2009 Toyota Prius Body & Structure Problems

Over the years the rubber handle which needs to be pressed in in order to open the trunk has disintegrated. Now it’s at the point where the assembly under the rubber handle is exposed. It is getting harder and harder to open. I need to be able to get into the truck to get to my spare tire and road hazard equipment. I can’t get a picture s8nce it’s too close to the body and covered by the overhanging trunk lid. It’s about $500 to fix. But I rarely use that handle, so it certainly was never abused. Just a very bad design.

THE BACK LATCH OF MY GRANDDAUGHTERS 09 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS DEGRADED ("MELTED" ALMOST). IT NO LONGER FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, AND WE ARE UNABLE TO OPEN THE BACK HATCH DOOR EASILY. SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES CONSIDERABLE EFFORT AND PERSEVERANCE TO GET IT OPEN. I AM CONCERNED THAT IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, SHE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE DOOR OPEN. THIS IS A MAJOR CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. IT IS NECESSARY TO GET TO THE SPARE TIRE, MAYBE EVEN GET OUT OF THE TRUNK IN CASE OF A FIRE OR OTHER REASON. IT IS A BLACK, GOOEY MESS. SHE FIRST NOTICED IT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT AND I AM OBVIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT HER SAFETY.

SINCE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THE LEFT BACK DOOR WON'T OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. IT CAN ONLY BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. SINCE THURSDAY, FEB. 28, 2019 THE RIGHT BACK DOOR ALSO CAN'T BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE, ONLY FROM THE OUTSIDE. THAT DOOR HARDLY EVER IS USED. THE PASSENGER WAS TRAPPED INSIDE. I HAD TO OPEN IT FROM THE OUTSIDE TO LET HIM OUT. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE TO ANY CAR I EVER DROVE OR WAS A PASSENGER IN. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO BE TRAPPED INSIDE. SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH HOW THE DOOR WAS MANUFACTURED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT HAD DIFFICULTY OPENING THE TRUNK OF THE VEHICLE. ONCE OPENED, THE PANEL ABOVE THE LICENSE PLATE DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE PANEL WAS HANGING WITH ALL THE WIRES STILL ATTACHED TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COULD NO LONGER ACCESS THE TRUNK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PANEL NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,545.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HATCH WAS MELTED TO THE HATCH LEVER LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THE REAR HATCH RELEASE ON MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS BEGUN TO DECOMPOSE AND TURN INTO A RUBBERY, GOOEY MESS. IT INTERFERES WITH THE USE OF THE HATCH AS THE GOO NOT ONLY GETS ON THE FINGERS BUT APPEARS TO BE BLOCKING THE RELEASE MECHANISM. *TR

THE RUBBER COVER TO THE HATCHBACK TRUNK LATCH HAS MELTED. IT IS NOW STICKY AND GOOEY AND LITERALLY IMMOVABLE. THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD, BECAUSE SOMETIMES I CAN'T OPEN THE HATCHBACK WHICH CONTAINS THE SPARE TIRE AND OTHER TOOLS. I HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO ACCESS ANYTHING IN THE "TRUNK" WHEN I'M UNABLE TO OPEN THE LATCH. THE TOYOTA DEALER SAID THIS DEFECTIVE PART IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND QUOTED AN EXORBITANT PRICE TO REPLACE IT. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART AT NO COST TO OWNERS. *TR

MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. THERE WERE TWO CARS STOPPED AT THE SIGN. SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET FROM THE STOP, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I STOOD ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. I SAID TO MY UNDERSTANDABLY ALARMED WIFE, WE'RE NOT STOPPING. AND WE DIDN'T UNTIL WE SMASHED INTO THE BACK OF A TAHOE STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN, DOING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE PRIUS THAT RENDERED IT UNDRIVEABLE AND PERHAPS TOTALED. MY WIFE HAS A VERY SORE BACK THAT I AM HOPING STARTS TO FEEL BETTER TODAY OR WE WILL HAVE TO SCHEDULE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT. *TR

THE RUBBER COVER ON MY TOURING MODEL PRIUS'S HATCH LOCKING ASSEMBLY - THE HIDDEN AREA YOU GRAB TO OPEN THE HATCH - HAS DETERIORATED TO THE POINT THAT IT IS GUMMY LIKE TAR. THERE ARE DOZENS OF ONLINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO 2007 AND 2008 MODELS, WHICH LIKE MY PRIUS, WERE MANUFACTURED IN JAPAN. I'VE OWNED SEVERAL HATCHBACKS AND NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM ON MUCH OLDER HATCH LOCKS. FROM ALL OF THE ONLINE COMPLAINTS IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT BUT WHEN CONTACTED, THEY FIRST TOLD ME THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEING A PROBLEM, AND NOW TELL ME IT ADVISES CUSTOMERS IT'S "NORMAL WEAR." FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE THE MELTING RUBBER MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH (A LIFE SAFETY ACCESS POINT), AND THE STICKY BLACK TAR-LIKE MATERIAL FROM THE COVER IS ALSO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. I ASK YOUR AGENCY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE INSTANCES AND ALSO TO INQUIRE WHY TOYOTA IS NOT RECALLING THESE HANDLES THAT ARE MELTING, WHICH HAS TO BE THE RESULT OF DEFECTIVE RUBBER. I THINK A DOOR HANDLE OR HATCH HANDLE SHOULD BE MADE TO LAST MORE THAN THREE YEARS. *TR

HATCHBACK RUBBER PART OF LATCH MELTED AND BECAME A STICKY MESS. ELECTRONICS ON LATCH ARE NOW EXPOSED TO MOISTURE AND DIRT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SQUIRRELS WERE ABLE CHEW THROUGH THE WIRING AND THE FUSE BOX FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE SQUIRRELS HAD ALSO CHEWED THROUGH THE PLASTIC RADIATOR COVER AND SUPPORT PANEL FOR THE FAN AND THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AS A RESULT OF THE DAMAGES. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO COVER FOR THE UNDER THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT THE SQUIRRELS OR RODENTS FROM ENTERING AND DAMAGING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,091 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,373.

RUST IN THE BOTTOM FRAME OF PRIUS. *TR