2003 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE TURNED HIS VEHICLE TO THE LEFT AT ANY SPEED, THE STEERING MADE A WEIRD NOISE AND WOULD NOT RETURN TO THE STRAIGHT POSITION. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 15 MONTHS AGO AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE TEMPERATURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT AT A COOLER TEMPERATURE, THE STEERING WOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL. THE FAILURE NEVER CORRECTED ITSELF AND THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION STEERING SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

2003 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH ACCELERATION AND BRAKE PROBLEMS. CUSTOMER STATED WHEN SHE RELEASED HER FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE RACED FORWARD WHILE MAKING A LOUD NOISE. THE BRAKES WERE REAPPLIED BUT IT DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. *KB THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO VEER SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED AFTER LURCHING ABOUT 30 TO 40 FEET WELL BEYOND THE STOP SIGN AND INTO THE INTERSECTION. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB

2003 TOYOTA PRIUS ENGINE STALLED THREE TIMES. DEALER REPAIRED AND PROBLEM RECURRED AGAIN THE SAME DAY. *TR. UPDATED 01/09/08. *LJ THE DEALER FOUND OIL INSIDE THE MANIFOLD. UPDATED *JB

2003 TOYOTA PRIUS -- IN COLD WEATHER THE CARS COMPUTER DOES NOT ACT PROPERLY AND WILL SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. *NM

2003 TOYOTA PRIUS HAD 12V BATTERY REPLACED UNDER TOYOTA TSB EL014-03 "BATTERY CAPACITY IMPROVEMENT" INSTRUCTIONS WERE OMITTED AS WELL AS NOT FOLLOWED. CAR WAS DRIVEN FOR APPROX. 2 WEEKS WITH BATTERY NOT VENTED OUTSIDE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND NOT PROTECTED FROM DAMAGE BY HEAVY OBJECTS IN TRUNK. WAS CORRECTED BY ME PRIOR TO FURTHER OPERATION. POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE STARTING IN THE TRUNK OF THE CAR DUE TO HYDROGEN GAS BUILD UP FROM CHARGING/DISCHARGING IGNITING THE TRUNK LINING, PASSING UP THE PLASTIC VENTILATION SYSTEM FOR TRACTION BATTERY AND FUSING HIGH VOLTAGE TRACTION BATTERY CABLES TOGETHER WAS THERE PRIOR TO CORRECTING VENT SITUATION. AWAITING RESPONSE FROM LOCAL DEALER AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC REGULATIONS ABOUT VENTING LEAD ACID BATTERIES OUTSIDE PASSENGER COMPARTMENTS OTHER THAN FEDERAL MOTOR SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 393.30 BATTERY INSTALLATION. *NM

I WAS DRIVING EAST AT 50 MPH ON CALIFORNIA HWY 68 AT 0800. IT WAS RAINING BUT THERE WAS NO STANDING WATER. I WAS DRIVING A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. AS I CROSSED THE INTERSECTION WITH SAN BENANCIO ROAD THE CAR SLOWLY SWERVED TO THE LEFT ACROSS THE ROAD, ENTERING THE OPPOSITE SHOULDER SLIDING BROADSIDE. THE CAR CONTINUED THE ROTATION, COMING TO REST FACING EAST AGAIN. I DID NOTHING TO INITIATE THIS BIZARRE EVENT. *JB

CONSUMER 2003 PRIUS PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. *TS THE CONSUMER THOROUGHLY READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL ON HOLD TO CHANGE THE TIRE. THE SUPPLIED JACK WAS USED TO RAISE THE CAR. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RAISED A SHORT DISTANCE THE JACK SLID FORWARD AND THE CAR DROPPED TO THE GROUND. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO RAISE THE VEHICLE THREE MORE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED AND LOST POWER. THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED OCCASIONALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE HYBRID ENGINE COMPUTER, THE MASS AIR FLOW METER, FUEL TANK, AND HYBRID BATTERY.

TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID 1. TIRE BLOW OUT WITH THE RIGHT PSI AND CLEAR BEAUTIFUL DAY. DEALER WILL NOT WARRANTY OR CHANGE TIRE. 2. THE CAR STOP AND STARTED RUNNING ONLY ON ELECTRICAL SERVICE. CALL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY ASK ME TO START THE CAR THREE TIMES AND IT WILL GO AWAY. I DID IT AND DROVE TO THE DEALER THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE HUMIDITY WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THIS HAD HAPPEN ABOUT FOUR TIMES AND EVERY TIME THE HUMIDITY WAS HIGH BUT THIS IS AND INCONVENIENCE NOT JUST TO ME BUT MY WIFE. ONE OF THIS DAYS THE EASY FIXING WILL NOT WORK THEM WHAT? *JB

REFERENCE INVESTIGATION # PE05029: MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2003 [XXX] GASOLINE/ ELECTRIC HYBRID VEHICLES THAT CAN BE OPERATED IN GASOLINE OR ELECTRIC MODE. ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE GASOLINE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING. EACH TIME I WAS DRIVING WITH THE SPEED OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC. THE THREE PREVIOUS TIMES THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OPERATE USING THE ELECTRIC MODE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THE GAS ENGINE STALLED. THIS LAST AND 4TH TIME THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY FELT THE GAS ENGINE STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER 3 IMMEDIATE ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE CAR ON. I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAYS AND TO PARK. AS WITH THE LAST 3 TIMES, I AGAIN HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. EACH OF THE 4 STALLING INCIDENTS, I WAS ALERTED BY AN AUDIBLE SOUND AND VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS. AFTER THE CAR STALLED THE BRAKE AND STEERING OPERATION CONTINUED TO FUNCTION AS THE CAR DRIFTED TO A STOP. EACH TIME THE REASON WAS FOR THE FAILURE TO OPERATE WAS CAUSED BY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AS I AM TOLD BY THE SERVICE CENTER. THIS LAST TIME, (4TH) THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE CAR IS "FINE" ASKED ME TO PAY THE TOW AND IS SENDING ME ON MY WAY. NOTHING WAS DONE. I DRIVE ABOUT 90 MILES A DAY WITH MY 8 YR OLD DAUGHTER AS MY PRIMARY PASSENGER. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED BY TOYOTA. MY DEALERSHIP (KINGS TOYOTA CINCINNATI OHIO). *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)