2012 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

I WAS EXITING THE PARK AND MY TOYOTA PRIUS' BRAKES FAILED, CAREENING ME ONTO A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE (SOUTH ORANGE AVENUE) ON A HILL, WHILE MY CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING. I HIT THE PARK BUTTON AND MY CAR SLOWED UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET CONTROL AGAIN AND TURN UP A HILL TO A STOP. WHEN I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, THE BRAKES WERE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. *TR

MY 2012 PRIUS V HAS BEEN MAKING A GROINING, HOWLING NOISE SINCE I PURCHASED IT. NOISE COMES FROM FRONT AND REAR BRAKES. HAS TAKEN THE CAR FOR REPAIRS BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT. IT IS VERY ANNOYING AND CAN BE VERY LOUD. PEOPLE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CAR CAN HEAR IT, SO ITS QUITE EMBARRASING. NOISE COMES AND GOES ITS NOT CONSTANT. TOYOTA SAYS THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAVE NO REPAIRS AT THIS TIME. I DRIVE MY FAMILY IN THIS CAR AND ITS SCARY TO KNOW THERE IS AN ABNORMALITY WITH THE BRAKES. BEWARE THE DEALER WILL TELL YOU TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH A THIRD PARTY ARBITRATION SERVICE. I DID AND MY CASE WAS DENIED. *TR

THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED GENTLY AS THE CAR WAS APPROACHING A STOPPED CAR. THE PRIUS C THEN ACCELERATED, AT WHICH TIME THE BRAKES WERE FIRMLY APPLIED, THE ABS SYSTEM ENGAGED, BUT NOT IN ENOUGH TIME FOR THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THE PRIUS REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT, ALL AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED CAUSING INJURY TO THE DRIVER, AND THE FRONT END OF THE PRIUS WAS DESTROYED. IT CANNOT BE FIXED AND WILL NEED TO BE SCRAPPED. *TR

BRAKE IS HAVING GROANING/ GRINDING/OWL HOOTING SOUNDS. THE GRINDING SOUND APPEARS WHEN YOU APPLIED THE BRAKE, AND WHEN THE CAR ALMOST AT COMPLETE STOP, IS THE WORST. GROANING AND OWL HOOTING SOUND ARE ALWAYS THERE, SPECIALLY IN THE MORNING. IN THE AFTERNOON IS NOT AS LOUD AS IN THE MORNING, BUT STILL NOTICEABLE. BEEN TO TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY INSPECTED THE BRAKE AND SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. ALSO SAYING THAT THE SOUND IS NORMAL FOR A REGENERATE BRAKE SYSTEM. BUT I DON'T AGREED TO IT. TOYOTA NEED TO FIND A FIX FOR IT, AND WE DON'T KNOW IS THE BRAKE REALLY SAFE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT MENTION THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE GIVEN A JUMP START IN ORDER TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,500. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

THERE IS A TRIPLING OF LIGHT SOURCES THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD FROM THINGS SUCH AS ONCOMING VEHICLES HEADLIGHTS, VEHICLE TAILLIGHTS, EMERGENCY VEHICLE LIGHTS, STREET LIGHTS, INTERSECTION STOP/YIELD LIGHTS AND ANY OTHER STRONG LIGHT SOURCE. THE ISSUE IS APPARENT AT ALL TIMES HOWEVER THE ISSUE IS SIGNIFICANTLY ACUTE IN THE EVENING HOURS AS THERE ARE MORE LIGHT SOURCES DURING THE DARK. *TR

I AM FILING A CLAIM TO NOTIFY OTHER CONSUMERS ABOUT AN ONGOING ISSUE I'VE EXPERIENCED WITH MY 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V. WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN JANUARY 2012 AND SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD 3 INCIDENTS (THAT WE KNOW OF) IN WHICH RODENTS HAVE INFESTED OUR VEHICLE. . THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED (AUGUST 2012), WE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION AND WERE TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BUT WE COULD CONTACT TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE RODENT HAD CLIMBED IN TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE THROUGH AN AIR VENT, AND CHEWED THE WIRES OF THE REAR HARNESS SYSTEM (THE WIRING SYSTEM THAT AFFECTS THE HYBRID TECHNOLOGY). THE ESTIMATED REPAIR WAS $2 - 3K. AFTER CONTACTING TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS, I WAS TOLD TOYOTA DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE CAR OR A SAFETY ISSUE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE AND I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO CORRECT MY SURROUNDINGS. THEY ADVISED THAT I OPEN A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE PROVIDER TO COVER THE COSTS FOR THE REAR HARNESS WIRING DAMAGE. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS, IT APPEARS THERE ARE 6 OPENINGS/GAPS WITHIN THE VEHICLE THAT RATS CAN GET INTO TO ACCESS THE INTERIOR CABIN. NEITHER TOYOTA OR THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED TO BLOCK/COVER THESE VENTS TO PREVENT ANY FUTURE ATTEMPTS BY A RODENT GETTING IN. THEY DIDN'T OFFER ANY SUGGESTIONS OR ADVICE AS TO WHAT I SHOULD DO TO PREVENT THIS. THIS MORNING (APRIL 27, 2013) WE WOKE UP AND REALIZED THE RODENTS HAD ENTERED THE VEHICLE AGAIN, THIS TIME CHEWING UP MY CHILD'S CAR SEAT AND THE LEATHER OF THE REAR SEATS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE DATING BACK TO 2007 AND YET TOYOTA HAS DONE NOTHING TO REPAIR THIS DESIGN/SAFETY FLAW. FOLLOWING IS A LINK TO A PRIUS FORUM WHERE PRIUS OWNERS COMPLAIN OF THIS ISSUE: HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/TOYOTA-CLAIMS-NOT-AWARE-OF-MOUSE-PROBLEM.113690/ . *TR

HEAD LIGHTS FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC AT NIGHTTIME HAVE A "HALO" AND "PRISM" APPEARANCE. ADDITIONALLY, REFLECTIVE ROAD SIGNS ARE ALSO VERY DISTORTED, SEEING WHAT APPEARS TO BE MULTIPLE SIGNS. SINCE THAT TIME EYES HAVE BEEN TESTED WITH NO CHANGE FROM LAST EXAM AND NEW GLASSES ARE NOW BEING WORN. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. MY WIFE STATES SHE SEES THE SAME DISTORTION WHEN DRIVING AFTER DARK. THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUAL PROBLEM SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED IN AUGUST, 2012, AS A RESULT OF HAIL DAMAGE. IT WAS REPLACED WITH GENUINE TOYOTA PARTS. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. *TR

MY CAR HAS AN ISSUE I FIRST NOTICED SOON AFTER I BOUGHT IT, AND THAT NOW HAPPENS AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. THE DATE I'VE ENTERED IS THE APPROXIMATE FIRST DATE I NOTICED THE PROBLEM OCCUR. I DESCRIBE BELOW A MORE RECENT INSTANCE OF THE SAME BEHAVIOR, THE TIME WHEN IT FELT THE LEAST SAFE. /// THE RECURRING BEHAVIOR IS THAT WHILE DECELERATING WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, IF THE CAR GOES OVER AN OBSTRUCTION LIKE A ROCK, A ROUGH PATCH OF ROAD, OR A POTHOLE, IT SOMETIMES LURCHES FORWARD BEFORE RESUMING DECELERATION. THE SENSATION IS OF ACCELERATING, BUT EVEN IF IT'S ONLY THAT THE CAR MOMENTARILY STOPS DECELERATING IT'S DISCONCERTING AND IN A FEW INSTANCES HAS GOTTEN ME CLOSE TO AN ACCIDENT. /// THE TIME IT CAME CLOSEST TO CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WAS ON 3/21/13, WHEN I FEARED THE CAR WAS GOING TO ROLL INTO A CROSSWALK AS PEOPLE CROSSED. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN, WE WENT OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT AND THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD WHILE ONLY A FEW FEET FROM THE CROSSWALK. SEVERAL PEOPLE WAITED CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE SIDEWALK AT A BUS STOP. ONE OF THEM SEEMED READY TO STEP OUTTO CROSS THE STREET, AND I BRACED FOR THE WORST. /// ULTIMATELY I STOPPED A FEW FEET BEFORE THE CROSSWALK, BUT THE SITUATION FELT COMPLETELY UNSAFE SINCE IT INVOLVED LOSING STOPPING POWER WHILE COMING TO A STOP SIGN WITH PEDESTRIANS PRESENT. *TR

MY 2012 PRIUS V HAD ABOUT 3000 MILES ON THE SPEEDOMETER WHEN I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT FROM A START, WHEN I WOULD PUT THE LEVER INTO DRIVE IT WOULD GO INTO REVERSE. IT IS VERY INTERMITTENT. I CANNOT MAKE IT DELIBERATELY HAPPEN. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP OVER THIS ISSUE TWICE. THEY COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO MAKE THE SHIFTING ERROR. BECAUSE THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE ERROR, THEY WILL NOT GIVE CREDIBILITY TO THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED PROBABLY 20 TIMES SINCE IT BEGAN HAPPENING. I AM NOW KEEPING A LOG ON EACH OCCURRENCE. IT HAS BEEN INSINUATED THAT I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SHIFT THIS VEHICLE. AFTER WATCHING THE HOW TO SHIFT VIDEO, I DON'T THINK THE DEALERSHIP UNDERSTANDS THE SHIFTING MECHANISM. HOWEVER, THIS DID MAKE ME MORE CONSCIOUS OF MY ACTIONS DURING SHIFTING. I ACTUALLY DID CATCH THE SHIFTING PROBLEM AS IT OCCURRED. MY HAND WAS ON THE LEVER IN THE DRIVE POSITION WITH THE HAND PRESSURE BEING DOWN. THE CAR WAS IN REVERSE WITH THE BEEPING AND CAMERA ON WITH THE LEVER IN FULL DRIVE POSITION. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE CAR WILL GO INTO REVERSE AND I WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF IT BECAUSE I HAD PUT IT INTO DRIVE. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR