Toyota Prius Reviews

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.

I own an '07 Toyota Prius. At 50,000 miles both headlights began turning off intermittently. Turn them on, one would turn off, then the other would turn off, randomly. This makes driving at night unsafe unless I re-set the lights by turning them off and then on again. Thinking that the problem was an intermittent contact on a $160.00 relay, I went to the dealer and found that both headlights contain a computer and is a common issue - one computer for each headlight. Both computers are bad and intermittently failing. Coincidental that it's both computers failing and began at exactly at 50,000 miles. The dealer will also not replace the computers without replacing the HID headlamp bulbs. At this point with the excessive costs associated with disassembling the car's front-end, it's probably wise to spend the $289.00/headlamp bulb while it's torn apart.

This is not a complaint but rather a comment on the numerous Toyota Prius complaints I have read.

My name is Alicia and I'm hoping that something can be done since Toyota Corporation can't help me and the Dealership don't care. I want to be able to share the type of service I receive. I bought a used car not from Toyota but from a small private own car lot which isn't running anymore, But I buy a used 2001 Toyota Prius Hybrid and I bought it back on March 2007. I bought the extended warranty on the car but it ran out a week before my car started having problems. I took it to Toyota Dealership and they diagnosis the car and it was the Hybrid battery going out on the car and the est. cost is $3860.00.

A few weeks ago we went away for a week and the Prius would not start. We were 200 miles from home. We took it in soon as we could. They gave no reason for it. Here lately the radio would not work then on its own it started working but we started having intermittent window problems then the driver side head light would not come on then both lights would go out and come back on so I took it in the dealership. Said both right and left head lights would not come on. They called the warranty up and they said it wasn't covered even though they can't truly say why any of this electrical thing is happening. But the really outrage is the warranty won't cover this. The car is a 2006 2 years old. It does have 43,000 but we had a 100,000 warranty. The biggest shock for all the Prius owners - the 2 lamps cost with labor and tax $894.00. In any other vehicle you might pay $26 dollars. Please tell me we're not the only ones.

I purchased a Toyota Prius on January 30, 2001 from Dublin Toyota in Dublin California. The Prius was used as a demonstrator and had 7961 miles on the odometer. I was told you are going out the door with a new car warranty. And the contract includes notation, Day Of First Use 01/30/2001.

I am very pleased with my 2008 Prius and to be truthful, I do not understand all the complaints I read about. I have done the math, not paying attention to the gauge, and I have been getting between 54.5 and 60.2 mpg on the open road. There is also a comment on this website regarding the disposal of batteries. I think the disposal of old tires is much more of a problem and the countryside is littered with them. The service received has been excellent. The only problem I have had is someone in a grocery store parking lot either backed into the rear of my car, or did so with a shopping cart, which did some minor damage. Maybe people should dwell more on the high cost of repairs rather than worrying batteries which, at least in my area, can be properly disposed of with no problems. May be when God decides to build a car, it will be perfect. Until then, the next best thing is the Japanese automotive God named Toyota.

auto stopped while trying to climb a gravel hill no power to the engine it just stopped dead and would not proceed ,would not proceed at all stuck. Also same conditon in snow on flat to slight incline..Very very discuring.Plan on law suit Was not informed of this situation by the dealer

Had to use small spare tire on front left wheel of 2007 Prius when had flat tire while driving. Had two instances of power off to drive wheels while driving with small spare. Seems likely due to very sensitive traction control. First instance occurred when pulling out into traffic and accelerating moderately rapidly, but steadily; power to drive wheels cut off twice while trying to cross two lanes and merge with two lanes. Second instance occured while normally accelerating through a moderate turn to right from a stoplight.

My 2008 Toyota Prius has had challenges with calculating mileage since I purchased the car. I have never expected the car's average mileage to be dead on, but close would be nice. I just got back from a lengthly road trip and the mileage, when calculated by hand, differed as much as 11 mpg ... with the car noting the fuel economy was better than acutally achieved. I was only getting in the high 30's on this trip ... ugh!!! Today I took the Prius into Toyota to have the fuel gauge recalibrated (this would have been the third time). Toyota told me that the difference can be up to 15 mpg difference and that there was nothing wrong with the car. While waiting for the car to be taken care of, I looked around the car lot ... I now have a 2009 Toyota Camry SE (my 1992 Camry has over 250K on it). No more worries about all the different issues I experienced with my Prius ... I am looking forward to seeing how my Camry runs!

We bought a Prius to save money. Didn't save much, will be spending more. The car is under warranty so you might not notice pending huge bills right away. The air filter is so small you have to replace it every 6000 miles and it cost $30 each. They way overrated the MPG which is like the only reason anyone puts up with an ugly car.

The auxiliary battery of my 2005 Prius drained when the dome light was accidentally left on, while I was on vacation. I tried to jump start using the procedure described in the Owner's Manual, which probably would have worked if the post designated for that had been more accessible and larger. After this failed attempt I contacted the dealer and was advised not to try and jump start, because of possible serious damage to the electronics but to have the car towed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.