2006 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 1, 2. MOVING SLOWLY INTO PARKING SPACE AT LAUNDERLAND ([XXX]), OUR TOYOTA PRIUS 2006 LEAPED OUT OF CONTROL, THOUGH MY FOOT WAS HOVERING OVER THE BRAKE AND NOT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. IT HIT A WALL AND DAMAGED THE CAR. TWO WEEKS EARLIER, THE CAR HAD ALSO JUMPED SUDDENLY AT LOW SPEED BUT HIT NOTHING. CAR REPAIRS TO BUMPER AND UNDERLYING STRUCTURES TOTALED $3135; REPAIRS TO THE WALL TOTALED $750. (3) NOTHING WAS DONE BY TOYOTA TO INSPECT THE ACCELERATOR OR TO INSURE US THAT THE CAR WAS NOW SAFE TO DRIVE. THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING ON THE DEALER'S LOT FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. *TR

WE OWN A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) FRONT HEADLIGHT WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. IT WILL TURN OFF WITHOUT WARNING. IF YOU TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN, IT COMES BACK ON AS IF NOTHING IS WRONG. IT WILL THEN BLINK OUT AGAIN AT A LATER TIME WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PRODUCT DEFECT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL IF THE LIGHT IS ON OR OFF UNLESS SOMEONE TELLS YOU. WE HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY THE POLICE FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT NOT TICKETED YET BECAUSE WE CAN MAKE THE LIGHT COME BACK ON BY TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. TOYOTA REFUSES TO RECALL OR FIX THE PROBLEM. INSTEAD, THEY CHARGE$500 TO REPLACE THE LIGHTS, WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE MECHANICAL DEFECT. MANY MANY OTHER PRIUS OWNERS/DRIVERS HAVE VOICED THE SAME COMPLAINT. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) TO:[email protected] FROM:[XXX] SUBJECT:2006 PRIUS BRAKES COMMENTS: I HAVE A 2006 PRIUS AND HAVE HAD INTERMITTENT BRAKE PROBLEMS(I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER IN 2007). THE BRAKES DO NOT ALWAYS ENGAGE IMMEDIATELY WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT FEELS AS IF THE BRAKES ARE SLIPPING BEFORE ACTUALLY STOPPING THE CAR. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT TOYOTA BRAKE RECALLS, I NOW HAVE CONCERNS THAT MY CAR MAY ALSO HAVE BRAKES THAT MAY FAIL. [XXX] *TR

HEADLIGHT (DRIVER'S SIDE ONLY) SOMETIMES TURNS OFF WHILE DRIVING. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON, THE LIGHT WILL TURN ON AND WORK PROPERLY FOR A WHILE. *TR

HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY GO OFF WHEN PLACED IN THE ON POSITION. SOMETIMES ONE, SOMETIMES BOTH. DOES NOT MATTER IF IT IS LOW OR HI BEAM. THIS PROBLEM IS ONGOING SINCE INCIDENT DATE. TOYOTA SENT LETTER DESCRIBING HOW HID BULBS REACH THE END OF THEIR LIFE BY INTERMITTENTLY GOING OUT AND STATES THAT YOU SHOULD MINIMIZE TURNING THEM ON AND OFF WHICH CAN'T BE PREVENTED IF THEY GO OUT WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING. I DON'T ACCEPT THIS TO BE FACT, I THINK IT'S AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM . *TR

PRIUS HID BULB FAILED BEFORE ITS ESTIMATED LIFETIME. THESE BULBS ARE VERY EXPENSIVE (US$ 300.00) PLUS LABOR (US$ 200.00) AND THEY FAILING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THIS ITEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY TOYOTA AND REPLACED FOR FREE, SINCE CUSTOMERS PAID PREMIUM PRICE UP FRONT FOR SECURITY BENEFITS OF THE ACCESSORY IN QUESTION. *TR

2006 PRIUS ACCELERATION WHILE UNDER CRUISE CONTROL IN CURVES - SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *TR

I HAVE 2006 PRIUS AND I HAVE BRAKE FAILURE FREQUENTLY IF I HIT A BUMP, POT HOLE, MANHOLE COVER, RAILROAD TRACK ETC. IT IS UN-NERVING AS I FEEL AS IF I AM AIRBORNE FOR A WHILE AS I KNOW I HAVE NO CONTACT WITH THE ROAD. *TR

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, I WENT OVER A POTHOLE AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD BRIEFLY. UNSURE IF AN ACCELERATION ISSUE OR A BRAKING ISSUE. IT HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT HAS BEEN MINOR. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA, BUT THEY IGNORED MOST OF MY EMAILS TO MY SURPRISE AND DISAPPOINTMENT. TODAY, I TURNED THE CORNER AND HIT A SMALL POTHOLE. I FELT IT LURCH, BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. I PUMPED THEM AND NO BRAKES. I PUSHED THE ON/OFF BUTTON AND HELD IT FOR THE 3 SECONDS THEY RECOMMEND AND IT DID NOT TURN OFF THE CAR. IT TOOK OVER 5 SECONDS BEFORE FINALLY TURNING OFF AND I COASTED TO A STOP. IT WAS TERRIFYING!!! ONCE I CALMED DOWN AND TRIED TO START THE CAR, IT WOULD NOT TURN ON AND THEN ONCE IT DID, IT WOULD NOT GO INTO DRIVE ... ONLY NEUTRAL. THIS HAPPENED 4 OR 5 TIMES BEFORE I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET IT INTO DRIVE TO GET HOME. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED TOYOTA ON AMHERST DR. IN SPRINGFIELD, VA AND SPOKE. HE SAID IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR. I LET HIM KNOW HOW DISPLEASED I WAS AND HE WAS KIND AND SAID HE'LL TALK TO HIS BOSS IN THE MORNING. I HAVE TOLD TOYOTA THAT I AM AFRAID OF MY CAR ........ UPGRADE THAT TO TERRIFIED! THIS WAS A VERY SCARY EVENT. THE 2010 CAR OWNERS SHOULD NOT BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THOSE OF USE WITH AN EARLIER MODEL OF THIS CAR. IT'S NOT THE FLOOR MATS. IT'S NOT THE STICKY ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IT'S THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM AND I NEED TO HAVE TOYOTA RESPECT MY SAFETY TOO AND SUPPORT THIS DANGEROUS CAR THAT I'M STUCK WITH. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. *TR

I AM A RURAL MAIL CARRIER WITH WELL OVER 350,000 MILES DRIVEN ON MY ROUTE WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DRIVE IN ALL ROAD CONDITIONS ON GRAVEL AND PAVED ROADS. I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 PRIUS ON A WET BUT NOT MUDDY GRAVEL ROAD AT ABOUT 38 MPH. THE BACK END BEGAN TO SLIDE A LITTLE. I LET UP ON THE GAS WITH NO RESPONSE. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH NO RESPONSE. I WENT INTO A DEEP DITCH FILLED WITH 3 FT TALL GRASS. I STEERED TO DRIVE THE CENTER OF THE DITCH AND CONTINUED WITH THE BRAKE FULLY DEPRESSED FOR ABOUT 15-20 FT, RIPPING THE TALL GRASS OUT BY THE ROOT AS I WENT. THE CAR TRAVELED OVER A DRIVEWAY APPROACH, STILL AT 35 MPH, STRIKING THE APPROACH WITH THE LEFT FRONT CORNER WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO BEND THE FRAME AND DO OTHER SERIOUS DAMAGE, BUT WITH NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. I CONTINUED OVER THE APPROACH AND DOWN THE DITCH, STILL AT 35 MPH, FOR ANOTHER 30 OR MORE FEET. I WAS PRESSING AND HOLDING THE BRAKE AND LIFTING THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY TOE. THE GAS PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK AND THE ENGINE'S RPMS WERE LOW. ONLY WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL DID IT SLOW TO STOP. IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE CAR OUT OF THIS DITCH AS THE TRACTION CONTROL KEPT LURCHING AND STALLING. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR OUT AND HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP FOR OVER $4000 IN REPAIRS. THIS WAS IN MID-2008 AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY CORRECTIONS MADE OR WERE EVEN KNOWN AT THAT TIME. THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING SITUATION. THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND TO ANY ACTION I TOOK. I HAD NO CONTROL WHAT SO EVER. THE CAR IS NO LONGER DRIVEN.. *TR