2004 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 40-45 MPH THE GASOLINE MOTOR WOULD FAIL, AND THEN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TWICE. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED FIRST, AND THEN THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS FLUSHED. THE SECOND REPAIR CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, BUT THE PROBLEM OF THE VEHICLE LOCKING IN PARK WAS NOT ADDRESSED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,100. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,999. UPDATED 01/12/10 *BF ALL OF THE ALARM LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD HAD ILLUMINATED WHEN ACCELERATING. WHEN THE CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND SWITCHED TO PARK, HE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL DID NOT DISPLAY A CLEAR EXPLANATION THAT THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WAS NOT STARTING AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING ON THE BATTERY ONLY. UPDATED 01/15/10.*JB

I WROTE THIS AGENCY A FEW MONTHS AGO REGARDING MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS AND THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING WITH HEADLIGHTS ALTERNATING ON/OFF. TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH ON/OFF WOULD TURN IT BACK ON. THREE OR FOUR MONTHS AGO BOTH LIGHTS STARTED GOING OUT AT THE SAME TIME. TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH ON/OFF INTERMITTENTLY 5-9 TIMES MAKES THEM TURN BACK ON. SO FAR I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME 3 TIMES WITHIN THE LAST WEEK TRAVELING 40-55 MILES AN HOUR. I HAVE JUST READ THAT YOU GUYS STOPPED YOUR INVESTIGATION. HOW MANY ACCIDENTS OR DEATHS DO YOU NEED BEFORE ANYTHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS. WHEN HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT THEY DON'T COME BACK ON. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER GLITCH THAT TOYOTA HAS TO BE AWARE OF. IN ALL MY YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE AS THAT OF EVERYTHING GOING DARK AND JUST HAVING TO HIT THE BRAKES. LUCKILY WHEN IT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT THE CAR BEHIND US SAW OUR BRAKE LIGHTS AND CAME TO A SAFE STOP. THEY FLASHED THEIR HEADLIGHTS NOT KNOWING WHY OUR CAR WAS STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I REQUEST A REPLY TO THIS COMPLAINT SINCE NO ONE CONTACTED ME ON MY PRIOR COMPLAINT. THANK YOU. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS - HEADLIGHTS GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON - NEED TO TURN HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON IN ORDER TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHT COME BACK ON. AT FIRST, THIS ONLY HAPPENED IN THE LEFT HEADLIGHT, LATELY THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT HAS BEEN HAVING THE PROBLEM, LUCKILY IT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO BOTH HEADLIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME. WOULD BE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS IF THIS HAPPENED ON A DARK COUNTRY ROAD! *TR

REPEATED BRAKING AT SLOW SPEEDS RESULTED IN BOTH ABS AND BRAKE ON SIGNALS, OWNER'S MANUAL SAYS STOP DRIVING AND CONTACT DEALER IMMEDIATELY. DROVE SLOWLY TO DEALER WHO RAN DIAGNOSTICS.($98)TOLD TO REPLACE COMPUTER ($2000) NOT IN STOCK. TOLD OK TO DRIVE UNTIL REPLACEMENT. ADJUSTED SOMETHING. WARNING LIGHTS OPERATED AS EXPECTED. SITUATION RECURRED TWICE. OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATED KNOWLEDGE OF POSSIBLE FAILURE. ALSO "PARKING BRAKE ABNORMAL STATUS HAS APPEARED TWICE. NO EXPLANATION IN MANUAL *TW

2004 PRIUS: AFTER DRIVING AT 10MPH ON GRAVEL ROAD WITH POTHOLES AND THEN TURNING ON TO SMOOTH PAVED ROAD ENGINE SPEED AND SPEEDOMETER STARTED TO VARY WILDLY WITH SPEEDOMETER GOING UP TO 45MPH DOWN AND BACK UP AGAIN FOR A 5 MINUTE PERIOD WHILE DRIVING ON THE PAVED ROAD AT ABOUT 30MPH. THIS CONTINUED BUT CAR ITSELF DID NOT ACCELERATE ABNORMALLY DESPITE CHANGE IN ENGINE SPEED AND WILD SPEEDOMETER. *TR

DRIVING ON BAY BRIDGE, SF, CA AT 10:00 AM GOING 50 MPH. THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS SHOWED ON DASH, CARE LOST ALL BAKING ABILITY. BRAKE LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, EXCLAMATION LIGHT, AND WHINING SOUND. HAD TO USE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP CAR AND HAVE IT TOWED. *TR

WHEN GOING OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT, OR HITTING DEBRIS OR DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE, WHEN PRESSING ON THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, WITH NO BRAKING POWER. THIS HAS HAPPENED EVER SINCE WE GOT THE CAR, MANY TIMES. THE DEALER TOLD US IT WAS THE ANTI-SKIDDING SYSTEM AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO BE DONE. *CN

LAST FALL THE LEFT HEADLIGHT WAS NOTICED TO BE OUT ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS BY A NEIGHBOR WHEN I CAME HOME ONE NIGHT IN NOVEMBER, 2009. MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IT FIXED AT MY TOYOTA DEALER, BUT THEN IT CAME ON THE NEXT DAY. WHEN I CANCELED THE APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER THEY MENTIONED TO WATCH IT, SINCE THE HEADLIGHTS WERE KNOWN TO GO ON AND OFF. WE LEFT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS FOR A VACATION DRIVE FROM MD TO NC. HEADLIGHT STAYED ON UNTIL WE WERE IN NC. WENT TO A TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE $900 TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SINCE THE COMPUTER BEHIND THE LIGHT HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. AT THAT OUTRAGEOUS PRICE - FOR JUST ONE HEADLIGHT - WE DID NOT GET IT FIXED. THE HEADLIGHT THEN STAYED ON MOST OF THE REST OF THE TRIP, BUT PERIODICALLY GOES OFF. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT SHOULD CERTAINLY NOT COST ALMOST A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX A HEADLIGHT. *TR

ABOUT 40% OF THE TIME, MY TOYOTA PRIUS DOESN'T WANT TO STOP OR SLOW DOWN WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. UNDER THESE CONDITIONS, I HAVE TO APPLY THE BRAKES HARD AND THEN THE CAR WILL SLOW DOWN. IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR WANTS TO "RUN AWAY" WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. IT EXHIBITS THIS BEHAVIOR IN MANY CIRCUMSTANCES: STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT, SLOWING DOWN ON AN EXPRESSWAY, OR SLOWING DOWN ON A CITY STREET. *TR UPDATED 11/23/09 *BF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW SWITCH WASN'T OPENING OR CLOSING THE WINDOW UNLESS THE MASTER SWITCH WAS USED. THE THROTTLE BODY HAD TO BE CLEANED. THE FAN BELT AND BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 11/24/09 UPDATED 01/06/10 *BF UPDATED 01/07/10.*JB

HEADLAMPS TURN OFF INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

DRIVING APPROX 35 MPH. APPLIED BRAKES LIGHTLY TO SLOW BEFORE A SHARP RIGHT TURN. BRAKES "FROZE" AND REQUIRED EXTREME PRESSURE TO SLOW AND THEN STOP THE CAR BEFORE REACHING AN INTERSECTION APPROX. 100 FEET BEYOND THE CURVE. THE CAR STALLED AND LOST POWER DURING THIS MANEUVER, WHICH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY VERY STRONG SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER AND MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR, IT FELT AS IF THE BRAKES HAD SEIZED SUCH THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PROCEED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TO A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON REPEATEDLY UNTIL THE WARNING LIGHTS EXTINGUISHED AND NORMAL OPERATION RESUMED. MY LOCAL SHOP (NOT A TOYOTA DEALER) SAID THERE WAS A CODE FOR COMMUNICATION FAILURE WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM BUT NO INDICATION OF DAMAGE TO THE BRAKES OR WHEELS. THIS WAS THE FIRST INSTANCE FOR THIS PROBLEM, WHICH HAS NOT OCCURRED SUBSEQUENTLY. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. ON OCTOBER 19, 2009, THE CAR ACCELERATED BY ITSELF TO 65 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE, SLOW DOWN THE CAR AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD THE CAR TOLLED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT "DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM." THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE THE FLOOR MAT OUT. IN THE MEANTIME, THEY CHARGED ME $1400 TO REPLACE A WATER PUMP AND PERFORM OTHER MAINTENANCE SERVICES. THE RECENT ACCELERATION RECALL BY TOYOTA DOES NOT INCLUDE MY CAR ALTHOUGH I HAD THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. WHEN I CALLED THE COMPANY TO INQUIRE THE REASON FOR THIS, THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS MODEL WAS MADE IN JAPAN WITH A DIFFERENT PART MANUFACTURE, THUS IT IS NOT UNDER THE ACCELERATION RECALL, JUST THE FLOOR MAT RECALL. *TR

THE INFORMATION SCREEN ON '04 AND '05 TOYOTA PRIUSES FAILS. TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR SOME TIME (THEIR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN EL 005-02). NOT ONLY IS IT NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO FULLY CONTROL THE SOUND SYSTEM AND THE HEATING/COOLING CONTROLS, BUT THE NAV SYSTEM NO LONGER OPERATES. AND MOST IMPORTANT FROM A SAFETY POINT OF VIEW, THE WARNING THAT SOUNDS AND SHOWS WHEN A DOOR IS OPENED AND THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL ENGAGED (SOMETHING EASY TO DO IN A PRIUS) NO LONGER OPERATES. NOR DOES A MESSAGE SHOW WHEN THE SYSTEM DETECTS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. NOR DOES THE LOW FUEL MESSAGE SHOW. I HAVE TWO FRIENDS WITH EARLY 2004 PRIUSES AND BOTH OF THEM HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE COST OF A FIX FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART IS OVER $800! *TR

MY DAUGHTER OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS. THE LIGHTS FAIL ONE AT ATIME OR BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. THEY COME BACK ON USUALLY BY TURNING THE SWITCH OFF AND THEN BACK ON, EXCEPT WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT IN THE FOG, AND THEY DID NOT COME BACK ON. SHE HAD TO PARK AND SPEND THE NIGHT BESIDE THE ROAD, UNTIL DAYLIGHT TO CONTINUE DRIVING HOME. SHE HAS CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND HAS FOUND OUT THAT THE BULBS COST $350 A PIECE AND REQUIRES EXTENSIVE DISMANTLING OF THE CAR TO INSTALL THEM. THIS MEANING THAT A $1000 DOLLAR EXPENSE FOR REPLACING THE BULBS, NOT KNOWING IF THERE IS A DEEPER SEATED PROBLEM WITH THE POWER SUPPLY TO THE HEADLIGHTS. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THEIR HAS BEEN ANYTHING DONE ABOUT A RECALL? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH BEFORE THE PEDAL RELEASED.THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. NO REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71000.

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WENT OUT AT ABOUT 83K MILES. IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT OUTAGE, AND COULD BE RESET BY TURNING HEADLIGHTS ON AND OFF. THIS IS DANGEROUS AT NIGHT! TOYOTA WANTED TO CHANGE BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND BALLASTS FOR A TOTAL COST OF $1086. HEADLIGHTS ARE SAFETY-RELATED AND I SEE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMONLY COMPLAINED ABOUT ONLINE. TOYOTA NATIONAL OFC. OFFERED TO REIMBURSE ME 1/2 AFTER I FRONTED THE TOTAL MONEY TO THE LOCAL DEALER REPAIR SHOP. *TR

INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURE ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS, WITH JUST OVER 70,000 MILES. THIS IS TRULY DANGEROUS--SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE WIDESPREAD--WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET KILLED FIRST? *TR

HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF SPONTANEOUSLY, MUST BE RESTARTED BY TURNING SWITCH ON AND OFF. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS, AND MY LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS TURNED PINK. IT IS NOW CONTINUOUSLY PINK. I WAS TOLD BY MY DEALERSHIP THAT IT WOULD COST $400 TO REPLACE THE HEADLAMP BECAUSE IT IS A XENON HEADLIGHT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT XENON HEADLIGHTS SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN MINE DID. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH HID HEADLIGHTS. A FEW MONTHS AGO I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND THE HEADLIGHTS CUT OFF COMPLETELY. IT WAS 11:30PM ON A FOGGY, DRIZZLY NIGHT, AND SUDDENLY I WAS DRIVING 70 MPH IN PITCH DARKNESS. I WAS ABLE TO GET THEM TO COME BACK ON AND DRIVE HOME SLOWLY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, WHERE THEY REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS FOR $990. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED, HEADLIGHTS CUT OUT AT NIGHT. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY KEPT IT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THEY THEN RETURNED THE CAR, ASSURING ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. SINCE THAT TIME THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HAS GONE OUT SEVERAL TIMES.

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON I-57 NORTH. WHILE DRIVING THE GASOLINE ENGINE STOPPED FUNCTIONING, TRIGGERING SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS. I PULLED THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND MANAGED TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY ON BATTERY POWER. THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2005 FOR A SIMILAR CONDITION. MY PRIUS HAD THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED IN OCTOBER 2005 FOR THE SOFTWARE PROBLEM. THE TOYOTA DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIND ANY REASON FOR THE PROBLEM AND CAN NOT REPLICATE THE ENGINE FAILURE. AS A RESULT, THEY WILL NOT PERFORM ANY FURTHER INVESTIGATION OR MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE A CASE PENDING WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE, BUT DO NOT EXPECT ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE FROM THEM. I AM ALSO BEING CHARGED LABOR FOR THE DEALER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO FIRE OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, BUT IF I HAD NOT BEEN IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE, I VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. SUDDENLY LOOSING POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IS UNACCEPTABLE. IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, I WILL BE RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THEM. *TR

FAILURE OF DASHBOARD MULTI-DISPLAY, ALONG WITH ALL ITS FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING NAV, CLIMATE, RADIO, FAULT NOTIFICATIONS. AND BLUETOOTH PHONE OPERATION. ON THE LATTER, THE PHONE WILL CONNECT, BUT NOT OPERATE, MAKING THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. THERE IS A TSB ON THIS ISSUE. DISPLAY WAS REPLACED BY DEALER UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. REPLACEMENT TOOK ABOUT 4 WEEKS TO ARRIVE. DEALER SAID TOYOTA WAS SWITCHING TO A "OUT-OF-WARRANTY EXCHANGE" POLICY FOR THIS REPAIR, MEANING THAT THE OWNER WOULD HAVE TO PUT UP WITH A BIG HOLE IN THE DASHBOARD WITH LOOSE CONNECTORS WHILE THE UNIT WAS BEING REPAIRED. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. BOTH HID HEADLIGHTS WILL OCCASIONALLY TURN OFF LIKE THE BULB BURNS OUT, BUT IF YOU TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON IT TURNS ON AGAIN. MOSTLY RIGHT HEADLIGHT, BUT OCCASSIONALLY THE LEFT WILL DO THIS. NOT A LOOSE CONNECTION. ACTS LIKE A RELAY IS TRIPPING ON OVERTEMPERATURE OR OVERCURRENT AND RESETTING ITSELF AFTER THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING IN MY CAR SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN MARCH 2007. TOOK IT TO REPAIRMAN, BUT IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $2000 TO REPLACE A CIRCUIT BOARD AND HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I DON'T HAVE THAT MONEY AND FROM WHAT I'VE READ ON PRIUS OWNERS WEBSITES THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE. *TR

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON SOLVES IT. NOW, THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT IS OUT. LAST NIGHT, THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS OUT, SO I SWITCHED TO HIGH BEAMS. THAT TURNED OFF BOTH HEADLIGHTS! I WAS ON A LONG, DARK WINDING ROAD, UNDER TREES, SO HAD NO AMBIENT LIGHT. THE HEADLIGHT CONNECTION HAS BEEN FIXED TWICE BY THE DEALER. *TR

2004 PRIUS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE BRAKING, THERE WAS NO INITIAL RESPONSE TO THE APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE. I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD NOT PRESSED THE PEDAL FIRMLY ENOUGH, BUT GIVEN THE PUBLICITY ABOUT BRAKING HESITATION, I WONDER IF THESE WERE VEHICLE PROBLEMS. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS TURN OFF INTERMITTENTLY AND TWICE BOTH HAVE GONE OUT AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS NO WARNING. TO REPLACE ONE HEADLIGHT, TOYOTA OF MELBOURNE TOLD ME IT WOULD BE OVER $600 (LABOR NOT INCLUDED). (BULB AND HARNESS) *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS VERY DIMLY. I JUST NOTICED IT TODAY, ON MY MOTHER'S PRIUS. DID SOME RESEARCH, AND WAS AMAZED AT THE COST TO HAVE THE DEALER FIX THIS. IF IT WAS JUST THE COST OF THE BULB ITSELF, I COULD SWALLOW THE RATHER LARGE $130 PRICE (AT KRAGEN) AND DO IT MYSELF, BUT THE NOTES HERE, AND ON MANY OTHER SITES INDICATE THAT BULB REPLACE SOMETIMES FIXES THE PROBLEM (FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME), AND AT OTHER TIMES, IT DOES NOTHING. I WOULD HATE TO THROW $130 DOWN THE TOILET. THE PRIMARY ISSUE THOUGH, IS THAT THE HEADLIGHT GOES DIM/OUT INTERMITTENTLY, WITHOUT WARNING OR PATTERN, AND THERE IS NO WAY TO RELIABLY GET IT RE-LIT. I DON'T FEEL SAVE ASKING MY 69 YEAR OLD MOTHER TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON AND OFF IF IT'S DARK OUT SIDE (AND IF IT'S NOT DARK, HOW WOULD YOU KNOW IT WAS WORKING OR NOT). I AGREE, IT DOES SOUND LIKE A DEFECT AS MANY MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE ISSUE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. HOW LONG MUST WE WANT BEFORE SOME ACTION IS TAKEN BY THE NHTSA? *TR

HEADLAMP GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. THEY COME BACK ON WHEN I NOTICE AND TURN THEM OFF AND ON AGAIN. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM DESCRIBED HERE: THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY (MFD) FAILED. (CROSS REFERENCE NHTSA COMPLAINT #10173892). THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT (CROSS REFERENCE ANALYSIS ON WEB: HTTP://TECHNO-FANDOM.ORG/~HOBBIT/CARS/MFD/COMPARE.HTML AND HTTP://TECHNO-FANDOM.ORG/~HOBBIT/CARS/MFD/). TOYOTA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (EITHER EL-002-04 OR EL-002-05 - CONFLICTING INFO ON THIS) ON JAN 10, 2005. WHEN THE MFD FAILS, ONE CANNOT CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF AIRFLOW TO THE WINDSHIELD (DEFROSTER). THIS PRESENTED ME WITH VISIBILITY PROBLEMS DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. AS SUCH, I CONSIDER IT A SAFETY ISSUE. TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS FOR 3 YEARS, GIVEN THE DATE OF THEIR TSB. THE ROOT CAUSE APPEARS TO BE AN UNDERSIZED SOLDER PAD ON ONE OF THE ELECTRONIC CARDS OF THE MFD. THIS RESULTS IN A CRACKING OF THE SOLDER JOINT. BECAUSE MY PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT, COMING AND GOING ON A FREQUENT BASIS, I PRESUME IT WAS A MICRO CRACK. THIS DOES NOT HELP WHEN THE WINDSHIELD IS FOGGING OVER. ALL OF THE VARIOUS ERROR MESSAGES THAT WERE DISPLAYED ON THE MFD WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE REFERENCED WEB URL'S. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE RELEASE F OF THE ELECTRONIC CARD ASSEMBLY AND WAS CORRECTED WITH RELEASE G. THERE ARE PICTORIAL COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE TWO RELEASES ON ONE OF THE WEB URL'S. GIVEN THAT THIS HAS AN IMPACT ON VISIBILITY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, I AM SHOCKED THAT TOYOTA CHOSE TO SIT ON THIS PROBLEM. THE SUPPLIER OF THIS PART TO TOYOTA IS FUJITSU. *TR

I WAS APPALLED TO FIND THAT IT COST OVER $500.00 TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE LIGHT WOULD LIKELY NEED TO BE REPLACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *TR

LESS THAN NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR; ONLY HAVE 32K MILES ON MY 2004 PRIUS. THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BLINKS OFF OR DOESN'T LIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. NOTHING DONE TO REPAIR IT SINCE THIS PARTICULAR COMPONENT ISN'T NOT UNDER WARRANTY THAT I'M AWARE OF. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH MY WIFE AND INFANT DURING THE EVENING LAST SUMMER, AND OUT OF THE BLUE THREE RED INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON AS WELL AS A BUZZER, AND MY BRAKES STOPPED WORKING. THE PEDAL WAS ABLE TO BE PUSHED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. PUMPING DID NOTHING. SINCE IT WAS LATE THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND, SO WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND CHECKED FOR ANY DAMAGE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND NOTHING. OVER THE NEXT HOUR WHILE WAITING FOR THE TOW TRUCK, WE TRIED RESTARTING THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND THE BRAKES WERE JUST GONE. WE FINALLY GOT TOWED AND GOT A LOANER CAR. THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THE TOYOTA DEALER HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE CAR, THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEY DID A COUPLE HOURS OF DIAGNOSTICS ON MY DIME AND RESET THE FAULT CODES. THERE WAS NO AIR IN THE BRAKES, FLUID LEVELS WERE JUST FINE, AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH ANYTHING. APPARENTLY THE BRAKES FIXED THEMSELVES IN THE PARKING LOT OVER NIGHT. THIS HAS MADE ME FEARFUL SINCE THAT DAY THAT IT COULD HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN AT ANYTIME, PERHAPS DURING RUSH HOUR NEXT TIME. I'VE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THE DEALERSHIP SINCE THEN, AND THE ONLY SOLUTION THEY HAVE TO GIVE ME IS TO HAVE MY BRAKE SYSTEM CHECKED REGULARLY. THIS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A NORMAL THING TO HAPPEN AT ALL, AND I WOULD FEEL GUILTY EVEN SELLING THIS CAR TO SOMEONE ELSE AT THIS POINT. I'M NOT SURE WHAT MORE I CAN DO SO I AM NOW REPORTING TO SAFERCAR.GOV. *TR

EITHER OF THE HEADLIGHTS WILL RANDOMLY TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING. WHEN I QUICKLY TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS AND TURN THEM BACK ON, THEY WORK AGAIN FOR A WHILE. THE PROBLEM SEEMS RANDOM AND INTERMITTENT. IT HAPPENS TO BOTH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT. *TR

THIS HAPPENED TO ME AND COST OVER $700 TO FIX: FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP. HYBRID VEHICLE HAS 2ND COOLANT LOOP FOR HIGH VOLTAGE INVERTER/CONVERTER. FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP ALLOWS INVERTER COOLANT TEMPERATURE TO RISE WELL ABOVE NOMINAL. AT A CERTAIN TRIGGER POINT HYBRID CONTROL ECU SETS A TROUBLE CODE THAT IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGES OPERATION OF INVERTER/CONVERTER (AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DISENGAGES CRUISE CONTROL AND A/C, WHICH RUNS OF ALTERNATING CURRENT PRODUCED BY INVERTER). IMMEDIATE IMPACT IS A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE DRIVE POWER AS INVERTER/CONVERTER SUPPLIES TO ELECTRICITY TO MOTOR GENERATOR 2 (MG2) WHICH IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO DRIVE WHEELS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED MOTIVE FORCE TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEEDS (ICE ALONE IS INSUFFICIENT). ALSO INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT LOOP PROVIDES COOLING FOR MG2 & MG1. CONTINUED OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITH FAILED INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MAIN ELECTRIC DRIVE MG2 AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER. PUMP FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF INTERMITTENT PUMP OPERATION/NON-OPERATION PRIOR TO FINAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE SEEMS TO BE THE RESULT OF EITHER A DEFECTIVE INVERTER/CONVERTER PUMP ASS'Y OR ONE INSUFFICIENTLY ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND CONTINUOUS OPERATION IN SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT. PUMP FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 160,000 MILES, ALTHOUGH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO OCCUR IN OTHER INSTANCES AS EARLY AS 32,000 MILES. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND DISENGAGEMENT OF CRUISE CONTROL AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD CAUSE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OR TO BE UNABLE TO SAFELY STEER TO A SAFE BREAKDOWN LANE. *TR

TWICE MY TOYOTA PRIUS HAS "SURGED" UNEXPECTEDLY. I WAS COASTING INTO A PARKING SPACE BOTH TIMES, SO WAS ABLE TO STOMP ON THE BRAKE AND STOP THE CAR. WHEN THE FIRST RECALL WAS ISSUED I KNEW IT WASN'T THE FLOOR MAT. MINE WAS THE ORIGINAL ONE AND WAS FIRMLY ATTACHED. IT DID NOT MOVE AND "ENTRAP" THE PEDAL AND I DID NOT HAVE MY FOOT ON THE GAS WHEN THE SURGES HAPPENED. I DID NOT BOTHER TO REPORT IT AT THE TIME, AS I AM AN OLDER FEMALE AND HAVE BEEN TREATED LIKE AN IDIOT AT THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE PEOPLE. THE CAR HAS BEEN FINE IN EVERY OTHER WAY. I BELIEVE THIS IS A THROTTLE OR COMPUTER/ELECTRONIC PROBLEM AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY KNOW IT. *TR

ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS, THE LIGHTS GO OUT RANDOMLY. OF COURSE, AT NIGHT. I TOOK IT TO TWO TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS, AND THE FIRST COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE SECOND DEALERSHIP SAID THE FIX FOR ONE LIGHT WOULD BE AN ASTONISHING $850 BECAUSE IT'S A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER. SINCE MY LIGHTS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY OR AFTER BEING TURNED ON AND OFF...AND AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERING THIS DEFECT IS COMMON. I'M THINKING LIGHTS CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING, IS QUITE DANGEROUS, AND IT'S A POTENTIAL HAZARD FOR BOTH DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS. MANY PRIUS OWNERS BELIEVE THIS IS A PRODUCT DEFECT IN NEED OF A RECALL FROM TOYOTA BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

RIGHT FRONT HEADLAMP OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER REPAIR QUOTE WAS OVER $500. ONLINE ADVICE SUGGESTED THAT TOYOTA SHOULD/WOULD REPAIR AT NO COST. INITIALLY DEALER SERVICE MANAGER WANTED OWNER TO PAY LABOR, OVER $300, AND DEALER WOULD SUPPLY PART. OWNER STATED THAT SINCE THIS WAS A SAFETY AND DEFECT MATTER, TOYOTA SHOULD PAY FULL COST. AFTER 24 HOURS, DEALER AGREED TO REPLACE HEADLAMP AT NO COST. BOTH HEADLAMPS WERE REPLACED AT NO COST TO OWNER. OWNER IS 30 YEAR CUSTOMER OF THIS DEALERSHIP. SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT TOYOTA WILL PROBABLY POST A RECALL NOTICE ON THIS MATTER. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRUIS HID HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. TURNING LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON BRINGS THE LIGHT BACK ON FOR A WHILE. THERE HAVE BEEN THREE INSTANCES DURING THE PAST 3 MONTHS WHERE BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT, RESULTING IN TOTAL LOSS OF LIGHT DURING THE NIGHT. EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS! THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE PAST 6 MONTHS BUT I ONLY RECENTLY FOUND OUT ABOUT BEING ABLE TO REPORT IT TO THIS SITE. *TR

DRIVER'S FRONT SEAT FRAME FAILED UPON REAR IMPACT. CAR WAS STOPPED, IMPACT WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 25MPH. THE SEAT BACK PORTION WAS TWISTED TOWARDS THE DRIVER'S DOOR WHILE THE SEAT BOTTOM PORTION REMAINED FACING FORWARD. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 PRIUS KEEP GOING ON AND OFF. TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER THESE UNDER WARRANTY AND CHANGE $875 TO REPLACE 1 BULB. *TR

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILURE. SPONTANEOUSLY GOES OUT. WILL COME BACK WHEN SWITCH OFF AND ON. *TR

THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT! LIGHTS CAN GO OUT AT ANYTIME. WE CURRENTLY DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR SEVEN MONTHS. MULTIPLE INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURES LEADING UP TO HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENTS FOR PASSENGER AND DRIVERSIDE. THE PASSENGER SIDE FAILED FIRST (01/2009) AND ON AVERAGE WOULD FAIL 1-2 TIMES PER WEEK. DRIVER SIDE FAILED FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS MONTH (01/2010) AND HAS ONLY FAILED ONE TIME TO DATE 01/16/2010. NOW ONE YEAR LATER THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS STATED TO FAIL AGAIN. ALL FAILURES ARE SIMILAR IN NATURE IN THAT THEY WILL COME BACK ON TYPICALLY AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. HOWEVER ON OCCASION THEY MAY COME BACK ON BY THEMSELVES. MY BROTHER AND I HAVE REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE (2 HOUR PROCESS) AND AM IN THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING TWO NEW BULBS FROM A LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE. $150 EA VS TOYOTA $325 EA AND DOES NOT INCLUDE INSTALLATION LABOR. THE AVERAGE GUY SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT THIS BULB REPLACEMENT IT IS DIFFICULT. I STILL HAVE THE FACTORY ORIGINAL BULB THAT WE REPLACED. D2R 35W HID MY PLATINUM EXT WARRANTY ($1400 FROM DEALER) DOES NOT COVER LIGHT BULBS. *TR

BOTH HEAD LAMPS GO FOR NO APPARENT REASON. BY TURNING OFF LIGHTS AND RELIGHTING THEY COME BACK ON, BUT THEN AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THEY GO OUT AGAIN. THE BULBS ARE NOT BURNED OUT THE HID ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH ON A GRAVEL ROAD. PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THERE WAS NO POWER RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE OPPOSING VEHICLES DRIVER, AND PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MODERATE INJURIES. THE POLICE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY PRIOR TO THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR AN ESTIMATE OF THE BODY DAMAGES. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED AT AN AUTO BODY SHOP. THE CAUSE OF FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,000.

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS THAT HAS THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT GOING OFF AND ON WHILE DRIVING. I UNDERSTAND IT IS A HID LIGHT AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT MANY MANY PRIUS OWNERS OF DIFFERENT YEARS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THESE BULBS. THE BULBS AND INSTALLATION SEEM TO RUN FROM $300 UP. THIS IS SOMETHING TOYOTA SHOULD BE FIXING, RECALLING IF NECESSARY. NOT ONLY IS THIS A DANGER TO THE PRIUS OWNERS BUT TO OTHERS ON THE ROAD AND MANY TIMES THE OWNER DOES NOT KNOW THAT IS IT OUT. AND REPLACING IS AT A VERY HIGH EXPENSE TO THE OWNERS AND THE PROBLEMS SEEM TO REOCCUR WITH THE SAME OWNERS. I NEED TO REPLACE MINE BUT WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS BEFORE I SPEND THE HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO REPLACE IT. *TR

I COMPLAINED ABOUT A YEAR AGO TO TOYOTA ABOUT MY CAR LOSING BRAKING ON THE ICE. I DRIVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. I READ THEY ARE RECALLING THE 2010 MODEL AND I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM GOES MUCH FURTHER BACK AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS AND THE HEADLIGHTS GO OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND THIS HAPPENS A LOT. IF I TURN THE SWITCH TO OFF AND THEN BACK ON THE LIGHTS WILL WORK AGAIN BUT SOMETIMES THEY GO OFF AGAIN AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

THE HID HEADLIGHTS ON A TOYOTA PRUIS (2004). THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER ON AND OFF PERIODICALLY, CHANGING WHAT HEADLIGHT GOES OUT AND SOMETIMES BOTH FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I CAN TURN ONE OR BOTH BACK ONE BY TURNING ON AND OFF THE HIGH BEAMS (WHICH BOTH WORK NO MATTER WHAT) OR BY TURNING ON AND OFF THE HEADLIGHTS. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON OUR MOUNTAIN ROAD, IN WHICH BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF, WITHOUT EVEN HITTING A BUMP. IT IS DANGEROUS, I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR A HEADLIGHT OUT AND WHEN I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER, THEY REPORTED IT AS A $393/EACH REPLACEMENT OF A BULB THAT I HAVE LEARNED WILL GO OUT AGAIN IN 20,000-40,000 MILES. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 PRIUS INTERMITTENTLY GO OFF. IT IS CORRECTED BY TURNING THE SWITCH OFF, THEN BACK ON. *TR