This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I am writing to you about a problem with my 2006 Toyota Prius. In July 2008, the driver's side electronic door lock actuator failed and was replaced by my local Toyota dealer - I had extended warranty so it was covered. Now, the driver's side door lock actuator has once again failed. I have not contacted my Toyota dealership because in 2008 if I didn't have the warranty it was going to cost me well over $1,000. The failure of this actuator happening twice is unbelievable. I've noticed similar complaints by other individuals.
Driving at night and headlight completely failed. Took it in to dealer but was working then and dealer refused to document. This same thing occurred several times since then, both headlights failing at one time or another resulting in dangerously poor visibility. Problem is intermittent and continuing with a failure just days ago. Toyota acknowledges the problem but refuses to take responsibility saying the current mileage is too high. Problem first occurred when mileage was considerably under 45000. Feel it is unsafe to drive the car at night.
Combination meter failed, there was no dash display, no speed display, and vehicle would not shut down. Fortunately we were not out of town so we drove the vehicle to our regular Toyota dealer, ourisman fairfax Toyota, fairfax, va, and left it there.
2006 Toyota Prius. Letter from re onstar fmv defect the consumer stated the system light failed to light, except when one was talking to the onstar advisor. Then it flashed green on and off as advertised. However, when the system was on and presumably ready for use, the green light did not illuminate. So far, the consumer was to connect to the onstar advisor when the light was off. The consumer received several answer as to why the system was not working as advertised. The consumer stated the unit is malfunctioning and may not work in an emergency situation. The consumer received a call from onstar stating the problem he was having, was due to improper installation, because of an internal battery that required a connection before use. The problem has since been resolved. Updated 10/19/11. The consumer stated the onstar device malfunctioned again. Updated 08/15/12. Updated 09/06/12. Updated 09/18/12 updated 02/11/13. The consumer stated a defect manifested itself by a partial loss of information on the center console display and there was a complete loss of the digital information displayed above the dashboard. The information included the speed, etc. The consumer stated when defect occurred, the power button became inoperative, which resulted in the inability to turn the vehicle power off or remove the electronic key. Updated 06/22/15. Updated 07/08/15.
In addition to my complaint, ODI id #10400072, when I turn my headlights on, the lighting in my console loses it brightness--alot. During the daytime, it is very difficult to see the odometer/speedometer and all other information provided on my console... this includes the built-in gps/info screen. This is definitely a design flaw that Toyota created and approved for sale here in the U.S. I cannot understand why Toyota is not held fully accountable for these very serious flaws and are required to correct these very serious flaws at no cost the the innocent consumer that are victims for purchasing these vehicles fully trusting that Toyota fully backed up their vehicles and reputation. What will it take to require Toyota to make the necessary repairs to rectify these very obvious flaws in their vehicles" a death as a result of an innocent driver and his family trusting the Toyota brand name" I sure hope not.
- Mayfield, KY, USA
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I have two smart keys for 2006 Toyota Prius. One of them lose smart function and remote function. When a button is pressed, red light is not on at all. I have tested fob battery and it is ok. I believe that the smart key is defective.
Combination meter of 2006 Toyota Prius suddenly stopped working. Thankfully, priuschat members have posted similar issues. My mechanic removed the combination meter. I sent board to company in ca to re-do the solders and update the transistor on the chip.
I own a 2006 Toyota Prius with hid headlights. The right headlight is intermittent. This is a safety hazard especially driving down a dark road at night.
2006 Toyota Prius. Faulty headlights. Replaced both headlights in Aug 2010 only to have one fail Jan. 3 and the other failed Jan 8 2011. Added daytime running lights by dealer in 2007 so do not have the ability to turn them off and on. Do not understand how one can have both lights fail as stated in so many other complaints.
Headlights on 2006 Toyota Prius keep going on and off for no apparent reason. Complaint has been made to Toyota and all they have done is to reduce the price of the hid bulbs.
The headlamp of Prius 2006 intermittently goes off while driving. The problem goes away if the car is completely shut off and then restarted. Many others are reporting the same problem with Prius and replacement of headlight does not rectify the problem. The problem is creating dangerous situation for driving, particularly during rain or snow because others cant see the car and the drivers visibility becomes greatly affected.
I'm among the many who have defective high intensity headlights in my 2006 Prius. Around 20K miles I started having problems with flickering and intermittent outage. The dealer wouldn't replace them for free and I couldn't afford the $1000 it would have cost to replace. While driving at night on a treacherous country road I almost went off the road when the lights went out completely while attempting to turn on the brights.
Toyota Prius complete electrical failure causing the car to lose the steering, brakes all instrument displays including no hazard lights. Dead stick driving. Incident occurred unexpectedly while driving on crowded highway 5 North 1 hour from downtown la. I'm lucky to live through this.
I am writing to you about an unresolved problem with my 2006 Toyota Prius. In May 2008, the driver's side electronic door lock actuator failed and was replaced by my local Toyota dealer. Now, the driver's side door lock actuator has once again failed, along with the passenger's side actuator. My local Toyota dealer informed me that the estimated repair cost would total $1,300. I indicated that in view of the extremely high repair cost and the prior replacement of the driver's side actuator, Toyota should assume a share of the repair cost, and the dealership submitted the matter to their regional representative. The dealership subsequently informed me that the regional representative was offering to assume $300 of the repair cost as a customer goodwill gesture. I indicated that Toyota should assume a greater portion of the overall expense for the current repair, and the dealership once again agreed to convey that point to the regional representative. However, the dealership subsequently informed me that, rather than offering any further adjustment, the regional representative's response was to withdraw its previous offer altogether, leaving me with the entire financial liability for the repair! I then contacted the national Toyota customer experience center in torrance, California, to complain about the regional representative's summary retraction of the adjustment that it had already offered. A representative at the center subsequently informed me that he concurred with the regional representative's actions and was unwilling to reverse them. Against the recent backdrop of widespread and serious mechanical problems with its products, the Toyota corporation has publicly pledged a renewed emphasis on quality and customer service. However, the way in which it has chosen to handle my complaint has left me feeling bewildered, disrespected, and abandoned. Accordingly, I'm writing to your Agency to ascertain what other remedies may be available to me. Thank you.
My hid light on my 2006 Prius burnt out on driver's left side. Took it in for a replacement and they told me that I have to replace both for a price of $500 and will only warranty for 1 year. I was told the average span for a bulb is 2.5-4 years. This is a ridiculous price for a light bulb. You should put pressure on the company to bring the cost for this safety repair down to a reasonable level.
Toyota Prius 2006. Rt. front (passenger side) headlight goes out for no reason. After this is will not come back on, even if I switch from low to high beam. I turn the lights off and on that corrects the problem for about 3 to 15 minutes, then it goes off again. Toyota said it was the bulb and replaced it at about 34,000 miles under warranty, but it did not change anything. Then the next chance I had to bring it in it was out of warranty, so they will not cover. I thought it may be the igniter or transformer so I replaced that, but it still does the same thing. I see many Prius' around town with their right front light out, so it seems to be quite common. I read on the internet that lots of Prius people are having the same exact problem, but of course Toyota denies that there is one. Toyota simply charges $300. To replace the bulb, or $600 to replace the igniter, or $1,100 to replace the whole headlight assemble. Replacing the bulb does not fix it, neither does the igniter, not sure about the whole assembly. The light goes off whether the car is parked or driving down the road, so vibration is not the problem. This is a huge safety hazard. Toyota is producing lemons, then simply replacing the bulbs and hoping your warranty runs out. Toyota is making a ton of money off of this defect at $1,100 per light assembly, and even then I am not sure the problem is being repaired. This problem seems to be more common on 2006 and 2007 models. I just drove to the airport and back (45 min each way) and my light went out probably 30 times. Many owners don't seem to know that their light is out. I notice, but I still feel like I am a huge road hazard. I would repair it if I knew what the actual problem was. The Toyota factory surely knows what the problem is and how to correct it, but if they bring the problem to the surface they know that they will be forced to pay for another recall, meanwhile they make a ton of profit off parts and repairs.
Headlights of 2006 Prius go on and off at will. I reported this to Toyota dealer and was told that they had to change both bulbs. The intensity of the bulbs are normal when they come back on and I have never owned a car where the bulbs recover on their own. It appears to be a wiring problem of some kind and Toyota's solution of changing the bulbs does not seem to be a reasonable solution. Also the one year guarantee of an expensive repair does not seem reasonable. The Toyota website shows hundreds of complaints for the same condition.
I drive a 2006 Toyota Prius. On November 13, 2009, for about 10 days, the dashboard would not light up on a cold start in the morning. It would light up after I hit a pothole or bump. The problem inexplicably stopped. My Toyota dealership said they had received no complaints about this and could not diagnose/fix the problem since it no longer occurred.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Ashburn, VA, USA