Toyota Prius Complaints (2008)

1,497 consumer complaints on file.

#11441673November 25, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES
To whom it my concern, I’m the original owner of a 2008 Toyota Prius. The car has 93,000 miles on it. I encountered a braking problem one day after starting the car and backing up. The brakes felt spongy and car started to roll backwards with the brakes applied. Had to push harder for the car to stop. The VSC, ABS and brake lights were on, on the dash with a tone I could hear indicating something is wrong. I shut the car down and restarted and problem still existed. I called the dealer and did a little research online and found out the brake actuator had malfunctioned and will need to be replaced. Dealer said there was a program offering an extended warranty, but that has expired in 2018. I never received any letter from dealer or Toyota themselves indicating there was a problem. I called Toyota corporate office and they indicated a letter was sent out in 2016, but I never received any letter. The car now sits and I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth fixing. This car has meticulously been taken car of and ran great when I was driving it. I will try reaching out to Toyota again to see if there any exceptions to this case. Over 700,000 cars were affected by this problem and was wondering why a recalled was not issued.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11441081November 19, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the instrument cluster intermittently failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with instrument cluster failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11432486September 10, 2021
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
This model car is equipped with HID headlights. The car has had numerous problems with the bulb not lighting on one side. The light could be cycled off/on and this would allow the lamp to stay lit for an unpredictable amount of time. Sometimes this cycling would allow the lamp to stay on for an entire trip and sometimes the headlights would have to be cycled off/on again. Replaced the lamps today with brand new bulbs. Both lit during the initial testing. Later in the day the left lamp does not light even when cycled off then on. The headlights on this car are unreliable. The trouble in changing the lights would have been fixed with traditional halogen lights but now further troubleshooting is required or replacement of the igniter or bulbs. Headlights on cars in the 21st century should be completely reliable especially after replacing both lamps with brand new bulbs. This is a safety concern while driving at night.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11432073September 7, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When driving on CA highway 4 at about 73 MPH the car complete shut off, with the momentum I safely manage to get on the off ramp and my car was towed to my house, the converter pump fuse was getting blown out every time I replaced, and need a new converter pump.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11425595July 20, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES
There are no lights on in the dashboard. Everything seem normal and working fine. I was trying to park going like 5 mph, I had to stop because some people were crossing and the breaks failed, car kept going for like 5 seconds, there was a beep and a few lights turned on (break, abs, !). Finally the car came to a sudden and abrupt stop, after that the lights turned back off. It was horrible, lucky I didn't hurt anyone. I drove back home immediately very slow. It happened 3 more times, specially when going in reverse and after a turn. Mechanic said there are no codes and he wasn't able to figure it out. This is a huge safety problem. A recall definitely needs to be done.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11422464June 26, 2021
ENGINE
While driving the 2008 Prius with approximately 107,219 miles for approximately 15 miles, all the RED LIGHTS appeared on the dashboard. The air condition stopped working with only hot air blowing. I immediately took the 2008 Prius to the Toyota dealer. This is the following repairs as follows: "A CEL ON, MULTIPLE WARNINGS: CS20 INVERTOR WATER PUMP - 7521 CT $300.98 Labor 1 04000 - 32528 HV ELECTRIC WATER PU $169.35 Part 1 00272 - SLLC2 SUPER LONG LIFE COOL $ 23.43 MISC. CHARGES $ 53.32 TOTAL CHARGES $547.08
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11418292May 24, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I cannot add gas more than 3 to 4 gallons in the gas tank when it is almost empty. Gas meter says full after 3 to 4 gallons in the tank. While driving, it can run out of gas at any time because meter is not correct While adding gas at the gas pump, it spills the gas back out of the fill pipe of the car. So spilled fuel can catch fire if it touches the hot surface. Its fuel vapor management system is dangerous and defective which could result in fire and it could make the gas to fall on person legs and feet. Its gas tank has rubber bladder that has shrink making the meter totally wrong. If you search on the internet tons of people has the same problem. There is no way to tell how much gas is in the tank, while the meter could say full.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11417875May 20, 2021
AIR BAGS
Air bags did not deploy Driver's side Seat belt adjustment did not go low enough Seat belt tightened so tight my pelvic bone could have broke and killed me The reflection of the dash lights on the windshield at night The battery replacement(s) being way too expensive and explosive Needs the blind spot mirrors The undercarriage needs to be more secure The cost of amount of public knowledge for muffler Needs lifted up a bit Easier ways to add covers to seats I guess the whole Navy missed coach buzzer a little more than we did lol Headlights t Center vents air flow Speedometer change delay by maybe .2 seconds Not enough charging ports Nor were they real None of my hands free electrical safety features worked properly Gas guzzler My boyfriend thinks I tried to kill him Backseat adult who doesn't listen really just didn't listen or care Driver remembers everything Braking should always be left up to the driver No too close warnings or nothing Security system failed when my car and tires were not left untouched Back hatch will still open if keys are locked in the car Other drivers hit me and ran Needs a more sturdy beam to use for the jack to jack up to change a tire
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11417573May 18, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There seems to be a problem with the float in the gas tank. Once car gets down to empty, the fuel tank will only allow you to pump in 5 to 6 gallons of gas into the tank. We searched online and apparently a lot of people are having this issue but may not have reported it to NHTSA. Thanks
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11413723April 25, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES
BRAKE ACTUATOR HAS FAILED. THE BRAKES NO LONGER ARE GETTING PRESSURE, AND REQUIRE A LOT OF FORCE ON THE PEDAL TO STOP. THE BRAKE LIGHT IS ON, AS WELL AS ABS, VSC, AND ! LIGHTS. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, AND TOYOTA WAS FIXING THESE UNDER WARRANTY UP TO 10 YEARS / 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER CAME FIRST. MY CAR HAS 128K MILES, BUT IT'S MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLD, AND THUS, THE FAULTY PART IS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11413048April 20, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
MY VIN NUMBER SAYS ITS A 2008, IT IS A 2011, PRIUS MY BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP WENT OUT AND LOCKED MY BREAKS. I ENDED UP ON SIDE WALK. CALLED DEALER SAID IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A RECALL/CLASS ACTION. COSTING ME $1400.00 FOR A NEW SYSTEM. IT WAS IN MOTION.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11405870March 31, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES
WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY DOWN THE HIGHWAY, A BUZZING PITCH SUDDENLY CAME UP AT THE SAME TIME THAT A RED TRIANGLE, ABS, BRAKE, AND BRAKE SYSTEM WARNINGS LIGHTED UP. THE BRAKES FELT UNRESPONSIVE, BUT FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS LOW TRAFFIC AND I WAS ABLE TO GET HOME SAFELY. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE NEXT DAY AND CHANGED THE GEAR FROM PARKING TO REVERSE, THE BRAKES AGAIN WERE UNRESPONSIVE, AND I HAD TO PRESS THEM COMPLETELY DOWN TO AVOID A COLLISION. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND THEY DIAGNOSED A FAILED BRAKE ACTUATOR. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS AN ENHANCED WARRANTY FOR THIS PART AND ALTHOUGH THE CAR QUALIFIED UNDER THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENTS (IT HAD ONLY 76,500 MILES), THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS OUT OF THAT WARRANTY BECAUSE THE CAR WAS MORE THAN 10 YEARS OLD. I INQUIRED THEM ABOUT HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT IF THEY KNEW ABOUT THIS PART FAILURE, I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT IT AS AN OWNER. THEN, THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS NOT A RECALL, THAT THEY ONLY INFORMED A CUSTOMER IF HIS/HER CAR PRESENTED THAT SPECIFIC PROBLEM. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS AROUND $2,750 WITH PARTS AND LABOR. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ONLINE, THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUING ISSUE AFFECTING MANY TOYOTA PRIUS AS WELL AS OTHER TOYOTA MODELS, AND IT SEEMS THAT TOYOTA HAS TRIED TO AVOID A RECALL ON IT. AT LEAST, THEY SHOULD HAVE IMPLEMENTED THAT ENHANCED WARRANTY FOR THE VEHICLE'S LIFETIME IF THEY DO NOT PROACTIVELY NOTIFY ABOUT IT. I PERSONALLY WAS LUCKY THAT I DID NOT GET HURT, BUT CLEARLY, THIS MALFUNCTIONING PART IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR DRIVERS OUT THERE AND A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS; WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIVES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11404720March 24, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS SYSTEM FAILING AND BRAKES NOT WORKING VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11404474March 23, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL WHICH FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO FOLSOM LAKE TOYOTA (200 PLAZA DR, FOLSOM, CA 95630, (916)355-1500) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11403917March 19, 2021
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT A TRACEABLE CAUSE. PEOPLE HAVE NOTICED THE LIGHT OUT WHILE AT MOTION ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AT LOW SPEED, ON A HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH AND AT REST.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11403683March 18, 2021
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:PUMP
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THOUSAND OAKS TOYOTA (2401 THOUSAND OAKS BLVD, THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91362) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE WATER PUMP NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED IN 2013 UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V536000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED YEARS LATER. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WARRANTY FOR THE PART WAS ONLY GOOD FOR A YEAR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11403796March 18, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IN MY 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS COMPLETELY WENT DARK WHILE DRIVING FROM PHOENIX TO MY HOME IN TUCSON. I WAS TRAVELLING ON I-10 AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 70MPH. TERRIBLY FRIGHTENING WHEN ALL GAUGES FAIL AT THE SAME INSTANT. THIS HAPPENED IN JAN 2021. SPEEDOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, HEADLIGHT INDICATORS, PRNDL, LCRUISE CONTROL, LIGHTS THAT INDICATE ENGINE EMERGENCIES DO NOT LIGHT. BACK-UP CAMERA DOES NOT WORK NOR DO THE BACK-UP LIGHTS. THESE ALL ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUES. HAVING RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM IT IS EVIDENT THAT TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE RECALLED THOUSANDS OF PRIUS' FOR THIS ISSUE. THEY ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS ISSUE BUT MINE EXPIRED BEFORE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY, 2020. I FIRMLY AM CONVINCED THAT TOYOTA SHOULD HONOR THE WARRANTY FOR THIS DANGEROUSLY COMMON FAILURE WHICH HAPPENS TO MANY DIFFERENT MODEL YEAR OF THE PRIUS. IT'S, IN FACT, IRRESPONSIBLE OF TOYOTA TO NOT REPAIR THESE VEHICLES AS THEY HAVE KNOWN HOW MASSIVELY PREVALENT THESE FAILURES ARE. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERS IS CHARGING OVER $1000.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I, FOR ONE, CANNOT AFFORD SUCH A COST FOR A MALFUNCTIONING, CRITICAL FOR SAFELY OPERATING THEIR PRODUCT, THAT SHOULD BE REMEDIED INTO PERPETUITY, SINCE THEY HAVE UNQUESTIONABLY BEEN FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IT'S SEVERITY. I SHOULD NOT BE EXCLUDED FROM REPAIR SIMPLY BECAUSE THE FAILURE HAPPENED LATER IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE THAN OTHERS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11398795March 2, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
HI I HAVE A 2004-2009 PRIUS THAT EXPERIENCED A BRAKE ACTUATOR FAILURE. COME TO FIND OUT THIS IS A RECALLED PART, I WOULD LOVE TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE ABOUT GETTING THIS REMEDIED AS IT IS A $3,000 FIX.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11397664February 24, 2021
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
MY VEHICLE WAS SHOWING 4 BARS FOR HOW MUCH GAS WAS LEFT IN THE TANK. I DROVE TO FILL IT UP BUT DESPITE HOW MUCH I PUT IN THE FUEL GAUGE WON'T READ IT AND IS STUCK ON 4 BARS. WHEN DRIVING IT WON'T DECREASE EITHER I'VE DRIVEN OVER 70 MILES AND IT STILL WON'T ADJUST.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11395887February 12, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THERE IS A RAMPANT 'EPIDEMIC" WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS OF STOLEN CATALYTIC CONVERTERS (CC) FOR ALL MODEL YEARS. THE CC (INCLUDING OXYGEN SENSOR) IS MADE OF PRECIOUS METALS THAT HAVE SKYROCKETED IN PRICE ON THE 'OPEN MARKET'. THE PRIUS CC CONTAINS 8% PRECIOUS METALS OF RHODIUM, PLATINUM, AND PALLADIUM. THIEVES CAN GET 'IN-AND-OUT' WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES (1-3) AND THEN RE-SELL THE CC ON THE OPEN MARKET. EXAMPLES OF HOW RAMPANT THIS IS: (1) AUGUST 2020, THE CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED A 357% INCREASE IN STOLEN CCS; (2) YESTERDAY, WHEN FILING A POLICE REPORT WITH THE ATHENS-CLARK COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT ON MY 2008 PRIUS CC, DETECTIVE TOLD MY SON IT WAS THE FIFTH (5TH) REPORT OF A STOLEN CATALYTIC CONVERTER THAT DAY; (3) MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP TOLD ME THEY HAVE INSTALLED AT LEAST 5 REPLACEMENT CCS IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS'FAR EXCEEDING ANYTHING TO-DATE. THE CC ON MY 2008 PRIUS WAS STOLEN ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10. (I ALSO HAVE A NEW 2021 PRIUS THAT I AM DEATHLY AFRAID TO DRIVE ANYWHERE FOR FEAR OF GETTING THE CC STOLEN.) THE COST OF REPLACEMENT FOR A STOLEN CC CAN RANGE FROM ABOUT $1,600 (AFTER MARKET) TO MORE THAN $5,000 (OEM-TOYOTA). MY 2008 PRIUS, IT HAS COST ME $1,704 FOR THE REPLACEMENT (AFTER MARKET) CATALYTIC CONVERTER. A COMPANY IN CALIFORNIA MAKES AN AFTER MARKET THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEM CALLED CAT SECURITY (WWW.GETCATSECURITY.COM). FOR MY 2008 PRIUS ITS $160; FOR THE 2021 PRIUS ITS $135. PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION (I.E., REPAIR SHOP OR TOYOTA DEALER) IS REQUIRED COSTING ANOTHER $150 - $300 DOLLARS. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA USA AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE ISSUE IS THEY RESPOND WITH 'AMNESIA', NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS. I AM REQUESTING THE NHTSA TELL TOYOTA-USA TO ISSUE A RECALL TO ALL MODEL-YEAR PRIUS'S, IMMEDIATELY TO CORRECT AND SECURE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SYSTEM FORM THEFT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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