Toyota Prius Complaints (2008)

1,497 consumer complaints on file.

#10871364May 28, 2016
POWER TRAIN
WHAT'S WRONG WITH TOYOTA AND NHTSA? TODAY IN HOT WEATHER WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON MY 2008 PRIUS ONCE AGAIN SUDDENLY DROPPED ITSELF OUT OF DRIVE INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. ONE HAS TO HOLD THE SHIFTER IN DRIVE TO GET OUT OFEVERYONE'S WAY. IF THIS ISN'T A LIFE-THREATENING SAFETY HAZARD THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. UNLESS YOU WANT A FEW FOLKS TO DIE BEFORE ANYTHING GETS DONE ABOUT THIS. THE INTERNET AND PRIUS FORUMS DOCUMENT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED DEFECT. THE DEALER THROWS UP ITS HANDS' NOT OUR PROBLEM!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10870908May 25, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEAD LIGHTS WENT OUT, COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. HAD TO TURN HEADLIGHTS ON AND OFF FOR THEM TO WORK. TOOK CAR TO DEALER, SAID IT MIGHT COST 1,000S OF DOLLARS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG. SOUNDS LIKE A RECALL, NOW I CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT!!! : (
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10870911May 25, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AT 55MPH IN A VERY REMOTE AND DARK LOCATION, BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID WHAT WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN A FATAL COLLISION ONLY BECAUSE I WAS ON A STRAIGHT PORTION OF THE ROAD AT THE TIME - HAD THIS HAPPENED A FEW SECONDS EARLIER, I'D HAVE BEEN TAKING A VERY SHARP CURVE AT SPEED AND WOULD LIKELY HAVE DRIVEN OFF THE ROAD BEFORE I COULD REACT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TOGGLE THE SWITCH TO REACTIVATE THE LIGHTS, BUT I WAS IN AN AREA SO REMOTE THAT CALLING FOR A ROAD SERVICE WAS NOT POSSIBLE, SO I HAD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANOTHER 35 MILES TO REACH MY HOME. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT WAS LIKELY A "FLUKE" - BUT... BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED, SIMULTANEOUSLY, A SECOND TIME, A FEW WEEKS LATER. TOYOTA WANTS TO REPLACE THE BULBS BUT WILL NOT GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL NOT FAIL, SIMULTANEOUSLY, AGAIN. I'VE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY PRIUS OWNERS AND THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS "NOT SERIOUS" BECAUSE SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF BOTH HEADLIGHTS IS "RARE" - BUT THIS VERY THING HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN SO MANY MONTHS TO MY VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS IN FACT SO COMMON THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAFELY OR LEGALLY DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT HAS POTENTIALLY FAILING HEADLIGHTS (THAT THE DEALER WILL NOT GUARANTEE CAN BE FIXED), LEAVING ME WITH A BASICALLY USELESS CAR THAT I CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE RESELL TO ANOTHER MOTORIST. REALLY, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL THIS KNOWN ISSUE RESULTS IN A FATALITY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10864107May 10, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
ONE LIGHT RANDOMLY WENT OFF. THEN AS WE WERE DRIVING (AT NIGHT) BOTH FRONT AND BACK LIGHTS WENT OFF, BOTH HIGH AND LOW BEAMS. ONLY THE FLASHERS AND FOG LIGHTS WORKED. WE CALLED FOR A TOW ($120) AND AS THEY WERE UNLOADING THE CAR AT HOME, THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AGAIN. SO IT'S NOT A BULB, NOT A FUSE. I FOUND OUT ONLINE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10861987April 28, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WHILE DRIVING, HIGH INTENSITY HEADLIGHTS ARE UNRELIABLE - EACH SIDE RANDOMLY TURNS OFF. THIS IS A DANGEROUS ISSUE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10860486April 20, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 6 HEADLAMPS ON THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TWO FAILURES WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. I NOW HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 4 OTHER LAMPS AT A COST OF ABOUT $330 FOR EACH LAMP. TOYOTA HAS NOT RESPONDED. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER PRIUS OWNERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10855622April 15, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS ACTUATOR LEAK . IS NOT ONLY MY CAR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10853814April 6, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10853405April 4, 2016
STRUCTURE:BODY
THE REAR LATCH ASSEMBLY IS HELD IN PLACE BY PLASTIC BOLTS. OVER TIME, THE PLASTIC DISTINGRATES. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE REAR LATCH OF THE PARKED CAR, THE PLASTIC CRACKED AND THE ASSEMBLY CAME LOOSE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10852776March 31, 2016
SERVICE BRAKES
WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON WHEN I STARTED IT- AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR USED (BRAKE LIGHT, ABS, VSC, AND ! LIGHTS). WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY EVERY OTHER DAY. I REPLACED THE 12V BATTERY. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP- SAID THEY HAD NOT IDEA AND 'RECALIBRATED' IT. THE LIGHT CAME ON THE NEXT DAY. RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NOW WE ARE BEING TOLD IT'S THE 'BRAKE ACTUATOR' AND IT'S A VERY WELL KNOWN ISSUE IN THE GENERATION 2 PRIUS'. SEE ATTACHED PICTURE FOR WARNING LIGHTS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10851499March 24, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
FRONT LEFT LIGHT WILL RANDOMLY TURN OFF. SOMETIMES IT OCCURS AFTER MAKING A TURN. LIGHT WILL SOMETIMES COME BACK ON IF YOU TURN THEM OFF, THEN TURN THEM BACK ON.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10850312March 17, 2016
STRUCTURE:BODY
THE HATCHBACK LATCH HAS A RUBBER COVER WHICH HAS BEEN DETERIORATING FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THERE ARE 100S OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT IT. NOW, THE LATCH PRESSURE PLATE FAILS TO ALLOW ME TO OPEN HATCH AND THE NEARBY (PLASTIC?) PART IS BROKEN--SIMILAR TO MANY OTHERS ON WEB. DEALER QUOTES A $540 COST TO REPAIR THE LATCH AND PLATE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10850314March 17, 2016
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TOOK MY PRIUS INTO THE DEALER TODAY FOR SERVICE. LATER, THE WRITER CALLED TO TELL ME THAT THE MECHANIC HAD FOUND A BUILD-UP OF LINK AND DIRT THAT MIGHT LEAD UP AN OVERHEATING OR OTHER ISSUES WITH THE BATTERY PACK BENEATH THE REAR SEAT. I PAID APPROXIMATELY $350 TO HAVE THE BATTERY FAN SERVICED AND LATER DISCOVERED THAT THIS ISSUE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE FHTSA. I CAN PROVIDE A COPY OF THE NOW-PAID SERVICE BILL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10845636March 8, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
THIS IS THE INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT ISSUE FOR 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS' A FRONT HEADLIGHT WILL GO OUT, AND IF YOU TURN OFF AN ON THE LIGHTS, THEY BOTH COME BACK ON. THIS FIRST HAPPENED TO ME A FEW MONTHS BACK. THE ONLY SUGGESTION TO FIX THIS IS FROM TOYOTA WHICH IS TO TAKE THE CAR TO A DEALER AND FOR $550 THEY TAKE OFF THE BUMPER (DO SOME TRICK), AND PUT IN NEW BULBS. INSTEAD, I SPENT $180 FOR 2 NEW BULBS, AND REPLACED THEM MYSELF (WITHOUT TAKING OFF THE BUMPER AND DOING THE TRICK), AND IT WORKED FOR 2 WEEKS BEFORE 1 OR THE OTHER BULB INTERMITTENTLY GOES OFF. AT LEAST THEY ARE BRIGHTER NOW, THOUGH THIS IS 1) A SAFETY ISSUE AS THE LIGHTS ACT UNPREDICTABLY, AND 2) REPLACING HEADLIGHTS IS ON THE ORDER OF CHANGING A TIRE OR WINDSHIELD WIPERS. IT'S LIKE CHANGING A LIGHT BULB, NO?! THE REAL ISSUE IS THE BALLASTS WHICH AS I UNDERSTAND IT REGULATE THE LIGHTS. THESE ARE NOT EASY (FOR ME) TO FIX. THIS ONLY SEEMS TO HAPPEN ON SOME CARS, AND I THINK THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THE BALLASTS WHEN THIS COMES UP. ALL THE BACK AND FORTH HAS LEFT ME WITH NOT GREAT HEADLIGHTS (GOING OFF RANDOMLY) FOR 2 MONTHS NOW WHILE I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT. I HARDLY SEE WHY I SHOULD PAY $550 AT A DEALER, WHEN I'M NOT EVEN SURE THAT WILL FIX THE ISSUE. I HAVE REQUESTED TOYOTA (NATIONAL) SHOULD FIX THE ISSUE WHATEVER IT IS (NOT HAVE ME KEEP GOING BACK FOR ESTIMATES AND SUBMITTING THEM). THANK YOU. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10839343March 2, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
HEADLIGHTS ARE MALFUNCTIONING WHILE I AM DRIVING MAKING IT EXTREMELY DANGEROUS .. I LIVE IN A CANYON AND DRIVE ALOT AT NIGHT AND HAVE ALMOST HAD SOME EXTREAMLY DEADLY COLLISIONS DUE TO THIS ISSUE NOT ONLY THAT BUT HAVE SPENT A INSANE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN COURT FEES AND FIX IT TICKETS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10839060February 29, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
FRONT LEFT HEADLIGHT SUDDENLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING OR STATIONARY BUT WILL COME BACK ON ONCE I TURN HEADLIGHTS OFF THEN ON AGAIN. HAPPENS CONSTANTLY - AT LEAST 2-3 TIMES PER HOUR WHILE I'M DRIVING. I HAVE TO CONSTANT TURN MY LIGHTS OFF THEN ON AGAIN TO GET THE HEADLIGHT TO COME BACK ON. NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE BULB - IT IS NOT BURNED OUT OR DIM - THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT JUST TURNS OFF. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON-GOING SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN JUNE OF 2015 AND HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT DURING THE NIGHT. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - WHAT IF MY OTHER HEADLIGHT GOES OUT, TOO?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10838834February 28, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I'VE GOT A 2008 PRIUS. ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS KEEPS GOING OUT. I CAN'T REALLY TELL WHEN OR HOW IT GOES OUT SINCE I CAN'T SEE IT. I'LL NOTICE IT WHEN I SEE THE REFLECTION IN THE BACK OF ANOTHER CAR. IF I TURN THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ON AND OFF IT HAS NO EFFECT, BUT WHEN I TURN THEM ALL THE WAY OFF AND BACK ON THE LIGHT COMES BACK. SOMETIMES ON LONG TRIPS IT WILL STAY ON THE WHOLE TIME, SOMETIMES IT WON'T. SOMETIMES ON SHORT TRIPS IT WILL GO OUT, SOMETIMES IT WON'T. IT IS NOT AN EVENT I CAN MAKE HAPPEN.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10838007February 24, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
HEADLIGHTS GO COMPLETELY OUT OR THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT...BOTH SITUATIONS ARE RANDOMLY OCCURRING. I WAS DRIVING ON THE BEACH LINE HWY. IN FLORIDA, AT NIGHT, ON MY WAY TO THE ORLANDO AIRPIRT, WHEN MY HEADLIGHTS WENT COMPLETELY OUT. THE BEACH LINEIS A 2 LANE HWY. WITH NO CENTER BARRIER OR MEDIAN, NO EXTERIOR LIGHTING, AND CARS COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION GOING 60+ MPH. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS A "WHITE KNUCKLE" EXPERIENCE. I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS ONLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY CAR, BUT WHEN I RECENTLY RESEARCHED THUS PROBLEM, I BECAME AWARE THAT IT EFFECTS 2006-2009 PRIUS'S. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A FORCED RECALL ON TOYOTA TO FIX THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE? IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10836464February 16, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
HEADLIGHT WENT OUT ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH AT NIGHT .WAS VERY DARK AND CREATED A BLIND SPOT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR. I NOW FIND THAT TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THIS AND TELLS ME TO JUST TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON AND THE HEADLIGHT WILL COME BACK ON, THATS FUN AT 60-70 MPH. VERY DANGEROUS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10824953February 8, 2016
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY AT 10:30PM AND MY HEADLIGHTS JUST FAILED. BOTH OF THEM OFF! NO WARNING, JUST BLACK. I TURNED OFF THE LIGHT SWITCH AND BACK ON, THEY LITE UP AGAIN BRIGHT FOR ABOUT 2SECONDS THEN DIMMED A LITTLE AND 30 SECONDS LATER, OFF AGAIN. THIS CONTINUED FOR ABOUT THEN MINUTES; OFF, BRIGHT, DIM, OFF, ETC...THEN ONLY ONE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY 20 MILE DRIVE HOME. THANK GOODNESS IT WAS A RELATIVELY STRAIGHT ROAD AND NOT VERY BUSY BUT THERE ARE NO STREET LIGHTS OR BILL BOARDS ON THIS ROAD SO WHEN THE LIGHTS WENT OUT...IT WAS VERY DARK.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Toyota Prius