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Toyota Prius

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Toyota Prius • General Complaints • Acceleration • Availability • Battery • Fuel Gauge • Headlight • Insurance Costs • Service Delays • Tires • Transmission • Traction --- • Happy Hybrid Owners --- Test Drive • Three Lead Feet Meet Little Fuel Sipper --- News • Toyota Ready to Expand Safety Recall Beyond Floor Mats • U.S. Prius Sales Drop 45 Percent • Prius Tops Consumer Reports Best New-Car Value List • Toyota Parks Plans For New Prius Plant • Prius Vandalism On the Rise in California • Toyota Plans Prius Plant in Mississippi • Solar Panels to Power Prius Air Conditioning • Unexpected Problems Confront Prius Owners • NHTSA to Hear 'Silent Killer' Complaints • Reports of Prius Price Gouging Rise with Gas Prices • Prius, Porsche Models Top Most-Satisfied Lists • Should You Buy a Second-Hand Prius? • Winter Weather Warning for Prius Drivers • Prius Again Tops Owner Satisfaction Survey • Prius Helps Toyota Knock Off Ford for #2 Spot • Toyota Recalls Floor Mats, NHTSA Warns Prius Owners • Feds Probe Prius Runaway Acceleration • Prius Owners Report More Unintended Acceleration Incidents • Runaway Acceleration Plagues Prians • Toyota Delays Third-Generation Prius • Sales Top 1 Million but Some Owners Find Prius Doesn't Age Well • Prius Owners Losing Ground in Traction Battle • Prius Traction Control Complaints on the Rise • Prius Stalls in Snow; Owners Steamed • Prius Shuts Down in the Snow, Reader Complains • Prius Supplies Increase as Sales Slow • Prius Discounts Popping Up in Showrooms • EPA Finds Prius #1 in Gas Mileage • Prius Owners Question Mileage Claims • Prius Tops Consumer Satisfaction Survey • Hybrids Don't Always Deliver the Expected Fuel Economy

Vickie of Astoria, OR October 12, 2009

Approximately 6 months ago the headlights on my 2007 Toyota Prius started to dim, about 3 months ago the driver side headlight went out. I can turn the headlights off then back on and it stays on for awhile. Several weeks ago they both went off. I pulled over and performed the same procedure and they both came back on. Dealership says the headlights are going out. But they cannot explain why turning them off then on seems to work. These headlights do not just burn out like other headlights so I am suspicious. The service person cannot garauntee that new headlights will not do the same. I suspect a computer component is bad...? New headlights are 150.00 ea. plus diagnostic (computer?), and labor brings grand total to over 400.00.

Cindy of Santa Cruz, CA September 15, 2009

2007 Toyota Prius headlight on the driver side has been shorting out for ove a year. Turning it on and off fixes it temporarily. The other night both went out, and I was in the complete dark on a country road (no moon). Luckily I did not hit anything or drive off the road, but it was very scary. Turning the lights off and back on fixed the black out, but the driver side lamp kept going out about every few minutes. I am worried about driving at night, since I am out with children on small, windy, steep country roads that are not lit! I called the Toyota Dealer in Capitola, CA. The service manager took the call, and said that he would get back to me. Not expecting great results. I am contacting a lawyer in San Francisco regarding a CLASS ACTION SUIT.

edwin of memphis, MO September 6, 2009

toyota prius are much overrated,have a 2006 and have had to replace front wheel bearings twice, car now has 104000 miles on it just replace rear bearings, tire life is terrible, and many small problems also have happened, dealer i bought from says it happens, my first import and the last, will go back to my old brand, i have never repaced wheel bearings in it, in fact i have a 1996 pickup with 450000 on it and i would not be afraid to drive it across the country, but not the prius, just not a dependable car

Robert of Redlands, CA August 21, 2009

This is not a complaint. It is a statement of fact about my Toyota Prius. I commute 180 miles per day. Although TMC states higher mileage in the city than the highway, my experience is just the opposite. I live in the foothill area of the San Bernardino National Forest. This means my city driving is up and down hill with many stops. So, I am not upset when I get 40 mpg. I get 50+ mpg on the freeway and I'm very happy with that. I find the way a person drives the car defines the kind of mileage one will get. All in all, it's a great car. I'm an aerospace engineer and the car design intrigues me.

Jim of Sycamore, IL August 18, 2009

2005 Prius - Headlight intermittent on drivers side at 50,000 miles. Dealer recommended both side be replaced cost over 800 dollars. Toyota would not approve this under the 100,000 mile warranty. Dealer then said just replace the drivers side HID and not the transformer. Why would it not be needed just because it is not under warranty. They did not say they made an error in analysis.

Again, I complained and talked directly to the Manager and Toyota. They agreed to replace parts no cost (HID only) for 125.

At 68,000 miles the right side became intermittent and I got a warning ticket. I went to the Dealer and said I would pay the 125 but not more.

Now at 94,000 miles the drivers side is intermittent again. I am going to go to the dealer in the morning and tell them they should provide the HID, the transformer and the labor to fix both side as they simply hid a symptom and charged me 250 to do it. I will never by a Toyota again

Tom of Anaheim, CA August 12, 2009

After 144,000 miles driving my 2001 Prius, the transmission, inverter and the batteries had to be replaced. Until then, it was the best car I had ever owned. Since then it is still the best but I spent 10,000 to replace everything and they even forgave me over 3,000. They just found it impossible to diagnose the complete problem at first or I would have junked it. I have car pool stickers so I thought it was better for me to fix it. I don't use the sticker benefit much. They told me (later) that if the trans goes out the others go out most of the time too. They also told me it was worth getting it fixed. I doubt if I will break even on the sell. It should be good for another 100K miles now but I am selling it. I'll never again drive a hybrid car this long, even with a sticker benefit. Many problematic things were replaced under warranty so this is my first high expense. Steering, gas tank, computers, and more. The fuel pedal sensor was bad but it fixed itself somehow. Should have gotten rid of it a long time ago.

Jesus of Santa Cruz, CA August 9, 2009

2008 Toyota Prius, rapid tire wear, wear pattern shows underflation, both dhoulders are wearing rapidly. T about 25,000 miles they were reccommended at the dealership when servicing the vehicle, can't believe that Toyota would install such cheap tires on an almost 30.000 car.

Leo of Reno, NV July 28, 2009

2008 Toyota Prius: When we first purchased this car a year ago we were getting really close to the EPA estimates. Over the last 6-8 months the mileage has dropped and continues to drop more each month.

Our local dealer in Reno, NV is claiming that there is nothing wrong with this vehicle, but has no explanation for the steady drop in mileage. Very frustrating! We are now getting 35-36 mpg and that is not what we paid for. A Civic does that well without the Hybrid price tag.

If this is what we have to live with then I will sell this car and never recommend to anyone.

Ben of Stockton, CA July 24, 2009

My 2008 Toyota Prius, with only 23,000 miles on it caught on fire and is totaled. The car did something weird when I turned a residential corner and the warning lights came on (Master Warning, Vehicle Stability control and Hybrid System). A couple minutes later smoke started coming out of the vents of the passenger side seats and before I knew it a flame was in the corner of the back passenger side seat and the car burnt in no time.

Barbara of Columbus, OH July 8, 2009

We own a 2005 Prius with only 38,000 miles and were very happy with it until several months ago. Since that time we have had to have it jumped six times when it wouldn't start after driving to and parking at a location. Last week, after the third episode, we took it to be checked out at Toyota West, and they could find nothing wrong. But when my husband made a stop on the way home, it happened again! When we called to complain, they said to have it towed the next time it wouldn't start so they could better assess the problem.

It happened again yesterday, so I called AAA to have it towed. When the driver arrived, he could not even put the car in neutral to get it on the truck. Consequently, we were forced to jump it again and drive it to Toyota West. They have checked it out and again say they can find nothing wrong. They have advised us to drive it every day and for at least 45 consecutive minutes once a week to keep the battery charged. We told them no one had told us to do that when we bought the car there, and they replied that this information is part of all salesmen's training. Is it no wonder they don't share this information? Who would buy a Prius if they knew of these requirements? I would like this information made public so no one else is deceived and disappointed. It's interesting to note that almost every time the car wouldn't start, it was after turning it on to put down the windows and immediately turning it off to wait in the car. We have shared this information with the service department since it seems like important information that might lead to the solution to the problem, but they insist it shouldn't have anything to do with the car not starting. We are extremely disappointed as we were hoping to drive this car for many years. I don't see how this is going to be possible when it's so unreliable.

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