NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Toyota Prius. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
CONTROL SCREEN STARTED TO WORK ON AND OFF. DRIVER COULD DRIVE TO 5 MINUTES AND THE SCREEN WOULD BEGIN TO WORK. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF THIS, THE SCREEN STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. WE CAN THEREFORE NO LONGER USE OUR HEATING COOLING CONTROLS, OR OUR NAVIGATION SYSTEM. WE HAVE NOT REPAIRED THIS DEFECT YET. *TR
MULTIFUNCTION TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY (MFD) MALFUNCTION DISABLES THE WINDSHIELD DEFOGGER. ONE MUST WIPE THE WINDSHIELD BY HAND. IF THE WINDSHIELD FOGS WHILE DRIVING ON A NARROW AND WINDING ROAD OR BUSY HIGHWAY, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS ARE AT HIGH RISK. THERE IS A WEBSITE THAT SHOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND HOW TO FIX IT (HTTP://TECHNO-FANDOM.ORG/~HOBBIT/CARS/MFD/). A MULTI-PIN CONNECTOR HAS A FAULTY PIN. THE SOLDERING CRACKS OVER TIME RESULTING IN A LOOSE CONNECTION. TOYOTA DOES NOT PROVIDE AN AFFORDABLE SOLUTION. THEY OFFER TO REMOVE THE TWO COMPUTER UNITS FROM BEHIND THE MFD AND REPLACE THEM FOR APPROXIMATELY $3,000, RATHER THAN SIMPLY RE-SOLDERING THE CONNECTOR PIN. I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPAIR THIS, AND TOYOTA HAS NOT OFFERED ANY VIABLE SOLUTIONS. THIS AFFECTS ALL EARLY TYPE 2 PRIUSES. *TR
DRIVER SIDE HID HEADLIGHT GOES OUT, BUT REIGNITES (MOST OF THE TIME) AFTER HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON. RECENTLY, THE DRIVERS SIDE LIGHT WAS OUT (AND WOULD NOT REIGNITES), AND THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT WENT OUT AS WELL, LEAVING ME WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS. THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT DID REIGNITES AFTER TURNING THE SWITCH OFF AND BACK ON. *TR
HID HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT. TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS ON AND OFF RECYCLES THE LIGHTS FOR A FEW MINUTES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING IN CLEAR, NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. SHE THEN APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE DID NOT DECREASE IN SPEED. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL OR FISH TAILED. THE CONTACT COULD NOT MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL AND A NEARBY TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 100,000. UPDATED EVOQ. 05/27/10
MY HID HEADLIGHTS GO OUT AT RANDOM INTERVALS, IF I TURN THEM OFF AND BACK ON THE HEADLIGHT MAY REMAIN ON FOR DAYS, WEEKS OR MONTHS WITHOUT DOING THE ABOVE PROCEDURE AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT THE LEFT LIGHT OTHER TIMES ITS THE RIGHT LIGHT, SO FAR IT HAS NOT HAPPEN TO BOTH LIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME. *TR
HID HEADLAMPS CUT OUT WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS HID HEADLAMPS. THE DRIVERS SIDE LAMP WILL EXTINGUISH, USUALLY AFTER A FEW MINUTES. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON THE HEADLIGHTS COME BACK ON ONLY TO GO OUT AGAIN AFTER A FEW MORE MINUTES. THE RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT WORKS OK. *TR
LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL TURN OFF WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE. YOU CAN TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND IMMEDIATELY TURN ON AND IT WILL COME BACK ON AGAIN. THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANYTHING THAT TRIGGERS. DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT SINCE YOU HAVE TO BRIEFLY DRIVE WITHOUT THE LIGHTS ON .. TO TURN OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN. WHEN SPOKE TO DEALER ABOUT REPLACING WAS QUOTED $600... "BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REMOVE THE FRONT BUMPER TO GET TO THE HEADLIGHT" (TOYOTA DESIGN FLAW?) BUT THE BULB ITSELF COSTS $400!! THIS FIRST STARTED OCCURRING IN JANUARY 2008 AND WE "LIVED WITH IT" FOR A YEAR BEFORE SPENDING THE $558.15 THAT IT COST TO REPLACE THE ONE BULB IN FEBRUARY 2009. WE WERE PROMPTED TO DO SO ESPECIALLY SINCE OUR DAUGHTER WAS LEARNING TO DRIVE AND WE COULD NOT ALLOW HER TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS SAFETY ISSUE. THE LIGHT IS WORKING PROPERLY NOW, BUT I AM NOT CONVINCED THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN ...IF THE BULB WAS THE PROBLEM YOU WOULDN'T THINK TURNING IT OFF AND THEN IMMEDIATELY BACK ON WOULD FIX IT TEMPORARILY. WHEN I SPOKE TO TOYOTA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COST AND APPARENT DEFECT THEY GAVE ME NO INDICATION THAT THIS WAS A REPORTED PROBLEM. SHE MADE IT SEEM LIKE I WAS THE ONLY CASE.. DECEITFUL I THINK. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE I DISCOVERED ON MY OWN THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT MANY OTHERS HAD. *TR
THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY (MFD) FAILED. (CROSS REFERENCE NHSTA COMPLAINT #10173892). THIS IS A KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT (CROSS REFERENCE ANALYSIS ON WEB: HTTP://TECHNO-FANDOM.ORG/~HOBBIT/CARS/MFD/COMPARE.HTML AND HTTP://TECHNO-FANDOM.ORG/~HOBBIT/CARS/MFD/). TOYOTA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (EITHER EL-002-04 OR EL-002-05 - CONFLICTING INFO ON THIS) ON JAN 10, 2005. WHEN THE MFD FAILS, ONE CANNOT CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF AIRFLOW TO THE WINDSHIELD (DEFROSTER). THIS PRESENTED ME WITH VISIBILITY PROBLEMS DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. AS SUCH, I CONSIDER IT A SAFETY ISSUE. TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS FOR 3 YEARS, GIVEN THE DATE OF THEIR TSB. THE ROOT CAUSE APPEARS TO BE AN UNDERSIZED SOLDER PAD ON ONE OF THE ELECTRONIC CARDS OF THE MFD. THIS RESULTS IN A CRACKING OF THE SOLDER JOINT. BECAUSE MY PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT, COMING AND GOING ON A FREQUENT BASIS, I PRESUME IT WAS A MICRO CRACK. THIS DOES NOT HELP WHEN THE WINDSHIELD IS FOGGING OVER. ALL OF THE VARIOUS ERROR MESSAGES THAT WERE DISPLAYED ON THE MFD WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE INFORMATION ON THE ABOVE REFERENCED WEB URL'S. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE RELEASE F OF THE ELECTRONIC CARD ASSEMBLY AND WAS CORRECTED WITH RELEASE G. THERE ARE PICTORIAL COMPARISONS BETWEEN THE TWO RELEASES ON ONE OF THE WEB URL'S. GIVEN THAT THIS HAS AN IMPACT ON VISIBILITY DURING THE WINTER MONTHS, I AM SHOCKED THAT TOYOTA CHOSE TO SIT ON THIS PROBLEM. THE SUPPLIER OF THIS PART TO TOYOTA IS FUJITSU. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. ON APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 12 OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WOULD DRIVE ROUGHLY AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF. AFTER APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES, THE CONTACT WOULD RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WOULD STILL BE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO TWO TOYOTA DEALERS AND THE LOCATION WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, BUT NO ONE COULD DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.
ON DECEMBER 25, 2007 WHEN I STARTED MY CAR IT LOCKED UP WITH A CHRISTMAS TREE LIKE EFFECT ALL OF THE LIGHTS CAME ON AND I COULD NOT SHUT THE CAR OFF. ALL OF THE GEARS WERE ENGAGED ACCORDING TO THE DISPLAY AND THE CAR WAS IN SLOOOOOW MOTION FORWARDS. NOT EVEN A CRAWLING SPEED. IMPERCEPTIBLY SLOW FORWARDS. IT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF NOR WOULD IT DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD ALLOW ME TO CONTROL THE MOTION OF THE CAR EXCEPT USE THE BRAKE TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. I HAD A SCAN GAUGE CONNECTED TO THE OBD PORT AND WAS ABLE TO PULL THE FOLLOWING CODES FROM IT: U0293 AND P0A1D. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE FIRST CODE MEANS LOST COMMUNICATION WITH HV ECU AND THE SECOND CODE MEANS HV ECU MALFUNCTION. THE OUTDOOR AIR TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 20 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. ONLY THE USE OF THE SCAN TOOL CODE RESET ALLOWED ME TO POWER THE VEHICLE OFF. OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE HAD TO PLACE THE VEHICLE UP AGAINST AN IMMOVABLE OBJECT TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL. *TR
PASSENGER HEADLIGHT ON 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY. I HAVE NOTICED THIS ABOUT 8 TIMES. ON ONE OCCASION I WAS IN A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THE PRIUS AND THE HEADLIGHT WENT OFF AFTER 15 MINUTES OF OPERATION. IT CAME BACK ON AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TODAY, EXPECTING A DIAGNOSIS AND THEY PUT IN A NEW HID BULB ($324.00). I HAD THEM SAVE THE OLD BULB BECAUSE I AM DOUBTFUL A NEW BULB WILL SOLVE WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT PROBLEM. NOT HAVING BOTH HEADLIGHTS OPERATIONAL IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED WITH THE ROOT CAUSE ASCERTAINED AND REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR
TOYOTA PRIUS TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM-IF YOU ARE GOING UP A HILL AND YOU LOOSE TRACTION DUE TO SNOW AND THE CAR STOPS. YOU CANNOT EVER GO FORWARD,IF THE TIRES ATTEMPT TO SPIN AT ANY LEVEL OG GAS/ELECTRIC THE RPM GOES TO ZERO. THE ONLY WAY TO MOVE THE CAR IS TO BACK DOWN THE HILL. NEED I SAY MORE. THE DEALER AGREES AND STATED TOYOTA NEVER GAVE US A FIX. WE HAVE THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER PRIUS OWNERS AND THEY ALL SAY THE SAME ,YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR OTHER CAR. WHICH I DO. HOWEVER MY WIFE USED THE CAR LAST WEEK AND WE HAD SOME MINOR SNOW AND SHE WAS ON A HILL(GOING UP) FOR 2 HRS BEFORE SHE WAS ABLE TO BACK DOWN WHEN MORNING TRAFFIC SUBSIDED. THIS IS A 2004 PRIUS. THIS CAN BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR A PERSON THAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE IN BACKING DOWN A HILL. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN HE APPLIED PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 50 MPH IN THE DARK, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATED, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. CONSEQUENTLY THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. HE SUSTAINED INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62000. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.
WITH 34,000 MILES ON MY 2004 PRIUS, THE GLASS HAS DEVELOPED SEVERE PITTING, NOT ONLY ON THE WINDSHIELD, BUT ON THEIR SIDE WINDOWS AS WELL. WHEN THE SUN HITS THE WINDSHIELD VISIBILITY IS GREATLY REDUCED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT'S COMPUTER SYSTEM FAILED AND HE CRASHED INTO A TREE. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT CUT HIS FOREHEAD AND SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE. THE PURCHASE DATE AND SPEED WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 62,000.
2004 PRIUS, 84,00 MILES. INTERMITTENT HEADLIGHT FAILURE, BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT. HEADLIGHT(S) WOULD GO OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER SAID IT WAS HID COMPUTER AND THE REPAIR BILL IS $1140!!!! RESEARCHING ON INTERNET REVEALS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. IT IS DEFINITELY SAFETY RELAYED AND I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD MAKE THE REPAIR AT NO CHARGE. I'M NOT EXCITED ABOUT REPLACING THE COMPUTER NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE COST, BUT CAN I EXPECT THE PROBLEM TO REPEAT IN A FEW YEARS? *TR
2ND OCCURRENCE OF TOYOTA PRIUS ACCELERATION. WHILE WIFE LEAVING DAUGHTERS SCHOOL, CAR ACCELERATED (PEDAL OFF THE ACCELERATOR!), SHE JAMMED ON BRAKES, BUT WAS CLOSE IN PROVOKING AN ACCIDENT ON MAIN STREET. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE. FIRST TIME, SHE HIT A TAXI WHILE STOPPED IN A RED LIGHT. ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED BY POLICE (NO INJURIES). FIRST TIME TOOK CAR INTO THE DEALER (NO APPARENT PROBLEMS). PLANNING ON TAKING CAR AGAIN TO DEALER TOMORROW.!
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 12 MPH SHE WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE DAMAGING THE BRAKE LINE WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACTS VEHICLE TO CONTUNIALLY MOVE AFTER THE CRASH. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT HAD TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP DUE TO THE DAMAGED BRAKE LINE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
INTERMITTENT FAILURES OF RIGHT SIDE HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE (HID) HEADLIGHT AFTER 15 TO 20 MINUTES OF USE. HEADLIGHT SIMPLY SHUTS OFF WITHOUT WARNING, AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. REPLACEMENT/REPAIR COSTS AT TOYOTA DEALER WERE $998. AFTER MANY MONTHS OF COMPLAINT, TO INCLUDE POINTING OUT THE USA TODAY ARTICLE ON THIS SUBJECT, TOYOTA USA AUTHORIZED REPAIR AT HALF PRICE. TOYOTA USA THEN REIMBURSED US VIA CHECK FOR OUR TOTAL COST CITING A "SUPPLIER PROBLEM." *TR
WHILE NORMAL CONDITIONS I HAVE EXPERIENCED A MAJOR BRAKE MALFUNCTION, BOTH THE ABS AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON. THE VEHICLE BARELY HAS BRAKES, THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE 2 YEARS AGO. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE 6 TIMES TO HAVE TO IT FIXED, AND THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT. BRAKES REPEATEDLY FAIL ON A REGULAR BASES. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE ACCUMULATOR, BRAKE COMPUTER, RESET THE BRAKE PISTON CALPALTORS, AND THE RELAY THAT CONTROL THE BRAKES, AND THE 12 VOLT BATTERY. NONE OF THESE REPAIRS HAVE WORKED. BRAKES STILL FAIL REGULARLY. COMPLAINT LODGE WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CENTER. *TR
AUXILIARY BATTERY ON TOYOTA PRIUS 2001 AND TOYOTA PRIUS 2004 FAIL IF THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN AT LEAST EVERY 7-10 DAYS. THIS PREVENTS THE CAR FROM STARTING. WE PURCHASED A 2001 PRIUS USED IN MARCH 2004, AND A NEW 2004 PRIUS IN JUNE 2004. THE AUXILIARY BATTERY FAILED ON THE 2001 PRIUS TWICE, AND WE REPLACED IT ONCE. RECENTLY THE DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THE BATTERY HELD A CHARGE UNLESS DRIVEN EVERY 7-10 DAYS, AND SHOULD BE DISCONNECTED"IF PARKED FOR PROLONGED TIME." THIS WAS POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM FOR CAR NOT STARTING, SUCH AS IF RETURNING ON PLANE AFTER 2-3 WEEK VACATION AND NOT BEING ABLE TO START THE CAR, RISK FOR VULNERABILITY AWAITING JUMP START. TOYOTA'S ONLY RESPONSE WAS WELL, IT WAS A HYBRID. THEY CLAIMED THE HUNDREDS OF COMPUTERS IN THE CAR DRAINED THE BATTERY WHEN PARKED. THEY COULD HAVE DESIGNED IN SOME AUTOMATIC OR SIMPLE SWITCH TO ADDRESS THIS. ALSO, THEY COULD NOTIFY THE POTENTIAL CUSTOMER OF THIS DESIGN FLAW. THEY DID NOT INFORM US, OR ANY OF THE OTHER PRIUS OWNERS. WE HAVE RECENTLY DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH. THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR 2001 MODEL MADE NO MENTION OF IT. IN THE 2004 MANUAL THERE WAS A BRIEF MENTION OF NEED TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY IF PARKED FOR"PROLONGED TIME, BUT DID NOT DEFINE THAT. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE BEEN HAPPY WITH OTHER FEATURES OF THE PRIUS AND OTHER TOYOTAS WE OWNED IN THE PAST WE CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A SERIOUS AND RISKY DESIGN FLAW. FURTHERMORE, WE CONSIDERED TOYOTA'S SALES PEOPLE AND SALES BROCHURES FAILURE TO NOTIFY US OF THIS PROBLEM TO BE A SIGNIFICANT BREACH OF GOODWILL AND RESPECT FOR CUSTOMER SAFETY AND SATISFACTION. *AK
2004 TOYOTA PRIUS - DASHBOARD DESIGN DEFECT. I'VE BEEN TROUBLED BY THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAY IN MY 2004 PRIUS DIMS WHEN I USED SUN GLASSES. TODAY I TOOK A MOMENT AND ROTATED THE SUN GLASSES IN FRONT OF THE DISPLAY. MY EXPERIENCE TAUGHT ME THAT THE DISPLAY EMITS LIGHT. POLARIZED LENSES ARE ENGINEERED TO MINIMIZE TRANSMISSION OF THIS LIGHT. TOYOTA SHOULD CEASE USING DISPLAYS WITH THESE MISORIENTED DISPLAY ELEMENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE INFORMED TOYOTA. THEY RESPONDED: YOUR EMAIL HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED AT OUR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS UNDER FILE #200705150093.*AK THIS SEEMED 'INADEQUATE' SO I'M SUBMITTING THIS TO YOU. IT WOULD BE PRETTY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE ALL OF THE POORLY DESIGNED ELEMENTS NOW IN SERVICE.
WHILE DRIVING PRIUS ON MAJOR HIGHWAY IN DFW METROPLEX DURING EVENING RUSH HOUR THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, THEN A COUPLE SECONDS LATER, ENTIRE DASH BOARD INFORMATION SCREEN AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS FLASHED. CAR ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN, AND WOULD NOT TURN OFF, BUT NO POWER WAS AVAILABLE TO STEERING OR BRAKES. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AT THE APEX OF A BRIDGE. HOWEVER, WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR INTO THE MEDIAN BETWEEN THE MERGE RAMP OF THE MAJOR HIGHWAY AND THE INTERSTATE. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF IT HAD OCCURRED BEFORE APEX OF THE BRIDGE. )CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, WHO IN TURN, CALLED A TOW TRUCK. HAD TO BASICALLY PLAY WITH POWER BUTTON, BRAKE, AND GEAR SHIFT TO GET IT INTO NEUTRAL SO THE CAR COULD BE LOADED ONTO THE TOW TRUCK. TOOK DEALER THREE DAYS TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. IT WAS BLAMED ON A SHORT IN AUXILIARY BATTERY. HOWEVER, IT SEEMED TO BE WORKING OKAY. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME OCCURRENCE SUCH AS THIS HAPPENED TO THIS CAR, AS WELL AS A NON-FUNCTIONING DRIVER INFORMATION SCREEN, THAT IF THE CAR WAS HOT INSIDE THEN INFORMATION SCREEN WORKED, IF NO, THEN THE SCREEN STATED NO CONNECTION TO AIR CONDITIONING , WHICH OCCURRED SINCE FIRST TIME THE SHUT DOWN HAPPENED. THOUGHT THIS PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FIXED WITH THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE THAT THEY INSTALLED AFTER THE LAST OCCURRENCE. IT APPEARED THAT THIS DEFECT HAPPENED EVERY 18,000 MILES . NOW THERE IS 79,000 MILES ON THE CAR.*AK
WARNING TRIANGLE, DASH LIGHTS-BRAKE, ABS, CAME ON ACCOMPANIED BY A LOUD WHINING SOUND. THE NEXT TIME I NEEDED TO USE THE BRAKES I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE - PEDAL DOWN TO THE FLOOR WITH NO BRAKES. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS ABLE TO ROLL TO A STOP. I TOOK THE CAR TO AUBURN TOYOTA (IN CA) AND THEY SAID IT WAS A SKID CONTROL ECU FAILURE. THEY REPLACED IT AT A TOTAL COST OF $1868.74. *TR
WITH LIGHT BRAKING I CAN STOP MY 2004 PRIUS WITHOUT EVER ILLUMINATING THE BRAKE LIGHTS. THIS RISKS A REAR END COLLISION. THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS BEEN DEPRESSED A LITTLE MORE THAN 1/2 INCH. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NO ADJUSTMENT AND WOULD NOT TAKE THE CAR INTO THE SHOP. AN INCIDENT DATE, AS REQUIRED ON THIS FORM, IS NOT APPLICABLE. THIS IS HAPPENING EVERY TIME I BRAKE. *TR
HID LIGHTS FAIL IN MY 2004 PRIUS AND HAVE FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW - INTERMITTENTLY WITH NO WARNING. AT TIMES, BOTH LIGHTS FAIL AT THE SAME TIME, LEAVING ME ON A DARK ROAD UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAVE ONE REPLACED AT THE DEALER, ONLY TO HAVE IT FAIL AGAIN. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. HUNDREDS OF THESE HAVE BEEN REPORTED. *TR
2004 TOYOTA PRIUS: DISPLAY SCREEN HAS STOPPED WORKING. NO SCREEN CAPABILITY OR ACCESSORY BUTTONS OPERATE. DEALER HAS ORDERED A 'CROSSOVER' UNIT, BUT IT HAS NOT ARRIVED TO DATE (ALMOST THREE WEEKS). NEW UNIT COSTS OVER $2000. VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY INCIDENT. DEALER BELIEVES IT IS A SOFTWARE PROBLEM. *JB
1) THE VEHICLE IS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS, 3 1/2 YEARS OLD AND APPROX 76K MILES ON IT. IT HAS ONLY BEEN USED FOR CARRYING PASSENGERS. 2) BOTH REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS TORE WITHIN A WEEK OF EACH OTHER. THE RIGHT SIDE COMPLETELY AND THE LEFT SIDE IS APPROXIMATELY 90% TORN. THE ONLY PERSON TO USE THE REAR SEATS, ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS, IS MY 14 YEAR OLD SON. TWO WEEKS AGO HE GOT INTO THE RIGHT SIDE AND NOTICED THAT THE BELT WAS COMPLETELY BROKEN. LAST WEEK HE GOT INTO THE LEFT SIDE AND MENTIONED THAT IT WAS ALSO TORN. AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY SEAT HE CAN NOW USE IS THE MIDDLE "LAP ONLY" BELT. IN LOOKING AT THE BELTS, IT APPEARS THAT THE TEAR IS AT THE PLACE WHERE THE BELT PASSES THROUGH THE PLASTIC SHROUD COVERING THE RETRACTING MECHANISM. 3) TALKED WITH THE TOYOTA SERVICE REP YESTERDAY. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE. BUT,SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY IT WOULD COST APPROX $550.00 USD TO FIX. *NM
TL*- THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS TRAVELING UP A HILL AT 10-15 MPH WITH ICY ROAD CONDITIONS AND THE ANTI-SKID CONTROL ENGAGED AND ALL FOUR WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE LOCKED. THE CONTACT PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT LOSE POWER. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD TO BACK THE VEHICLE UP IN ORDER FOR THE WHEELS TO EVENTUALLY GO FORWARD. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER, TESTED A PRIUS AND HAD THE SAME TYPE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT WAS THE NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,000. *AK UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB
I WAS ENTERING A MAJOR HIGHWAY FROM A PARKING LOT WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT FULL SPEED. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. THERE WAS A SMALL POTHOLE SO I DID TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR. NEXT I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY & HIT BY A CAR GOING 65MPH. I DO NOT THINK I HIT THE ACCELERATOR RATHER THAN THE BRAKE ALTHOUGH THAT WAS THE ONLY EXPLANATION AT THE TIME. *TR
2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING.**CC THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, THE VEHICLE STARTED, HOWEVER WHEN HE SHIFTED INTO THE DRIVE, THE ENGINE RACED AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD RAPIDLY, EVEN THOUGH THE ACCELERATOR HAD NOT BEEN APPLIED. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY USING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED FORWARD ABOUT 25 FEET AND CRASHED INTO A GARAGE. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED MINOR SCRATCHES TO HIS KNEE. THE CONSUMER ALSO NOTED THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *JB
MY MULTI FUNCTION DISPLAY HAS FAILED ON ME FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR TOYOTA PRIUS OWNERS. THIS MEANS I HAVE HAD NO NAVIGATION, AIR CONDITION/HEATING, RADIO/CD AND MORE DUE TO THIS DEFECTIVE DEVICE. THERE IS NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE SCREEN, AND THESE SCREENS SEEM TO FAIL ONLY A FEW YEARS AFTER MANUFACTURED. IT APPEARS TO BE THE SAME EXACT SOLDER JOINT BREAKING IN EVERY SINGLE CASE TOO FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ONLINE. I CAN'T JUSTIFY BUYING A BRAND NEW SCREEN, ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE SPENT SO MUCH ON THIS ONE TO BEGIN WITH. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE DID NOT START AFTER BEING PARKED OVERNIGHT. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM EITHER THE ENGINE OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS JUMP-STARTED AND TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE VEHICLE FAILED AGAIN. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO DRIVER ERROR.
PRIUS STALLED WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC FROM A STOP LIGHT. ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD WERE ILLUMINATED INCLUDING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. ONLY ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEMS WAS OPERATIONAL. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. UPON RESTART, ONLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 MILES AWAY. STORED ERROR CODE P0A7A WAS IDENTIFIED - BULLETIN EG029-05. "FALSE M.I.L. "ON" CONDITION. AN UPDATED CONTROL ECU WAS INSTALLED, COVERED BY WARRANTY. *JB
TOUCH SCREEN ON 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS IS DEFECTIVE AND FAILS TO WORK WHICH LEAVES ME WITH NO HEAT AT TIMES AND INABILITY TO SEE IF MY BATTERY IS OPERATING PROPERLY, THIS IS AN ONGOING TOYOTA PROBLEM WITH COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE WEB BY PRIUS OWNERS. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING IN ANY TYPE OF WEATHER, ONE HEADLIGHT WOULD DIM FOLLOWED BY THE OTHER. HOWEVER, BOTH HEADLIGHTS COULD DIM SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE'S SPEED WAS NOT A FACTOR. DURING THE FAILURE, ALL OF THE OTHER LIGHTS WERE OPERATIONAL. THE CONTACT HAS HAD THE LIGHTS REPAIRED DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 90,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO THE DEALER EACH TIME WHERE THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED.
2004 TOYOTA PRIUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING SEVERE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS AND THEY HAVE GOTTEN MORE SEVERE AFTER THE TOYOTA DEALER UPLOADED NEW CODE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO FIX A RECALL. PROBLEMS INCLUDE LOSS OF DISPLAY, LOSS OF CONTROL OF CLIMATE SYSTEM, RADIO TURNS ITSELF OFF, AND OCCASIONALLY THERE IS LOSS OF POWER AT LOW SPEEDS WHICH IS SOMETIMES FIXED BY A REBOOT OF THE CAR. AFTER THE LAST LOSS OF POWER, THE CAR THEN RESPONDED BY THE GAS ENGINE REVVING VERY HIGH AND NOT RESPONDING TO THE GAS PEDAL - YET THE CAR WAS NOT TRAVELING ANY FASTER. *NM
MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS ELECTRICAL DISPLAY (TOUCH SCREEN) HAS 'SHORTED OUT' WITH A LOUD TICKING NOISE THROUGH THE SPEAKERS. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SPRINGFIELD, VA TOYOTA SHOP TWICE, AND IT IS CONTINUING TO HAPPEN. THE SCREEN GOES DARK, AND THEN THERE IS NO ACCESS TO THE DEFROSTER, GPS, ETC. THEY ALL BECOME NON-FUNCTIONAL. *JB
WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE, CAR SOMETIMES GOES INTO REVERSE INSTEAD. DEALER CONFIRMED PROBLEM AND OFFERED TO REPLACE SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR $50 DEDUCTIBLE ON EXTENDED WARRANTY. WILL TRY TO OBTAIN OLD PART. *NM
I TURNED LEFT INTO DRIVEWAY OF A HOME- DRIVEWAY HAS AN INCLINE. I TURNED OFF POWER AND TWO CHILDREN EXITED CAR. ONE PASSENGER RETURNED WITHIN FIVE MIN AND SAT IN FRONT. I PLACED FOOT ON BRAKE. BRAKE FELT "LOCKED" WITH NO GIVE. I PRESSED POWER BUTTON WITH FOOT ON BRAKE, AND PLACED GEAR IN REVERSE. I LET FOOT OFF BRAKE TO ROLL SLOWLY OUT OF DRIVEWAY. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE TO SLOW EXIT, MY FOOT WENT ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR--NO POWER. I NOTICE GEAR WAS NEUTRAL. POWER WOULD NOT TURN OFF. CAR WAS ROLLING CLOSER TOWARD A BUSY FOUR LANE STREET. I NOTICED THE POWER BUTTON LIGHT COLOR WAS RED, AND THE FOLLOWING YELLOW WARNING INDICATORS WERE LIT: BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP, ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT, SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT. I DEPRESSED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP. I TOLD MY 14 Y/O PASSENGER TO EXIT THE CAR AND WHEN SHE DID THE MASTER WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE THE ABOVE LIGHTS REMAINED LIT. THE BRAKE CONTINUED TO DEPRESS TO THE FLOOR. I AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO TURN OFF THE POWER WITHOUT SUCCESS. I EXITED THE VEHICLE WITH MY SMART ENTRY KEY IN HAND AND AS EXPECTED LOUD BUZZING NOISE CAME ON. I THEN CONTACTED TOYOTA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE REFERENCE NUMBER IS 269-568-6678. I CALLED BACK LATER TO CHANGE THE REFERENCE NUMBER TO 269-492-2066. I HAD ASKED FOR POLICE ASSISTANCE FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL, BUT THE POLICE DID NOT SHOW. ON 9/6 A.M., JIM AT METRO TOYOTA SERVICE, KALAMAZOO, MI CALLED & I DESCRIBED THE ABOVE TO HIM. AT 1530 ON 9/6/06, I DESCRIBED MY EXPERIENCE TO MARVIN AT TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATION. THE CASE NUMBER HE PROVIDED WAS 200609051137. THIS IS THE SECOND LIKE INCIDENT WITH THIS VEHICLE. I DID NOT REPORT THE FIRST INCIDENT TO THE NHTSA WHICH OCCURRED A FEW MONTHS AFTER I TOOK POSSESSION OF THE THEN NEW 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. NO REASON WAS FOUND FOR THE FIRST INCIDENT, BY THE SAME DEALERSHIP SERVICE. *NM THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. ALSO, WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL BECAME SOFT AND WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR. UPDATED
I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS I PURCHASED USED LAST FEB (06). STARTING THE CAR DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY BRING UP THE DASH DISPLAY. IT REMAINS BLANK, HOWEVER I CAN SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE POWER STEERING IS OFF AS WELL. I RESTART AND RESTART AND EVENTUALLY THE DASH WILL POP ON. THE CAR IS DRIVABLE BUT ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ARE NOT. NOT AT ONCE THOUGH. THE RED TRIANGLE WITH THE ! IN BETWEEN IS ALWAYS PRESENT BUT SOMETIMES IT IS JOINED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR THE ABS FAILURE LIGHT. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IS STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. *JB
THE PRIUS USES A LEVER AND GATE TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION INTO GEAR. ON MY PRIUS, THE LEVER STUCK IN THE GATE POSITION AND DID NOT RETURN TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. I PUSHED THE "PARK" BUTTON AND BEGAN TO EXIT THE CAR. IT ROLLED FORWARD IN GEAR AND I HAD TO JUMP BACK IN AND JAM ON THE BRAKE TO AVOID INJURING SOMEONE. THIS DEFECT IS EXTREMELY SERIOUS. IF THE SELECTOR LEVER DOES NOT RETURN TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION AFTER A GEAR IS SELECTED, THE PARK FUNCTION IS DISABLED AND THE VEHICLE WILL MOVE FORWARD. *JB
TAIL LIGHTS ON MY '04 PRIUS ARE SLOWLY MELTING , AND AS A RESULT, THE DECORATIVE BLACK PLASTIC INSIDE THE ASSEMBLY IS OBSCURING THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE BARELY VISIBLE. I WILL NEED TO REPLACE THESE SOON; TOYOTA REFUSES TO DO IT, SAYING I AM OUT OF WARRANTY. *NM
FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP. HYBRID VEHICLE HAS 2ND COOLANT LOOP FOR HIGH VOLTAGE INVERTER/CONVERTER. FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP ALLOWS INVERTER COOLANT TEMPERATURE TO RISE WELL ABOVE NOMINAL. AT A CERTAIN TRIGGER POINT HYBRID CONTROL ECU SETS A TROUBLE CODE THAT IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGES OPERATION OF INVERTER/CONVERTER (AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DISENGAGES CRUISE CONTROL AND A/C, WHICH RUNS OF ALTERNATING CURRENT PRODUCED BY INVERTER). IMMEDIATE IMPACT IS A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE DRIVE POWER AS INVERTER/CONVERTER SUPPLIES TO ELECTRICITY TO MOTOR GENERATOR 2 (MG2) WHICH IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO DRIVE WHEELS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED MOTIVE FORCE TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEEDS (ICE ALONE IS INSUFFICIENT). ALSO INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT LOOP PROVIDES COOLING FOR MG2 & MG1. CONTINUED OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITH FAILED INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MAIN ELECTRIC DRIVE MG2 AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER. PUMP FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF INTERMITTENT PUMP OPERATION/NON-OPERATION PRIOR TO FINAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE SEEMS TO BE THE RESULT OF EITHER A DEFECTIVE INVERTER/CONVERTER PUMP ASS'Y OR ONE INSUFFICIENTLY ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND CONTINUOUS OPERATION IN SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT. PUMP FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 160,000 MILES, ALTHOUGH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO OCCUR IN OTHER INSTANCES AS EARLY AS 32,000 MILES. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND DISENGAGEMENT OF CRUISE CONTROL AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD CAUSE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OR TO BE UNABLE TO SAFELY STEER TO A SAFE BREAKDOWN LANE. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH CROSSING AN INTERSECTION THE CONTACT WAS T-BONED AND THEN HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED VARIOUS INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED AT THE SCENE. UPDATED 06/23/06. *JB ALSO SEE ODINO 10164732.
2004 TOYOTA PRIUS AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. *KB THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS T-BONED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX. 40 MPH. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. *NM
MAY 29, 2006 - I WAS PULLING INTO A SCHOOL PARKING SPACE WHEN THE PRIUS ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, AND ALTHOUGH I HIT THE BRAKES, THE ENGINE STARTED TO ROAR, AND THE CAR JUMPED A CONCRETE PARKING LOT CURB, WENT INTO A DRAINAGE SWALE, AND STOPPED ONLY WHEN IT HIT AN IRON FENCE AROUND THE SCHOOL WHERE I WORKED. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA TO BE FIXED. TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. THEY PUT IT DOWN AS "CAR JUMPED CURB." I WROTE TO TOYOTA ON OCTOBER 11, 2009, DESCRIBING THE INCIDENT AND ENCLOSING DOCUMENTATION FOR THE REPAIRS. THEY SAID THEY WERE SORRY ABOUT THE INCIDENT "HOWEVER, AS WE WERE NOT PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO INSPECT YOUR VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, WE HAVE NO WAY OF ADDRESSING YOUR SPECIFIC CLAIM AND ARE UNABLE TO OFFER FURTHER ASSISTANCE TO YOU IN THIS MATTER." TOYOTA WANTED ME TO HAVE THEM INSPECT MY CAR FOR A PROBLEM THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED. *TR