Toyota Prius Reviews

My Toyota Prius has been mostly problem free since purchased. My serious problem occurred unexpectedly on crowded CA highway 5 when all power was suddenly lost. All displays went blank and the anti-lock braking system was not working. Steering was limited. Hazard lights were not working. The engine was completely out. There was no power, limited control. Only my years of driving experience and luck prevented a serious accident from occurring. I can never trust my or any Prius again ever. Next time, a serious accident could happen.

Prius 2005 since 2005 unable to hear AM radio when car running Ok in aux mode dealer will not has not done anything to fix says it is normal. 106K now transmission going I am going to the used parts store. Bought a 100k warranty.

My mother's car air bag did not deploy when she was hit. And her car was equipped with curtain air bags and steering wheel air bags, neither of which went off. They admit that they did not work and say they will do nothing about it. My mother died upon impact when her body hit the steering wheel. The seat broke in half. The front bumper came off and the bottom floor board collapsed. My mother died from the accident because her airbags did not work and Toyota admitted that they did not work and do not know why.

2007 Toyota Prius, bought new in May of 2007. Have replaced the driver's side headlight 3 times (out now!) and the passenger side once. Dealer charges $150 for the bulb and $95 labor. Called Toyota Headquarters today and the lady said "Toyota is reducing the cost of the bulb from $300 to $150 already and we are not able to assist you any further". Will not warranty the replacement bulbs because the vehicle is out of warranty. I told her this will be the last Toyota I own, enough is enough. Besides the economic impact of having to spend over $1,000 replacing headlights, there is an inherent danger in driving around without headlights!

First, let me state that I love my Prius. I have been driving it for three years and I really just love it. But, two days ago, I was driving in the rain. I went over two sets of railroad tracks with steel between the tracks. As I crossed the tracks, the traffic in front of me was stopping. So I applied the brakes to stop also. In the second it took to cross the tracks, the traction light came on and I had no brakes. I was going about 15 mph when I hit the car in front of me. I had time to look down at my foot to confirm that it was the brakes (just in case). I could not figure out why the car was not stopping. The car in front of me stopped the car.

I have a 2004 Toyota Prius. Beginning at around 50,000 miles, I have experienced two occasions in the past couple months whereby I found the car to be completely dead in the morning for no apparent reason or circumstance. Additionally, I have also experienced in this same time frame and mileage whereby the car unexpectedly goes into 'neutral' while backing out of the garage or out of a parking space. Recently when this occurred, it was very difficult to get it back into reverse or drive unless I forced it by holding the shifter in that position. I am also experiencing unacceptable lower gas mileage on a regular basis. I am growing more concerned day-to-day and beginning to now worry about experiencing life safety issues.

I purchased a Prius from a dealer at the top of the market price, it has not provided the type of performance that was guaranteed. I have also had acceleration problems, battery, gas mileage, and many other braking problems. I want to join the class that is asking for full purchase reimbursement. I am afraid to drive my car, I am disabled and have been stuck in my home having to pay others to shop, bank and do everything else for me since the notice of the recall. I am on a small limited income and cannot afford to pay others to do things I could do if I could drive my car without fear of injury or death. It has cost me most of my savings for others to take care of basic needs for me. I will be bankrupt soon.

We have a 2007 Toyota Prius that has light problems. We have been pulled over many times by police because one of our head lights were out. While the officer is watching, we turn the car off and then on only to see the headlight come back on. We do not know when it is working or not. Last night, we got pulled over because our back lights were not working. We have been pulled over by the police at least 5 times because of this issue.

This is not exactly a complaint except that I was not told by my salesman that I would have to use a hi-test gas in my 2010 Prius. I read the owner's manual to find this out. I have read a lot about how people are not happy with the gas mileage with the Prius. I have found that it may not be Prius that is at fault, it is the quality of gas. I have to go out of my way to get good hi-test gas because most stations charge for the hi-test but I can tell by my gas mileage that I am not getting good quality hi-test gas. It is infuriating to pay the higher price for the better gas only to get the same as if I put in a lower grade of gas. I have been getting about 45-48 mpg on average and today, I got gas at a new place and I got 58-60 mpg. I will return to that station whenever I can as I like the results.

Occasionally, when I press the start button or the park button of my 2007 Prius, I would hear 2 or 3 short beeps of the horn. This happens every now and then and has not affected the drivability of the car. When I complained about it, they could not find anything wrong. My concern is that there might be some kind of faulty wiring that's causing this to happen and that later it may become more serious. What should I do?

I own a 2007 Toyota Prius. Prior to all the recalls, I did experience a breaking issue when I go over bumpy or uneven pavement. I lose braking power. I have no pressure for about 1 to 2 seconds. I am a cautious driver and adjusted my driving to try and accommodate for this. Also, I am very disappointed in the carpeting and fabric used in the car. It is thin and very cheap.

I took my 2010 Prius in for sudden acceleration issues. My car has had numerous 'episodes' and they refused to acknowledge a problem. I drive my only child in this vehicle, and frankly, I'm afraid to drive it. We have purchased numerous vehicle from this dealership, and sadly, it will be our last. Not sure what is going to happen; not sure they even know how to fix my car. It has a mind of its own. For now, I'm carless and frustrated.

I have the same problem with my car lunging forward while in park, and my cruise control will start blinking and it no longer work sometimes. I am concerned about driving with my kids in the car now that there have been so many problems.

I only want to ask why no one has posted anywhere that I've seen, in all the reports I've read, that the first thing to do if this happens is put it out of gear?

Has anyone used the braking mode if the Prius starts to accelerate? I use it all the time for snow driving.

I purchased a brand new 2007 Prius in April 2007. I serviced the car with Toyota and followed all the recommended maintenance as prescribed by Toyota. When the February recalls began, I immediately got the Kelley Blue Book value for the car, it was roughly a trade-in value of $13,300. Forty-eight hours later, it had dropped to KBB value of $12,200. The difference was from Tuesday to Thursday!

Our 2006 Prius had a suddenly acceleration incident yesterday. I was parking the car, so thankfully going at probably less than 5 miles an hour. I was doing a 3 point turn. I went halfway into the parking spot, reversed to get a better angle and then engaged drive to go forward. The accelerator pedal just went loose, as if a spring had disengaged. There was no tension at all and the accelerator pedal just fell all the way down to the floor. The car lurched forward and accelerated. I pressed the brakes as hard as I could. The worked and our car came to a stop and missed hitting the car next to my parking spot by inches.

I have had this 2005 Prius for less than five years. Last Monday, I get in the car, put it into reverse and it goes into neutral. I had to keep the gear shift pushed up to make it go in reverse. Then, I tried to put it into drive and same thing--I had to keep the gear shift pushed into drive to make it go forward. I then parked it and called the dealership. They had never heard of such a thing.

Prius 2007. Car lunges forward in park position. Reported it to Toyota, they said they don't have any problems like that. Battery changed 12 volt, next day lights go on and off. Took back to dealership, they wanted to charge me $500 for headlights, refused to pay that much. It isn't the headlights. I asked to have them check the battery. Not sure if they did or not but the day after the dealership visit the lights now work.

It's a 2008 Toyota Prius; on February 10, 2010, I hit the road in the Prius started out for Silverthorne CO to do some skiing. On Feb 14, 2010, I was in line, following a bunch of cars entering Keystones Skier parking lot, doing about 10 mph. As I turned into the parking lot, my Prius started to skid a little (the roads were covered in packed snow and very slippery). Cars just ahead and behind were having similar problems, but nothing they could not handle. In my Prius, the traction light came on and I touched the brakes with absolutely no response. The car continued to skid in a straight line, ran over a red traffic cone, and slammed into a 2 foot cube boulder, causing $3200 worth of damage.

The 2005 Prius was totaled as a result of mechanical failure. It's a total loss; Toyota is suing me and it's ruining my credit.

I experienced unintended acceleration while driving on the highway in my 2005 Toyota Prius whilst under cruise control on May 3, 2009. Braking failed to slow down the vehicle as did initial cancellation of cruise control. I tried to decrease speed with cruise control stick by holding down. Switching off cruise control button and on again followed by repeated cancellation eventually worked.

My wife and I bought a 2010 Toyota Prius last summer. I know that Toyota is under lot of pressure lately, but we have had some issues with the car. I want to draw your attention to:

On January 13 of this year, I was involved in an accident with my 2005 Toyota Prius. While I was driving, I saw the need to stop since the cars in front of me were stopped at the stoplight. I went to step on my brakes and had absolutely no response from my brakes. Then, I quickly placed both of my feet on the brakes and practically stood on them to no avail. I smashed into the car in front of me and had severe pain to the right side of my neck.

On February 7, 2010, I was driving our Toyota Prius at approximately 8:30 am. It was Sunday morning so there was very little traffic. The road was flat. The sky and the roads were clear and dry, and it was 50 degrees outside. I was going maybe 25 to 30 mph. Up ahead, the traffic light had turned red and the car in front of me stopped. Luckily, there was quite a distance between me and the stopped car. I removed my foot from the gas pedal and began to slowly press the break pedal. As I was pressing the break pedal, the motor revved and the Prius rapidly accelerated. I stomped harder on the brake and swerved into the left lane to avoid hitting the car that was stopped at the light. The motor was still revved up and I fish tailed. Then the motor returned to normal and the car stopped. I was very lucky the car stopped before running the red light and into oncoming traffic.

I own a 2007 Toyota Prius. Prior to all the recalls, I did experience the breaking issue when I go over a speed bump in my apartment community. I believe this is the same issue Steve Jobs of Apple was trying to report to Toyota. Right after the front tires went over the bump, I tried to slow down for the rear tires, but the break pedal felt as if it had no pressure for about 1 second. Like most people, I made nothing of it until now. My second issue, which may be both a software and electronic issue, is that my rear driving lights are not working. They went out one by one over a period of one month. However, what is more striking is that the car does not at all indicate that my rear lights are out. It is as if I do not have a problem. So if I am driving at night, the car behind me does not have a red light warning that there is someone ahead of them unless I step on the break.

Hybrid technology failed, and despite staff denials that the batteries would go dead and only cost $800 if they did. When it did at 136,000 miles, they instead wanted up to over $4,000 to fix it now. The car was horribly misrepresented in every way. It never got the mileage, and it never did better in the city than on the highway.

My complaint is simply this. While I understand it's "buyer beware", how do you check gas mileage before you drive? I mean, of course you get to test drive, but I bought a 2005 Toyota Prius thinking I would get at least 40 miles to the gallon and I'm barely getting 29. While I understand that this is not the used car dealers fault and the Carfax report came back "clean", how do you check mileage before you buy? And what can I do about it now that I am vested. The car runs great. It's simply the gas mileage that's the problem.

On both of my daughter's 2006 and 2007 Toyota Prius, the headlights go off intermittently. Mostly the right one but sometimes both. If you turn the headlight switch off then back on, the headlights come back on only to go off a little while later. I have noticed when I see a car with only one headlight on, it is often a Toyota Prius. There should be a recall on the Prius!

Prius 2008: this has been by far the worst car I have ever owned. I want to warn everyone considering buying one to read this carefully. Within six months of ownership, I noticed that the digital speed, gas was intermittently going off. Then, the display module was also not working. A line was running through it and going off. The airbag light for passenger stays off even when someone is sitting in seat. In cold weather, the car has huge warning light that it will not recharge when in neutral, even though the car is in gear and driving down the road. The latest insult is that the gas gauge is stuck in half full. This car is a total lemon. Steer clear. Buy anything else.

I have three complaints with my Prius. First I have never been able to fill the fuel tank with 12 gallons of fuel as it was advertised. Tonight I ran my 2005 Prius until the fuel warning light came on. I immediately pulled into a station and I was only able to get 7.5 gallons of fuel into my car. If I try slowly running fuel into this car, it finally stops accepting fuel and surges fuel out all over me and the side of the car. I expected this car to hold 12 gallons of fuel as advertised. I complained about this problem to my dealer. They supposedly checked the tank and stated that everything was normal.

I own a 2003 and 2006 Toyota Prius and have experienced tire problems with both cars that I never experienced with other cars. When both cars hit a pot hole the side of the tire is pierced by the rim on the side and can't be fixed, only replaced. This has happened over 10 times on each car. Road hazard warranties don't cover a cut on the side of the tire and it can't be fixed. This has happened with Goodyear and now Michelin tires. Only an insurance policy on the tires helped but it was still expensive.

I am having a steering problem with my 2002 Prius. It is intermittent and it occurs mostly when the car is cold when it is first started in the morning. If I start to turn the wheel, no matter how slightly, the steering wheel starts to vibrate back and forth rapidly. I don't even have to move the car at all, just apply slight pressure to the steering wheel as if to turn it. This makes me suspect that this is an electronic problem. I took the car to the Toyota dealer and they said it was my tires. I bought new tires and it still occurs. The dealer was unable to reproduce the problem as it is intermittent.

I have a 2008 Prius, and can easily recreate the braking problem on the street where I live. It's very consistent, where the car begins to skate. The Prius also has steering issues, where the hyper-sensitive steering constitutes an extreme hazard in a mild wind gust, in a rutted road situation, or any time "over-correcting" might come into play. Further, there is a very dangerous reflection on the inside of the windshield, when driving on a dark road at night. It is a green line that goes straight across my line of vision.

Traction control on the 2008 Toyota Prius does not work well. The Toyota car dealer sold me new tires, but it did not solve the problem. The car has been stuck and required pulling out of the snow. I am afraid to drive the car in the snow. I cannot get the car to move, if the road is slippery, and there is a slight incline.

Any time I go over some sort of uneven ground, which in LA is often, my car lunges forward and even though my foot is on the brake, nothing happens. I feel really scared to not have control of my vehicle in those moments. Toyota better recall all Prius cars and I think they should be compensating us for the years that this problem hasn't been fixed with their dealerships/company knowing full well that it is a common problem. They kept it a secret from their customers.

So, I'm not inquiring about the current recall, but instead concerned about my headlight malfunctioning. Since spring of 2009, I noticed that my headlights have been dimming or "blinking", or switching back and forth at random intervals. Sometimes, one head light would go out, then the other. More recently, both sometimes go out. I can only correct this by turning off my headlights and then turning them back on. The first time this happened, I purchased new bulbs but the "blinking" continued.

I bought a used 2004 Prius recently (12/2009). In researching the hybrid car, the only problem I read about was unintended acceleration, which was rare. One cold morning after driving the car for about two months, I got in and pressed the start button. The display lit up and all the warning lights came on. They did not just blink on for a second, they stayed on. I tried to turn the car off and start over but it would not turn off. It would not "shift" into reverse or drive. The drive train indicator stayed in neutral. I tried various things for about six minutes. I had read that it is not good to leave the car in neutral because the battery is not being charged in that state.

I have found the information on the Prius traction control system (TCS) very enlightening. I live in the Blue Ridge mountains with an approximate 1,300 foot change in elevation in about 2.5 miles. I have experienced all of the problems described while on very steep slopes. Does anyone know if the continuously variable transmission play a role? No low gear is a problem when descending on icy roads.

I drive a 2004 Toyota Prius and the traction control has been driving me mad for 5 years now. It completely cuts the power if a wheel slips in the slightest, leaving me stalled. Once I went to make a left turn on a busy street, the traction control kicked in from some very minor slipping and I was left stranded in the middle of the intersection with traffic coming at me. Since I can't spin the tires in that situation, the drivers in the other cars can't tell that I'm stuck. It just looks like I'm not trying to move, which provokes a lot of hostility from them. If I could spin the tires a little, it would be obvious to them what was wrong and I bet they'd be more patient and sympathetic (give people the benefit of the doubt while driving, please!).

I have a 2007 Prius that has the same braking issues as the 2010 recall. I'm sure the owners of all Prius want the brakes fixed on all model.

My question is if Toyota knowingly sold their Prius' with brake issues. Don't the consumers such as myself have an option to get a refund for the car? I mean if I had known about this issue I would definitely not have purchased the car.

After 150,000 miles, my 2004 Toyota's headlight went out in 2008. I replaced it myself with high intensity bulb, purchased at Auto Parts shop. It only lasted a few weeks. It continued happening on alternating sides. The dealer told me, high intensity was my problem, and to return to regular intensity. So, I bought the least expensive regular intensity bulbs at Auto Parts shop, installed them myself, and they're great! They haven't failed for months so far.

I own a 2007 Toyota Prius and have experienced momentary loss of braking over a rough surface. This is a highly repeatable experience and I have adjusted my driving habits accordingly. I drive over the same railroad tracks just prior to a traffic light every day. While braking, with my foot firmly on the brake pedal, the car seems to lunge forward apparently as the brakes release for a split second. At the same time, my traction control light will flash on and off until the road smooths out. That split second is enough to cause an accident with the car in front of me if I don't give myself extra room or slow down prior to the tracks.

I noticed from the first time I drove the car that when I turn on the headlights, they would be bright and then dim. I thought this was because of the High Intensity lamps (HID). Now, on my 2008 Prius, the headlights take turns shutting off, occasionally doing this simultaneously. When I asked the dealer about it, I was told it was known but nothing would be done and it would cost around $700. Now, I'm told that they cut the price of the bulbs to $150 and the repair is now only $500. Headlights failing in two years just doesn't sound like a quality car.

Driving my 2008 Prius April 2009 in imperial valley. Coming off at rd. onto hwy 86 driving south to el Centro. After bringing up to hwy speed, my car continued to speed up. I thought maybe cruise control not working, however, should shut off when brakes tapped. I applied steady pressure to brakes as the car kept accelerating. Was able to slow somewhat, took foot off brake and speeding up again. This happened several times for the distance to Costco gas station where I was able to exit off hwy to. The brakes had distinct burning smell. I had been braking hard, very hard for quite a while.

At 60,000, I avoided wrecking my Prius whose Abs system failed completely and got to a dealership. 16000 later, I had a new abs. Is this a lemon? I would think so. Very costly and seemed too early for brakes.

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius and have experienced loose of traction while brake over rough surfaces with the skid warning light flashing.

I have a 2008 Prius. I saw there was another complaint with the same issue for a 2008 Prius that I'm also having which seems to be the same issue with the 2010 Prius. I have been having this problem since I bought my car and mentioned it to my Toyota dealership twice, and they stated that it was due to the anti-lock breaks and that is the way it was designed. I stated that it was dangerous if it was going to propel you forward when you are breaking, but they didn't really have much of a comment. Now I am hearing that other folks are having the same issue.

We purchased a 2010 Prius and have several incidents of the car accelerating when we start to engage the brakes. It feels exceptionally bad if you are on any type of rough road (terrain). We are very concerned about our safety in this car!

We purchased a 2010 Prius and have several incidents of the car accelerating when we start to engage the brakes. It feels exceptionally bad if you are on any type of rough road (terrain). We are very concerned about our safety in this car!

I have always wanted to complain about my 2007 Prius regarding a very dangerous breaking issue. The recent news about Prius has compelled me to list this issue. Very often, when I park the car- I put the car in park and if the car is on the slightest incline it will roll a little. And moreover, when I park it on a hill and even if the emergency break is on, it rolls about a foot. This has scared, the you know what out of me because I wondered if it will roll infinitely. Now this has happened in dangerous spots light while pumping gas at a gas station where there may be not level areas around the pump. Once it rolled while I stopped at a toll booth to talk to a toll collector. I know there have been many instances where this happens! It's scary when it happens.

I have a 2008 Prius. I was watching the news and I heard them describing the brake issue with the 2010 Prius and I said to myself that is the same problem I have been having since I bought my car, but I didn't think much about it. I assumed it had something to do with it being a hybrid and the weight of the car. But now I am hearing that other folks are having the same issue. The issue is when the car hits a pot hole or a bump, the car lunges forward (and the traction control light goes on), forcing me to brake.

I have a 2007 Toyota Prius that when I run over a bump in the pavement, the anti-skid light come on and the car will not accelerate well. It’s like putting the brakes on while I am moving. This could result in a rear end collision or loss of control.

We bought a 2010 Toyota Prius in October of last year. My wife, Suzanne, was driving home from the gym last week when the brakes failed completely. She was turning right from First Street onto North Mines Road in Livermore, Ca. It had been raining and the roads were wet. When she pushed the brake pedal to slow down during the turn, nothing happened. It really scared her. Luckily, it was early morning and the traffic was light. There were no other cars in the intersection and she completed the higher-than-normal-speed, awkward turn without accident.

Headlights on Toyota Prius are faulty. My car is a 2007 Toyota Prius and the headlights started to go off while I was driving. I have to turn them to the off position and back to on to get them to come back on. In 2008, I hit a deer and the headlights were replaced due to damage. The headlights once again began to go off. I have been told that there is nothing they can do about it. Since this time there have been over 2000 complaints on the 2007 Prius with a headlights problem.

I have a 2009 Prius and have faced the same issue as many other folks. When the car hits a pot hole or a bump, the car lunges forward and the traction control light goes on, forcing me to brake. This has happened from the beginning and I assumed it was the result of the car being light.

On the afternoon of January 26th, 2010, my wife was driving our 2006 Toyota Prius at approximately 30mph. As she approached an intersection, the vehicle surged forward despite firmly applying the brakes. She employed all the strategies recommended by Toyota but was not able to stop before striking another vehicle that was stopped ahead in her lane.

This is about 2010 Prius' brake problem. My 2010 Pruis has had a brake issue since I picked it up in July 2009. I've taken it to the dealer 3 different times and was made to feel like I was crazy. The first time I put it in the shop to get the oil changed and have the brake checked, I told the dealer that when I had my foot on the brake pedal and hit a pothole the car would accelerate. When I got the car back, I was told no problem was found. The problem kept happening so I complained again.

I have owned a 2008 Toyota Prius for almost 2 years and have always had a problem with the brakes disengaging when go over a bump. I hope my Prius is not going to be left out of this recall.

My daughter was driving her 2007 Toyota Prius (900 miles) and had accelerated after a stop sign to 15 mph when the tie rod broke and the car veered at a 45 degree angle into a parked car. I arrived at the accident scene within a few minutes and along with the police officer took pictures of the vehicle as well as the skid marks from the center of the road to the parked car.

I have a 2007 Toyota Prius hybrid car with currently 24,000 km. Since new, vehicle has serious braking issues. When trying to brake over train tracks, potholes, drain covers, gravel, puddles, or ice, the vehicle slows slightly then lurches forward (feels like a brief acceleration). And the brakes slip before grabbing hold. Many times this has caused vehicle to enter intersections on red lights if the roads are wet. Also, the vehicle has slid off the road on gravel, and it slips regularly over train tracks.

I have owned my 2007 Prius since 2007. At first I loved it. Problems with the braking (hitting holes or ice causes traction-stopping problems), gas tank readings, (thank you AAA) and varying mileage will probably stop me from purchasing another in the future. I was at a drive-thru picking up coffee and the car lurched forward. No, my foot was not on the gas petal, and it was in park! I also had problems with the dash lights not working and the car not shutting off that took my local dealer three months to fix. I feel the braking problem, acceleration at a stop, gas tank issues all pose a high-impact damage outlook for the owners.

I wanted to let you know about yet another issue I have been having besides the braking issue over rough pavement with my 2010 Prius purchased in November of 2009.

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius, which I love. Unfortunately, I believe it has potential problems in that upon occasion, it will lurch forward when put into gear without ever touching the foot pedal. It has done this in reverse also. Best description is as if it has a sudden power surge.

I bought a 2007 model in September 2008. I have always had issues with the brakes, chalking it up to the tiny little wheels and the fact that the last car I drove was a sturdy SUV. Now that I am hearing of the brake problems, I know it is not just the 2010 models. If the road is slick or if I drive over a bump or pothole while braking, the "slick surface" light appears on the dashboard and the brakes fail.

The brakes failed going into exit ramp on slightly slippery road conditions (drizzle slightly dampened highway), causing loss of control of vehicle and about $5K in damages to vehicle (insurance covered it but then raised my rates by $1,500 per year for next three years saying I was the cause of the accident). Please include me in any class action law suits against Toyota Prius 2006 for "faulty brakes". Thanks!

I was very interested in an article in the WSJ by Juro O. today on Prius brake failure. I am an American in New York State who recently (November 13th, 2009) had an accident in my 2009 Prius that totaled the car, though no one was hurt. I had always credited this crash to a problem with my brakes. I was in a situation where I had to stop very quickly and braked as hard as I could. The car slowed to a point then seemed to "plateau" until my car struck a truck.

The brake slips on my 2010 Prius if the pedal is pressed when the car is crossing a manhole or slightly wet surface, speed of vehicle is quite slow, or may be approaching stoplight, for example. I’m concerned over potential crash.

I am responding to the story given about the Toyota Prius that could not go in snow. I just read the post about the Toyota Prius that if it began to spin at all, power completely shuts down to the drive system. This is true, and I do believe the Toyota Prius is acting as designed. Mr. ** points out that if a tire begins to spin, the brakes are applied, or power is shut down so that the tire will not spin, only grip. Therefore, if it does not grip, it will not move. I am here to say with authority that whenever you remove the ability of a car to spin under "any" condition whatsoever, that car limits the driver’s ability to control and maneuver the vehicle.

I have a 2007 Toyota Prius. The 1st headlight went out in one year, the other the year after. This is something they know about, but like the gas sticking they try to ignore. I have had a Toyota since 1989, but I am losing faith in them because the company does not want to take the blame for things until enough problems arise and people are hurt. The are no consequences really, I got a warning ticket the day after they pulled me over for the same thing so I had to get the light replaced.

I have read many postings on other sites, so I am not the only Prius owner experiencing these problems. First, the gas gauge and the gas tank problems. I have run out of gas three times since I have owned my 2008 Prius. It is difficult to determine how much gas is in the car, I believe it is supposed to hold 11.9 gallons. However, when I think I am filling the tank I can get only 8, no more than 9 gallons to fill it without the gas pump allowing me to put any more in. The gas gauge will show that it is full no matter how much I "fill" the tank. When this happens I figure I have 3 gallons left when the low gas indicator begins blinking.

I bought a used 2008 Prius in 2009. I drove for half a year and the driver’s side headlight went out. I went to the mechanic and replaced the headlight. Then the passenger's headlight went out. I thought I need to replace the passenger's headlight. But when I turn the headlight on and off, the passenger's headlight went back on and the light is very bright. It soon starts to dim in 5 seconds and then completely went out. I feel very unsafe when driving my car now.

Today's news about the suspension of Toyota sales had me wondering why the Prius was conspicuously absent from the list. We have a 2010 Prius with 3500 miles on it. Twice lately, I have noticed the surge of acceleration on bumps and it has been alarming. When I found other testimonials about this on this site, I don't feel paranoid any more, just worried. Perhaps there is something in the jarring that causes the fault?

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius, purchased from the dealer right off the lot. From day one, I have noticed the brakes do not work properly. At first, I thought it was just a terrible car for rain or snow but it was having problems in the slightest rain shower. If I hit a pot hole or bump while slowing down, the brakes release. If the traction control activates, the brakes release. The smallest bump or slight slip from one tire and the brakes stop working.

I purchased a 2010 Prius on 1-16-2009 at the San Diego dealer, Mossy Toyota. I drove the car from San Diego to Chico, CA. While I was going over the Grapevine between Los Angeles and Bakersfield, I was traveling about 70 mph when I lost acceleration to the vehicle. I had to dodge cars and trucks and finally was able to come to a stop on the side of the road. I turned off the Prius and then sat there wondering what had just happened. I only had 100 miles on the car and it lost acceleration! I turned the Prius back on and put it in drive and drove the rest of the way 500 plus miles to Chico, Ca. with no further problems. I called the San Diego salesman, Mark, and discussed the loss of acceleration with him. He had never heard of such a thing. I spoke with the Chico service person, Gary, and he said the same thing, never heard of such a problem.

Finally, I got up the hill and into my garage, with the help of three kind neighbors who came out in the 19 degree, windy, snowy evening to help push my Prius for more than half a block! The TRAC (traction control system) seems to work counter-intuitively in snow by cutting power to the drive wheels of my supposedly front wheel drive car on a snowy incline. I have been able to deal with this sudden loss of traction on flat to gentle inclines, thus far, but the snow defeated me and my car tonight. Is there a way to override this "safety" feature? Thank goodness this happened on a lightly traveled residential street, and that I have caring, friendly neighbors.

My 2006 Prius headlight just started flickering on the driver’s side. I am told it will cost $150 for the light and $95 for the labor. This is high but actually much lower than other reports I have seen. I read about problems, fueling tanks. I find that my tank starts reading empty when it actually still has 3 or even 4 gallons in it. I know this because I drive it for days after it reads empty and then when I fill it, it will take closer to the 12 gallons it holds. I am not sure why it reads empty so early, but I will probably never run out of gas. I get 43 miles to the gallon in Utah, but I go up and down a lot of hills near or in the mountains. I have a relative in Texas that claims 50 mpg.

My Toyota Prius 2005 (2nd generation) battery failed twice and helped uncover dangerous design failures tied to the lead-acid battery failure that make maintenance and towing even more difficult. When the 12V SLI lead-acid battery failed, all electronic systems failed as well. It was impossible to open my trunk to get out the jumper electrical cables; or to put the car in neutral so the car parked nose in could be turned around and jump started, or towed for service from the front (not to damage the backside hybrid drive). The Prius Gen 2 (Synergy Drive) dependence on the starter battery of all electronic controls; and the lack of manual overrides to put the car in neutral or open the trunk both hazardous and inconvenient. If towed from behind, the hybrid drive and high voltage battery could be damaged with costly consequences. This poor design logic should be corrected.

My 2004 Prius had an intermittent headlight problem; it would go off, and once the car was turned off, it would come back on. I took it in to have it looked at. The dealership told me it needed a new headlight. I asked if they could guarantee that this would fix the problem. I was told yes. They fixed it and charged $450 for the bulb plus labor and disposal of the old bulb.

I bought a 2005 Prius in July 2009. For the first few months, I was getting approximately 40-45 miles per gallons. However, within the last few weeks I noticed the gauge estimating an average of 45 MPG but the miles driven was less than 300 and the tank of gas is almost empty. I believe the tank hold about 10 gallons. I'm a math teacher and the 300 miles on 10 gallons is not 45 miles per gallon. I bought the car to save on gas. Unfortunately, as I have described above, I'm not saving any more gas than other gas-only operated vehicle.

I have a 2008 Toyota Prius which I have had for almost 2 years. When I purchased the car, I thought I was getting about 42-44mpg but I never really checked it. I recently drove from Florida to Texas and was shocked when I had to fill up with gas after about 300 miles. I contacted the Toyota dealership and inquired about the gas mileage because I thought that something terrible was going wrong with the car and was worried about making it to Texas.

Even with a small amount of snow I am unable to "burn" my way through even the smallest amount of snow the way I should be able to in my 2008 Toyota Prius. As soon as the wheels start to spin, engine power automatically cuts off. This is very frustrating. I recently had to completely clear the snow from my driveway just to make it up.

I have gone from loving my Toyota, to absolutely hating it within 18 months. I love the hatchback design and my initial gas mileage. I am now reading other posts, and realizing that I may not be the culprit. The Prius came with horrible wipers, which did not survive the first snowstorm. On a cold day, as I was wiping my windshield, the car jumped in reverse, and hit another car in the parking lot. I assumed that I had left it in reverse accidentally, but I still doubt that I would even do something like that. I am a very conscious driver. That damage to the other car cost me $450.00.

2005 Prius.Uncontrolled acceleration on NV highway to approx. 90 mph (wife = driver, myself as passenger). After about 30 seconds, car returned to normal. No carpet bunched up under pedal (by close inspection)!

I have been reading other posts and thinking, “Wow, it isn't just me!” I bought a 2005 Toyota Prius in Nov. 2004. It now has 170,000 km (106,000 miles!) on it, about 50/50 city-highway driving. From the beginning, I have noticed these problems:

The 2006 Toyota Prius has experienced intermittent loss of headlights. In other instances, the head light would go out spontaneously. I turn the off car and it may come on for 3-10 minutes and then go off again. The Toyota Prius was in the garage and 2005 at the airport. I let car sit for one week and battery was dead. All systems were turned off. There is no reason for battery to die when car was just sitting. The 2006 Toyota Prius nav. computer just stopped after the dealer fixed the headlight. I got an error message. Dealer claims it's a computer failure with $5,000 fix. Is there a simple reboot procedure?

The headlights on my 2007 Toyota Prius go out. Sometimes they come back on, sometimes they don't. I took it to the dealer, which could not duplicate the problem. I live on a windy rural road and last night, I finished my drive home at 25mph and the flashing of my turn indicators. Very dangerous!

My 2007 Prius High Intensity Display (HID) headlights fail frequently while I am driving. The driver's side headlight began failing in Spring 2009, and by winter, the passenger side light was also failing. There is an ambiguously described Toyota Service Bulletin on the problem, but I am having trouble getting the problem fixed. My mechanic said that the fix described in the TSB would likely not work and that I should investigate whether this is a frequent problem for this model. It is.

I have a 2008 Toyota Prius and live in ND. The heater does not heat the passenger compartment sufficiently to even keep the windows clear. I have had this car in to Toyota of Fergus Falls, MN four times requesting that the heater be fixed. All they can tell me is that it is within specs and they can't do anything. Also, I get very low gas mileage in subzero weather and traction has been an issue since day one.

I own a Prius, and it is absolutely worthless in the snow! I guess Bill Kwon is the spokesperson for Toyota and defends its product, but my question is - has he ever driven in snow and ice conditions? My guess is not. Someone is gonna get killed, and Toyota is gonna get sued over it! They need to change something. I'm an experienced driver in the snow, and it takes your experience and throws it out the window. It causes you to lose control of your vehicle.

I have a Prius. When I stepped on the breaks, it skidded very shortly and then I accelerated; it spit forward without any of my accelerating on its own. It freaked me out! It scared the hell out of me when the car went out of control.

Just wanted to add a bit of info regarding braking and gas mileage on the Prius. The Prius can be hard to stop at times; it is because the transmission has no internal slowing device as normal transmissions do. When you let off the gas, the car "freewheels" or coasts, which is a part of the trick to its good gas mileage, so sometimes braking can take more effort. If you need to brake more quickly, push the joystick selector into the "B" position as you apply the brakes and you will feel the car slow down tremendously, with no adverse effect on the car. Also, when driving, get up to speed quickly and then lightly tap the brake pedal. That shuts off the gas engine. I consistently get 60mpg on the freeway at speeds of 65 and under 45-50 around town. I do have the same problem getting it to shut off at times, almost having to "stand" on the brake pedal while pushing the power button. Toyota needs to look into that.

The engine of my 2007 Toyota Prius frequently fails to shut down when I firmly push the power button (exactly as directed in the owner's manual), often requiring that I push the button a second time - even if I hold the button several seconds with the brake depressed. The car has never "run away" with me, thus I have only experienced this problem when I have come to a stop and wish to get out of the car. The problem started after I had the car about 18 months and had driven approximately 15,000 miles. I have reported this to the dealer twice and they have not been able to duplicate it nor does their diagnostic equipment indicate that there is a problem. However, there definitely is something wrong with the car. The frequency at which this occurs is increasing, and I hope it will not develop into a more serious loss of control at highway speeds. When I complained to Toyota USA, one of their customer reps telephoned me and assured me there is no danger of that happening. The problem that I'm having will not be solved by removing the floor mat or replacing the accelerator linkage.

I had my 2008 Toyota Prius only about three months when I started having light problems. The headlights went off and I had to turn them off and turn back on. I had to do this several times. This year my passenger headlight started to get dim. When I would turn it off and turn it back on, it would work for about 5 miles then it would go off. Now it is out completely and I hear it will cost several hundred dollars to have it replaced since the dealer will have to change the light bulb. This seems to be an electrical problem with the Prius. Can something be done to have the light bulbs replaced if that is the problem or have someone check into this seeing if it's an electrical problem?

I was driving on I-15 North on Sunday afternoon, November 22, 2009 when suddenly my 2008 Toyota Prius quit running in the middle of the traffic. I tried to accelerate but the car wouldn't move. After 3 hours of waiting, the car was towed to Toyota dealership in Escondido, California. I got a call from the service manager on Monday, November 23, 2009 about the $220 cost of repairing the car. What is the problem with the car? It is oil in the manifold area that needs to be cleaned off. I am a mechanical engineer and I know the problem was electrical, not mechanical. It is obvious Toyota of Escondido is hiding the real problem! I was with my 3 children in the car when suddenly the car quit running. This was very scary considering there are no shoulders on the side of the highway to park the car.

I have a 2006 Prius. My headlights kept going out while driving and if I turned my switch on and off, they would come back on. One night on a winding road, my lights went out and would not cut back on. For a service cost of $800.00, the headlights were replaced. A customer service rep for Toyota stated they knew this was a problem but would not recall the vehicle. My husband spoke to the rep and questioned if they knew this was a problem, then Toyota should pay this bill. The rep was rude and stated, "What are you going to do when your battery goes? That's $5,000." If enough people will send the information to National Highway Safety, the vehicle may get recalled. Unfortunately, I believe someone is going to have to suffer serious injuries before this happens. I have also had to change my tires frequently. Right now I am having issues with possibly my brakes. I am taking it in again for a check. I like driving this car, but will not buy another Toyota.

2007 Toyota Prius headlights: First the passenger side went out, turned them off and then back on and they stared working again. Several days later the driver’s side went out, turned the light switch off, then back on and they started working again. This could be a big problem if you are driving down the road at night and both lights go out.

We had to replace one of the headlights on our 2008 Prius at a cost of approximately $200.

I thought I was crazy and am so glad to read that others have experienced difficulty with filling up their Toyota Prius. I drive a 2005 and for about the first year, I was able to fill the tank but since then, it only will take 8 gallons even if I drive it until the low fuel light flashes. It is impossible to fill the tank up. The dealer just acts like I am a ditzy female who doesn't have a clue; however, I keep a record of mileage and fill-ups and it is not what it should be. Any ideas what the problem is?

I purchased a 2008 Toyota Prius new and currently have 62,000 miles on it. Around the 58,000-mile mark, both headlights went out while I was driving home at night. I pulled over and switched my headlights to the off position and then back to the on position. The lights came back on, and I arrived at my destination without further problems. 2 days later, one of my headlights went out, only to come back on hours later. I replaced both bulbs, but the headlights still go out and then back on frequently. After searching the internet, I have discovered that this is not an uncommon problem with the Prius and seems to be extremely dangerous.

I drive a 2007 Prius. The accelerator has gotten stuck full throttle 4 times. The first time, I brought it in and the Toyota dealer told me to put my foot on the break. This last time, it happened while my 15 years old daughter was driving and that was it for me. Toyota has the car and they were able to duplicate the problem in the shop 2 times. It has nothing to do with the floor mat. I refused to take the car. They have given me a rental at this point.

I bought the Prius to be green and do my part to help save the planet. My first set of tires completely wore out at 15,000 miles. The dealer prorated the tires and gave me a fair price on a new set. These have lasted 10,000 miles and are showing major wear. I pointed this out to the dealer and they just blamed me saying the tire pressure was low voiding my warranty. Really? I've owned 15 cars over the years, never checked the tire pressure on any of them, and never had any unusual tire wear issues on any of those cars.

I purchased a new Toyota Prius off the lot, 2007 model, with HID headlamps. Starting at 32000 miles, 6 months ago, I found what I thought to be a headlight failure after a previous period of uncertainty about whether I had such a problem. I drove to the dealer after having spotted the faulty lamp, pulled up for service, and no trouble was found. The dealership stated they had no knowledge of intermittent issues. Since then, I've had intermittent failures of each headlight and one taillight (the taillight may be a separate issue - I don't know). I painfully extracted the HID bulbs and the taillight to inspect for corrosion and to feel for a possible loose connection, but found neither such issue on any of the three lights. I've had one incident where both lights went out on the freeway and could not be restored by flicking off and on the lights, which technique works most of the time. Since then, I've only had one at a time go out and flicking off and on the lights seems to fix it, but it now happens more often than not - i.e. more than 50% of my nightly outings, I've had to do a "flick-and-restore" to get a blinked-off headlight back on. When can I expect a recall notice on this? Anyone?

With regard to the Toyota Prius, I had a similar accident with my 2007 Prius on 8/16/2008. I was driving home on a wet morning when my Prius began to hydroplane. I hit the left guardrail and when the car spun and headed right, it catapulted me across the interstate. At this point, the brakes would not work nor could I steer the car. I hit the right guardrail and rolled my car onto the driver side. The car was totaled. Bodily harm (no hospitalization) and loss of work days. Not to mention, no car.

About a year ago, my 2005 Prius driver's side headlight went out. I noticed a 'pinkish' color to the light for about a week before it went out completely. I went to the local Toyota dealer and was told that it would be $135 for a diagnostic to decide if it was the bulb or the computer that runs the headlight. (Each headlight has its own computer.) If it's the bulb, it will be about $400 for the bulb and an undisclosed amount to install it. If it is the computer, I wasn't given a dollar amount but it would be much higher.

I have a 2007 Prius with 46,000 miles. I got it last January 2009 as a certified used car. The brakes are grabbing and feels like they are not catching for one to two feet. Billy ** and the dealer he worked for, Phil Bachman, charged me $94.01 just to tell me the problem. I was told the brake assembly actuator was bad and needed to be replaced at $2,457.90 plus tax - my warranty did not cover it. This is the fifth Toyota I have owned. I get a new one almost every two years and have yet to have a problem with any of them until I got this Prius.

I have had the same experiences with my 2006 and 2009 Prius. You have described the actions of the car perfectly. I sometimes transport my grandchildren. After the news report and reading others' experiences, I, too, am concerned. My husband assures me that as many as there are on the road, the numbers are extremely low that the manufacturer more than likely will do nothing. The report said that if this does happen in case the brakes do not slow down the car, put the car in neutral and apply the brakes. I hope I can remember that if the car ever "takes off." Technology, I suppose, is the main reason why we bought the car. Best to you, I will more than likely trade mine in when I can afford to do so and look outside of the Toyota lot!

I have a 2007 Toyota Prius purchased new. I am retired and the only driver. The car has been gently driven, well cared for and maintained, mileage less than 8,500 miles. Hearing news about uncontrolled speed surges triggered recollection of my Prius having small surges in speed from time to time and only for a second or two slowing when the brakes are applied. I felt concerned when it happened but let it go since it happened only occasionally (again only last week). Now, I am very aware of the power surges and very frightened that my car may be one that is susceptible to uncontrolled speed surges.

I was driving home with the Toyota Prius of 2005. On the way home at the entrance of my complex, I was turning at about 15 mph and then out of nowhere the car came to a complete stop, jolting my father who was in the passenger seat and me forward with a great amount of force. The car completely turned off and got all locked up, and we became sitting ducks on 152nd avenue. The only way the car was able to be moved was when the towing truck came to take it to the Toyota dealership. It has now been at the Toyota dealership for exactly ten days. I have now been informed on the 10th day that the malfunction of the car was caused by the water pump.

This is a safety issue. I leased 2008 Prius and the headlights had to be replaced after 35,000 miles. I paid for the replacement headlights and the expensive labor cost because it was over 30,000 miles. I thought this was just a fluke. I decided to buy a pre-owned 2008, expressed my concerns about the headlights malfunction. The same dealer convinced me to add a platinum extended warranty and it would cover everything bumper to bumper, even the headlights. At 50,000 miles, the headlights also went out. The dealer said the headlights just fail and need to be replaced. The headlights is not covered in the extended warranty because it is considered a wear and tear item. I have owned many Toyota cars and have never had a headlight go out even after 250,000 miles.

Approximately 6 months ago, the headlights on my 2007 Toyota Prius started to dim. About 3 months ago, the driver side headlight went out. I can turn the headlights off then back on and it stays on for awhile. Several weeks ago, they both went off. I pulled over and performed the same procedure and they both came back on. Dealership says the headlights are going out, but they cannot explain why turning them off, then on seems to work. These headlights do not just burn out like other headlights so I am suspicious. The service person cannot guarantee that new headlights will not do the same. I suspect a computer component is bad? New headlights are $150 ea. plus diagnostic (computer?), and labor brings grand total to over $400.

2007 Toyota Prius - My driver's side headlight flickers and goes out. If I turn the light off and back on, it comes back on again. Sometimes it goes out completely. Last time I was on the highway during a heavy rain at night. Very dangerous. I had an appointment with my dealership, who said it's likely a computer issue and will cost me $1,200 to repair. They also said that Toyota Corp has had many complaints and is thinking about a recall. I plan to have a diagnostic done tomorrow and am bringing copies of documentation from the internet and tell them it's a product liability issue. If I don't get immediate, free of charge action, I'm contacting the state attorney general's office, The Motor Vehicle Dept. Licensure Division and Toyota Corp.

I was driving downtown at a speed of approximately 25mph, trying to stop the car at a pedestrian crosswalk where another car already stopped. Stepping on the brake pedal did not stop or slow down the car. Instead, the car accelerated and the car that was already stopped at the crosswalk was rear ended. Toyota Prius was totaled, the driver of the Prius dislocated an ankle and police report was filed.

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

I purchased my car in March 2009 and have about 7000 miles. Today I had an incident of sudden acceleration. I had just pulled out from a stop light when my car lunged forward at high speed. I was not on a highway, but a 25-mile area. I tried to stop with brakes, but when they had no effect on the speeding vehicle, I quickly hit the power button and the car came to a stop. I was very fortunate that there was no one or thing in front of me at the time and the cars behind me were able to pull around me when I pulled to the side and stopped. I was very frightened. I took the car down less traveled streets and was afraid it would happen again on the way home. It didn't.

I am having trouble with my 2007 Prius headlights. They come on and off. The dealership wants to charge me $75 to look at it, $150 to replace each bulb and if that isn't the problem, it will cost me more money. Plus, I bought the extended warranty thinking that everything was covered. I am very upset with Toyota.

Toyota Prius is much overrated. I have a 2006 and have had to replace front wheel bearings twice. The car now has 104,000 miles on it. I just replaced rear bearings. The tire life is terrible, and many small problems also have happened. The dealer I bought it from said it happens. It's my first import and the last. I will go back to my old brand. I have never replaced wheel bearings in it. In fact, I have a 1996 pickup with 450,000 on it and I would not be afraid to drive it across the country, but not the Prius; it's just not a dependable car.

The 2007 Toyota Prius HID headlight on passenger side goes out after 1 minute of driving. It will relight momentarily after power switch is turned off, then on. The issue began shortly after expiration of 36k mile warranty. Repair quotation: $950. The issue impairs driving visibility. $950 is a ridiculous cost to repair a headlight. Toyota needs to acknowledge the Gen II Prius HID headlight failure defect and repair the headlights for owners.

I have now had to replace my 2007 Prius HID headlamps twice since purchasing my new vehicle in November 2006. These HID headlamps are extremely expensive and rather difficult to remove and install. It's $150 each for 2 headlamps, not including labor. Had I opted for Toyota to install, it would have been almost $400 each.

My 2008 Prius traction control system will cut power to the drive wheels on slippery inclines, forcing me to back down hills or leave me stuck without power in the middle of a highway. The anti-lock brakes will cut off braking to the front wheels in similar conditions. The situation is aggravated by the emergency brake being actuated by a foot-operated pedal which locks on the emergency brake until it is pushed down again to release it (no capability to vary emergency brake pressure or duration and quickly release). In slippery weather, the combinations of these flawed designs are absolutely treacherous and are guaranteed to cause accidents.

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

I own a 2005 Prius with an intermittent headlight on the drivers side at 50,000 miles. The dealer recommended that both side be replaced for over $800. Toyota would not approve this under the 100,000 mile warranty. The dealer then said to just replace the drivers side HID and not the transformer. Why would it not be needed just because it is not under warranty? They did not say they made an error in analysis. Again, I complained and talked directly to the manager and Toyota. They agreed to replace parts at no cost (HID only) for $125. At 68,000 miles, the right side became intermittent and I got a warning ticket. I went to the dealer and said that I would pay the $125 but not more. Now at 94,000 miles, the drivers side is intermittent again. I am going to go to the dealer in the morning and tell them they should provide the HID, the transformer and the labor to fix both side as they simply hid a symptom and charged me $250 to do it. I will never by a Toyota again.

After 144,000 miles driving my 2001 Prius, the transmission, inverter and the batteries had to be replaced. Until then, it was the best car I had ever owned. Since then, it is still the best but I spent $10,000 to replace everything and they even forgave me over $3,000. They just found it impossible to diagnose the complete problem at first or I would have junked it. I have car pool stickers so I thought it was better for me to fix it. I don't use the sticker benefit much.

2008 Toyota Prius rapid tire wear - The wear pattern shows underflation. Both shoulders are wearing rapidly at about 25,000 miles. They were recommended at the dealership when servicing the vehicle. I can't believe that Toyota would install such cheap tires on an almost $30,000 car. One of the front tires blew up on the freeway at around 60+ miles per hour. The other three needed replacement at around 20,000 plus. These are very low quality tires.

Report of an accident/crash in 2008 Prius - On May 1, 2009 at 7:25AM, I was backing my 2008 Prius out of our driveway. I had exited the garage and had pressed the button to close the garage door. I hadn't yet buckled up, which I usually do in our turnaround (cul-de-sac) since sometimes I have to lift myself up out of the seat when in reverse to see clearly out the rear window (that habit has changed. Guess you can't be safe in your driveway!). Unfortunately, I had forgotten that my visiting sister's car was parked at the end of the driveway, about 30 feet from the garage. Going at a slow back up speed, I hit her car (later examination showed no dents or scratches on her fender). Naturally, I was startled as well as upset that I had hit her car.

When we first purchased this 2008 Toyota Prius a year ago, we were getting really close to the EPA estimates. Over the last 6-8 months, the mileage has dropped and continues to drop more each month. Our local dealer in Reno, NV is claiming that there is nothing wrong with this vehicle, but has no explanation for the steady drop in mileage. Very frustrating! We are now getting 35-36 mpg and that is not what we paid for. A Civic does that well without the Hybrid price tag. If this is what we have to live with, then I will sell this car and never recommend to anyone.

My 2005 Toyota Prius "shoots forward" when I'm breaking. It's very scary! This occurs when the car is in battery mode and I'm trying to stop.

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

This is a follow-up to my previous post regarding my driver's side headlight needing to be replaced as well as the computer. I did call Toyota headquarters and complained that there must be a manufacturing defect. I was told I would get a return call in 24 hours. In that time period, I was driving my car in to have the work done, and the dealership called to say that Toyota had called them and told them I would be reimbursed. Wow! Both I and the dealership were stunned, but thrilled. Later, when I tried to file for the reimbursement, the Toyota HQ person said that they made no such statement. But I pushed back and said the promise of reimbursement was noted on the work order by the dealership. They called the dealership and then agreed to a "goodwill" reimbursement, admitting to nothing.

This is my own personal experience with my 2001 Prius, which we bought as a certified vehicle in April of 2006 from Performance Toyota of Sinking Spring, PA. We noticed prior to the accident that the vehicle tended to buck, but we assumed it was because it was a hybrid and the nature of the beast. In Dec 2006, I was traveling on the PA turnpike and the vehicle suddenly lost power, all the dash lights were on. I limped the car to the side just beyond a guardrail and put it in park. As I sat there, the vehicle suddenly accelerated full throttle backwards slamming into the guardrail and wiping out the rear end of the vehicle. I had a black eye, a damaged ankle, a cracked rib and general pain particularly in my arms, neck and legs. Because as soon as I realized what was happening, I stood on the brake pedal but to no avail. Only the guardrail stopped it. The airbag did not deploy either.

I own a 2006 Prius. Great car, except that about every 18 months, the right headlight starts to fail erratically. Turning the lights off and on usually gets the headlight to burn for a time, but it will inevitably turn off within a few minutes. The first time I had it replaced, the Toyota dealership initially told me it was a faulty ECU under the dashboard that would cost $500 to replace, but that it could be the headlight, and they wouldn't know until they replaced the ECU. They would not guarantee that if it turned out to be the headlight and not the ECU that they would not charge for the ECU.

I own a 2005 Toyota Prius with 111,000 miles on it. This is my second one. My 2002 which has over 100,000 has only given me minor problems. I had not experienced any problems with the 2005 until about 3 weeks ago. Driver's side headlight would just go off "unannounced". If I turned the lights on/off, it would come back on. I took it to the dealership and they said it would be over $400 with HID bulb and labor. New bulb would be under warranty for 12 months. I told them that the bulb was not burned out.

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

I own a 2001 Toyota Prius. Recently, a warning light came on and the dealer (after four separate attempts to diagnose the problem) ultimately recommended replacing the auxiliary battery, the Electronic Control Unit and the primary battery. It is worth noting that the first time I brought the car into Toyota of Santa Barbara, the car was still under the warranty period for the Hybrid drive system. The 3rd through 4th diagnosis attempts were made 5 months after the 8-year warranty period.

I was trying to back up my Prius in my backyard to park it when it suddenly and unintentionally, without any driver error or mechanical error such as a mislaid floor mat, accelerated forward. It moved so quickly that I was unable to react in time to push the brake before it hurtled 20+ feet through my neighbor's wooden fence, cracking off a support post that was 4x4 and hurling two large panels through the air. When I finally got it on brake, I was already through the fence and in my neighbor's back yard. I creased the front the bumper of my car. It happened so suddenly and without warning. I really did not understand what happened or if I had blacked out. The damage was slight, but only by my good fortune in threading between 2 Crepe Myrtle trees - which I did by pure accident. The damage was $500 to the fence and bumper damage, unknown.

It's hard to believe paying such a large premium for what seems to be a Yaris that the manufacturer will chose to finish the interior with hard plastic trim that scratches so easily. After 3 months and 1,700 miles, my wife's Prius has scratches on both front door interior surfaces under the arm rests, many chips from the release of driver’s shoulder belt hitting door pillar, and no evidence whatsoever of any professional detail that included a coat of exterior wax. We were told "Toyota will not cover these minor items." Same for exterior defects. Misaligned hood at driver’s fender is within "specifications". It’s the same for fading black covers between side windows at B-pillar and sloppy repair of defective lower bumper cladding.

My 2007 Prius has 50K miles and I am experiencing problems with the driver's side headlight intermittently coming on and going off. And then, the bright lights did not work at all. I was quoted $750 to replace the computer and the headlight. I really have no leverage to argue--I need my car at night and I need it now.

I experienced unintended acceleration with driving my wife's 2005 Toyota Prius. We had driven this car approximately 65,000 miles without incident. I was driving alone to Montreal. In traffic on a multi-lane highway in Canada, the car did not slow when I let up on the accelerator and then I realized that it was actually accelerating. I used the service brake repeatedly to keep the speed down to the speed of the traffic (probably about 60mph) until I found a place to pull off. Between applications of the brake, the car continued to gain speed. One foot was on the leftmost footrest, the other on the brake, so I was not inadvertently depressing the accelerator. Upon pulling off, I used the service brake to stop, noticed some unusual noises, then shut off the car with the button. I got out. Brakes were very hot. After a few minutes for me to calm down and the brakes to cool, I got in, started the car and it has behaved normally ever since (probably about 1,000 miles so far).

I had the warning lights come on at 139,000 and took my car to Madisonville, Hudson Toyota. My 2001 Prius was diagnosed as needing new computer, relay, new fuel pump and gas tank bladder. I paid $1750. After these were installed, I was told now that I need HV battery, worth $2650.00. I asked Hudson Toyota to save the replaced parts. After a long hunt, they found two parts reputed to be mine. Left with my car and took to it to Toyota in Hopkinsville. Yes, they said I needed battery. They installed a battery worth $2650. They said I needed new a inverter and water pump. They left without installing the inverter.

10 months ago, my 2006 Prius passenger headlight stopped working. You turn the lights on, and after 15 seconds, it turns off. I've avoided night driving since, unless it couldn't be avoided. 7 months ago, my DVD Voice-activated navigation system decided to quit working. Now while out of town, I needed to get to my in-law's house; and night had just fallen and the driver side light decided to go on the fritz. So now, I have a 2 1/2-year-old car that is worthless at night. As per all of the other stories here, replacement will be out-of-pocket around $1,000.00 for the HID lights and the ECU computers (one for each light). I think this is a safety issue when a user cannot replace just a light to fix their car. When it comes to the DVD Navigation system, as per the dealership "Oh, that's going to run some serious money." So I didn't even have that diagnosed. I will never buy another Prius again.

My 2007 Prius has a problem with the transmission slipping out of drive into neutral all by itself and the engine completely shutting off while driving at speed. Mileage is 37,000 miles and regular recommended maintenance done. Very strange!

Yesterday, I was out approximately $750 to replace a burned-out headlamp on my 2006 Prius. Is that a reasonable charge? I'm not criticizing the Toyota rep. He seemed as perplexed as I was when he quoted the cost to me for my okay to continue with the work. Here's the breakdown: $343 for the headlamp plus about $400 labor because the bumper had to be removed. If that's an accurate expense, isn't it a bit unfair to the customer to have to pay for removing a bumper to replace a headlamp?

Driver's side headlight of my 2006 Prius periodically goes out. (Dealership knows nothing about this.) Some buttons on steering wheel failed at approx. 58,000 miles, Tires wore out after 25k then again at approx. 23k. (Dealership knows nothing. Goodyear knows nothing.) P.S. I just saw Bridgestone on the new Prius at the dealership. Go figure!

I own a 2006 Prius. I started experiencing problems with the driver's side headlight. It would go on and off intermittently. Toyota says they can't do anything about it unless they notice the problem when I bring it in.

Both headlights of my 2005 Toyota Prius were replaced before the 36,000 mile warranty expired. Now at 76,000 miles, driver side headlight is out again. I took it to the dealership. I was told it was the HID bulb. The bulb would cost $500, plus an hour of labor, plus shop supplies plus tax. Lucky for me, the bulb was on back order.

We own two Toyota Priuses, a 2006 and a 2008. We commute 1 and 1/2-2 hours a day, and we love them. The list of complaints here is an absolutely horrible sampling of Prius experiences due to selection bias. Complaints, not praises, are actively solicited on this website. I am not saying the complaints are invalid. I'm saying that the sampling of experiences is completely invalid, and therefore, completely misleading.

My 2007 Prius has been a wonderful car, with no problems whatsoever. My running average fuel economy stays at 50 mpg or better year round. My best mileage so far was a trip from Western NY to Maine, where I got 61 mpg. Don't let these other losers fool you, the Prius is a wonderful car.

My 09 Prius was just 4 months old with 3K+ miles. In the parking lot with less than 10mph speed, my foot was already out of the accelerator when I found unintended accelerating at a slow but steady speed. Feeling strange, I went all in for the brakes - no reaction from the car. The car crashed into a light pole, tilted to its right and crashed down in the parking spot right next to where I wanted to park. With me hanging by the seat belt and the car still accelerating, I went for the power button. No response to that either. I opened the window, freed myself from the seat belt, and called for help to get out through the window. The car wouldn't stop accelerating until the cops came over in response to my 911 and helped me switch the car off. Insurance said my car is totaled. Toyota has scheduled to look at my car next week. I hope they have a good answer. I would like to know if there is a lawsuit in the works. I see that several others have faced what I went through with my brand new Prius.

I was driving my 2007 Toyota Prius on I-90 westbound in Wisconsin heading toward Minnesota. I was driving at or around 68mph (speed limit 65) as I had the car on cruise control. There was a sign that the left lane was going to end, so I started to speed up to pass a freight truck that was in the next lane. Concurrently, I saw two police cars on the left shoulder. As I started to accelerate, the truck sped up and I realized that there was no way I would be able to pass and eased back the accelerator. The problem was that the accelerator stuck and the car started speeding forward. The good news is that I was in the free lane with no one in front of me to hit. The bad news is that it took me a bit of time to use my shoe to disengage the accelerator. I was startled and shaken by the experience and had planned to get off at the next exit to re-group. That is when one of the police officers pulled me over for speeding.

I own a 2002 Toyota Prius. At 85,000 miles, the check engine lights came on and the car was humming. I stopped at Firestone, where I had had oil changed by a Prius technician a week before. They said an extra quart of oil in car. They said they removed it. Next morning, same engine lights came on. I towed it to Team Toyota in Langhorne, PA. They said transmission was gone - $8,000 to fix. Not covered under 100k hybrid warranty and my extended extra care had expired on Sept 14. This was on October 9th. No oil was in the intakes of the engine. I've been told excess oil can stress engine parts. Also, I found after the fact that Toyota used T4 transmission fluid in older Prius and now uses WS transmission fluid. We had it changed at 60k, as listed in the owner's manual. Car repair shop in California is now recommending every 15k (probably too late for most owners).

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius. It just turned 100k on the odometer. At 58,000 miles (3-18-08), I started experiencing problems with the driver's side headlight. It would go on and off intermittently. I was told that the headlight and the ECU needed to be replaced. Even though I had purchased an extended warranty (at Toyota Land of Springfield, NJ), it still cost me $406.97 out of pocket. To add insult to injury, I had to return again within a week's time because the headlight went out again. I was told that it was a bad ECU for the headlight. They replaced it at no additional charge, "Gee, thanks!"

I had an unexpected acceleration incident with my 2007 Prius Hybrid on March 25, 2009. As I was backing into a parking space, my Prius accelerated, and jumped the curb within seconds and hit a brick pier attached to the roof of the building. The bricks flew off. Fortunately, there was no one on the sidewalk. The bricks were on the facade with a metal pipe in the middle, which remained intact. In addition to the bricks flying off the pier, my car sustained approximately $4,000 in body damage. I ended up with a pulled ligament in my back for which I had to get medical treatment.

I was driving my Prius and was approaching a red light. The vehicles in front of me were braking. I was braking as well, but the Prius was not stopping. It started swerving all over the place and the warning light concerning traction lit up. Gratefully, I don't tailgate at all or I would have rear ended the person in front of me. At the last moment, the car managed to get traction and barely stopped in time. It was in the middle of the day and the roads were completely dry. I had just purchased the vehicle and hadn't even had the new plates on it yet when this occurred.

I have had 3 accidents or near-accidents with my new 2009 Toyota Prius due to a combination of mysterious acceleration and loss of brakes. The first incident (a near-accident) occurred when the car in front of me stopped. I was driving slowly, but my car suddenly seemed to accelerate on its own and my brakes failed. How I stopped my car, I will never know. The second incident was when I was driving into my garage. Again, the car seemed to accelerate and the brakes did not work. The garage wall was damaged on both sides. After this, I took the car into the Toyota dealer. They examined it and said if I had more trouble, to bring it in again.

I have a '06 Prius and the headlights went out. The dealer says that he has never heard of the problem and that I should come back when the light was out - great idea, hopefully not when my car is wrapped around a telephone pole. I spoke to a customer experience representative at Toyota headquarters and they said that they have heard of this problem, but they are not supporting the repairs of this issue. I'm not sure how they can get away with this, as this is not an issue of wear and tear. This is clearly faulty parts that they have installed in the vehicle. Can anyone help with this?

I bought a 2008 Toyota Prius in December of 2007 and I experienced the following problems with this vehicle: 1) all 4 tires were worn out around 20K miles with routine rotation at every 5k miles; 2) the navigation system was very unfriendly to the user. I have 1996 Acura LR which was 12 years older, way better than this; 3) the display on the monitor was designed so shallow that during the day time, was absolutely useless; and 4) the seat and armrest veneers looked so bad within the first 2 years.

When we purchased my Prius in December 2007, we paid extra to install the Smart Key system. Last week, while on a trip to Houston, our rental car was broken into and my purse and my husband's briefcase were stolen. My purse contained one smart key and the second was in my husband's briefcase. We had to have the car towed out of the Atlanta airport to Toyota South - the closest Toyota facility to the airport. Our dealership, Toyota of Roswell, originally told us it would cost $200 a piece to replace the smart keys.

I have a 2005 Prius with TRAC as standard equipment. This has been dangerous for me just in rainy road conditions, as I pulled into traffic, a tire slipped a little and all power to the wheels was stopped. I have nearly been in accidents due to this several times. Last weekend I was stranded on a hill in less than a half inch of snow. In order to get the car out, my rescuer had to back all the way to the end of this long, dead end, one lane road and drive insanely fast to have enough momentum to just barely make it up the hill. This could have been disastrous had a car come down the road the other way. I am in danger every time I drive my Prius in the rain or snow. I live in Seattle, WA so this means truly I am in danger about 80% of the time I drive it. Toyota needs to fix this problem.

I thought it was the tires and went to see if I needed new tires. The car only had 22k mile on the original tires. Then after some research, I found your article on this.

My 2007 Prius is an accident waiting to happen when driving in snow. The traction shuts down when the wheels slip and THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I feel that I should sell it but I just bought it last year, and without a job I cannot afford to change cars. IS THERE ANY WAY TO DISENGAGE THIS SAFETY DEVICE?? Consequences: no damage, but I almost got hit in the side when I tried to enter an intersection and the wheels spun on rainy pavement, engine stopped, and cars were approaching me from both sides. I do NOT need an auto manufacturer telling me I cannot “peel out”. Peeling out may be required to save my life!

We own a 2006 Toyota Prius. It has only 74,000 miles, and we have regular oil changes. All of a sudden, as of approximately three weeks ago, the head lights suddenly go off while driving. This happened only once, three weeks ago, and we thought that perhaps we didn't engage the steering wheel switch correctly. Then, the other day, we were driving at night on the highway, and at 65 mph, both headlights went out. They came on again once we turned the column switch off and on again. This happened several times, throughout the way home.