Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL | |||
| 01/06/2013 | 168000 | ||
| On three separate occassions i started my prius by using the electric start button without the key. the car starts and runs but the instrument panel does not light up. once i arrived at my destination the car will not shut off. it take approx. 1 hr of running before it will turn off. my dealership indicated they had not heard of this issue but after a diagnostic test, discovered that a computer chip communicating with the start button was the issue. the part is not available for 4 to 6 weeks and they will not release my car to me since they consider it a safety issue. they indicated its part of a recall issue..never heard of it! hummm. no cost for the fix since it is part of the recall and toyota has provided me with a rental car. | |||
| 05/20/2010 | 11966 | 1 | |
| On 20 may 2010 at 11,966 miles every brake/stability warning light came on (including the warning for the parking/emergency brake which was not engaged), regenerative braking appeared to have failed, and hydraulic/friction brakes behaved as if abs was acting at a very slow pulse rate, approximately a 5-second cycle. for about 2 seconds during the off portion of this cycle the brakes were effectively inoperative, with the parking/emergency brake the only source of braking. this behavior persisted after shutting down and restarting the car. the dealer's service department reported that three errors had been logged: c1247 - stroke sensor c1300 - abs ecu malfunction c2318 - low voltage error resetting the computers cleared the warning indications and restored normal brake system behavior. at my behest, the dealer worked with toyota engineering to identify why a low voltage would cause a computer failure which could cause substantial loss of braking ability. they kept the car for 8 days but did not appear to complete any sort of root cause analysis of the failure. on 17 december 2012 at 27,324 miles the brakes again failed with the same set of warning lights illuminated. this time, abs does not appear to be active at all. for the first 2-5 cm of brake pedal travel, in the regime where regenerative braking would be active, no braking is evident. as the pedal is further depressed, the hydraulic/friction brakes abruptly engage. pressing harder does result in increased braking though braking is rough. no pulsation as might be expected from abs was noticed. no attempt was made to brake hard enough to lock up the brakes. the vehicle is currently at the dealer. *tr | |||
| 05/20/2010 | 11966 | ||
| On 20 may 2010 at 11,966 miles every brake/stability warning light came on (including the warning for the parking/emergency brake which was not engaged), regenerative braking appeared to have failed, and hydraulic/friction brakes behaved as if abs was acting at a very slow pulse rate, approximately a 5-second cycle. for about 2 seconds during the off portion of this cycle the brakes were effectively inoperative, with the parking/emergency brake the only source of braking. this behavior persisted after shutting down and restarting the car. the dealer's service department reported that three errors had been logged: c1247 - stroke sensor c1300 - abs ecu malfunction c2318 - low voltage error resetting the computers cleared the warning indications and restored normal brake system behavior. at my behest, the dealer worked with toyota engineering to identify why a low voltage would cause a computer failure which could cause substantial loss of braking ability. they kept the car for 8 days but did not appear to complete any sort of root cause analysis of the failure. on 17 december 2012 at 27,324 miles the brakes again failed with the same set of warning lights illuminated. this time, abs does not appear to be active at all. for the first 2-5 cm of brake pedal travel, in the regime where regenerative braking would be active, no braking is evident. as the pedal is further depressed, the hydraulic/friction brakes abruptly engage. pressing harder does result in increased braking though braking is rough. no pulsation as might be expected from abs was noticed. no attempt was made to brake hard enough to lock up the brakes. the vehicle is currently at the dealer. | |||
| 10/17/2012 | 124157 | ||
| When the headlights are first turned on, both work. in a few minutes the driver's side hid light dims and then goes out. this happens repeatedly. if i turn the lights off and then turn them on again, the same thing happens, both are lit, the driver's side dims and then goes out again in a few minutes. | |||
| 07/09/2012 | 172361 | 1 | |
| On 09jul2012 4:00 p.m while driving my prius 2008 hybrid, heading home on i15n, the electric power on the vehicle shutdown without any previous warning, or alert. i immediately maneuvered the vehicle to the right shoulder of the highway. immediately called aaa for a towing into toyota of escondido, located on 231 lincoln parkway, escondido, ca 92026 ph# (760) 746-0674. today 09/01/2012 - currently experiencing problems with intermittent hid headlight operation: i've got a package 6 2006 prius. one of the headlights keeps going out. i can't really tell when or how it goes out since i can't see it. i'll notice it when i see the reflection in the back of another car. if i turn the bright lights on and off it has no effect, but when i turn them all the way off and back on the light comes back. request a safety recall for toyota to take care of the electrical corrective actions. *tr | |||
| 07/09/2012 | 172361 | ||
| On 09jul2012 4:00 p.m while driving my prius 2008 hybrid, heading home on i15n, the electric power on the vehicle shutdown without any previous warning, or alert. i immediately maneuvered the vehicle to the right shoulder of the hghwy. immediately called aaa for a towing into toyota of escondido, located on 231 lincoln parkway, escondido, ca 92026 ph# (760) 746-0674. today 09/01/2012 - currently experiencing problems with intermittent hid headlight operation: i've got a package 6 2006 prius. one of the headlights keeps going out. i can't really tell when or how it goes out since i can't see it. i'll notice it when i see the reflection in the back of another car. if i turn the bright lights on and off it has no effect, but when i turn them all the way off and back on the light comes back. request a safety recall for toyota to take care of the electrical corrective actions. | |||
| 11/20/2010 | 21000 | ||
| I was leaving the airport and beginning to pick up speed (approximately 30-35 mph) when i had a very scary incident with my 2008 prius. it suddenly fishtailed to the left, several seconds later fishtailed to the right, and as it yet again began to fishtail to the left, i jammed on the brakes very hard and it corrected. it was terrifying and fortunately there was no one to my right or behind me and the taxi on my left managed to avoid me. i knew that i would never feel safe in my prius again. i immediately reported the problem to the toyota regional manager who said to take it into the dealership. i then spent the next two days reading complaints posted on the internet about the prius. it is chilling to read how many complaints have been filed and the patterns that emerge in the reporting. i took my car into the dealership where the service manager looked over the complaint that had been written up and said, i never heard of this before. i told him he only had to go to the internet to see how similar cases with the prius have been documented. he told me that i shouldn't believe what i find there. i tried my best to give him a thorough explanation of the problem but he didn't seem much interested in getting a fix on what i was talking about. he asked if i had gone over a bump. no, i replied, but why do you ask? he said that going over a bump can trigger a sensor in the wheel that sets in motion a series of responses. and going over a bump isn't a problem for toyota?, i asked. he didn't respond and only said that they will look the car over. from reading the documented reports on the internet, i knew exactly what the findings would be. we don't find anything wrong with your car, he told me. but you do agree that there is something seriously wrong, don't you?, i asked. he immediately hustled me out of the area. i knew that i could never sell my car to another person in good faith, but i sold it back to the dealership at a big loss. | |||
| 02/16/2010 | 15000 | ||
| I have a 2008 toyota prius with vehicle stability control. when the car is going up or down a hill that is slippery, icy or snowy, the vsc kicks in, and all power is shut off to the spinning wheel (s). this renders the car unusable under these conditions. i have been in traffic, and barely escaped running into the car behind me. no injuries were caused, but this feature is potentially very dangerous and even fatal. toyota should be persuaded to offer or install a way to temporarily disable the vsc. | |||
| 09/02/2010 | 30050 | ||
| I own a 2008 toyota prius and have experienced braking problems since i purchased the vehicle. any time i go over a bump/pothole, while turning, results in a floating sensation, surge forward, and momentary loss of steering. i almost had an accident 2 weeks ago at an intersection when this occurred. serviced my vehicle yesterday and they claim the skid control system is working as it was designed. there is definitely a fatal flaw in this system and likely a chip issue. toyota is not doing anything. | |||
| 03/26/2008 | 1 | ||
| Every time i am braking and go over a bump in my 2008 toyota prius the anti-lock braking system kicks in. when it does so, it feels like the brakes disengage for a second and the car goes faster, like the braking system is failing before it ends up kicking in. my toyota dealer tells me this is the way it is supposed to work but it does not feel safe to me. it has been this way since the first day i bought the car brand new from the dealer. | |||
| 05/05/2008 | 15 | ||
| 2008 toyota prius -abs releases brakes while applying brakes over bump or bumpy road surface causing longer stopping distance. vehicle will stop acceleration in turn if going over bump as thug stability contol is activating. | |||
| 01/29/2010 | 34921 | ||
| 2008 toyota prius. on jan 29, 2010, i was slowly pulling into a parking stall when the excellarator engaged and the car surged forward. i applied the brakes and nothing happened. i let off the brakes and slammed them on harder and the car would not stop. my car hit the side of a am/pm arco station building. i turned it into my insurance and paid the $500 deductible. my car was taken to dealership and they could find nothing wrong at that time. the car has not surged since. | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 1 | 1 | |
| We have a 2008 prius which has a couple of dangerous things about it which the dealer says is | |||
| 05/14/2009 | 14640 | 1 | |
| As the traffic began to accelerate after stopping at a traffic light the brakes on my 2008 prius, which i had for less than a day, apparently failed. i had plenty of room ( 3 to 4 car lengths) when the van in front of me stopped short. i slammed on the brakes, but the vehicle failed to stop (the highway was wet and i assumed the anti-lock brakes activated causing the stopping distance to be extended, but there was no evidence of the abs engaging). the resulting accident caused over $ 4,000 in front end damage. also, the esc appear to skip while traveling over a railroad track near my home. *tr | |||
| 05/20/2008 | 50 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 toyota prius. from day one, i have had a problem with braking over uneven terrain. when the vehicle goes over the uneven terrain, and you are braking, the stability control light goes on the dash and the brakes stop working until the vehicle is past the uneven road. this also happens on icy roads when the vehicle starts to slip, the brakes fail. i did not think there was anything wrong until i heard of similar complaints. i am taking the vehicle in to the dealer this week for it's service and will be reporting the problem to them at that time. *tr | |||
| 01/12/2010 | 1 | ||
| My 2008 toyota prius has the same problem as reported in the 2010 recall. when approaching an intersection (or doing anything), if my car hits a bump or pothole, the skid control takes over and i can not manually brake. why is this not being addressed? the date in question i was approaching an intersection and hit a pothole and even though i was hitting the brakes, not until the skid control was finished could the brakes actually fire, and that didn't happen until my car was halfway in the intersection! *tr | |||
| 11/23/2007 | 30000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 toyota prius and apparently i'm experiencing the same problems as the 2010's in the recall. after reading the description from new releases i realize that i have been experiencing the problem. the event is reproducible and occurs whenever i'm braking and the car hits the slightest bump or dip in the road. if i do not let go of the brake just before the bump/dip/small pothole, the brake seems to disengage and the car feels as if its lurching forward. the engine does not seem to rev but there is a definite feeling of acceleration. i have noticed this pretty much since i bought the car but did not think all to much of it, i just adjusted my driving habits as best as possible. ( i thought perhaps the abs or traction control was just too sensitive) i drive through out the day and a road i travel on has gotten pretty beat up with all the snow removal so i have to be very careful driving on this road if there is any traffic, as i must anticipate the bumps/dips and brake accordingly otherwise this event will occur. again the issue is reproducible thankfully i have not had an accident due to this. *tr | |||
| 02/08/2010 | 35000 | ||
| I have a 2008 prius. if i have my foot on the brake and the stability system light comes on, the brake seems to release for a split second. this has not caused an accident, but i wanted to report it since the 2010 prius is being investigated | |||
| 01/20/2010 | 25000 | ||
| Own 2008 toyota prius. in the past few months having trouble with the anti- locking brake system. while going over bumps or potholes feels that the car has no control almost like driving on ice. this problem is occuring more frequently. also, making turns the brakes seem to grab and then eventulally release. while making a turn on a off ramp , the anti-locking brake system continually employed making it difficult to steer the car around the turn. | |||
| 02/05/2010 | 14000 | 1 | |
| Can't brake effectively on snow or when car hits a pot hole *tw | |||
| 01/28/2010 | 30000 | 1 | |
| My car is a 2008 prius. the incident is that my car didn't stop and skidded into a concrete curb, damaging the right front power steering rack. it was snowing, about 1-2 accumulated. driving into my office parking lot, there is a street with a steep but short hill - maybe 50feet or less - (it was not plowed or sanded). at the foot of the hill, there is a left turn into a level parking lot or a right turn under a highway overpass, or straight ahead into shrubs and the river. i slowed down before going down the hill and as i went down the hill i lightly pumped brakes. tried to come to a complete stop at foot of the hill but car didn't stop completely, but was going slow. so, i made the left turn into the parking lot. the body of the car turned into the lot, but was not in control. with the brakes on, and the wheel turned to the left, the car went into a slide sideways to the right. the right front wheel slammed into a concrete curb and the car stopped. it felt as if i had no brakes - coming down the hill they couldn't stop me and there was no skid control coming on at any time. the failure: given the weather conditions i don't know how to prove a failure but i suspect something with the brakes. i have owned this car for one year (purchased it used) and during that time the one thing that bugs me in the car is the brakes and the skid control. they just feel strange, i go over a depressed manhole in the road and the dsc comes on and it feels like i skid - it should just feel like a bump. repairs: this is the list -entire power steering rack on right front to be replaced- tie rod, lower control arm, wheel, rim-all bent. front cover and lower ball joint damaged-to be replaced. over $3000 in repairs; they will be done this week (8 feb). if you want the old parts i can ask for dealer to save them. car is @ toyota dealer. mileage & speed are my best guess; components i guessed - your terms were not familiar to me. *tw | |||
| 02/05/2010 | 38000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2008 toyota prius. i've noticed that when i run over a bump or a pothole on the road, the car seems to accelerate or jolt forward. it happens while i brake to a stop sign and run over a bump or pothole. it has also happened while letting go of the gas pedal but not stepping on the brake. usually when this occurs the light for the traction control engages as if it detects a skid, even though there is no skid. i have to press the brake very hard in order to stop or slow down the car. i tend to leave extra room in front of me just in case the car accelerates unexpectedly, but there is definitely a problem with unexplained acceleration. *cn | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 24000 | 1 | |
| Car seems to slip on uneven road surface. when driven over potholes or bumps in the road, the wheels seem to speed up before stabilizing back. the stability control light flashes on when this happens. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2009 | 21500 | 10 | |
| I drive a black 2008 toyota prius and after reading the news reports, i think there might be similar braking issues with my vehicle. the condition definitely does not happen very often, but i would say at least 5-10 times over the 23 months (march 08 - present) that i have had the vehicle. with the brake pedal applied after going over a rough spot or pothole in the road, it felt like the car was skidding or sliding. the car would resume normal operating conditions within a few seconds. the car was never out of control, but the steering wheel and brake pedal definitely felt very loose which is different than under normal circumstances. also, when this condition occurs, the low-traction indicator light on the dashboard illuminates for a few seconds. these incidents occurred when there was not other traffic around. up to this point, i attributed the condition to driver error, but i would rather add my description and err on the side of being overly cautious. *tr | |||
| 01/30/2010 | 34000 | 1 | |
| 2008 toyota prius. brakes fail/inoperative when driving over bumpy roads and/or potholes. it seems as though the abs or the electronic stability control engages when there is no need. this is the same type of incident that is being reported in newer prius models as well. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2009 | 23000 | 1 | |
| When braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second. *tr | |||
| 06/10/2009 | 4023 | 1 | |
| We bought the prius on june 2008 and it has only 4023 miles but in last one month it broke down three times . first time the car stopped on highway a strong beep sound and then check engine light, vehicle stability control light and a big red alert triangle came up the car lost it's power completely and got stalled in the middle of hwy - pretty scary. then on 6/2/2009 we noticed that we cannot open the hatch back door and the car is completely dead. both times we towed the car to the dealer and first time they said they did not find any thing wrong and they have reset all the computer, second time they said the battery was drained out without really ny proper reason. last night we drove the car may be about 15 miles or so and it's the same situation the beep sound and all the hazard lights came on in the middle of the road and the car is dead again and we had to tow to the dealer. three times in one month and in the middle of the road with a $30,000 dollars car is unacceptable. some one really can kill us from the back because it is so sudden that no way they could predict that we are going to be stalled within 5 seconds from 65 miles/hour speed. we have a child and she travels on the back seat all the time. what is the solution for it? toyota needs to take the responsibility. it is a real safety issue for our family. *tr | |||