2004 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS LEFT ME STRANDED FOR 15 MINUTE PERIODS OF TIME WHILE PARKED ON MY STREET. ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS COME ON AS WELL AS THE FOLLOWING RED WARNING "CAUTION - TRANSMISSION "P" LOCK MECHANISM IS ABNORMAL. PARK IN A FLAT PLACE AND APPLY BRAKE." I WAS PARKED ON A MILD INCLINE AND I ALWAYS USE MY PARKING BRAKE. THIS HOWEVER MAKES ME SUSPICIOUS OF WHETHER THE PARKING BRAKE IS HARDY ENOUGH TO WORK WHEN PARKED ON THE CROWN OF A STREET PARKING SPACE. I APPLIED AND RE-APPLIED MY PARKING BRAKE WITHOUT SUCCESS. I OPEN AND CLOSED THE HOOD WITHOUT SUCCESS. I OPEN AND CLOSED MY DOOR WITHOUT SUCCESS. I PLACED ALL MY PASSENGER SEAT ITEMS ON THE FLOOR WITHOUT SUCCESS. I HELD THE IGNITION BUTTON WITHOUT SUCCESS. I PLACED MY KEY FOB INTO THE IGNITION WITHOUT SUCCESS. AND WHEN TRYING TO REMOVE MY KEY FOB SO I COULD GO CALL A TOW TRUCK, THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD HOUSING FOR THE IGNITION KEY CAME LOOSE AND DIS-ARTICULATED IN MY HAND. I JUST CAREFULLY PUSHED THE PLASTIC HOUSING BACK INTO THE DASHBOARD.... HOWEVER, THAT WAS DEPRESSING TO SEE. FINALLY, AFTER ALL THE TINKERING FOR 15 MINUTES, MY CAR FINALLY TURNED OFF. I WAS THEN ABLE TO TURN IT BACK ON AND DRIVE AWAY WITHOUT A PROBLEM. IN RETROSPECT, THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST 4 OCCASIONS SINCE DECEMBER 24, 2009 AND I JUST ASSUMED THAT DURING THE BOUT WITH MY INJURED LEG THAT I WAS NOT ADEQUATELY PLACING ENOUGH FORCE ON THE PARKING BRAKE..... BUT SHOULD THIS HAPPEN SO EASILY?? I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS PART OF THE WHOLE SAFETY ISSUES WITH CARS NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP WHILE RUNNING. THANKS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL REPEATED PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT A BIG DEAL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 102,595.

MY 2004 PRIUS FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES LOSE CONTROL WHEN I'M GOING OVER A BUMP. I APPLY THE BRAKE, IT CATCHES, THEN RELEASES MOMENTARILY, THEN GRABS. THE TIME OF THE RELEASE FEELS TOO LONG TO BE SAFE, AND I AM NEVER REALLY SURE THAT IT WILL GRAB EVENTUALLY. THIS PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED SINCE I BOUGHT IT, AND TOYOTA ASSURES ME IT'S NOT A PROBLEM. *TR

I GOT MY 2004 PRIUS IN NOV 2003. MY DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED LAST YEAR AND I WAS CHARGED AT LEAST $200 TO REPLACE LAST YEAR. THE SAME HEADLIGHT FAILED ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO, AND I DO NOT HAVE $200+ TO GET THE BULB REPLACED. I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO DO THIS MYSELF AS HAVE MANY OTHER PRIUS OWNERS. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN GOING OVER A BUMPY PATCH OF ROAD, IF I BRAKE, SOMETIMES THE BRAKE APPEARS TO NOT CATCH FOR A BRIEF TIME (1 SECOND OR SO). AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS MY IMAGINATION, BUT OVER THE YEARS IT HAS HAPPENED OFTEN ENOUGH THAT I AM CONVINCED THE SENSATION IS REAL. I HAVE RECENTLY READ ABOUT OTHERS DESCRIBING THE SAME EXPERIENCE. I CANNOT GIVE AN APPROXIMATE DATE OR MILEAGE; THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY OVER THE 6 YEARS I'VE OWNED THE CAR. CONSEQUENTLY, THE DATE AND MILEAGE I AM ENTERING IS THE MOST RECENT TIME WHEN I NOTICED IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD SHUT OFF INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CENTER CONSOLE ON THE DASHBOARD FAILED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 113,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS (LOW SPEED, UNDER 30 MPH), I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE. AT FIRST THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM MY BRAKES, THEN THE ABS KICKED IN AND STOPPED MY VEHICLE. ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY AND THERE WAS NO APPARENT REASON THAT THE ABS SYSTEM SHOULD'VE KICKED IN. AT THAT TIME BOTH THE ABS WARNING LIGHT AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. WHILE SITTING AT THE STOP LIGHT I ATTEMPTED TO SHUT OFF MY VEHICLE AND RESTART IT. AFTER DOING THIS BOTH WARNING LIGHTS WERE STILL ON. I DROVE VERY SLOWLY TO A SAFE PLACE TO PULL MY CAR OFF THE ROAD. EACH TIME I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE THE ABS SYSTEM ENGAGED RESULTING IN A JERKING BRAKING MOTION. AT THAT POINT I LOOKED AT MY CAR'S MANUAL AND FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HOOKED MY CAR UP TO THE DIAGNOSIS MACHINE WHICH REBOOTED MY CAR'S COMPUTER. ONCE OFF THE DIAGNOSIS MACHINE, THEY WERE UNABLE TO RECREATE THE ERROR AND SENT ME HOME IN MY CAR. NO FURTHER SERVICE WAS DONE AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO BRING IT BACK TO THE DEALER IF THE BRAKES FAILED AGAIN. *TR

FAILURE OF INVERTER COOLANT PUMP OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM OCCURRING AT MANY DIFFERENT MILEAGE INTERVALS FOR OTHER OWNERS. IMMEDIATE SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER AND SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. CRUISE CONTROL AND A/C WENT OFFLINE. REQUIRES REPLACEMENT WHICH IN THIS INSTANCE WAS $605.00. *TR

MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY (MFD) FAILURE IN 2004 PRIUS. THIS FAILURE IT INTERMITTENT AND CAUSES THE RADIO TO TURN OFF, PREVENTS THE USE OF CLIMATE/RADIO CONTROLS LOCATED IN/ON THE MFD UNIT, PREVENTS ONE FROM KNOWING WHETHER THE BATTERY IS CHARGING. THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS SEEM TO WORK FOR THE CLIMATE CONTROL (THOUGH ONE CANNOT SEE THE TEMPERATURE SETTING) BUT THE AUDIO SYSTEM IS USELESS WITHOUT THE MFD UNIT WORKING PROPERLY. THIS IS A $3000 (NOT INCLUDING LABOR) REPAIR ... AND THAT IS FOR A USED REFURBISHED PART! TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE IF YOU ASK ME. BECAUSE THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM IMPACTING THOUSANDS OF PRIUS OWNERS, TOYOTA SHOULD BE FORCED TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE UNITS WITH NEW UNITS AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER ASSERTS THAT VEHICLE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, ON ONE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE BOLTED AND JERKED SLIGHTLY AS SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE. WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF, THE VEHICLE RESPONDED SLUGGISHLY AND THEN ACCELERATED QUICKLY. THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, AS THE CONSUMER APPROACHED THE STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE STARTED BUCKING AND JERKING VIOLENTLY. AFTER SHE PULLED OFF FROM THE STOP SIGN, SHE CRASHED INTO A LARGE SUV. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE SAW THE SUV PASS, SO SHE PURPOSELY WAITED SO SHE COULD MAKE A LEFT TURN, BUT ENDED CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO HER VEHICLE. *JB

DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT ON THE 405 FREEWAY AT APPROX. 65MPH, SUDDENLY ALL THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, INCLUDING THE MIL SYMBOL, ALONG WITH A WARNING SYMBOL ON THE NAVIGATION SCREEN. I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY AND PARKED AT THE CURB. AFTER CHECKING THE OWNERS MANUAL, I SLOWLY DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME ON SURFACE STREETS. THE NEXT MORNING (MONDAY) I DROVE MY CAR TO MILLER TOYOTA IN CULVER CITY. THE PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS WAS FAILURE OF THE INVERTER COOLANT PUMP, WHICH WAS REPLACED UNDER THE TERMS OF MY TOYOTA PLATINUM EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) COVERING THIS VERY PART, ON JANUARY 26, 2007, INDICATING THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS FAILURE-PRONE PART, AND THAT AN "IMPROVED" REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY WAS NOW AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IN ADDITION, REPLACEMENT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THEIR 5-YEAR/60,000 MILE TOYOTA POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER, ON MAY 15, 2010, WHILE DRIVING MY FATHER'S 2004 PRIUS TO HAVE NEW TIRES INSTALLED, THE SAME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS OCCURRED. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DEALER, SANTA MONICA TOYOTA, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME FAILURE CODE, P0A93 (INVERTER COOLING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE). ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 34,242 MILES ON IT, IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, AS THE TIME LIMIT OF 60 MONTHS HAD EXPIRED. NO AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION WITH THE DEALER OR TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER COULD CONVINCE THEM THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM, AND AS SUCH BE COVERED UNDER THEIR 7-YEAR/100,000 HYBRID WARRANTY (DESPITE IT BEING NAMED THE HYBRID INVERTER COOLANT PUMP). ON-LINE PRIUS-RELATED CHAT ROOMS ARE FULL OF IDENTICAL SITUATIONS INVOLVING THIS PART. CLEARLY, TOYOTA KNOWS THIS PART IS PRONE TO PREMATURE FAILURE, BUT CONTINUES TO TREAT IT AS A "SECRET WARRANTY" ITEM IN ORDER TO AVOID HAVING TO ISSUE A FORMAL RECALL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A VEHICLE AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 74,000.

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, MY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AS I WAS MERGING TO MY LEFT. AS I WAS MERGING I FELT THE CAR ACCELERATE AND THE DECREASE IN PRESSURE AGAINST MY FOOT AS THE PEDAL DEPRESSED ON IT'S OWN. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR AFTER FORCEFULLY STEPPING ON THE BRAKES TWICE, AT WHICH TIME THE GAS PEDAL CAME BACK UP.

RECENTLY, I PERFORMED A ROUTINE FLUSH OF THE BRAKE FLUID ON MY TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN I STARTED THE PRIUS AFTER COMPLETING THE BRAKE FLUID FLUSH, THERE WERE WARNING LIGHTS SHOWING ON THE DASHBOARD FOR THE BRAKES, THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM, AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS DIDN'T SURPRISE ME THAT THE CAR DETECTED AN ABNORMALITY DURING THE BRAKE BLEEDING OPERATION. WHAT DID SURPRISE ME IS THAT THE PRIUS COMPUTER INSTRUCTED THE FRONT BRAKES TO BECOME NON-OPERATIONAL THE TROUBLE CODE IN THE PRIUS COMPUTER AUTOMATICALLY DISABLED THE FRONT BRAKES BECAUSE THE COMPUTER WAS CONFUSED BY THE VARYING PRESSURES PRESENT IN THE BRAKE LINES DURING A ROUTINE BRAKE FLUID FLUSH. I DROVE TO A REPAIR SHOP WITH ONLY THE REAR BRAKES OPERATIONAL. AT THE REPAIR SHOP, A TECHNICIAN CLEARED THE TROUBLE CODES FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM STORED IN THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE OF THE PRIUS. THE BRAKES WERE THEN COMPLETELY OPERATIONAL. I FIND IT UNCONSCIONABLE THAT THE CAR COULD DECIDE ON IT'S OWN TO DISABLE THE BRAKES, EVEN WHEN THE BRAKES WERE OTHERWISE FULLY FUNCTIONAL. PLEASE REQUIRE TOYOTA TO PROGRAM THEIR CONTROL MODULES TO ALLOW THE BRAKES TO FUNCTION WHEN TROUBLE CODES ARE ACTIVATED.

I WAS TURNING MY 2004 PRIUS INTO A PARKING GARAGE AT BETWEEN 2-5 MILES AN HOUR, APPLIED THE BRAKES AS I WAS GOING IN OVER A SMALL LIP/BUMP IN THE PAVEMENT, AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SWERVE AND REAPPLY THE BRAKES IN TIME TO AVOID HITTING AN ONCOMING EXITING CAR. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND I ALMOST HIT THE OTHER DRIVER. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. THERE HAS BEEN A COUPLE SIMILAR INCIDENCES WHERE I WAS BRAKING WHILE COMING UP TO A STOP, HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE IN THE ROAD AND THE BRAKES FELT LIKE THEY STOPPED WORKING FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THEN SEEMED TO HAVE RESUMED. IT IS A STRANGE SENSATION WHEN YOU ARE EXPECTING A STOP. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP EVERY 5,000 MILES SINCE IT WAS NEW AND WILL BE DUE AGAIN IN ABOUT 2 WEEKS. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS HID HEADLIGHTS AND THEY HAVE BECOME ALMOST COMPLETELY FOGGED OVER IN SPITE OF MY BEST EFFORTS TO CLEAN THEM. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THE INSIDE OF THE LAMP, WHICH CAN'T BE CLEANED. TOYOTA WANTS $355 PER HEADLIGHT TO REPLACE THE PART + LABOR. THIS HAS BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE AND NONE OF MY OTHER CARS HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM. *TR

HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLIGHTS "WINK" OFF & ON RANDOMLY, WHICH CAUSES A SERIOUS SAFETY/VISIBILITY PROBLEM IN THE DARK. I UNDERSTAND YOU OPENED AN INVESTIGATION ON THIS ISSUE A WHILE AGO BUT THEN CLOSED IT WITHOUT A FINDING OF A SAFETY DEFECT. PLEASE REOPEN IT AGAIN. THERE IS A CONTINUOUSLY GROWING BODY OF REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS. GO TO WWW.PRIUSCHAT.COM AND SEARCH FOR THE HID HEADLIGHT THREAD TO SEE WHAT I MEAN. MANY OWNERS HAVE HAD TO PAY $500 TO $1000 OUT OF POCKET TO TOYOTA DEALERS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. IN SOME CASES, THE PROBLEM HAS RECURRED A FEW MONTHS LATER. PLEASE ASK TOYOTA TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL OF PRIUS MODELS AFFECTED BY THIS ISSUE. I HOPE YOU CAN GET TOYOTA TO DO THIS BEFORE SOMEONE DIES BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL HAVE A SITUATION SIMILAR TO THE "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" PROBLEM WHICH HAS KILLED A NUMBER OF PEOPLE. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

MY COMPLAINT HAS TO DO WITH THE HIGH ENERGY DISCHARGE (XENON) HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. BEGINNING SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY 2010 MY WIFE AND I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT WOULD SHUT DOWN AFTER THE LIGHTS HAD BEEN ON FOR A FEW MINUTES. IF THE HEADLIGHTS WERE QUICKLY TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON (SAY, WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT), BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD WORK JUST FINE FOR A WHILE. I TRIED TO REPLACE THE BULBS (D2R TYPE XENON BULBS) WHICH I PURCHASED AT A LOCAL CAR PARTS STORE FOR APPROXIMATELY $90 EACH. AFTER TRYING TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR REPLACING THE BULBS (FOUND IN THE OWNERS MANUAL), I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE BULB HOLDERS. WHEN I HAD THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP (CAPITOL TOYOTA) FOR SERVICE IN LATE APRIL 2010, I ASKED IF THEY COULD FIX THE HEADLIGHTS. THE SERVICE REP TOLD ME THAT MERE DIAGNOSIS OF THE PROBLEM WOULD COST $600, WITH ANY BALLAST OR BULB REPLACEMENT ADDED TO THAT COST. I HAVE NEVER PAID MORE THAN ABOUT $40 TO REPLACE BOTH OF MY VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS PRIOR TO THIS. I APPRECIATE THAT THESE BULBS SHOULD COST MORE THAN HALOGEN OR OTHER TYPES, BUT THE COSTS I'M ENCOUNTERING ARE OUTLANDISH. IN THE MEAN TIME, WE ARE STILL DRIVING THE CAR WITH THE PROBLEM. HEADLIGHTS WORK FOR FIVE TO 10 MINUTES, AND THEN ONE, AND NOW, SOMETIMES THE OTHER HEADLIGHT WILL SHUT DOWN. RECENTLY, OUR DAUGHTER ARRIVED BACK FROM A BRIEF TRIP COMPLAINING THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE VERY DIM. I FOUND OUT THAT NEITHER HEADLIGHT WAS WORKING - THE ONLY LIGHTS ON THE FRONT OF THE CAR WERE THE FOG LAMPS. WE NOW DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT, AND WONDER HOW WE WILL FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WE OWN A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. ON 02/18/2010 IT LOST POWER ON THE ROAD, MAJOR MALFUNCTION LIGHTS CAME ON, AMONG OTHERS, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER IN CARLSBAD, CA. AFTER DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, THEY SAID THE COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED IT STARTED TRANSMITTING NEW PROBLEM CODES, NAMELY, POA94, POA78, PO279, AND PO555, WHICH MEANT THAT THE TRANSAXLE HAD FAILED, AND COMPUTER CODES SHOW THAT THE INVERTER COULD FAIL ALSO. TOTAL REPAIR COST: $5,594.00 SO FAR. IF THE INVERTER FAILS, IT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF $9,843.00 TO REPAIR. I DON'T SEE WHO WOULD PAY THIS EXORBITANT AMOUNT, LET ALONE BEING ABLE TO AFFORD IT. THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 09/15/2008. THE PRIUS HAD LOST POWER AND WE TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTICS TEST, TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY FOR 9 MILES, IT RAN O.K. AND NO COMPUTER TROUBLE CODES WERE FOUND AT THE TIME. THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS A PRELUDE TO THE VEHICLE FAILURE WERE ARE EXPERIENCING TODAY, AND WE ARE SUSPECTING IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM. AS IT STANDS NOW, THE PRIUS IS SITTING AT THE TOYOTA DEALER. THEY HAD REMOVED THE NEW COMPUTER IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS TOTALED. IN SHORT, THE PRIUS WAS FINE ONE DAY AND TOTALED THE NEXT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

THE FUEL TANK CAN NOT BE FILLED UP WITHOUT SPILLING LARGE AMOUNT OF GAS, WHICH IS A GREAT FIRE HAZARD. IT SEEMS THAT THE FUEL TANK GETS TOO MUCH AIR INSIDE WHEN FILLING UP AND THE AIR PUSHES THE GAS GASHING OUT. *TR

I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH MY HID HEADLIGHTS NOT WORKING AND HAS CAUSED ME TO NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT EITHER THE RIGHT OR LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL STOP WORKING. IF YOU STOP AND TURN THE HEADLIGHTS OFF & ON THE LIGHTS WILL FUNCTION AGAIN. I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN AND HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY THE POLICE 3 TIMES. TOYOTA WANTS OVER $2000 TO CHANGE THE HID COMPUTER AND BULBS WHICH I SIMPLY CANNOT AFFORD. I SEARCHED THE WEB AND SEE HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL THE PRIUS FOR THE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. *TR

RETURNING FROM WORK APPROX 1700 DRIVING MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON D.C. METRO AREA. IT WAS THE FIRST DAY OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE OPENINGS SINCE THE BLIZZARD OF 2010 HAD STARTED. MY RESIDENCE IS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM A MAJOR PRIMARY ROAD (VA HWY 7 IN LOUDOUN COUNTY). THE ROAD IS SECONDARY STATE ROAD VADOT OWNED AND MAINTAINED DIRT (PACKED GRAVEL) ROAD FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.25 MILES, PROCEEDING INTO OUR MY DEVELOPMENT THE ROAD IS PAVED ASPHALT FRO THE REMAINING .25 MILES. ON THE SECONDARY ROAD THE CONDITIONS OF THE ROAD WAS PACKED SNOW WITH SMALL RUNS OF LOOSE SNOW. THE ROAD IS VERY WINDING WITH SLIGHT INCLINES AND DECLINES THROUGHOUT. EVERY TIME MY CAR WOULD BREAK TRACTION I WOULD LOSE POWER LEAVING ME WITH NO CORRECTION CAPABILITY TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. I ALMOST RAN INTO EMBANKMENTS AND OVER THE SOFT SHOULDER SEVERAL TIMES DESPITE SLOWING DOWN TO A CRAWL. ONCE ENTERING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE CAR SEEMED TO STABLE OUT UNTIL I BEGAN DRIVING ON AN UPHILL PORTION OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A STEPPER HILL THAN ON THE SECONDARY ROAD. WHEN MY TIRES BROKE TRACTION ALL POWER FROM THE CAR WAS LOST LEAVING ME IN AN UNCONTROLLED SITUATION OF SLIDING AROUND ON THE ROAD EVENTUALLY INTO THE SOFT SHOULDER OF A DOWNHILL CLIFF. I WAS ATTEMPTED TO START MOVING FORWARD GET MYSELF AWAY FROM THE SHOULDER AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE OR PUT ANY SORT OF POWER TO THE WHEELS. I WAS TERRIFIED AND STUCK. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS FINDING NEW LINES (PATHS) FINALLY REACHING THE TOP OF THE HILL (MY DRIVEWAY) DUE TO THE REMOVAL OF CAR POWER. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN UN SUSPECTING THROUGHOUT THE MONTH ON THE UNPAVED ROADS PLACING ME IN DANGER. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT IN ANY WINTER CONDITION. IT APPEARS THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS WEBSITE AND I HAVE NO WAY TO CORRECT THIS EXCEPT SELL MY CAR. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. I FIND THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON A ROAD SURFACE WITH BUMPS, THERE APPEARS TO BE A LAG BEFORE THE BRAKES ENGAGE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE WHEN DRIVING DOWN A HILL. THE BRAKES DO NOT HESITATE TO ENGAGE ON LEVEL ROAD SURFACES. I ALWAYS ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE ABS SYSTEM ENGAGING, BUT AFTER THE RECENT RECALL OF THE 2010 PRIUS FOR A SIMILAR COMPLAINT, I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO AT LEAST ADVISE OF THIS SITUATION. *TR

MY HID HEADLAMP FOR MY 2004 PRIUS IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE ON MY OWN AND IT COSTS $600 (!?) TO CHANGE AT THE DEALER. HOW IS A $600 REPAIR FOR A MINOR THING LIKE A HEADLIGHT NOT ILLEGAL FROM AN AUTO SAFETY STANDPOINT? DO YOU KNOW IF THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT THIS ISSUE?

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER STATES ACCELERATION PROBLEMS *TGW WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONSUMER SWERVED INTO THE NEXT LANE TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THE MOTOR REVVED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL. THEN THE MOTOR RETURNED TO NORMAL AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL AND THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY TOYOTA. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *JB

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS COST $449 (INCLUDES LABOR) TO REPLACE PASSENGER SIDE HEAD LIGHT. *TR

ON THE 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WHEN DRIVING FROM A STOP ACROSS A ROUGH ROAD OR POT HOLES THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES/ANTI-SKID SYSTEM ENGAGES AND MAKES THE CAR SKID ON WET SURFACES. IN WINTER ON ICY ROADS THE (PROPER - NON-PUMPING) APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES ON MODERATELY ICY OR WET ROAD SURFACES CAUSES THE BRAKES TO LOCK UP AND THE CAR SKIDS UNCONTROLLABLY. THE LATER OCCURRED TODAY WHILE THE SECOND ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I PURCHASED THE PRIUS BUT I NEVER THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE A DEFECT. *TR

PROBLEM WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES NOT WORKING WHEN HITTING ROUGH SURFACES SUCH AS POTHOLES. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT ON NARROW WINDING ROADS AT NIGHT. ALMOST CRASHED INTO TREE. I TURNED THE SWITCH BACK OFF AND THAN ON AND LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. SINCE THAN, THE RIGHT HEADLAMP GOES ON AND OFF AT NIGHT AND SOMETIMES BOTH GO OUT. THE DEALER SAYS IT WILL COST OVER $1000 TO FIX. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS. AM I ENTITLED TO SOME KIND OF HELP? MY WIFE WILL TAKE THE CAR ON OCCASION AND IT HAS HAPPENED TO HER. IS THERE A RECALL? I DON'T THINK IT IS A LIGHT ISSUE IF THEY GO BACK ON WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS? *TR

WHEN THE CAR IS COLD, THE GEAR SHIFTER WON'T STAY IN FORWARD OR REVERSE WITHOUT BEING HELD DOWN MANUALLY. IT GOES INTO NEUTRAL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT, AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE; UNLESS THE TEMPERATURE, BRAKE OR OIL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO THE INVERTER WATER PUMP AND THE SKID CONTROL ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU). THE INVERTER WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 61,000.

HID HEADLAMPS REPEATEDLY FLICKER, THEN GO OUT. SWITCHING OFF LIGHTS AND SWITCHING BACK ON BRINGS THEM BACK ON FOR AN INTERMITTENT PERIOD OF TIME, THEN THEY GO OUT AGAIN. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT HEADLAMPS AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. THE MOST RECENT COST $436 FOR THE LAMP ALONE AND $137 IN LABOR. *TR

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO THE COMPLAINT I FILED ON 2008/10/14, ODI 10253642 ABOUT PRIUS HID HEADLIGHT FAILURE. SINCE THAT INCIDENT I HAVE HAD THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE BULBS REPLACED FOUR TIMES AND SWAPPED LEFT-FOR-RIGHT FOR DIAGNOSIS TWICE. EVEN WITH THOSE NEW BULBS, WHICH MY DUBLIN, CA, TOYOTA DEALER SWEARS ARE THE NEWER, "GOOD" BULBS, THE HEADLIGHTS ALWAYS HAVE FAILED AGAIN WITHIN ONE TO FOUR WEEKS. ACTUALLY, THOSE ARE THE INTERVALS AT WHICH I HAVE *NOTICED* THE FAILURES, BUT I'M SURE THE BULBS FAILED SOONER THAN THAT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TELL WHILE DRIVING, AND THE LIGHTS ALWAYS RELIGHT WHEN SWITCHED OFF AND ON. THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE REPLACEMENTS AND FAILURES, BUT I HAVE DELAYED TAKING THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR UNTIL I COULD DRIVE INTO THE DEALERSHIP WHILE THE LIGHT WAS OUT, AS PROOF THAT IT HAS FAILED. IT'S OBVIOUS TO ME AND EVERY OTHER PRIUS OWNER THAT THE BULBS ARE EITHER NOT THE PROBLEM OR AT LEAST NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM--THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE UNDOUBTEDLY ALSO OR INSTEAD IS FAULTY. TOYOTA CORPORATE CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SEVERITY, PERSISTENCE, AND BREADTH OF THE PROBLEM. YESTERDAY THE DEALER REPEATED THE LEFT-FOR-RIGHT SWAP BECAUSE "TOYOTA CORPORATE DEMANDS THAT DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE." BUT THE DEALER ADMITTED THAT NO MORE INFORMATION WILL BE GAINED THAN WAS GAINED THE LAST TIME THEY SWAPPED LEFT FOR RIGHT, WHEN THE LIGHT WORKED THERE AT THE DEALER, BUT FAILED ON ME SUBSEQUENTLY (THE SAME-SIDE HEADLIGHT WITH THE SWAPPED BULB). THEY ARE SIMPLY AVOIDING THE EXPENSE AND LIABILITY OF REPLACING THE CONTROL COMPUTER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL OUT OF HER DRIVEWAY, SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO CRASH INTO A NEARBY TREE AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS AND CONTINUED TO PUSH THE TREE FURTHER INTO THE STREET. THE CONTACT'S FOOT REMAINED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE POLICE OBSERVED SKID AND BRAKE MARKS IN THE DRIVEWAY, CONFIRMING SHE WAS ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DATE. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER RECALL AT THE TIME. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRUIS . THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HE ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BY APPLYING THE BRAKE, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN . THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DOES NOT WANT TO PICK THE VEHICLE UP DUE TO THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52000. UPDATED 03/04/10 *BF UPDATED 07/23/10*JB

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING RE TOYOTA VEHICLES RECALL, OWNER OF A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE WAS DRIVING, HE APPROACHED A SLOWER MOVING VEHICLE, BUT WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE INSTEAD ACCELERATED. AS HE HIT THE BRAKE HARDER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED EVEN MORE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT BY CROSSING OVER THE DOUBLE YELLOW LINE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND QUICKLY MOVED BACK OVER TO THE CORRECT SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE GAS PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK AS TOYOTA IS CLAIMING THERE IS A QUICK FIX AND PLACING THE BLAME ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE WAS WAITING IN A LINE, WITH HIS FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE SEEMED TO SUDDENLY REV UP AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD BUT DID NOT MOVE DUE TO HIS FOOT BEING FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN HE HIT THE BRAKE THE RADIO AND AIR CONDITION WOULD COME ON. THE DEALER CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THE CONSUMER MUST HAVE HIT THE RADIO AND CLIMATE CONTROL BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM INFLUENCES THE ELECTRONICS OR COMPUTER AND CAUSES THE ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

ON 23 JAN 2010, WHILE DRIVING I-85N IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THE CAR STALLED AT 70MPH. AN AUDIBLE ALERT SOUNDED, THE CAR JERKED AND THREE WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF. I COASTED THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER AND SHUT THE CAR DOWN. I RESTARTED THE CAR -- THE WARNING LIGHTS CLEARED -- AND CONTINUED DRIVING. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, STILL IN THE MOUNTAINS, THE SAME THINGS OCCURRED (STALL WHILE DRIVING 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE.) WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR A YELLOW "!" WARNING REMAINED ON. I CONTINUED THE TRIP TO VIRGINIA WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE WARNING LIGHT WENT OUT. ON 5 FEB 2010, WHILE DRIVING ON I-95S IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THE CAR STALLED, WARNING LIGHTS AND AUDIBLE ALARM SOUNDED. UPON RESTART THE "!" STAYED ON. THIS HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES; ONCE ON I-95 AND ONCE ON I-20. THE LAST TWO TIMES THE RED TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT STAYED ON ALSO. ON 6 FEB 2010, I TOOK THE CAR TO TOYOTA CENTER IN COLUMBIA SC. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($384) BECAUSE AIR GOT INTO THE SYSTEM. I ASKED IF THAT WAS WHY I COULD HEAR "SLOSHING" FROM THE ENGINE WHEN DRIVING; HE SAID YES. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS CONFUSED SINCE THE COOLANT RECOVERY TANK NEVER WENT BELOW THE LOW LINE. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT AIR IN THE SYSTEM WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THE PRIUS AND THAT I SHOULD KEEP THE COOLANT LEVEL HIGHER THAN MARKED. ALSO THAT DRIVING IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS -- BOTH THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE AND THE ANGLE OF ASCENT AND DESCENT -- IS PROBABLY WHAT TRIGGERED THE PROBLEM. PRIOR TO BOTH TRIPS, THE CAR WAS CHECKED BY A MECHANIC. FLUID LEVELS WERE CLEAR AND ADEQUATE. I AM NOW IN THE FLATLANDS OF TEXAS, AND I CAN ONCE AGAIN HEAR THE SLOSHING SOUND COMING FROM MY ENGINE. BEYOND THE EXPENSE I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY STALLING. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR IN RUSH HOUR IN A CROWDED CITY I'M NOT SURE THE CAR WOULD BE SAFELY NAVIGABLE TO THE SHOULDER. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 PRIUS WHICH I BOUGHT USED ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND WHEN I READ THE LINE THAT I CUT AND PASTED RIGHT FROM YOUR NEWS RELEASE, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT BECAUSE IT DESCRIBES EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME NUMEROUS TIMES. "ALLEGATIONS OF MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY WHILE TRAVELING OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE, POTHOLE OR BUMP," BUT THIS PROBLEM WHICH HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY (USUALLY ON THE SAME POTHOLE ON THE SAME STREET) HAS NEVER CAUSED ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR FOR MORE THAN A SPLIT SECOND. SO UNTIL I READ THIS PASSAGE I THOUGHT I MIGHT JUST BE IMAGINING THIS PROBLEM. IF IT HAPPENED FOR EVEN MORE THAN A SPLIT SECOND I COULD SEE HOW IT WOULD CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL AND POSSIBLY GET IN AN ACCIDENT. BUT THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. JUST LAST WEEK THE TOUCH SCREEN THAT CONTROLS THE HEATING / AIR CONDITIONING, THE RADIO, THE CURRENT MPG INFORMATION AND CONDITION OF THE NI-METAL HYDRIDE BATTERY AND THE GAS ENGINE INTERCONNECTIONS, BEGAN TO FAIL. SOMETIMES IT WORKS FOR A WHILE, THEN IT STOPS FOR SOME TIME THEN IT MIGHT OR MIGHT START WORKING AGAIN BEFORE I GET WHERE I AM GOING. IT IS EXTREMELY INTERMITTENT IN ITS CORRECT OPERATION. I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT MANY OTHER 2004 AND EARLY 2005 PRIUS OWNERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM, BUT THAT TOYOTA IS REFUSING TO ISSUE A RECALL. THE NEW PART IS VERY EXPENSIVE (~$4,000). REFURBISHED PARTS ARE NOT READILY AVAILABLE FOR THE PRIUS, I SUPPOSE BECAUSE IT IS A RELATIVE NEW MODEL TO TOYOTA. I WANTED TO REPORT THIS TO YOU, IN THE HOPES THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME WAY OF LETTING TOYOTAL KNOW THAT ONE MORE OWNER IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I DID NOT KNOW IF YOU CAN FORCE A MANUFACTURER TO ISSUE A RECALL WHEN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF OWNERS COMPLAIN, OR IF THIS IS ONLY THE CASE WHERE SAFETY IS INVOLVED. *TR REGARDS, DALE W. HOWARD

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HEADLIGHT PROBLEM - THIS IS CLEARLY A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN DRIVING, MY HEADLIGHT (BOTH) SHUT OFF INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES, ONE. SOMETIMES THE OTHER. SOMETIMES BOTH. NO INCIDENT YET BUT SURELY THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. I CAME VERY CLOSE TO AN AUTO ACCIDENT ON 1/3/2010 DUE TO THIS ISSUE! I CALLED THE DEALER TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHTS REPLACED AND THEY ARE WANTING $870 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE BULBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! $375 PER BULB AND $60 PER HEADLIGHT FOR SERVICE!!!!!!!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO MOVE FORWARD WHILE THE CONTACT'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND HE WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DATE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 103,690.

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS THAT EXPERIENCES BRAKING PROBLEMS WHEN TRAVELING OVER BUMPY SURFACES, RAILROAD TRACKS, POTHOLES, ETC. I CAN FEEL THE CAR LOSE BRAKING POWER AND THE CAR SEEMS TO SKIP/ LUNGE FORWARD AND THEN SUDDENLY SEIZE TO A STOP. FOR YEARS I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES IN GENERAL BUT NOW THAT I'VE HEARD DESCRIPTIONS OF THE PROBLEM IDENTIFIED WITH THE '10 MODELS, I KNOW THAT'S WHAT MY CAR DOES. I'VE LEARNED TO ANTICIPATE AND COMPENSATE WHEN APPROACHING ROAD SURFACES WHERE THIS OCCURS AND SO I BRAKE IN ADVANCE TO AVOID DANGER.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. HE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION TWICE ON JANUARY 16, 2008 AND MARCH 6, 2008. WHILE HE WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 100 MPH. HE CONTINUOUSLY APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, BECAUSE THE FLOOR MAT WAS TRAPPED UNDER THE GAS PEDAL. THE DEALER REPLACED AND SECURED THE FLOOR MAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. HE HAS NOT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,154 MILES AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

HID HEADLIGHTS ON 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. TURNING SWITCH ON/OFF WILL TURN THEM BACK ON. BOTH HAVE GONE OUT CREATING EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION.*CW

BOTH 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HID HEADLIGHTS GO OUT, IT BEGAN WITH THE DRIVERS THEN PASSENGERS GOING OUT INDIVIDUALLY, AND BY TURNING THEM OFF THEN ON AGAIN WOULD BRING THE LIGHTS BACK ON FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, NOW BOTH GO OUT AND DO NOT COME BACK ON EVEN AFTER CYCLING THEM. TOYOTA SAYS ITS A REPLACEMENT ISSUE NOT A DEFECT. SEEMS TO ME THAT ALL THE CHATTER ONLINE AND TOYOTAS INDIFFERENCE IS COMING TO A HEAD. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE LIGHTS. *TR

HID HEADLIGHT ON 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS IS INTERMITTENT. GOES OFF AT RANDOM TIMES WHEN SELECTED ON. COMES BACK ON BY SWITCHING HEADLIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON. HEADLIGHT WENT OFF 7 TIMES IN A 30 MILE TRIP. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS NEW IN JUNE OF 2004. IN THE LAST MONTH I HAVE HAD 3 INCIDENTS WHERE THE BRAKES FAILED WHILE DRIVING. SUDDENLY THE BRAKES GO TO THE FLOOR, THE CAR LOSES POWER AND THE WARNING LIGHTS GO ON. THE LAST INCIDENT ALSO INCLUDED A HIGH PITCHED TONE WHICH PERSISTED UNTIL THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF. THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED ON NOV.19, 2009. I WAS DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED AND NOTICED A SLIGHT HICCUP IN THE ENGINE WHILE TURNING A CORNER, THEN ABOUT 500 FT. LATER, THE WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON AND THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR. I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, THEN TURNED IT BACK ON AND DROVE SLOWLY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS ON AND CALLED MY DEALER, WHO TOLD ME TO HAVE IT TOWED IN. THEY HAD THE CAR FOR 3 DAYS, AND REPLACED THE ABS ECU WITH ACTUATOR, THE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND BRAKE FOR A TOTAL REPAIR BILL OF $3383.69. ON DECEMBER 22, 2009 THE SAME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS OCCURRED IN THE MORNING. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS ON, THEN TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME TO BRING THE CAR BACK NEXT WEEK. LATER THAT DAY, THE CAR EXPERIENCED THE SAME BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY NOW TELL ME THEY CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM AND THE CAR IS NOT DISPLAYING THE WARNING LIGHTS AT THIS TIME. THEY PLAN TO KEEP THE CAR FOR A WEEK OR SO TO SEE IF THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE A 50 MILE ROUND TRIP COMMUTE TO WORK ON THE FREEWAYS OF SOUTHERN CA. IF THE CAR DIES ON THE FREEWAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AN ACCIDENT WOULD LIKELY ENSUE. THE DEALER HAS TREATED ME VERY WELL THROUGH THIS, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET INFORMATION FROM TOYOTA TO DIAGNOSE THIS PROBLEM. YOU HAVE ONE OTHER COMPLAINT FOR MY MODEL YEAR WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. SURELY THERE ARE OTHERS, AS I HAVE SEEN SIMILAR POSTINGS ON THE WEB. TOYOTA MUST KNOW ABOUT THIS DEFECT, WHICH I WILL BET IS A PROGRAMMING ERROR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TOUCH SCREEN MODULE WHICH INCLUDED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, THE FUEL GAUGE, THE ODOMETER, ETC FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER WHO INFORMED HIM THAT THE DISPLAY SCREEN WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000.

BOTH HID HEADLIGHTS FAILED REPEATEDLY ON MY VEHICLE. IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE LIGHTS BY TURNING THEM OFF AND ON. *TR

LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS FAILED IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER OF 2009. HEADLIGHTS WERE REPLACED. LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS FAILED IN 2011. I DRIVE 10,000 PER YEAR. I DO NOT DO MUCH DRIVING WITH MY HEADLIGHTS ON. *TR