2012 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING TO A GET TOGETHER THE BACK SEAT MIDDLE PASSENGER RESTRAINT BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE LOCKING CLIP THAT HOLDS SEAT BELT OVER PASSENGERS LAP. MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE BACK SEAT. IT WILL NOT CLIP TOGETHER ANYMORE. I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AGO AND IT HAD NO PROBLEMS AT THAT TIME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT FAILED TO ENGAGE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AWAY FROM THE CRASH SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

AFTER TOYOTA POWER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE RECALL INSTALLED "POWER MANAGEMENT UPGRADE" SOFTWARE IN MY CAR I IMMEDIATELY EXPERIENCED SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH MY IGNITION /START OF HYBRID/GASOLINE ENGINE. AFTER PRESSING IGNITION, I HAD TO WAIT 15 TO 20 MINUTES AND PRESS START BUTTON ON/OFF REPEATEDLY UNTIL THE GASOLINE ENGINE IGNITE BUT HYBRID FAILED TO START. IT IS NOT NORMAL BECAUSE A PRIUS HYBRID ENGINE STARTS FIRST NOT THE GASOLINE ENGINE. TOYOTA HAS DISABLED SOME IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS IN ITS POWER MANAGEMENT RECALL SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT AFFECTS THE HYBRID ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND FAILURE TO START. I DRIVE MY PRIUS 3-4 TIMES A MONTH AND I DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEM BEFORE THE RECALL SOFTWARE UPGRADE BECAUSE PRIUS OWNERS MANUAL CLEARLY SAYS THAT THE BATTERY WITH BE DISCONNECTED BY BATTERY SAVING FUNCTION WHEN YOUR CAR IS PARKED FOR LONG TIME, SEVERAL DAYS, WEEKS. IN FACT, WHEN YOUR CAR IS PARKED FOR JUST DAYS, TOYOTA POWER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE (RECALL) IS DRAINING THE CAR BATTERY AND RECONFIGURING THE RELAYS TO POWER UP THE GASOLINE ENGINE. TOYOTA OWNERS MANUAL CLEARLY STATES THAT WHEN YOU ARE PARKED, "POWER MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE DISCONNECTS THE AUXILIARY BATTERY FROM THE HYBRID SYSTEM." HOWEVER, AFTER THE RECALL, NOT ONLY AUXILIARY BATTERY IS NOT DISCONNECTED BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF "ACTIVITY" IN HYBRID ENGINE THAT DRAINS THE BATTERIES. I CALLED THE TOYOTA SERVICE AND THEY NOW SAY YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE CAR ON A CHARGER ALL THE TIME WHEN PARKED FOR SEVERAL DAYS. OF COURSE , IT IS A HUGE SAFETY PROBLEM TO KEEP THE CAR ON A CHARGER ALL THE TIME WHEN PARKED FOR DAYS BECAUSE THE BATTERY IS HOUSED IN THE CABIN AND THE VENTILATION DOES NOT EXIST UNLESS YOU PARK YOUR CAR OUTDOORS. AT THE SAME TIME TOYOTA RECOMMENDS KEEPING THE CAR ON A CHARGER , IT ALSO WARNS OF EXPLOSION CAUSED BY CHARGING THE BATTERIES IN A GARAGE.

2012 PRIUS C BOTH REAR TAIL LIGHTS FILLED WITH WATER AND FAIL - TRUE SAFETY HAZARD - NO RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA BUT THERE ARE 100'S OF COMPLAINTS ON USER SITES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE EMITTED WHEN MAKING A TURN. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONLY WHEN MAKING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

I WAS DRIVING THE 2012 PRIUS ON A DOWNHILL PARKWAY AT ABOUT 40 MPH WHEN THE WARNING LIGHT CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM CAME ON. WITHIN 10 SECOND, THE VEHICLE TOTALLY LOST POWER. IT AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THERE WAS NO BACK UP FAIL-SAFE/LIMP HOME MODE. FORTUNATELY THE CAR WAS GLIDING DOWNHILL BY GRAVITY AND EVENTUALLY WAS STEERED INTO A DRIVEWAY. THEN IT REFUSED TO GO ON READY OR DRIVE MODE. ON THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED HOME. IT HAD TO BE TOWED AGAIN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE THE FOLLOWING WEEK. IT TOOK THE MECHANIC TWO DAYS TO MAKE A DIAGNOSIS THAT A FUSE ON THE MAIN DRIVE BATTERY HAD BLOWN. ANOTHER DAY WAS SPENT WAITING FOR THE PART. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THIS EVENT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I CONTACTED TOYOTA USA. AN AGENT NAMED MICHAEL WAS COURTEOUS ENOUGH TO LISTENED TO ME AND GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER 1604142245. TO ANYONE WITH COMMON SENSE, THIS TOTAL LACK OF AN EMERGENCY ALTERNATIVE PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR EVEN A CHEAP CAR IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT EVEN COME UP WITH A PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FUSE TO BLOW. WAS IT OVER HEATING? WAS THERE A SHORT IN SOME INTERNAL BATTERY CELLS? THIS PAST WEEK, I NOTICED THAT THE CHARGING PART OF THE OPERATION NO LONGER CAN FULLY CHARGE THE BATTERY TO THE FORMER 11.9 MILE RANGE. IT ONLY CHARGES UP TO 9.8 MILES. THIS IS A SUDDEN LOSS OF 2 MILES OF CHARGE. I SUSPECT THAT SOME LITHIUM CELLS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED AFTER THE INCIDENT. I ALSO SUSPECT THAT THERE MAY BE OTHER ISSUES AS WELL SUCH AS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE INVERTER MODULE RELATED TO A RECALL ON OTHER MODELS OF PRIUS DURING MY SEARCH FOR AN ANSWER. I NEED ASSURANCE FROM SOMEONE THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOW SAFE TO DRIVE. BESIDES THE CASE NUMBER FROM MY COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA USA, AAA HAS RECORD OF MY RECENT TOWINGS ON 04/09/16 AND ON 04/12/16.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE POSITION OF THE DRIVER SIDE HEAD REST FAILED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SUPPORT. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT SUSTAINED PAIN TO THE HEAD, NECK, LOWER BACK, AND LEFT LEG THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

WHEN IN THE HIGH 80S+ OUTSIDE, MY 2012 PRIUS C, BOUGHT NEW, HAS NOT STARTED FROM IN A STOPPED POSITION, WITH ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD ACTIVATING &, MANY TIMES, THE HYBRID SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN WHILE I'M TRYING TO EXIT A DRIVEWAY OR GARAGE, CITY STREET OR PARKING THE VEHICLE, CREATING A SUDDEN STALL & LEAVING ME IN THE PATH OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES & THEY INSIST MY CAR CAN'T BE DOING WHAT IT'S DOING BECAUSE THEY SEE NO CODES & IGNORE MY SCREENSHOTS, PICS & VIDEO. WHEN I ASK THEM WHY MY CAR HAS SAME "SYMPTOMS" AS OTHERS OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL & YEAR, THEIR REPLY IS THAT MY SPECIFIC CAR HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. THEY WILL NOT EVEN LOOK TO SEE IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE SENSOR, INVERTER OR SOFTWARE. MY CAR HAS ONLY 8700 MILES ON IT. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT CAUSE I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO & THE DEALERSHIP IS UNCONCERNED. IT SEEMS NEITHER THE NHTSA NOR TOYOTA GIVES A [XXX] ABOUT SAFETY. I THINK THE ISSUE IS THE SOFTWARE IN THE ELECTRONIC CONTROLS OF THE CAR, WITH CURRENT SETTINGS THAT COULD CREATE HEAT IN SOME OF THE TRANSISTORS. 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: SOFTWARE, HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER NHTSA CAMPAIGN #14V053000. SUMMARY: IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, THE INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE (IPM) INSIDE THE INVERTER MODULE (A COMPONENT OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM) CONTAINS TRANSISTORS THAT MAY BECOME DAMAGED FROM HIGH OPERATING TEMPERATURES. IF THIS OCCURS, VARIOUS WARNING LAMPS WILL BE ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ...CONSEQUENCE:THE VEHICLE MAY ENTER A FAIL-SAFE/LIMP-HOME MODE THAT LIMITS THE DRIVABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. THE HYBRID SYSTEM COULD ALSO SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. JUST CAUSE MY SPECIFIC CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DOESN'T MEAN IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN WHEN IT IS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING THAT THE OTHER RECALLED CARS ARE DOING. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NOISE ("CLUNKING") WHEN TURNING LEFT & RIGHT AS IF THERE IS "PLAY" OR SOMETHING IS LOOSE SOMEWHERE IN THE STEERING SYSTEM. WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY AND UNDERSTAND THERE WERE PREVIOUS RECALLS OF THE SHAFT ON PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS. DO NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING SHAFT AS DEALER SUGGESTS IF NOT NECESSARY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.