The rubber cover to the outside truck latch has melted completely in hot Florida weather and has become gooey to the point of dripping onto my license plate. The truck is very difficult to open and sometimes I am unable to lock or open the car because the trunk is not all the way closed. This is a safety issue because if I needed to get into the trunk to get a spare tire I may not be able to. Given many other reports of this issue dating back to 2007 models, Toyota should stop using this type of component and should recall this item and fix it with a different material so this does not keep happening. I am also concerned the exposed latch will cause electrical damage to the trunk or lighting because of severe rain that often occurs in Florida where this problem seems prevalent.

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

The back door/hatch switch rubber is melting/very sticky. The problem was first reported in the 2007 Prius and other model Toyota models. I expect that this switch will become defective and it is the only means to enter the hatch area of the Prius.the hatch area is the location of the spare tire, flares and other safety products carried in the automobile. This is a very common problem of Toyota models and is definitely a factory defective part.

- Amherst, VA, USA

The rubber cover on my touring model Prius's hatch locking assembly - the hidden area you grab to open the hatch - has deteriorated to the point that it is gummy like tar. There are dozens of online complaints about this happening to 2007 and 2008 models, which like my Prius, were manufactured in Japan. I've owned several hatchbacks and never seen this problem on much older hatch locks. From all of the online complaints it's clear to me that Toyota is aware of this defect but when contacted, they first told me they had never heard of this being a problem, and now tell me it advises customers it's "normal wear." From a safety perspective the melting rubber makes it difficult to open the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and the sticky black tar-like material from the cover is also potentially dangerous. I ask your Agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire why Toyota is not recalling these handles that are melting, which has to be the result of defective rubber. I think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than three years.

- Tampa, FL, USA

The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that squirrels were able chew through the wiring and the fuse box from under the vehicle. In addition, the squirrels had also chewed through the plastic radiator cover and support panel for the fan and the ABS warning light was illuminated as a result of the damages. The contact was concerned because there was no cover for the under the vehicle to prevent the squirrels or rodents from entering and damaging the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was recurring. The failure mileage was 2,091 and the current mileage was 2,373.

- Biloxi, MS, USA