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Should You Buy a Second-Hand Prius?

Maintenance costs may outstrip fuel savings

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

April 4, 2008

With sales of new hybrids increasing by almost 30 percent a year and gasoline prices following at a faster pace, a second-hand hybrid can appear to be a smart alternative in a tight economy.

But because of the car's relatively new design, there is little information available to help consumers judge the reliability of a used Prius other than reports from previous Prius owners.

Consumer beware. The risks may be higher than you think.

Battery blues

Doris in Smithville, Tennessee bought a used Prius in July 2006.

“Trying to inform myself prior to buying the car, I asked about the battery and was told never had they seen the whole battery fail, only a cell at a time to the tune of $200 per cell,” she was told. “I did not want to spend the money on a brand-new Prius. I wanted to test the waters on a used one first.”

The decision to buy a second had hybrid was costly.

The 2006 Prius had 73,200 miles on the odometer leaving 26,800 remaining on the hybrid battery warranty. “I bought it and thought I was living the dream, but only for a moment,” Doris told ConsumerAffairs.com.

When the weather turned cold her Prius would have no power. The engine was difficult to start. “Finally it went totally down,” she said. “No power!”

The Toyota dealer told Doris at first that she must have over-filled the gas tank and may have ruined the Prius computer system. The repair cost would be $1,900.

One year later the Prius lost all power while driving at 65 mph on an Interstate highway. "I was scared to death,” Doris wrote. The Prius was towed to a dealer and Doris was told “the main battery was down it would be $6,890 to fix it.”

Remember, the first dealer told her the battery never failed completely and the replacement cost would be roughly $2,000.

Doris was lucky as things turned out.

“They called tech support and found it was a leaf sucked up in a filter which in turn prevented gas and air from going to the battery and drained it." Doris spent $225 to tow the Prius to the dealer and $276 to charge the main battery plus tax, a lot less than the original $6,890 repair estimate but still $549.85.

But not all the repair news was good. "They told me it could happen again. So I'm stuck with what I feel is a defective product. I'm Toyota's rolling gunea pig,” she said. “I cannot trade the car because they tell I'm $5,500 up side down," she said. “I have to buy a new car to roll this amount with it. I can't afford a new car with a $425 per month payment.”

Transmission troubles

In Loomis, California, Sam tells the tale of expensive repairs with his 2003 Prius.

After a series of problems with the Prius engine, Toyota informed Sam that he needed to have the transmission replaced. The estimate for repairs was around $7,000, almost the value of the entire vehicle, according to Sam.

“Naturally the vehicle was no longer covered by the warranty,” he said.

The Prius had 116,289 miles on the odometer when the car began to malfunction. The check-engine light came on and the engine quickly shut down. The dealership informed Sam that the gasoline engine quit because the battery ran out of juice. The dealership checked the spark plugs and coils, detected slight misfire until warm but could not reproduce the problem. The cost of the service was $123.77.

The repair bill seemed too good to be true. And it was.

When the problem occurred a second time, the Toyota dealership said that the “problem was not really the spark plugs but that the sophisticated hybrid transmission needed to be replaced. The estimate for the parts and labor for this repair would be approximately $2,000.” The estimate was quickly revised to $7,000 with parts and labor. The “cost of the new transmission alone was $5,000,” Sam reported.

Early adopter

In Sunnyvale, California, Matt was one of the original 2001 Prius hybrid owners.

“Now, after 130,000 miles of driving the main battery is dead. The Toyota dealer is telling me the life of the main battery was 100,000 for my car, although the new Prius comes with a 150,000-mile warranty,” he said.

Matt said that the dealer told him he was the third Prius owner to require a main battery replacement.

“Labor and parts, plus tax was $4,500. Unfortunately, there is no third-party service provider who knows how to fix Prius,” he said.

Matt warns consumers interested in a second hand Prius to be prepared to pay $4,500 for the main battery before 150,000 miles have been recorded on the odometer.”

Complexity

That is not all.

“The car is loaded with electronics and solid state controllers. Be prepared to pay outrageous prices for diagnostics and repair. Very rarely you will walk out with a bill costing under $300,” Matt said.

“You will pay nearly $150 for having a duplicate key made to your Prius. That is because the key apparently has an anti-theft chip which has to be programmed by Toyota,” he said.

There's no doubt the Prius gets good gas mileage (though perhaps not as good as many buyers expect). But whether the total cost of ownership is reasonable is another question indeed.

Consumers who need reliable, inexpensive transportation are still better off with a simple, straightforward economy car -- a Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic or something similar with a four-cylinder engine and a manual transmission are likely to provide trouble-free, economic transportation for hundreds of thousands of miles.

Here are some of the reports we've received from other Prius owners:

Betty of Alexander City AL (08/31/08)
We placed an order for a 2008 Prius at Reinhardt Toyota in Montgomery, Alabama on May 2, 2008 with specific items requested and they required $1,000 deposit. We requested delivery for a scheduled trip one month away which came and went with no car. They did call us several times with cars coming in that did not fit our requirements. We had ordered the Prius with Touring package #6, plus XM radio, dual headrest DVD players, and 18 wheels, basically loaded. Our main request was a LIGHT color due to the heat factor. As weeks went by we received call after call with dark colors offered and passed on them. Finally we got a call from the original contact Joseph Saffold saying that it had been too long after four months and that we should have gotten a car by then (8/18/08) and that he would investigate. He also said that new models were about to come out and that they would not honor the old price since the new ones would be higher in price. On Friday, 8/29, we received a call that they had a light blue Prius with package 6 if we wanted it. We made an appointment and went in the next day. After accepting the car and filling out the paperwork the price on the car had jumped $2,400 over the contracted price. When questioned about the difference we were told that they had made a mistake in pricing the car when the order was placed and that they would not honor the contracted price because of the mistake. After expressing much displeasure about the fact that it was their mistake to begin with and for them not to honor it resorted to dishonoring the contract, they agreed to refund the non-refundable deposit of $1000.

Four months of waiting while they held our $1000 deposit, which usually is $500. I don't understand why they wanted more money from us but with all the hassle that ensued it is probably a godsend that we did not do business with them. We were just glad to get out of there with our deposit.

Rick of Iowa City IA (08/27/08)
We rented a Toyota Prius from Alamo in Las Vegas, it was a free upgrade from the economy class cars they were out of. Never driven one so we said yes. Alamo provides a simple instruction page on how to start the car and go. The owners manual was burried under the spare which we found the day before we returned the car. Overall, good. Larger inside than I was expecting, more room than a Dodge Calibre we rented last year. The bad? This car absolutely hates mountain roads. Had a major fit trying to go up mountain passes. Constantly shifting back and forth, engine winning like mad. Turning off the AC helped a little but flat out and it would do 31 mph and sounded like it was ready to explode. Going down the passes, I put the shifter in to B, which I later found after lots of searching in the manual, means what exactly? There is one page that says to use B for down hills. Even in B the car would speed up ot over 70mph, only when going slower would B force the tranny into a lower gear to help slow the car. Other complaints & observations. A weird combo of touch screen controls and buttons on the dash and steering wheel. The rental had 34,000 miles on the odo but the rear tires were nearly worn out. At one time in Las Vegas the brakes seem to stop working. I nearly rear ended another car. For the first 6 days the brakes seemed very touchy. 44.5 mpg for the first 313 miles. 49.8 for the return trip of 255 miles. I realize hybrid owners want to 'save the earth' with these cars but really the economics aren't there. I figured it could save me $1200 per year in gas for as much as I drive but considering how much the car cost and how short its going to last without major repairs, that will never pay off.

Tim of Spokane WA (08/22/08)
The traction control system is very dangerous and warrants an immediate recall. When accelerating from a stop (like pulling out into traffic) on a slick roadway, the car will move into traffic, then stop, then move forward another few feet, then stop, and then pull forward again. The car literally 'hops' out into the path of the oncoming cars! I've nearly been hit many times. On steep slick roads, the car will slow down and nearly stop.

I have snow tires with studs on the car during the winter and this does not help the problem. The dealer tells me that this is normal operation. This is the most dangerous vehicle I have ever seen. A small amount of testing will reveal this dangerous design flaw. This warrants immediate Dept. of Transportation intervention and possibly a class action lawsuit.

I'm afraid to drive the car during the winter and so I can't take advantage of the good gas mileage that I was promised.

James of Mcminnville OR (08/16/08)
By both the fuel gauge and the miles driven, I figured I had at least two if not three gallons of gas left in the 12 gallon tank of my Prius. The slope of the drive may have had an effect, but I was amazed that the amount pumped was 11.575 gallons. Since I was 30 miles from home I had asked the attendant to top it off. but this was ridiculous! I asked the state board of weights, etc., to check, and they found no problem with the pump. Upon reading some of the complaints here, I guess I don't have anything to complain about. I keep records on all gas purchases, and this dropped my mpg average by about 5 miles per gallon, from 50 down to 45 mpg.

Nothing big, just about 50 miles that I paid for that I don't think I was able to drive. Either that, or the position of the car on a certain slope permits a fill-up amounting to more like 14 gallons in a 12 gallon tank. Is this possible? What is the actual capacity of the Prius fuel tank, filler tube, etc?

Miriam of Oakland CA (08/13/08)
On June 17th, 2008 I was driving down Grand Ave. in Oakand at slow speed due to traffic conditions when suddenly my 2007 Toyota Prius felt as if it uncontrollably sped up and lunged forward. I hit the brakes but it did not stop it from running into the back end of the car in front of me. It was very unnerving. The damage has been repaired by my insurance company and I had been driving the car again. Yesterday, August 11, 2008, as I was pulling into the Safeway parking lot in Montclair, I again was going at a very slow speed when again the car inexplicably lunged forward uncontrollably accelerating on its own. I once again hit the brakes and was able to abruptly stop the vehicle. It is very scary that this has happened twice. Fortunately the second time there was no damage done but the possibility of hurting someone is too much for me. I am afraid to drive this vehicle at this point. I am taking it in to the dealership today to see what their story is. After this happened a second time I googled problems with toyota priuss run away acceleration and I found your site. The experiences of other folks on your web site were so similar to mine that its so disturbing that this might be such a huge problem.

There was approximately $6,000 worth of damage to my vehicle and $800 worth of damage to the vehicle I collided with. The emotional stuff I am feeling right now has no price tag. Thank God there was no bodily harm done. I am angry that toyota might know that there is a huge problem with this vehicle and are sitting on their hands. Priuss NO! I want some answers.

Loraine of Brick NJ (08/13/08)
I purchased a 2008 Toyota Prius on May 14,2008. My husband and I put down $2000.00, which she said would be 100% refundable if we change our minds. At the time she said the car would be in, in 4-6 weeks. I had a trip planned to Florida, and I had hoped to use the car for the trip. Two weeks before our planned trip(June 20,2008) I called to see if she heard anything. I called 3 times in July, and again 2 times in August. Then on August 8th, I received a phone call telling me the car I wanted will be in, in 2 weeks.BUT. The MAnufacturer has increased the price of the car $1500.00 and they have to pass at least half of this onto the consumer.So, my car will now cost me $750.00 more than the contract i signed. ( I feel this is because we were paying cash and they didn't feel they were making enough of a bonus. ) I reviewed my contract to find a line on the second page, stating the dealer can change the price before delivery if the manufacturer has increased the price.) After doing much research I found that Toyota is considering a price increase for 2009, but if they increase the price it won't take effect until the end of the year. I really feel I am being scammed because of the popularity of the car, and because we're paying cash.

My husband took out a loan on his pension so we could pay cash to the dealer. Every week now, he has to pay interest on a loan he isn't using, because I refuse to pay the increased amount. We would of been required to adhere to a contract if the tables were turned. I fully expect them to honor the price they agreed upon. And if you research, there hasn't been a price increase by the manufacturer. You can check USA Today, and other car web pages.

Jeffrey of W. Hollywood CA (08/09/08)
I am getting very poor mileage on my Prius. The city EPA is 48 and the highway EPA 40mpg. I am getting at most in the low 30's in the city. This is with a constant eye on the computer monitor, very, very slow stops (sometimes not touching the accelerator for 3 or 4 blocks). When I accelerate, I do so slowly and then try to maintain a constant speed around 30 to 37 mpg. If I'm going downhill, I often don't touch the accelerator at all. I'm actually a hazard on the road, the way I'm driving. Currently, my average for the last 100 miles is 29.8 mpg. If I drive with traffic, but non-aggressively, the average goes down to about 21 or 22 mpg.

I've had the vehicle in to be examined and was told nothing is wrong with it. One tech told me the computer resets at 3,000 miles (I currently have 2200 and drive about 100 miles/week). However, a representative from Toyota Corporate told me he was unaware of such a reset. Also, I've spoken to several Prius drivers including those who claim they drive with a lead foot who tell me they never average under 40mpg. If this is not resolved in the next month or so, I will try to find a lawyer.

I am using 25% more gasoline than I should. Furthermore, because I believed the dealership when I first purchased the car (they told me the engine needed to break in) I invested $300 in window tinting which I needed because of medication I'm taking making my skin burn very quickly with sun exposure. I also installed a $100.00 bass speaker which cost $300 to install (in addition to the cost of the speaker.

Steve of Barstow CA (08/09/08)
About two months ago I purchased a new 2008 Toyota Prius. 30 days after that, I noticed that the car was leaning to the left Drivers Side?. I called the dealer and they said bring the car in and we will fix it under the Warranty? I took the car to the dealer were I purchased it. After two days, they said that the car does lean to the left, but Toyota Corporate said it is expectable for the car to lean up to 1/2?. By my measurements the car leans more like 9/16?, which is very noticeable.

I called Toyota customer service that day, they said that their word was final and they were not going to do anything about the issue. The next day I followed up with an email to Toyota customer service, again I was told their word was final, nothing will be done.

Since then I put a post on several Prius chat forums, it appears that there are allot more Prius owners with the same issue. It appears that many if not all of the none touring models Prius's lean to the left. The touring models do not. It is my option that this is an obvious defect in the rear suspension, probably the struts, due to the fact that the touring model has different struts as part of it package. I think Toyota should be made to fix all of these defective cars. Please advise if anything can be done.

Rollover in hard right hand turns, broken suspension that could lead to an accident, installation of touring model suspension at owners expense to correct the problem, estimated cost $1000/Car.

Stephen of Bayport NY (08/05/08)
It appears that Huntington Toyota has entered into a contract and taken a deposit for the purchase of a car under false pretenses and they may be doing this to others. First, 2 months after I entered into a contract to purchase a Prius and just a few days before the delivery date listed in the contract, Huntington Toyota contacted me in an attempt to collect a higher price for the car then the price specified in the contract. Now, almost 5 months after the date of the contract and despite the fact that they have held my deposit for the full 5 month period, Huntington Toyota has failed to obtain a vehicle to fulfil the contract. In late February or early March, my wife and I went into Huntington Toyota to test drive a new Prius. At that time, a price was quoted for the package II and the package 5 Prius. On March 9, 2008 I returned with my wife to Huntington Toyota to purchase a Prius. After the price of the Prius Package II was verified by the salesman, a contract was prepared. When I reviewed the contract, I saw that in addition to the expected sales tax, Dealer Fee and NYS Inspection and Tire Deisposal Fees, another $349.00 had been added to the agreed upon price as an Administrative Fee. I questioned the salesman, regarding the additional Fee, however, he indicated that this was a required charge, basically for dealership profit and there could be no discussion with respect to waiving or reducing the additional Fee. Although I did not like the answer or in fact, the attitude of the salesman, I went ahead with the purchase. The agreed upon delivery date indicated on the contract was 5/15/08. At the time I entered into the contract, I discussed the date of the anticipated delivery with the salesman as the lease on my current vehicle would be up in June and I would definitely need the new vehicle before I returned my leased car. In fact, we even discussed the transfer of the license plates to the new Prius. The salesman indicated that there was NO problem or any anticipated delivery delays for the Prius package that we had picked. I signed the contract and gave the $500.00 required deposit. On May 12, 2008, the salesman who had handled the contract called to tell me that a notice was being sent out indicating that there was going to be a factory increase in the Prius price later in the month and the dealership would be passing the increase on to the purchasers. Although I did not need the car yet, I told the salesman that I would take the car immediately. However, he indicated that they did not have a car to give me. As I already had a contract and an agreed upon purchase price, I did a quick review of the Terms Of Agreement and found that the Terms clearly indicted that, NO ADDITIONAL FEE OR CHARGE WILL BE IMPOSED OR COLLECTED DUE TO CHANGES IN THE MANUFACTURERE'S LIST PRICE. Accordingly, my wife promptly called the salesman to point this out. As she only got a run-around, she asked for Ian who originally helped us, however, Ian claimed that he did not know anything about the Terms of the Agreement even though they are standard on all of their printed forms. My wife then asked for someone in charge to call her. She later spoke with Frank who identified himself as the customer relations manager. Frank's only response was to indicate that if we did not want the car on their terms, they would cancel the contract. As a result, my wife sent a certified letter to the dealership pointing out the Terms Of Agreement. Although the price of gas had increased substantially and the demand for the Prius (and price) had greatly increased since the date of our contract, we expected Huntington Toyota to live up to their printed Terms of our Agreement. On May 14, Sam Seldin, Manager or Owner of Huntington Toyota, called to say that they would abide by the agreed upon price. However, since that time, we have been repeatedly told that no Prius - Package II has come in. I have been directed to speak with Tara, who has indicated that she is the person responsibe for distribution of the car allotment given to the dealership. Tara has advised me that the dealership receives allotments twice monthly and we have been first on the waiting list for Package II for several months. However, despite this, it is now 5 months since we ordered the car and although an allotment should have been received at the end of July, Tara and Sam do not take any of my calls to advise as to whether or not they have a car and they have failed to return any of my messages. It appears that Huntington Toyota may be taking deposits on cars that thy either can't obtain or they are fulfilling more recent contracts at higher prices.

I

Tawnya of Havelock NC (07/30/08)
I bought a new Tpyota Prius April of 2006 and paid $2,500 extra for a 8 year 80,000 mile warranty. On July 21, 2008, I was driving the Prius 35 MPH, went to pass a slow moving vehicle when the car suddenly surged and accelerated down the road for about 1.5 miles and on up to 62 MPH before the acceleration stopped. In this event I had tried to stop the car and could not. Pushing on the brakes, I went through a stop sign at a busy T intersection but was able to manage the turn without loosing control. Not knowing what to do and fearing damage to the engine if I pushed the POWER OFF button. I raised my feet off the floor and held tight to the steering wheel, as I anticipated what my next action would be, the car continued to speed up until it reached 62 MPH, then as mysteriously as the acceleration started, it stopped. I used to love my car... now I am afraid of it. This was not the first time. In the last year or so it has occurred about 6 times, but only lasting for seconds. Before we could figure out what it was doing, it would stop. We took the car back to the dealer, Toyota of New Bern. They had the car for a couple hours, said they could find nothing and then charged us $80.00. We argued that this was suppose to be warranty work as we confirmed before we set up the appointment. But they refused to give our money back saying since they could find nothing, they could not charge it against our warranty and we had to pay. What good is this bumper-to-bumper warranty that we paid for to protect us from unexpected costs in our retirement if it is only as good as the mechanic who works on our car! That was our argument with them that got us no where.

Now I am $80 poorer and my life is in danger everytime I drive my car. Since we are retired and living off social security, we are unable to get another vehicle. Our only hope is that Uncle Sam will force Toyota to do a recall for this very serious problem. I have more than 39 years of driving experience and I have never had this problem with any car before. Toyota says it is the car mat and I read the Feds agree. Who at Toyota is paying off who? This problem is affecting my entire life. We used the last of our savings trying to set us up for retirement, a new car to hopefully service us for the rest of our life, the Prius because then we could afford to drive it. Is this problem giving us economical strain? You bet. That $80 was groceries for 2 weeks. And now I fill with anxiety every time I need to go anywhere. Will today be my last?

Karen of Fairhope AL (07/16/08)
The 07 Toyota Prius stated 60 MPH for in town, and from the first tank, I have averaged only 45 MPH. Why was Toyota not being honest about the MPH? Did the EPA really change the way it rates MPH?

W of Anaheim CA (07/16/08)
Re: 2005 Prius purchased 4/30/05 Noise after shut-down or when brake is depressed to start __________________________________________ On 7/11/08 we took the car to the dealer to have this problem investigated because the noise continued intermittently for several hours the previous night. As we left for the dealer, the ABS warning lights came on, but, we experienced no problem with the brakes on the three mile drive. We were told that the cause was the ABS actuator and it would cost $2600 to repair. We were only 2-1/2 months out of warranty with only 32,016 miles on the odometer - not the 36,000 that would put us out of warranty if the time hadn't run out. We were stunned to have such an expensive repair on such a new car. We immediately contacted Toyota Motor Sales. On reviewing the service record, we found that we had had the car serviced for a different complaint (an unexplained beeping when the brakes were applied) in May 2007. The identical part had been replaced under warranty. The new part was warranted for 1 year. Again we were out of warranty by a couple of months and after only 13,000 miles of driving. Toyota Motor Sales negotiated with our dealer and decided that between them they would cover the $2000 cost of the part and we should pay $600 labor (estimated at 5.5Hrs.) to replace it. Checking on line indicates several cases of failure of this part. However, many people may be experiencing problems without realizing it because of the strange and unpredictable symptoms. Toyota has published Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) BR001-07 that describes the problem and instructs the service departments not to do anything unless the customers complain. In our experience this would put many of the complaints out of warranty. ________________________________________ Tires ___________ We are also very unhappy with the the tires and/or the suspension system. We have experienced excessive tire wear and after 32,000 miles we need a new set.

Marc of Marlboro NJ (07/09/08)
Would love your opinion about this: After providing me a written price quote for a Toyoa Prius (via phone and fax)and taking a $500 deposit (via credit card over the phone about 11 days ago) - Plaza Toyota actually tried to extort more money out of me today when I came to pick up my car. I am well aware of the high demand for this automabile and was quite content to wait the 8 to 12 weeks the sales person quoted me, initially, as my wife's lease isn't due back until October 1st, 2008. So, I happily placed an order with them, assuming I would have the car sometime in September. No problem, right? Then, Stephan, the sales guy, called me three days ago to tell me they had a car for me if I wanted it now, which was exactly how I ordered it (okay, it had one additional feature I hadn't asked for - Lo Jack - but they'd let me have that for only $1,195 more...) BUT, the caveat was, I had to act very fast in order to secure it. After reviewing my tight finances, I decided it was in my best interest to get the car now, because Stephan began to intimate that it may NOT actually be available in September if I waited. So, I said yes. He gave me specific instructions on what to do to make the deal happen: He would send me the vehicle VIN number, which he did; then, I had to put the car immediately on my Allstate insurance policy LAST NIGHT (they have a 24 hour toll free number you can call and get that taken car of..., Stephan informed me)and have them send a copy of the INSURANCE CARD directly to the dealership (which they did... I got a copy too). He then instructed me to bring a CERTIFIED BANK CHECK for my deposit (I emptied out a 9 mos. Certificate of Deposit in order to make this deposit early Tuesday morning). They also had their credit manager - a nasty and abrupt fellow named Vince - get on the phone to provide me with a ridiculously HIGH interest rate for a loan (7.99%?!) which he allegedly got for me from Chase due to my fine credit rating. I told him I would finance it myself through my own bank and contacted Bank of America and got approved for a loan rate of 6.22% Monday afternoon and they sent me the appropriate paperwork and said all I had to do was give this to Plaza Toyota. Monday evening, after banking hours, of course, Stephan informed me that Bank of America was wrong, they would not accept THEIR paperwork and I would have to bring an additional check in the full amount of the LOAN (sounds fishy, huh?) or I could finance the car with them. Once again, they got this fellow Vince involved and he pressured me into telling him the rate I got from my bank. Through some miracle of modern mathematics, he was able to reduce my rate through Toyota to 5.88% - so how could I refuse, right? In addition, since I had no way to get to Brooklyn, a one and a half hour trip from where I live - they even offered to take my LEASED Nissan Pathfinder back (to help me out - since they are such nice people, so then, I could simply drive myself to the dealership, drop off the car, and drive off in my beautiful new Prius. I called Tuesday morning when I was on my way to inform Stephan when I would arrive (I was running a bit later than expected.) Upon arriving at Plaza Toyota, Stephan met me outside and parked my Pathfinder for me. He then took me inside to show me my new car (beautiful! Exactly what I wanted!) It was sitting right there on the showroom floor. Of course, he pointed out that the hand-written in market price was $33,000 - not the agreed to price I was getting of $28,564. He led me to his desk and immediately started to back peddle on the deal and told me I was going to have to pay more for the car if I wanted it as his managers could sell it all day long to anyone for up to $5,000 over sticker! I told him we had a contract and I would not pay a penny over what they quoted me. Of course, they then ganged up on me with the big, brute of a sales manager who came over to intimidate me and tell me I could WAIT for a car but that this car was NOT mine and there were other people waiting for it - ahead of me. Naturally, I told him that was NOT my problem, as they had brought me in to purchase this car, provided me with the VIN # and everything and had to honor the deal. They claim there was no deal. They had my deposit. They had my copy of my license and insurance card. I had their price quote, a checklist of items I had to bring in to pick up my vehicle... I had a contract with the quoted price which they sent to me via fax, which had phone order written on the signature line but - so the sales manager said to me there is NO CONTRACT. Well... I say different.

Thomas of Louisville CO (07/07/08)
We bought a 2008 Prius in early May and have about 2000 miles on it. The car runs perfectly and we are getting just slightly under 60 miles per gallon. I'll file another report in a year, but judging by my experience and the relatively few complaints you have listed, I'd say the Prius is a good buy.

Richard of Ventura CA (07/03/08)
In December 2008 I bought a new Toyota Prius from another dealership out of town (Thousand Oaks). I just took it into (Ventura Toyota)for the 5000 service. At that time was getting an average of 45mph and up. I'm the only driver and very caught up in max mpg thing. The Prius makes it real easy with it's computer assisted dash display. After my service my mpg dropped to 38/39. I ran a comlete tank of gas through it before I went back to let them know something isn't right.

My upset has fallen on deff ears and they refuse to assist in looking for the problem. They keep claiming opperator use and mpg's very, but there is something still wrong with my car. I feel like I am doing damage to my engine and will not get the life expectency I deserve. Not to mention the stress & hastle to find out what's wrong on my own. The factory said I was upset because the dealer didn't agree with me.....they were correct.

Allen of Bessemer MI (07/02/08)
While accellerating into traffic on US-2 WB from Country Club Road in Gogebic County, Michigan, the throttle on my new Prius (4,000 miles) stuck wide open. I was able to maintain 55 mph by sporadic breaking and finally managed to brake to a stop. While the engine was in the accellerating mode, I was unable to shift to neutral, shut the engine off, or otherwise stop the vehicle. After I was finally able to brake to a stop (with both electric and gas engines still drawing full power), the engine did shut down for a few seconds and I was able to hit the power button and shut the engine off. I thought, at this time, that whatever was wrong would have rectified itself, so I restarted the car with the power button, while in park. The engine returned to it's normal idle cylcle, but as soon as I put the shift lever into drive, the engine again began racing and as I was now in heavy traffic in a 40 mph zone, I had to maintain steady pressure on the brake pedal to keep the car within a safe speed and lane usage. The engine (both gas and electric) now applied more power as I was breaking and before I was able to pull off the street, the brakes were smoking so badly my brother thought thew car was on fire. Once into the parking lot of a local bank, and stopped, the engine again paused briefly and I shut it down with the power button. While this engine racing was taking place, I tried to shift to neutral, hit the park switch, the power putton, stepped on and off the throttle pedal repeatedly, and switched the cruise control button on and off several times. The only succesfull remedy was to brake down through full applied power to a stop, with smoking brakes and wait for a pause in engine rpm. If I waited for more than a second or two, the high revs would resume and run high for several more seconds. My Toyota dealer advised me that they could find nothing wrong, test drove the car for 10 miles and had no recurrence. They also suggested that my floor mat had become stuck on the throttle pedal causing the incident. The service manager (Eric Bolen) stated that Toyota maintained that this rampant throttle run was IMPOSSIBLE I am a retired Michigan State Trooper especially trained in accident investigation and reconstruction, a former Cummins Diesel mecahnic and have installed several after market cruise controlls on at least three different makes of vehicles, so I am very familiar with mechanical and electronic systems. I am also quite experience in dealing with emergency driving situations after spending 25 years on the road as an enforcement officer. After being told about the floor mat excuse, and knowing that I had tried to step on and release the accellerator pedal over and over while the incident was happening, I did take the time to place the floor mat both over and jam it under the pedal.......neither tactics were able to jam the pedal's movement. In spite of Toyota's claim that this condition is impossible, I have enough experience with vehicles and emergency driving situations to know that this actually did happen, was not a matter of a floor mat getting jammed either on or under the accellerator pedal, and in fact was the result of some internal operating system glitch. At this juncture, I have no complaint with our Toyota dealer or their employees, and the vehicle seems to be functioning normally now. I am concerned that Toyota has not addressed this as a safety issue, however. Had this happened with my wife driving, I am sure this would not have come to a safe conclusion. We are still driving this vehicle but I have instructed her in how to handle a simililar condition should it recure. Thank you for providing a forum for getting this information out. If necessary I can provide vehicle VIN etc for more thorough evaluation.

Jarko of Louisville CO (07/01/08)
Joe Benton at consumer affairs published an article Unexpected Problems Confront Prius Owners which contains many inaccuracies, lies, and misleading statements about the Prius. Clearly, he has no clue about how a hybrid works, and he is possibly also intentionally misleading potential customers. For example, Battery failure More than one Prius owner has returned from a business trip or vacation to find their hybrid dead in the garage with no power and unable to start. Jump-starting the Prius can be tricky. The enormous and expensive main battery is easily damaged and convincing Toyota to replace the battery is difficult, This clearly shows that Joe has no clue about the batteries in the Prius. It is the small 12V battery that causes the car not to start up (not the big one). This battery can be easily jump started by any other car. He also talks about tire wear of the 2002 Prius. This is irrelevant for the vast majority of Prius owners who bought one since 2004. Joe also states: But so few Prius owners have obtained the 60 mpg that the Japanese automaker eventually backed off the claim, blaming the error on Environmental protection Agency fuel mileage testing. This is FALSE. Toyota never back off those numbers. The laws dictate that the carmakers can only publish numbers from the EPA. The EPA recently revised their MPG tests for all cars.

Joe's lies and misleading statements have caused a few potential Prius owners to reconsider their purchase. This has slightly lessened the long waiting lists for the Prius and may lower overcharging by Toyota dealers, causing them a loss in income. ConsumerAffairs.com is also hurt by this slanderous article.

Thank you for your interest in ConsumerAffaris.Com Jarko.

Joe Benton

Kurt of Fort Worth TX (06/28/08)
Subject: 2008/2009 Toyota Prius With the lease on my soon-to-be discontinued Jaguar X-Type up in September 2008, I've made several contacts with Dallas-Fort Worth dealerships concerning purchasing a 2008/2009 Prius. I learned there is only one DFW story. With waiting lists now exceeding six-plus months, I have been told every 2008 Prius is now delivered at at least $3,000 above sticker. With two customers bidding driving the final out-the-door price to $5,000 above sticker on the only Prius arrival at a certain DFW Toyota dealership this past week. One very seasoned sales professional we've used for years to lease business vehicled from noted it's now impossible to reach break-even on fuel cost savings in less than 5-8 years on any Prius being sold. The Camry Hybrid availability is better, yet, the most modestly appointed is now fetching a few cents under $30,000, with a 3-4 miles per gallon gain on the highway over the $17,000 4-cylinder gas version, that $13,000 difference can buy a lot of $4, $6, $8, and even $10 gas! One very important point to add...the professional we've been leasing Toyotas from for business over many years, literally refused to place us on the Prius list saying the gouging made him sick.

Ed of Dalla PA (06/28/08)
I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS WIH MY TWO PRIUS AUTOS I HAVE OWNED IN 2002. We have traveled well over 70,000 miles without a mishap. The few times I have had starting the car was when my smart key and cell phone were in the same pocket. We recently drove from Dallas to Estes Park (change in elevation of about 8500 feet, total of 870 miles) and a fully packed car and got 52.2 mpg. Furthermore, I know of a lot people who own a Prius and I have never heard a complaint from them. IMHO, I have owned a lot of cars in my life and none has given me more satisfaction as Prius.

Anna of Keizer OR (06/24/08)
My Prius had the brakes go out (luckily for me it was under warranty and I had a Toyota staff person advocate for my warranty so it was honored) however, after reaching 100,000 miles, my display is now starting to show the same signs as some of the other people are complaining about the monitor turning off the radio, or a/c while I'm driving.

When I asked for the diagnoistic to be done on my monitor, I was simply told that the monitor needed to be replaced and the dealer wouldn't do the diagonistic for the screen period.

James of Huntingtown MD (06/20/08)
I have just read the comments of a person who reported problems with their Toyota Prius gas capacity. I have had a related issue. I noticed that the range the car could drive on a single tank varied significantly over the course of 12 months. Summer I could go 520 Miles with a single fill while winter it drops to around 400 or less. Related to this was the amount of gas I could put into the car. In summer and empty tank would take up to 9.7 gallons while in winter it would take around 8. When I asked the Toyota service department about this they explained that the tank is actually a bladder and that capacity varies with the temperature.

While I have never run out of gas with this car (like the other individual reporting this problem), it is something that should be stressed to drivers and included in the manual. Looking at miles driven as an indicator of how far you can go on a tank can easily get you into serious trouble. Toyota has produced a spectacular vehicle in the Prius, but they would be well served to apply some of that advanced engineering to the cars fuel guage...

Matthew of Mesa AZ (06/19/08)
I have an '08 Prius...and it's a great automobile....because I use it for for what it's specifically engineered for! I'm sorry the people on this website are having problems or have experienced injury and loss. But honestly, most of what I have read shows me a total lack of intelligence and common sense. I am astounded that people are actually trying to use this car in conditions I'd hesitate driving my Tundra truck with a V-8 in. The Prius is engineered for urban, in-town, moderate road conditions...Not the Alaskan bush country! If you need to drive up a steep gravel incline or blizzard to get home every day, BUY A VEHICLE DESIGNED TO USE THAT WAY for God's sake! And I'm sorry...but getting an attorney involved in a situation he or she knows absolutely nothing about is ludicrous. The novel-length diatribe accusing Toyota of ignoring a supposed defect with brake failure is comical. If brakes are worn down to metal-on-metal, it's a case of long-term brake usage and ignorance of the owner-operator...not Toyota. I really like the guy who expected to get 60 MPG on a USED '05 Prius. Yeah, 60 MPG...on a used car no less. Idiot. Try a motorcycle dude. You also might try reading the specs on the car before you buy it. That will help take away some of the disappointment. Hey people...they're cars...they break. Name me one car that doesn't have problems. The problem I see in most of these complaints is unrealistic expectations by owners, poor knowledge of basic automotive engineering principles, and lack of common sense. Ignorant people + automobiles. Bad combination.

Arie of Nethanya, Israel (06/19/08)
After a wait list of 3 months I finally got my new 2008 Prius, witch by the way here in Israel costs 47000 $ and not 23K$ as in the states. I began to drive the car and I liked it, but when I calculated the fuel consumption, I found out that it drinks fuel like Russian drinks vodka. Actually 15.5 liters per 100Km , but this is not the only problem. I have an EV button that should let the car run with the electrical engine until 50Km/h, unfortunately there are times when the EV just refuses to work and on the screen it writes some invalid work add and beeps 3 times. I know all the rules about how it should work: the battery must show 4 bars or more and the car must be under 45Km/h without accelerating the car. I showed the problem 3 times to the technician at Toyota Nethanya , we drove the car together 3 times, also once I took with me their big boss (CEO) and he told me after he saw the problem that this is not a car problem , this it how it should go because all the heat sensors the battery has , about the high fuel consumption he told me that my driving is to be blamed, even that I showed him that I drive very moderate . They run some diagnostics and told me everything passed . They want me to meet some Toyota specialist that can meet me only Wednesdays once two weeks in the morning until 12. I explained them that this problem happened only after 12 when it is hotter and the car must be driven more the 2 hours in the heat, they told me this is the best they can do. I am so sorry I bought Toyota Prius , I consider to sell it after only less the 2000 Km I drove with it, hope no one from Israel is reading this.

Geo of Huntsburg OH (06/15/08)
we bought a new 2002 toyota prius and with 20,000 miles on our original set and 50000 on our 2nd set we now have to buy a 3rd set of tires because the outer tread has worn down to the radial. these tires are supposed to last 65000 miles and neither toyota nor bridgestone will do anything about this potentially life threatening problem. We had the tires rotated, balanced and aligned as needed. In my opinion, if you want a eco freindly car buy a honda.

John of Winchester OR (06/13/08)
i made a righthand turn into trafic there was a small amount of rainwater on the road the tirer started to spin the car came to a stop on its own this was on a very bussy road i pushed the gas again and again . after a very long 12 or 15 sec. the tirer stopped spining and down the road i went. i,m glad the cares coming at me saw what was going on and gave me room. the car is dangerous. someone must make toyoya fix this.Don't get me started about trying to get up a gravel road; time to get out and push.

Michael of Willits CA (06/12/08)
The Traction Control system on my 2008 Toyota Prius is worthless. I have a steep gravel driveway that is extremely hard to climb due to the unnecessary engine cut outs, especially if there is any extra weight in the rear of the car. The engines quit when the computer senses any type of slippage; worse in the summer when gravel is dry. Also there are very noticeable engine cut outs when just going over bumps on level pavement. My previous Prius, a 2002, would slip a bit on the same driveway but I had much more control over the car and the speed compared to the new 2008, very acceptable. Heavier tires with more rubber on the road made little difference with the 2002; I expect the same when I get better tires on the 2008. Had I known about the problem with this earlier, as I have just found reported on the internet, I would not have purchased this car. I think Toyota should recall and correct these cars' problem. Perhaps a trade in on a 2009 model with optional on/off Traction Control as found in many other vehicles would work for me and others. The trade in could be prorated like the warranty on tires. But I should not have to take a big loss on selling the car after disclosing this problem to a potential buyer; Toyota should eat that loss. The argument that shutting down the power to the front wheels in all cases of slippage is ridiculous. If the issue of over spining the electric motor is the reason for this system, as pointed out in some of the chat rooms, how did the earlier years of Prius, such as the 2002 I had, get by without any such issues coming forward? I am now considering selling my 2008 Prius for something that works safely for me. Toyota should have informed the buying public of this limitation once it became an issue back in 2004 instead of denying the problem. I would join a class action suit against Toyota to get them to make this right. I appreciate Toyota for being on the cutting edge of technology and making sensible cars for our times but Toyota also has to take responsibility for their mistakes along the way. This Traction Control system is the worst thing to come along in a long time. Thank you for this forum.

Darlene of Woodland WA (06/11/08)
Well, it is official from Toyota Corporate ... if you do happen to have challenges filling your gas tank ... there is NO fix ... Toyota notes that 6 - 7 gallons at a fill up is normal! As having owned MANY cars, what is not normal is being able to acutally fill your gas tank.- ... :-( I am perosnally astounded and saddened that this design flaw has not yet been corrected, after years of complaints by Prius owners. Here is the response from Toyota Corporate ... you will note that they do encourage comments from owners. (You may also wish to contact and file complaints with the BBB, NHTSA, your state's Attroney General, Consumer Reports, and the NCDS - National Center for Dispute Settlement over the issues you are having with your Prius!) Subject Re: Prius gas tank safety issues Dear Ms. : We apologize with your dissatisfaction with the fuel tank bladder in your 2008 Prius. As your Case Manager explained to you, this is the design of the fuel tank and there is no repair available to change the design. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know of your dissatisfaction with the fuel tank bladder because the only way we know what our customers are looking for is when they tell us, as you have. We try to scope our customers out in advance, by researching the market, conducting interviews, surveys, focus groups and doing our homework, but there's no better source than a Toyota owner who takes the time to tell us like it is. We can't guarantee that a change would be made, but if it were, it would be driven by just this sort of honest communication. We have documented your email at our National Headquarters under file #. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us. Sincerely, Toyota Customer Experience

Chris of Casper WY (06/10/08)
We just bought a used 05 Prius and thought it would be great to get 60 miles/ gallon. Like others who hoped for 60 miles/gallon we have been disappointed. The on board computer reads about 41 to 43 around town. I have not figured the mileage by the old fashoined way but my guess is it is less than the computer. We have been huge Toyota fans for many years but this is really a huge letdown for our Toyota loyalty. We have had the vehicle for about a week and are thinking of selling it. Subaru or Honda are very appealing.

Darlene of Woodland WA (06/08/08)
I have just read several stories of concern on: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/toyota_prius.html. There are MANY other websites that speak to Prius problems: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/01/prius_winter.html - http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1205be - http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/2008-prius-fuel-tank-capacity.html - http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-main-forum/10650-prius-fuel-tank.html - http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f10/problem-putting-gas-prius-1611/ - these are just the ones I have stumbled across.

I am SICK to my stomach. I have TRUSTED Toyota for YEARS to provide a SAFE and RELIABLE vehicle. I traded in my 2007 Toyota Touring Avalon on my 2008 Toyota Prius ... NEVER even giving ONE thought that I was buying an UNSAFE and HAZARDOUS car. (Boy do I ever wish I still had the Avalon ...)

I have personally experienced the FAULTY gas tank design, fuel gauge that is ONLY at best a GUESS gauge, gas and air bubbling out when you TRY to fill the tank and the sheer fright of WONDERING if you are going to run out of gas when your tank shows a few bars left on the gauge.

Now, I am TOTALLY DISGUSTED to have discovered that my car very well may QUIT functioning in snow or slick conditions!!! I live where snow happens rarely, but rain happens ALL the time! I do drive in snow conditions often ... luckly is seems, not yet in this HAZARDOUS car.

I was SOOOO very EXCITED to take my new Prius on our recent road trip!!! Now I am nearly in tears realizing that I am driving, literally ... AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN ...

Luckily, as of today, there has not been any physical damage. Unfortunately, emotional damage and loss of faith in Toyota has happened.

Pat of Woodcroft, South Australia (06/06/08)
I bought a 2004 Toyota Prius a year ago, I have covered 30,000 kilometres in it over that year and I'm as happy as a pig in muck with my Prius. This is a fantastic car which uses about half the fuel of my last car, a 2 litre Camry. I have recently completed 2 long journeys of about 7,000 kilometres each, the first with wife and son, the last on my own. I have nothing but praise for this car. On the last trip I covered nearly 3000km over 2 days sleeping in the back when tired and I arrived fresh at my destination. The Toyota Prius is a great interstate car. It returned 5.1 litres per 100km on the open road speed limit while it achieves 4.2L/100km around town, totally awsome!

This kind of performance is going to cost me another $25,000 because my wife wants a Prius too!

Roger of Endicott NY (06/05/08)
Your article is misleading. I have owned my Prius for 4.5 years. I have checked my mpg against the computer on every fillup. The error is never more than a couple 10ths of a gallon. I average 48 mpg summer and 42 mpg winter. Whatever the Bloomington lady's problem is, it is not due to false advertising or an intentional computer bias caused by Toyota. Both my brother and a few friends get similar mileage.

Steven of Petersburg VA (06/05/08)
There are a lot of complaints about the Prius I see. I just wanted to give my two cents by saying that my Prius is a GREAT car. I bought it used for $18K in Jan 08 with 80K miles on the odometer. It now has over 100K and I am getting 57mpg city/highway combined. I easly go just under 600 miles on one tank before I have to refill. I would recommend a Prius to anyone (if you can find one) and I cannot wait until the price of the plug-in battery packs comes down. The battery packs are just too expensive right now, but as the price of gas goes up, the battery pack price will come down.

No damage just a great car.

Ginny of Cascade ID (06/03/08)
My new 2007 Prius Toyota with 5000 miles on it quit running. Would not start. Called dealer and had maintenance dept. walk me through a jump start as with these cars you do it under the front hood not in the back where the battery is. Car still would not start. They said have it towed in. I did have it towed in the 85 miles to the dealer. After several mis communication calls and two different reports on my car I found out they will not fix under warranty. Say I jumped it wrong. They say I caused the damage and that warranty is only for defective parts. How come the car wouldn't start in the first place? How could I do that much damage anyway? I was very carefull anyway and know red from back and positive from negative. Why did the mechanic walk me through the jump if it had potential to damage the hybrid system. Why didn't he just say to have the car towed in. They want me to pay a minimum of $4800 and maybe the towing which could be thousands more. I bought this car because of the high maintenance rating and know look what a mess I am in.

They want me to pay for the repair and estimate a minimum of $4800. Could be much more. I can not afford a lawyer, and feel they should fix the car under warranty. How do I know it is not a lemon. Have read several articles about these cars just stoping (after I had already purchasedone...all the reviews were flowing on the purchase sites)

Mark of Kingfisher OK (06/02/08)
My wife and I just purchased a 2008 Prius Touring edition from Northcutt Toyota in Enid, Oklahoma. The salesman Jeff Wagner was absolutely the best salesman I have ever had the pleasure to deal with. As for prices of insurance we insured our new Prius through State Farm with 100/300/100 coverage with a $500.00 deductible paying $52.00 a month/$624.00 a year. Both of us have a great driving record but I have very poor credit. It is possible that those receiving high insurance rates, such as $1500.00 a year, are receiving that rate because of poor credit, even if they have a great dirving record. Most all insurance companies run credit reports and AllState insurance is one that will charge you more for auto insurance due to poor credit and/or cancel you if its really bad (I know this from experience). I suggest checking with all insurance companies as it is possible to get a decent rate for the Prius, it just takes time to find the right insurance provider.

Darlene of Woodland WA (06/02/08)
We just got back from an over 2000 mile road trip. There was an area where we needed a full tank of gas. We stopped to fill up in Ashland Oregon (the gas is pumped for you here) and thought the tank was full. After switching drivers ... not quite 83 miles later ... we were down to four clicks on the fuel gauge!!! Luckily, there was ONE last station before we headed into an area of no gas stations. I filled up and managed to nearly fill the tank. We called our local Toyotal dealer on Tuesday May 26th to report the issue and never received a call back even though I talked to a live person! (This tech noted that this was becoming an issue, even though Toyota was not acknowlodging it!) I did not get a call back ... I called again on Friday after we managed to get home. Mine you, each fill up took extroadnory measures (pulling the pump nosile nearly entirely out of the tank ...) which seems a HUGE safety risk JUST to fill a gas tank! and then filling the tank REALLY REALLY slowly and the letting the AIR bubble out a couple of times ... JUST to get a FULL tank of gas!!!!!!!!! Also on our road trip we ran into another Prius owner at a reststop. He owned a 2005 Prius. We asked if he has any challenges with filling his tank. He did and was told that it had to do with the ambient temprature! I passed on that I was told that there was a bladder and that there were many issues with trying to fill up a Prius. In addition to the fuel gauge NOT working and the average fuel guage NOT working ... long stroy not so short ... the Prius does get reasonable fuel ecomomy (my 1989 Honday civic got 39MPG) this fuel tank, gas guage, average mileage, is a HUGE saftey issue!!! I cannot count on the gas guage to tell me when I am low on gas ... since it takes nearly 200 miles for one tick to tick off ... I cannot count on the average mileage to tell me when to fill up ... I have to look at the miles driven and guess about 40MPG at when to fill up! I tell you ... I have had several Toyotas, but not one where I had NO IDEA as to what or when I needed to fill up!!!!!! !

J.j. of Cranberry Township PA (05/27/08)
I am writing concerning some issues with the Toyota sales staff that at some dealerships in western Pennsylvania who have displayed very unprofessional behavior and poorly represented Toyota. My wife and I are contemplating purchasing a Toyota Prius. We have been very excited about this prospect and have been motivated buyers to say the least. On Wednesday May 21, 2008, I made several calls to local Toyota dealerships in Western, PA (Baierl Dealership in Mars, PA, North Hills Dealership, McKnight, PA, and Diehl Toyota in Butler, PA. I asked the sales representatives at Baierl and North Hills about Prius availability and was treated very rudely and told that I would not have any luck at any other dealership. It was obvious that they did not want to sell me a Prius or any other type of car. I then called the Diehl Toyota dealer in Butler, PA. I was thrilled when I spoke to a sales representative named Todd who told me that the dealership had six Prius available and that we could test drive one. On Saturday May 24, 2008, my wife and I went to Diehl Toyota and an employee approached us and asked us if he could help. We told him that we wished to test drive a Prius and he told us that the dealership did not have any available. I was confused and told him that I spoke to Todd and that he said there were six available. The man frowned and told me that he would look for Todd. After 10 minutes of waiting, we went in search of this man and while we were wandering the dealership a different Diehl employee approached us and asked if he could help. We told him what we were there for and once again we got told that they did not have a Prius to test drive. He also told us that Todd had gone home for the day. I believe this man was the sales manager, Brandon Znosko. I once again relayed what Todd had told me, and miraculously, Todd appeared a few minutes later. Todd introduced himself to us and then immediately followed this up by telling us, You have me for fifteen minutes because Im going to the hockey game in Detroit tonight.? Apparently this was more important than providing any type of customer service. He then hurriedly took us to the suddenly existent Prius collection on the side lot and we took one for a rushed test drive. During the entire experience it was obvious that he had no interest in selling us the car. I then asked Todd if there was another sales person available who could take the time to assist us with our questions and describe the cars features. The answer was No?. He did not apologize and suggest setting up an appointment at a later day, nor did he attempt to set us up with another representative upon our return. Todd also explained that this fleet of Prius cars was technically not part of the inventory and were being used as rentals. But for a $1000 deposit we could hold one until July. So it appears the cars are for sale, but also not for sale. This appears to be a way around some corporate directive asking the dealership to not sell the Prius. At the conclusion, I informed Todd that we were impressed with the car and would probably buy one. But not from Diehl. Additionally, I generally get my Jeep serviced at Diehl Jeep. Not anymore. I was appalled at the level of customer service at Diehl and I cannot believe that any franchise owner or manager would allow this type of behavior from his employees.

Ted of Eagle CO (05/26/08)
On August 10, 2008 my wife, Elizabeth James, experienced an unintended acceleration of our Prius resulting in a totalled car and long term minor injuries for her (chronic back pain, obstructed intestines). I am pasting her accident report to the police below.

NHSTA has checked out our after market floor mats which could have caused the problem but my wife claims that they were not the problem, that she looked at her feet to be sure they were on the brakes and the mats were still in their usual place as they had been for almost 10 months.

Here is what she states on the morning after the accident:

I was alone, driving my 2005 Toyota Prius. I was traveling from my home in Eagle, Colorado, in route to Denver International Airport to fly to Little Rock, Arkansas to visit my father. At approximately 7:45 am I was driving eastbound on I-70. I had passed the intersection of I-70 and US Hwy 40 and was watching my speed, as the limit was 65 mph. I was in the right hand lane. I had to apply my brakes to keep the speed at 65 mph. I noticed that when I let up on the brake the car was starting to speed up even though I was not pressing on the accelerator. I had not been using the cruise control. I was going downhill so at first it did not occur to me that there was a problem. Suddenly the car started to accelerate. No matter how hard I pressed on the brake, the car would not slow down. While keeping my right foot on the brake I slammed my left foot on the emergency brake and saw the red light go on, indicating that I had engaged the emergency brake. The car continued to speed up. When I looked at the speedometer I was going 90 miles per hour. I was quickly approaching the car in front of me, unable to slow down. I passed that car on the right hand shoulder and then saw an exit ramp ahead (exit 233, Lawson).

I exited off I-70 and proceeded down the Lawson ramp, I continued to press as hard as I could on both brakes and the car was not slowing at all. In my rear view mirror I saw blue smoke coming out of the back of the car. I traveled through the stop sign and continued down the frontage road through the town of Lawson. I saw some pedestrians walking on the right hand side of the road. After passing the pedestrians I saw that the road was curving to the left, going under an underpass to 1-70. I went straight ahead, leaving the road and crashed through the forest. This whole time I had been pressing on both brakes, and the car was not slowing down at all. I felt the car tumbling and was aware of the air bags deploying. I finally came to a stop.

I tried to find my cell phone but when I saw that I was in the river I crawled out of the car, waded through the water, over rocks and tree limbs and climbed up a steep embankment to the highway to get assistance. I am hurt. I have intense back and neck pain, as well as pain in my right ankle and heel. I am extremely sore all over with some scrapes and bruises.

This is husband Ted again, I am working on a video to put on youtube where I have some photos of the car in the river plus video and photos I shot of the car and the accident scene plus footage I shot when the Toyota engineer was evaluating the vehicle.

Toyota's official postion at this point is that the accident was caused by her brakes being worn out prior to the incident.

Here is text from a letter sent by my lawyer to a legal claims employee with Toyota:

December 5, 2006
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Troy H Higa Claims Administrator
Legal Department
19001 South Western Ave Torrance, CA 90501

RE: Toyota Reference FCRP200609051499, 2005 Toyota Prius, VIN#JTDKB20U657045329 Dear Mr. Higa: I received your letter via fax, dated October 23, 2006. Frankly, I was disappointed in the approach taken by Toyota with regard to this accident and the defect in your product. I firmly believe this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of this defect, and it is clearly a problem which Toyota Motor Company needs to address.

By the grace of God, Elizabeth was not injured more seriously or killed as a result of this defect. It was only her quick reactions and level headedness which avoided injuries to the public or greater property damage.

The sales of Prius vehicles are quite brisk and this defect represents a huge safety concern for the public. The long-term cost to Toyota is going to be much greater if Toyota continues its present course and merely ignores this defect. This entire strategy is out of line with Toyotas stated policy and guiding principles. It is possible, I guess, that only Mrs. James vehicle was defective, but I will be surprised if that, in fact, turns out to be true. Continuing to ignore this problem in the long-term will mean greater injuries on the road and possible deaths.

One of Toyotas guiding principles is the protection of the public and the promotion of public safety. Ignoring this defect, particularly when Toyota is in a unique position to determine the source of the defect is unconscionable.

One of Toyotas guiding principles is that it strives to provide clean and safe products.

This defect creates a totally unreasonable risk to public safety. The current course taken by Toyota is not a morally appropriate or financially advantageous strategy. Toyota should be working, in earnest, to determine precisely what caused this vehicle to accelerate and why this acceleration was not disengaged when the brakes were applied. The goal of Toyota should be to earnestly investigate this defect and get it remedied before further injuries occur or lives are lost.

I am amazed at the shallowness of Toyotas analysis in this case. I expected more from the number one car maker in the world. The James have been loyal Toyota customers over the years having purchased three Toyota vehicles. The clinets have purchased Toyota vehicles for their quality and innovation. Toyota has always presented itself as company committed to quality and serving the needs of its customers. Ending the analysis with a determination of brake failure is extremely short-sighted and does not reflect a commitment to producing safe products or to meeting the needs of the customers.

Given this vehicles unintended and uncontrollable acceleration, one would expect the brakes on this vehicle to be completely used up. The fact that the brake linings are completely worn down to the metal illustrates only the efforts she was putting forth to attempt to stop this vehicle.

Toyotas conclusion that this accident was caused by excessive brake wear is simply a diversion to avoid determining the true source of the defect. In our telephone conversation and in your letter, you indicate there were signs of previous brake wear. I would like to know what evidence you have to support this conclusion.

The brake shoes and pads were taken down to the shear metal in an attempt to stop this vehicle. I can see no evidence which would point to prior excessive brake wear. This vehicle was less than a year old and had approximately 14,000 miles on it. Brake wear is simply not an acceptable answer.

Your analysis in this case is an inch deep and falls far short of the rigorous analysis necessary to find the source of the defect and the remedy to ensure the public safety. Mrs. James was not the first one to experience this unintended acceleration. Apparently, an individual in Woodland Hills, California had a similar experience. See attached National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report dated June 15, 2006.

This is not an isolated incident. The grades and weight of this vehicle do not support a conclusion of improper brake usage. There was no problem with the brakes prior to the accident. My client is a 48 year old school teacher and mother of two. She is a highly experienced driver with an impeccable driving record. She has traveled the mountains of Colorado for many years and is very experienced with mountain driving. She has lived in the mountains of Colorado years without incident.

Driver error does not make any sense and is simply a rouse to avoid Toyotas taking responsibility for its clearly defective product. I have attached a series of photos for your review. The grades and weight of the vehicle do not support Toyotas conclusion of worn brakes. The James Prius was not heavily loaded semi where brake failure could be a plausible answer. This was a woman with no passengers traveling on a Blue Bird day that had her car take off like a missile.

She used everything within her means to get this vehicle stopped resulting in the brake linings being completely destroyed. Stopping the analysis at brake failure is simply Toyotas way of avoiding a truth that they have a defective product which needs to be fixed. I sincerely hope Toyota is not involved in some sort of cost benefit analysis in choosing to ignore this defect. Mr. and Mrs. James continue to be hopeful that Toyota will step up to the mark and take responsibility for their defective product. The Toyota literature is full of lofty goals and pronouncements about being a global citizen.

This is where the rubber meets the road, is Toyota going to stand up and be a responsible citizen and take responsibility for its defective product? I anticipate having the little black box and computer from this vehicle examined and the data from those components read. It is my understanding that we may need additional information from Toyota to understand the codes we get from these components. Please let me know if Toyota will agree to provide this information without the need for formal discovery, or not. Please let me know within ten days if Toyota intends to change its position from that which was expressed in your October 23, 2006 letter so I can begin to make preparations to file suit without delay.

At present, I dont have any indication that serious injuries were involved in this accident, but certainly with the vehicle crashing into a gas station the potential for a real tragedy was present. The defect in these vehicles needs to be remedied before someone is killed. By my count this is the fourth incident which I am aware of involving a Toyota Prius failing to respond to the driver and accelerating out of control.

These incidents have occurred in California, Michigan, Colorado and now Washington. I am sure Toyota has heard about many more. Contrary to Toyotas public statements, public safety appears to be low on the priority list. It appears Toyota has adopted the dollars and cents approach to defects i.e. until the costs get too high no sense in trying to figure out what the defect is or try to remedy it?. You are on notice, the Toyota Prius is defective and the defect is of such a nature that serious injury and death may occur.

My client continues to want to find the source of the problem and be sure it is fixed to avoid future injury and possible loss of life. If Toyota changes its position and wants to determine the source of the defect to avoid future injury or loss of life, my clients Toyota Prius remains available for analysis.


The car was totalled. We still have it stored away as possible evidence for a court case. Our statue of limitations in Colorado runs out on August 9th of this coming summer.

Bob of Edmonton, Canada (05/26/08)
This problem has appeared 3 times on this site and involves the 2004 Prius. The monitor shows that there is a bad connection of the air conditioner. Sometimes the radio will cut out and especially going over a bump in the road the display shows no power coming from gas or battery. The rest works but when we took it in the dealer did not know what was wrong but said that it was not a conection to the air conditioner. We had bought the extended warrenty but the milage was over by 1000 km. or 600 miles. They replaced the monitor at $3500. but a week later the same thing is happening. It goes back tommorrow but after praising the Prius for 5 years have little good to say about the PR work and honisty of the dealers. Will log on to tell you the rest of the story as it unfolds.

Greg of Huntington Beach CA (05/25/08)
Severe troubles with the traction Control System on toyota Prius. In snow or Ice conditions the wheel lock up due to the traction control system and leaving me stranded in snowy conditions.

Almost resulted in my car sliding from a stand still off the side of the road down an embackment. People had to hold the car from sliding. Was not able to accelerate while they guided me and pushed me.This is dangerous and modifications need to be done to the computer software to allow more control for snowy or icey conditions.

Thomas of Princeton TX (05/19/08)
I have 40,000+ miles on my Prius, I have owned the 2007 model for 1 year. I tis rock solid, and with what little common sense I have; I have not had any of the problems reported by the people above::: Makes me wonder, why am I not having any proplems, doesn't seem fair, because I don't have anyone to blame for my lack of common sense. Why didn;t I get a car that has problems, then I could complain too.

Awesome CAR! I wish I had two of them.

Dean of New Rochelle NY (05/15/08)
The Toyota Prius nearly killed a mechanic and me today, literally. I had the car stored for months in my flat level driveway for a relative who is traveling abroad. Naturally, the battery went dead after not being driven during this time. So, I had a mechanic come and he started the engine today. While the Prius engine was running, both the mechanic and myself were half in and half outside the car; the mechanic by the driver side and me by the passenger side. The car suddenly lunged in reverse and the driver side opened door of the Prius totally destroyed my car driver side door parked along side it, and somehow the mechanic brought the car to a stop. The mechanic claims the Prius was in neutral but the brake had been applied when it suddenly, with no warning, accelerated in reverse. Im thankful we escaped without injury but now I have a hefty expense to replace my car door. Just imagine if someone had been behind the Prius today, they likely would have died.

James of Depew NY (05/15/08)
My 80 year old father experienced unintended acceleration while driving his 2006 Toyota Prius. He stood on the brakes, pulled over and shut the engine off. After restarting, the car behaved normally. The accelerator was not jammed by a carpet for floor mat. Contact with West-Herr Toyota has been initiated. The car cannot be trusted and will not be driven until the problem is satisfacorily resolved

No visible damage but the effect of the racing engine and full power braking on the car's longevity are unknown. My father will not drive the car so he has to drive his large pick up that guzzles gas and causes economic hardship. He also now owns a $23000 Prius that is unsafe to drive.

J. of Dublin, Ireland (05/15/08)
June 2004 Toyota Prius....28,800 miles. Computer Display unit on the dash-board has gone faulty. Toyota say its not covered on the 8yr Hybrid system warranty? They are looking for almost 3500 euro to replace it.....after ONLY 28,000 miles!!! Have been offered a Reconditioned unit for half the price? There must be a manufacturing problem with this unit??

Air-conditioning unit not working and radio also faulty, plus no read-out on display unit. A right pain to say the least!

Sherry of North Las Vegas NV (05/12/08)
I have a 2004 Prius. I need to update the GPS. It costs $350 and I find that usurius. It is totally unfair for it to cost so much to use a part of my totally paid for equipment. I am willing to pay for an update, but somewhere in the vicinity of $75 would be far fairer.

Jennnifer of Framingham MA (05/12/08)
I bought a Toyota Prius in the Summer of 06 and over the last two years have had to replace 6-7 tires on the car. In the last 15,000 miles I have replaced 3 tires and at my most recent service I was told that the rear passenger tire (a tire I had replaced in the last year) was threadbare and need to be replaced. I have replaced the tires for a variety of reasons including sidewall problems, flats, and worn tires. After suggesting that there might be a problem with the tires they have been putting on this car, I was told that the problem must be with my driving, not the car or it's tires. The dealer did replace one tire for free after I returned within one month of replacing that tire, but there has been no compensation or discount offered for any of the other tires. My main issue is that Toyota must be aware of these problems (an internet search revealed many people complaining of tire problems on their Priuses, but they do not give this information to the consumer. Furthermore, when I tried to suggest that there was a problem with the kind of tires they are placing on this car, they simply said they had not heard of any other complaints and the problem was probably due to my driving.

Each tire costs $125. I have replaced 6 (was told I need to replace an additional tire within the next couple weeks b/c it's threadbare).

Paget of Santa Monica CA (05/09/08)
I recently bought a Toyota Prius 2008. After one week I had a dead battery. I have since learned that the car is started with a small 12v battery and due to the size and number of items it runs on the car (radio, CD, air conditioning fan, alarm, smart key entry etc) the battery can go dead very quickly. if the car is not driven, the battery dies in 7 days. Even if you drive the car, it takes approx 10 hours of driving to fully charge the 12v. I have never read this in any of the research I did on this car. Obviously the Prius is a great car, BUT it has to fit the way you drive.

If you travel and don't use the car for days here and there or don't have at least a 30 minute commute daily, this car could be very problematic. In addition the normal tow truck drivers don't know how to properly jump start the car. For example the 12v battery is in the rear, but when the battery is dead the hatchback (electric latch) does not work.

Thus you must jump start it from a covered panel under the hood that connects to the actual battery in the rear--no one knows this. I was fortunate enough to buy the car from an exceptional dealer who has helped me with everything and is going to give me a battery tender, but people should know that this is not a trouble-free car. If you don't live near a dealer, don't want to hassle with charging the 12v battery or using a battery tender, if you travel a lot or if you get stuck in serious traffic (which could drain the battery if you use the air conditioning or heater), this car is probably not for you. (this is only referring to the 12 starter/auxiliary battery, not the hybrid/electric battery.)

I feel I bought this car without knowing the full ramifications about what it takes to maintain the battery and the lack of people/companies available to help with a problem should I not be near a Toyota dealer.

The full trouble and cost will be unknown until over time I have to deal with the problems. So far i have spent about 14 hours of my time on the first dead battery issue with taking back to the dealer, renting a car (dealer paid) and researching the issues. I am now afraid to drive the car on a long trip or away from a Toyota dealer. The car also has limited use as compared with a standard car which does not have to be babied.

 All of this was unclear when I purchased the car.

Kevin of Rochester NY (05/09/08)
While test driving a Toyota Prius today the car accelerated on its own even though my foot was off the gas and on the break. The sales women was in the car with me and was as frightened. I drove the car about a half a mile before I could find a driveway to pull off on. By then the car was engulfed in smoke from the breaks over heating. I was finally able to pull off the road and stopped the acceleration when I tapped the accelerator. We drove the car back to the dealership to the service department. Upon telling the service person our story he commented that this happens all the time with this car and blamed the problem on the accelerator being caught in the floor mat. I immediately walked ou to the car opened the driver door, got on my hands and knees and examined the floor mat and then pushed the accelerator down to the floor and determined there was a inch distance between the mat and accelerator. Toyota has a problem they need to solve!

William of New York NY (05/07/08)
I have a 2006 Prius fully loaded. I was checking the tire pressure one day and had my hand in front of the tire. The engine kicked in, I guess to charge the battery and the car jerked forward an inch or two. Good thing I moved my hand quick enough. This is an accident waiting to happen. So becareful if you have it on park and the engine is on. In addition, when I'm waiting for someone in the streets and put it on park. When the engine kicks in, the car jerks forward. And you know, in NYC midtown area, there are alot of jay walkers. I hope they take this safety concern into consideraton in future models.

Michael of Placerville CA (04/25/08)
Toyota Prius balked (shut Down) when entering highway from a incline and we were not able to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. Repair costs to prius almost $10,000. Cannot get up drive way when it rains, snow makes the car start and stop often.

Summer of Redding CA (04/21/08)
I have an '06 Prius, and I love it! I also sell Toyota's and talk to Prius owners all the time - in fact - it was my customers that actually sold me on the car. As for the MPG results a lot of people are complaining about...... there is some 'technique' involved in getting the most out of the car. A good sales person will properly explain this... if you drive it like a 'normal' car - you are not maximizing it's potential. Hence, the reason the Energy Monitor screen is there - to help you be aware of your driving habits. In the city, for example, I can be driving at 35 MPH, and might be using the gas engine - getting maybe 45-70 MPG.... if you let off the gas pedal so the gas engine shuts off - then eggshell the gas pedal you can maintain the 35-40 MPH (on flat roads) and be using electric power only - getting 99 MPG. Awareness makes a HUGE difference in your MPG results. I typically average 44-52 MPG - depending on where I'm driving (freeway at 75 MPH I get 40 MPG; mountains I get 50+ MPG, in town I get about 45 MPG). If you want to better understand how to maximize the potential of this car - go to your local dealership and ask for a Hybrid Expert sales person, and have them go over the techniques that will make you a better hybrid driver. They are minor adjustments to typical driving habits that make a huge difference!

Vernon of Oconomowoc WI (04/12/08)
I put money down on a 2008 Prius with option package 2. The car was to be there in 3 or 4 days. I was called that my car was there and to come finish up the paperwork. It was raining and cold and the sales person took us out to the red Prius, explained a few things and gave me the key and left. I drove home and discovered that it did not have all of options 2. Only the AM/FM CD player. There is no Smart Key system, Backup camera. I don't know yet if it has the Vehicle Stability Contro. It is not listed on the window sticker I was given. This was yesterday 4/11/08. I live 60 miles away from the dealer.

Pat of Casco WI (04/10/08)
Bought an '07 prius in August, 07. no trouble until winter hit. then all kinds of trouble with fuel tank. bladder? first time we were told about it. they ought to be right up front about this! found out all winter that the bladder, the fuel pump nozzles, the outside temperature, the gas temperature, etc etc etc ad nauseum,,, dictates how much fuel you can put into the tank when the gauge says it's near empty! This is ridiculous in and of itself. but when the temp got to 45 degrees outside, finally... and I was able (with much joy) to actually FILL the blasted tank, it burped - with fuel spilling out... I am outraged by this design flaw, and further outraged by other design flaws affecting winter driving and have to wonder when are we going to STOP admiring the emporer's NEW CLOTHES and DEMAND that TOYOTA FIX this? other car manufacturers deal with recalls ALL the TIME and don't blink and eye: we have to expect toyota to step up to the plate, admit they made a mistake, and FIX IT !!!

Thomas of Tijeras NM (04/09/08)
I recently purchased a used 2004 Toyota Prius hybrid with 63,000 miles. It looks and runs like new and I like it very much, but it started snowing unexpectedly on the drive today. Two to three inches accumulated on my gravel driveway and dirt road as I live in the mountains of New Mexico.

I needed to leave the house for an errand and to my dismay it would not climb the slight grade out to the main road.The tires would not turn even with my foot to the floor. I took six runs at it before the snow packed enough to just bearly crawl out to the road. Once on the main road it refused to climb the first hill I encountered. I litteraly had to back down the hill against the traffic to the bottom of a blind hill hoping not to get hit.....in only two inches of snow!!!!!

I am in total dismay that a vehicle like this is allowed on American hiways....this car is scary and very dangerous. I commute 30 miles in each direction and is the sole reason I bought such an economicalrunning car. It is 30 miles uphill into the mountains from work and is snowy or muddy for many months of the year. My community is filled with two wheel drive vehicles and they would never have a problem is such conditions.

I have owned two wheel drive vehicles, even front wheel drive cars that would have not even the slightest problem. I also own a fleet of trucks for my business that are two wheel drive and we drive them in the snow all winter...this is a horrible problem and it needs to fixed. This rediculous traction control is uneffective, dangerous and has rendered this vehicle useless to me for days,or weeks at time!

I am having a hard time comprehending how such a massive blunder has gone on unfixed....If I drive home in good weather and it snows at night....I am stranded at my house....and then the grader pushes extra snow into the drive as it does it job. I can't get a little momentum to get out! I firmly believe that Toyota must be forced to fix this issue with a recall...this car is dangerous since the driver has limeted control of the cars actions. I am very discourged and angered that I won't be able to use this during winter and the spring thaw......it is absurd!!!!!! I will buy the best snow tires I can and carychains so I'm not stranded on the road somewhere while little cars with bald tires drive right on by.

On the upside, this car is normally fun to drive, and gets great milage, just can't use it!

Ben of Paris TN (04/08/08)
06 prius since Oct 06. I drive normal- top speed 120, at 55-60 mph i get 60-55 mpg. At 75 mph i get 46 at 80 i get 35. It has to deal with a 4 cylinder pushing a heavy car. I had no problems yet other than losing a key fob and paying $273 to get it replaced and reprogrammed. BC

Bruce of Oak View CA (04/05/08)
The Prius is a very misunderstood car, particularly if you don't read the owner's manual. There are many helpful sites on the web - try Priuschat.com for helpful hints and to find other people with similar problems. From Prius_Technical_Stuff@yahoogroups.com web site, if you have problems driving in the snow:

1. Put on proper tires! (Preferably on four different wheels so that you don't take the chance of ruining them when you switch in the spring/fall.) Either Nokian WR or one of the modern studless snow tires from a first tier tire manufacturer (Michelin, Bridgestone, Nokian, Yokohama are). This is the most important thing you can do.

2. For most on road winter conditions, higher pressure helps more than lower pressure.

3. Be sure to use four snow tires.

4. If you are already stopped sometimes you need to tell the Prius that you really, really want to go. Slowly press the accelerator pedal down until movement happens. If you are not stopped, then light pedal pressure is best. Heavy pressure on the pedal will start the wheels spinning which will cause traction control (TC) to kick in, slowing the vehicle down even more. This is kind of the opposite of an old fashioned car so it requires a bit of practice.

5. There are some situations that no car will traverse, but in general you will be able to go anywhere that a car of similar ground clearance will go if you have the proper tires on. IMHO, the Prius is a fine winter car. It's kept me on the road when cars around me are slipping into the ditch. The vehicle stability control (VSC) is a feature that I wouldn't do without in any future cars. Most of the problems on Consumer Affais could have been avoided with proper owner training by the dealer sales force.

My experience with the Prius gas tank is that when the flashing icon starts, I set my trip odometer to zero and know that I can go another 50 to 75 miles before I need to fill up. Fill up is usually then about 9.5 to 10 gallons. The bladder gas tank helps fight global warming.

Joe of Helena MT (03/30/08)
I purchased a 2008 toyota prius tourng edition completly loaded. I was excpecting to get about 43 miles a gallon combined city and highway. I drive very normally no jack rabbit starts or high speeds just moderate driving most of it city driving. In the winter months in Montana the Prius routinely averaged 26 miles to the gallon(very dissapointing),We drove the car 3,500 hundred miles from Montana to San Diego and back. On this road trip the car averaged slightly above 36 mpg. The car has been checked by the dealer 3 times and to no avail they have not been able to correct the mpg. I have 3 other vehicles a BMW x-5 a mercedes 430 s and a jaguar xjs all of these vehicles get the mpg listed for each vehicle. I am stumped that Toyota can not find the challenge with my prius touring vehicle. I shall soon be approaching the lemon law clause if this is not resolved.

Linet of Phoenix AZ (03/25/08)
Purchased a Prius in April 2007. I read in the manufacturer's manual that the gas tank is 11.5 gallons. By October, when I filled up, the tank would take only 8.5 gallons. When I called the Service department, I was told that the cold weather prevented the gas tank bladder from expanding fully, but that as long as I was still getting 47.2 miles per gallon, that I should be happy. I wasn't. By the time the weather warmed up in February, the gas tank was still only taking 8.5 - 9 gallons, therefore, the story about the cold weather was a lie. When I called Toyota once again, I was told that there is a defect in the bladder, and that as long as the gas mileage does not decrease, there is no reason to replace the tank. I stated to them, that as long as this does not meet manufacturer specifications, it is a manufacturer defect, and must be replaced. They laughed at me! When my Husband, who also owns a Prius, and has experienced that exact same drop in gas tank volume, went in to has his oil changed, the service manager explained to him that when the gas tank is run down to a low volume, the tank gets air in it, and this prevents the bladder from expanding fully. The bladder never does recover its full original volume. I want the problem corrected, Toyota has so far blown off my concerns, and has not responded to my complaints.

Jerry of Auburn PA (03/23/08)
My wife purchased a new Toyota Prius on January 10, 2008. We live in the hilly terrain of Eastern Pennsylvania. We have been driving on snow covered roads for 50 years. Driving down a slippery hill, we engage a lower gear and the engine compression brakes and the brakes are pumped or held down if ABS equipped. There is no safe way to drive a Prius down a snow covered hill. A prospective buyer in our area should be warned before purchasing.

Karen of Oneonta NY (03/21/08)
2007 Prius. Same stalling problem on slippery surfaces as reported by others. It IS dangerous. I live in upstate New York and travel I-88 between Albany and Binghamton regularly. There are very steep hills on this route. In a recent snow storm, when traffic was going 25 - 30 mph on the interstate (except the semi's going 50), the Prius' engine started backing off when I was trying to go up a very steep hill. I thought it was going to stall in the middle of the interstate. I was white-knuckled for about an hour nursing the acceleration carefully to try to keep from stalling. If it had stalled, I would have been rear-ended. I found out about this problem only after I bought the car. If I had known it was this bad, I never would have bought it living where I do. I also have a VERY steep driveway (20%?). Needless to say, it usually stops about half-way up when it's slippery.

Joan of Rockport ME (03/21/08)
I have just read the complaints of the Prius in snow. I live in Maine and have a steep driveway and commute 80 miles per day to work. Good snow tires solved the problem

Scott of East Leroy MI (03/19/08)
I brounght my 2006 Toyota Prius in to have the drivers side headlight looked at, it was intermittent. The dealer said the headlight computer was bad, that was $600, luckily my extended warranty covered that, but they then said when the computer went bad it also took out the headlight, so I said fine what that going to cost $60-$70, no said the dealer it going to be $315, because its a Hi Intensity light, so I said go ahead and replace it. They order the light install it, drive it on bumpy roads to make sure they have the problem solved. I get a call now the passenger side headlight is intermittent, thats another $315, so I call the Toyota customer Experience Center to find out if there is another choice that would be less expensive, Jack, put me on hold looked it up and said no. I got back on the phone with the dealer and told him to go ahead and order the headlight for the passenger side. After I get of the phone I figured I would google 2006 Prius Headlight, a website called www2.partstrain.com, had it for $111.15. I called the dealer and cancelled the order for the passenger headlight, I asked if he could take out the drivers headlight too, he said he could but he would still charge me the $315 for the part. I am totally fine with being charge ALL LABOR associated with this job, but I think it's bull that A HEADLIGHT for a compact car cost $315 when the whole car was $23,500, I would totally understand that price on a Lexus or Infinity, but on a Prius? I feel the Customer experience center was not forth coming on my options. I have nothing negative to say about the dealership, I understand they have to buy the parts that are Toyota authorized.

Bill of Brentwood TN (03/19/08)
In Dec 04 Dale of Msp reports his Prius runs out of gas after using only 10 gallons - published tank capacity is 11.9. I just bought a 2008 Prius and have had the same problem twice - I deliberately ran out of gas to test the range of the tank. So, apparently Toyota still hasn't fixed the problem.

Anne of Topsham ME (03/17/08)
Overzealous (to say the least) traction control on Prius I have gotten stuck on my driveway more times than I care to recall. And that's with studded snow tires. The guys from Toyota may say it doesn't pose a safety problem, but he's full of you-know-what. You effectively lose power when TC takes over: if you are on a hill, you SLIDE uncontrollably. If we didn't have barriers keeping us from falling off the side of our steep driveway, I would have plunged 15 feet over the edge of the driveway more than once. The driveway pitch is indeed steep (15 degree pitch with a curve at its worst). My new trick is to back up the driveway to get home, but even this doesn't work if the car thinks it's too slick. I've gotten stuck at intersections that are steep- and if that's not dangerous, I don't know what is. I do not know what's keeping this ridiculous feature from being recalled. Toyota has no business marketing this vehicle in climates where the ground freezes. I've been told by the dealership that nobody has this problem. One look on the internet yielded lots of hits. If I cannot get the TC turned off, I'll likely get rid of the car. After all, it doesn't approach achieving its advertised fuel economy in town (maybe their standards were tests done in a flat dessert??)

Kathy of Torrance CA (03/13/08)
I am the owner of 2006 Prius. On February 25, 2008 at 8am heading to work, suddenly, the hazardous red light and the battery light went off on my dashboard screen and realized that my car was loosing power on busy 110 Harbor freeway north bound. I panicked not knowing what happened. The car became heavy and it started to slow down no matter how I pushed the accelerator.

I could not control the speed anymore. All I could think was to pull my car to the right shoulder and I barely made it to the nearest shoulder which was very narrow. I feared of the speeding cars approaching from behind thinking maybe one of the cars will eventually crash into me. I called above dealer right away but I was told that they would not know the problem until they see my car and suggested my car be towed. When my car got to the dealer, Sean first told me that things like this is most likely covered under warranty so he suggested leaving the car and rent a car.

The technician replaced the air filter with the new one because the air filter had accumulated oil but I was also told that this type of service was not covered under warranty and that I was responsible for the service/labor as well as the rentacar cost.

My car was at their shop few months ago for 20,000 oil change but he told me that this has nothing to do with what they did, it was not my fault either and there was nothing for me to do in the future to avoid the same problem. I was not thrilled with his response - I just didn't get it my most important thing was nothing but safety. After I told him that I plan to report this to the manufacturer, he went to talk to his supervisor and decided not to charge me.

Even though I didnt have to pay, I still was not happy not knowing why the oil got into the air filter. Sean didnt know the answer. As the mechanic, Steve who fixed my car left for training, I waited few days for his return. He said he learned that putting in too much oil in the oil filter can cause the oil to overflow to air filter and thus the oil can accumulate quicker and can cause the car to breakdown.

The normal service of replacing the air filter is usually after 60,000 miles. I then called Sean and repeated what the mechanic informed me and told him to educate the mechanic who did the oil change on my car few months ago and also inform his supervisor. He was sincere and apologized for the inconvenience I went through. I still cant get over the traumatic experience I went through that morning on 110 freeway and I am still paranoid off and on thinking, I hope this car doesnt stop again.

David of Mount Gretna PA (03/12/08)
I really like my Toyota Prius except when it is snowing. I was stopped on a slight incline and the traction control system would not let me get going. This was really distressing as a large truck was coming at me and I am sure he was wondering why I wasn't moving. The slush would cause the tires to slip and the control system would not let the tires spin enough to get a grip on the pavement. This could have caused a bad situation. I have been driving for more than 40 years and know how to drive in the snow. Would suggest a switch so that the driver could turn off the system.

David of Mount Gretna PA (03/12/08)
I really like my Toyota Prius except when it is snowing. I was stopped on a slight incline and the traction control system would not let me get going. This was really distressing as a large truck was coming at me and I am sure he was wondering why I wasn't moving. The slush would cause the tires to slip and the control system would not let the tires spin enough to get a grip on the pavement. This could have caused a bad situation. Would suggest a switch so that the driver could turn off the system.

Vesselin of Burlington, Canada (03/11/08)
Impossible to drive off in 2 inches of snow due to the wheel shut off of the 2007 Toyota Prius' traction control. This was on my driveway and on a parking lot. Thanks god it was not in real driving condition! Toyota, please give us the ability to shut down the traction control in such situations!

E. of Montebello NY (03/06/08)
On warm days when I use the air conditioning in my 2007 Toyota Prius, there is a smell of mold. I brought the car in for service and was told by Bob that the problem was my fault because I was circulating the air within the cab. He advised me to switch it to outside air. That was a lie. I've since learned that the car defaults to outside air. I brought the car in again to get service and this time they put some kind of awful smelling air freshener through the system. They insisted that the problem was not covered by the warranty, and I've paid for each service visit. I purchased the car last April and the warranty is expiring soon. Toyota has been playing cat and mouse with me. They assigned a case worker who leaves messages for me at home when I'm obviously at work. She then takes two days to get back to me. They are conciously running out the clock so that future repairs won't be covered under the warranty. In the meanwhile, the front passenger seat doesn't slide forward and the CD player won't fast forward or back. I'm afraid the very first new car I've ever had in my life is a disaster. Please help!

John of Pittsburgh PA (03/02/08)
This is the first winter I've driving my 2006 Toyota Prius. I am very concerned with how the car drives in ice and snow. It is extremely dangerous and I will not drive it if the is any chance of snow or ice on the roads. Just one of several times I was caught in a potentially dangerous driving condition. One dark snowy night, I was attempting to pull out onto a roadway and the wheels began to slip. Then the engine power cut back until the wheels stopped slipping. Every time I tried, the same think happened. I was in the middle of the intersection and the car would not advance forward. My car was sitting broadside in the road to oncoming traffic. There was another car behind my car before I pulled out. He is now at the stop sign. So now I cant go forward because the car stops when the wheels slip. And I cant backup out of the intersection because there is a car behind me. And now there is a car coming towards me broadside. Well with the help of a couple of very alert drivers (on that dark road) we were able to avoid a very serious accident. I live in Pennsylvania and Ive been driving in winter for over 40 years. And Ive driven all types of vehicles. It is my believe that this is not a safe car to drive in ice or snow. It is just a matter of time (if it hasnt happened already) before someone is seriously injured or is killed.

Bob of Columbiana AL (02/27/08)
I purchased a new Toyota Prius in 2004. Backing up is very dangerous. There is a bar across the rear window obscuring rear vision, the car is absolutely silent outside (electric motor)to a person behind me. There is a backing up beeper but it can only be heard inside the car! Toyota should minimize this danger by recalling for a rear camera, and an outside loud beeping backup noise.

Gerald of Carlsbad CA (02/23/08)
I have a 2004 Toyota Prius that has had only one fault in 70000 miles. From the day we brought it home the brakes have grabbed severely when first starting out in the morning and after the car sets for some hours. The agency keeps saying that it is moisture in the brakes and has to burn off. I have checked with several neighbors who own the vehicle and they do not experience that problem. I get no satisfaction from the dealer and am concerned that my warranty will expire before the problem is remedied.

Russell of Harwinton CT (02/22/08)
2006 prius will not go in 1 of snow or more the anti slip traction control kicks in and shuts down power to the wheels. I was entering a intersection on Rt 202 with a slight incline and the wheels slipped and I stopped in the middle of the incline. This almost caused an accident with on coming cars. Toyota dealer said the car was good in new england. He did not say only on sunny days

Josh of Long Branch NJ (02/21/08)
I have to report that I lost control of the 2007 Toyota Prius I was driving with two inches or less of snow on the road. The wheels completely stopped responding to acceleration, forcing me across a road resulting in a minor collision with no injuries, but a ticket for me. I can't believe Toyota can allow this condition to exist without remedy. How about a sensor that allows the gasoline engine to power the car in bad weather?

Dave of Groveland CA (02/16/08)
My 06 Prius has an intermittent problem with the HID lamp shutting off. After some research on the WEB, I see that this is a wide-spread problem with many 06 Prius owners with HID headlamp systems, and that replacement of the bulb does not solve the problem. This is a potentially dangerous situation, especially when BOTH lights can go out at night;(reports on line). While there have been no serious accidents or deaths because of this problem, I think it is just a matter of time until that occurs. Toyota USA should acknowledge the problem and do the right thing and stand behind the product that made it No. 1 in USA sales and recall and replace the defective part or parts before their success story becomes tarnished, or worse someone dies as a result of an accident where the headlamps failed at night.

Michael of Middletown NJ (02/12/08)
I had an experience today with a 2007 Toyota Prius that I had rented from Avis. I was excited to be able to rent a Prius for 10 days. Unfortunately, that excitement soon faded. I drove the car to work this morning, and by this afternoon it started to snow. My trip home was on the Garden State parkway, and all seemed fine with the handling in the snow. When I got off the Parkway, I headed home. The street I live on has a small uphill grade, and was snow covered, but not particularly icy. I stopped for the mail at the end of my driveway, which I do on a regular basis with my normal vehicle. When I went to accelerate to turn up my driveway, the front wheel spun (I was going as slow as the car would let me), and the car went backwards. I applied the brake, and it stopped. I again tried to accelerate, and again there was no forward motion, just the front end completely out of control. The anti-skid feature had been activated in the car, as indicated by an icon on the dashboard. No matter how slowly I tried to accelerate, the car went backwards, and depressing the gas further, actually stopped the front tires from turning altogether (I guess the car had taken control!!). I then tried to back up, and found that difficult as well. There was not much control, and the cars anti-skid was still lit on the dashboard. To make a long story short, I had to back up numerous times, almost two house lengths back, and still I was not able to get the front wheels to gain any traction because the computer would keep telling the engine to NOT apply power to the front wheels. I spent almost 1/2 hour trying to go the 50-75 feet forward, and finally was able to barely crawl, and then to gain enough traction to get forward momentum. The rental car only had 18,000 miles on it so the tires should have not been too worn. I also have been living in this location for almost 25 years, and know that there are times when things can be slippery, but this was totally a new experience in a vehicle that I have never experienced in all my years of driving. I know how to handle slippery roads, but this was a case of a single wheel slipping, and not both wheels, and as I said, it was more snow than ice, and in other vehicles (my wifes) it was no problem at all. I called the rental car company, and tomorrow morning will get a replacement vehicle, assuming that I can get to the rental place without a repeat of this experience. I did a google search and found that I am not the only person who has experienced this problem in a Toyota Prius. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/01/prius_snowbound.html The article describes exactly what happened to me. I'm not sure that the grade on my street was as significant as mentioned in the article. I find this to be unacceptable behavior in a passenger vehicle, and my dreams for the Prius have faded into the dust. Maybe an anti-skid cutoff button would have enabled me to proceed without this problem. Having a vehicle take total control and shut down power to the front wheels in totally unacceptable when trying to go 3-5 mph forward!!

Matt of Sunnyvale CA (02/12/08)
I am one of the first to buy a Prius in 2001. Now, after 130,000 miles of driving the main battery is dead. Toyota dealer is telling me the battery for the main battery was for 100,000 for my car, although the new Prius' come with 150,000 mile warranty. I have been told by the dealer (which I don't trust), that I am the 3rd Prius which required main battery replacement. Labor and part, plus tax: $4,500. Only a week before that I had to have a sensor, that helps air/fuel mix, replaced for nearly $400. Unfortunately, there is no third-party service provides who know how to fix Prius. The independent repair shops don't know about or scared to touch electronic/electrical stuff. Soooo, this means you are stuck with your Toyota dealer and Toyota's prices for parts... to the end.

Here is the big picture for future Prius owners: - Be prepared to pay a $4,500 for the main battery before 150,000 miles. Of course, you can buy a decent used car for the same price. Tough choice... - The car is loaded with electronics and solid state controllers. Be prepared to pay outrageous prices for diagnostics and repair (very rarely you will walk out with a bill costing under $300) - Do you know you will pay nearly $150 for having a duplicate key made to your Prius? That is because the key apparently has an anti-theft chip which has to be programmed by Toyota. Quite frankly, I am done being a maverick. I am not buying another hybrid car. When is hydrogen powered cars coming???

Margaret of Northlake Il IL (02/10/08)
I bought a preowned 03 Toyota Prius. The tires said 50# pressure which I thought was odd. I emailed Toyota with 2 questions and they answered one but ignored my question about the tire pressure. My dealership acted ignorant about it also. So I emailed Toyota again and said What tires came standard equipment on the 03 Prius? This time they responded and said We have no way of knowing that and told me what tires I should use. So I see all these problems people had on your website that people had with their Prius tires and realize now that Toyota was probably lying to me i.e. that they know there was a problem with those tires. And that the tires I have on with the unusual 50 psi are probably replacement tires that the original owner had to put on.

Matthew of Dayton OH (02/09/08)
This is a comment on the reports of traction control failure in the Toyota Prius during snowy conditions on hills. I live in Dayton, OH and have driven a Prius here since Feb 04 (35,000 miles). We get perhaps 20 snowy, slippery days a year.There are some steep hills where I live and the driveway to my house is fairly steep. I have never had any problem with power shut down as described. The ABS part of the system works perfectly.

Robert of Fort Mohave AZ (02/06/08)
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