ACCORD AND TOYATO PRIUS, AND LIKELY OTHERNEW MODEL CARS, MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE WHEN BACKING UP. THE BACK UP CAMERA IS PLACED SUCH THAT IT IS EASILY COVERED WITH ROAD DEBRI (DIRT AND SNOW) SO IT OFTEN USELESS. THE DEISGN OF WINDOWS, SEAT AND CAMERA DO NOT SUFFICIENTLY ALLOW ONE TO SEE OVER ONES LEFT SHOULDER. PERHAPS THIS IS MORE BECAUSE I AM BARELY 5'1:" AND THE CAR'S SAFETY FORBIDS USING A SEAT CUSHION TO RAISE ME HIGHER. BACKING UP IS FRIGHTENING BUT MANY CAR LOTS REQUIRE YOU TO PULL IN FRONT FORWARD SO PULLING OUT WHEN PEDESTRIANS MIGHT BE BEHIND OR OTHER CARS BACKING UP IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. I DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHEN I DROVE A 2007 FORD RANGER OR A 1995 LE BARON CONVERTIBLE. SO FAR I HAVE MANAGED TO NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT BUT THINK CARS' DESIGNS DO NOT CONSIDER THIS SITUATION SUFFICIENTLY FOR SAFE DRIVING..

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE AND DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

MY 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS'S DASHBOARD INDICATORS (ODOMETER, WARNING SIGNS AND EVERYTHING) SHOWED SYMPTOMS OF DISAPPEARING MOMENTARILY DURING SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR 2016. UPON RESTARTING, IT USED TO COME BACK. HOWEVER, ON FEBRUARY 18, 2017, THE DASHBOARD LIGHT WON'T COME BACK EVEN AFTER MULTIPLE TIME RESTARTING. DROVE TO WORK IN THAT CONDITION HOPING THE DASHBOARD INDICATORS WILL COME BACK BUT THEY DIDN'T. MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALERSHIP TO CHECK IT OUT ON MONDAY. BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT, THE INDICATORS CAME BACK SO I CANCELLED THE APPOINTMENTS. WHEN DISCUSSING THE PROBLEM WITH A FRIEND, I WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR SUCH REPAIRS. UPON HEARING THIS, I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO INQUIRE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY IS EXPIRED AND CAN'T FIX THE PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY. DRIVING WITHOUT THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SHALL ADDRESS FOR ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES.

MY 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V (MILEAGE: 55155) HAS HAD A FAILURE OF THE REAR BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUSTING. PLEASE NOTE THE FRONT BRAKES ARE IN GREAT SHAPE AND SHOW VERY LITTLE WEAR. THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS QUICK TO POINT OUT THAT HE WAS ONLY A FRANCHISE STORE AND WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESIGN OF THE REAR BRAKES. HE STATED THAT THIS HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY ON THE HYBRID CARS THEY SERVICE AND IF THE MANUFACTURER HAD COATED THE BRAKE (I BELIEVE HE WAS REFERRING TO THE SLIDE AREA OF THE CALIPER WHERE THE BRAKE PADS RIDES) THAT THE BRAKE PAD WOULD NOT HAVE HUNG UP AND WORN OUT ALONG WITH DESTROYING THE ROTORS. I AM A FORMER LICENSED AIRCRAFT MECHANIC AND A LICENSED ENGINEER WITH THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. CLEARLY THERE IS NO REASON FOR THE REAR BRAKES TO FAIL BEFORE THE FRONT BRAKES AND CERTAINLY NOT THE ROTORS. THIS CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALER EVERY 5000 MILES, WHICH DEMONSTRATES THE FAILURE WAS NOT DUE TO NEGLECT. THIS FAILURE MECHANISM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE IT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT.

I WAS STOPPED AT A GREEN LIGHT WAITING FOR THE CAR IN FRONT ME; WHEN THEY TURNED LEFT AN ONCOMING CAR SWERVED TO MISS THEM, THEN OVERCORRECTED AND HIT ME. HIT ME HEAD ON; ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE. THEY HIT ME WITH SO MUCH FORCE THEY MOVED MY CAR ALMOST 6 FEET SIDEWAYS. NONE OF THE MY AIRBAGS WENT OFF AND MY SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK. I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL WITH SUCH FORCE I HAD THE TOYOTA SYMBOL IMPRINTED ON MY CHEST FOR A DAY. (I WAS WEARING 3 LAYERS A JACKET AND 2 SHIRTS).WHY DID NONE OF THE SAFETY FEATURES WORK?