2006 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

DRIVING IN GOOD WEATHER ON A LOCAL ROAD AND CAR SKID LIGHT WENT ON AND WHEELS LOCKED TO THE RIGHT. STEERING WAS NOT RESPONSIVE. THE LACK OF STEERING CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

BOTH HEADLIGHTS (HID) ON A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS FAILED 3 TIMES LAST NIGHT. TURNING OFF AND ON THE HEADLIGHTS ( AT HIGHWAY SPEED!!!) CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. TOYOTA HAS PREVIOUSLY SENT OUT A LETTER NOTING THE "PAYBACK OF REPLACEMENT HID" COST BUT FOR BOTH TO FAIL OUT OF THE BLUE IS VERY SUSPICIOUS. *TR

I AM WRITING TO YOU ABOUT AN UNRESOLVED PROBLEM WITH MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. IN MAY 2008, THE DRIVER'S SIDE ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER. NOW, THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR HAS ONCE AGAIN FAILED, ALONG WITH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE ACTUATOR. MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST WOULD TOTAL $1,300. I INDICATED THAT IN VIEW OF THE EXTREMELY HIGH REPAIR COST AND THE PRIOR REPLACEMENT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE ACTUATOR, TOYOTA SHOULD ASSUME A SHARE OF THE REPAIR COST, AND THE DEALERSHIP SUBMITTED THE MATTER TO THEIR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE. THE DEALERSHIP SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED ME THAT THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE WAS OFFERING TO ASSUME $300 OF THE REPAIR COST AS A CUSTOMER GOODWILL GESTURE. I INDICATED THAT TOYOTA SHOULD ASSUME A GREATER PORTION OF THE OVERALL EXPENSE FOR THE CURRENT REPAIR, AND THE DEALERSHIP ONCE AGAIN AGREED TO CONVEY THAT POINT TO THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE. HOWEVER, THE DEALERSHIP SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED ME THAT, RATHER THAN OFFERING ANY FURTHER ADJUSTMENT, THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE'S RESPONSE WAS TO WITHDRAW ITS PREVIOUS OFFER ALTOGETHER, LEAVING ME WITH THE ENTIRE FINANCIAL LIABILITY FOR THE REPAIR! I THEN CONTACTED THE NATIONAL TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE'S SUMMARY RETRACTION OF THE ADJUSTMENT THAT IT HAD ALREADY OFFERED. A REPRESENTATIVE AT THE CENTER SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED ME THAT HE CONCURRED WITH THE REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE'S ACTIONS AND WAS UNWILLING TO REVERSE THEM. AGAINST THE RECENT BACKDROP OF WIDESPREAD AND SERIOUS MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH ITS PRODUCTS, THE TOYOTA CORPORATION HAS PUBLICLY PLEDGED A RENEWED EMPHASIS ON QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. HOWEVER, THE WAY IN WHICH IT HAS CHOSEN TO HANDLE MY COMPLAINT HAS LEFT ME FEELING BEWILDERED, DISRESPECTED, AND ABANDONED. ACCORDINGLY, I'M WRITING TO YOUR AGENCY TO ASCERTAIN WHAT OTHER REMEDIES MAY BE AVAILABLE TO ME. THANK YOU. *TR

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS LOSES ALL TRACTION WHEN ENCOUNTERING CONDITIONS WHERE ONLY ONE WHEEL LOSES TRACTION. THIS FAILURE OCCURS ON ROADS WITH SAND ON THEM. MOST COMMONLY IT OCCURS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN RIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION, FROM THE RIGHT OR TURN LANE. WHEN TO ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED, THE CAR STARTS TO MOVE, USUALLY A LITTLE WAY INTO THE INTERSECTION, AND THEN STALLS BECAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL STARTS TO SLIP IN THE SAND ALONG THE CURB. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN EXECUTING A "RIGHT ON RED" TURN. THE CAR HAS MOVED PART WAY INTO THE INTERSECTION AND IS STALLED BY THE LACK OF ANY TRACTION. TOYOTA CALLS THIS "TRACTION CONTROL". I DON'T THINK THIS IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION. IT'S REALLY COMPUTER CONTROLLED TRACTION LOSS. THE OCCURRENCE REPORTED IS ONLY THE LATEST. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS. COMPLAINTS TO TOYOTA HAVE BEEN FRUITLESS, BECAUSE THEY SAY THE SYSTEM IS OPERATING WITHIN DESIGN LIMITS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENT OVER-REVVING OF ENGINE COMPONENTS AND STRESSING THEM. *TR

THIS HAPPENS ON A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE HEAD LAMPS FAIL, THIS FAILURE TAKES PLACE EVERY 3-4 MONTHS. THIS HAS HAPPENED 20 TIMES SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED 2006 MARCH. THE FAILURE DOES NOT HAPPEN SIMULTANEOUSLY, BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE LAMP WILL FAIL AND THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE LAMP WILL FAIL. IT IS ALWAYS THE LOW BEAM FILAMENT THAT FAILS. THIS WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AT 90K MILE CHECK UP, THE DEALERSHIP WAS ASKED TO CHECK THE RESISTANCE, THE VOLTAGE AND THE AMPS IN EACH CIRCUIT FOR EACH HEAD LAMP. THE STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM IN THIS AREA. THERE IS ANOTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUE, BUT IS SEEMS TO BE NOT RELATED. THE HORN WILL SOUND SOFTLY WHEN STOPPED WITH THE ENGINE ELECTRICAL OR GAS OR BOTH RUNNING. THANKS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN. THE VEHICLE THEN CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CONTINUED TO LUNGE INTO THE OTHER VEHICLE UNTIL THE ENGINE STALLED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT REPAIRS HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT TURNED THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON AND THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 53,000.

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS I THAT HAS HID HEADLIGHT SYSTEM I HAVE REPLACED THE COMPUTER ONCE AND AT LEAST 2 BULBS WHICH GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. I HAD ONE GO OUT AGAIN AND IF THE OTHER SIDE GOES OUT BEFORE I CAN GET IT SERVICED I WON'T BE ABLE TO DRIVE IT AT NIGHT AT ALL. *TR

FAILURE OF HID HEADLIGHTS HEADLIGHTS FAILED AT 50,000 MILES, I FEEL THAT TOYOTA USED A POOR QUALITY LIGHT BULB FOR THEIR HID LIGHTING. THE COAST IS EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE THE BULB. TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THE HID LIGHT BULB. *TR

BOUGHT A USED 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS ON MARCH 29, 2010, WITH 50,000 MILES. THE FIRST TIME I DROVE IT AT NIGHT, THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT, FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE LEFT HEADLIGHT. I TURNED ON MY FOG LIGHTS AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE 25 MILES TO MY HOME. I TURNED OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND TURNED THEM BACK ON AND THEY BOTH WORKED. THIS TIME THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT, AND I TURNED OFF MY FOG LIGHTS AND TURNED ON THE HIGH BEAMS, THEN ALL THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND I TURNED THE FOG LIGHTS BACK ON. THIS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES BEFORE I FINALLY MADE IT HOME ON ONE HEADLIGHT. DEALER REPLACED THE BULBS. TOYOTA SAID THEY WERE HIGH INTENSITY BULBS THAT HEATED UP AND BURNED OUT, AND SUGGESTED NOT USING THEM EXCEPT AT NIGHT. THE BULBS COST $150 OR $350 AND COST AN ADDITIONAL $150 TO INSTALL. WAS TOLD IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, TO LET THEM KNOW AND THEY'LL SWAP THE BULBS TO SEE IF IT'S THE HEADLIGHT COMPUTER THAT HAS THE PROBLEM. NO IDEA WHAT THAT WOULD COST TO REPLACE. WASN'T HAPPY WITH THE SITUATION, TRADED UP TO A 2008 PRIUS WITH 25,000 MILES AND TONIGHT, APRIL 6, 2010, THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS SCENARIO. ONE THE HEADLIGHT BULBS SHOULDN'T CONSISTENTLY BLOW, AND, TWO, NO HEADLIGHT BULB SHOULD COST $150 OR MORE. BACK TO THE DEALER TOMORROW OR THE NEXT DAY TO SEE WHAT THEY'LL DO. *TR