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.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while at a stop light, she attempted to drive however, the vehicle failed to exceed 25 MPH. The HC battery, ECU, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the vehicle displayed DTC code: P3190 (Engine Failure). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery was severely drained, and the mechanic retrieved DTC codes: P3000 and P0A80 for the hybrid battery pack. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, who replaced the battery, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
I was driving and all of my dashboard lights disappeared, I couldn't see anything. I was suddenly driving blind. I pulled over but the car would not turn off. I tried again and again, but it would just not turn off. I called Toyota corporate they asked how far I was to a Toyota dealer and told me to take it there immediately. They gave me a case number 220322000191. When I got to the dealer, they said I would have to pay $150 for a diagnosis. I left it there and am now reporting this. There should be a recall on these vehicles, this is extremely dangerous.
The contact's girlfriend owned a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at 55 mph, a grayish smoke began to emit from the engine without warning. His girlfriend then immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle with her son as the smoke quickly turned into flames. The fire spread rapidly and the vehicle exploded. As a result, the authorities arrived at the scene and the fire was extinguished. A fire report was filed; no injuries were reported. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The dealer nor manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed due to the fire. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
2007 Prius 144K miles when problem 1st occurred. Car serviced regularly - oil changed every 3500 miles. Master warning light would come on randomly when turning or going up/down hill at highway speeds. Computer diagnostics run repeatedly (at Toyota and at local mechanic) nothing ever found. 12/2016 brought car to Toyota service couldn't find anything initially. 2+ hours later told oil is very low which made no sense; no oil spot in garage, car passed inspection and wasn't due for an oil change. Was told the 'oil warning indicator' was lit despite the fact that the oil warning light never came on. Ever. (oil indicator should come on when car is started and remain on -briefly if the oil is low. It does not.) told tech that only the master light comes on and the circumstances. Never given an explanation. Problem has gotten progressively worse. Master indicator only comes on when there is almost no oil. Last time this happened I added 4 qts. Of oil, drove 687 miles and had to add another 4 qts. At this point I have to check the oil every time I get into the car.
I was driving my car on the highway in houston (interstate-10) and my car suddenly stopped. I was almost rear-ended due to the car stopping suddenly without the ability to accelerate. There was only a narrow shoulder and I had to wait for the tow truck. The issue is the inverter pump which was a recall in 2011 (12V536000) and the Toyota dealership told me to call Toyota us hq. After two weeks, multiple phone calls, and zero follow through from Toyota, I am still without a functioning car. The total lack of care and accountability from Toyota is appalling and frankly reckless. This is a known issue on the car and I want to make sure this does not happen to someone else. My wife and I are blessed that we were able to walk away from the stall on the highway unscathed; however, this can happen to someone else at night and perhaps that person(s) will not be so lucky.
- Katy, TX, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
We noticed the red triangle light and so we checked the engine oil. The dip stick was dry. I put oil in the engine and the red triangle went away. I kept an eye on the oil level occasionally I needed to put more oil in the engine. 3 months after taking the car for a regular oil change at the Toyota dealer the red triangle came up again and this time I spoke to the dealership about the issue. The response was that it would be expensive to repair the car and the best solution was to buy a new car. I was never told about the 2011 tsb for excess oil consumption that Toyota had issued. Today, July 17th, 2020, I called the dealer to ask about the tsb, and I was told that the tsb has been out for 10 years so I had had until 2017 to qualify. I do not believe I ever received a letter notifying me about the issue. Had I received the notification I would been the first person in line at the dealership. Also, my steering wheel feels like it is loose, if the speed is over 45 mph it feels unsafe, the slippery sensor light comes on when I am turning the wheel slightly on a dry road, and there is an excessive noise inside the car even with the windows closed. This happens during highway driving. I am about to donate the car so that it can be used for parts. I love the car now I know to check with NHTSA when I purchase my next car.
My husband and I recently purchased a used 2007 Toyota Prius or are 17 year old daughter and since purchasing vehicle a little over a month ago she has already had four or more instances of her car dying and making her lose all control in the middle of the road. The car goes into neutral on its own and will not go back into drive or any other gear the car becomes immobile with no ability even steer off the side of the road or shut the car off or put it in park all dashboard lights come on brakes become glowing red hot and severe issues with lighting and moisture.
We are experiencing gross malfunctioning with this Prius that now has appx. 76,000 miles. It is a serious matter of concern for the safety of our lives. Very briefly, the following are only some examples: Mrs, (owner) experienced the engine suddenly stalling crossing an intersection while driving down a busy hill and planning to go up another hill. Mrs. (owner) at two different times could not restart the Prius after completing errands. Mrs. (owner) was backing the car out of the garage and was fully in the street when the car stopped functioning, leaving her in the car in the middle of the street, perpendicular to traffic without the ability to restart the car. Mr. (owner's husband) also experienced the engine not functioning (stalling) while driving. Redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine and engine cooling: The water coolant pump hasn't been properly working for quite some time now. My air and the engine power are both affected due to a random issue with this part while my car is being driven. My air condition motor has been recently replaced and all my engine fluids are filled.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact started the vehicle and could not shut off the engine. Daytona Toyota (451 N nova rd, daytona beach, fl 32114, (386) 255-7475) stated that there was an extended warranty on the vehicle that expired in 2016. The contact was not informed of the warranty at the time. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 91,998.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled and failed to operate. The vehicle was towed to Toyota rockwall (1250 E. interstate 30, rockwall, tx) where it was diagnosed that the hybrid water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The water pump was replaced and the failure was remedied. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 214,000.
I was driving about 35 mph on a city street when the car suddenly shifted into neutral. I tried to put it back in drive, but it kept shifting back into neutral. Luckily there was enough distance between me and the car behind me was that it didn't result in an accident. I held the gearshift in drive with my right hand and steered with my left until I was able to turn off of the street into a parking lot. I could not put the car in park. I pressed the park button and nothing happened. I turned the car off, waited a minute and started it again. I could shift into reverse, but it continued to pop back into neutral when in drive. I had to drive home holding the gearshift in drive with one hand.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 55 mph, the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing, but the technician was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. Seventeen days later, the failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to another dealer who performed an oil change and checked the tire pressure. One week later, the failure recurred and the tire gauge indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the technician recommended that the hybrid battery might be the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the hybrid battery needed to be replaced with a 12-volt regular battery. The battery was not replaced. Two hours later, while the contact was driving, the failure recurred and the check engine indicator started to blink. The vehicle was pulled to the side of the road where the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine and called aaa. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there were two holes at the bottom of the engine. The technician also found a piece of metal that fractured from the engine. The manufacturer stated that the warranty was expired and referred the contact to NHTSA. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Takata recall. My car won't shut off. They say the instrument panel cluster needs replaced. It has been on back order for 13 days so my car is useless. I can't drive it. I paid either 23,000 or 28,000 for it and have kept it maintained. The Toyota place says they have another lady that's been waiting 3 days less than mine. I called California Toyota. They can't tell me anything - but today told me it might be on back order. This is a safety issue. A car that won't shut off is a danger. It could kick into gear. It could damage the motor. A car that you can't tell how much gas is in it can be a problem as well. I can't drive it. The speedometer won't work. This is a problem with safety as if you can't tell what speed you are going you risk tickets. The Toyota place in birmingham has replaced 30 of these instrument clusters. If that is representative nationwide there is a big problem and these cars should be recalled. I only have 150,000 miles approx. On my car. The salesman told me it would last at least 300,000 miles. I had to replace the $4800 battery at 103000 miles. My other gripe is they didn't tell me until 13 days later it was "probably" on back order. I wouldn't have rented a car for 13 days had I known it was "probably" on back order.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the gauges randomly flickered on the dashboard, the brake system failed and then the vehicle stalled several times as the failure progressed. The dealer and the manufacturer indicated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 12V536000 (engine and engine cooling, hybrid propulsion system). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection and diagnosis. The failure mileage was not available.
Engine oil disappears constantly. There is no apparent leakage of engine oil. Have taken to Toyota dealers during servicing many times since than and mentioned the problem. They couldn't figure out why it is happening. In order to keep engine oil in recommended level I have been pouring recommended grade engine oil (5W30) every other week.
Wife backed vehicle up then shifted to drive.multipal dash warning lights came on. Vehicle was stopped and shut off. An attempt was made to restart the vehicle to move it back to a parked position. The vehicle could not be put back into drive or reverse. Had to manually push the vehicle to a parked position. It was lucky that this took place on our property in front of our residence and not a busy public roadway. Had the vehicle towed on a flatbed to a Toyota dealer approx. 50 miles away. Toyota dealer advised later the transaxle/transmission failed. Found a Toyota "technical service bulletin" dated July 7,2006 specifically dealing with this issue in the 2004 to 2007 Prius. Document title: M.I.L. "on" dtc P0aa6 or P3009, information codes 526 & 613 models '04- Prius. In the document it states "the transaxel assembly has been improved to prevent this condition." Bottom line is Toyota is aware of the faulty equipment mentioned above and has not addressed the problem properly to recall the vehicles with this issue even though this is an obvious safety issue.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning, while driving approximately 60 to 70 mph, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic control module and the electronic water pump failed. The dealer stated that the repair for NHTSA campaign number: 12V536000 (engine and engine cooling, hybrid propulsion system) was performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 167,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Washington, DC, USA