2012 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND UPON ENGAGEMENT. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AFTER THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE THEN RESUMED WITHOUT THE BRAKE MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING, A LOUD POPPING NOISE (CRACKING) WAS HEARD WITH NO OBSERVED DAMAGE, AND LATER THAT DAY THE WINDSHIELD GREW A LONG CRACK IN WINDSHIELD WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED. AN EDGE CRACK FORMED ON THE WINDSHIELD EXTREME OUTER EDGE IN THE CHAMFER ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY UP ON THE DRIVER?S SIDE A-PILLAR. THE WINDSHIELD BY IT?S DESIGN APPEARS TO BE RATHER THIN, AND THE WINDSHIELD EDGE IS EXPOSED, NOT COVERED OR EMBEDDED IN PLASTIC OR RUBBER OR TRIM MATERIAL. THE WINDSHIELD EDGE AS OBSERVED HAS A VERY SMALL CHAMFER AND DOES NOT HAVE A GENEROUS BEVEL (ROUND) THAT IS HIGHLY POLISHED SUCH AS FOUND ON THE PASSENGER WINDOW EDGES OR OLDER WINDSHIELDS I AM FAMILIAR WITH. I TOOK THE CAR TO TOYOTA OF BOWIE AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE MANAGER, HE BELIEVES THERE WAS AN IMPACT TO THE WINDSHIELD AT THE VERY EXTREME EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD WHERE THE CRACK ROOT IS ON THE CHAMFER AND THEIR DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT REPLACE IT UNDER ANY WARRANTY. THE SERVICE MANGER DID NOT LOOK AT THE CRACK WITH ANY TOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE, A MAGNIFYING CLASS OR THE USE OF A BALL POINT PEN TO DETERMINE ANY IMPACT LOCATION OR IF IT IS IN FACT A STRESS CRACK THAT HAS FORMED. THE SERVICE MANAGER DID NOT OFFER TO ARRANGE TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED AND TOLD ME TO GO TO A GLASS COMPANY. WHEN THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS ASKED ABOUT ANY PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS WITH TOYOTA WINDSHIELDS OR EXPOSED GLASS EDGE WINDSHIELDS WITH A SMALL CHAMFER, HE SAID THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS OR RECALLS. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE CAR EIGHT MONTHS AND PLAN TO WRITE TOYOTA TO LEARN WHEN A MORE ROBUST CRACK RESISTANT WINDSHIELD CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE. NOTE: PICTURES CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE. *TR

THERE IS A NOTICEABLE HALO EFFECT IN THE WINDSHIELD WHEN VIEWING ONCOMING LIGHTS. IT IS BOTHERSOME AND IRRITATING ON THE EYES ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. I AM WRITING TOYOTA DIRECTLY TO LEARN WHEN A DIFFERENT WINDSHIELD CAN BE PROVIDED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS C. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE REAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERED WITHOUT WARRANT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000. *TR

FROM A STANDSTILL, UNDER LIGHT WINTER CONDITIONS, THERE HAVE MANY TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WILL NOT/CAN NOT MOVE. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED POWER IS SENT FOR A FRACTION SECOND (VERY QUICK PULSE) AND THEN ALL POWER IS CUT OFF AND NOTHING FURTHER HAPPENS UNTIL YOU LIFT OFF ACCELERATOR AND TRY AGAIN. IT DOES THE SAME THING IN REVERSE. THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS CYCLE IS TO PHYSICALLY PUSH THE CAR TO GET IT MOVING(SLOW WALKING PACE) AND THEN THE TRACTION CONTROL BEHAVES VERY MUCH LIKE OUR 2012 CAMRY SE V6. A COUPLE TIMES WE HAD OUR CAMRY RIGHT NEXT TO THE PRIUS(SIDE BY SIDE) AND THE CAMRY WAS ABLE TO GET ITSELF MOVING(WITH TC ON) AND PRIUS WOULD NOT BUDGE. BOTH HAVE THE FACTORY TIRES, THE PRIUS TIRES ARE IN BETTER SHAPE THAN THE CAMRY. I KNOW THE TWO VEHICLES ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT AND THAT THIS COMPARISON MAY BE OF LITTLE HELP; I SIMPLY WANT TO EXPRESS THAT THE CONDITIONS THE PRIUS WILL NOT FUNCTION UNDER SHOULD NOT BE THOUGHT OF AS EXTREME, BUT RATHER ORDINARY WINTER CONDITIONS. IT SEEMS THAT THE PRIUS TRACTION CONTROL PARAMETERS DO NOT EVEN GIVE THE CAR THE CHANCE TO GET MOVING BEFORE SHUTTING THE SYSTEM DOWN. *TR

MY 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS C FOUR MODEL (PURCHASED NEW IN AUGUST, 2012) WITH APPROXIMATELY 5,200 ORIGINAL MILES EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AND TOTAL FAILURE (ENGINE STALLED RIGHT AFTER THE HYBRID MOTOR WARNING LIGHT APPEARED) OF THE 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS C HYBRID INVERTER ENGINE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PANEL DEFECT WHILE EXITING I 495 IN ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA ON THE LATE EVENING OF JULY 6, 2013. TOYOTA CORPORATE (1-800-331-4331) OPENED CASE FILE # 1307101143 AND OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ALEXANDRIA, VA. WAS VERY HELPFUL AND PROACTIVE IN REPLACING THE ENTIRE HYBRID INVERTER MOTOR COMPONENT ON THE 2012 PRIUS C UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY AND AT NO CHARGE TO ME AS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA CORPORATE ALSO ADVISED ME THAT THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY RECALLS OR OTHER REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS C HYBRID INVERTER MOTOR SO OUR SITUATION WAS, HOPEFULLY, AN ANOMALY. *TR

WHEN OPERATING THE PRIUS V ON A SUNNY DAY, THE REFLECTION OF THE SIDE DASH PANEL BLOCKS THE VIEW OF THE SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE REFLECTION OCCURS IN BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE GLASS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS NORMAL! THIS SAFETY ISSUE HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED TO TOYOTA. THEY ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER AND RESPONDED THE PROBLEM WAS KNOWN AND THEIR WAS NO KNOWN REPAIR. THEY ALSO STATED THE ISSUE HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A DESIGN ISSUE. THIS IS MY FIRST, AND LAST, TOYOTA. THIS ISSUE COULD BE NORMAL FOR A TOYOTA, BUT IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR ME AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND MUST BE FIXED. I INQUIRED IF I COULD PURCHASE BLACK PANELS TO MINIMIZE THE REFLECTION AND WAS TOLD THE PANELS WERE ONLY AVAILABLE IN LIGHT GREY AND LIGHT BISQUE (BOTH VERY REFLECTIVE). UPDATED 8/12/13 *CN *TR

I EXPERIENCED A FRONT END COLLISION IN MY NEW 2012 PRIUS WITH 2,500 MILEAGE. THE COLLISION VEHICLE SPEED WAS NEARLY 30 MPH. THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN ME AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND SUSTAINED A FRACTURED STERNUM DUE TO HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL AND WHIPLASH. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE AFTER THEIR OWN INSPECTION WAS "OUR INSPECTION FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT WITH THE AIRBAG OR SEAT BELTS." *TR

I HAD TO RETURN A 2012 PRIUS I RENTED FROM AVIS CORP. THE CARBON FIBER STEERING WHEELS ON THE 2012 PRIUS VEHICLES ARE DECOMPOSING IN THE FLORIDA HEAT AND SUN. THE STEERING WHEEL IS PUTTING CARBON (GLASS) FIBERS INTO PEOPLE'S HANDS. THEY MAKE OUR HANDS RED AND ITCH FROM THE CARBON GLASS FIBERS POKING OUR HANDS. YOU CAN SEE THE FIBERS SHINING IN THE SUNLIGHT AT THE RIGHT ANGLE. YOU GUYS NEED TO LOOK INTO THIS. PROBABLY NEED TO COVER WHEELS WITH LEATHER OR SOMETHING. ALSO, IT APPEARS TOYOTA DOES NOT ANSWER THEIR SUPPORT PHONES AND FIXED THEIR SUPPORT (COMPLAINT) WEB SITE NOT TO WORK. YOU CANNOT TYPE INTO THE MESSAGE FILED TO DESCRIBE YOUR ISSUE. *TR

BRAKE NOISE WHEN PULLING FORWARD IN AM . DEALER SAID FIX IS COMING FOR MONTHS, SERVICE BULLETIN NEVER CAME OUT. WORRIED THAT MAY LEAD TO BRAKE FAILURE. *TR