2004 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

OUR 2004 PRIUS ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS HAD A COMPLETE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WITH LOTS OF INDICATOR LIGHTS LIT ON THE DASHBOARD. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WHILE WE WERE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS IN TRAFFIC AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ONCE IN A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED, AND ONCE AS WE PULLED INTO A TOYOTO DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. WE WERE NOT AWARE WE COULD SEND A COMPLAINT TO NHTSA UNTIL WE SAY TODAY'S MSNBC ARTICLE. THE FIRST ENGINE SHUTDOWN OCCURRED IN THE HYANNIS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN MASSACHUSETTS. THEY TOOK QUITE A WHILE TO FIX THE VEHICLE AND MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS TO TOYOTA ENGINEERS FOR HELP. THEY WROTE ON OUR RECEIPT: "NEEDS TRANS REPLACEMENT FOR PERMANENT REPAIR." AFTER WE LEFT MASSACHUSETTS WE DROVE ACROSS COUNTRY TOWARD OUR HOME IN CALIFORNIA. THE OTHER THREE ENGINE SHUTDOWNS HAPPENED DURING THIS TRIP. WE HAD TO BE TOWED (AT TOYOTA'S EXPENSE) TWICE AS A RESULT OF THE INTERSTATE ENGINE SHUTDOWNS AND ENDED UP AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI. WE HAD TO STAY SEVERAL DAYS AT OUR OWN EXPENSE WHILE THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE, AGAIN CONSULTING SEVERAL TIMES WITH TOYOTA ENGINEERS DURING THE REPAIR. AFTER WE REACHED CALIFORNIA WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SOUTH BAY TOYOTA AND REQUESTED THE "PERMANENT" REPAIR DESCRIBED ON THE HYANNIS TOYOTA RECEIPT. WE WERE TOLD THEY WOULD DO NOTHING BECAUSE THERE WAS NO INDICATOR SHOWING ANY PROBLEMS AT THAT TIME. WE MADE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS TO TOYOTA BUT WERE UNABLE TO GET THEM TO DO ANYTHING FURTHER TO OUR CAR.

I HAVE A 2004 PRIUS. (YOUR SUSTEM DOES NOT SHOW A PRIUS, SO I CHECKED THE TOYOTA MATRIX BOX, SINCE THE SYSTEM MADE ME CHECK SOME MODEL BOX.)THE TOYOTA NAVIGATION SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE--IT DIRECTS TURNS ONTO NON-EXITENT ROADS. PEOPLE WILL DIE WHEN THEY FOLLOW THE SYSTEM'S DIRECTIONS AND DRIVE OFF ROAD AND CRASH. LETTERS TO TOYOTA HAVE GONE UNANSWERED. BY TELEPHONE TOYOTA ADVISES THAT THIS IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM.

DT: CONSUMER STATES WHILE GOING SOUTHBOUND, HE ACCIDENTALLY BUMP THE VEHICLE OUT OF GEAR FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL AT ABOUT 70 MPH. AFTERWARDS CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE BACK IN DRIVE. IT SEEMED AS THOUGH VEHICLE WAS DEAD. CONSUMER HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE THEN PUT BACK IN DRIVE AND THEN MERGE BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY. *TT

DRIVER-SIDE HID HEADLIGHT TURNS ITSELF OFF AT BRIEF INTERVALS. TURNING HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON RESTORES IT, WITHOUT FAIL. SITUATION REMAINED STABLE FOR OVER A YEAR, NOV. 2008 TO JAN. 2010. LIGHT TURNS OUT WHETHER VEHICLE IS MOVING OR STATIONARY. REPLACING LAMP DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM -- IN FACT, NEW BULB TURNS OFF MORE THAN ONCE A MINUTE, WHILE OLD BULB TURNED OFF ABOUT EVERY 10 MINUTES. *TR

FAX LTR INVESTIGATION OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE MODEL YEARS 2004 & 2005 REPORTS OF VEHICLE STALLING AT HIGH SPEEDS.*MR *NM

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. FAILURE TO SEAL THE CABIN AND UNDER DASH AREAS FROM OPEN ACCESS ALLOWED SMALL RODENTS TO ENTER THE OUTSIDE AIR VENT LEADING TO THE CABIN AIR FILTER, CAUSED WIRING AND TUBING DAMAGES. *TS UPDATED 11/29/2005 -A FOUL ODOR COULD ALSO BE SMEELE INSIDE THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE RODENTS LIVING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *NM

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HESITATES WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. INSTRUMENTAL PANEL LIGHT AND SLIP INDICATOR CAME ON, THEN VEHICLE RESUMES FULL POWER. *KB ***NAR*** *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINT CONCERNING 2004 PRIUS TRANSMISSION. *TS THE CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS STARTING IN LOW GEAR ON A HILL. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A NOTICE REGARDING THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, HOWEVER WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP, HE WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO PARTS AVAILABLE. THE DEALER EVENTUALLY REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT. *JB

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT TRANSMISSION CONTROL LEVER BECAME WORN. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO THE ROLL WITH THIS DEFECT. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE INTERNAL SPRING THAT MOVES THE TRANSMISSION LEVER BACK TO THE PREVIOUS POSITION BECAME WORN AND NOW IT DOESN'T RETURN TO IT'S NORMAL POSITION WHEN PUTTING IT IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. THE SHIFTER LEVER WAS STICKING IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. *JB

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH BRAKE PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE SKIDS OUT OF CONTROL. *KB