2006 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

WHILE PRESSING ON BRAKE WHILE GOING LOW SPEED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE CAR ACCELERATED BEFORE BRAKING. A FEW MINUTES LATER, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A PARKING GARAGE. WHILE PULLING INTO THE PARKING SPOT I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. INSTEAD OF DECELERATING, THE CAR AGGRESSIVELY ACCELERATED INTO THE CEMENT BARRIER AT THE HEAD OF THE PARKING SPOT. *TR

PASSENGER HEADLIGHT GOES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. *TR

ON JULY 20,2014, I NOTICED MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT IS OUT. I STARTED THE CAR AND PUT THE LIGHT ON, IT CAME ON FINE.. WHILE DRIVING ON HIGH WAY AT NIGHT ALL THE SUDDEN THE LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN PASSENGER SIDE. I PULLED IT ON THE SIDE AND INSPECT DRIVER SIDE LIGHT WAS WORKING FINE BUT THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS OUT. I TURN THE LIGHT OFF AND ON AGAIN IT CAME BACK ON. AT THIS TIME I AM SCRATCHING MY HEAD THAT WHAT IS GOING ON. I TAKE MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC HE TELLS ME THE BULB IS FUSE. IT COST ME $300. TO CHANGE THE BULB. AFTER FEW DAYS AFTER THE BULB GOES OUT AGAIN. I TAKE IT BACK TO THE MECHANIC HE CHECKS EVERY THING IS FINE, TELL ME THE BULB WENT OUT AGAIN. SCRATCHING MY HEAD AGAIN "BULB WENT OUT AGAIN AFTER FEW WEEKS" I WENT TO AMAZON AND BOUGHT ANOTHER BULB.. AND IT WENT OUT AGAIN. I WAS PULLED OVER SEPTEMBER 20, 2014 BUY COPS TO FIX MY HEADLIGHT. HEADLIGHT ARE STILL GOING OUT AND I HAVE TO KEEP BUYING THE HEADLIGHT BULB. *TR

I BEGIN TO NOTICE BLACK MARKS ON MY FINGERS. IT TOOK ME AWHILE TO LEARN THAT THE LATCH COVER WAS DISINTEGRATING. I ASKED OUR LOCAL MECHANIC TO LOOK INTO GETTING IT REPLACED. HE REPORTED BACK THAT HE CALLED TWO TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS. ONE DEALER WANTED $500 FOR THE DEFECTIVE PART AND ANOTHER DEALER SAID THE PART WAS BEING CHANGE TO PLASTIC BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND WANTED $230 FOR THE PART. SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL USED, I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THE CAR AND PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. CAN YOU ASSIST WITH MY REQUEST? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 5 NORTH TO LOS ANGELES LATE EVENING AROUND 9:00PM. THE STEERING COLUMN BEGAN MAKING A GRINDING NOISE AND VIBRATING. EACH TIME I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT THE CAR MADE A VIBRATION AND GRINDING NOISE AND FELT STIFF. THE JARRING WAS FELT IN THE ACCELERATION PAD AND IN THE BRAKE PADS EACH TIME I EITHER ACCELERATED OR BRAKED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHERE I SERVICE MY CAR ON JULY 5TH 2014. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE EXACT COMPLAINT I HAD. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT GAVE ME AN INVOICE INFORMING ME THAT THE CHARGES TO FIX THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE ELECTRIC MOTOR INSIDE WOULD COST ME OVER $2000.00. I CALLED TOYOTA ON 14TH JULY TO ASK IF THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE. I WAS INFORMED BY TOYOTA ON JULY 18TH, THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THIS BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THE CAR HAD 148,000 MILES, AND THE RECALL WORK HAD BEEN DONE IN 2012 ON THIS VEHICLE. AS A PEACE OFFERING THEY SAID THEY COULD GIVE ME 700$ TO FIX IT OR BUY A NEW VEHICLE. THE DEALER, WHERE I WENT TO GET THE PROBLEM RESOLVED, SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THIS WAS A DIFFERENT ISSUE FROM THE RECALL???? I NOW HAVE A VEHICLE THAT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WHICH I AM BEING TOLD IS NOT COVERED BY THE COMPANY. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A STEERING COLUMN FAILING. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT MY VEHICLE EVEN HAD A RECALL. I HAD NO INTIMATION FROM ANYONE. AND NO I DID NOT REALIZE THAT IN LATE 2012 THE DEALER HAD DONE SOME WORK ON THE RECALL. WHAT IS THERE TO SHOW THAT THE WORK WAS DONE CORRECTLY AND THAT THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE PROBLEM IN ALL VEHICLES?? I HAVE HAD VEHICLES THAT I HAVE USED FOR OVER 200,000 MILES WITH NO MISHAPS INCLUDING A SAAB AND AN ACURA. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS AT NIGHT, I NOTICED THE ROAD SEEMED "DIM" ON THE RIGHT SIDE. I TURNED THE LIGHTS OFF THEN BACK ON AND IT WAS BRIGHTER. LATER I NOTICED THE SAME THING AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO FIND THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WAS NOT ON, BUT IT CAME BACK ON AFTER TURNING THE SWITCH OFF AND ON AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, SOMETIMES AFFECTING THE LEFT HEADLIGHT AS WELL. ONCE, LAST MONTH, AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, BOTH HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF! FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY FLIP THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON TO REMEDY THE SITUATION. THE HEADLIGHT BULBS HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND DO NOT SEEM TO BE THE PROBLEM. HELP! *TR

I AM REQUESTING THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE EXPANDING/ADDING-TO THE RECALL OF TOYOTA PRIUS COOLANT INVERTER PUMP FAILURES* TO INCLUDE COOLANT STORAGE PUMP FAILURES BLOWING A MAIN FUSE CAUSING DANGEROUS LOSS OF ALL POWER AND CONTROL. *TR ON MAY 31ST, 2014, WHILE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 60MPH, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE CAR INSTANTLY SHUT DOWN: NO DRIVE POWER, NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES, NO FRONT PANEL DISPLAY. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, THE TOYOTA DEALER WITH ASSISTANCE FROM TOYOTA CORPORATE CONCLUDED THAT THE "COOLANT STORAGE PUMP" (NOT THE COOLANT INVERTER PUMP AS IN THE RECALL) WAS THE CAUSE OF THIS BLOWN "AM-2" 15-AMP FUSE WHICH SHUT DOWN THE HYBRID SYSTEM, POWER STEERING, BRAKES, ETC. THEY INDICATED THAT THE COOLANT STORAGE PUMP FAULT WAS A KNOWN CAUSE. THIS CAR IS WELL-MAINTAINED, DEALER MAINTAINED. IT HAD ALL THE RECENT RECALL UPDATES INSTALLED. IT WAS A MILD DAY ~75DEG. WE'D BEEN DRIVING ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER A 30 MINUTE STOP. VEHICLE LOAD WAS NOT A FACTOR -- TWO SLIM ADULTS, NO CARGO LOAD. NO ELECTRICAL CHARGING LOADS. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF IMMEDIATELY LOSING ALL POWER, POWER BRAKES, POWER STEERING, WITHOUT WARNING, BECAUSE OF A SINGLE COOLANT PUMP FAULT. CAN YOU PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS. I HOPE THEY FIXED MY VEHICLE. AND I HOPE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS THIS PROBLEM ITS NOT DEADLY. THANK YOU, * RECALL OF INVERTER COOLANT PUMP 12V536000: "...OPEN FUSE, CREATING A STALL-LIKE CONDITION OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. THIS MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH." PS I FOUND ANOTHER COMPLAINT THAT MIGHT BE RELATED (..SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC, SIMILAR VIN, NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10567158). THOUGH THIS COMPLAINT SEEMS TO BE FOCUSED ON THE COSTS REPLACING ADDITIONAL PUMPS.

AFTER LONG DRIVE UP MOUNTAINS, VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN GOING UPHILL, PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL RESULTED IN JERKY MOVEMENT OF A FEW FEET. VEHICLE STOPPED. CHECKED BATTERY AND IT WAS LOW BUT HAD TWO BLUE BARS. NO WARNING SIGNS WERE LIT ON THE DASHBOARD. MANAGED TO TURN VEHICLE AROUND AND IT COASTED DOWNHILL WITH NO SUBSEQUENT PROBLEMS. THE LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED ON A ROAD WITH A BLIND CURVE. TURNING BACK WAS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF ANY PROBLEMS. DEALER WAS NOT HELPFUL IN SOLVING THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM.

THIS COMPLAINT HAS NOT BEEN QC'D. THE CONTACT SUBMITTED AN EMAIL AND REQUESTED THAT THE OFFICIAL IVOQ BE WRITTEN VERBATIM TO THE EMAIL. KMJ I HAVE MULTIPLE SITUATIONS WITH MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2006 IN THE BEGINNING OF MAY 2014 I A LOUD BEEPING NOISE FILLED THE CAR. THE SYSTEM HAD MULTIPLE LIGHTS DISPLAYING SHOWING INCLUDING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT ( WHILE I WAS DRIVING), ABS,VSC, A RED TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT IN THE MIDDLE, ETC. AS, THIS WAS HAPPENING CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL IT TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME THREE OTHER TIMES WHILE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. ONE TIME I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND MY CAR AGAIN STARTED DECELERATING WHILE I HAD MULTIPLE CARS AROUND ME ON THE FREEWAY. ALL OF THE LIGHTS WERE DISPLAYING, I PUT MY HAZARDS ON AND WAS FORCED TO MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHILE I WAS ALMOST HIT BY THE CAR BEHIND ME BECAUSE MY CAR WAS RAPIDLY SLOWING DOWN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, MULTIPLE TEST DRIVES, BUT AT THAT TIME THEY DIDN'T KNOW. SO THEY TOLD ME TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME AND COME BACK IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. WITHIN THE WEEK I WAS EXITING OFF OF THE FREEWAY WITH MY CHILDREN WHEN I START HEARING THE LOUD BEEPING NOISE, ALL THE LAMP LIGHTS CAME ON, AND AS I AM WAITING IN LINE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY ONTO A BUSY STREET THE CAR STOPS. I PANICKED, PUT ON THE HAZARDS, THE CAR WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO SHIFT IT INTO DRIVE IT HAD MOVED TO NEUTRAL ON ITS OWN. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, TURNED IT BACK ON AND WAS SLOWLY ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR. THIS TIME I TOOK PICTURES OF THE LAMP DISPLAY TO SHOW THE SERVICE MEMBERS AS WELL. MY CHILDREN, MYSELF, AND OTHER DRIVERS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT! THE TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER TOLD US WE HAVE A BAD COMPUTER, THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE ECU, AND THE CAR WENT INTO A FAIL SAFE MODE. *TR

MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLIGHT GOES OUT WHEN DRIVING. SOMRTIMES, ONE LIGHT GOES OFF AND SOMETIMES BOTH GOES OFF. WHEN I TURN THE LIGHT OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON THEY RE-LIGHT. *TR

THE ASSISTED HYDRAULIC BRAKE PUMP SEEMS TO NOT BE WORKING CORRECTLY, THERE'S A PUMP NOISE THAT KEEPS COMING ON IN THE CABIN, LIKE THE BRAKE PUMP CANNOT KEEP PRESSURE. IT'S A RATTLING NOISE THAT IS COMING ON AND IT'S EVERY FEW SECONDS. LIKE IT'S TRYING TO BUILD PRESSURE TO ASSIST BRAKING. *TR

2006 PRIUS MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY DEFECTS, MANUFACTUER WANTS $8,000.00 TO REPAIR. THE MFD CONTROLS AC DISTRIBUTION. IT AFFECTS MY HEALTH. I HAVE A SKIN CONDITION, THAT REQUIRES COOLING OF MY LEGS. THE AIR WILL COME ON, BUT ONLY FROM DASH AREA, THERE IS NO OTHER CONTROL METHOD, BECAUSE TOUCH SCREEN DOES NOT WORK. ALSO WINDOW DEFROSTER IS INOPPERALBLE, FROM SCREEN. THERE IS A DEFROSTER BUTTON ON STEERING WHEEL, IT WORKS ONLY PART OF THE TIME. I HAVE HAD CAR INTO DEALERSHIP 3 SEPRATE TIMES (AT 2 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS) THEY CAN NOT FIND THE PROBLEM WITH STEERING WHEEL DEFROST BUTTOM. I WAS TOLD, THERE IS NO DIAGNOSTICS FOR THE ELECTRICAL ON THIS VEHICLE, THE OTHER DEALERSHIP, JUST SAID " THE TECH FOUND OUT DEFROSTER PROBLEM, IS SOMEWHERE UNDER HERE" AS HE REACHED UNDER THE DASH AREA. THE TOUCH DOESN'T WORK AT ANYTIME, PARKED OR GOING DOWN THE ROAD. $8,000.00 DOLLARS FOR THIS REPAIR IS WAY OUT OF MY REACH. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IT IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM, OR A BAD DESIGN. THE DEFROST COMTROL ON STEERING WHEEL WILL COME ON/OFF WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD OR A ROUGH RAILROAD CROSSING. DRIVING WITHOUT PROPER DEFROSTING IS VERY DANGEROUS.

WHILE TRAVELING IN THE DARK AT 6:00AM ON I64E MY HEADLIGHTS WENT COMPLETELY OUT. I HAD TO MOVE OFF THE HIGHWAY, TURN MY VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. WHEN I RESTARTED IT, THE LIGHTS TURNED BACK ON. *TR

HEADLIGHTS, GO ON AND OFF ON THEIR OWN. SOMETIMES ONLY ONE WILL GO OFF, SOMETIMES BOTH. HAPPENS WITH HIGH BEAMS AS WELL. LIGHTS COME BACK ON IF I SWITCH THEM COMPLETELY OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. MAY STAY ON FOR 30 MINUTES, MAY ONLY STAY ON FOR A COUPLE MINUTES. VERY DANGEROUS AS THE LIGHTS HAVE GONE OFF AT NIGHT TIME CAUSING LOSS OF VISIBILITY. *TR

I WAS REAR ENDED AT BY A CAR GOIN ALMOST FULL SPEED IN A SPEED LIMIT ZONE OF 45 AT A RED LIGHT, WHILE I WAS SLOWING DOWN. WHILE APPROACHING THE LINE OF CARS IN FRONT OF ME I STARTED SLOWING DOWN PUMPING MY BRAKES TO LET TO DRIVERS BEHIND KNOW I WAS SLOWING DOWN. I WAS THEN REAR ENDED AND SHOT INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, LIFTING UP THE FRONT OF MY CAR AND SMASHING INTO ANOTHER VECHILE. MY FIREWALL WAS COMPLETELY BENT IN AS WELL AS HALF OF THE FRONT BUMPER AND FRAME TORN OFF. I HAD NO AIRBAGS DEPLOY ON EITHER THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER SIDE. IT MAKES ME CONCERNED THAT IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN STOPPED AT THE RED LIGHT, I COULD HAVE OBTAINED SEVERE INJURIES COMPARED TO THE WHIPLASH AND SHOULDER PAINS I CURRENTLY HAVE. *TR

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYS SOME OF THE DASHBOARD ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, WHICH CAUSES YOU TO AVOID THAT AREA OF YOUR WINDSHIELD. THIS IS A DEFECT IN ALL 2006-2009 TOYOTA PRIUS CARS. WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT YOU START LOOKING AT THIS REFLECTION AND IT CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN. YOU ALSO DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR VIEW THROUGH THE REFLECTION. IT IS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING. WHEN YOU ARE ON A COUNTRY RODE LATE AT NIGHT, WHERE THERE MAY NOT BE ANY STREET LIGHTS, IT IS EVEN WORSE. THIS PROBLEM WAS FIXED IN THE 2010 MODELS AND BEYOND WITH A LONGER EDGE ON THE DASHBOARD AT THE TOP. I HAVE TALKED TO TOYOTA ABOUT THIS, BUT HAVE GOTTEN NOWHERE. I FEEL THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED AND I AM TURNING TO YOU FOR HELP. I COULD HAVE GOTTEN LAWYERS INVOLVED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, BUT I WANTED TO TRY AND RESOLVE THIS PROFESSIONALLY. I AM NOT LOOKING TO GET RICH OR MAKE MONEY OFF THIS PROBLEM. I JUST WANT MY CAR AND EVERYONE ELSE'S PRIUS FIXED. THIS ISSUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AROUND. I HAVE NOTICED IT MORE LATELY WITH CLOUD COVER AND DRIVING ON BACK COUNTRY ROADS AT NIGHT. IT IS SCARY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 118,000. *TR

THE PRIUS WAS BEING DRIVEN UP A HILL WHEN IT SUDDENLY STALLED AND THE GASOLINE ENGINE DIED. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO SAFELY MOVE THE VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC, SINCE THE ELECTRIC MODE WAS NOT CAPABLE OF MOVING THE VEHICLE FORWARD UP THE HILL. THE VEHICLE'S FUEL METER ON THE DASH DISPLAYED 3 BARS REMAINING (INDICATING THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OVER 1/4 TANK OF FUEL REMAINING). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER, WHO SAID A SOFTWARE RELOAD AND CLEANING THE THROTTLE BOTTLE FIXED IT. A LITTLE OVER A WEEK LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON INTERSTATE, AND THE DRIVER WAS PASSING A SEMI-TRAILER. WHILE IN THE PASSING LANE, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN, AND CAUSED GREAT DANGER AS IT HAD VERY LITTLE ELECTRIC POWER TO LIMP TO SAFETY. THE GAS ENGINE WOULD NOT RUN OR START AGAIN, WITH THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS AS BEFORE. AGAIN THE FUEL METER SHOWED 3 BARS REMAINING. HOWEVER, IT WAS FOUND THAT IT TOOK OVER 11 GALLONS OF GASOLINE TO THEN FILL THE TANK, AND THE TOTAL TANK CAPACITY IS IN THE 11 GALLON RANGE. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET RESULTED IN OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, WITH ONE ENTRY CITING A TOYOTA TECHNICAL MANUAL THAT INCLUDED THE STATEMENT REGARDING THE FUEL GAUGE, "THE INCLINOMETER MUST BE RESET IF THE CUSTOMER COMPLAINS THAT THEY CAN ONLY PUMP A FEW GALLONS OF GAS INTO THEIR TANK OR THAT THEY RUN OUT OF GAS WITH THREE OR FOUR BARS LEFT ON THE FUEL METER." IT IS VERY CONCERNING & FRUSTRATING THAT TOYOTA APPARENTLY IS AWARE THAT THEIR VEHICLES CAN RUN OUT OF GAS UNEXPECTEDLY DUE TO A FAULTY FUEL GAUGE, AND IT CAN PLACE THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGERS IN GREAT DANGER. I HAVE CONTACTED THE TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT THE EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILL ($300) THAT DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THEY ARE WILLING TO LOOK AT THE CAR AGAIN, NOW THAT THEY UNDERSTAND IT IS LIKELY A BAD FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM, BUT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT TOYOTA HAS APPARENTLY KNOWN ABOUT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE BOLTS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 219,600.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT WOULD NOT DISENGAGE AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOWEVER SHE NOTICED THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN BRAKING TIME WHEN APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE STROKE SENSOR RETENTION LOGIC FAILED AND THE SPEED CONTROL ECU WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,219.

BOTH OF MY HID HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT (TURNED OFF) DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY DRIVING. SINCE THEN, THE LIGHTS HAVE CONTINUED TO TURN OFF RANDOMLY DURING NORMAL DRIVING. WHEN I TURN THE SWITCH OFF AND THEN BACK ON, THE LIGHTS OPERATE FINE FOR A WHILE, THEN GO BACK OFF. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND I SEE IT IS A COMMON ISSUE. *TR

BOTH HID HEADLIGHTS GO ON AND OFF RANDOMLY. THE DEALER WANTS MORE THAN $1000. TO REPAIR EACH ONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AND REPLACED THE BATTERY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I PURCHASED A NEW 12V BATTERY AT ABOUT 30K MILES. AT ABOUT 59K MILES THE 12V WAS DISCHARGING AT RANDOM TIMES. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS LEAVING LIGHTS ON, BUT IT BEGAN HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND LEARNED THAT WHEN THE KEY IS IN SMART MODE AND IT IS WITHIN 10 FEET OF THE CAR IT CAN DISCHARGE THE 12V. I TURNED OFF THE SMART KEY BUT THE 12V DISCHARGED AGAIN A FEW MORE TIMES UNTIL I COULD NO LONGER GET A CHARGE WHEN I JUMPED IT. I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSTALLED A NEW 12V AND 2 FUSES ($500!!), BUT THERE WERE 4 OR 5 WARNING LIGHTS THAT COULDN'T BE RESET SO I DROVE IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. FOR SOME REASON THE TOYOTA SERVICE REP ASKED IF I HAD ALL THE RECALLS SERVICED. I WAS TOLD I COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT NEEDED A NEW ELECTRONIC CONVERTER UNIT ($5800!!!) AND THERE WAS A REAL DANGER THE CAR WOULD DIE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. HOWEVER, THE MILEAGE IS ONLY 62000! I CALLED ANOTHER SHOP THAT IS HYBRID CERTIFIED AND THEIR EXPERT SAID HE SEES THE ECU GOING AT 100,000 BUT NOT AT LOW MILES. ALL HYBRID OWNERS ARE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL RISK OF NEEDING TO REPLACE THE HYBRID BATTERY TOWARD THE END OF THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, BUT THAT IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE MAJOR EXPENSE AND POTENTIAL DANGER OF THE ECU FAILING. WHY WAS I NOT TOLD ABOUT THIS? I WONDER WHY TOYOTA'S FIRST QUESTION WAS TO ASK IF I HAD ALL THE SERVICE RECALLS, IS THERE A RECALL COMING ON THE ECU? *TR

THIS IS MY 10TH HEADLAMP REPLACEMENT. THE DEALERS DID MOST OF THEM OVER THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. I AM ALSO AN OWNER OF A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. NO PROBLEMS WITH THAT ONE. *TR

I HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH HID HEADLIGHT 1.5 YEAR AGO AND REPLACED IT BASED ON THE DEALER'S SUGGESTING. LATERALLY, IT WENT OUT SO OFTEN BUT NOT COMPLETE OUT BECAUSE I CAN TURN OFF/ON HEADLIGHT SWITCH. I DO NOT KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE OUT OR WHERE IT WILL BE OUT. ON THE HIGHWAY OR IN THE REMOTE COUNTRY ROAD. I AM WORRY ABOUT MY OWN SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHER SAFETY. *TR

I BECAME ILL WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A ROAD CONSTRUCTION AREA, BECOMING NAUSEOUS AND DIZZY. MY HEAD BANGED AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL AND I LOST CONSCIOUSNESS, THE VEHICLE LEAVING THE ROAD. I UNDERSTAND FROM REPORTS THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLED AND, FROM LOOKING AT IT AFTER THE FACT, I BELIEVE THIS TO BE ACCURATE. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE AIR BAGS WENT OFF...THERE WERE FOUR: TWO IN THE FRONT AND ONE ON EACH SIDE. NONE OF THEM DEPLOYED. I SUSTAINED MINOR INJURY TO MY FACE (SWELLING AND BRUISING TO MY RIGHT EYE FROM IMPACT WITH STEERING WHEEL AND PROBABLY SHIFT KNOB AS WELL) AND A CONCUSSION. LOCAL POLICE FILED AN ACCIDENT REPORT. I HAVE NOTIFIED TOYOTA OF THIS. THEY SAID AT LEAST THE SIDE BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED, IF NOT ALL OF THEM. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION CHECKING AT LEAST THE VEHICLE'S RECORDING DEVICE WITHIN 30 DAYS AND GET BACK TO ME. I PROVIDED THEM WITH THE NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER OF THE WRECKING SERVICE THAT TOWED MY VEHICLE AND WAS IN CURRENT POSSESSION OF IT. I HAD BEEN THE OWNER OF THIS CAR ONLY SINCE 12 SEPTEMBER 2013, HAVING PURCHASED IT FROM A CARMAX DEALER IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. *TR

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE DRIVER BECAME ILL CAUSING HER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT VEHICLE ROLLED OVER AND ALL THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO HER HEAD, CONCUSSION, AND MINOR BRUISING AND LACERATIONS TO THE FACE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000. PM

I BOUGHT MY 2006 PRIUS IN OCTOBER OF 2012 AND EVER SINCE BUYING IT I'VE NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE GOES OUT BY ITSELF. I ACTUALLY WENT INTO THE DEALER WITHIN A WEEK AND TOLD THEM MY HEADLIGHT WAS OUT BUT WHEN I GOT THERE AND I TURNED THEM ON IT WAS WORKING. I WAS BAFFLED. THEY DIDN'T SAY A THING TO ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMONLY REPORTED PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA WASN'T GOING TO BE ADDRESSING. ANYWAY, I LEFT AND THE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVER SINCE. I DECIDED TO JUST LIVE WITH IT BECAUSE WHEN I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON, THE HEADLIGHT COMES BACK ON - AT LEAST FOR A WHILE. I'M VERY WORRIED THAT THE SAME THING MIGHT HAPPEN TO THE OTHER HEADLIGHT AT THE SAME TIME. I'VE READ ONLINE ABOUT THE COST OF REPLACING THE BULB ($330) WHICH IS RIDICULOUS SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MFG FLAW THAT TOYOTA JUST DOESN'T WANT TO PAY FOR. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED!! *TR

I NOTICE OCCASIONALLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT WILL GO OUT REQUIRING ME TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF THEN ON AGAIN. MOST RECENTLY BOTH HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT. I CAN GET THEM ON AGAIN BY TURNING THEM OFF THEN BACK ON BUT IT IS UNNERVING AND OCCURS EVERY DAY NOW WHENEVER I USE THE LIGHTS. I CHECKED FOR A LOOSE WIRE AND FOUND NOTHING. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL HID HEADLIGHTS.I CAN REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. *TR

THE HEADLIGHTS OF THE 2006 PRIUS INTERMITTENTLY FAIL SUDDENLY. THIS WILL AFFECT EITHER HEADLIGHT, ALTHOUGH, ON OCCASION, BOTH HEADLIGHTS UNEXPECTEDLY FAILED WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. THE PROBLEM IS TEMPORARILY FIXED BY TURNING THE HEADLIGHT OFF THEN ON AGAIN. SEVERAL PRIUS OWNERS DESCRIBE THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THEY ALSO DESCRIBE THAT REPLACING THE HEADLIGHTS THEMSELVES DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

THIS IS MY SECOND PRIUS AND BOTH HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT EXCEPT FOR THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS ONE. IT IS A 2006 WITH HID LIGHTS. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT ALWAYS COMES ON IN THE MORNING WHEN I LEAVE FOR WORK, BUT IT STARTED GOING OFF AFTER SEVERAL MILES (MAYBE 20-30, OR SO). THIS FIRST STARTED HAPPENING ABOUT OCTOBER, 2013. IT HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE UNTIL THE HEADLIGHT NOW GOES OFF IN ONLY A FEW MILES (5 - 10). INTERESTINGLY, THE HEADLIGHT SEEMED TO STAY ON LONGER DURING THE COLDER WEATHER (AROUND ZERO DEGREES) THIS WINTER. OTHER THAN CHECKING FOR A LOOSE CONNECTION, I HAVE NOT TRIED TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHT REPAIRED OR REPLACED. IT CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE BECAUSE DRIVING IN THE WINTER DARKNESS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. THANK YOU.

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT. THERE HAPPENED TO BE A LITTLE FOG IN THE AIR. MY SPEED WAS 45 MPH ON A DARK COUNTRY ROAD. MY PASSENGER SIDE HID HEADLIGHT WENT OUT, FOLLOWED BY THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WITHIN 20 SECONDS. I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE LIGHT CONTROL OFF THEN BACK ON. I DID THIS AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN AND KEEPING STRAIGHT. I MANAGED TO STAY ON THE ROAD AND DID NOT HAVE ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS THAT NIGHT. ALL IN ALL IT WAS A PRETTY SCARY EXPERIENCE. *TR

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE CAR IS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE IT WILL START FOR A MOMENT THEN GO INTO NEUTRAL. WHEN THIS OCCURS IT WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND ONLY IF THE GEAR SHIFT IS HELD IN REVERSE OR CONSTANTLY SHIFTED INTO REVERSE WILL IT ALLOW YOU TO DO SO. IT WILL THEN ONLY GO INTO PARK WHEN YOU TURN OFF THE CAR. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND IT OCCURRING IN MANY PRIUSES OF VARYING YEARS AND ALSO OCCURS SHIFTING INTO DRIVE, AND CAN OCCUR WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION AT HIGH SPEEDS. I HAVE FOUND THIS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FROM TOYOTA THAT SEEMS TO BE REFERRING TO THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER IT IS ONLY COVERED BY THEM IF THE CAR IS UNDER 3 YEARS OR 36K MILES. THE ISSUE DIDN'T EVEN BEGIN FOR ME UNTIL THE CAR WAS 7 YEARS OLD. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. I AM UNABLE TO ATTACH THE FILE SO BELOW IS A LINK TO THE SITE THAT HAS THE ATTACHMENT. HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/SHIFTER-SLIPS-INTO-N-REPLACE-SHIFTER-T-SB-0142-11.98016/. *TR

I HAVE HID HEADLIGHTS. MY HEADLIGHTS GO ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIME ONE HEAD LIGHT GOES OUT; SOMETIMES BOTH GO OUT. IF THEY GO OUT, I CAN USUALLY GET THEM TO GO BACK ON BY TURNING THEM OFF AND THEN TURNING THEM BACK ON. I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CHECK MY CAR'S REFLECTION IN THE BACK OF OTHER CARS TO MAKE SURE BOTH LIGHTS ARE ON. MY MECHANIC MADE ME AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN A CONSTANT COMPLAINT FOR THIS MODEL AND REPLACING THE HEADLIGHT WILL NOT HELP. ACCORDINGLY, THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE MODULE THAT CEASES TO WORK WHEN IT HEATS UP. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE FHTSA HAS HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS EXACT PROBLEM, AND THAT TOYOTA SETTLED A CLASS ACTION SUIT (FOR WHICH I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED) REGARDING THE EXACT PROBLEM. TOYOTA NOW REFUSES TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM FOR CARS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM EFFECTING THOUSANDS OF CARS. I HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET, BUT IF YOU DON'T MAKE TOYOTA DO A RECALL, I EXPECT THERE WILL BE SEVERAL ACCIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY DUE TO THIS DEFECT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, A RED TRIANGLE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000. UPDATED 02/25/14*LJ

ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 AT ABOUT 8:10 A.M., I WAS DRIVING ON HOLCOMBE IN HOUSTON. THERE WAS TRAFFIC. AT ONE POINT, I NEEDED TO STOP FROM A FAIRLY LOW SPEED (PERHAPS 10 MPH), AS THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HAD STOPPED FOR A LIGHT. I BRAKE USING THE FLOOR PEDAL. BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AT ALL; IT WAS AS THOUGH I HAD NOT EVEN TOUCHED THE BRAKE. THE CAR DIDN'T HESITATE OR DIE; IT JUST CONTINUED MOVING UNTIL IT HIT THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED AND NEITHER THE DRIVER OF THE CAR I HIT NOR I HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN INJURED. BUT HAD THIS HAPPENED AT A HIGHER SPEED THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE DIFFERENT. MY PRIUS HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SEVERAL SAFETY RECALLS, ALL OF WHICH I'VE HAD PERFORMED. AND ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE CAR HAD PASSED ITS ANNUAL STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. FROM THIS AND BECAUSE IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AT ALL WHEN I BRAKED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THIS ACCIDENT WAS A FUNCTION OF A BRAKE DEFECT IN THE PRIUS, PERHAPS A SHORT SOMEWHERE IN THE SYSTEM. *TR

THE CENTER CONSOLE SIMPLY TURNED BLACK. I HAVE NO ACCESS TO ANY OF THE CONTROLS. THIS INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM HEATING AND COOLING, TO BACK UP CAMERA, TO GPS MAPPS, TO RADIO CHANNELL SELECTION. THE ENTIRE CENTER CONSOLE TOUCH SCREEN TURNED BLACK AND USELESS. I HAVE BEEN QUOTED $3,000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER 4 YEARS OF UN/DEREMPLOYMENT, I SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD SUCH A COSTLY FIX. *TR

CLIMATE CONTROL BUTTONS FAILURE WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS STRAIGHT; SPIRAL CABLE/ CLOCK SPRING FAILURE. *TR

PURCHASED 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS USED ON AUG 17, 2013 (61,500 MILES). WITHIN A MONTH I WAS PULLED OVER BY POLICE FOR PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, BUT WHEN HEADLAMPS ARE TURNED OFF AND ON AGAIN THE HEADLIGHT CAME BACK ON, AND THE POLICE OFFICER THOUGHT HE WAS CRAZY SO HE JUST ISSUED A WARNING. THE HEADLIGHT CONTINUED TO GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY AND I REPLACED THE BULBS MYSELF IN NOVEMBER 2013 (PHILIPS HID HEADLIGHT BULBS $95). THE HEADLIGHT STILL WENT OUT INTERMITTENTLY AND I FINALLY REPLACED BOTH HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES IN JULY 2016 BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC (APPROXIMATELY $1000 AT 143,000 MILES). PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT STILL GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY. NHTSA LAUNCHED A PROBE IN APRIL 2009, BUT THEN DROPPED THE INVESTIGATION AFTER TOYOTA SAID IT WOULD INITIATE A "CONSUMER SERVICE CAMPAIGN" TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THEN THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT IN 2011, ALL OF WHICH THE PREVIOUS CAR OWNER MISSED. TOYOTA USES "CAMPAIGNS" TO AVOID RECALLS. TOYOTA'S WEBSITE (HTTPS://WWW.TOYOTA.COM/RECALL) DOES NOT LIST PREVIOUS "CAMPAIGNS" RELATED TO THE VIN SO BUYING THE CAR USED I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING OF PREVIOUS "CAMPAIGNS" THAT STILL NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. UPON PURCHASING IN AUGUST 2013 I TOOK THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN SAN MARCOS, TX FOR A STEERING WHEEL RECALL BUT WAS NOT ALERTED TO ANY OTHER RECALLS OR "CAMPAIGNS" AT THAT TIME.

GEAR POPS BACK TO NEUTRAL FROM DRIVING OR REVERSING AS I STARTED MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2006 CAR FROM MY DRIVEWAY, I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND IT CAME HALFWAY TO THE ROAD AND THEN STOPPED. I NOTICED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER HAD, ON ITS OWN, SHIFTED BACK TO NEUTRAL. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND TRIED TO ACCELERATE BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY OF MY HOME. THE CAR'S GEAR SHIFT LEVER AGAIN MOVED TO NEUTRAL. THE ONLY WAY I COULD MOVE THE CAR BACK TO THE DRIVEWAY WAS BY HOLDING THE LEVER IN THE DRIVE POSITION MANUALLY. I TRIED THE CAR ON MY STREET'S SMALL BLOCK, BUT FOUND THAT THE GEAR KEPT SHIFTING BACK TO NEUTRAL, EVERYTIME I LET GO OF THE DRIVE OR REVERSE POSITION. IN OTHER WORDS, I HAD TO KEEP THE GEAR IN D POSITION MANUALLY WITH ONE HAND TO DRIVE AROUND. I FEEL THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE THE ATTENTION IS DIVERTED FROM THE ROAD TO THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER EVERY FEW SECONDS TO SEE IF THE GEAR IS IN THE DRIVE POSITION. I CALLED TOYOTA TODAY AND INFORMED THEM OF THIS SITUATION. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A DARK UNLIT ROAD WHEN BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WITHOUT WARNING. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS BEHIND ME AS I BRAKED AS FAST AS I COULD WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING. IT WAS THE SAME AS IF I HAD ALL OF A SUDDEN JUST CLOSED MY EYES AND TRIED TO NAVIGATE TO A SAFE STOP SOMEWHERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT HITTING SOMETHING. I WOULD SAY THAT THIS WAS THE SCARIEST MOMENT I HAVE HAD DRIVING IN 30 YEARS OF DRIVING. THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AFTER TURNING THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN, SO THIS IS DEFINITELY A CONTROL PROBLEM OF SOME SORT. I LOVE MY PRIUS, BUT THIS IS JUST AN UNACCEPTABLE DESIGN PROBLEM. OF COURSE I WOULD MUCH RATHER JUST HAVE STANDARD LIGHT BULBS THAT WERE NOT AT RISK OF FAILING RATHER THAN THIS SUPPOSED UPGRADE. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT SHOWED THAT THE AIR BAG IS "OFF" WHEN SOMEONE WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE HAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE AIRBAG HAD BEEN DEPLOYED. THE TOYOTA DEALER SAID IT WAS A SOFTWARE GLITCH AND REPAIRED THE PROBLEM, BUT HE CHARGED AN $85 DIAGNOSTIC FEE, PLUS TAX BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS MORE THAN 35,000 MILES. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT SAFETY DEVICES WERE NOT SUBJECT TO WARRANTY LIMITATIONS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE APPROACHING AN EXIT FROM THE HIGHWAY AT 30 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL COULD NOT BE TURNED TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED FOR A BRIEF MOMENT. THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. THE DEALER ALSO TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE BUT THE FAILURE DID NOT RECUR. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS NOW, WHILE DRIVING MY PRIUS BOTH HEADLIGHTS SPONTANEOUSLY GO OUT. I NOTICE IT WHEN I'M DRIVING AT NIGHT. IT IS NOT SAFE. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH EITHER BULB - THEY JUST DON'T WORK. I HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN FOR BOTH LIGHTS TO WORK AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS AGAIN WITHIN MINUTES OF IT HAPPENING A FIRST TIME. *TR

When I brake and also go over a bump my 2006 Prius lurches forward. The traction control light illuminates. The faulty traction control system sent me into a 1-2 second lurch forward with zero brakes. Then the brake engage then I can stop. I told the dealer about it and they told me there is reprogram fix for the ECM but only 2008 to 2009 which a 2nd generation as my car since 2nd generation is 2005 to 2009 but they said we can do it for my car. I am not sure how they decide what year it can be applied to within the same generation which has the same exact parts. I am sure many prius owners have the same issue, you can see it from the bumpers detached at one side on the front and maybe both side becuase this how it was when i got my car who ever owned must have went through braking issue and i am sure he was shocked sinc i have driven so many csrs and non of them have this issue.

SUDDEN EXTINGUISHING OF ONE HEADLIGHT, THEN THE OTHER. *TR

EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN PROBLEMATIC. I HAVE HAD EITHER LIGHT GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY AND FLICKING THEM OFF/ON FIXES THEM UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. I HAVE EVEN HAD BOTH LIGHTS GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME. REPLACING THE BULBS FIXES THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A YEAR BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNS. I AM NOW PREPARING TO REPLACE MY 5TH BULB FOR WHAT IS SURE TO BE A TEMPORARY FIX. TOYOTA'S OFFER TO REPLACE THE BULBS SEVERAL YEARS AGO WAS NOT AN ACTUAL FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND THE CAR ON THE RIGHT STARTED TO MOVE TO MY LANE WITHOUT TURNING ON TURN SIGNAL, HE PROBABLY DIDN'T NOTICE ME AS HE WAS MOVING ON ME, I STARTED TO BRAKE BUT BRAKE PEDAL STARTED TO WORK AT ONCE, IT STARTED TO WORK ONLY AFTER DELAY AND AFTER IT STARTED WORKING I LOST CONTROL OVER THE CAR, ABS SIGNAL TURNED ON AND I STARTED TO MOVE TO THE LEFT. I TRIED TO PREVENT IT BUT CAR WAS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL AND THIS CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THE SAME HAPPENED TO MY WIFE IN FEBRUARY WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON HIGHWAY. SHE JUST COULDN'T STOP EVEN THOUGH THE DISTANCE TO THE NEXT CAR WAS LONG ENOUGH. BRAKE PEDAL STARTED TO WORK WITH THE DELAY AND SHE BUMPED INTO THE NEXT CAR. *TR

MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 ON A STEEP, CURVY COUNTRY ROAD WHEN BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT! IT IS A MIRACLE SHE'S ALIVE. TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TODAY AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST NEARLY $500 TO REPLACE THE BULBS. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE YET THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED (AGAIN) IMMEDIATELY! *TR