Toyota Prius Complaints (2007)

2,004 consumer complaints on file.

#10306417February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
2007 TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKING ISSUE!!!! THE ISSUES YOU ARE ADDRESSING WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM OF THE 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS AREN'T ISOLATED TO THE 2010 PRIUS. PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT I HAVE A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WITH BRAKING SYSTEM SEEMINGLY EVERY TIME THE "TRACTION CONTROL" LIGHT ILLUMINATES... FOR EXAMPLE WHEN I HIT UNEVEN PAVEMENT OR POTHOLES AND MOMENTS WHEN THE TIRES LOSE TRACTION ON WET/ICY ROADS. THE SENSATION WHEN DRIVING DURING THE SECOND OR TWO THAT IT FEELS IT TAKES FOR THE BRAKES TO REGAIN FULL FUNCTION LEAVES ME, THE DRIVER, FEELING SLIGHTLY OUT OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND UNSAFE ON THE ROAD. WHY ARE THEY/YOU NOT LOOKING AT EARLIER PRIUS MODELS, TOO, IN THIS RECALL?? FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, TOYOTA HAS HAD COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE SINCE 2006 WITH THEIR PRIUS MODEL. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE/CORRECT THIS ISSUE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306392February 5, 2010
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
HID HEADLIGHT SUDDENLY TURNING OFF. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ALMOST RANDOMLY IN OUR 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS SINCE NOV 2009. THE LIGHTS GO OUT SOMETIMES ONE, SOMETIMES BOTH HEADLIGHTS. THE PROBLEM IS ALMOST ALWAYS RESOLVED BY FLIPPING THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN - HOWEVER THAT IS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION AS THE HEADLIGHTS SOMETIMES GO OUT AGAIN WITHIN A MINUTE. THE OCCURRENCES OF THIS HAPPENING ARE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN AS ONE CANNOT ALWAYS TELL IF JUST ONE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM DOES APPEAR TO BE RANDOM - DAYTIME, NIGHTTIME, RAIN, SNOW, BUMPY OR SMOOTH ROADS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306498February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS SPORADICALLY LURCHES FORWARD IF I HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE DURING BRAKING. IT HAS DONE THIS SINCE IT WAS NEW AND THE DEALER HAS ALWAYS TOLD ME SINCE THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. COULD THIS BE RELATED TO THE CURRENT ISSUES BEING CLAIMED ON THE 2010 MODEL. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306500February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ON 3 OCCASIONS, WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, AND WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD SUDDENLY DROP PART WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR WOULD ROLL EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARD, DEPENDING ON GRADE, UNTIL I PUT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306516February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING POWER AND FEELING OF ACCELERATION. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306587February 5, 2010
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
I'VE COMPLAINED -- WITH NO RESPONSE OR HELP -- TO A TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT 2 CONCERNS I HAVE WITH MY 2007 PRIUS THAT I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED WERE MANUFACTURER/DESIGN DEFECTS: 1) THE BRAKES SKIP WHEN I HIT A POTHOLE, ESPECIALLY THE ONE I TRAVERSE EVERY WEEKDAY TURNING INTO MY WORKSITE. 2) DURING HARD ACCELERATION EARLY IN A DRIVE (THE UPHILL LEFT TURN LEAVING MY NEIGHBORHOOD), THERE IS A HESITATION FOR ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO -- LIKE THE ENGINE IS GOING TO STALL AND DIE (IT HASN'T YET.) WHEN I 'FLOOR IT" TO MOVE INTO A HOLE IN TRAFFIC, I GET FULL POWER FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS, FOLLOWED BY NO POWER FOR A SECOND AND THEN A RETURN OF POWER. IT'S AS IF I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, ONLY IT HASN'T MOVED. MY FEAR IS THAT SOME TIME THE DELAY WILL CAUSE ME TO GET HIT AND THAT SOME TIME THE ENGINE WILL JUST DIE. I'VE NOTICED THIS FROM WHEN THE CAR WAS WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH OLD (I TOOK DELIVERY 4/30/07). STEVINSON TOYOTA (GOLDEN, CO) SAID THEY HADN'T HEARD OF SUCH COMPLAINTS. WHEN I TOOK IT IN ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE THE PROBLEMS AND DID NOTHING. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306608February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
I THINK THAT THE PRIUS BRAKING PROBLEM IS NOT LIMITED TO THE 2010 MODEL. MY 2007 PRIUS OFTEN HESITATES IN BRAKING OVER BUMPY AND SLIPPERY SURFACES INCLUDING RAIN WET ROADS. I SLID INTO AN INTERSECTION THAT I FEEL ANY OTHER CAR WOULD HAVE STOPPED WITHOUT TROUBLE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306595February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE BRAKING PROBLEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE VSA ICON IN THE TOYOTA PRIUS IS NOT ISOLATED TO THE 2010 MODEL YEAR. MY 2007 PRIUS DOES EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE SEEN DESCRIBED IN THE MEDIA. IT HAS DONE THIS EVER SINCE IT WAS BRAND NEW. I HAD NEVER DRIVEN A HYBRID BEFORE, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST THE NATURE OF THE BEAST. BUT IT IS VERY UNSETTLING WHEN THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD WHEN I DRIVE ON A ROAD WITH AN UNEVEN SURFACE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306698February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I AM EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM WITH MY '07 TOYOTA PRIUS. I PURCHASED MY PRIUS IN MAY OF '07 & HAVE APPROXIMATELY 17,600 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. SINCE THEN I HAVE EXPERIENCED ON APPROXIMATELY 6 OCCASIONS A LURCHING WHEN BRAKING TO A FULL STOP AT A STOP LIGHT. I AM BRAKING AFTER A SLOW COAST AND GRADUALLY BRAKING SO IT IS NOT A SUDDEN ACTION. SINCE IT HAPPENS SO RARELY AND WITH NO WARNING AND DOESN'T REPEAT THE PROBLEM FOR MONTHS I HAVE NOT TAKEN MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER HEARING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS RE: 2010 PRIUS I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY COULD CHECK MY CAR FOR THE SAME DEFECT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE UNLESS THE CAR WOULD JUST HAPPEN TO EXPERIENCE THE BEHAVIOR DURING A TEST DRIVE. BUT FOR $79 I COULD BRING IT IN WHICH WOULD DOCUMENT MY COMPLAINT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT SINCE THE 2010 RECALL THE DEALERSHIP WAS BEING INUNDATED WITH HYPOCHONDRIAC OWNER'S REPORTING IMAGINED PROBLEMS. I THINK THOSE OWNER'S ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE LIKE ME. JUST NOW REPORTING A HARD TO REPLICATE INCIDENT. I THINK THE INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO BE BROADENED IMMEDIATELY FOR ALL PRIUS INVOLVED IN THE FLOOR MAT RECALL AS I THINK THAT IS JUST AN INVENTED PROBLEM TO COVER UP THE BRAKING/ACCELERATION DEFECT. *TR UPDATED 04/15/10.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306714February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
BRAKES MOMENTARILY DISRUPTED WHEN GOING OVER POTHOLES AND YELLOW LIGHT FLASHES. THIS HAS BEEN A REGULAR OCCURRENCE WITH OUR PRE 2010 (2007) PRIUS SINCE PURCHASE. NEVER CONSIDERED IT A SERIOUS HAZARD, BUT I AM REPORTING IT NOW IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR ONGOING INVESTIGATION OF THE 2010 MODELS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306689February 5, 2010
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE DRIVING AND ALL ELECTICAL FUNCTIONS CEASED. OCCURRED ONE TIME ONLY IN 10/09. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PEBBLE IN THE THROTTLE. CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN ONLY ON CITY STREETS,NO COUNTRY ROADS OR OFF ROAD. THROTTLE WAS CLEANED FOR A COST OF $350.. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306781February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I OWN A PRIUS 2007 AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE BRAKE PROBLEMS REPORTED IN THE NEWS SINCE BUYING THE CAR USED IN 12/08. SOMETIMES WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON UNEVEN SURFACES, A DASHBOARD SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON AS THE BRAKES RELEASE/STOP WORKING AND THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS SKIDDING FORWARD FOR ABOUT A SECOND. THEN THEY REENGAGE AND THE CAR CAN BE STOPPED. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN A ACCIDENT YET. MY DEALERSHIP HAD TOLD ME THAT IT IS A NORMAL FUNCTION OF THE PRIUS. THIS HAPPEN AGAIN ON 2/2/10 AS I WAS TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT AND WENT OVER THE LIP OF THE ENTRANCE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306808February 5, 2010
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
BOTH HEADLIGHTS FAILED AT ONCE WHILE DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT IN 50MPH ZONE! TURNED OFF/ON HEADLIGHTS AND THEY WORKED PROPERLY. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS ISSUE ASAP BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306805February 5, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ON DECEMBER 6, 2009, AUTOMATIC BRAKES KICKED IN AT LOW SPEED COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER A SCREECHING METAL AGAINST METAL SOUND. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID BRAKES WERE FINE. ON DECEMBER 28TH, AGAIN AT LOW SPEED BRAKING FOR A RED LIGHT, APPLIED THE BRAKES AND HEARD A LOUD BANG AND THE CAR LURCHED. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN REAR-ENDED BUT THERE WAS NO CAR BEHIND ME. DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER. THIS TIME THEY SAID THE BRAKES WERE GRABBING AND THEY CLEANED AND ADJUSTED THE BRAKES. THIS HAPPENED ON A 2007 PRIUS, NOT A 2010 PRIUS, SO I AM WONDERING IF THE BRAKE PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN IS CURRENTLY ASSUMED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306851February 5, 2010
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I HAVE A 2007 PRIUS, ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT STARTED INTERMITTENTLY GOING OUT. THIS BEGAN TO OCCUR ABOUT 75% OF THE TIME AFTER ABOUT A YEAR. IT USUALLY OCCURRED AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF DRIVING. I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER AT MY ROUTINE SERVICING BUT THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM THE FIRST TWO TIMES I MENTIONED IT, THEN LAST SUMMER THEY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME IT WOULD BE ABOUT 850$ TO FIX IT. I SAID NO THANKS. THEN LAST MONTH THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD DO IT FOR 250$ SO I SAID OK. AS SOON AS I DROVE HOME THE SAME PROBLEM STARTED ON THE LEFT. I WENT RIGHT BACK TO THE DEALER AND SAID WHAT IS GOING ON? THEY TOLD ME AT FIRST IT WAS JUST A COINCIDENCE AND THAT THE LEFT LIGHT WAS OLD AND IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH REPLACING THE RIGHT. AT THAT I GOT UPSET SO THEY CONFERRED AND CAME UP THE EXPLANATION THAT NEW LIGHT ON THE RIGHT WAS SUCKING ENERGY FROM THE LEFT, AND SINCE THE LEFT LIGHT WAS OLD, IT WAS NOW FAILING. THAT SOUNDED LIKE A BUNCH OF BOLOGNA TO ME SO I SAID JUST GIVE ME MY CAR. SO NOW I HAVE A FLICKERING LEFT HEADLIGHT. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306133February 4, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
I AM DESCRIBING A REPEATING ISSUE WITH MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. THIS FAILURE OCCURS WHEN I DRIVE OVER BUMPY SURFACES, A LARGE POTHOLE, OR AN AREA WITH A DIP IN THE ROAD. OFTEN, WHEN FACED WITH THESE CONDITIONS, THE CAR STUTTERS AND LURCHES AND THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST LIGHT FLASHES. AT TIMES, THE CAR'S SLIP AND STUTTER SEEMS TO LAST SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER HITTING THE ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD. WHILE IT SEEMS TO EXACERBATE THE PROBLEM IF I AM TURNING OR BRAKING, I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT I SOMETIMES EXPERIENCE THIS LURCHING AND STALLING SOMETIMES WHEN I AM SIMPLY DRIVING ALONG AT 35 MPH AND HIT A POTHOLE. IT OFTEN SEEMS TO OCCUR IN A SITUATION WHERE BRAKING OR TURNING IS INVOLVED, BUT IT SEEMS MORE RELATED TO THE VSA PROCESS. I AM REPORTING THIS FAILURE BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN NEWS REPORTS OF AN INVESTIGATION OF THE 2010 PRIUS MODEL. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BRAKE FAILURE REPORTED IN THE MEDIA ARE BASICALLY THE SAME AS MINE.*JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306162February 4, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
I BELIEVE MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS A PROBLEM SIMILAR TO THE RECENT MEDIA REPORTS REGARDING THE BRAKING SYSTEM IN THE 2010 PRIUS. I HAVE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS OBSERVED A LAPSE IN BRAKING POWER WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP. A FEW TIMES, THIS LAPSE RESULTED IN MY VEHICLE COMING UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306168February 4, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
BRAKE LOCKUP WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 20 MPH ON NORMAL FLAT ROAD (RAIN). *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306183February 4, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2009 AT ABOUT 4:15 PM, I HAD A SUDDEN ACCELERATION INCIDENT WITH MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAD NOT HAD ANY PRIOR DIFFICULTY WITH THIS VEHICLE IN THE APPROXIMATELY 34,000 MILES I HAD DRIVEN SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW. HOWEVER AT THIS TIME WHEN I TRIED TO BACK THE CAR ABOUT 50 FEET BACKWARDS INTO A MOTEL PARKING SPOT (ACTUALLY THERE WERE 3 OPEN SPOTS IN A ROW), IT RESPONDED VERY ABNORMALLY. I STARTED THE CAR, PUT IT IN REVERSE AND GENTLY APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE GAS PEDAL. INSTEAD OF CREEPING BACKWARDS AT ~5 MPH AS I HAD INTENDED, THE CAR "TOOK OFF" AT ABOUT 30-40 MPH. I STOMPED ON THE BRAKES WITH BOTH FEET AND INITIALLY DIDN'T SLOW DOWN. I FELT AN IMPACT AS MY CAR GRAZED A PARKED VEHICLE. MY CAR JUMPED OVER THE CURB AT THE PARKING LOT EDGE, PASSED OVER SOME SHORT BUSHES AND ENTERED A CULVERT. SOMEHOW I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR AND IT CARVED A 180 DEGREE CURVE AND CAME TO A HALT ABOUT 75 FEET AFTER IT PASSED INTO THE CULVERT. FORTUNATELY I DID MAKE THIS SHARP TURN SINCE THERE IS A 4 LANE HIGHWAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CULVERT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND ONLY SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE OTHER CAR, BUT AN ESTIMATED $7000 OF BODY DAMAGE TO MY CAR. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AS WELL MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE OWNER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS LOCATED. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. SINCE THAT TIME, THE LOCAL TOYOTA REGIONAL OFFICE SENT OUT A REPRESENTATIVE WHO INSPECTED MY CAR AND "DURING A ROAD TEST NO ABNORMAL BRAKING OR ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WERE FOUND." I HAVE SINCE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH TOYOTA USA IN TORRANCE , CA. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH A "CASE REPRESENTATIVE" WHO HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL. FINALLY AFTER 5 OR 6 PHONE CALLS, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE ADDRESS OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. I WROTE THEM A LETTER ON JANUARY 20 AND HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM. I ALSO CALLED AND LEFT MESSAGES ON FEBRUARY 2 AND 4. AS A PHYSICIAN INTERESTED IN PUBLIC HEALTH I DON'T WANT MY FAMILY OR ANYONE ELSE TO DRIVE THIS CAR. MY FAITH IN THE TOYOTA COMPANY IS DIMINISHED.*JB
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10306175February 4, 2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
APPLIED BRAKE WHILE RUNNING LESS THAN 5 MPH IN FLAT PARKING LOT WITH FLAT SURFACE ROAD; I WAS FEELING LIKE FLOATING OR LIKE EARTH QUAKE WHILE INSIDE THE CAR. IT HAPPENED TWO TIMES WITHIN 3 MINUTES TIME FRAME. WHEN MY CAR WAS ABOUT 40K MILE (NOW MY CAR IS 75K MILES), AND ONLY HAPPENED TWO TIMES IN THE PAST HAS NOT OCCURRED AGAIN YET. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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