Consumer Complaints

Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
01/02/2012400001
 The back latch covering has a vinyl(?) covering which has become sticky and the latch itself is difficult to open, resulting in continued attempts. it is a hindrance to gain access to the trunk area and thus access to the spare tire if needed. *tr
06/01/201040000
 Everything about my 2007 toyota prius is great except for the latch for the back hatch. there is a rubber cover for the latch that you have to push to open the rear hatch. this rubber has melted. it makes if difficult to open the rear hatch in any kind of an emergency. right now, if you touch the latch you get a thick coating of melted rubber on your hand. sometimes the latch fails to open at all. you still get the black melted rubber on your hand. this should not happen to a 4 year old vehicle. i live in a hot part of the country - the mississippi gulf coast - and rubber covers for hatch latches should be able to withstand summer heat down here.
05/01/2010
 2007 prius hatch handle melt down
06/01/201040000
 Everything about my 2007 toyota prius is great except for the latch for the back hatch. there is a rubber cover for the latch that you have to push to open the rear hatch. this rubber has melted. it makes if difficult to open the rear hatch in any kind of an emergency. right now, if you touch the latch you get a thick coating of melted rubber on your hand. sometimes the latch fails to open at all. you still get the black melted rubber on your hand. this should not happen to a 4 year old vehicle. i live in a hot part of the country - the mississippi gulf coast - and rubber covers for hatch latches should be able to withstand summer heat down here.
05/01/2010
 2007 prius hatch handle melt down
05/15/2011
 The latch handle on my 2007 prius has begun to melt and is worsening over time. i have to open the rear hatch with a towel. it is difficult to open and if i use my hands they become all blackened and my fingers stick impeding the opening esp in an emergency. both problems interfere with a quick release.
08/18/201158988
 2007 prius rear hatch switch covered by a rubber strip. rubber strip has melted and is now more like tar than rubber.
05/01/201158000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun ). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years.
06/01/201040000
 Everything about my 2007 toyota prius is great except for the latch for the back hatch. there is a rubber cover for the latch that you have to push to open the rear hatch. this rubber has melted. it makes if difficult to open the rear hatch in any kind of an emergency. right now, if you touch the latch you get a thick coating of melted rubber on your hand. sometimes the latch fails to open at all. you still get the black melted rubber on your hand. this should not happen to a 4 year old vehicle. i live in a hot part of the country - the mississippi gulf coast - and rubber covers for hatch latches should be able to withstand summer heat down here.
05/01/2010
 2007 prius hatch handle melt down
05/15/2011
 The latch handle on my 2007 prius has begun to melt and is worsening over time. i have to open the rear hatch with a towel. it is difficult to open and if i use my hands they become all blackened and my fingers stick impeding the opening esp in an emergency. both problems interfere with a quick release.
08/18/201158988
 2007 prius rear hatch switch covered by a rubber strip. rubber strip has melted and is now more like tar than rubber.
05/01/201158000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun ). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years.
05/15/2011
 The latch handle on my 2007 prius has begun to melt and is worsening over time. i have to open the rear hatch with a towel. it is difficult to open and if i use my hands they become all blackened and my fingers stick impeding the opening esp in an emergency. both problems interfere with a quick release.
08/18/201158988
 2007 prius rear hatch switch covered by a rubber strip. rubber strip has melted and is now more like tar than rubber.
05/01/201158000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun ). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years.
05/15/2011
 The latch handle on my 2007 prius has begun to melt and is worsening over time. i have to open the rear hatch with a towel. it is difficult to open and if i use my hands they become all blackened and my fingers stick impeding the opening esp in an emergency. both problems interfere with a quick release.
08/18/201158988
 2007 prius rear hatch switch covered by a rubber strip. rubber strip has melted and is now more like tar than rubber.
05/01/201158000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun ). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years.
08/18/201158988
 2007 prius rear hatch switch covered by a rubber strip. rubber strip has melted and is now more like tar than rubber.
05/01/201158000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun ). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years.
04/15/201132500
 At only 4 years of use and under 34,000 miles, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle of my 2007 toyota prius has melted into a sticky, black tar substance. in order to operate the hatch, you have to push a button which is located under the black tar substance, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. as i have looked into this issue, it seems that there are several other toyota prius owners, nationwide, who have experienced this same specific issue. toyota knows told me there have been several complaints about the rubber switch melting as well, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $153.23 plus repair costs, and had no recalls concerning the rubber switch. from a safety perspective, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties. i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun, let alone any extreme weather conditions! it's outrageous to think a door handle or hatch handle was made to only endure 3-4 years of typical weather conditions.
08/06/201159181
 2007 toyota prius rear hatch handle melted. nocticed about a 3 months ago just though that it was really hot out. then though this handle should not melt to high heat there has to be a problem. went to dealer to have oil change and inspection, had service mgr. open hatch and he stated there is a problem. he stated that because car is out of warrante he can not do anything and that it will cost 58.84 for handle and 97.00 for labor. he gave me toyota care number to call, i called today and they state the same thing out of warrante...........i knew that was coming..... this handle should not melt, there has to be a problem with the wiring over heating. the buttons on the doors to lock the car are made out of the same materical. toyota will not do anything until someone has a fire and someone dies.
03/01/2011
 2007 toyota prius rear hatch handle has melted like hot tar. hard to open hatch and toyota wants close to $250.00 to repair. i realize there is wear and tear on vehicles but this is not one od them. this is definitely a manufacturing defect. i like my prius but this has been the only toyota i have bought and did so for the great reputation but this car has been recalled several times, which i'm happy they did, but it's the first car i've owned that's been recalled.
08/06/201159181
 2007 toyota prius rear hatch handle melted. nocticed about a 3 months ago just though that it was really hot out. then though this handle should not melt to high heat there has to be a problem. went to dealer to have oil change and inspection, had service mgr. open hatch and he stated there is a problem. he stated that because car is out of warrante he can not do anything and that it will cost 58.84 for handle and 97.00 for labor. he gave me toyota care number to call, i called today and they state the same thing out of warrante...........i knew that was coming..... this handle should not melt, there has to be a problem with the wiring over heating. the buttons on the doors to lock the car are made out of the same materical. toyota will not do anything until someone has a fire and someone dies.
03/01/2011
 2007 toyota prius rear hatch handle has melted like hot tar. hard to open hatch and toyota wants close to $250.00 to repair. i realize there is wear and tear on vehicles but this is not one od them. this is definitely a manufacturing defect. i like my prius but this has been the only toyota i have bought and did so for the great reputation but this car has been recalled several times, which i'm happy they did, but it's the first car i've owned that's been recalled.
08/06/201159181
 2007 toyota prius rear hatch handle melted. nocticed about a 3 months ago just though that it was really hot out. then though this handle should not melt to high heat there has to be a problem. went to dealer to have oil change and inspection, had service mgr. open hatch and he stated there is a problem. he stated that because car is out of warrante he can not do anything and that it will cost 58.84 for handle and 97.00 for labor. he gave me toyota care number to call, i called today and they state the same thing out of warrante...........i knew that was coming..... this handle should not melt, there has to be a problem with the wiring over heating. the buttons on the doors to lock the car are made out of the same materical. toyota will not do anything until someone has a fire and someone dies.
03/01/2011
 2007 toyota prius rear hatch handle has melted like hot tar. hard to open hatch and toyota wants close to $250.00 to repair. i realize there is wear and tear on vehicles but this is not one od them. this is definitely a manufacturing defect. i like my prius but this has been the only toyota i have bought and did so for the great reputation but this car has been recalled several times, which i'm happy they did, but it's the first car i've owned that's been recalled.
08/06/201159181
 2007 toyota prius rear hatch handle melted. nocticed about a 3 months ago just though that it was really hot out. then though this handle should not melt to high heat there has to be a problem. went to dealer to have oil change and inspection, had service mgr. open hatch and he stated there is a problem. he stated that because car is out of warrante he can not do anything and that it will cost 58.84 for handle and 97.00 for labor. he gave me toyota care number to call, i called today and they state the same thing out of warrante...........i knew that was coming..... this handle should not melt, there has to be a problem with the wiring over heating. the buttons on the doors to lock the car are made out of the same materical. toyota will not do anything until someone has a fire and someone dies.
03/01/2011
 2007 toyota prius rear hatch handle has melted like hot tar. hard to open hatch and toyota wants close to $250.00 to repair. i realize there is wear and tear on vehicles but this is not one od them. this is definitely a manufacturing defect. i like my prius but this has been the only toyota i have bought and did so for the great reputation but this car has been recalled several times, which i'm happy they did, but it's the first car i've owned that's been recalled.
07/15/201135000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. mark. i thought that this was just sticky at firdt, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. we also live in florida. toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in florida for example). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, and i find this problem to be very serious in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents:
04/23/201151000
 I am owner of a 2007 toyota pruis. less than 3 years since purchasing the vehicle new from toyota, a rubber weather seal component in the rear hatch handle has progressively melted. with the seal now compromised, i fear the hatch handle will eventually fail or malfunction resulting in corrosion or worse still, accidental opening of the rear hatch while the vehicle is in motion. i have contacted toyota about the defect and they advise it would be a $150 repair and all costs would be the responsibility of the owner. as this is clearly a manufacturer defect and one that could potentially lead to serious injury or death, i would expect toyota to correct the problem at their own cost.
09/22/2010
 After only about 2 3/4 years of use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, started to melt into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. by the time i was trying to have the dealer replace it under warranty the car just passed a few days the 3 yr. mark. of course the dealer refused to replace it under normal warranty. toyota knows about this issue, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $112 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. fyi i live in south louisiana. to me, this is a serious quality defect and a potential life threatening hazard. one may touch the electric wires by operating the handle. by filing this complaint i am kindly asking your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun. this is outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch assembly should be made to last more than 3 years. thank you for understanding and your assistance.
06/29/201160000
 The rear hatch release on my 2007 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.
09/22/2010
 After only about 2 3/4 years of use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, started to melt into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. by the time i was trying to have the dealer replace it under warranty the car just passed a few days the 3 yr. mark. of course the dealer refused to replace it under normal warranty. toyota knows about this issue, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $112 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. fyi i live in south louisiana. to me, this is a serious quality defect and a potential life threatening hazard. one may touch the electric wires by operating the handle. by filing this complaint i am kindly asking your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun. this is outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch assembly should be made to last more than 3 years. thank you for understanding and your assistance.
06/29/201160000
 The rear hatch release on my 2007 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.
06/01/201070000
 The latch on the hatch of my 2007 prius has melted into a gooey mess. it interferes with the operation of the latch making it difficult to open the hatch. i started noticing this at the 3-3.5 year mark, now it is a black glob that comes off on my hand whenever i access the latch.
06/25/201156000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. mark. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. we also live in florida. toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents:
06/29/201160000
 The rear hatch release on my 2007 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.
06/01/201070000
 The latch on the hatch of my 2007 prius has melted into a gooey mess. it interferes with the operation of the latch making it difficult to open the hatch. i started noticing this at the 3-3.5 year mark, now it is a black glob that comes off on my hand whenever i access the latch.
06/25/201156000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. mark. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. we also live in florida. toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents:
06/01/201070000
 The latch on the hatch of my 2007 prius has melted into a gooey mess. it interferes with the operation of the latch making it difficult to open the hatch. i started noticing this at the 3-3.5 year mark, now it is a black glob that comes off on my hand whenever i access the latch.
06/25/201156000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. mark. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. we also live in florida. toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents:
06/01/201070000
 The latch on the hatch of my 2007 prius has melted into a gooey mess. it interferes with the operation of the latch making it difficult to open the hatch. i started noticing this at the 3-3.5 year mark, now it is a black glob that comes off on my hand whenever i access the latch.
06/25/201156000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. mark. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. we also live in florida. toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents:
06/01/201070000
 The latch on the hatch of my 2007 prius has melted into a gooey mess. it interferes with the operation of the latch making it difficult to open the hatch. i started noticing this at the 3-3.5 year mark, now it is a black glob that comes off on my hand whenever i access the latch.
06/25/201156000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. mark. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. we also live in florida. toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents:
06/01/2011
 2007 toyota prius rear lid release button. this button release has begun 'melting' into a gooey plastic that binds the release.
05/27/2011
 I bought a scion in '06, my first car i've ever bought. it was wonderful, except that i live in florida and the rubber piece on my trunk handle melted. it melted so much that, to this day, there is a huge glob of rubber on my license plate. well, yesterday i traded in my scion for a prius. i am having the same issue with the handle! every time i open my trunk, i get black gunk on my hands. upon research, i found that a large number of people are experiencing this problem with their toyotas. i emailed toyota and addressed them with the issue. they wrote it off as grease dripping from the handle, when if you look at my car, it is clear that there are globs of melted rubber everywhere. they told me it could easily be wiped off and i can't even scrape it off or wash it off with soap and water! i even sent them links to forums with page and pages of complaints with the same issue and they still won't address it. therefore, i decided to report it here. this could potentially turn into a safety issue, if the rubber continues to melt causing the trunk to be inoperable.
04/27/201127400
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 3 yr. mark. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. we purchased the car in florida. toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. the dealer stated that this is a problem on numerous makes and they see this regularly. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in florida for example). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years.
01/01/201045000
 I have a 2007 prius and 2-3 years after purchase, the rubber piece under the hatchback melted, making so that it was a sticky black mess and it wouldn't open. it now doesn't open at all and i can not get into my trunk, recently had a battery replaced and my car was stranded, the aaa guy had to crawl to the back w/ seats down from the side of the car. i could not get to my trunk if i have a flat tire in the future. i am out of warranty . my understanding is that toyota is making owners pay 300+ to fix this despite the fact that it is obviously a manufacturing defect. please assist with this safety concern on all prius vehicles.
01/04/201125000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius has begun melting. it is sticky to the touch and it does make the trunk release difficult to operate. i just dropped my car off at the servco hawaii dealership and they told me that i would have to pay $170.00 to replace the latch system. the service tech asked me if my car has been out in the sun. well, i do live in hawaii, i do garage my car but i have never experienced a rubber piece on any car to melt. further, the rubber trunk release cover is not exposed to direct sunlight at any time because the rubber cover is on the underside of the trunk/rear hatch release by design. please have toyota take responsibility for this defective part. after a quick google search it appears that i am one of many people that have had this happen. thank you for your assistance.
05/15/201040000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. mark. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. we also live in florida. toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in florida for example). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-care-maintenance-troubleshooting/71647-2007-prius-trunk-hatch-release-rubber-piece-melted-4.html thank you for your assistance. j. prager, gainesville, fl
01/04/201125000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius has begun melting. it is sticky to the touch and it does make the trunk release difficult to operate. i just dropped my car off at the servco hawaii dealership and they told me that i would have to pay $170.00 to replace the latch system. the service tech asked me if my car has been out in the sun. well, i do live in hawaii, i do garage my car but i have never experienced a rubber piece on any car to melt. further, the rubber trunk release cover is not exposed to direct sunlight at any time because the rubber cover is on the underside of the trunk/rear hatch release by design. please have toyota take responsibility for this defective part. after a quick google search it appears that i am one of many people that have had this happen. thank you for your assistance.
05/15/201040000
 After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. mark. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. we also live in florida. toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in florida for example). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-care-maintenance-troubleshooting/71647-2007-prius-trunk-hatch-release-rubber-piece-melted-4.html thank you for your assistance. j. prager, gainesville, fl
04/01/200956000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the key to the vehicle was radioactive. the contact was concerned about the safety risk because he wore a pacemaker. the dealer informed the contact that there was no need for concern. the vin was not available. the current and failure mileages were approximately 56,000.

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