2012 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

DRIVING IN THE EVENING, USING HEADLIGHTS. TURN VEHICLE OFF AND EXIT. WITHIN AN HOUR, GET BACK INTO VEHICLE, START, TURN ON HEADLIGHTS AND THEY (LOW BEAMS) FAIL TO ILLUMINATE. HIGH BEAMS WORK, AS DO PARKING LIGHTS, BUT THE LOW BEAMS STOPPED WORKING, AND THEY STILL FAIL TO WORK. DRIVING WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS OR PERPETUAL USE OF HIGH BEAMS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND DISTRACTION FOR OTHER MOTORISTS CAUSING AN UNSAFE CONDITION. HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE, IN EARLY FEB. 2014. THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY, LESS THAN 36 MONTHS OLD WITH FEWER THAN 36,000 MILES. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN. THE WINDSHIELD CREATES A GHOSTING EFFECT ON LIGHTS, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. LIGHTS FROM OTHER CARS AND STREETLIGHTS ARE GLARING THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD WITH A GHOSTED IMAGE ABOVE AND BELOW SO I SEE THREE LIGHTS. THE EFFECT IS SO PRONOUNCED THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ LIT HIGHWAY SAFETY SIGNS AT NIGHT BECAUSE THE GHOSTING OBSCURES THE LETTERS COMPLETELY. THE LIGHTS LOOK FINE THROUGH THE SIDE GLASS, SO IT IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE JUST WITH THE WINDSHIELD. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY DISMISSED MY COMPLAINT. HOWEVER I SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED THE EXACT SAME THING ONLINE AND OUR LOCAL NEWS CHANNEL IN THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA KABC CHANNEL 7 HAS BEGIN A "7 ON YOUR SIDE" INVESTIGATION. PLEASE URGE TOYOTA TO RECALL THESE DANGEROUS WINDSHIELDS. *TR

AT LEAST 2 OR 3 TIMES A WEEK, WHEN SHIFTING THE CAR INTO DRIVE WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED, THE CAR GOES INTO REVERSE INSTEAD. THE FIRST FEW TIMES I THOUGHT I HAD MADE A RUSHED ERROR, SO I STARTED WATCHING QUITE CAREFULLY. YOU CAN EVEN BE BACKING UP AND THEN BRAKE AND SHIFT THE CAR SPECIFICALLY INTO DRIVE AND IT STAYS IN REVERSE. IT MIGHT TAKE 3 OR 4 ATTEMPTS TO GET IT INTO DRIVE. I HAVE REALIZED THIS MUST BE WHY THEY INSTALLED THE BEEPING IN THE SYSTEM TO ALERT YOU THAT THE CAR IS IN REVERSE, IT MUST BE A MORE PERVASIVE PROBLEM THAN SIMPLY IN MY CAR. I ALWAYS VISUALLY CONFIRM MY MOTIONS NOW, AND 2 OR 3 TIMES A WEEK I WILL ENTER THE CAR AND PUT IT IN DRIVE AND IT GOES INTO REVERSE INSTEAD. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A STEEP INCLINE WHILE I CLOSED A GATE BEHIND ME TO A GATED DRIVEWAY. WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE AND BEFORE I COULD GET IT TO THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR IMMEDIATELY ROLLED BACK AND INTO THE GATE. THE CAR RELEASED AS IF IT WAS A STANDARD SHIFT CAR THAT NEEDED A CLUTCH AND SLAMMED INTO THE GATE. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO OTHER SAFE SPOTS THAT ARE ON HILLS AND FOUND THAT THIS CAR CAN NOT HOLD A STOPPED POSITION ON AN INCLINE. *TR

PRIUS IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. THE WINDSHIELD DISTORTS LIGHT SOURCES AND CAUSES A GHOSTING/MULTIPLYING EFFECT. TRAFFIC SIGNALS IMAGES ARE DOUBLED, TRIPLED OR MORE - NOT SAFE AS IT IS DISTRACTING AND CONFUSING. THIS ISSUE IS VERY PROMINENT AT NIGHT. IT IS NOT JUST TRAFFIC SIGNALS BUT OTHER LIGHT SOURCES AS WELL. IN DECEMBER 2012, I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS REFERRED TO DEALER. SERVICE MANAGER CONFIRMED ISSUE AND SAID THAT HE IS WAITING ON TOYOTA ON HOW TO FIX - NO RESOLUTION AFTER ONE YEAR OF WAITING. *TR

INTERIOR WATER LEAKAGE THAT DRIPS DOWN FROM THE CENTER CONSOLE DOWN TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FLOORS. FIRST OCCURRENCE OCCURRED AROUND 14K MILES. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT WAS LEAKING BEFORE BUT I DID NOT NOTICE IT BECAUSE I HAVE WEATHER PROOFING FLOOR MATS, THE WETNESS OCCURS UNDER THE MAT. THE DEALER SAYS CLOGGED AC TUBING BY DEBRIS. THEY CLEANED IT OUT BUT CHARGE ME $100. SECOND OCCURRENCE IN DEC 6 2013 AT 16K MILES. IT RAIN THE NIGHT BEFORE. I SUSPECT IT IS A DESIGN FLOW IF THERE ARE TREND FOR SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OR MY CAR HAS A DEFECTIVE PART(S). THE CONSISTENT DAMPNESS UNDER THE FLOOR MATS COULD LEAD TO LONG TERM ISSUE WITH THE CAR. *TR

MY 2012 PRIUS WAS HIT IN BACK ON PASSENGER SIDE AT APPROXIMATELY 80-85 MILES/HOUR WHILE MY SPEED WAS 62 M/H. WITH IMPACT FROM HIT IN THE BACK, MY CAR WENT FLYING HEAD ON INTO THE MEDIAN WALL (THOSE TEMPORARY CEMENT WALLS USED DURING RECONSTRUCTION). TWO THINGS HAPPENED WERE: 1. AFTER THE FIRST IMPACT MY PRIUS HAD TOTAL POWER LOSS, NOT EVEN EMERGENCY FLASHER LIGHT WOULD TURN ON; 2. NON OF AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I AM WONDERING IF ALL THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR OR THERE IS SOME SORT OF MALFUNCTION OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT? *TR

THE BRAKE DOEN'T WORK WHEN I WAS DRIVING OUT OF THE HIGHWAY. I PRESSED HARD OF THE BRAKE AND CANNOT STOP THE CAR. AND I CRUSHED INTO A BIG TRUCK. THE CAR CRUSHED ONCE WITH THE TRUCK AND THE MOMENTUM MADE THE CAR TO HIT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT POLE AGAIN. TERRIBLE. *TR

MOLDY ODOR EMITS FROM VENTS. HAD ROUND ROCK TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE ISSUE FOUR TIMES AND ALSO HAD CALLED UP TOYOTA CORP BUT ISSUE WAS NEVER RESOLVED. ON THE FOURTH ATTEMPT AT THE DEALERSHIP, TOYOTA HAD AUTHORIZED A CARBON-TYPE CABIN FILTER THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE ODOR BUT IT DID NOT HELP. DID NOT FIX OR REPLACE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ISSUE. FOOD WAS NEVER ALLOWED IN THIS VEHICLE; AIR VENT WAS SELECTOR FOR FRESH (NOT RECIRCULATE). THIS IS MY THIRD BUT LAST TOYOTA. IT BREAKS MY HEART TO HAVE PURCHASED A BRAND NEW PRIUS AND BY 3000 MILES, STRONG MOLDY ODOR EXISTS. DEALER HAD SPRAYED LYSOL, PROVIDED AC REFRESH KIT BUT EVAPORATOR OR VENTILATION SYSTEM IS FAULTY. TOYOTA BULLETIN # T-SV-0142-13 (SEPT 12). *TR

DRIVER WAS MAKING A SHARP LEFT TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE AT LOW SPEED AND ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL DESPITE HARD PRESSURE ON BRAKE PEDAL BUT INSTEAD ACCELERATED,JUMPED A CURB IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A WALL WHICH STOPPED THE CAR. NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT FRONT BUMPER BADLY GOUGED AND FRONT DOOR SLIGHTLY DENTED. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND GET OFF THE SIDEWALK. VEHICLE IS NOW AT TOYOTA DEALER FOR INSPECTION. UPON REFLECTION 2 OTHER INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHERE WHAT FELT LIKE A MOMENTARY SPEEDUP OCCURRED AGAIN AT LOW SPEED WHILE TURNING AND BRAKING. BUT THESE 2 WERE WHILE MOVING FORWARD AND NOT ATTEMPTING TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. *TR