2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V Complaints

NOISE ("CLUNKING") WHEN TURNING LEFT & RIGHT AS IF THERE IS "PLAY" OR SOMETHING IS LOOSE SOMEWHERE IN THE STEERING SYSTEM. WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY AND UNDERSTAND THERE WERE PREVIOUS RECALLS OF THE SHAFT ON PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS. DO NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING SHAFT AS DEALER SUGGESTS IF NOT NECESSARY.

THE REAR HATCHBACK LATCH IS WEAK AND THE LATCH ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS PREVENTS THE REAR HATCHBACK DOOR FROM BEING OPENED OR MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO OPEN. IT WILL COST JUST SHY OF $700 TO FIX. OF THE FOUR PRIUSES MY FAMILY HAS OWNED (PRIUS 2005 AND 2 PRIUS 2007 AND PRIUS V 2012) HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE REAR HATCHBACK LATCH. TOYOTA PLEASE FIX THIS PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V449000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN IN THE LIMP-HOME MODE AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE PAST 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INVERTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,475.

BRAKES SOMETIMES GRAB VERY SHARPLY WHEN TOUCHED WHILE IN MOTION, CAUSING FORWARD MOMENTUM OF BODY TO SLAM ON BRAKES. ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENT WHEN I TOUCHED BRAKES WITH SOMEONE TAILGATING TOO CLOSELY. ALSO TRACTION IS INTERRUPTED WHEN HITTING THE METAL ABUTMENT TO BRIDGES.

HEADLIGHTS LOW BEAM FAIL EVERY MONTH OR SO AND I HAVE REPLACED 16 BULBS IN LAST YEAR. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR US. ALSO THE COST IS GREAT. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE HEADLIGHTS BEFORE IN OTHER VEHICLES. WHEN IS A RECALL GOING TO BE DEMANDED ? WHEN SOMEBODY IS KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS

VEHICLE IN MOTION WHEN STEERING COLUMN ADJUSTMENT RELEASED AND WOULD NOT RELOCK CAUSING THE STEERING COLUMN TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACK, UP AND DOWN. THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT STAY FIXED IN ONE POSITION. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REMOVED THE STEERING COLUMN AND REINSTALLED A BOLT THAT HAD COME OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN AND REINSTALLED THE BOLT WITH THREAD LOCK. COST OF REPAIR WAS $532. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND OTHER MODELS SHOULD BE CHECKED FOR THE LOOSE BOLT.

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH SOMETHING 'METAL' IS SLIDING AROUND INSIDE THE PANEL OF THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER 3 OR 4 TIMES AND THEY CANNOT VERIFY IT. WHEN I WENT OUT WITH A TECH, ONCE, ALTHOUGH IT HAD MADE THE SOUND AS I TURNED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, IT WOULDN'T DUPLICATE WITH THE TECHNICIAN. THEY WOULDN'T TAKE OFF THE PANEL TO INVESTIGATE. GIVEN THE PROBLEM WITH AIRBAGS THIS MAKES ME VERY NERVOUS AND I HOPE THAT I AM NEVER IN A CRASH.

THE NAVIGATION, BLUETOOTH & RADIO SYSTEM WAS TURNED OFF ON IT OWN AND BECAME CORRUPTED WHEN THE CAR DEALERSHIP TRIED TO UPDATE THE SYSTEMS SOFTWARE. THE HARDWARE WAS THEN RENDERED INOPERABLE AND THE SYSTEMS COMPUTER WAS THEN REPLACED, THE WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE DEFECTS IN THE SYSTEM. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR EXCEEDED $1000US. DUE TO THE DEALERSHIPS ACTIONS IN TRYING TO RUN A SOFTWARE UPDATE, THE REPAIR COSTS WERE PAID BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE FAILURE OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEM SEEMED TO BE KNOWN BY THE CAR DEALER. TOYOTA WAS NEVER DIRECTLY CONTACTED BY CAR OWNER AS ONLY THE CAR DEALER HANDLED THE REPAIR ISSUES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, BUT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAGS FAILED TO FULLY INFLATE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE CHEST THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DEEMED THE VEHICLE DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED OR THE SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V053000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000. ...UPDATED 07/30/15 *BF UPDATED 9/23/15 *JS