2005 TOYOTA Prius

Headlights come on intermittently. Usually they work fine, but every so often since my friend first told me my lights were out last week, they don\'t turn on whether the car is running or not. It can happen to one or both lights at a time, and is unpredictable, making me afraid to drive at night. I took it to the mechanic\'s today, but the lights were working and he couldn\'t determine the problem. The bulbs are fine, as long as they are able to turn on, and the mechanic agreed the bulbs do not need replacement.

Headlights just turn off while driving, sometimes just one side and sometimes both sides. They will come back on sometimes by turning the switch of and back on.

my head lights go out intermittently and come back on when the switch is turned off and back on again. My electric battery went out and I had to replace it again after a year.

hEA
Headlights flicker and then go out. Sometimes one at a time and also both together. At 70 mph on the freeway this can be very dangerous. Turning lights switch off for 10 to 15 seconds can fix the problem for a short time. Then again they will stay on for a long period.

I was driving west through Nevada at 11 PM at night towards Reno (approx. 180 miles away) on I-80 at 75 mph when suddenly my headlights went out. I immediately tried turning
the lights off and on manually with my left hand, and the lights came on again (I couldn\'t see anything in the dark, scared out of my mind). Then, about 2 minutes later the same
thing happened (I was driving slower this time). I did the same turning off and on again, and the lights came back on again, although somewhat dimmer. A few minutes later (5
minutes?) I was passed by a vehicle, that then slowed down and came in behind me, and then turned on the police lights and I immediately pulled in an exit ramp (fortunately
there was one right there). After the policeman checked my license and registration, he informed me that one of my headlights was out. He asked me to try and flick on and off
the lights a couple of times, and to try the brights, but none of this brought it back into working order. He then out of the blue mentioned to me (without me bringing this up) that
the Prius\' were notorious for having intermittent issues with the headlights, especially on the passenger side of the car (which is the side that was out, coincidently). He let me
proceed using one headlight without ticketing me. A few miles later I pulled into a rest area and turned off the car for a few minutes while I went to the bathroom, and when I got
back into the car and turned on the headlights they both came on, but within 20 seconds the passenger side light went out again. When I got home the next day and turned on
the headlights they were both working again. This intermittent failure of the passenger side headlight has occurred a few times in the past, and I have had the Toyoto dealer
look into it and they claimed that it was fixed. However, this time it was life threatening.

Driver side headlight goes out intermittently, roughly 1-2 minutes. If I turn the lights off then on, then it comes back on for another minute or two. If I don’t notice the other light will go out as well leaving me totally in the dark. The first time this happened (Aug? I don’t drive at night often) I didn’t know the trick about turning it off then on, and I was doing 65mph on the highway when I found myself in darkness.

the front right headlight began flickering in May 2015 while driving. the left headlight began flickering shortly after. the headlights no longer work at all.

We were driving on the overpass going from highway 87 to the us 101 north in San Jose going about 70 mph heading to the San Fransisco Airport at 8pm at night( it was very dark). The headlights just turned off even though the dashboard indicator showed that they were on. We tried frantically to turn the lights on and off again, but the headlights would not come on. We took the next exit and stopped in front of a hotel where we could see the headlights. We turned the car off and counted to 10 and turned the car on again. The headlights came back on. We turned the fog lights on for the rest of the drive in case they turned off again. The lights stayed on all the way to the airport, and then almost all the way home. After exiting the freeway, the lights stayed on for about a mile before turning off, stayed off for about a mile before turning back on, and they stayed on until I got home.

The right headlight began going out intermittently and unpredictably. Both headlight bulbs and modules were replaced, which required removal of the front bumper and was ridiculously expensive. Unfortunately, last week, at 145,000 miles on the same vehicle, the left headlight became intermittent. Because of the excessive expense and since we now know the fix will not last, we have not had vehicle repaired again and try to avoid driving it at night or in bad weather. Given the apparent frequency of this problem with the Prius, my wife and I do not understand why Toyota has not found a generic solution to this serious safety problem and issued a recall.

I had total brake failure whilst driving. All the panel lights came on, with warning lights, and a loud beeping noise inside the car. I went to put on my brakes not knowing what was wrong and found I had none! Fortunately I was only driving at 20 mph and on the outside lane and able to just slow down and drive into the curb

The front headlights will randomly flicker out, someones one or sometimes both. One can get them back on by toggling the light switch on and off, but it is very dangerous when driving on an interstate at night. This is apparantly a huge safety problem with many Prius owners, but a recall has not yet been issued.

Headlights go off. Both of the headlights on my 2005 Prius failed at the same time.
In July, while I was driving, another driver told me my headlight was out. The next day I took it to a mechanic and he replaced the bulb of the headlight on the drivers side, for $200. I noticed a few days later that the bulb would come on when I started the car but would go off after a few minutes. Because I kept checking the lights, I noticed that after the driver’s side headlight went off, the passenger side also went out. The mechanic told me that the problem was the headlight computer and he replaced the driver’s side computer at a cost of $400. I could not afford to get the other headlight computer replaced at that time.
Today, August 25, 2014, I took my car to DARCARS Toyota dealership and asked them to investigate the problem. They said the bulb on the passenger side was flickering and was causing the problem I told them of. I assume they had a way to check the computer. I paid them $254 to replace the bulb.
I felt it was important to get the two headlights repaired because I had stopped driving at night and was feeling vulnerable by not having headlights on during the day. I really wish Toyota would do right by us and recall all cars with this problem and reimburse those of us that paid for the repair.

Toyota has a major flaw in their HID headlamp systems in their Prius models. The headlamps will extinguish unexpectedly while driving causing imminent danger to both driver as well as other vehicles near the vehicle. I have contacted Toyota and they are denying any responsibility for the problem, claiming that the problem is fixable by replacing the lamp, which is simply not true. I had the HID headlamps serviced and they are still going out. Toyota needs to be held responsible for this problem, it is obviously either a bad design or material flaws causing the problem.

Continual intermittent headlamp failure(s) over the last several years that is corrected by turning the lights off and back on. One or both headlamps go out. This is VERY dangerous when driving at night. Have had grandchildren in the car when it’s happened. Hae resorted to only driving the vehicle during daylight hours, because multiple bulb replacement(s) hasn’t resolved the problem.

Over 196 consumer complaints filed regarding this safety concern with the NHTSA with no result. Called the NHTSA and asked how many complaints does it take to get something done. Was told that Toyota drives a same model year around and if they can’t duplicate the problem, then it is no longer investigated. Toyota recalled 2006 – 2009 models for this issue. They need to go back and recall 2005 for the SAME THING.

My husband was pulled over by a police officer while driving our recently purchased Prius. One of his headlights was not on. Since then the other headlight goes off as well. We did a search and found that this can be a problem with the Prius. Buying new bulbs(which are costly) often does not resolve the problem. This is a safety issue while driving at night.

Headlights go out without warning.

I have been a Prius devotee, and when I embarked on a long-distance trip, my 2005 Toyota Prius gave me confidence. Sadly, my confidence is gone after experiencing back-to-back serious, then catastrophic, safety problems that could have easily left me, and others, dead or seriously injured. Fortunately, I have merely been left stranded, far away from home in Jacksonville, FL, happy to be alive but not knowing what to do next. I’d like your advice. Here’s what happened:

I was driving on the Interstate with the cruise control set at 70 mph. Seeing traffic stopped ahead, I applied the brakes for a moment to slow, then released the brake to coast. Much to my surprise, the cruise control was still engaged and the car accelerated. I applied the brakes again, manually turned off the cruise control, then was able to coast. I drove for another half-hour without incident until the following afternoon when I drove again, experiencing a much more serious problem.

I had just turned left, and was straightening the wheels (turning the steering wheel back right) when I heard, and felt, a loud “snap” in the steering wheel, immediately upon which I knew the steering wheel was disconnected and I could no longer steer the car. Very, very fortunately, and only because I was already nearly stopped, I was able to stop the vehicle without incident. However, I immediately recognized that, had this happened in almost any other scenario than being nearly parked, the outcome would have been markedly different. The steering wheel is completely loose, not controlling anything, and all the many steering wheel controls are equally disconnected, including the driver’s air bag (SRS), something that I would have needed, but wouldn’t have worked, had I crashed into oncoming traffic or an Interstate median. Had I not decided to run a frivolous and unnecessary errand, I would have otherwise been on the Interstate, rushing home for Thanksgiving like many others, but now am merely stranded, in a motel, far from home in Jacksonville, FL, wondering what to do next.

My low mileage (just 27,773 mi), seven year old Prius is still parked, undriveable, exactly where I had the catastrophic failure. I called a tow truck, and Enterprise car rental, right afterwards, but neither showed … it was Thanksgiving Eve. I ate cold, leftover pizza for Thanksgiving, but was otherwise happy to be alive and have a roof overhead and thinking that the two no-shows may have been blessings in disguise. Having had unsatisfactory resolution of some relatively minor problems when this car was new (cruise control wouldn’t resume, poor radio reception, steering that seemed to take me out of my lane, and bad, Goodyear Integrity tires that I ended up replacing myself), and questionable, rip-off maintenance since, leaves me questioning whether or not I can trust Toyota to do right by me, particularly given how serious this situation is (and easily could have been, if not for me, for others) and what circumstance I now find myself in. I want to ensure this is handled correctly so that no one else will ever encounter what I have faced but with an easily, potentially much more catastrophic outcome.
Do I trust Toyota to do right by me and repair THEIR problem? Do I pay Toyota to repair THEIR problem, covering-up the inherent issue and leaving me with a car I no longer trust? Do I shell out the big bucks to buy a new vehicle, a financial burden I can’t afford right now? Do I repair it, then trade it in on a new vehicle, or trade in an undrivable car, getting very little of the value it has to me? These, and many others, are questions I’m considering. Your help would be most appreciated!

Thank you!

Sincerely, George Service-connected / Disabled (unemployable) Veteran

never received the fuel consumption Toyota brags about;
lots of flat tires and Toyota always insisted that they couldn’t be repaired and had to be replaced. on at least one occasion waited 3 hours to simply have a tire replaced while the dealer’s personal vintage Buick was taking up space on a lift. numerous letters complaining to SF Toyota and Toyota USA. new problems occurred after dropping off car at City Toyota and they also claimed a wheel bolt was missing, exorbitant charge to simply locate a loose wire which they never would let me see. regarding the supposed floor mat problem, i have written to Toyota “Customer Experience” only to have some flunky call me and quote my letter back to me! complained to a number of agencies regarding this including a certified letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and never received a reply. i don’t buy the US government’s recent report on this and i understand that the CAS is also skeptical. please help us! i also understand that there is a lawsuit against Toyota and would like to participate.

as you know, Toyota has recalled these cars because of uncontrolled acceleration and water pump problems. i took the time and trouble to write to them asking for reassurance that no work other than what is outlined in their recalls would be done and stating that i wanted to receive the old parts after the service has been completed. their response was to have some flunky call me and simply read my letter back to me! the lawsuit against Toyota because of their defective products and intentional deception regarding what is wrong with them was in the news again just this morning. i have absolutely no reason to believe them when they say they will simply replace our floor mats and make other minor mechanical corrections. i have good reason to suspect that there is an underlying electronic problem that this company is covering up and i simply want their written assurance that no procedures other than those outlined in their letters will be done on our car. they have refused to provide me with the written reply to my letter i asked for and i have already reported this issue to the National Highway Traffic Administration, the Bureau of Automotive Repair, a local television station’s consumer division and Consumer Action, who named your organization as the only remaining recourse for me. i am outraged that these other groups have either not responded or have simply passed the buck. who is representing the consumer in cases like this? we fear that we are driving around in an unsafe car and in case anything happens to us as a result i want it on record that i am desperately asking for help in this matter. please assure me that your organization will take some action regarding this so that we can get the recall work completed. thank you.

We believe that the Prius suddenly accelerated in a curve and caused our son to be killed when he lost control of the vehicle, jumped a curb and struck an overpass support on I-10 and Kino Blvd in Tucson AZ. Oct 22nd 2009.

Just Like the 2010 models, the brakes fail when braking at the same time as going over irregular pavement. The dealer consistently said, from the first week I bought the car brand new and reported this problem, that they could not replicate the problem when they drove it and so could not fix it.

In 2-08 my wife driving home from work late at night on the freeway in southern California, she felt as if the gas pedal or throttle our 2005 prius was stuck. The car was speeding at 85-90 mph. Luckily there was no one on the road my wife reached down to see if anything was in the way of the gas pedal. There was nothing there. She braked hard and after a few minutes the car resumed to its normal operation. This was mentioned to the dealer the next day and I took the car in for a service. The techs at Toyota indicated everything was fine. We shrugged it off. Upon hearing about the recall of the floor mats in late 2009, we removed our driver side floor mat. Even though according to the letter I received from Toyota my vehicle’s mats are not effected. After hearing about all of the complaints and recalls we drove our Toyota less… I would only drive if needed. Coming home from work late in 2-10 I felt as if the throttle was sticking. The engine would rev up. The car would jump ahead. I pulled over shut the car down for 5 minutes and proceeded home on surface streets. Our car has been dealer maintained and is still under warranty. I removed my floor mats when told and still feel as if there is a problem. We are currently out of town working until may. The car is stored in our garage at home. Upon return in may, I plan to have the car towed to the dealer. I wont put my family in jeopardy. I want to make sure that our problems are noted like the others. It’s a shame because other than the throttle pedal issue the car is wonderful!!!!

I am writing about an incident with my 2005 Toyota Prius. On July 20, 2009 as my wife was driving our Prius the engine light went on. She immediately drove into the parking lot of a small business and stopped the car. We had it towed to a repair shop (Toyo Auto Services). The mechanics there diagnosed the problem. The inverter pump that supplies coolant to all the engine parts had malfunctioned. The mechanics at Toyo told us that the Toyota Company was aware that this problem could occur on our 05 Prius. If we had the car towed to a Toyota dealer the defective inverter pump would be replaced with a more recent model free of charge. The next day we had the car towed to the Karl Malone dealership [(505) 294-8800]. They examined the car and verified that the problem was a defective inverter pump. Their codes as printed on their invoice number 524093 [21 July 2009] are "34352 Pulled Code POA93, sub Code 346-Inverter cooling system performance. Found TSB EG001-07 to correct this concern. Replaced inverter water pump as per STB." This catastrophic malfunction occurred without any prior warning. We have maintained the car with regular maintenance as per the schedule in the owners manual. We were very lucky that the malfunction occurred while we were in town. Since we live in New Mexico the malfunction could have occurred out in one of our deserts or on one of our mountains. We are both 73 years of age and both cancer survivors. The last thing that we needed was to be stranded somewhere or to have the engine completely destroyed if we were not able to immediately stop the car. I do hope that Toyota will be required to perform a recall on the Prius models that have this type if inverter pump so that owners can continue to drive their cars safely.

2005 toyota prius. consumer states brake problems *tgw the consumer stated within a month of purchasing the vehicle, she noticed the brakes would engage, then fail, then engage again. the vehicle was taken to the service department, but they were unable to duplicate the problem. *jb

2005 toyota prius. consumer states vehicle loss steering, brakes, cruise control on the highway, when applying brake at a full stop vibration is felt *tgw the power steering, brake and abs light illuminated. the consumer stated he noticed when the problem occurred, he was using his bluetooth headset. *jb

2005 toyota prius. consumer expresses discontent with dealer response and recall *tgw the consumer stated on three separate occasions, when accelerating to pass and merge, the brake did not deactivate the cruise control. the consumer stated if felt wa though the vehicle was accelerating on its own. the consumer stated he did receive a recall notice in the mail regarding an accelerator problem. *jb

2005 toyota prius makes a loud noise caused by anti-lock brake problems.*ts the consumer stated the noise was heard when the brakes were applied. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. upon diagnosis, the consumer was informed it would cost $2,300 to correct the problem. the service rep stated a tsb had been issued regarding the problem, but there was no safety issue involved. the service rep it was not necessary to have the unit repaired. *jb

Consumer complaint concerning 2005 prius engine stalling. *ts *jb

Consumer's toyota prius lost power suddenly while driving on the interstate.*mr *nm

I never received any notification of need to change out the actuator on my brake system. my car has been maintained meticulously. yesterday while driving on interstate, the abs, brake, and vsc lights illuminated. my mechanic says $2500 repair. i was never notified of this life threatening issue by toyota. the “extended warranty” of course was time limited, expiring in 2017. should have been a recall

1) daily use of the liftgate. 2) intermittant failure of shock system. the liftgate came down on my head after i had opened the liftgate and reached inside to obtain groceries. 3)my car was still under the 36,000 mile warranty. the dealer said they would not replace the shocks unless there was complete failure. i contacted toyota corporate only to be redirected to the dealer. where after they discussed the issue they finally decided to replace the shocks without admitting that the part failed. the shocks will be replaced 9/13/2007. *jb

Car stopped accelerating/ engine died while driving at 20-30 mph exiting holland tunnel. coasted, then braked to stop, pulling over to shoulder. turned ac off. red warning light on. ac warning light? pressed park button. press power button to turn off car. waited 5 sec and then pressed power button, keeping ac off , and resumed accelerating.

Tl the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was depressed in anticipation to stop the vehicle. the contact stated the brake warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to mike calvert toyota (2333 s loop w, houston, tx 77054) where it was diagnosed with the brake actuator needing to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact related the failure to an unknown recall. the manufacturer was informed of the failure. the contact was informed that the recall had ended in 2017. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

During cold weather trying to drive the car it will not stay in the gear i have to hold it down even when i back out of the driveway or when i go anywhere it starts to warm up then the car may sometimes stay in gear.

My wife and i bought a new prius in early march of 2005. my wife was coasting to stop (around 5 mph) for a stop sign and when she put her foot on the brake the car started to accelerate. she came to a stop after hitting another car head on. before she hit the car (she also sideswiped another car) she was able to look at her feet to confirm that she was indeed pressing on the brake pedal.

Vehicle in motion at lower speeds usually below 10 miles per hour, which is when the friction brakes kick in as you coming to a stop. the issue is that the friction brakes come in and lock up way too hard even though the pressure on the pedal has not changed. this causes the car to skid and/or buck, not stopping as effectively, making it more likely to cause an accident. the issue seems to be more prevalent with the rear drum brakes but the front disk brakes also contribute to it.

The headlights are going on and off while driving. they will stay on for a few minutes and then the left or right one will go out so then i'll reset the lighting and it will come back on and then i will go out again. sometimes the right sometimes it's the left sometimes it's both.

Steering is sticky when turning steering wheel while driving at any speed.*dt

Takata recall im having a problem in headlight of my toyota prius 2005 the driver side always missed up and once i turn it off and on it works for a while then same problem i been pulled over by the police many time i have changed the light but same problem its also dangerous sometimes when im driving in a curve where is no light and the light turned off i found my self in the shoulder that really weird. *tr

Brake actuator assembly failure this system failed and had to be replaced by owner of prius. owner was driving car and the brakes stopped working almost causing a crash. toyota recently (2016) offered warranty coverage for repairs in 2005. but having to take them to small claims because was denied on a technicality. *tr

One headlight or both will randomly go out while driving. has happened sporadically 6 or so times over the last 6 months, including this evening when both headlights failed. totally random, can happen on short or long trips, city streets or highway. so far lights have come back on by cycling the light switch on and off

The prius odometer stopped at 299999 and won't record more mileage. however, the trip odometer continues to register miles, so it seems clear the mechanisms are working to collect miles. the problem this causes is that some states view this failure to move on or reset at 000000 as an inspection failure. should not be a designed failure, as previous comlaint indicated since this is a digital readout.

Car headlights will intermittently go off during nighttime driving. this issue has occurred on multiple occasions.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving various speeds, the gear shifter failed to change from drive into neutral. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. in addition, the vehicle was previously serviced per an unknown recall in which the inverter water pump was replaced; however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the repair was a one time remedy. the approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

Head lights dims after 2 minutes of driving then few seconds later completely shots off.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled and all the warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with an inverter water pump failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v563000 (engine and engine cooling, hybrid propulsion system). the failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

During charging the vehicle caught fire during the process distroying vehicle vehicle was stationary

Stepping on the brake pedal did not stop or slow down the car.

Clock cable failed.. caused the airbag, horn and cruise control to not work..

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the instrument panel failed to illuminate after the vehicle operated. the contact also stated that the reverse lights failed to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel unit needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 230,000.

Lights would go off while driving, at first 1 side or the other, acouple times both went off with the last time almost causing a collision and i had my kids in the car.

The headlights are continually replaced (once every 6 months for the last year and a half or more), and replacements of authorized parts keep failing, consistent with issues presented in this forum: https://priuschat.com/threads/headlight-problem.34584/. i have checked and rechecked with dealership but they only offer $500+ replacement and no recalls or fixes for the general issue.

Passenger headlight goes off intermittently. turn switch off and on and comes on again. have had bulb replaced x2 and now toyota dealer says that toyota has a bulletin about it. note to the tune of $500 to fix. in researching this seems to be a common problem. it's a hazard at night or in rain or inclement weather and evidently something toyota has had complaints about enough to put out a bulletin. vehicle in motion, highway miles. i believe some sort of short but certainly not mechanic. this has been happening since january 2017. two new bulbs plus labor and now told wiring mechanism. help. if toyota knows a problem, address it in a recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while the vehicle was stationary, the brake lights malfunctioned. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 130,000.

Both headlights will flicker and go out, mostly at different times than the other but can happen at the same time. by turning the headlight switch off, then back on after 10 to 15 seconds they will come back on. driving on the freeway this leaves you in a very dangerous situation. thank god for fog lights, a life saver at 70 miles an hour. this can also happen sitting in my driveway before leaving for work.

Motor wont shut off

Car will not start, i have replaced the battery, it is not a battery issue. if you slam the car door, or hood of car, the car may start. the horn will work, witch indicates it is not the battery. may sometimes start with a jump start. this usually is while the car is not in motion.

Intermittent hid/xenon headlight operation. must cycle power using headlight on/off switch to reignite headlight. happens occasionally during cold starts in the morning as well as during vehicle operation.

As the hybrid battery for my 2005 toyota prius began to fail, i noticed a degradation in my braking ability. my brakes would slip out on me unless the gas engine was running— in driving that relied on the battery, i essentially had non working brakes. when i had the hybrid battery replaced, a multi-point inspection revealed my front brake linings at 8.9mm and my rear drum linings at 3mm (which is still in excellent range). this was clearly not a case of worn out brake pads; and replacing the hybrid battery restored my braking function when running on battery power.

The passenger side headlight has gone out 3 times in a 3 year period. each time the bulb has been replaced at significant expense ($300 at the dealership), but has gone out again after a period of several months. the last time it happened was 11/2014. since then we have been unable to use the car at night due to the obvious safety issue it presents. we cannot and will not continue to spend hundreds of dollars to replace these bulbs when there is clearly a defect in the system. based on the hundreds of similar reports i have seen online about this very issue, i know my story is not unique. i request that a recall be issued for the affected model years, which includes 2005!

Dashboards lights were off. could not see speed or gas gauge at night. vehicle would not turn off.

My front right headlight turns on and off randomly. now it doesn't turn on at all. i replaced the bulb and it still doesn't work. many people have had the same problems and have also fiiled complaints because toyota doesn't assemble or run the electrical circuits properly.

Steering is sticky on turning while driving. kind of jerky. toyota dealer in ft. myers, fl. said they did all recalls. i don't think they did. is there proof of recalls on my car? thanks, [xxx]*dt information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr*jb

My driver's side headlight doesn't stay on. it will go on for a minute then turn off. if i turn the headlights off and on, it starts back up again, then goes out again. i replaced the headlight control and it still continues. it does this if i'm driving or not. *tr

Head light are intermittent; same problem as 2006 and later recall

My headlight intermittently goes off while driving & then back on. i paid a local mechanic to check it out; he couldn't find any loose connections, etc. but did advise me of a class action suit for this exact problem on the 06 - 09 model yrs. i've contacted both a local dealership & toyota corp. who both refuse to fix it at no cost to me (see attached response from toyota corp. *tr

Left headlight is dim, goes out, comes back on when lights are turned off and then on again, but then dims and eventually fails again. this happens whether in motion or stopped, regardless of speed, and whether turning or going straight. i read that this is very common among 2005-2009 priuses, and a design change in 2010 fixed it. that means it is caused by a design problem, and toyota should do a recall to fix it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that there was a manufacturer service campaign for a wheel alignment. the dealer serviced the vehicle for the repair. shortly after the repair, the instrument cluster display panel went blank. in addition, the vehicle failed to shut off twice and had to be left running due to the failure. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the combination meter needed to be replaced. the contact was provided with a loaner as the dealer further tested the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was waiting on their recommendation concerning the dealer's repairs. the failure mileage was not available.

Multiple brake warning lights came on. brought to toyota dealership. ran diagnostic and "internal problem in brake actuator" came back (code c1344) but is not covered in actuator extended warrenty. the dealership stated doesn't meet covered codes. this is a safety issue, clearly there are more codes that should be included in the new extended warrenty for safety. the brace actuator is a major issus and dangerous

2 recalls not completed

2005 toyota prius, base model, 136,600 miles, meticulous service history, recalls serviced, safe driver. at 45mph abs, (!), and brake lights came on dashboard. parked, turned off car, and checked 12v battery and brake fluid levels—fine upon inspection. brakes became spongy upon startup. limped car to dealership and was told abs actuator had failed, destroying front brake pads and rotors at same time. quoted $3,600 repair estimate; car worth $4,000. recognized toyota issue—tsb with a warranty extension offered (zg1). this also occurs on gen 3 prius models (2010–2014 , zj1 extension). fortunate to have not wrecked, but the repair cost has totaled the vehicle.

When i go to hit the brakes the car won’t stop and the rear end makes noise and raises up. the abs and brake lights are one as well as maintenance required and srs airbag light. the master alarm buzzer is on and won’t go off. brakes engaged without hitting the brake causes rim to overheat and brake fluid gets extremely hot. also sometimes when tap on the brakes they will lock up and you will go sliding sideways or tap the brakes and they straight to the floor. also the brake actuator starts whining noise and won’t go off even if the car is turned off. don’t have documentation from a mechanic but can send video of driving it.

2005 toyota prius brake actuator/ fluid accumulator. toyota has only issued an extended warranty on this issue, which expired in dec 2017. complete carelessness on their part! this issue seems to be prevalent in many of their vehicles. it should not have been an extended warranty but a full-on recall. this faulty part is very dangerous as it can lead to a total loss of braking on the vehicle. i bought this car used just a month ago and am now dealing with an extremely costly repair bill to correct this problem. the previous owner apparently did not bring the car in for repair during the so called “warranty” time frame and now i am dealing with it. toyota has said if the component didn’t fail during the warranty timeframe, then they were not responsible for the repair cost. i feel toyota was trying to avoid the repair costs and now want me, the consumer, to cover it out of pocket. needs to be an immediate recall on this!

The headlights on my 2005 prius continue to go out. we replace the bulbs but even with brand new bulbs will be driving and after about 60 seconds of headlights being on the light will turn off. sometimes only one turns off but often bolt turn off and we're in complete darkness driving on the road. we have to toggle the headlight control off and on several times before they turn on again, which leaves us driving in complete darkness and it's a big safety hazard! again, brand new bulbs have this issue, too. getting the whole headlight and computer behind it replaced is very expensive. this is a big safety issue and it has been happening and getting worse for over a year.

I was driving on the highway at 70 mph and suddenly my braking system failed. i had no braking and had to use the manual foot brake to slow. abs light and red triangle came on. i entered into a construction zone so was unable to pull to the shoulder. i restarted my car and drove home without brakes. i took the vehicle to toyota and spent $2,500 to fix since the warranty on the actuator ended in 2017. this should be recalled and i should be refunded as this is a dangerous risk and is still happening to many 05 priuses still on the road.

My vehicle will not go but about 30 or 40 maybe 50 on highway after very slow exelaration i'm almost killed every time i get on the highway highway and reg streets to excearate it very very slow to start then i have to pull over and kill it start over not using het or air now it just won't start have not had it checked can't afford it

The passenger side front headlight started going off automatically after a while of turning on. if i turn it off and on again, it lights up and then first dims and then turns off on its own. the lights have been replaced and it did not solve the problem. this is very dangerous for night time driving as the drivers will never know when the headlights will go out. this is not a random incident; it is one of the most common problems of gen 2 prius (04-09) that i found online. i am attaching a document that lists some online forums where other prius owners have reported similar problems. toyota settled a lawsuit for 06-09 prius, yet there is no recall for the headlight issue of gen 2 prius.

Brake actuator assembly malfunctioned, and had to be replaced, just as predicted in toyota's warranty enhancement zg1. toyota knows the part is defective, but they refused to replace it until it failed, and mine did not fail until after the extended warranty deadline.

Sudden failure of abs, accompanied by dashboard lights for abs and regular brakes. vehicle was in driveway, and i did not continue to take it out into the road due to safety concerns. toyota extended warranty to 12/31/17 (regardless of mileage), but the part should be recalled because it can fail for drivers (like me) who did not have the issue arise prior to 12/31/17.

The instrument panel display stopped working in my 2005 prius. you press the button to start the car and the car starts but nothing displays. you cannot see your fuel gauge, so i ran out of gas and almost was hit by a vehicle while walking down the side of the highway. you cannot see your speedometer so you don't know how fast you are going which makes it impossible to follow speed limits. it is a serious safety issue and toyota knew about the problem and even issued a warranty extension ztv to cover it, but they did not inform me about the extension in 2013/14. now that extension has expired and they will not repair my car. my technician at automotive perfection diagnosed the problem, but toyota would not accept his diagnosis and spartan toyota charged me $132.45 to make the same diagnosis. they then told me a new meter would cost me $696.06 installed and refused to fix the vehicle even though toyota has known about this problem since at least 2012.

Brake acutator failed again after 1 year of use. the brakes failed on this car a year and a half ago, resulting in pedal to the floor and many warning lights going off. dealer and toyota replaced brake actuator through hidden warranty i had to fight for them to pay. drove car out of dealership, and it made a squeaky sound coming from under hood, not from brake pads. turned car around and they took it back. said they bled air out of brakes. squawk came back and on next oil change, told them. "no codes, so don't worry about it." was the diagnosis. squawk continued over the next year and a half, and the same reply from service advisors. "no codes, no worry - maybe we need another brake bleed, but not mandatory." 2 more oil changes at dealer, and the last time, i mentioned the squawk again and the brake bleed to a new advisor and new ownership. "needs a brake actuator - and we will not pay for it this time." i reported the problem to them many times during the one year warranty of the actuator. now they want me to spend over $2500 on a new actuator because i was a few months out of warranty on new part. toyota also refused to pay. the brake actuator and accumulator have failed on this car and our other prius a total of 4 times now. this is obviously a major safety issue, and i'm really surprised you are not working with them on a mandatory service campaign. the service manager said they see this issue over and over again, and that toyota did a full redesign of the braking system on the new 2017 model year. brakes are the most important system on a car. without them, an accident almost always follows. please initiate a recall on this as soon as you can. thank you.

I was driving down the street, all of a sudden my abs lights came on with a loud hi pitched alarm noise, and when i came up to the next stoplight and pressed on my brakes, there was virtually no brakes so i had to stand on the brake pedal to get the car to stop in time. fortunately i often pump my brakes so noticed they were not working. i have investigated the issue and have found it is a faulty brake pump accumulator. upon checking the cost to replace is $2800. ridiculous. i learned of an extended warranty and many complaints on this issue by searching on the internet. i never received the letter or was notified of this defective part by toyota.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving various speeds, several unknown warning indicators began flashing and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle shifted into neutral as other unknown warning indicators illuminated. the contact coasted the vehicle to a stop and restarted the engine. the contact then drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with inverted cooling failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and stated that the contact would have to pay for diagnostic testing. the dealer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 223,000.

Drove to work on wednesday, september 25, 2019 no issue with the car all day. left work at 8:30pm and brakes did not work unless pressed extremely hard. dash lit, brake light on left, abs on right of dash lit, triangle with exclamation mark in center with high pitched buzzing noise. backing up was fine but not when the car was in drive. contacted toyota dealership in wilmington, delaware and they stated no current recall on brakes for 2005 prius. checked recall history which showed zero unrepaired recalls which means the pump was replaced prior to my purchase of vehicle. however, still having problems with brakes.

My 2005 prius has an abs and brake light on . fail to stop. one day i was on highway and the abs start making noise. ( alarm). and brake stop working. almost got into the accident. when i got home , i start call toyota to report and check on my brake and abs light and any other recall. they said no more recall for my prius 2005. i think whoever own the prius have the same problem. and out of luck for the abs brake recall and have the accident. i hope toyota extend the recall the brake , abs ,

The dashboard lighting system quit turning on in july 2019. i could not tell how fast or how slow i was driving. the anti lock brake system light turned on while the car was running on sep 23 2019 and the brakes failed to operate while on the road outside my house

The odometer stopped working one (1) mile short of 300,000. toyota told me that for that year and model car, the odometer was made to reach 299,999 only. they can replace it with new, that will start at 0 mile, but i will have to pay for it. this is unfair. they sold me a car that only reaches 299,999 and if i any to see the odometer reach a higher number, i must pay for it.

I am the owner of a 2005 prius which experiences intermittent prius combination meter failure. this is a recognized design problem, however, toyota chose to ignore the safety ramifications and categorized it as an issue covered by extended warranty. toyota would not honor the replacement of the component unless you could demonstrate the part failure. they also included a time limit on when this part would be replaced. this failure results in all critical vehicle telemetry (speed, blank engagement, engine failures, gas level, etc) from not being displayed.

Brakes suddenly locked while car in motion, red triangle amd xheck engine light turned on. luckily i did not caused an accident. towed it to toyota dealer and they said my abs brake pump actuator failed. notorious part to fail on generation 2 prius. out of pocket cost to fix it was $1900.00

While driving the car locks up it brakes and cause the vehicle to skid. serious risk for hitting other cars on the road and public safety is in danger. abs, brake, check engine light and (!) lights are on. when code is pulled it a issue with the brake actuator. the car has a faulty brake actuator. toyota is aware of the issue as it affects many other prius owners and is a common problem.

There is a problem with the pressure accumulator failure. it's dangerous to drive when the brakes do not work. sometimes the brakes do not work.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. every time the vehicle was started, all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. also, the brake pedal was more difficult to depress than usual and took longer to stop the vehicle. toyota of vero beach (1075 us-1, vero beach, fl 32962) diagnosed that a new brake actuator needed to be installed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. the failure mileage was 76,000.

While driving driver side headlight will go out, followed by passenger headlight. both will return on when the headlights are turned off then on again, only to occur again within 10 minutes. both headlights have been replaced within the last 10 days.

When i attempted to shift into drive or reverse, the car would revert back to neutral unless i held down the gear shift in position. this happened when i had the car in motion on city streets. parking (using the button on the prius) was also difficult, and i had to try multiple times to put the car in park as it continually wanted to go back to neutral.

Brake actuator pump runs constantly and sounds like a barking seal when sitting at a red light. high-pitched warning beep and lack of normal braking ability for the first 30 seconds after start-up. brake and abs warning lights are active on the dash.

Combination meter intermittently not functioning. when turning the car on, sometimes the dash meter works, sometimes it's just black and continues the entire time the car is running. then when trying to turn the car off, it will not turn off, which is a major safety concern. when this occurs, there are no dash lights at all to indicate fuel amount, odometer reading, door open signal, check engine, maintenance required and so on. the speed being driven is not showing either which is another major safety issue. cruise control also does not function, the center touchscreen does not display hybrid motor information or mpg. the beeping when backing up does not function. also the rear hatch will not open while car is running which is also a major safety issue in addition to all of the other functions not available. the odometer is not recording mileage during these times which makes it difficult to do proper maintenance that goes by mileage, such as oil changes.

The abs actuator/pump has failed. brakes lost hydraulic pressure and do not function. this happened while driving on a major city roadway. audio alarm with warning lights for brake, abs, & vsc.

I had received a letter about a recall involving the brake actuator. however, if i wasn’t experiencing any of the issues described in the recall, i could ignore the recall. that recall expired on december 31, 2017. in july of 2018, the “brake” light, vsc, abs, and brake symbol illuminated indicating issues with the brake actuator. i would like to request toyota replace the brake actuator as it affects the safe operation of the vehicle.

Takara recall - currently have an airbag light onon my instrument cluster. brake actuator recall - the “brake” light, vsc, abs, and brake symbol lights are all on indicating an issue with the brake actuator. i did receive a recall notice about this issue in the past, but the recall said if i wasn’t experiencing any issues to ignore the recall. that recall expired on december 31, 2017. as this affects the safe operation of the car, i feel this should be addressed by toyota as well as the air bag issue.

Headlamps randomly turn off while driving, but usually only one at a time. last night (12/18/18), both lights went out at the same time and i was unable to see the road as it was poorly lit. when lamps do turn off while driving, turning them off and on a few times will usually get the it to come back on. this is definitely a hazard and a recall is absolutely required.

The steering on my 2005 prius with roughly 119,000 miles failed. fortunately it was at a low speed and on a side street but without any ability to steer the car, it could have been really bad if on a main road or at a higher speed! the car is currently with a toyota dealer and the cause is yet to be determined. toyota stated there is no recall outstanding on the car and it would be out of pocket. there was, however, a prior recall for steering issues. when it failed, i was able to move it back and forth but the wheels would not turn at all.*dt*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving various speeds, the vehicle failed to stop in a timely manner when the brake pedal was depressed. the contact had to apply force to the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. the contact had the brake pads replaced four times by two different independent mechanics, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that the brake actuator warranted repair had expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was not available.

Headlight failure.....while driving. i start out with my lights on, and randomly driving down the road one headlight, or the other, will go out, or both will go out. i replaced the bulbs, have had mechanics go over the car......before i joined a prius chat and learned this is a "known issue".....but still no recall? i've been pulled over by various law enforcement 4 times in the last 4 months! ..........below it asks for a date on the incident...it happens frequently. it's been happening for at least a year.

Abs lights stay on; took to dealer. told actuator problem and brakes could go out at any time but out of warranty and never recalled despite known problem. cost of repairs nearly exceeds auto value. no accident or injury as yet.

The brake pressure decreased and brake suddenly lost power while coming to a stop. the vehicle stopped suddenly with a hard jerk and the abs light and red brake warning light turned on afterwards.

Headlights come on intermittently. usually they work fine, but every so often since my friend first told me my lights were out last week, they don't turn on whether the car is running or not. it can happen to one or both lights at a time, and is unpredictable, making me afraid to drive at night. i took it to the mechanic's today, but the lights were working and he couldn't determine the problem. the bulbs are fine, as long as they are able to turn on, and the mechanic agreed the bulbs do not need replacement.

Brake actuator failure. never recalled , yet toyota issued extended warantee instead, so when buying a used prius, as new owner did not know of serious problem

Headlights intermittently go out while driving. immediately will come back on when switched off and then on..

Warning symbols (abs, vsc, orange exclamation sign, brake) showed up on the dash and the brakes began to vibrate and make a crunching noise. took it to the toyota dealership and they said it was the brake actuator which is a $2,500+ repair. they mentioned that the brakes were in danger of failing and the car would be unsafe to drive.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the odometer was not going over 300,000 miles and was stuck at 299,999. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vehicle needed an odometer cluster. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was not due to the vehicle needing maintenance. the dealer (ira toyota of danvers, 99 andover st, danvers, ma 01923) diagnosed that the odometer needed to be replaced, but was not due to a defect. the failure mileage was 299,999.

The digital speedometer stops at 299,999 km or miles and won’t roll over to 300,000 km or miles why won’t it roll over to 300,000 miles i have found out that many others are affect it, such as the matrix and corollas.

Brake actuator went bad. toyota did a limited voluntary recall. this needs to be mandatory. very dangerous when this part fails. only toyota dealership will fix this and the cost is $2,000-$3,000. the cost is greater than the value of the vehicle this creating a situation where owners bypass the repair and still drive. please look at the number of refunds that toyota offered as well as the number of complaints made regarding this issue-this should indicate how widespread the problem actually is.

My abs actuator went bad. the entire brake system went out while my wife was driving to the store. the car now has no power assisted braking. this seems to be a common complaint and i wanted to add mine to the list. given the danger that a failing abs system poses i wanted to make sure that nhtsa knows about the problem. if it's common, then the gen 2 priuses need to be recalled.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the instrument panel would remain on when the ignition key was used to turn off the vehicle. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel needed to be repaired. the vehicle was taken to gettel toyota of lakewood (5959 e state rd 64, bradenton, fl 34208, (941)-567-1080) where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel failed and needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the extended warranty was expired. the failure mileage was 104,000.

The combination meter which contains the speedometer and gas gauge, among other things, has been going dead frequently (does not light up when the car is started) for the past few years. it used to be 1-2 times a month, but recently it occurs a few times a week. the car drives normally, but it is very dangerous to not know the speed or to know how much gas remains in the tank. even when the meter starts to work again, the gas reading is not accurate. it is not even possible to tell if the car is running or not, because the screen is black. this is a known problem by toyota but they no longer offer replacement. this is a serious safety concern that the manufacturer should address on all affected vehicles. even the separate touch screen which contains diagnostics tests for the electrical system is black, so there is no way to correct the issue.

The brakes failed to work due to a bad brake aviator pump. thankfully it happened backing out of the driveway at low speed and i was able to stop using the emergency brake.

2005 toyota prius. consumer writes in regards to red and white service light indicator. *ld the consumer inquired about an ad to have to the vehicle be at no cost. *js

My abs brake warning light came on two days ago along with another brake light. it happened while i was driving so it was scary. i took it to the dealership and they showed two codes - c1256 and c1391. these were part of a brake actuator assembly toyota technical service bulletin which expired on 12/31/2017. since mine went out after the expiration, i am stuck with a $2,500 repair. i spoke with toyota corporate which had no compassion and said "good luck". i explained that this was clearly a major safety issue which could lead to my brakes not working at all or locking. since this is an admitted toyota fault, i thought there would be some sort of help. i was wrong. it is scary to think how many people will now be at risk of hurting themselves and others because of this problem. there are many people affected who won't be able to pay for such a high cost repair so they will just drive the car with the defect and hope for the best. a massive safety concern.

Abs actuator problem with toyota prius and toyota is not taking responsible for this safety defects due to poor design. this is is not just a defects, it's a serious safety issu which could lead to death in the effect of total failure of the abs system.

The combination meter on my 2005 toyota prius is not working. so my instrument panel will go out or go dark and my car will keep running

Brake actuator problem on my 2005 prius. i have this vehicle i have been driving for since october and has always made this noise from the front like a pump running. the car itself did not have an issue until recently the abs light and brakes started acting up. i have found out that toyota had a warranty enhancement that expired in december this year. i had called a local dealer when i purchased the vehicle to see if there was any kind of recalls and they said none for this vehicle. this part is a known part that fails and when it does it could end up making the car like a run away train with no brakes depending on your speed. i tried contacting toyota today but got pretty much no where they are saying that i need to bring it to them and pay them 3,000 dollars. the repair is not possible to be made by anyone else without a special scan tool the cars brakes will sometimes go away completely and the pedal becomes stiff and the vehicle will not brake. if there is any other info needed please let me know.

The headlight will go out, and it will come on again if you turn the headlights off and turn them back on again. this will happen multiple times in an evening, and it happens every time the car is driven.

Abs failure. was not notified of known issue when they offered the gz1 warranty extension for this issue.

The head light on the drivers side randomly goes out. if i turn the light switch off and on it may come back on. new lamps have not fixed the problem. this problem has happened at night while driving on the interstate.

This is an ongoing problem with their intermediate shaft. they have never completely resolved the recall issue, as it continues to this day.*dt consumer contacted the manufacture, since recall was already replaced once consumer was told they would not be responsible. also, consumer went to the dealer to get a recall history, shows that shaft has been replaced twice.*jb

The hid headlights work upon start up then shut off after about 10 seconds. replacing the bulb does not fix it. this is a safety issue as the headlights dont stay lit during nighttime hours.

Abs actuator went out

Driving at approximately 35 mph noticed a burning smell. after driving for another 5 minutes an alarm went off and abs warning light came on. the brake actuator on this car has begun to fail. this is common on the 2004 - 2009 prius. very expensive to fix. over $3000 at the dealer. the alarm can be reset and the car driven again leading to a dangerous brake failure while driving

The headlights will intermittently go out. i will turn the lights off and on, it will come back on. then shuts off again after a few minutes. you have to continue switching it off and on, off and on. taken it to toyota several times for this problem. the last time i took it was in august 2018 and was told that the only remedy was to replace both headlights. the estimate total was $318.62 for one headlight. toyota is aware of the problem but wants no liability or recall for this model year. it is very dangerous for night driving as the headlight will just suddenly shut off.

Every time i'd try to shift my car into drive or reverse, it would shift back into neutral on its own, making driving impossible.

The abs brake actuator failed suddenly without warning and made braking very difficult. a car stopped and when i pressed my brake, there was no power brake. my power brakes just failed and the pedal was very stiff. toyota needs to issue a recall before someone gets hurt. there was an extended warranty that ended in 2017, but this should not be a warranty issue. it should be a safety recall. lives are at stake!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving various speeds, an abnormal noise was heard coming from the brake pedal. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to autonation toyota arapahoe (10531 e arapahoe rd, centennial, co 80112, (303) 578-6111) where it was diagnosed that the anti-lock brake system actuator failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired due to the repair fees. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened case number: 1808071132. the approximate failure mileage was 114,600. *tt abs & brake lights came on 8/11/18 took vehicle in for repair on 8/24/18 updated 10/2/18*jb

Abs system failed while my daughter was driving alone on rural but heavily traveled streets. luckily she was not in an accident and injured. with a catastrophic brake failure how is it that toyota has played this bet and won? 130,000 miles on the odometer. toyota never informed me of this issue though it is a known failure - not uncommon. why hasn't this organization (nhtsa) acted on a known brake failure issue??? toyota quietly extended the warranties without informing the owners of the safety issue - this is unacceptable. of course the warranty has expired on my vehicle. now i have an unsafe/unusable vehicle and toyota wants $2,500 to repair it - more than what the car is currently worth. as far as i'm concerned the nhtsa has fallen short on this problem and really should get involved like they did with the accelerator problem. there are reports that two people have been injured out of four accidents related to this problem. the number could easily be much higher than that and simply unreported or under-reported, or undiagnosed. unbelievable!!! a known brake system failure with no action other than a minor extension of the warranty - is that all that toyota can do? is that all the nhtsa can do?

The 2005 toyota has a known brake actuator problem. toyota issued a tsb/extended warranty which ended in dec 2017, but did not notify owners and did not do a recall. it is expensive and only the dealers can do the work. owners are left with the dilemma of spending about 2/3 the value of the vehicle to keep it safe to use, lose a lot of money by junking the vehicle, or continuing to use the vehicle when the brakes may fail at any time.

Toyota has a known issue with brake actuator failure. there was no notice sent to let owners of these vehicles know that their vehicle could be subject to these failures. my vehicle's instrument panel revealed this issue while driving home from church. vehicle still operational, but could lose the ability to apply brakes at any time.

Headlights go out while driving, it takes turning them on and off a few times to turn them back on. it is random, sometimes passenger side, sometimes drivers side, sometimes both. toyota settled a class action lawsuit with 2006 - 2009 prius, mine is 2005, but this is a safety issue and is extremely dangerous. when both headlights go out, it may take several tries to get them to come back on, leaving me without headlights as i'm driving my kids to school early in the morning in the dark, going 65mph down the highway. currently saving to get fixed(car was a gift). i called toyota for an estimate on this known problem and they said they i would have to bring it in and they would charge me $85 for them to diagnosis the problem. toyota is not taking any responsibility for this problem, which clearly they are aware of and somehow skirted out of a recall or any liability for all models.

I started the car and the speed indicator didn't illuminate. i thought it was a lightbulb or something that that had gone out since the car drove like normal. when i got to my destination i tried to turn off the car but it didn't turn off. i called the campus car service, by the time they got to me (about 30 minutes) the car had turned off by itself. this has happened about 8 times since. there was a recall on this very issue where toyota admitted that high milage prius' were experiencing this problem. the recall ended in 2013. i just don't understand how a know issue is no longer being fixed when they clearly stated that it affects high mileage cars. so people like me who's cars haven't reached a ”high mileage" during their recall period are basically told to guess how fast the car is traveling?

Left and right front head lights go out intermittently ,

Driver side headlight keeps going out and i have to turn off headlights and turn them back on to make them work. this is not safe at all. it happens standing still and driving.

Headlight goes out repeatedly. headlight works again after headlights are turned off then on again. started with the same one headlight going out. now the other. sometimes both go out, including at night. each time the headlights must be turned off then on again and they work for a while longer. lights go out when stationary and when driving.

Car would not stop when crossing railroad crossing. happens when car is on rough surface or crossing rr tracks. will not stop.

The airbag wiring harness located under the seat failed. this was a costly repair and a potentially dangerous situation while driving the car without functioning airbags.

Prius will not stay in gear, keeps popping back into neutral. first happened when stationary --- press power button, "ready" on the dash, go to shift into drive or reverse and it pops back into neutral. this occurred when the vehicle was in motion on a city street. finally got it to work (no idea why?) then when driving, again, it popped into neutral from drive. very dangerous!!!

The headlights are prone to turning to off randomly, sometimes one side, other times both sides. after turning them on/off at the steering column they will come back on for a while then the issue starts over. this problem occurs with the vehicle either moving or in the stationary mode. no headlights when driving at night is a definite safety hazard. so far, toyota refuses to honor a fix!

Headlight came off and on while i'm driving all fuse ok all bulbs ok looking on the web appears like this is a common problem on this vehicle also radio light same problem

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 25 mph at night, the headlights failed to work without warning. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted at 800-331-4331 and stated that the vin was not included in a recall. the approximate failure mileage was 181,308.

Toyota prius combination meter not working for 2 days when i repeatly turn it on and turn it off....then works one day then is not working now---i can't see the instrument panel and how fast i am driving and then i can not shut the car off for several minutes....very unsafe. and i just had the car serviced for a messed up battery. this is a used car that i bought to replace the 2001 toyota prius that was rearended in dec 2016 then the dealer sold me a junk car in april 2017 now having to fix all these problems. i will sell this car as a piece of junk to the junk yard as strap metal because that what it is. very unsafe and the nhtsa is allowing this to happen. started on 08/22/2017 & 08/23/2017 & 08/25/2017 i can't see the panel.

Air bag light started staying on though intermittent. noticed it went away if steering wheel was turned. i just had the dealership confirm it is the clockspring.

One of my front headlight always goes out once i make a turn by using a turn signal. if i switch the headlight off and on again, the head light will come back. i read similar post from website, and found some people have the same problem with me. we all suspect this is a design problem by the manufacturer.

Head lights turn off after being on for a while. turning off headlight switch and turning it back on turns the light back on. high beam stitch does not affect the light which is off. this happens while in motion on both highways and city streets. this occurs frequently

Headlights go off, one at a time, intermittently, while driving on any road. if i turn the lights all the way off and then back on again they will usually stay on for 15 minutes before going off again. i am not aware that they have both gone off at once, but i have not driven the car at night yet

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving at any speed, the steering wheel felt loose and the vehicle was unstable. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was not a recall issue. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and restated that there was no recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 193,000. *dt*jb

I was driving through nevada at 11 pm at night towards reno (approx. 180 miles away) on i-80 at 75 mph when suddenly my headlights went out. i immediately tried turning the lights off and on manually with my left hand, and the lights came on again (i couldn't see anything in the dark, scared out of my mind). then, about 2 minutes later the same thing happened (i was driving slower this time). i did the same turning off and on again, and the lights came back on again, although somewhat dimmer. a few minutes later (5 minutes?) i was passed by a vehicle, that then slowed down and came in behind me, and then turned on the police lights and i immediately pulled in an exit ramp (fortunately there was one right there). after the policeman checked my license and registration, he informed me that one of my headlights was out. he asked me to try and flick on and off the lights a couple of times, and to try the brights, but none of this brought it back into working order. he then out of the blue mentioned to me (without me bringing this up) that the prius' were notorious for having intermittent issues with the headlights, especially on the passenger side of the car (which is the side that was out, coincidently). he let me proceed using one headlight without ticketing me. a few miles later i pulled into a rest area and turned off the car for a few minutes while i went to the bathroom, and when i got back into the car and turned on the headlights they both came on, but within 20 seconds the passenger side light went out again. when i got home the next day and turned on the headlights they were both working again. this intermittent failure of the passenger side headlight has occurred a few times in the past, and i have had the toyoto dealer look into it and they claimed that it was fixed. however, this time it was life threatening.

Left and right headlights sporadically turn off which is extremely hazardous when driving at night in roads without street lights. definitely a safety issue which toyota must issue a recall. light bulbs are not the issue. the issue is in the computer or balast that controls the lights.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact noticed that the odometer gauge was not functioning. the gauge remained at 299,000 miles. the dealer informed the contact that the odometer gauge needed to be replaced and also stated that the gauge was designed to stop at 299,000 miles. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and indicated that they had not received any complaints concerning the odometer gauge failing to work after a certain amount of miles. the failure mileage was 299,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle accelerated independently and the hybrid battery warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery failed and caused the rpms to rev and the battery needed to the replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000.

While drivin both headlight turn of intermittently while i can turn off and back on they come on to one or the other or both going back off sometimes and sometimes they work perfectly this is very dangerous as you only use headlights at night.

Headlights will randomly go out while driving. most of the time it is only one headlight but sometimes both go out. to "re-light" them you have to turn the headlights off and then back on. replacing the bulbs does not solve the problem. at night this has almost led to disastrous effects and, from a risk management perspective, it is only a matter of time before something bad does happen as a result of losing your external headlights while driving at night. it happens whether the car is stationary or in motion. some element of this happens every time i drive the car (multiple times per day).

This is the first car we ever owned that ate oil. we are meticulous about servicing the car as recommended every 5000 miles. at the service for 100,000 miles which we did at 99,400 miles, there was no oil on the dipstick. at 103,000 miles the alarms went off 3 times to indicate there was no oil. we put in 2 quarts and took it to the shop for a diagnostic. googling showed many other people with the same problem - no oil leak anywhere, but no oil in the car either. toyota apparently knows of the problem and has informed service providers but will not acknowledge this problem to the car owners. we now carry oil in the car and check every time we put in gas to make sure we also have oil. the service shop suggests a $3500+ rebuild of the engine. we can afford to check oil and add it as necessary instead of rebuilding an engine that will end up with the same issue. it is unacceptable that the expectation is to add oil between every 5000 miles, as recommended by manufacturer, instead of the assurance that the car will be able to make it to each 5000 mile interval without adding additional oil. we also cannot afford to have the engine seize up in what is marketed as a very dependable car from a very dependable manufacturer. apparently toyota doesn't make cars that exceed a lifetime of 100,000 miles and are also a very undependable manufacturer of cars.

The headlights (hid) stop functioning intermittently. one or the other or both will randomly shut off. the lights will come back on if they are turned off then on again. the issue has been happening for several months.

Driver's side headlight went out in 2015 and was replaced by local mechanic. before it went out it had flickered but came back on. i was driving at night when it went out and was pulled over by police. fortunately i only got a warning. march 2016 the headlight went out again (i noticed it in my driveway) and was replaced at a toyota dealership on 21 march 2016. that very day, the headlight went out again (noticed it in my driveway). it would come on periodically but kept going out. 25 march 2016 the toyota dealership replaced the "computer sub-assy, h" for $458.52. 28 march 2016, the headlight is out again (noticed it again in my driveway).

While driving the passenger side headlight went out, i replaced the bulb and the problem continued. it turns off shortly after starting the vehicle wether it is driving or sitting, when i turn lights off and on again light will turn back on for a moment and turn off again, this happens while i am driving and i am afraid to drive it and be pulled over for not having working headlights.

2005 toyota prius. consumer writes in regards to vehicle unintended acceleration. *smd the consumer stated as she pulled into parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated out of her control and crashed into a stone wall. the vehicle was totaled. the consumer stated she experienced sudden acceleration prior to the accident. as she backed into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated in reverse, out of her control. consequently, she jot a garage door. *jb

Takata recall, dash (sounds like something is losse) when driving over bump or at higher speeds. then i toke it to the dealer they said that's steering column problem.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving in rainy conditions, the rear brakes engaged with a grabbing force. the failure was experienced numerous times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the rear brake drums were cleaned; however, the failure was not corrected. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

The vehicle brakes failed to apply completely during morning start up and back up from parking space. the dash warning lights on included brake, triangle with exclamation, and abs. during drive to dealer, pedal went to the floor. toyota dealer found brake actuator assembly failure. paid for repair and contacted toyota with concern. found internet information on similar failure with later 2010 model.

I was driving at night on the freeway 280 and suddenly both headlights went out, it was so black you couldn't see anything on the road. talk about scary, try driving at 65 mph on a road that curves when you all yo can see is black. i was able to jiggle the switch the headlight switch off and on several times and the lights finally came back on. with my heart pounding i continued to drive home only to have both headlights again go out together. this happened 6-7more times until i reached home. i was actually shaking by the time i got out of my car. why were both headlights malfunctioning at the exact same times? i took the car to the dealers the next day and after inspection they told me i simply needed new headlights. i thought it was an electrical malfunction, but they insisted that it was just the headlights going out and that this happened all the time. why would they be using headlights that they know both go out at the same time??this is highly dangerous. people could have a heart attack if not an accident! i spent $500 to replace the two headlights. however, i just recently experience the exact same problem of both head lights going out. my car is at the dealers this very moment for the same problem. i hope my 2005 prius gets recalled for this headlight problem so other people to not have to experience this trama and dangerous situation. i was surprised to learn that this headlight problem is common to the prius. outside of this dangerous headlight problem i love my prius.

Digital dashboard sometimes is completely blank for extended periods so that i can't see my speed, fuel levels, odometer, and other info. when i start up it happens and continues the whole time i am driving. it is causing other problems related to the hydrolic braking sometimes as well when this happens.

Even minor trepidation caused by any unevenness in the surface of the road while slowing down and applying the brakes will disengage the brakes momentarily causing a dangerous situation and risk of crash into vehicle in front. i observed this problem consistently in several prius ranging from 2005 to 2010 since i purchased mine in april 2012. i have complained about this to a couple of dealerships but was told "it is a driver's fault" ...!! all my friends owners of prius have observed the same problem in their cars.

High pitched, steady tone comes on after several minutes of driving at start of driving day and does not stop unless/until brakes are depressed fully for at least 10sec., which causes tone to stop. starts up again after several minutes of driving, sometimes less and recycles. regular braking seems to work, but not abs and abs light, vsc ! lights are continuously on.

Me and my family traveling down the interstate at 70 mph in the dark when a tractor trailer all of a sudden started to change lanes when we were directly to the left of it. luckily the lane to our left was open and we were able to quickly change lanes to avoid collision. it turns out our 2005 prius headlights were not working and the truck did not see us. had to turn lights off then on again to get them to work. the rest of the way home one light would go out, then the other would go out. had to turn switch off then on again to get them to turn on again. this is definitely a major safety issue with this car. why is there not a recall.

Passenger side headlight is intermittent. this has happened at least twice before and i believe the bulb and some other electronics had to be replaced. the dealer charges a huge amount for this repair.

I was pulling out of a parking spot and my steering completely gave out. i could turn my steering wheel to the left and to the right, but my wheels were not responding to the movement. there was a rough noise as i tried to correct the steering but there was no forewarning of this (i had been driving around town earlier that day just fine - on busy roads with higher speed limits). it was very scary and thankfully, i was only going 5mph so i just stopped the vehicle and placed it in park. my car is currently at an independent repair shop in austin, tx and they said the splines broke which disabled the steering (and that i need to replace the steering rack and yolk). i'm getting a second opinion at a toyota dealership to see what they say, but this major failure was extremely alarming. my prius has approx 92,000 miles on it, and i take very good care of it from a maintenance standpoint. i've never heard of a problem like this before. i have plenty of friends with older cars with more mileage and none of them have experienced a complete failure of steering while the car is in motion. additionally, my father spoke to a friend who owns a toyota dealership at home and has sold many prius vehicles - he said this was very serious and uncommon. ....updated 12/30/15 *bf please let me know what other information you need to adequately look into this. *js

Last night while drive 1.5 hours home, the driver's side headlight would shut off, and if i noticed and flipped the lights off then on, it would come back on. if i didn't notice, then the passenger light would also go out leaving me in darkness. i began timing the interval, and it came out to be intermittent between one and two minutes, regardless of terrain, speed of vehicle, smooth or bumpy roads, straight or curvy roads, etc.

I'm concerned because my vehicle's airbags did not deploy during a crash wherein i collided with a car turning left in front of me at approximately 35-40 mph. the front end crumpled and my driver and passenger doors do not fully open due to the damage to the frame of the car. the car is currently being inspected with regard to determination of a likely total loss. while i understand airbags don't always deploy, i felt that this might be a case where they should have deployed.

While driving in any direction in all conditions, the left headlight began flickering in may 2015, shortly after left headlight began flickering. they do not work at all now.

The car kept slipping into neutral when wanting to drive. parking button didn't work.the vehicle was parked and i was trying to drive it.

The brake booster pump assembly is making a sound every time the car is operational. there is a structural deflect in the brake booster pump assembly causing gas to leaked into the brake fluid which can cause loss of braking. the 2005 toyota prius should be recalled to fix this brake booster pump. based on research subsequent prius models (e.g. 2010) have the same problem and were recalled. therefore, this is a urgent request to please recall all 2005 prius and any other applicable years. see you tube web site titled "toyota - d0h - brake booster pump assembly": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn_a_halz1c

We were on the overpass going from highway 87 to us 101 north in san jose going about 70 mph heading to the san fransisco airport. it was 8pm, and very dark. the headlights just shut off, while the dashboard indicator said that the lights were still on. we tried frantically tried turning the lights on and off again to see if they would come on, and they didn't. we took the next exit and stopped in front of a hotel were we could see the headlights in the window, and they were off. we turned the car off, counted to 10, then turned the car back on. the lights came back on. we turned on the foglights in case the headlights turned off again. they stayed on all the way to the airport and almost all the way home. they turned off for about 1 mile, and then turned back on.

Passenger side headlight will not stay on, it will stay on about 5 minutes and then it goes out ! what is the problem ???

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving the vehicle, the combination meter would intermittently fail causing the instrument panel gauges to stop functioning. in addition. the parking brake did not function. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that combination meter would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 159,000. the vin was not available.

When i am going slow and braking, the car lunges forward when there is uneven pavement, a pothole,etc. often it will happen at the same stop signs around my home. this has happened since i purchased this used car in july of 2014. it has happened more than 50 times in the year and half that i have owned it.

Head light will intermittently go off. i can turn the light switch to off and then back on and the headlight will come back on. usually this happened on a street or highway when the car is in motion and lights are switch on. this happens off and on when the car is being driven. usually it is the left headlight, but occasionally the right headlight goes off as well. this has been happening for several months. the toyota dealer quotes $500.00 to make repairs! i did research on internet and found that this problem is pretty common for certain years of the toyota prius automobiles, 2005 included.

Our daughter drove the vehicle to school. she parked the vehicle and found that the vehicle would not turn off. we took the vehicle to the dealership and was told by the service advisor that the cause of this problem was a part called the combination meter. he advised that the part was recalled and we should have been contacted by toyota. he provided me with a phone number for the toyota corporations recall department. i telephoned toyota and they advised me that i was misinformed by the service advisor and that the part was not recalled, but there was an extended warranty issued on the part in 2012. i asked why the vehicle was not recalled and was told because it wasn't a safet my concern is that this vehicle is unsafe if this part fails. by surfing the internet, i found that there have been many complaints by others regarding the same problem. if my daughter would have driven this vehicle home, parked the vehicle in the garage as she usually does. the vehicle would not have turned off. the vehicle is a hybrid and when the battery power was depleted, the gasoline engine would have kicked on. this could have caused a danger, due to carbon monoxide poisoning to any occupants within the house. additionally, if the anti lock braking system no longer works when this part fails, the braking distance increases in an emergency braking situation. when this part fails the dash goes completely black, the driver is unaware that the abs braking system is no longer working. the driver is also unable to see the speedometer or any other gauges in the dash. due to recent deaths, due to carbon monoxide poisoning caused by vehicles not turning off. i feel that toyota is negligent for not taking my concerns more seriously. toyota is aware that there is a problem with this part, they issued an extended warranty in 2012.

1. summer, 2011, @ 35,000 mi car was parked @ bottom of my steep driveway, a few feet back from a rr tie pinned to ground by 3 rebar in front of car to block wheels. i intended to back up driveway, with gear in reverse, but when i released brake, car catapulted forward with such force that it bent rebar @ right angles, lifted rr tie up in the air & over on one edge, & the car jumped up on top of it, where it stuck. i saw that the gear shift had slipped out of (reverse) gear into neutral. called aaa road service to lift car off. no other damage. 2. may 21, 2015, @ 50,000 mi. backing up my 82' long steep driveway, i was too close to tree on right 3/4 of the way up, so i turned the wheels slightly left to back arc away from it, but still too close. i intended to return to bottom of driveway to start over & adjust angle of car as done 100s of times. with brake still depressed, i shifted gear from reverse to drive. as i lifted brake, before my foot could move towards the accelerator, suddenly car shot off like a rocket down steep slope to left, through 2 wood fences, over driveway next door, into swimming pool full of water - which slowed car to a stop & sank with me in it. gear shift had slipped out of (drive) gear into neutral. called 911. car totalled. miraculously no other damage to anyone aside from my traumatic experience. note: gear shift was the tiny knob on dashboard type, to move with finger tips in very small radius. i never had the problem on that steep drive w any other cars. i can refer you to photo of car in swimming pool in local news paper; it identifies address so not included here. i see in research online that other owners from at least 2004 to 2008 complained to you about this same gear slippage into neutral problem. why weren't we warned? ( i was obliged to give today's date as the date of incidence by the site).

1) sudden unexpected acceleration 2) steering shaft severed 3) drivers side air bag inoperative along with all steering wheel mounted controls

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while washing the vehicle, the contact noticed 2-3 drops of water entering the front passenger side window. the window was closed at the time of the failure. additionally, when the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the instrument panel failed and would not illuminate. the contact engaged the push-to-start button with the brakes applied to shut off the vehicle, but to no avail. the contact then shifted into park and attempted to exit the vehicle when the vehicle abnormally accelerated. the contact was knocked to the ground by the driver side door and sustained minor injuries. as a result. the dealer stated that the instrument panel computer needed to be replaced. the dealer failed to perform a diagnostic to determine the cause of the electrical failure or the acceleration failure. the dealer also advised the contact that the manufacturer extended a warranty to cover the failure, but the contact's vehicle was over the mileage limitation by 4,000 miles. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 174,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. after the vehicle was shifted into the park position, the contact exited the vehicle as it began to roll away. the vehicle struck the contact. the instrument panel failed to illuminate. a police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. in addition, the contact attempted to turn the ignition to the off position, but the key failed to eject from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 174,000.

The car jumps out of gear, or it won't go into park. but it started to drives away after i got out of the car, or as i was getting out. this happen twice, once at the dealer. the display for transmission position was broken. the same display that shows speed, fuel level and other items was not working. also, i could not shut off the car or remove the key. the first time it happen was 8/19/2015 at a car wash. the display went dead during the wash. wile trying to fix the problem, the car drove away in reverse and knocked me over. i had minor injuries. i might have some other problems as a result of that accident. the next day i want to the dealer. without looking at the car (no computer analysis), the service man told me the display and computer was bad. he said it happens a lot. he also quoted me a price of around $700. i went back to my daughter house to look for another dealer and to research the issue. (i was visiting from ca). at her house, i noticed the car would not shut off and i could not get the key out (the dealer rep told me to put the key in the slot). so i just went back to the dealer to have them fix it and pay the price. (it should be noted that the dealer and its employees never gave me the same information and they wanted me to get so frustrated, that i would leave with the car not repaired. they suggested that i take it somewhere else. at one point, they claimed that i told them i was going to take the car away without the repair. i never said that! they did everything they could to make me mad and so would not fix the car). when i went back to the dealers, the car drive away, again in reverse. i had to hop on one leg to keep up and get back in to stop it. in ether case, i could have been killed. no display, can't shut it off and it jumps into gear!! that is a safety issue! life and death issue it is!

Since september of 2014 i have had issues with the dashboard lights. they have become dimmer and dimmer. then during the week of 8/24/15, i started my car and the dashboard lights came on, but when i turned on the headlights, all dashboard lights went black. i had turn signal lights, but nothing else unless i turned off the headlights. this was extremely dangerous as i was driving home after dark. i had no idea how fast i was going, what gear i was in, if i had enough gas to get home, etc., etc. the next morning i took a 20-mile drive and when i stopped, i could not get the car to shut off by pushing the ignition button. i tried multiple times and the engine finally turned off, but the display panel was still dimly lit. i then drove directly to the dealership to have whatever was wrong repaired. after a mechanic checked it out, it was determined the computer needed to be replaced and they had to order the part. this is not an item that is normally serviced and i have no clue if the dealership checks it during a servicing of the car. so i wondered if there was a recall on it. in checking on this website i find i am not the only person who has had this problem and that i thought there would be a recall on it. when i picked up my car i asked about the recall and i was given paperwork stating it was a "warranty enhancement program" for "9 years with no mileage limitation from the date of first use or before september 30, 2013". letters were sent out to prius owners of cars from 2004 to certain 2009 models. i never received a letter and am very concerned if toyota knew there was a problem why didn't they not do just a "warranty enhancement program" but a recall? they would that eventually all cars would have this problem and it should be replaced. this is an extreme safety issue!

I have been experiencing some problems with my headlights. i changed the bulb and a month later the light stopped working again. i took it to the dealership they blamed it on the bulb, i tried to return the bulb to the store and they tested it and said everything was ok with the bulb so it had to be the headlights. i'm also having problems with the dashboard lights. the speedometer and gas gage completely failed. at the same time i was told my abs brake system needs to be replaced! this is too much happening at the same time and i have to pay for all of it out of pocket.

Headlight on the driver side keeps turning off every couple of minutes. the only way to turn it back on is to flip the headlight switch. it looks like this is a defect in many toyota prius 2005 models. i would like the dealer to fix the issue even if tye car is beyond the manufacturer warranty as this is clearly a manufacturing defect.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving at approximately 25 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated on and off. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the main wiring harness needed to be replaced and not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2005 toyota prius. after the vehicle was parked and turned off, it suddenly accelerated to 65 mph without warning and crashed into a retention wall. the front air bags did not deploy. no injuries were reported and a police report was not filed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to the contact’s residence. the approximate failure mileage was 280,000.

Traveling along at night and headlight suddenly stopped shining. drove about 100 miles using other people's headlights. winter conditions.

Car started skidding on the road, couldn't take control because car started to speed up and then rammed into the concrete barrier, spun around and ended up facing oncoming traffic. luckily, there wasn't any car right behind me and i managed to push open the driver's side door although it wouldn't open completely and opened just enough for me to squeeze through and ran out of the car. at no time did the airbag open up at all. i was lucky that i sustained no major injury except for a badly knocking my left knee on the dash. my question to toyota would be why the airbad didn't open! what if another car had hit mine and i wouldn't have been protected by the airbag!

Just purchased this car. there is a pungent odor in car resulting in dizziness and nauseous and it leaves a strong chemical odor on the hair and clothing for hours after being in the vehicle. it is a strong, plastics odor. i googled this and found it is a common issue. there was one post that explained very clearly what the issue is. toyota has ignored the problem but it can cause physical harm due to the toxins in the air as a result of the problem.

I left my house off noble road, cora, wy and pulled on to wyoming highway 352 headed west at about 11 am; my husband [xxx] was in the car with me as were my dogs. the slippery road icon on the dash came on and there was a beeping noise from the dashboard. i was driving at about 10 mph, though the road is a 65 mph highway. the day was sunny and i slowed down as the road was dry and the light should not have been on and the beeping noise was a new sound for this car. after 2 miles i made a left turn and pulled into the first available driveway at mile 2, cora road. as i made the left turn at a slow speed, there was noise from the front of the car, then i heard a series of clunking noises from the steering column. i stopped the car in the ranch driveway and read the prius manual regarding the icon and beeping symbols. then i tried to turn the car around and noticed that the steering wheel just kept turning and did not turn the wheels of the car. [xxx], a rancher whose road my car was blocking, stopped to help me and noted that the steering wheel was not working. he gave my husband a ride back to our house to get our other vehicle. i called the local towing company, t and l towing, and they came to the site. the car would go forward and backward but the wheels would not turn. tom nixon, tow guy, and i worked the car around to a position where i could drive the car forward on to his tow truck. the nearest toyota dealer with prius service is in rock springs, wyoming, about 107 miles away and tom towed the car to their service lot. i called the dealer in rock springs to notify them of my car en route to them and explained the situation. i also called the toyota help line at 1-800-331-4331 and talked to sheryl meyers. i explained the incident to her and she assigned a case number of [xxx] to my claim. on monday june 1, i talked to my insurance agent at state farm...updated 06-16-15 *bf ...updated 12/29/15 *bf updated 10/18/2018*cn*dt consumer stated steering has been repaired in 2015. (“parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).”)*jb

While driving in traffic and making a turn into a parking lot the brakes failed on this car. they reacted as if there was no brakes until you pressed harder and then they would lock up. the lights for abs had come on. we took it to a repair shop that specializes in toyota repair and they reset the ecm, ecu for the brakes. it worked for a few days and it happened again. after the third time we decided that the ecm or ecu had to be replaced. $1800 and it worked for about 7 months. it happened again in heavy traffic in spokane washington and we nearly had a wreck! we shut the car off after a hair raising drive to our motel and called the dealer to have it checked out. the next morning we got in the car and the brakes were back to normal. we decided to drive it and see if it would hold up. it happened again today, two weeks after the spokane trip. it reset itself again but this won't do! it's a dangerous car with this condition! we plan to take it to the repair shop as soon as we can. toyota is very aware of this problem but has not really come up with a solution. i refuse to take it to toyota for repair anymore because of the extremely high cost for their work and their ineptitude. every report from consumers that i have read has led me to believe the problems toyota cars have are not being resolved by the dealers. i will not be buying another toyota of any kind..

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving approximately 15 mph during inclement weather, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle jerked intermittently without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake pads needed to be realigned. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 133,000.

I am currently experiencing troubles with my front passenger headlight. the problem first occurred about a year ago (jan. 2014) when i purchased the car used from a car dealer in tysons corner va. i took the car back within days of noticing the light kept going out and asked them to repair the issue since i had just purchased the car. they did so and said that it was most likely a faulty light and replaced it. it is a little over a year now and the same light is going out again. what is happening is that when i turn the car on and turn on all of the car lights to drive it at night, they turn on, but about 15-20 minutes down the road and unbeknownst to me, the right passenger light goes out. because of the shape of the car, you cannot tell that it is out. the only reason i knew it was out again was because i got pulled over and given a ticket. this is extremely unsafe and i have read a number of similar occurrences online. i took the car to the repair shop and they have said (after looking online) that the issue is the "headlight light control ecu sub-assembly". because of the safety risk this posses to the driver and others on the road, not to mention the cost of the single item to repair it, toyota should make appropriate financial accommodations to those having this trouble. normal ware and tare on the vehicle is reasonable, such as burt out lightbulbs but systems like this that work for a couple days and then suddenly do not is not safe.

Bought one-owner 2005 prius 11-26-2014 after paying for a pre-purchase inspection at a toyota dealer showing complete service record including all recall campaigns. 4-19-2015 without warning on the expressway, the entire 'combination meter display' simply turned off, leaving the car running in the blind, no gauges/meters/guidance of any kind. the car continued to operate and i drove directly home and parked it. internet search revealed that this as a known safety issue by toyota affecting 2004-2009 prius models. toyota issued a 'warranty enhancement-ztv' and warranty policy bulletin (bulletin no. pol12-05) to effect the necessary safety repairs, but only applies if one discovers (meaning suffer the panic of having the entire panel go blank) the issue before either '9 years with no mileage limitation or before september 30, 2013', whichever is longer. in our case, it expired just before our pre-purchase inspection/purchase of the prius and the dealer indicated/toyota confirmed that this is not something that a toyota dealer service department could have discovered through toyota records. instead, the owner has to wait for the failure to occur. in our case, toyota corporate, with full knowledge of this safety defect, said our joint 'plan of action' was (a) if the display does not illuminate, under no circumstances drive the car, and have it towed to the toyota dealership for necessary repairs, or (b) if the display illuminates, immediately drive it to the toyota dealership for necessary repairs, but that (c) toyota would 'decline to further participate or contribute' to the repair. this should be a mandated, required safety recall; by its own measure, up to 669,000 prius models may be at risk to this known defect, yet toyota refuses both the recall and the repair. how many out there are ticking time bombs? *tr

Noticed passenger headlight appeared to be out intermittently. would turn back on after restarting lights. consistently winks out and will restart after turning lights off and on again. also noticed now that the drivers headlight will also go out and both lights are off at certain times, night or day. *tr

When i drive my right headlight just goes out. then i turn off my lights then turn then on and it chimes back on. *tr

I purchased my prius used in june 2014 this was my first winter with it obviously. any time it about 10 below zero in mn this winter i had to hold my car in drive or reverse, sometimes as long as 5 miles+. *tr

The headlights on my 2005 toyota prius go out on a much to frequent basis. i have replaced both headlights multiple times. this last time, i took the car to the dealership (northshore toyota) to ask if they could check the headlights. i thought it could be a bad connection. they checked the headlights and said they both needed replacing, although one was working when i brought the car in for service. they did not mention anything about an issue with the headlights, and gladly took our money for replacing the lights. upon further research, i learned that this is a problem with headlights on toyota prius. i feel this is a safety issue and should be addressed by the manufacturer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while parking, the vehicle suddenly accelerated independently. the brakes were engaged, but failed to stop the vehicle. as a result, the contact's vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle. there were no injuries and no damages and it was unknown if a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that the computer in the vehicle caused the unintended acceleration. the contact mentioned that the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 09v388000 (vehicle speed control). the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 120,000. updated 5/18/15*cn

The passenger side headlight randomly turns off while the switch is still in the on position. it is temporarily fixed when i flip the switch for the lights off and on again. the last three times i have driven in the night it has unexpectedly turned off. *tr

The airbag indicator light on the dashboard of my prius came on and would not go off. on 3/14/2015, i took the prius to a dealership for a diagnostic check. i was told by the technician that both the drivers and passenger side squib airbag harness would need replacement at a cost of $4,373.07. there was no accident or any outside force to cause the problem. it appeared out of the blue when i started the car on the morning of 3/11/2015. the car is otherwise in near perfect condition. *tr

Originally the passenger headlight would shut off randomly. i would flick the lights on and off and it would turn back on. then this past new years eve both headlights turned off and i flicked the lights on and off and that did not work. i shut off the headlights with the switch for a few seconds and luckily they turned on again. however the kept on shutting off more consistently. first the passenger then both. this is ridiculous. and the car was not safe to drive. i replaced both headlight bulbs at my own expense. the bulbs worked great for 2 days. now both headlights will not stay on for more than 45 seconds. my 16 yr old son also drives this car and this is unacceptable. if something were to happen to him because of this known defect that toyota is not willing to fix. this is terrible! fix this problem! new bulbs is not the fix. there is something else seriously wrong here. *tr

While driving at night, headlights turned off (failed). stopped vehicle and waited a couple of minutes and turned light switch off and back on. lights functioned ok. one week later, same failure occurred. *tr

Purchased this vehicle used as a means of fuel efficient transportation while i am in college. i began experiencing headlight failure on the vehicle about a week after purchasing it from the dealership. when i brought it to their attention, i was informed that the headlights were under recall and would be replaced. a few months later the passenger side headlight began flickering again and went out again. the headlight comes on initially before flickering (sometimes violently) and going out again. i suspect that it is a power supply issue and not a headlight issue. *tr

Left headlight will intermittently go off. there have been a couple of instances where both lights have gone off on the highway at night. *tr

Car would not stay in drive. when i put the car into drive, it would immediately revert to neutral. the car might only advance a couple of feet and then it would pop back into neutral. sometimes it would immediately pop back, never really staying in drive. holding the sifter in drive would allow the car to drive. after the car would pop back into the neutral position, the car could not put it into park as well. i could reverse. only after putting it in reverse, would the car go into park. the car seemed to have resolved itself when next checked, near an hour later. weather was very cold, in the single digits, now it is 15.6º f and the car seems ok. *js

Front left headlight turning off and on intermittantly. *js

The automatic braking system (abs), vehicle stability control (vsc), brake light, and brake system warning lights (4) on the prius all came on and vehicle became very unstable while out of town. the owner's manual indicated that the dealership should be contacted and car should be taken in immediately for service. since no dealership was available at the immediate location, the car was driven home (60 miles) in very unstable conditions. upon bringing it to the dealership i was told it was a miracle nothing bad had happened because the "computer skid assembly" needed to be replaced at a cost of $1570.97 for just the part!!! i found it very interesting that the part was readily available as if i were replacing an oil or air filter. after confirming the cost with other dealerships, i consented to the work to be performed. is this just another "built in obsolescence" feature? there appears to be nothing i could have done to properly maintain this new piece of technology and the sudden failure of the part posses a significant safety concern to consumers. in addition, how can any reasonable consumer be certain that this part failure was not input by the manufacturer into the car's control system. makes me long for the days of manual vehicles and shade tree mechanics. *tr

I tested fuel tank capacity since driving range has substantially decreased from new car status. fuel capacity now 9.2 gal, versus 12.4 at purchase. the fuel bladder has shrunk, substantially reducing driving range. this shrinkage occurred between 10/15/2005 and 2/24/2011 when i tested it. i am informed by toyota that replacement fuel bladders will also gradually shrink. no metal fuel tank is available as a replacement. this is unacceptable. *tr

Driving after dark, temp 12 f, dashboard light went black on area behind steering wheel. upon arriving at destination, vehicle took several attempts before it turned off. car was taken to toyota dealer. i suggested this problem may be on a recall for the multi system light in the dash. after 2 hours toyota did not address the "recall" issue and diagnosed loose batter cable. car performed normally. next morning the car started and dashboard lighting came on as per usual. end of day when temp dropped dashboard went black again and the car was difficult to turn off at end destination. toyota dealer was called immediately (sunday) left message. called again next morning after 10am no call received from dealership. *tr

I am the original owner of my prius and it has worked wonderfully except for having to replace the headlights. about 4 years ago i had an accident and the front bumper and driver side headlight was replaced. it is now flickering and turns off. the passenger side headlight was also replaced 4-5 years ago and it died about 6 months ago. this is a serious problem since the head light flickers and dies while driving. i almost drove off the road on a side street because i could not see. *tr

Intermittent failure of headlight (left and right, though not simultaneously). problem can be temporarily corrected by turning headlights off, then on. this issue occurs while driving (twice within a one hour drive) and when the car has just been started. fuses have been checked and headlight bulbs have been replaced with no resolution. *tr

Stopped at a stop sign. pulled into intersection of arterial. didn't see crossing traffic. collided with crossing vehicle. entire front end of prius hit rear quarter panel of pickup truck. the front end of the prius was completely destroyed. any and all airbags failed to deploy in prius.

2005 prius hid headlights go out while driving and continue to go out intermittently as they will relight if cycled on and off. replaced bulb and issue continues. *tr

Car when in park or stopped (at a stop sign or light) will automatically shift into neutral about a second after i try to put it in reverse or drive. it began happening about a month ago and now happens every time i start the car. it also began happening at stoplights and almost caused an accident when i was trying to accelerate onto a fast highway from a stoplight last week. it takes up to 10 attempts to keep it in drive or reverse now from a stopped position, and i never know when or for how long it will happen. other than this, my car is in good condition and has not had any problems. i looked up the issue online, and from what a lot of other prius drivers say, it sounds like a major issue with the shift lever assembly (see below for links to forums where many others have the same issue). this fix costs a few hundred dollars, and it seems common in the 2004-2009 prius. it has a tsb out on it (see link below), so the issue is known?but this part should be issued a recall for those having issues!! it is a dangerous and not-uncommon defect, and i am afraid for my safety when driving this car now! http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/62-prius-forum/343977-08-prius-won-t-stay-gear.html http://www.justanswer.com/toyota/6wctj-toyota-prius-prius-2008-will-not-stay-reverse-drive.html http://priuschat.com/threads/2008-prius-shifts-back-to-neutral-wont-stay-in-drive-revposted-wed-aug-12-2009-7-04-am.67254/#axzz3mfyfau2j. *tr

On start up the combination meter failed to operate. since the combination meter presents bulk of the critical vehicle information it present a hazard to the operation of the vehicle. it is a known intermittent problem and was first observed on my 2005 prius approximately three years ago, however, the problem can clear itself. when it first occurred i brought it to the sun toyota service department, 3001 u.s. 19 holiday, fl (727) 478-0070 for service. the service personal noticed the problem, recycled the power on the vehicle, then the problem cleared itself. they said at that time there was nothing they could do to repair the problem unless it hard fails. since that time i have had it intermittently fail and correct itself. i discovered that this was a known design defect and that a warranty extension had been issued by toyota motor sale, usa which would cover repair of the vehicle. i experienced the failure again on 11/18/2014. i immediately drove it to sun toyota. they examined the problem, i pointed out the extended warranty, but they said the vehicle was now outside of the extended warranty and could not be repaired. i drove the vehicle to clearwater toyota, 21799 us highway 19 n, clearwater, fl 33765 (727) 799-1234, and they too said it was out of warranty. as a last recourse i called the toyota customer experience center. they assigned a case to me but they too said the problem is out of warranty. *tr

The first time happened about a year ago and the issue gets worse. i took the car into the shop to replace a headlight as i thought it had burnt out. when i arrived, the passenger side light was working again. the issue has been so bad now that both headlights may turn off with no warning and cause complete darkness while on the road. from what the shop told me is that i will have to possibly replace the hid headlamp cpu in order to ensure no further issues. this is a severe safety issue that seems to plague the make and model of toyotas. *tr

My front passengers-side headlight keeps going out every 5-10 minutes but will turn back on if i turn the headlights lights off and back on again. this has caused me to get pulled over & nobody seems to know how to fix it... *tr

While driving a headlamp will extinguish and i can turn on/off quickly and will come back on. sometimes this happens every couple miles and can alternate between headlamps and sometimes both fail at the same time. also if trying to drive on one, the other can fail also requiring a turn on/off reset. *tr

My left head light goes out intermittently. the light goes back on when i turn the lights off and then on again. this seems to be a problem that prius owners are regularly experiencing. *tr

Our neighbor noticed that our right headlight was out. it proved to be intermittent, going on and off at unpredictable intervals but getting worse with time. we had both headlight bulbs and modules replaced, a procedure that required the removal of the front bumper, among other things, and cost $1,212.98 at an independent garage. we suspected that the cost would have been even higher at a toyota dealership. now, beginning on or about october 23, 2014, the same problem has recurred, this time involving the left headlight. given the high cost of repair and the fact that, obviously, the fix is only temporary, we have not had the headlights replaced again but are attempting to avoid driving the vehicle at night or in bad weather. given the apparent frequency that prius owners have reported this same problem, my wife and i do not understand why toyota has not developed a generic fix and issued a recall. *tr

The right side headlight goes out multiple times for no apparent reason. i have to turn the lights off- then back on--it will come back on--only till it goes out again. *tr

I purchased four new hifly hf201 tires, size 185/65r15, on september 5, 2014. on october 21, 2014, the front driver's side tire blew out while i was driving home on the freeway. there were a number of holes -- one as large as a baseball -- along the outer sidewall of the tire. as previously stated, the tires were a little over one month old, were purchased new, and were professional installed. i drive a lot for my work and have two kids, who are often in the car with me. my daughter is about to get her license and will be driving my car, and i'm very concerned about the safety of these tires. the dealer who sold me the tires gave me a new tire, free of charge, to replace the one that failed, but i have little confidence in these tires. i have been driving since i was 16 (i'm now 52) and i have never seen a tire fail like this one did. i'm filing this complaint because i don't believe these tires are safe and don't want to see anyone get hurt. thank you, and please feel free to contact me with any questions. *tr

For the past couple of months i have smelled a fuel odor in the passenger compartment but can't identify the source. *tr

Steering column broke while making a right turn in city driving. recall service had been performed on the steering column. *tr*dt*jb

For the past 200 miles or so, the left front headlight has begun to turn off after a couple of minutes when switched on. the hid bulb and ecm was replaced, at considerable cost, but has not yet been resolved. i have an appt for toyota dealership service in a week. *tr

Today, when our 2005 prius was turned on, the dashboard lights, including the odometer and speedometer, and all of the dashboard warning lights, did not illuminate. additionally,the prius would not turn off by pushing the button on the dash. a google search revealed a known problem with the combination meter display that controls the dashboard lights, including all of the safety warning lights, that prompted toyota to issue a warranty enhancement, covering this defect either for 9 years from the date the car was first put into service or until september 30, 2013, whichever is longer. as it turns out, my prius is outside this warranty extension by three days. i called the national toyota customer experience center at toyota and was told, because there was a warranty extension, no further extensions can be granted and i am responsible for the repair of this defect. i have an issue with this due to the fact the module in question is not user-affected or serviceable in any way. if its engineering and/or manufacturing is such that it only lasts 9 years, and it is crucial to the operation of the car, and the display of system warning lights that reflect any problems with the supplemental restraint system, braking system, hybrid system, etc. i have an issue because this electronic device makes the car inoperable and many people with toyota prius vehicles, from model years 2004-2009 are experiencing this problem. shouldn't non-serviceable, critical parts to the operation of a car, that display the status of safety-related systems, last more than 9 years? there will be consumers who opt to drive the car anyway, which could lead to injuries and death, depending on the status of their safety-related systems, which they have no way of being able to see when this defect appears in their cars, at the time of a crash or need to brake in an emergency. *tr

Intermittent drivers side headlight failure. light will work for a short time, and go out while driving. this has been a chronic problem with this car. i bought it from a friend and it has been a problem for them, and other prius owners that i know. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle made a loud popping noise. the contact noticed that the steering wheel was tilted and the anti skid and anti lock braking system warning indicators illuminated. when the contact attempted to merge to the emergency lane, the steering wheel separated from the steering column and caused a complete loss of steering ability. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the technician stated that the failure was unrelated to nhtsa campaign number: 12v537000 (steering). the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 103,000. *dt*jb

I had an accident in march 2013 which caused front end damage. the car was repaired with the headlights being replaced. every since the repair the headlights have been going out for no apparant reason. at first just the right headlight, now both lights shut off at the same time and i have to turn them off and back on to get them to emit light. the dealer said it was the headlights themselves but why do both of them go out at the same time and why do they come back on and continue to work. at first this occured maybe once a day but it is occuring frequently. i do not think it is the bulbs becasue they keep shutting off at the same time which suggest it is something else. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights failed to activate. in addition, the headlights powered off independently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights failed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 204,000. updated 10/24/14*lj updated 4/16/2015 *js

While slowing our 2005 prius to make a turn into a parking lot the brakes failed to respond normally. warning lights came on to indicate the abs/vsc had a problem. took it to a repair shop to have it diagnosed, driving it to the shop was hazardous, very touchy and scary to drive. they said it needed a computer assembly, skid control and stroke sensor assembly to repair the problem. over $2000 in parts alone. considering my options now. sell and never buy toyota again would be one option. if this had happened at highway speed and we needed to slow or stop quickly we may have had an accident! (issue not covered by warranty) issues like labels for tire loads covered, ridiculous!

Hybrid battery exploded in car, i thought someone shot at me or bomb went off in car. later i realized there was a problem with the hybrid system. i couldn't get a hold of toyota or representative of toyota, i took battery out so there wouldn't be a fire. when i opened casing up i saw the damage where a cell or two exploded inside hybrid battery pack. when i finally got to talk to someone from toyota 4 days later and told them i removed the pack so it wouldn't start a fire in car and for the authorities to inspect battery, they started yelling at me for driving the car and removing the battery. i said this is a safety issue, it can happen to anyone. it has affected me, my child and dogs hearing as a result and negligence of toyota. i was scared and frightened by toyota's response and the call back after i yelled at the and hung up. i got a call back from them where i was threatened by a man. i thought toyota cared about customers, not to threaten them, and to tamper with evidence and hide a safety issue. *tr

I went from a stationary driving position, to driving off at 20 mph down a 3 lane highway, suddenly a few seconds after, all these lights came on: fashing warning lihgt, brake lights, abs light and a loud beeping noise. i had no power, no brakes….. fortunately there was nobody in front of me or close behind and i could veer into the side of the road. i turned the car off totally. and then tried to turn it back on again to see what would happen, and all the same lights and beeping noise started again. had the car towed to toyota in santa monica. there was no manager on site. one of the service guys said he would have it checked. they refused to give me a temporary rental or substitue car - they said they would give me a ride to a rental place! this is 11 a.m. the following morning. the manager at the dealership is stil not there. the associate called me and said i could pay to have it repaired !! i have called the toyota customer relations service, who say they will get back to me in "a day or so". aside from my life and others lives, being put in total jeopardy by my cars' failure, i think the lack of urgency on this matter is appalling. there may be other prius cars that will have the same failure, and people killed.

The headlights on the prius turn off. when i notice this while driving, i can turn them off and then on again. they only stay on for a few minutes. *tr

The headlight just turned off. in reading up on this issue, it has become apparent that this is a known issue with hid lights in a prius. fortunately it only happened to one headlight and not both. *tr

The front headlights will randomly flicker out, usually one at a time but sometimes both at the same time. one can get it back on by toggling the headlight switch on and off, but extremely dangerous when on an interstate at night. a ton of owners are having this same problem, but apparently there is as of yet no recall. you can switch out the expensive bulb, but that also apparently doesn't fix the problem. *tr

The airbag warning light came on and would not go off about 3 or 4 years ago, so i took it to the toyota dealer who did something and reset it. it stayed off for about a year or so then came back on. i took it back to the dealer again who said the diagnostic said it was malfunctioning and that i needed to bring it back to replace some expensive part. i was on the way back to the dealer, when the light went out. the tech did the diagnostic again and said there was nothing wrong with it. the light stayed out for about another year or so and came on again a couple of weeks ago and won't go out . this time however, i have also noticed that the top of the dash on the passenger side has been pushed upward under the "srs air bag" phrase. this is concerning since the same thing has happened in the exact same place on the other 2005 prius that i own . i contacted toyota corporate who responded that there are no recalls on my cars and that for the most part, my cars were out of warranty. the rep said that she would document my report and that i should take them back to the dealer for inspection. this is the same dealer that has not been able to figure out what is wrong with this car the first two times. meanwhile, i am driving around in a car that may or may not have working airbags because i need to get to work. *tr

While driving in the rain on the freeway, the car de-accelerated suddenly after all the lights lit up on the dash board. i could not make the car go. i managed to maneuver it close to an offramp(dec 2013). towed to north hollywood toyota, paid over $800 to fix items i was told would fix problem. it did not!!! 4 months later on the freeway again, same thing happened. i cost off ramp and had the car towed to another dealer.(march-april 1014) left it for a week, they said it runs, cant find a thing. less than 2 months later, on the freeway again, same thing happens, i coast to the side difficultly. called for a tow to my house 50 miles away. when i called both dealers, they refuse to acknowledge responsibility for not fixing the same problem i had in december of 2013 - this is a massive safety issue that toyota says they couldn't fix until i paid them over $1200 for a blocked fuel line and tank.- said they might have found the problem over 5 months later. i think they should take financial responsibility for the fact that they never caught the problem originally in december of 2013 and i had feel unsafe as i was stopped on a busy so cal freeway more than one time. if you look at other toyota blogs, people have complained about this issue.- i even went to main toyota office in torrance, ca, they cannot find the dealerships in error, which is unbelievable. what if i was hurt seriously on those freeways? i have had to pay for rentals, tows, and fear of driving on the freeways. feel free to call me. *tr

In 2007, we purchased a certified used toyota prius 2005 with 13,298 miles. we have owned this car ever since. we currently have about 81,000 miles on this vehicle. brake failure incident on june 30, 2014, i was driving the 2005 prius slowly (10-15 mph) along a roadway located in a tecumseh, mi city park: €¢ as the car approached a local street, i braked for a stop before making a right-hand turn. as i engaged the brake, the abs system red light appeared, the red brake light was lit and the related buzzer was activated as well. €¢ as i braked, my right foot went all the way to the floor. i experienced complete and total brake failure. €¢ i finally stopped the car with the emergency brake. €¢ i drove the prius very slowly over the two miles home, using the emergency brake to stop as needed. €¢ my wife and daughter were riding with me in the car and witnessed the incident. on july 1, 2014, i contacted aaa and arranged to have the car towed to a repair shop in ann arbor, mi €“ 30 miles away. after a week, at the repair shop i arranged to have the vehicle towed to the local toyota service facility. over the previous five months, i experienced another curious problem that may be brake related. when braking on bumpy roads (we have horrible pot holes on many major streets and roads) or curb cuts, the car accelerates ever so briefly. the feeling of loss of control is very disturbing. it remains to be seen if this problem is related to the brake failure noted above. there were no injuries as a result of this brake failure. however, i had just returned home from business in a neighboring community 35 miles away. i often drive backcountry county roads with posted speeds of 55 mph. if i had experienced the brake failure then, i might well have been killed along with others. *tr

First passenger side then drivers side headlights failed within a month of each other. able to relight headlights by turning on and off switch, but then they would go off again. both replaced by toyota dealer at over $300 per light! now, the drivers side headlight is off again several months later, still able to switch it on for awhile, but it fails as i am driving. *tr

Multiple failures of hid lights going out. it will switch from one side to another. sometimes results in both headlights going out. most of the time a quick flip of the headlight switch will bring them back on. it is completely random. instances when both lights go out, each time had to make a quick pull over to wait for a moment, as the normal quick flick to get the lights back on fails, thus causing a quick panic to get to a safe place on the side of the road in the complete dark and hope that other vehicles around you can see you and let you over. *tr

Both of my prius headlights went off, for no apparent reason, while driving down a busy highway. flicking them off and then back on brought them on again, but this is a dangerous situation. this has happened one more time since then. this could cause a serious accident. toyota is unable to isolate the problem. the company wants to replace the bulbs, but this doesn't fix the problem, according to many other people who have had this problem. replacing the bulbs or adjacent parts can cost hundreds of dollars, which is not sustainable. it seems that a recall is in order. *tr

In mid june 2012, while driving on the freeway i noticed the left side headlight was not on, initially i thought the bulb was bad since i had already had to replace the right one. i had planed to take the car to elmore toyota of huntington beach, ca to have the bulb replaced but the following day the light was working. after a few days it started happening again. i found that if i turned the lights on and off the headlight would come back on, i have had this problem for over a year now. today i decided to take the car to the dealer's service department, now they can't seem to tell me what is the true nature of the problem, all they want to do is sell me a new bulb. after doing some research on my own i now understand that this has been an ongoing problem since 2007 and that the nhtsa has investigated this and has decided that this is not a safety issue. i would like to see if the persons responsible for this decision would like to go on a long night drive with me on a mountain road. right now i want to officially file a complaint about this problem, my 2005 toyota prius is unsafe to drive because the headlights are not dependable and there is no telling when they will stop working. *tr

Brake, abs and (o) with exclamation mark inside have been on , the seller was not honest with me about why the lights were on, i went to the toyota dealer and they said it is not safe to drive the vehicle, repairs would cost $7000.00. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the brakes were depressed and failed to respond. the contact crashed into the rear end of another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. the contact sustained injuries to the chest, a leg gash and a pulled muscle in the back. the front passenger sustained whiplash. both the contact and the front passenger required medical attention. a police report was filed. additionally, the contact stated that the flat surface warning indicator illuminated intermittently as a result the contact had to restart the vehicle on multiple occasions. the key failed to exit the ignition switch on multiple occasions. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

Intermittent headlight outage - front right side. *tr

The headlight operation became erratic. sometimes one would work and sometimes the other one would be the only one to function. sometimes neither headlight would come on. repeated operation of the headlight switch eventually would get one or both headlights turned on. the light bulbs were replaced in 2012 and again in 2013. there was little or no change in performance. when i have asked my toyota dealer's service department about it, they simply said they weren't aware of any problem. i cannot believe that is true. this is a much discussed and not uncommon problem. we are always concerned that the headlights might fail while we were driving. this has not happened yet, but i have no confidence in the headlight reliability. *tr

Entering i-25 southbound on dark night and the head lamps went out. turned the switch off and then on, they came back on and then went right off. re-tried the switch and they came back on.. failed again about five miles further south on the i-25 highway. turned them off and back on and they came back on and stayed until i got back home. the bulbs must be good for them to come back on. possible bad switch or computer chip that controls the automatic circuitry. this was very scary because we had high speed traffic that couldn't see us because we had no lights visible. there was construction in the area which made it all the more tense note:the vehicle make name box above does not pull down. *tr

When run car to long distance and stop, the car accelerate the motor to high revolutions and need press the brakes. the dealer tell me paid for evaluation, but the car not have indicator light for problems. that's is a safety concerns. please need help. i thinking the problem is the computer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving with the cruise control activated at 75 mph, all of the warning indicators on the instrument panel illuminated in addition to the inverter cooling system warning message displaying. the contact shut off the engine but the failure was still present once restarted. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number 12v536000 (engine and engine cooling, hybrid propulsion system) however, the contact was not able to have the vehicle repaired because there was not a qualified technician to perform the repair at the local dealer. the contact received the recall notification six months prior and the dealer was unable to provide an expected date of when the vehicle could be serviced under the recall. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 153,000.

While driving home on the fast lane driving 65 mph a sudden alarm came up. the red triangle with exclamation mark, abs and brake light came on with a tone. when i press the brake the car, it would not brake. i was able to slow down my car by releasing the throttle off. i brought my car to the dealer only to find that would have to pay $3000 for the replacement of the brake ecu and actuator. the other problem is if you drive a bit fast over pothole and speed bump. you lose braking for a moment. *tr updated 8/2017*js

My drivers side headlight flickers then goes out. i was able to get it on again by manually turning the switch on and off. then it will happen again. i replaced the headlight ($175 for the part alone) in may of 2012. it is now march of 2014 and the same light began doing it again, flickering. i was able to get it to go on by manually switching it on. now it is out again. *tr

We were driving just north of coos bay, oregon when a big truck with the license plate number [xxx] carrying a trailer with the license plate [xxx] clipped the back driver's side of our car while we were forced to change lanes because of the lane ending. i had my blinker on for a long time and we were ahead of him until he sped up and clipped us. he then sped up and cut us off and drove away very quickly. it was raining and we were on the 101 in oregon and he was going at least 80 mph because we were going around 65 and he was pulling away fast. since it was a single lane highway we stayed behind him long enough to give him a chance to pull over, but the second he got the chance, he changed lanes and cut others off in order to get away. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the brake and abs warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where unknown repairs were performed however, the failure recurred three days later. the contact stated that the brakes malfunctioned and additional pressure to the brake pedal was needed to stop the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 92,000. the vin was not available.

On 2/27/14 the srs indicator light in our vehicle lit up causing us to review the owner's manual, which recommended immediate service. per technical service bulletin t-sb-0042-11, this issue was caused by failure of the wiring harness, which was diagnosed with scanner code b1826. according to the tsb, the design/material fault can occur in 2004-2009 priuses. the fault, according to a toyota service advisor, results in a failure of the air bag system. to address the condition, "an updated wire harness must be installed." the cost to repair this design fault is $2,500. and up depending on if one or both sides of the wiring harness has to be replaced. because this safety related defect needed to be addressed at once we paid to have the vehicle repaired but expressed our view to the toyota personnel that the defect should have been covered by toyota. we feel that this defect should have been the subject of a recall. calls to the gm of the dealership have not been returned. *tr

Failure of engine throttle controls: sudden rapid acceleration, un-commanded, which terminated quickly after applying the brakes.

Traction control engaged on a hill with light snow cover completely stopping the wheels and preventing any forward motion, creating a dangerous situation. pedestrians had to push the car up the hill while the accelerator was pressed to get to the top. backing would have placed the car in a dangerous position with oncoming 50 mph cross traffic . there should be an override for situations such as this to enable some forward motion to be maintained even if there is some wheel slippage. occurred friday 14 feb 2014. this has occurred in the past on gravel driveways and other roads. this instance was by far the most troubling since pedestrians were involved. *tr

During the recent rash of snow storms to hit the eastern mid-states i noticed that my windshield washer fluid nozzle froze up. it worked when i left home and stopped working on rt 32, md. i do not believe there is anything wrong with the windshield wiper fluid i used. i had a very difficult time seeing out of my front windshield. the back nozzle did not ice-up. i noticed that all the other cars (easily 40-50 cars) windows were clear, except one, another prius! this has happened to me several times recently as well as in the past. if asked, i am certain other prius users would report the same problem. my car is an '05. *tr

Around 105,000 we started getting intermittent headlight loss. it usually comes back on if we turn the lights off then back on. it only did it on the passenger side for about a year but now it does it on both sides. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius equipped with bridgestone/firestone insignia se200 all season tires, size: p185/65r 15 86t. the contact stated she was driving 30 mph when she heard a flapping noise coming from the rear passenger's side tire. the contact checked the tire and discovered that the tire was deflated and the side wall was split. the contact took the tire to a tire shop where they provided her with a replacement tire. the tire failure mileage was 3,500. the vehicle failure mileage was 103,000.

I have replaced my headlights 6 times in the past 2 years. the headlights go out with no warning. the first few times i thought it was possibly bad aftermarket bulbs but there is obviously a problem. this is a safety issue since there is no warning as to when they go out. *tr

My vehicle lights spontaneously go out. it used to be one headlight, then i had a mechanic take it out to diagnose and he said it may be the ballast. after that, it is now both headlights go out spontaneously, and therefore sometimes at the same time, leaving in the dark at night on the road. flicking them off and back on usually fixes it on the first try, but sometimes it takes a couple of tries. *tr

Cpcs:i1410421a. 2005 toyota prius. consumer stated the car was taken in for a wheel alignment. apparently, toyota has not allowed any way to adjust the rear toe or camber on the prius, which can result in steering issues and problems associated with excessive or uneven tire wear. *ln

12/20/2010 left head light replaced not working. 8/30/2011 right headlight replaced not working. 10/30/12 left headlight not working. when start car light would turn on flicker then go out, replaced headlight at time (second replacement) worked for several months then went to flicker mode then off when car lights turned on. left headlight still not working, light goes on when car started but flicks off in 30 seconds. 1/14/2014 right headlight not working, replaced. new bulb placed light works 50% time. no flicker either it will go on or not. both headlights replaced twice so far. returning to mechanic again. *tr

The hid headlights will occasionally go out. over time i realized that by turning the lights off and on, the lights came back on. while driving at night, this event can happen as often as every couple minutes. sometimes it may not occur for an hour. but there is no rhyme or reason as to the frequency of losing the light. maybe 3 or 4 times over the last 2 years both headlights turned off at once. had i been on an interstate at the time or in inclement weather, it would have been much more dangerous and life threatening. losing the light from a bulb can occur to either headlight. although it seems to occur with one bulb or the other for a period of time. in other words, on a night's drive, it's usually one bulb that will often go out on that night. the next evening it may be the other headlight. the local toyota service garage charges about $175 each for the hid lightbulbs and another $95 for the installation. looking at opinions on line concerning this prius headlight problem, is the view that replacing the bulb is not the issue. the problem is within the computer system of the car. the price of replacing the bulbs combined with the possibility that light replacement may not solve the problem, keeps me from spending the money and instead keeps me flicking the lights off and on when needed. given the extreme potential danger of this defect, it seems that toyota owes it to their customers to get to the bottom of this problem. and create a fix. *tr

For several months, the driver's side head light of my 2005 toyota prius would spontaneously blink out. because it was blinking out and coming back on, i told the dealer i suspected some kind of wiring problem, but was assured that this was a common problem with the prius head lamps. i was then told that we had the "special" hid lamps that cost $150 apiece, plus $75+ in labor because of how complicated they were to replace. when i asked how long it would take for this labor intensive $75+ repair, i was told 15 minutes (in other words, i would be charged $300/hour for labor). after being reassured again that replacing the head lamp would solve the problem, i agreed to move forward with the repair. fast forward 2 weeks, and the driver's headlamp was once again blinking on and off. the dealership seemed completely unsurprised by the persistence of this problem, and agreed to a "courtesy recheck." they then informed me that since the $225 head lamp repair they talked me into didn't solve the problem, the cause of the blinking was "definitely" the ecu (the computer that controls the head lamp), and it would cost ~$700 to replace this component. at no point did the dealer acknowledge that the hid lamps and associated ecus have been defective in hundreds of thousands of prius cars, as i quickly learned online. *tr

After a short period of time headlight flickers then goes out. have to turn off then on, only to last a short time. brand new bulbs. *tr

Initially it was the drivers side headlight that went out. turning the switch off and on reset the headlight to illuminate again. i took the vehicle to my mechanic to replace the driver side headlight. the mechanic said the headlights worked fine and to continue to drive until it failed or other issue reported. after a couple weeks the issue progressed to both headlights going out. turning off and on would restore illumination. this would happen randomly sometimes recurring again after 5-10minutes. finally the passenger side headlight went out completely and would not illuminate. i took the vehicle to my mechanic and had the passenger side headlight replace. a few days later the drivers side headlight started turning off again. my next step is to take the vehicle into the dealership and see if they can fix the issue. i've researched the issue and have seen plenty of complaints regarding this issue. i'm concerned this is a persistent defect, light shutting off randomly, will have a devastating effect once my luck runs out. *tr

The dashboard screen goes blank. this has happened twice in the last couple of days. i can't tell how fast i'm going, how much gas is left, what gear i'm in, how much mileage is on the vehicle, whether or not the lights are on, etc. toyota has a service notice about it, but my vehicle is just 2 months out of warranty. i didn't have this problem before while it was in warranty. it is extremely unsafe. *tr

The traction control override repeatedly engages arbitrarily under various circumstances, including hitting bumps/potholes at 35 mph and accelerating from a stop on both wet and dry roads. i have seen reports online of people expressing their concern about this feature in snow, but our prius does it frequently. aside from the inconvenience, this is a clear safety hazard when attempting to pull out into traffic. we have been told by the dealer that this feature cannot be disabled, but it would seem to me that it needs to be to avoid potential collisions.

While crossing the bridge of the gods, cascade locks, oregon at about 9pm the toll collector told me my drivers side headlight was out. i turned on my high beams and had two lights on. on low beam only one light...driving with high beams at night is dangerous to other drivers on the road; driving with one or no headlights at night is also dangerous. the next day i turned on the lights (low beam) and they were both on again....i checked priuschat.com forum and read 56 pages of prius owners with the same problem...that either one or both headlights will turn off intermittently and randomly, often at night. i called toyota customer service and [xxx] the service rep i talked to looked up my car and said there is no remedy toyota recommends other than take it to a dealer and have it "repaired" for approximately $800-1200 dollars. further, reading about the prius owners headlight experiences posted on the forum suggests that more than often this very dangerous vehicle defect is not "repaired" by what the dealer service department does and the lights continue to turn off randomly..as a retired police officer i consider this product design defect to be extremely dangerous and that toyota corp. will not stand behind their product. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Driver headlamp turning on and off while driving. lamp will turn on if i switched control off and turned it on again, but will turn off again within 10 minutes. replaced both lights bulbs, then passenger headlight started doing the same thing with in a month of replacement. i replaced bulb again in the passenger headlight and with in 5 days light started again doing same thing. headlight turns on if i switch control on and off. found similar complains about prius 2005 on line. *tr

While driving at night i noticed that my headlights were dim. i later found that the left light had gone out. i found that turning the lights off and on again the light went on for a while. the problem persists and toyota says they can do nothing. i must pay for a new light $300 +. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the driver's side headlight intermittently failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be diagnosed. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

My hid headlight turns off, it can be turned back on by toggling the light switch. i had previously replaced the bulb, however it cost over $400 to get it fixed. it is dangerous to drive like this, toyota does not seem to assume responsibility that there is a defect. there was a cash support but only for 2006 to 2009 models. there should be an investigation into this problem. *tr

Last friday night both right and left headlights burned out within five minutes of one another. thankfully i could limp home with the help of street lights. i discovered today at toyota dealership that the cost of two new hid osram xenarc d2r 35 w 66050 ($ 175/bulb) and labor ($ 113/hr) plus sales tax was $ 467.31. i checked the cost of the hid bulbs online. amazon offers a pair of these bulbs for $ 159.99 plus free shipping. toyota's genuine part mark up is an astounding 217% in this comparison. further, the toyota parts/service said that they need to take off the bumper - unlike the owner's manual instructions from the side of the headlights - to replace the bulbs. toyota headlights can be dangerous if they burn out simultaneously and replacement cost is ridiculous at the dealership! *tr

Front passenger (right) side main headlamp goes out, it will relight when light switch is turned off, then back on.date of first occurrence is unknown. this happens when at idle or any speed. sometimes the light will stay on for 30 minutes or more, but most of the time the light will go out every 4 minutes. i have to drive and look at the reflection of my car on the side of another car to see if my light is one or not. when i reset the light, people think i am flashing them to pull over. i have been pulled over for the light out and i was able to demonstrate to the peace officer that i can reset the light by turning it off and on, he told me to take care of it, yet there are no answers or a firm fix. toyota should recall gen 2 prius as this is a defect. *tr

The right headlamp works intermittently and has been for some time and lately the left is joining in. i have asked about this numerous times over the past couple of years when in the dealership for other services. it isn't a problem any time i have been in their presence; but they noted it in my file. likewise, as i cross my fingers yearly, they have both been working during inspection. thought i was crazy until i see tons of complaints on the internet as well as info that you had an investigation but closed it saying this isn't a safety issue. just want it to go on record with you as well because if something happens, you and toyota will be sued. this is obviously a problem with upwards of 2k people (that you know of) and see no safety issue in something as important as lighting? cars do not pass inspection with inadequate lighting and require replacement; but, you see no validity in a lighting issue that the consumer is unable to solve by replacement of the lighting unit?? just like the government, makes no sense! *tr

The headlights would shut off and not come back on during various speeds. it was extremely dangerous. while driving at night at 65mph a headlight ( randomly left or right) would shut off at night). i would have to pull over and turn the light switch off to reactivate the headlight!!! the headlight would come back on once the switch was turned off and on again, but several miles down the road, a headlight would go off again!!! this is extremely dangerous!! we brought it to a toyota garage, and were told there was a recall on these headlights but not for our 2005 vehicle. we paid $476.00 to replace both headlights!! how can headlights be recalled for this problem and be covered for certain years only??? with the research i have done it appears this is a dangerous problem for 2005 models too!!! why wait for accidents or deaths??? thus occurred at all speeds!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while turning, there was an abnormal vibration from the steering wheel without warning. the contact mentioned that the steering wheel remained loose after the failure. the vehicle was previously serviced under nhtsa campaign id number: 12v537000 (steering) but did not rectify the failure. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 116,000 and the current mileage was 131,000. updated 03/31/14*lj the consumer stated the manufacturer offered to pay 50% of the repairs. the consumer believes the manufacturer should pay for 100% of the repairs. updated 04/01/2014 *js

1tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that there had been an abnormal rattling noise from the steering shaft every since the vehicle was serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 12v537000 (steering). the purchased a new intermediate shaft and while attempting to replace the intermediate shaft, he discovered that there had not been a failure but the steering shaft bolts had not been properly tightened, causing the rattling noise. the dealer and manufacturer were both advised of the failed repair. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 20,000 and the current mileage was 200,000. updated 11-04-13 *bf updated 11/6/2013 *js

Shift lever plastic shield warped, preventing going into park. car can roll forward when you think park is engaged. *tr

I brought my car in for a recall on steering mechanism which resulted in a bolt replacement. the service adviser advised me i needed to replace water pump. this car already had one pump replaced on a recall, why was the other pump not recalled? *tr

My passenger headlight shuts off by itself after a few minutes. when i shut off the lights and turn them on again, they both stay lit for several more minutes or sometimes longer. we took it to the dealer, and they charged over $100 to replace the bulb and there has been no change. i noticed that there was a recall on the 2006-2009 models for a similar problem. i suspect this might extend to the 2005 model. at times both lights go out in an unpredictable manner. this does not seem safe to me. thank you *tr

Driving down the freeway and the headlights went out. i flipped the switch and they turned on. this now happens every time i drive and it requires numerous flipping on and off of the lights to make them come back on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that another vehicle crashed head-on into his vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed. the contact stated that he sustained a laceration to the forehead and the passenger sustained severed chest bruising. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 126,000.

Driving down the freeway 70 mph both headlights went out! turned them off and then back on they did not work. turned them off and back on once again and they worked. both lights should not go out at once! *tr

While driving my vehicle at night the right headlamp suddenly went out. i turned the headlight switch on and off and the headlamp came back on. approximately 7-8 minutes later both headlamps went out. once again i turned the headlamp switch off and on and both headlights came back on. this continued to happen every few minutes until i finally reached my destination. since then it has continued to happen sporadically. i feel that this is a very serious safety issue that needs to be addressed. i purchased new bulbs thinking that this was the problem but discovered that the design of the vehicle does not give adequate access to the bulbs for changing. it appears that it must have to be done by the dealer. i feel that this is also something that needs attention. *tr

Front passenger headlamp goes out by itself. will come back on if headlamp switch is turned off and on. does not occur with hitting a bump in the road or depending upon weather. very unpredictable. once driver side headlamp did the same. regularly the passenger headlamp fails!! also, rear passenger brake lamp works sometimes and doesn't work other times. unpredictable. *tr

The car was initially swerving (as if in a bad wheel alignment). then it took a sharp right turn and jumped off of the freeway. despite my attempts to control it and keep it on freeway, due to the speed and momentum, it drove off the slope to the right of the road, rolled over and eventually landed right side up. initially i thought it could be a blown up tire.. but that did not seem to be the case.

I had just had my oil changed and when i was leaving i started the car but the dashboard lights didn't come on. i drove on and still nothing. when i was at a stop light, the lights came on with the error message that my brakes were engaged. i tried multiple times to depress and release the emergency brake, but the same message. i couldn't move the vehicle because the front brakes were locked. i had it towed to the dealership and they said they had to get toyota involved but it sounds like three computers are fried. this is very frustrating since i got the vehicle because it had such wonderful reviews (yes this was some years ago) how do computers just "up and fry" without any warning. i am hopeful that toyota will do the right thing and step up and take the necessary steps to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. also, whatever they could do for me would be greatly appreciated since i was a die hard prius fan.....until now??? *jb

Passenger side hid headlight goes out sometime after start up. if you switch the lights off then on again it runs for a period (approx 4 min) then goes out again. replacing bulb has no effect. when searching for solutions appears to be a chronic problem among 2005/2006 prius. *tr

One headlight goes out - this happens several times a week. changing the bulbs only solves the problem for a few months. this is a common complaint in second generation prius models. *js

The air bag warning light came on while driving. we took the car in to check for the cause and they told us the wiring harness was bad and it would have to be replaced and that the air bags would not work because of a problem (of which they were already aware) with the wiring harness. a defect in the wiring harness - their words- would cost about $2000.00 to replace. they are aware that this has been occurring in these vehicles, but as of yet there has been no recall or offer to correct the problem. if this isn't a safety issue, i don't know what would be. please address this issue. *tr

Starting over a year ago and occurring every time needed,the headlight on the passenger side sporadically goes out. it can happen zero to multiple times during a single use of the car, sometimes up to every minute and a half while driving. turning the headlights off and back on again cause both headlights to come back on. as far as we know, this did not start happening until after a maintenance visit and was stopped by a state patrol officer. conversations with other prius owners, replacing the headlight does not seem to resolve this issue. at +$350 to change the headlight at the dealer, i am hesitant to spend money on something that will not resolve the issue. while we have had no other troubles with this car and love the car, this recurring issue has caused us to hesitate driving the car at night.

Starting in approximately march and occurring daily through present day, one or both headlights sporadically go out. we started noticing this in march when driving at night. our own tests indicate that it can happen when the car is at a complete standstill or at any speed. it can happen zero to multiple times during a single use of the car, sometimes up to every minute and a half while driving. turning the headlights off and back on again cause both headlights to come back on. as far as we know, this did not start happening until this last march. we have had no other troubles with this car and love the car, aside from this issue. this has caused us to stop driving the car at night, which is extremely inconvenient. *tr

Digital dashboard display is, from time to time, so dim as to be almost invisible. sometimes it appears to be about 90% of brightness, other times at about 5% or less. this makes it almost impossible to read such information as speed, warning lights, etc. when it is visible, it is a major distraction, taking considerable time and effort. toyota has extended the warranty for this problem, but my toyota dealer refuses to perform the repair, claiming that as long as they can see the display at any level, regardless of how dim, there is not a correctable problem.since the problem is intermittent, they may not see it at its worst. *tr

Brakes did not apply instantly when coming to a stop light. we almost hit the car in front of us. thankfully we applied the brakes early, but it seemed like the brakes were not being applied and that the wheels just kept on moving. i had to pump the brake again to make sure it would apply more pressure. we came within a few inches of rear ending the car in front of us. and this has happened about 10 times now. this should be a recall before a major accident or death, heaven forbid, occurs. *tr

Headlights go out while driving. driver headlight went out while driving 55mph. pulled over & noted driver headlight out. turned car off & then restarted & both headlights went on. drove a couple miles & noted headlight out & this time it was the passenger headlight that was out. this has happened a few times in the year @ 1/2. we also had a problem in the past with the headlights being aimed too low in front of the car causing trouble seeing. it turned out to be the auto aiming computer was malfunctioning & it was replaced by warranty. we also had to have the skid control brake computer ($2500.) replaced 12/06/2012 due to brake malfunctioning (brakes would hardly stop the car). *tr

Both headlights turned off simultaneously. turning the headlight switch off, and back on restored illumination. this happened twice within 45 minutes. *tr

The braking system for my 2005 prius has been malfunctioning since i bought the car in the summer of 2012. while trying to slow down on a rough road surface the brakes refused to brake for 1 or 2 seconds, causing a higher-than-anticipated speed when going around a turn. this problem increases the distance the vehicle needs to stop and i consider this a high safety concern and a major product defect. no accidents or injuries have been sustained from the problem on this vehicle so far. *tr

1. driver's side hid-type headlight went out while driving at night. went on & off intermittently for several days. required a replacement headlight computer and bulb. ridiculously expensive to get headlights functioning properly. 2. headlight leveling system malfunctions & warning light goes on intermittently, generally during & right after rain storms. ongoing problem since car had approximately 32,000 miles. *tr

Both hid headlights went out at the same time. i can toggle the light switch off and on and one or both lights came back on. then went out again within a few seconds to a minute, over and over. makes no difference if car is not moving at all or going 70 mph. i was able to drive the 15 miles home at night without incident. went to dealer next day and they say all that is wrong is that the headlights are burned out. estimate to replace both is $474.31. i do not believe that they would burn out at exactly the same time. and if they are burned out then why do they come back on and off. i have done research and found the class action settlement for 2006-2009 models. i also found that you have had hundreds of complaints about the 2005 model yet you have not considered this a safety matter. i disagree. even if you don't help me, i want my complaint included in your database. *tr

Left hid headlight on my prius keeps going off at random, sometimes it happens fast, sometimes it doesn't happen at all. by cycling the headlights on/off turn the light back on. this seems to happen to more than just my prius because i have personally seen many priuses with their passenger side (left) headlight out. *tr

I was driving home on the highway at night when both headlights shut off. the right headlight has been turning off periodically, but this is the first time both lights have gone out. by turning the lights off and then on, the headlights returned to working order. this is a persistent problem, which both toyota and nhtsa know about. replacing the lightbulb appears to be only a very temporary, and costly, solution. *tr

As i was pulling into a parking spot i head a snapping sound in the steering column and the wheels stopped turning. the steering wheel would turn, but the wheels would not turn at all. we had the vehicle towed and it is currently in the shop. *tr*dt*jb

I was driving with my three children coming from school and slowing down us 301 towards traffic light when t tried to apply the brakes, the car did not stop. i had to reapply the brakes and the pedal went down very deep before the car jerked and slowly stopped. thank god there was no car in front, otherwise would have been a collision. went to the toyota car dealer and they said that the failure code was dtc c1247 and told us to replace the skid control unit. basically, the ecu of the brakes malfunctioned and the car did not have brakes on it. please do a recall before anyone gets hurt on this. *tr

The drivers side headlight keeps going off and on. at first all i had to do was turn it off then on but now it is turning off and staying off. *tr

My car lights keeps going off while driving at night. *tr

The passenger side hid headlight went out. the next time i used the car, the headlight was working again. since the first occurrence, either headlight has gone out intermittently (i have not been aware that both have gone out at the same time). each time, the headlights are found to be working again later. i don't know how often the problem is occurring. i don't do a lot of night driving, but i keep my lights on all the time. i suspect there are many daylight failures that go unnoticed. *tr

I pulled into a gas station to fuel up and when i left the gas station i suddenly lost steering in my car. i could only move forward and backward. *tr updated 06/13/13*lj updated 06/17/2013 *js

My 2005 prius began to have problems with the driver's side headlight. when i first turn my lights on, the headlamp works, but after a few minutes of driving, it goes out. switching to high beams doesn't make any difference, but if i turn off my lights and turn them right back on, the headlamp works for a short while. i have researched this on prius forums, and it is a very common problem. the dealer wants $2600 to fix it. i think it is a manufacturing defect and should be recalled and fixed at no charge. *tr

When i started my 2005 toyota prius, i got a warning on the dashboard and the multi-function display that the automatic headlight leveling system had malfunctioned. this is a safety feature that corrects the aim of the headlights if you are driving with an unusually heavy load, so that your lights do not momentarily blind oncoming drivers. unfortunately, when the sensor in the headlight leveling system fails, the headlights aim themselves to a default position that is unsafe; the headlights aim downwards, and illuminate the ground 20 feet in front of the car and no farther. it is not safe to drive in the dark faster than 20 miles an hour with the headlights like this. the problem begins with the sensor in the 2004 and 2005 model priuses, where a gasket fails and the interior parts of the sensor corrode and fail. toyota knows about this problem and now offers improved replacement parts and has issued the technical service bulletin below. however, replacing this part at a dealer can cost upwards of $500, discouraging many owners from making the repair, leading to unsafe driving conditions for prius drivers and everyone else on the road. there is no manual override to make it safe for a driver to drive in the dark. it seems like poor engineering that toyota has implemented a safety device that, when it fails, creates a more unsafe condition than if the safety device were not there. not to be overly dramatic, but it was a failed gasket and failed sensors that brought down the space shuttle. a repair suggested online involves springs from ballpoint pens, but this is ridiculous. a repair with the improved toyota part ought to be made affordable, if not for free. us tsb el004-06 april 28, 2006. automatic headlight leveling system warning light "on" or flashing. 2004-2005 prius w/hid headlights. replace rear vehicle height control sensor with improved one. *tr

Driving on i-405 when the left headlight began acting intermittently. brought to the attention of the dealer when stopped by to inquire about the problem. was told that the dealer was unaware what the problem could be and that their only suggestion was to replace the bulb, but that would cost $500 and would not guarantee fixing the problem. brought car back to dealer several times during 2007 and over the following years to discuss this issue with the headlight... yielding the same results from the dealer. many times during night driving the left headlight would go out. finally, in march, 2013 both headlights went out while on i-405 at night. happened twice during drive home with 3 small children in the car. had hid bulbs replaced as considerable expense ($657.88) only to find out toyota is completely aware of this problem from a class action lawsuit. i am shocked they put my family at risk by failing to notify us of this problem, even when proactively contacting the company with the exact same symptoms contained in the lawsuit. *tr

Both headlights went out during night time driving. i immediately braked because i could not see anything in front of me. it is a very dangerous situation in that my 9year old and 12 year old panicked. when i switched the lights on and off they came back on. the incident re-occurred an additional 3 times on the way home. i contacted the manufacturer as well as the dealer. both said they could not do anything about this type of failure since it is outside the warranty period. i could understand a lightbulb going out, but both going out at the same time is a horrific dangerous situation. i believe there is an inherent defect from the manufacturer. *tr

On my 2005 toyota prius the hid lights were replaced with toyota parts. within a couple of weeks they started to go off and on at random. the dealer replaced them with aftermarket hid bulbs. after about 18 months one of the lights would go off and on at random. the dealer no longer carries aftermarket hid bulbs. they told me they could install the toyota bulbs which have issues or i could get aftermarket bulbs and they would install them. well the new d2r hid sylvania bulbs were installed by the dealer. within 2 weeks one of the new bulbs went off and on at random. now a week later the other new hid bulb is doing the same thing. i have read that this issue has been going on for years. this is a safety issue and also an expensive repair. when will this safety problem be addressed????? *tr

While driving the passenger headlight goes out at unexpected times. trying to activate the high headlights does not make the light come back on. the only way the light comes back on is by turning them off and on from the switch, and most of the time the light goes out again in a very short time. *tr

I was pressing the brake, but instead of stopping my prius accelerated,and jerked under the stopped vehicle in front of me.the brakes acted like accelerated pedal. prius occasionally had the accelerating jerks without pedal input, but after fixing all the recalls, i thought the car is fine. but this time, it was not a jerk, it was a full leap, that destroyed the whole front of the car. it was towed from the accident and it is beyond the repair. i had it only for 9 months. *tr

Last september we noticed the driver side headlight was out. when we turned the car off and on, the lamp came back on. we took the car to the dealer who could not find anything wrong. we have seen a lot of similar complaints on the internet with no resolution. others have spend big $$$ to fix, however after spending the money, the problem remained. please advise. *tr

The left headlight unexpectedly goes out. if i turn the lights off and on again, the headlight comes back on, but soon repeats going out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that he attempted to shift into park but the gear shifter failed. the contact had to turn the vehicle off in order to shift into park. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the gear shift unit needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 130,000.

The multi information display no longer shows the vehicle speed and other specs such as fuel gauge, warning lights, and such. the vehicle sometimes couldn't turn off, and it would require me to press and hold the power button for more than 5 seconds in order to turn off the vehicle. driving is quite dangerous as i not even sure if the car is even "ready" or not, and what gear (d, n, r) it is in. toyota is charging me 400 for the repair even though the service bulletin stated that this is cause the manufacturer defect on the circuit board. my sister who owns a 2006 toyota prius (16x,xxx) did receive the notice of recall for the multi information display, but i didn't any notice at all. this repair should be covered by toyota. this is outrageous! *tr

The brake light went out on the driver side. luckily i was pulled over by a police officer who was courteous to let me know the rear driver-side brake light was out. i believe this a hazard that toyota has failed to correct because the led brake light bulbs are not repairable/replaceable, an since the led had failed and the driver-side taillight assembly is now useless and non-functional. i went to the toyota dealer and they quoted my 800 dollars to replace the taillight including labor. i don't like how the led brake light is intended for over 100,000 hours of life but hadn't lasted more than four and a half years of use. and the worst part of the situation is that the led bulbs are not replaceable/repairable and thus a greater difficulty to repair and bring back to safe operating condition. *tr

I was driving on this particular day and both headlights just shut off. i was driving on the highway going about 70 miles an hour. i slowed down as much as i could. only one car was behind me and by chance he had seen my lights go off and started to flicker his lights as he passed me. luckily their wasn't any cars on site because it was about 2 am in the morning and their wasn't any traffic. i was able to pull over under a highway street lamp on the shoulder. i turned off the light and back on repeatedly until about the 7th or 9th try they came back on. since then i have intermittent light turning off on either headlight at random time. the dimming can go for weeks without shutting off and can also go on for a full week with the headlights daily. i know this is hazard because the time where both headlights went out it could have ended in a different way other then pulling over safely on the shoulder. also the intermittent light turning off of the lights is also a hazard because it decreases visibility both for me to see the road and other drivers to see me. *tr

The three way coolant control valve failed. *tr

Driver side headlight keeps shutting off. if i turn off lights and turn back on, it comes back on for a little while. shuts off about 6 times in 25 miles. *tr

Dashboard information suddenly turns blank -- no fuel level, speed, etc. , but headlights work (although no indicator on instrument panel) as well as turn signals, air-conditioning, and radio. i drove straight to the dealer thinking that it was probably a fuse. the service department reports that although they have rarely seen this, it's a problem with a component behind the power switch. the part is in short supply and may take as long as four weeks to arrive. they said it would be covered under warranty and the dealer will be paying for the cost of a rental car in the interim. the service from the dealer is superior and...i love my prius.. *tr

Sequential failure of 4 goodyear assurance tires placed on vehicle in october 2004. since october of 2012 the tires have been blowing out at the rate of one every 6-8 weeks. i plan on replacing the one remaining of those 2004 tires before it implodes also while driving. *tr

Headlights will randomly turn off and on. sometimes the left headlight will go out, sometimes the right, and occasionally both lights will go out at the same time. the hid bulbs are not to blame. these bulbs, when they do go out, they burn out and never come back. this issue is a control problem/design flaw of the vehicle. if the nhtsa would look in its database it would see this is not an isolated incident. if you are waiting on a body count you will not have to wait long. my wife was driving on hwy 66 at 7:30 pm on march 4th when a loose cow entered the road, then the lights blinked out. a 2,000 lbs animal and a 2,600 lbs car do not interact well together. i suspect you will keep ignoring this and be a patsy for toyota. i plan on filing a small claims against toyota and, if i can find a lawyer who will take you on, sue the nhtsa for not doing their jobs. *tr

The headlight on the passenger side just turns off for no reason. i saw it off when stopped. it has done it several times after about a half hour of driving. it goes back on, but i keep the fog lights on just in case it happens in the dark. i think it could effect both head lights and cause a safety problem at night. i drive on unlit streets at night. *tr

The driver side headlight intermittently goes on and off without warning. this began over a year ago, but we cannot name the specific time. we initially thought it was just a light bulb, however, we learned that it can be reactivated by briefly turning the headlight switch off and on. this is a safety hazard if driving at night. it can happen several times during one trip or not at all. we have taken it to a few toyota dealers and they have indicated that it could cost 400-800+ to repair the problem, which we believe to be excessive so for now we are tolerating the problem. *tr

While driving, both headlights would go off. they would come back on when turning the light control off then back on. a few minutes later, they would go off again and to get them back on i had to switch off/ then back on. it did not seem to be dependent on fast i was driving or if a bump in the road caused the headlights to go off. we took car to dealer and was told everything checked out and both headlight bulbs needed to be replace @ $175.00 each for parts plus labor to drop font bumper so headlights could be installed. total bill came to $485.00 to replace two headlights that worked intermittently. *tr

I started up the car this morning, put it into reverse, and a second or two later, it shifted itself into neutral. the shift lever felt like there was more resistance to it than usual. this happened several times and also happened when i tried to put the car into drive. after about 15 minutes of turning the car on and off and trying to shift several times, the car finally stayed in gear. the problem is the same as described in this thread: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/62-prius-forum/343977-08-prius-wont-stay-gear.html, with the only difference being that it was a rather cold day (0 degrees f) while most of the posts in the thread mention the problem occurring on a hot day. while the malfunction on my car was problematic but not life-threatening, i am concerned that the car could shift itself into neutral while i am driving (as described by several posters in the above thread), which would be a dangerous situation. *tr

Petition for an investigation into defect conditions in upper immediate steering extension shaft #2 manufacturing defect in the 2004-2009 toyota prius vehicles w/respect to recall 12v-537. *smd an inspection revealed that the current loss of steering issue was caused by a catastrophic failure of the upper steering intermediate shaft. the upper steering intermediate shaft was decoupled from the electric- power- assist column output spline. a careful examination of the decoupled components revealed that for an extended period of time, the upper steering intermediate shaft had not been properly installed on the spline output of the power assist column. this allowed a metallurgical failure on the interior of the upper steering intermediate shaft, which consequently allowed separation of that shaft from the electrical steering power assist column. an examination of the shaft spline showed a long term deterioration of the upper intermediate shaft #2 inside spline as evidence by metallurgical shards of deteriorated spline metal still residing in the upper intermediate shaft cavity. also, the cruise control would cancel and not re-engage, then there were times, where the cruise control would not dis-engage at all. the vehicle would drift off course whenever the consumer took his eyes off the road, for even a moment. the consumer would have to steer the vehicle constantly or it would drift into another lane. apparently, it was due to a computer algorithm that would attempt to correct for wind and road surface anomalies.

Front right headlight is intermittently going out. i can get it to go back on if i turn switch off and back on but it may fail again within 10 or 80 minutes. replaced bulb, but still have problem. dealer said it was the bulb but replacing it has not fixed the issue. *tr

Since about the fall of last year or so, we've been noticing that the headlights have been going off intermittently. the right went out and then came back on. then another time the left went out and came back on. i've read about this occurring on many other prius' and that there was a class action suit? anyway, i need to figure out how to get this fixed as it is a serious safety issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, a grinding noise was heard from the rear end of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technicians advised that the failure was undetected. the technician also stated that there were other vehicles with the same failure and the manufacturer was working on a remedy. the contact mentioned that the vehicle was taken to the dealer on numerous occasions for the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 200 and the current mileage was 2,122.

The headlamps repeatedly burn out, which repair people have said indicates an underlying electrical problem. i now have to replace one of the headlamps for the fourth time in just over a year. *tr

The electronic(?) shift mechanism in the car malfunctions/does not stay engaged in temperatures approximately 28 degrees fareheit & below when car has sat idle for periods of time. the night of this incident i was returning from a business trip where my car had been sitting out in the weather for approximately 28-30 hours. the temperature this particular day was 9 degrees; however, i have had this happen in the past with temperatures ranging into the mid to upper 20's. {due to our mild winter last year i don't recall it happening much if at all-- it did however occur the winter year prior [2010-2011] and i reported it to my toyota dealer. they looked at me and told me they were unaware of any such problem.} when i position my shift select from the center position & select either drive or reverse, the car transmission disengages upon pressing the gas. the other night i had previously mentioned i had to physically hold the drive selector in the "d"/drive position for 28 minutes before the selector remained engaged. (in past incidents i have had to hold the selector in position from 5-10 minutes- the problem seems to get worse in rlation to lower temps. are there any other reports of such a problem? *tr

The headlights started going on and off intermittently. both bulbs were replaced recently. the car has an hid headlight system. *tr

This complaint related to the brake system. ever since the car was taken of the dealer ship, the brakes act in a sudden, jerky manner approaching a stop. the brakes function normally at normal speeds, but as i approach a stop, it feels like (for comparison purposes)as if you where pulling the emergency brake on a normal car while the car is moving slow. along with this, when i press the brake pedal hard a noise is generated from the engine compartment. the above description has been exhibited ever since i bought the car brand new at triangle dealer at kennedy ave (carr#2) in san juan, puerto rico. i took the car to the dealership approximately on jan 28, 2005 (i bought it october 16, 2004) to have the breaks checked and the service employee told me that because it was a hybrid car, that was normal behavior. for the time being the car always exhibited the brake strange behaviors and recently a brake light lit on for the abs and brake warning light. my car is now 130,000miles and over 8 years. i took it to the dealership and they indicated that the brake actuator assembly was damaged and needed to be replaced at a cost of $2500. im sure this is a design issue that toyota has not claimed responsibility for. im sure that due to the expense of it. i just want my experience to be accounted for. thanks! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was found that the inverter converter needed to be replaced. the contact was informed that repairs completed under nhtsa campaign id number: 12v536000 (hybrid propulsion system: inverter) may have caused the failure. the manufacturer was notified and offered to pay for a portion of the repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 116,000...updated 01/14/13 *bf..updated 01/16/2013 *bf updated 1/18/2013 *js the consumer is still without the vehicle. updated 1/28/2013*js

My prius exhibits removal of electrical and engine power to the front wheels during acceleration when turning sharply right or left on a slippery surface. this occurs as soon as one of the front wheel slips. ordinarily this is only a minor aggravation, and easing on the throttle usually restores power but in icing conditions it's dangerous. there are conditions where i could not move the car when crossing a small berm of snow (3 inches high where one wheel had significantly less traction than the other. i had to be pushed over it. it appears to be a software issue, but my local toyota dealer claims they never heard of it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. in order to start the vehicle, the emergency brake had to be engaged. the contact also stated that the headlights failed intermittently but would function normally after attempting to activated them several times. in addition while driving at various speeds, the transmission would erroneously shift into neutral and all of the contact’s attempts to shift back into drive failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but the failure could not be diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 56,000. the current mileage was approximately 57,000.

Headlights turn off unexpectedly. turning switch off and then back on temporarily resets and they work for 5 to 10 minutes then go off again. *tr

Outside temperature approx 32 degrees f. gear shifter on dashboard would not electrically seal-in or stay in position after going into reverse, the first time. backed car out of driveway and shifted into drive, it immediately went back into neutral position and would not stay in drive - electrically. the only way to keep the car in gear was to physically hold the gear shifter into desired position. physically held shifter in drive position and pulled back into driveway. once in driveway, tested shifter and found it would not go into any gear and "stay". after work, temperature was 60 degrees f and shifter then functioned properly. drove to toyota dealer and left car. they stated a technical bulletin was issued by toyota on this item as described. ticket # 490621; part number 33560-47023 "lever assy. shift, was replaced. part cost 164.93 and labor was 416.14 for a subtotal of 581.07 plus tax of 34.33 for grand total of 615.40 usd. this is obviously a cold weather and age related issue. plus, this is not the first toyota electrical system design flaw issue i've encountered, but the first related to drivability and possible safety issue. *tr

I thought my headlights needed to be adjusted, so i took the car to have it done. the shop told me that the problem couldn't be fixed because it was the auto leveling sensor in the rear of the car. after a few more weeks of driving like that, a warning light came on the dash board and the display in the console. i ordered the part and had it replaced. it some what resolved the problem, but the lights still need adjusting. they are still not pointing high enough to light the road appropriately. the shop says that there is no way to adjust the lights further than what the sensor does. *tr

My passengers side head light went out. it came back on when i turned the switch off and back on again. it has happened three more times since, two of which were this morning alone (12/28/2012). *tr

We bought our toyota prius on june 2006. recently my wife, who is the principle driver, complained to me that there was something wrong with the steering of the prius. i drove it and noticed that when i made a turn either left or right that i heard and felt a clanking sound coming from the steering column. i also noticed that with the engine off and the car not in motion, there was quite a bit of movement from the steering wheel whenever i would push it up and down. i took it to my mechanic and he said that the steering shaft assembly was defective. he replaced the steering shaft assy part # 45260-47052. i am not sure whether this has been a recall item or not but if it was i was never notified or made aware by toyota. it cost us $371 parts and labor for this repair. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the headlights intermittently failed. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the failure could not be diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 75,000.

Headlights (one or both) will randomly turn off while driving. turning the switch off and back on will turn them back on. *tr

While driving at 6:35 pm in paso robles on hwy 46 both headlights went dark. i rotated the light switch several times, then both headlights lit. within 5 minutes, it happened again. 2 minutes later, it happened again. thereafter it happened about every 2 minutes until we got to the hospital emergency room to which i was taking my wife. she died there about 10pm of a heart attack. at about 2 a.m. on my return home with my daughter, the same thing happened within 5 minutes. when it happened next in about 2 minutes, i flipped the light switch and one headlight lit. despite flipping the switch several times, only one light (the left one) lit. have not used the car at night since then. *tr

I believe there is a serious and undisclosed flaw in the toyota prius hid headlamp system. i have noticed the headlamps will extinguish individually and unexpected in an intermittent manner, causing a significant safety hazard to driver as well as other vehicles. i have contacted toyota about this, and although they have extended the warranty with this obviously flawed design, they refuse to take responsibility for the design and repair the systems. i have owned several other vehicles with hid headlamps, never have they become intermittent, which is indicative of a design flaw or a serious materials problem with the igniter system for the hid headlamps. i believe that toyota should be held responsible and recall the hid headlamp systems and take the necessary corrective action. *tr

While cruising at 35 mph, experienced sudden onset of high pitch noise along with the red warning light and abs light being illuminated on console. when attempting to brake, noticed that the brake pedal felt very stiff and not depress. fortunately, there were no cars in front, and was able to gradually stop the vehicle by pressing on the brake as hard as possible. the braking distance felt a lot further than usual. after coming to a stop and waiting a few minutes, stopped and restarted the engine. the high pitch noise stopped once the engine turned off. once the engine was back on, the brake pedal felt normal again, and while the abs light was no longer illuminated, the red warning light remained on. took the car immediately to the toyota dealer where my car is normally serviced, and they indicated there was a fault code c1300 and recommended replacing the skid control ecu (part# 89540-47130). looks like there is at least one other incident reported on this (odi id# 10320472). this seems to be a major safety hazard due to potential loss of braking power if this component goes out. request investigation and safety recall as appropriate. *tr

Front right light flickers off/on occasionally. toyota says i need to replace both bulbs at approximately $540 in total cost. *tr

My 22-year-old son had a scary incident in which our 2005 prius stalled spontaneously on the bronx river parkway (valhalla, ny) with several dashboard warnings lighting up. the hybrid shifted to battery mode in traffic. luckily he was able to get off highway. car was towed to dealer. we're very concerned because the car never had problems and because, on an internet search, we see the failure was precisely like the one described in nhtsa report that resulted in a toyota action to service many cars in 2005: http://j.mp/nhtsaprius05problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while turning right at 35mph the steering became hard to control which caused the vehicle swerved to the left. as a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. the contact suffered bruises and broke the right thumb. the passenger in the front seat suffered bruises. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure and current mileage was 82,500. ..updated 12/05/12 *bf updated12/07/2012 *js*dt updated 4/21/20*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 5 mph, the vehicle stalled and every warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact allowed the vehicle to sit for a few minutes. the contact was able to restart the vehicle as it functioned normally for several minutes before the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but they could not diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 97,000.

Left side headlight quits working then you have to turn off headlights and turn back on then it comes back on. after a while it goes out again then same procedure has to be repeated again. i believe this is a safety issue and needs to be recalled. what if the light on the right side decides to go out especially in the dark where there is no street lights? i ask you nicely please recall the car and fix the issue what may be causing it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights failed without warning. the contact had to play around with the headlight switch in order for the lights to illuminate. the failure had occurred previously but was only exhibited on one side of the headlights at a time. the recent failure was exhibited on both headlights. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer where he was advised that the control could possible be the cause of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 160,000.

My husband was driving our recently purchased prius and was pulled over by a police officer. one of his headlights was not working. following that event, the other light has gone out as well. both headlights go on off when in use. this is disturbing to us because it's a safety issue when driving at night. after doing research, we discovered that this can be an issue in 05-08 toyota prius. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights failed and would not illuminate. the contact became aware of the headlight failure when she was pulled over by a police officer. the headlight switch had to be moved to on and off position several times for the headlights to illuminate. one headlight was replaced, however the failure was not corrected. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 103,754 .

While driving on the highway at 70 mph, the following symptoms occurred on my 2005 toyota prius: (1) car would not accelerate, (2) engine light came on, (3) problem light came on, (4) battery went red, (5) car stalled and would not accelerate/drive any further. after turning off the car and restarting it, i was able to drive it back and the battery recharged itself to green. after taking it to the dealership and having this problem "fixed", the exact same situation happened two more times, again 6 months later and then 2 weeks after that. the second time i was driving again on the highway at 70 mph, the third time i was driving at night at 40 mph. *tr

I was making a turn at low speed and the steering failed. the steering wheel kept turning but the wheels did not. i took the car in for service and found out that the steering intermediate shaft splines were worn. as a secondary issue, the failure of the shaft splines caused unimpeded rotation of the steering wheel which subsequently damaged the steering clock spring. the intermediate shaft replacement was covered in toyota safety recall ssc-60c and my vehicle had (according to toyota) the necessary work recall work done in 2006. apparently the recall work did not fix the problem. toyota argues that this part is no longer under warranty and therefore, not their responsibility. i argue that (a) it was a recalled part and the recall clearly did not fix the problem and (b) the failure of the steering shaft is a major, and unacceptable failure of the vehicle. i think that is important that (a) the public be notified of the inefficacy of the recall and (b) that toyota be held responsible for the failure of this part. *tr

While driving the vehicle, the sun visor on the drivers side flips down, blocking the drivers view. the visor can be returned to the up (out of the way) position. however it repeatedly and spontaneously slips down, both blocking the drivers view and creating a constant distraction for the driver. this is dangerous and a severe driving hazard. *tr

I am sure that you won't believe this is true. on oct 25th 2012, i got home and turned off the car after work. i took the bag contained the key and left in the family room which is about 40 feet away from garage. after the dinner, i went to garage to throw trash. i smelled gas and heard music and car engine was on. suddenly, it reminds me, in the morning when i turn off the car and left, the car started by itself and all electronic system was re-set. i specifically paid attention to turning off the car and locking the door in the evening because of what happened in the morning. the car was turned on by itself again and had been running in the garage for more than 2.5 hrs based on the clock re-set information. i could not turn it off and the car showed error message that the key was not in the car. of course, since the key was in the family room at that time. i brought the key in the car and still could not turn it off. i tried to insert the key and still no luck. i called aaa and they sent a technician and a toll truck to my house. he could not turn off either initially and eventually turned it off after move the wheel, step on breaks really hard and shook the car. i sent the car to toyota dealer right away. the service center could not identify any issue and toyota refuse to acknowledge there is anything wrong with the car. i was scared and also glad that i went garage to throw garbage today. otherwise, i don't know what is going to happen! we have furnace with igniter light on in the garage. the house can be on fire with a reason no one will expect and believe! the carbon monoxide could filled the garage and emerge in the house! i called in the customer care center (case # [xxx]) and they told me there is anything they can do about it. what is really upset me is that toyota does not even acknowledge there is anything wrong with the car! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The left headlight went out and the operator turned the lightswitch off then back on and the left headlight restarted. this happened intermittently at no particular time interval up until september 29, 2012 when both headlights began to go out and the operator now has safety concerns. *tr

We have repeatedly had our headlights go out. we have been replacing bulbs thinking it was the problem. we found if we shut off the car and started again or turn on/off the lights, the headlamp would work again. it has happened to both headlights but not at the same time. we've been told by toyota that the lights need replacing but there is no way these lights need to be replaced that often. it has happened sporadically throughout the last six years. i was pulled over by the police two nights ago for having a headlamp out. the next time i started the car it worked perfectly. *tr

First my left headlight went out. within a minute my right headlight went out as well. i turned the light switch off, then on again, and they both re-lit. this happened four times in the course of 20 miles. the is a regular occurrence now. *tr

While driving a canyon road at night, vehicle headlights suddenly went off. near collision occurred when another car turning in front of affected vehicle because it was not visible in the dark. later discovered turning the headlights off and then on again caused the headlamps to relight. since then, one or both head lamps intermittently and suddenly turn off. reset relights. on june 22, 2012, vehicle was taken to northridge toyota for repair. northridge toyota charged over $500 to replace headlamps. some time after repair, the issue returned with same symptoms. *tr

Since june.. i have had one or both headlights go off. i have to flick them on and off to get them to go back on. i have run off the road. i have been pulled over by police only to then find my headlight was on. sometimes when they both go off it will takes many on off of the switch to get them to finally go back on, and i usually have to make my way of the road. this is a terribly dangerous situation. i have had many vehicles and not ever seen anything like this!! i truly believe there needs to be a recall. i looked on line and now know it is not just me, but many prius are having the very same issue. there is a guy i saw interviewed that said he does not believe that they both go off simultaneously. i can assure you that they do, and it happens quite frequently. i have become very scared to drive at night. i do not do it unless i just have to.. *tr

My prius dash keeps going black, the car won't shut off . also had it in park engine revved and started to drive away. i jumped in and it wouldn't shut off i had to rip the key out. the rear taillights go out all the time. the doors and hatch locks won't unlock half the time. i had a new battery put in but it still happens. *tr

Right hid intermiitently goes on and off. unable to see the right side of the road at night. *tr

The right headlight goes out a minutes after driving the car. both headlights come on initially, but after driving down the road for a few minutes, the right headlight stops working. this seems to be a problem with the hid module malfunctioning. *tr

My wife was driving our 2005 toyota prius today and the accelerator locked to the floor. the car continued to accelerate even though she was braking. she was eventually able to get the vehicle to stop. the accelerator was not stuck under the floor mats. she had to pry the accelerator from the floor. *tr

This vehicle was flipped end over end twice and slide on its right side but landed upright on all four tires. the air bags didn't deploy and the right corner in the front took a blunt force while flipping. this could have easily resulted in a death due to lack of deployment. the car was a total loss. this warrants compensation for malfunctioning air bags. the driver received minor bruising and soreness but no major problems arose from this incident. it is my concern for other opportunities of a fatality due to the lack of functioning air bags. i feel i should be compensated because the driver could have so easily died that night. thank you in advance for your time and consideration with this matter. *tr

I was driving in interstate i-270 in commerce city co. when suddenly the headlights went out and would not come back on until i was completely stopped,so i turn them off then on and they come back on,?? it has kept on happening ever since, they are the hid's and it is my understanding am not the only one having this problem. *tr

I am the first owner of this 2005 prius and have kept up with all maintenance and recall issues. this is my first complaint. on a perfectly fine weather day, i was driving my usual route home coming to a line of stopped cars in the left turn lane on a relatively flat, unbumpy surface street and was about 1 car length from the stopped car in front of me when i applied my brake. to my astonishment, with the brake fully engaged, my car kept going forward as if i had no brakes and rear ended the car ahead of me. luckily neither of us were hurt as i had already slowed down for the stop. there was no damage to my car (my license plate holder hit her bumper and caused a couple of paint chips on hers, which will probably cost me thousands of dollars to repair) but i can tell you i was thoroughly shaken up. no emergency lights or code lights went on inside the car. from reading other complaints on this site, i see this is not a new problem. i will be reporting this to my toyota dealer and to toyota. *tr

Headlamps stay on for 5 minutes then one goes out completely and the other goes dim. can't see unless i turn them off and then back on again... then i get some light for another 5 minutes. i replaced the lamps which were very expensive, however, the lamps are not the problem. *tr

Engine shut off at approximately 8500 feet above sea level (carson pass, highway 88). driving approximately 35-40mph. clear day 70 degrees. no warning light for overheating, but aux fan turned on in rear seat.. towed car approximately 50 miles to carson city. inspected by toyota dealer in consultation with toyota service consultants. replaced hybrid control ecu. no charge to me and toyota reimbursed for 2 days expenses. trip home , aux fan turned on at 8500 feet remained on until approx. 7000 feet elevation. consulted toyota, referred me to toyota dealer near home. they consulted with toyota hq. hq recommend another test costing $500. dealer could find no fault. i asked toyota for reimbursement of $500 and to investigate engine shut off as a potentially very dangerous situation.toyota referred me back to local dealer. maintenance manager there told me they had already performed tests:nothing more to be done. have not heard back from toyota about reimbursement or further evaluation of the problem. *tr

Both headlights intermittently go off, they lit for a minute and then go off. i have been reading in forums this is a common problems toyota prius owners experience. they should make a recall, sometimes when i go to work at night i am out of lights and this is extremely dangerous since i use express ways a lot. *tr

In 2009 was the first time the warning light was displayed regarding the headlight leveler sensor. contacted toyota and because it was out of warranty, they would not repair unless we paid in full for repairs. advised the sensor alone was approx. $400, plus whatever labor is involved. have lived with the intermittent warning light coming on and going off ever since. in december of 2011, began having problems with the passanger side headlight going off for no reason. replaced the bulb and it still goes off intermittently while driving. if the headlamp switch is turned off and back on from inside the car, the headlight comes back on. i see that there was a recall for similar issues recently; however, it only covered toyota prius vehicles year 2006 and newer. i've gone on several prius chat sites, and apparently other 2005 prius owners have the same issues. i would like to know why other year prius were not included in the recent recall. *tr

For quite some time it looked like my headlights could barely shine into the distance because they pointed down so much. months later, i received a warning sign saying that the "headlight auto level" mechanism was broken. after researching this issue online and speaking to several mechanics, it became clear that the problem was caused by the part used by toyota. the part toyota uses in its older cars was not sealed, meaning salt can get in and corrode the wiring. this is such a clear oversight that i asked toyota to fix it and/or issue a recall, but all they offered to do was note the problem even though they had heard of similar complaints.

Hid left side would go out then back on . will work good for several weeks then intermittently will happen again. presently its is working, last week friday was the last incident. *tr

While driving in the dark both of my head lamps failed again. i am having intermittent failure of one head lamp. the failure is usually in the left lamp, but occasionally the right as well. both of head lamps failed again since this incident as well. the second incident occurred on thursday feb 16th 2012 at 610 pm. i have had this trouble before and reported it to safecar.gov. i bought the car used at auburn toyota in auburn california and the left head lamp failed immediately. they replaced it. since then i have had constant trouble with the lights and have complained to both roseville toyota and auburn toyota. they have both told me that the head lamps are likely bad. since they work a good portion of the time, i doubt this is the case. i am frustrated that i have not been able to get this resolved through toyota, so i am lodging another complaint. having your lights go out while you are driving is scary and extremely dangerous,

I was on the freeway far right lane moving onto an interchange to another freeway when traffic suddenly stopped ahead. i slowed in preparation to stop with plenty room to do so. the car behind me was too close and rear ended my car. after the impact, my brakes failed and i ran into the car ahead even though i should have been able to stop in time, causing significant damage to the front of my car in addition to the rear damage. *tr *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that at engine startup, the srs warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was advised that the steering wheel needed a replacement spiral cable. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 109,000 and the current mileage was 109,500. updated 03/06/12 *bf

The hid headlight are unexpectedly shutting off. this is a clearly a safety issue. it does appear that the hid headlight equipped prius indeed contains a design defect. toyota dealer is charging me $750 for the repair. the prius was bought in the usa and moved with us when we moved to canada in 2010. *tr

I rolled slowly (<1 mph) uphill to the parking slot (l.a. code, 2%grade down away from buildings) up to the parking cement stop, and was ready to shut it down. the engine started to race, about to go over the cement stop when i put my foot on the brake. the car continued over the cement stop. i pushed harder on the brake and the car started to drive over the sidewalk. then the car drove through the plate glass of the studio and then came to a stop inside. i put the car into neutral and tried to turn the car 'off'. the car's engine was still on after several tries to turn it off and i had my foot off the brake and on the floor. then the car took a turn to the left and drove through the wall (my foot was still on the floor). i got out of the car without taking it out of neutral and it was still "on". i took the key with me to the middle of the room (i used the keyless ignition) so the car should have "chimed" because; the passenger side door was open, i was out of the car, and the car was still left "on". however, the car did not chime (indicating it did not detect i was 12 feet away). my teacher came up to the shattered glass window of the studio at the same time the security officer for the mini mall a few minutes after i got out of the car. i was looking for my insurance card in my purse when the three of us witnessed the car "rev" again and the wall began to shatter with plaster and wooden studs falling around the car with no one driving (the car was in neutral). because of the movement of the car, without a driver and in the wall, the security guard tried to get people out of the building. the towing company could not 'pull' the vehicle out of the wall with their tow truck for more then 20 minutes so, i gave my car key to the police officer and he gave it to the towing company. the man from the towing company drove the car out of the wall and out of the studio.

The right, passenger headlight goes out and by turning the headlight switch off and back on, the headlight comes back on. it will go off again and i will have to perform the same procedure to get it to come on again. *kb this happens repeatedly during any given trip.

We were driving on the highway at night and suddenly, without warning, the engine stalled completely, the car died, and all of the warning lights came on, including a red triangle, check engine, brake, and some others. the prius lost power and i had to turn on the hazard lights and coast to the shoulder. we called the aaa towing service and 911 (as the shoulder was very narrow and we could not get out of the car). the officer and the tow truck driver checked for all possible driver errors, including gas, but did not find anything out of the ordinary (the gas gauge showed 5/8 full). the car was towed to the toyota dealership in sunnyvale who are working to determine the cause. this was a very dangerous situation as we were driving on a highway, with a child in the car, at highway speeds at night and the car suddenly died. it has left us shaken and we will be contacting toyota to see if they have a fix for this. *tr

After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. i can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. to open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. we believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. mark. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, . toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in north carolina for example). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle accelerated forward and crashed into two vehicles and a wall. there were no injuries and the vehicle was not destroyed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and the current mileage was unknown.

Passenger headlight keeps going off...when it goes off, i can turn the headlight switch off and then on again and the headlight comes bask on. as of 11.29.11 after many incidents, the headlight is now dimming more and more.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph with the cruise control activated, he applied the brake pedal in an attempt to deactivate the cruise control. the cruise control would not deactivate and the contact had to manually deactivate the cruise control system. the contact also stated that he heard a snapping sound coming from the steering wheel while attempting to park at 5 mph. this failure occurred the day after the cruise control failure. the steering wheel then became loose and the contact completely unable to steer the vehicle. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 27,773 updated 12/12/11 *bf the consumer stated the srs and all the steering wheel mounted controls were disabled. updated 05/31/12 the consumer contacted an automotive systems analysis company, who inspected the vehicle and determined the steering issue was caused by a catastrophic failure of the upper steering intermediate shaft. the upper steering intermediate shaft was decoupled from the electric power steering column output spline. a careful examination of the decoupled components revealed that for an extended period of time, the upper steering intermediate shaft had not been properly installed on the spline output of the power assist column, which allowed a metallurgical failure on the interior of the upper steering intermediate shaft, which consequently allowed separation of the shaft from the electrical steering power assist column. updated 05/13/13*dt*jb

Headlights goes off all the time while driving. i have been experiencing the problem with headlights for almost three years. *tr

Prior to this major problem, my driver's side headlight would go out intermittently and the come back on. on 11/19/2011, both headlights went off after being on for about 10 minutes. when i tried to put the high beams on all front end lights went out. i made it safely to my destination. the next day i check the headlights and they both worked fine. i checked the fuses and all were fine. i usually drive with my headlights always on, but decided to leave them off all day in hopes that the problem wouldn't repeat on my 6 hour drive home. four hours into my drive home, it was getting dark so i turned my headlights on and they worked, but within an hour they both went off. i turned them off and then back on and they came on again. over the next hour the both headlights went out multiple times and i was able to get them back on by turning them off and then back on. for the last hour of my drive the headlights stayed on and worked fine. i've heard of other prius owners having similar problems and i believe that since non-working headlights are a major safety issue that toyota should recall the prius and fix this issue. *tr

I was driving on the highway when my vehicle's check engine light came on. shortly after i saw a large amount of smoke coming from the engine. i pulled over and shut off the car. car smelled like burned plastic and smoke. i was worried that the car could catch on fire or blow up! i had the car towed to my nearest toyota dealership.toyota claimed that the three way coolant control valve had failed and the steam came from a ruptured line in the coolant system. the job cost me $422.32. i didn't mind paying the service but after careful research into the problem with the 3-way control valve on the prius i had learned that this is a wide spread problem.apparently the valve tends to stick causing no flow of the coolant fluid. i feel toyota should fix this problem before someone gets hurt either by getting burned from a ruptured line or the car catches on fire. *tr

2005 toyota prius with hid headlights which has self leveling feature. have noticed for a while the headlights are shining low, can't see sufficiently ahead of car. headlights can not be manually adjusted. found online several reports indicating the control module that sends the leveling message to control the headlights which is mounted on the driver side rear axle fails when water enters the device and corrodes the unit. poor contruction of this unit lead to water infiltration and has resulted in a dangerous situation due to the poor headlight performance. toyota has been contacted and they have not answered if a recall is warrented even though apparently the malfuncioning unit has been redesigned to stop water infiltration nor will they provide the necessary repair without charging for it. *tt

Headlamp would go out at random intervals. always came on when first switched on but would go off while driving. would reproducibly come back on when the switched was flipped to off and back on again. would then go off again at later time. no way to tell whether operational while driving. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the head lamp leveling system was corroded, causing the headlight to move up and down abnormally. the dealer was notified and advised the contact that there were no recalls for the vehicle. the dealer replaced the head lamps at the owners expense. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 18,206 and the current mileage was 19,421.

I was driving with my two children on the 405 north freeway just south of the 10 freeway at 9pm in my toyota prius 2005. i had issues with one of the headlights already. it would flicker and then turn off without warning. last sunday, however, both headlights failed, including all interior lights, as i was speeding down on of the busiest freeways in the country at nighttime. it was pretty terrifying. *tr

When starting the vehicle up, no speedometer display is illuminated. the display for the vehicle environmental controls (miles per gallon/energy use) still works. along with the speedometer display, the rear hatchback door does not work. i tried to adjust the inside light display to see if the light level was turned off. this was not problem. i turned the light adjustment knob in both directions, and still no speedometer display. upon trying to turn off the engine, it will not turn off. i was able to shut the vehicle off by disconnecting the car battery in the passenger side rear hatch back area. note that because the rear hatch back door does not work, all the vehicle parts which leads to the rear battery has to be taken out from the rear seat of the vehicle. one particular time i disconnected the car battery on the black portion of the battery,and the vehicle did not shut off. i brought the vehicle to the toyota dealership several times, and because this problem happens intermittently. toyota was unable to duplicate it. however, one day when it was not working, i brought it in to them. they later claimed that it was a "cold start" problem to the computer that is responsible for the speedometer display (besides other things, rear hatch back door, cruise control, etc.). toyota claimed they found the problem on the internet, and it was not a recalled part. this particular part (computer) normally happens only in the states that are very cold. *tr

The headlights went off suddenly (of course i was night driving); i stopped, turned the lights off and back on and they worked for about 15 minutes. the driver side light then went out and i had to pull over, turn them off, back on and the light came back on. this is currently an intermittent problem but one that needs resolution. *tr

Drivers side hid headlight intermittant operation. headlamp goes on and off at various times in traffic at night. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately 65 mph with the headlights activated and suddenly the driver's side headlight changed to an orange illumination and then became inoperative which resulted in the reduction in visibility. when the light switch was turned on and off repeatedly the driver's side headlights began to illuminate properly for a brief moment. the vehicle was not repaired nor was the failure diagnosed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

While driving my 2005 toyota prius on an expressway at night the passenger side headlight went out. there was no lights on the expressway and i nearly hit a parked car on the side of the expressway. i pulled over at the next exit and checked the headlights. the passenger headlight was indeed out. i turned the car off and went into the restroom. when i came out and restarted the car the headlight was on. five minutes later the headlight went out again. i turned the lights off, then on again and it came back on. this happened at least twenty times during the four hour trip home. scary and dangerous in my book. *kb

Gauge cluster on my 2005 toyota prius is completely dead. i cannot see any information such as speed, temp, fuel, etc. also, the car does not turn off when i push the on/off button. dealer says that it will cost $1000 to diagnose and fix. i am very concerned, as this is a safety issue! *tr

The headlight leveling control warning signal came one, the car has only 36000 miles. this is a very expensive fix and has safety issues, and appears to be a defect on many similar models. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights failed without warning. the contact spoke with the manufacturer and was told that the bulbs most likely caused the failure. the headlight bulbs were replaced but to no avail. the contact spoke with the manufacturer a second time and was told that the computer which operated each headlight could possibly need replacing. that vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 150,000 and the current mileage was 158,000.

When driving at various speeds, one or both of the hid headlights will go out. if i turn them all the way off, then back on, they will light up, but may go out again or may stay lit. the vehicle is a 2005 toyota prius with hid headlights. note: the headlights will not relight on their own; they must be turned off then back on. *tr

Brakes on 2005 toyota prius started intermittently acting up about a year ago, after six years of no problems. observed symptoms were extreme jerkiness of brake operation despite constant pressure on brake pedal. symptoms observed at any speed, but especially noticeable at slow speeds (coming to a final stop, such as at a traffic light, or in reverse backing out of driveway). when applying brakes at highway speeds, jerkiness felt like alternate over braking / under braking. symptoms were quite scary the first times it happened. had personal mechanic check out brakes. test drive confirmed problem, but he was unable to find anything wrong with hydraulic brake system. since problem was intermittent, we decided to see what happened. problem continued intermittently, gradually increasing in frequency to the point in the last month where it was happening much more often than not. took car to toyota dealer for diagnosis. problem was not evident on day of service. they checked computer for stored error codes, and found none. rear brake drums showed slight wear and were out of adjustment, so drums were cleaned and turned and brakes adjusted. no difference in observed behavior; by end of the next day, jerky behavior noted as bad as it had ever been. took car back to dealer. they replaced the stroke sensor even though there was no stored error code. this appears to have fixed the problem, since there has been no recurrence of problem in a week or driving since repair. brakes feel totally normal again, for the first time in a year. note on diagnosis procedure: the dealer seemed to initially discount my detailed, written description of the problem, and reacted only to their observations. while understandable, it is frustrating to the owner and could lead to a serious problem not getting fixed. i feel that the symptoms as described to them pointed directly to the stroke sensor and it should have been replaced on that basis. *tt

On 7/31/11 i noticed my cruise control would not set. the light came on indicating the cruise was on, but i could not get the speed to hold. the next day, the cruise control worked. midday on 8/1/11 while parked, i shifted to the d position, but the light indicated i was in n. i shifted back and forth between r and d several times, but the light indicated n. i took my foot off the brake and the car moved backward. the light indicated n and the knob was in the d position. it did this several times. i turned the car off and back on and everything worked like it is supposed to. on 8/1/11 at approximately 10:30 p.m. i was driving home on a narrow, two-lane rural highway. on a blind curve, both of my headlights went out. i could not see anything. i tried cycling my headlights off and on and nothing happened. i applied my brakes and stopped. i opened my door to see where i was in the roadway and determined i was on the fog line on the opposite side of the road and there was a hillside less than 5' from me. i was able to drive to the shoulder on the right side of the road by using the light from my door. i was extremely lucky no cars passed by while my lights were out. i could have been killed or caused a catastrophe. i turned the car off and back on and both headlights came back on. a motorist stopped to assist. i was able to follow him to a store where a friend met me and i followed him home. during the drive home one of my headlights kept turning off. both did not go off together again. i took the car to the dealer on 8/3/11 and was told i need a new auxiliary battery and two new headlights. cost is going to be around $700. i read about a class action suit regarding 2006-2009 prius' headlights and that toyota knows there is a problem with them. i believe there should be a recall because of my harrowing experience and those of many others.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota pruis. the contact stated that there was a recurring failure with the air bag warning light illuminating. the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the failure where the front passenger seat was replaced twice but to no avail. the dealer then cleared the error codes but that also did not correct the failure. next, the wiring harness and main computer were replaced yet the failure persisted. the contact believed the failure to be a manufacturing defect. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 107,000.

I have a 2005 toyota prius with hid headlights. they began failing, first it was only the drivers side light, and infrequently. i found that when i turned the lights off and on again, the headlight worked again. because of the high cost of replacement, i lived with the problem. recently, both lights failed on a back country curvy road. for an instant everything was totally black. i quickly turned the lights off and on and was able to swerve to get back on the road. as a result, i am going to have to pay nearly $1,000 to have both headlights replaced at my expense, since i had more than 50,000 miles on my prius. toyota customer care told me that i would not be covered by a class action case for the hid bulb replacement because my car is a 2005 and is not covered in the case. this is a safety issue and should be a recall. *tr

(1). i slammed on the brakes, but there was no power brakes. the 2005 prius slowed, but did not stop until it crashed into another vehicle. i was going approximately 35 mph, and i traveled 3 car lengths before colliding with the other vehicle. (2). loss of power assist had previously occurred while backing up, but this was the first failure going forward. (3). total loss(totaled,, $7,000 damage). the 2005 prius is now at an automobile recycling yard. )4) i notified toyota. but i had to call them back several times, and after 15 days, someone finally answered, instead of me getting their voice mail. if the power brakes had failed at an intersection, it could have been a fatal crash. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving 60 mph when the automatic headlight sensor failed due to a design flaw and corrosion. the contact stated that the failure could potentially cause the headlights to blind the drivers of oncoming traffic. the manufacture was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 80,000.

Right front headlight would go off while driving. required that i switch lights off and back on to get the light to work again. i had the front right headlight replaced and three weeks later the left front headlight followed the same sequence of events. i purchased a new headlight and had two different auto mechanics replace it and the left front headlight will not work. i am scheduled to take the car back to the last mechanic next week. very unsafe to have this happen while operating the car at night and annoying and frustrating that the toyota dealership wants $300+ to replace their obvious manufacturing malfunction. *tr

The master warning light and another light came on warning of a possible misalignment of the hid headlamps on 2005 toyota prius. this could lead to blinding oncoming traffic if the lamps are misaligned. toyota dealer service department claimed that even though it was a common problem, repairs would cost ~$600 for a new headlight leveling sensor (load leveling sensor) and installation. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the drivers side headlight would intermittently stop illuminating. the contact stated that she would have to turn the headlights on and off several times in order to keep the light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the lights fixture needed to be replaced. the dealer also stated that this was a widespread issue. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 96,000.

Passenger front hid headlight was intermediately operational for a short period of time. eventually it would not come back on. toyota dealer quoted $350+ for part and $150+ for labor, per headlight. according to other prius owners and internet articles, this issue is apparent to be a manufacturer defect; but toyota refuses to admit in order to prevent a recall. unwilling to paid for toyota's mistakes, the vehicle was driven with only one headlight for some time. until recently stopped by police and issued a traffic violation warning. for safety reasons and to prevent future violations , replaced the burnt hid bulb ($50+ from amazon.com) personally (followed proper procedures). a week later, that same bulb went out. more evident indicating the issue is not with the bulb; but with the electrical system and toyota is not willing to paid for their own mistakes. shame on toyota!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated when the vehicle stalled all of the warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact stated the dealer reprogrammed the computer, but the vehicle only functioned normally for one month. the contact stated the failure was being diagnosed by the dealer for one week. the fuel pressure was also being checked to see if it met specifications. the failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 75,500.

Daughter and son-in-law were driving my 2005 toyota prius. a jeep grand cherokee hit them head on going 32-35 mph. my s-n-l was driving slowing down to a stop sign and saw the jeep coming at them on their side of the road so he was braking hoping the jeep would either stop or swerve around them. the driver of the jeep didn't even brake. hit them head on more on the passenger side pushing them back about 10-15 ft. the jeeps airbags deployed. the airbags on my prius didn't. the damage to the jeep was a screwed up bumper and a bent license plate. the damage to my toyota prius was totaled. engine flattened and pushed in over a foot almost under the dashboard of car. passenger door couldn't open until firefighters pried it open. called toyota, filed a claim on defective airbag. my response was they weren't going fast enough(only over 30 mph) for the airbags to deploy, they weren't hit hard enough and the dashboard must not have loosened from the car or else airbags would have deployed. my daughter took the blunt of it. body flew forward (she had a seatbelt on) hand hit dashboard, knees hit glove compartment so hard that it popped open. how bad does an accident have to be for airbags to go off. we pay for safety. the driver that caused this was drunk, wife drunk and they had a 3 yr old in the car at 10:45 in the morning. they had no injuries, their air bags deployed. forgot to mention daughters sister-in-law in seat behind her, whiplash, bruises on legs and back is tweaked, but they weren't hit hard enough. toyota use to be great on safety and now they are really bad and won't fess up to errors. search toyota airbag defects and see all the others that have had problems. someone will have to die probably hundreds before something is done. *tr

I have a 2005 (01/01/05) manufacture date prius. i don't remember the trim package. i noticed the drivers side head light would intermittently fail cycling the light off and on would resume operation. one week later while driving at night both headlights completely failed again cycling them off and on resumed operation. i was issued a warning while driving home from work by the police and demonstrated this fact. i have taken the car to the dealer who told me both headlights needed replaced and charged me 607.25 to replace. *tr

Driving north on i75 at approximately 65 mph. the gas gauge had 3 bars illuminated. the vsc warning light and the red triangle with the exclamation point came on. i lost the ability to accelerate and the car suddenly went dead. luckily i was able to make to relative safety on the side to interstate. the car was towed to a dealer who said the car ran out gas! they also said that the "fuel register unit was operating as designed." how was that possible? the charge? over $1200! according to toyota corporate and the dealership, repeated unsuccessful attempts to start the car will, by design, cause irreparable damage to the ecu code id box which can cost $1200 - $1800 to replace. this "design" is apparently in the name of anti-theft protection. (why not just immobilize the car instead of partial self-destruction?) even given the high extent and documented history of gas gauge display malfunctions and many other related electrical problems, toyota corporate would offer no financial assistance, no reimbursement of any portion of the repair. this is the second time the car has lost all power in the middle of heavy traffic. that time, 08/09/10, the water pump failed. subsequent to that, i received a recall notice to replace the water pump.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds he noticed the engine light, the abs, and the brake light illuminated. the vehicle then started to make a loud clunking noise and then when decelerating he noticed that the abs starting to kick in when it shouldn't. the vehicle was then taken to a dealer and they advised him that the computer had malfunctioned on the abs system and the right front wheel had locked up. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised him they will escalate the failure. the failure and current mileages were approximately 110,000. the vin was unavailable.

Steering failure on 2005 toyota prius. 2007- service campaign 60c performed on this prius to inspect/replace steering intermediate shaft and components. may 6, 2011- noticed wobble in steering when driving on smooth highway at 70 mph. may 20, 2011 - took prius in to dealer service department for: 1] scheduled maintenance,(oil/lube, align front suspension, clean/adjust brakes, etc), 2] snow tire change-out 3] requested investigation of problem with steering wobble. items 1 and 2 were completed. on item 3, dealer service department reported that they did not find a problem and stated it could be related to snow tires out of balance. may 26, 2011-complete steering failure occurred while turning slightly to the right at about 15 mph on a smooth city street. the steering wheel spun unlimited number of times to left and right with no effect on the wheels. the car was towed to dealer. may 28, 2011 -dealer completed repairs. the invoice says they replaced: 1 04005-72147 shaft kit, steering 1 84306-0e010 cable sub-assy spir, and performed align front suspension for a total cost of $798.22. the service advisor reported the splines at the end of the intermediate shaft were worn and that the technician had only seen this once or twice before. a complaint regarding safety and cost has been filed with "toyota help" (toyota usa). toyota stated that they could not supply any information about incidents of this type on other priuses. neither the safety nor the cost complaint has been resolved at this time. reported june 20, 2011 *information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *tt

2005 toyota prius. consumer states problem with vehicle overheating *tgw it was determined the water pump was defective and needed to replaced. *jb

Generally speaking, thousands of prius owners complain about their radio reception to toyota to no avail (i have written the ceo 2-3 times already and had phone conversations with customer service as well as an exchange of emails) only to be told to contact the dealership - which has no way of assisting with this problem). poking around on the internet, it seems to be a "grounding" problem - which has now been fixed i understand in subsequent models. this points to the fact they knew it was a problem. i contend it is a safety issue if you are not able to hear your radio in case of emergency - especially in a rural area such as ours (olympic peninsula) where hearing emergency warnings while driving could be considered life and death in certain circumstances. as you will see in this website, there are plenty of people who would be interested in a class action lawsuit: http://www.soultek.com/blog/2005/11/toyota-prius-hybrid-car-radio-problems.html for more info.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that whenever the radio was in use, it would not transmit a clear reception. the radio defect occurred on the purchase date of the vehicle and continued over the years. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they were unable to provide a remedy for the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 14. updated 05/26/11

Body sheet metal fatigue - crack near top of body directly above the rear right-side shock absorber tower. *tr

Were driving a 2005 toyota prius, when the brakes suddenly started behaving erratically, would not depress when pressure was applied. all abs /vsc lights came on, drove to the nearest dealership (glendale, ca toyota). they said that the brakes had short circuited and needed to be replaced. ($2500 part), subsequently they said that the skid control ecu was also gone and had to be fixed. this was another $1500 part. on reading other complaints, this sounds like a major and common issue, does not appear that toyota is addressing or even reviewing the problem. this is a single owner car, all maintenance service followed and with only 62,000 miles on the car. *tr

Note: the date above does not reflect first date of occurance. this is the event date that led to toyota admitting something is wrong with the car. please read narrative: on three occasions the car has died while being parked at work and at home. on one occasion the car died in my garage. after the vehicle was jumped it seemed fine. no lights were left on nor were any electrical devices plugged into the accessories. when it started up the car stated that the parking brake was not properly engaged and the vehicle needed to be moved to a level surface. it was in my driveway. another time the car did the same thing, dying at work in the airport employee parking lot. the car required being jump started and again it gave the same message. a co-worker stated that they had heard the car alarm go off at one point about an hour prior to shift change. both times the vehicle was checked and the report was “nothing was wrong with the car.” most recently on 3/27/2011 the same thing occurred. this time when jump starting the battery the car’s engine started and the car lunged forward at me with lights and alarm sounding. i was unable to shut down the alarm and went into the car and pressed the power button to shut the engine down. when i powered the engine back up the car alarm was again sounding and all the lights on the dash were illuminated. powered it down and up again and this time no audible alarm but the exclamation mark in the triangle was illuminated as well as the message about the parking brake. i powered it down and up one last time and, with the message still illuminated, drove off. the message shut down when i got to the security gate. toyota tested the vehicle on 4/1/2011 and reported that c1300 and c2300 faults were found (ecu and abs actuator). as the car is out of warranty, cost will be about $3,000.00. (more info exists but no room here)

2005 toyota prius. consumer states vehicle jolted and sprinted forward on its own while entering a parking lot *tgw

Starting in late winter, early spring of 2010, we noticed intermittent occasional failure of one or the other of our hid headlamps on our 2005 toyota prius (which we were told by the toyota salesman were lifetime headlights). this situation could be immediately rectified by quickly turning off and on again the headlight switch at the steering wheel stalk. then, on july 24, 2010, while on a remote and steep winding mountain pass road in california, (sonora pass road) in pitch dark, both headlamps failed simultaneously and could not be rectified with a quick flick of the headlamp switch off and on. i braked heavily, keeping in my mind a vision of the curve in the road i had just seen ahead of me. braking heavily and trying to steer in the dark, i put the flashers on so i wouldn't be rear-ended. this ended up being a fortuitous decision, because it was so dark that the momentary flashes of the forward flashers allowed me to see just enough road in brief snippets so that i could steer my vehicle safely around the curve and get it off the road. i figured out that with both lamps out, a much slower off/on again cycle of the headlight switch would bring them back on, and i limped the vehicle home. having driven over a million miles in my adult life, luckily i had the experience and the calm to handle this situation without catastrophic result. had my wife or my daughter been driving, we certainly would have gone off the road and crashed the vehicle. immediately the following day i scheduled an appointment with a toyota dealership service center; end result of which they want me to pay nearly $900 to replace these defective headlamps. i called toyota, and upon initial contact, won't do anything for us. needless to say in this economy, we do not have the money, and we have been relegated to driving our prius mostly daytimes, and certainly not on mountain pass roads at night. reading online toyota forums, i am very obviously not the only person who has this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving between 35-40 mph when the headlights failed. the contact engaged the emergency hazard lights until she was able to drive to a safe location. the headlights began to function after the contact abruptly jolted the headlight switch however, the driver side headlight would only illuminate sporadically. an authorized dealer was notified of the failure but the vehicle was not repaired. the driver side headlight was previously replaced but not recently. the failure had not recurred since. the failure mileage was 138,500. updated 4/4/11 *cn updated 04/06/11

Thursday, march 10, 2011 morning between 5:40 ¿ 5:45 a.m. est at work driving through parking lot towards parking garage, due to bad weather road lines were not visible and my car end up into a concrete block. i was in shock for a while, front bumper, radiator, both front lights, windshield and all fluid holding broke and engine caved in. i have neck soft tissue injurious in my neck. pain lower neck and upper neck where scalp and neck meet. my 2005 prius had driver and passenger side air bags and front side and rear side curtain airbags on side, but none of them deployed, but my car got total. i bought brand new fully loaded prius, and i was thinking my car is very safe. definitely if i was driving on the highway where speed limit is 55, i am sure i was dead in this car. *tr

Either or both high-intensity headlights turn off while driving without driver input. this is the exact same problem described in the class action settlement for 2006-2009 prius vehicles. according to the lawsuit, the headlights prematurely fail by flickering or turning off intermittently, often requiring costly repairs. although toyota has denied these claims, girard gibbs llp is pleased to announce that the parties reached a proposed settlement that has been granted preliminary court approval. among other things, the settlement will provide: ¿ a free warranty extension for hid headlight bulb and electronic control units (through the earlier of 5 years and 50,000 miles); and ¿ cash reimbursements to many class members who paid for headlight repairs. unfortunately, my vehicle year was not included in the class. however, as previously stated, the problem with my vehicle is identical to those in the suit. the repair cost me $593.75. i contacted toyota and asked them to reimburse me for the repair. their response was that my vehicle is no longer under warranty and my vehicle year is not part of the class action suit. they will not reimburse me for the repair. however, the vehicles in the class action suit were no longer under warranty. updated 05/04/11

Incident = on 1/19/11 my 2005 prius began to shake while driving on surface streets. i pulled over checked the car but saw nothing that would cause the shaking. i then started the car and began to drive. the shaking started again like an unbalanced washer. i took the car to hollywood toyota. toyota checked the car and indicated that 2 spark plugs had gone bad and that 2 ignition coils had shorted out. as a result the engine had carbon deposits and needed extensive cleaning. i have done all scheduled maintenance to toyota specification.  as a result i contacted toyota's offices to voice safety concerns. were there any other similar reported incidents and do they consider any safety issues. didn't get a clear answer at all from them. toyota once again is in denial with prius problems. damage resulting = cost was $989.81. i feel that toyota needs to reimburse me for these repairs. had this happened on the freeway results could have been different. i complained to toyota and they have offered me $348.10 off the total work. its not just a money issue its a safety issue as well.  *tr

We own two 2005 toyota pruis. we bought the first at sunrise toyota and six months later we bought the second at a toyota dealership in virginia. the former pruis (car #1) had 96,000 miles on it when the lever to change the gears began to slip from the drive or reverse mode into neutral repeatedly. fortunately we were stopped with the engine running when this first occurred. on the latter prius (car # 2), with 64,000 miles, we had not used the car for a few days, went into the car started the engine allowing it to run for few minutes as it was cold outside and attempted to shift. like the former prius (car #1) the lever kept moving from the drive or reverse position to the neutral position consistently. i went to sunrise toyota with car #1. they repaired it without charge as i had extended warranty insurance on that car. when i spoke with them about car # 2) they said they would need to do a diagnostic before the repair, repair it and then charge me. i returned home to call toyota corporation saying that i bought two prius' months apart but the same year car, from two different dealerships and am experiencing the same problem with both cars just a few weeks apart. i mentioned my concern that the car might shift into neutral while driven on the highway causing a dangerous situation. i asked if other drivers have reported similar problems and what if any assistance they could give. they stated that they do not have a record of this problem and will not be recalling the cars at this time. i again stressed my safety concerns. they again stated they do not have any immediate plans for recall for this issue. the cost of the repair is close to one thousand dollars. my safety concerns remain as far as driving this car for myself and other drivers who own a prius. i was told by the company and dealership that my problem is specific but i do not understand how you can buy 2 cars , same make and year at different dealership and have the same issue. *tr

Intermittent headlight problem passenger headlight turns off intermittently while driving when i turn the lights all the way off then back on again the light will work again for a while. i have been stopped by police twice so far. *tr

The headlight level switch failure (water-rust in switch) is causing real danger. when located in up while in dim - oncoming traffic impaired. when level switch ends down, the line of sight is only several feet in front of vehicle. a shorter person (wife) is unable to see any lighted road. driving really becomes bad with the bright switched on. oncoming traffic becomes impaired causing danger. the wife actually refuses to drive at night. just unable to see properly. i have tried unsuccessfully to contact directly to toyota with this situation. service garages want just under $ 500.00 to correct problem. i feel this should be a recall item because of quality, but more importantly the driving danger. the actual switch should be purchased much lower cost. the value of switch alone without the brackets.we feel the danger on highway to be a real concern. i have spoke with other 05 prius owners and each has express the problem. most have just had it repaired under warranty.

At random, the car does not start. there is nothing different about events leading up to the failure from one day to the next. my neighbor has the same problem, and so did a friend of mine. aaa told me that in the winter the car is particularly prone to having trouble starting. *tr

My toyota prius 2005 model had repeated and total failures when the 12 volt sli battery was low, or in cold weather. the designing logic is very bad: when the sli battery fails, the back doors and trunk could not be unlocked, so i could not get my jumper cables out since all electrical controls failed. the car could not be towed from behind when parked, not to damage the synergy drive (apparently). i was told to buy a trickle charger since the sli battery died a few times while the prius was garaged for more than a week. the toyota sli battery is specialized, small and the contacts are too small to grab with normal jumper cables. there are too many single point failures initiated by a discharged battery. when my remote key battery died, i was totally locked out of the car. mechanical backup options are needed for all these electrical and electronic controls. *tr

We were traveling along a familiar country road on a warm sunny day. when we arrived at a rural store there was only one other customer there. i slowly eased into the designated parking area which was situated about 17 inches above the lawn below. i was probably traveling less than one mile an hour. when i braked, the car accelerated and propelled itself over the blocks and railroad ties that are found in front of parking spaces, and we literally flew about 7 feet out and down onto the grass stopping just a few feet from a tree and a fence. while in the air, all i had time to do was put my foot down hard on the brake because there was not enough time to turn off the engine during the 5 seconds this was happening. our first reaction was that i might have hit the accelerator instead of the brake, and though i found this inconceivable because i had never done anything like that before and because the two pedals are so different, i could not consider another explanation. however, as time passed, we came to the realization that this could not been the case because even if i had pressed the accelerator by mistake i would have had to have "floored" it to get that kind of acceleration in such a short distance, and even mistaking it for the brake i wouldn't have "floored" the brake because i was only about 18 inches from where i was to stop. even under normal circumstances, the prius just does not have this immediate kind of acceleration we experienced. i cannot help but think about this event occurring as i stopped at a crosswalk. this is a dangerous automobile that i loved driving for 5 years, and now i will not drive again.

Nov 15 2010 the car was in service for 5000 miles check. the dealership declared that the brakes and coolant flow valve needed replacement and stated the car was unsafe to drive. upon agreeing for repairs the dealership said the car was safe to drive and it will take 2 weeks for parts to arrive. 15 dec 2010 the car was taken in for stated repairs ($2000), since then the car has have intermittently braking failures at low speeds under 20 mph and at stops on a downgrade. the car was taken in for repairs again in 16 jan 2011. the car stills has intermittent failures, the lights to the parking brakes, abs brakes, vbc lights and the warning lights are still on since the repairs. while replacing the tires firestone on 30 jan 2011 found the code 1247 on the ecu by their technician. the lights on the dash board are still on at all times. after leaving firestone, the car surge forward while stop on a downgrade while the brake depress, i felt the pressure release thus i depress harder on the brakes petal until it was on the floor, i had to use the emergency brake to stop. i will take the car into the toyota dealership for the third time 31 jan 2011. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact noticed that all the warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. the contact pulled over and turned the vehilce off. when attempting to restart the vehicle, he noticed that the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they performed a diagnostic test which concluded that there was moisture intrusion in the trans axle; the dealer removed the trans axle and water. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance and stated that they could not provide him with a reimbursement. the current mileage was 78,270 and the failure mileage was 76,063. updated 3/7/11 *cn updated 07/01/11

Hid headlight failed. high cost to replace ($250). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the passenger side headlights were turning an abnormal pink color. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that there was no way of knowing when the headlights were going to fail. the manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 51,695.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving 35 mph when the head lights failed. the contact was able to reactivate the headlights by toying with the activation switch until the lights came back on. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the failure and repairs would be at the expense of the contact. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 126,500. updated 03/07/11*lj updated 04/13/11 updated 1/3/11 *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately 25-30 mph when the vehicle began to shake abnormally violent. the contact inspected the vehicle but could not locate a cause for the failure yet the failure persisted. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was advised that two spark plugs had failed, two of the ignition coils had shorted out and that carbon was built up on the engine as a result of the failure. the dealer replaced the spark plugs, ignition coils and cleaned the carbon from the engine. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 78,646 and the current mileage was 78,746. updated 03/02/11 *bf

Engine shut down while entering highway. charged for ecm update when problem has been known. cnn reported, "a software problem is causing some toyota prius gas-electric hybrid cars to stall or shut down while driving at highway speeds." a toyota press release states: "toyota motor sales (tms), u.s.a., inc., will launch a special service campaign involving certain 2004 and early 2005 model year prius sold in the u.s. on the involved vehicles, an issue with the program logic in the electronic control module (ecm) system may cause some or all of the following warning lights to illuminate: master, hybrid system, engine, vehicle stability control, and brake. if this occurs, the vehicle will enter a "fail-safe" mode which allows limited operation via the electric motor. however, the electrically-powered brake and steering operation will continue to function normally if this condition occurs. the electric motor will also provide enough power to allow the driver to pull the vehicle over and away from traffic. once the vehicle is stopped, the driver may be able to restart the gasoline engine in the vehicle by pushing the start button. approximately 75,000 2004 and 2005 model year prius vehicles may be affected by this condition. toyota is proactively conducting a campaign in the interest of its customers." *tr

The passenger side headlight would sometimes go out and then come back on after turning the car off/on. eventually both of the headlights had this problem along with them turning pink in color and back to white while driving. i took the prius into the dealership and since i purchased the extended warranty of 100,000 miles the hid electronic control units (ecus) will be replaced free of charge but the hid light bulbs are costing $350 to replace. i see that toyota has extended the warranty of the light bulbs to a five year/50,000 for the 2006-2009 prius starting feb 9th 2011, tomorrow. the mechanics say these bulbs should last over a 100,000 miles but the ecus are making them go bad early. i had a "wonderful" conversation with toyota extra care representative about this problem. he basically told me anything that anything that breaks that is not covered by warranty (headlights) because an item that is under extended warranty(ecu), is not covered. and then he went on to explain this by talking about what came first, chicken or the egg. i was hoping to get into more in-depth evolution discussion with him, but i ran out of time and patience. i still love our prius, 78000 miles. *tr

I have from time to time thought that my car lights did not light up the road so well, especially on the passenger side. however, when i would think about it before i would get into the car, i turned on the head lights. they worked and seem to be pretty bright. they are the new type of lights. this went on for a while. however, one day, i drove up to my house and noticed that my passenger-side head light did not seem to reflect on my mailbox post as i thought it should. i had turned the lights out. but i turned them back on, got out of the car and they were on. then one day, i was behind a suv. i saw my car's reflection and the passenger light was out. i got home did not turn off the car or lights. i got out of the car and check. the passenger-side head light was out. i turn the lights off and then back on and the light came on. the time that it took for me to discover this actually took over a year. i recalled that someone had hit my car on that side (minor) but the headlamp assembly had to be replaced. so, i took the car back to the place it was repaired. through my insurance, i have a life-time guarantee on all repairs. they replaced the head light. about 10 days later i am behind a car and i notice that my passenger side head light is again out. i checked the web and have discovered that this problem is not unique to my car. i can not say how often this occurs since you basically have to be outside the car. i do know that there are times when my car lights do not seem to be lighting up the road as they should. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was awaiting diagnostic testing to determine the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 164,000.

Low-speed brake failure: accelerated lightly away from traffic signal to approximately 5-7 mph, traffic then slowed, applied brakes normally with no noticeable deceleration or pedal resistance. removed foot from brake and then reapplied brakes very hard, pedal again offered little resistance, no noticeable deceleration. roadway surface dry, free from dirt/gravel, smooth with slight downgrade, temperature believed to be slightly above freezing. impacted car ahead at low speed ¿ no airbag deployment, minimal damage to this car (est. $750), additional minor damage to two cars ahead. after crash, shut car off. after restarting car, brakes appeared to work normally. upon inspection found no fault codes present, no warning lights, brake pads had substantial material remaining, brake fluid level normal, tires with substantial tread depth. car has been maintained in accordance with manufacturer recommendations since new, all recalls have been complied with. . car was fully warm, had been driven 14 miles since start. car had been operated at freeway speeds for last 5-6 miles before traffic signal. based on past experience along this frequently traveled route, hybrid storage battery was almost certainly full from energy stored during deceleration from freeway speed on exit ramp, thus hybrid system would be unable to deliver regenerative braking at time of bake failure/crash. *tr

Had car since new in 2005. bought an extended service agreement that was prepaid. the car had regular maintenance at manufacturers recommended intervals. the electrical system has been a source of frustration regarding all head and tail lights. the lights fail frequently,especially all rear lights with no warning. many have been replaced. the headlights are a huge headache. to have the dealer replace the bulbs cost about $250-$300. if there is more than just a bulb replacement, the cost could go as high as $1000+. this is highway robbery. *tr

Vehicle struck from behind at approximately 20mph and pushed into another vehicle. driver seat belt did not lock and driver's head struck the top of the steering wheel. the driver seat back also broke and the driver fell backward until the seat back was stopped by the cushion of the rear seats. *tr

I was driving at night on i-75n and another car pulled up beside me and gestured that something was wrong. we both pulled off the interstate and they told me that i had no tail lights and no license plate light. they were afraid that someone would ram me since i had no rear end running lights. i also noticed that my glove compartment light was out. i opened the hatch and then slammed it and the right tail light and license plate lights came back on. i proceed home under flashers in the right hand lane of the interstate. the next day i took it to the cobb county toyota dealer and they said that all the bulbs were burned out. i asked how could all those lights go out at once and they said it happens. i authorized them to replace all the bulbs. they later contacted me and said that they did not have a replacement bulb for the glove compartment and i told them to forget about that and we could replace it later. the lights are working fine but strangely the glove compartment light started working after they replaced all the other rear lights and that light has faithfully worked to this day even though it was not replaced during the same service call to replaced the "burned out" tail lights and license plate light the brake lights, turn signal and flashers all worked on the evening of 12/20/10 during the time that the tail and license plate lights went out. having had this happen at high speeds on a busy interstate at night was most upsetting and to have all these lights go out at once seems suspicious, particularly when the glove compartment light was declared as "burned out" by dealer, not replaced and now works perfectly. *tr

During wet weather, the brakes grab. this usually occurs during the first 10 mins. of driving. based on the recent recalls, i decided to do some research online to determine if others owners had similar problems. i have not taken the car in to the dealership. the brakes have been this way since i've owned the car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. a vehicle traveling approximately 35 mph crashed into the contacts vehicle head on. the air bags did not deploy. a police was filed and 2 injuries were reported. the contact and a passenger were transported via ambulance to the emergency room. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an insurance company lot. the vehicle was not examined for the cause of failure. the failure and current mileages were 105,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while he was adding fuel to his vehicle, the gasoline pump clicked notifying that the vehicle was full; however, when he removed the pump from the vehicle gasoline started flowing onto the ground. the failure and current mileages were 56340.

In december 2010, 2005 toyota prius was taken to dealer for pedal modification as part of the floor mat accelerator pedal entrapment recall. the dealer did not explain that pedal was actually being shortened by cutting off 1/4 inch at the bottom. after the recall modification was completed, accelerator pedal became stuck on after-market floor mat that had been in place in the vehicle since december 2005. dealer did not mention this possibility at the time of the recall fix. (prior to modification, vehicle owner had checked to make sure that floor mat was properly anchored and that there was no way for accelerator to become trapped.) in this case, the modification intended to prevent floor mat entrapment actually caused the pedal to become stuck. *tr

Driver's side hid headlight on my 2005 prius goes out intermittently. if i turn the headlights off and then back on, the bulb stays lit for a little while, until it happens again. from what i'm reading on the internet, this is a common problem that toyota is aware of but will not resolve. this is a safety issue - it's difficult to see with only one functional headlight. i paid good money to get the upgraded headlights, toyota should stand behind their products and fix the problem. *tr

While driving, the low and hi beam headlamps repeatedly turn completely off. it seems to occur randomly every single day, sometimes alternating between either headlamp going out and sometimes both headlamps turning off at the same time. at night this is quite concerning. once the headlamps turn off, i must quickly turn off the and on the headlight switch until the lights come back on. if only one headlamp is off, it immediately comes on after turning off then on the headlamps. if both headlamps turn off, it sometimes takes many attempts to get them back on. it may be worth noting that i have the hid headlamps from the factory. i am in the process of taking the car to the dealership to have the problem corrected. *tr

We are have a problem with our 2005 toyota prius. the headlights (one or both) goes out without warning. the is a known safety problem with headlights on the prius. toyota will not issue a recall because they have not been directed to by the government. *tr

Driver's side headlamp turns off intermittently. no pattern identified. no solution except cycling headlamp switch sometimes works, sometimes not. this began after headlamp was replaced after it began dimming noticeably and producing light of a pinkish color. no further repairs attempted because can't reproduce problem reliably e.g. when in repair shop. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph and trying to decelerate the vehicle would not come to a stop. she crashed into the rear end of a vehicle due to the failure. the air bags did not deploy. no one was injured. the vehicle was destroyed. the police were called, but did not arrive. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and she had not received a call from the mechanic. the failure mileage was approximately 36,000. the vin was unavailable.

Toyota prius headlights- the replacement cost for one bulb is ridiculously high- about $199 plus labor ($110). the new lightbulb overheats after two minutes and turns off. if i turn the lights on and off again the bulb will come back on--for two minutes at a time. this is incredibly dangerous. i hear a new bulb is coming out to remedy the problem, but since mine was "used" i cannot return it for an exchange when the new bulbs come in. because it is halogen, they will only guarantee the bulb if they install it. it's a monopoly. we are stuck paying their high prices for the bulb-- and are required to go to the dealership to change a simple headlight. (although i dare not mention the installation process, which is anything but simple-- including removing the bumper!) *tr

2005 toyota prius stalled on an overpass with no shoulders. the transmission became stuck in park, and the vehicle could not be pushed since the front wheels were locked up. the car was eventually towed, and it had to be dragged onto the flatbed wrecker since the front wheels would not roll. the problem was determined to be a failed pump for cooling the inverter. the pump failed such that it blew a fuse that also controlled the transmission shifter, preventing the car from being put into neutral so that it could be pushed out of traffic lanes. this is a very unsafe failure mode. *tr

We have noticed repeatedly (a dozen or more times) over three years of owning this car and 100k miles, that as we brake going over a bumpy section of road, the braking system fails and the car actually accelerates for one or two seconds. this is especially alarming when we need to brake suddenly in a curve on a bumpy road as it seems we will lose control of the car. i always brake with my right foot and my right foot remains off the accelerator and on the brake throughout these episodes. our car is equipped with the vehicle stability system and the passenger notices that the stability system warning light comes on during these episodes. it is not simply that the car coasts when the braking fails, the engine actually sounds like it is revving up and the car noticeably speeds up. once the bumpy section has been passed, normal braking resumes. this has nothing to do with the floor mat. this situation should be reproducible thru testing.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph and attempting to decelerate, the vehicle would not stop and the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the contact received injuries to the neck and chest. the driver of the other vehicle was not injured. the contact was transported to the hospital via ambulance. a police report was available. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was 30,000. updated 01/24/11 *cn updated 04/18/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 65 mph the vehicle suddenly shut off. the vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. the contact called the manufacturer who advised him to take it to the dealership for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 187,000.

Sudden headlight failure, if i turned off the headlight and turned it back on again it will turn on again. but it will randomly turn off again. *tr

2005 toyota prius. s10 appropriate handling- letter from regarding toyota problems *tgw the consumer stated as she slowed down to make a turn in her gated her community, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into the brick column which supported the gate. she suffered a severe injury to her bottom lip when her face hit the steering wheel, as well as contusions to her leg and other bruising. the consumer stated she had no more problems until november 16, 2009. as she slowed down and pulled into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit a wall. she received some bruising from the seat belt holding her into place. two weeks later, the vehicle suddenly accelerated again and crashed into a brick wall. the consumer has since traded the vehicle. *jb

2005 toyota prius, repeated headlight failure. i have been issued three police summonses for headlight failure and have only owned this vehicle for two years. i replaced both headlights three weeks ago and the passenger headlight is out again. *tr

Yesterday on a long trip through the mountains, lights came on my dash on my 2005 toyota prius that indicated a hybrid problem. hoping to get to a place where i could get service i continued on. (i also noted that the cruise control light would not come on.) then the brake light and abs came on the dashboard with an auditory alarm. i tested the brakes and they seemed okay and there was no berm to pull off. then i hit the brakes on a curve and the peddle went down low. i pressed hard and got it off the road on a wide spot that by the grace of god appeared. i had it towed to the nearest dealer. today, the dealer said they checked all codes and inspected the braking system and can find nothing wrong and all codes have left. they said the hybrid battery seemed to be low but they find the battery and charging system to be ok. (they said brakes do not work when the battery is low and the battery is charged by braking which i was doing plenty of in the mountains.) they also said the computer is ok. they drive it and nothing is wrong. *tr

My headlight on the right side of my prius goes out intermittently, then when i cycle the switch (not safe to do at night) it turns back on. i have had it in to the dealer for repair, at a large cost, with no improvement. online forums tell me this is a problem not solved by light replacement or by replacing the computer board that controls the lights. this is a problem for multiple cars on the road, and according to the online forums is starting to show in other toyotas. *tr

My car, a 2005 toyota prius, was stationary at a stoplight on a clear, sunny day. my foot was on the brake and the brake was fully depressed. i could feel a sudden pressure change in the brake, and warning lights came on. i drove the short distance to work, but the car was handling badly (wobbly) and the brake was very soft and only partially effective. after work, a few hours later, the car seemed to be handling normally and braking normally, but i drove to the closest dealer as a precaution. they checked the computer and found code c1357 (decreasing pressure solenoid malfunction). they replaced the brake actuator assembly. *tr

We purchased a toyota 2005 prius in august of this year. it had 92,000 miles on it but was in exceptional condition. just this week october 15 the passenger side headlight started blinking and one day later went out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving 60 mph and as she accelerated to pass another vehicle, the vehicle suddenly accelerated independently. the contact depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle continued to accelerate. she shifted into neutral and depressed the brake pedal until the vehicle began to decrease in speed. the vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired for the failure. the manufacturer was not notified. the current and failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

2005 toyota prius w/ hid headlights. automatic aiming sensor has suffered premature failure because of a design flaw that allows the under-vehicle mounted sensor to corrode and fail. safety issues include a driver unknowingly overdriving his headlights at speed, and potential temporary blinding of oncoming traffic from aiming failure. failed part # is 89408-47010. toyota has not notified owners of this safety issue. *tr

My 2005 prius' right headlight (hid) turns off. after turning the lights off and back on, it lights up again. it's very strange because if the bulb was dead, it wouldn't come back on. just recently, someone made me aware of the issue. but, who knows how long it has been going on. there is no pattern or unique incident that causes the bulb to turn off and on. it happens multiple times on trip between 2-4 miles (sometimes more than 2 or 3 times on a short trip). since i became aware of the issue, i don't take the car on long trips. my local mechanic said "dead bulbs don't turn on and off, they just stay off." sometimes my bulb will stay on for 10-20 minutes, then go out. doesn't sound broken to me. the mechanic told me the ballast could have a problem, but that costs several thousand dollars to fix (not to mention replacing one bulb is like 200 dollars).. *tr

On two separate occasions( 1st in july, 2nd in october) after heavy rain, leakage into the engine compartment of my 2005 prius resulted in fowling of spark plugs and coils. the moisture damage created misfiring and stalling while in traffic. toyota supposedly repaired the leak caused by a seal issue in the cowl after the first incident in july but had to followup with a second repair in october- resealing the cowl. i am not concerned that the problem is completely resolved and i am trying to get accurate information from toyota, unfortunately they have not been forthcoming. *tr

2005 toyota prius driving display went out when driving.*tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the inverter cooling water pump failed. while driving 72 mph with the vehicle speed control engaged, there were several warning lights illuminating causing the vehicle speed control to lose power. he drove onto the side of the road, turned the engine off and allowed the vehicle to cool down and it began to function normally. the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive safely to his residence. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed the failure as the water pump which listed error code p0a93. the vehicle was not repaired since the parts were on back order until september 16, 2010. he then contacted the dealer and manufacturer who also informed him that the parts were on critical back order until september 16, 2010. the failure mileage was 41,000.

The brakes on my 2005 prius appear not to grab immediately when i am driving over a rough surface. this has happened since i have owned the car but on an irregular basis. since it occurred generally when i was moving very slowly i didn't view it as a safety problem but a couple of times recently i have been driving over a very rough road at higher speed and the same lack of braking occurred. it is as if there is a pause before the braking system kicks in. *tr

2005 toyota prius: headlights turn off intermittently. happens each time vehicle is driven, even on very short drives. it is necessary to turn headlights off, and on to get lamps to work again. occasionally, both lamps go out at the same time. very dangerous! i have children, and am fearful of driving with them in this vehicle at night because of this issue. i have told my toyota dealership about this issue, and was told they are aware of the issue, and i should turn them off and on to resolve. they also told me to replace would be over $400/each. additionally, i'm fearful i will get a moving violation while driving at night. *tr

The headlights on our 2005 toyota prius turn off while we are driving. sometimes it is the right headlight, sometimes the left, and once in awhile both turn off. if i turn off the lights and then turn them back on they both work, for a while. the problem is intermittent; there is no predicting when the lights will malfunction. sometimes it¿s while driving and then sometimes while stuck in traffic. *tr

I'm writing about an defective inverter cooling pump in my 2005 toyota prius. i was driving when all of a sudden my car loses the ability to accelerate. numerous warning lights came on as i coasted to a stop in a nearby neighborhood. the car would not shut off at first. after i finally got the car to turn off, it would not turn on again. the display in the center of the dashboard would come on fine, but when it came time for the main engine to turn on (when pushing the start button), it would blink and shut off immediately. when i took a look under the hood, i could smell something electrical burning. i finally got the car towed to a local shop that was toyota/lexus certified. they figured out that the inverter cooling pump was defective and it was blowing fuses (hence the smell of something electrical burning). total cost was almost $500 for the repair: parts and labor. i tried calling toyota to see if i could get any type of reimbursement, but i got many reasons why i should not get one: - the warranty was for 60,000 or 8 years. i was in the 8 years, the mileage was 62,000. (i guess customer service does not mean much - previously i own a 94 toyota corolla - 16 years with a toyota car) - i did not get it repaired at a toyota "dealership" (even though they were "toyota" certified) - i did not buy the car new. (so if you buy a used toyota, apparently that does not make the car a toyota anymore.) bottom line, after being fixed the car runs even better then before the inverter cooling pump failure: better gas mileage and no more phantom steering wheel movements when driving on the highway (happened when the engine would switch over to battery and vice versa). *tr

I first reported this to toyota march 10, 2010. i did so after talking with a coworker who had a 2010 prius. i have a 2005 prius. we both experienced the same thing. therefore, i figured i should take it more serious. the toyota's safety incident number is [xxx] . when going over bumps and hitting the breaks i notice that instead of immediately slowing the car down, the car seems to either not slow at all and seems to accelerate. knowing that going over bumps can cause a tire to temporarily loose contact with the road surface and that cars can electronically transfer drive from a tire that looses contact with the surface to the other wheel, there may be mixed signals happening. the brakes telling the car to stop, the traction control telling the acceleration to transfer. it seems the acceleration is taking precedence. regardless, this seems that it could cause a problem if on a bumpy road surface or a pot hole or something and a car stops infront of me or a kid runs into the street or for some other reason i need to stop. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I pulled into a parking place.  i noticed my car was not straight and i started to release the emergency brake to straighten it.  though i still had my foot on the emergency brake and had not started to accelerate, the car lunged forward. i slammed down on the emergency brake and the regular brake; at some point i remember that my left foot was on the regular brake pushing with all my might.  without hesitation my car smashed into the car parked ahead of me.  my car knocked the other car into the stop sign ahead of it, then exploded into the intersection and continued a short way down the block before slowing down. i waited for traffic and then turned around.  i came back and parked on the other side of the street facing the other way.  i crossed the street to the scene of the accident and told the parking meter lady that i had hit the other car.  i was very shaken. the driver of the other car had just arrived with his farmer¿s market bags.    he said he would take pictures so i went back to my car to get my camera to take pictures too.  i noticed that it was my right front bumper that had hit the other car¿s left back bumper because, trying to avoid hitting the other car,  i had turned toward the street.   i took pictures of his car.  the officer arrived (called by the meter person) and i gave my report.  the officer asked me if i could drive my car home.  i said i wasn't sure, i would call the insurance company.  in any case i would not try to drive right away as i was too shaken.  the other driver drove away.  when the officer left, i sat in my car passenger side with my feet on the sidewalk still in shock.  i was afraid of driving the car. i called my son to come to get me. i called the insurance company and followed their directions.  intent on stopping the car, i had braked as hard as i could with my left foot. when waiting to turn the car around i saw the emergency brake was on. *tr

2005 toyota prius experienced headlamp failure at 90,000 miles. since both headlamps failed at the same time, and n both regular and high-beam modes, the problem seems to be with the electrical circuit for the headlamps. dealer quotes $1200 to fix. seems like a rip-off. *tr

2005 prius stalling problem!! i never received any notification on this issue. as the article said"toyota motor sales (tms), u.s.a., inc., will launch a special service campaign involving certain 2004 and early 2005 model year prius sold in the u.s. on the involved vehicles, an issue with the program logic in the electronic control module (ecm) system may cause some or all of the following warning lights to illuminate: master, hybrid system, engine, vehicle stability control, and brake. if this occurs, the vehicle will enter a "fail-safe" mode which allows limited operation via the electric motor. however, the electrically-powered brake and steering operation will continue to function normally if this condition occurs. the electric motor will also provide enough power to allow the driver to pull the vehicle over and away from traffic. once the vehicle is stopped, the driver may be able to restart the gasoline engine in the vehicle by pushing the start button.toyota is proactively conducting a campaign in the interest of its customers. toyota will inform owners of the involved vehicles with a special service campaign notification letter sent via first class mail beginning in late-october. owners are requested to contact their local toyota dealer for diagnosis and repair upon receiving their notification. toyota will reprogram the ecm system at no charge to the owners of the vehicle." nhtsa action number : pe05029 nhtsa recall campaign number : n/a component : engine and engine cooling engine and engine cooling:engine unknown or other my car have this same issue while i was on a freeway. i called toyota dealership and was told that i would have to pays around $100 to get analysis. what can i do to get toyota to correct this when they never sent me a notice for this problem. i bought this car brand new from toyota around summer of 2005. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving 25 mph when she crashed into another vehicle. the vehicle crashed from the front end and the air bags did not deploy. the contact sustained injuries to her neck, head and shoulders. she was transported to the hospital via ambulance. a police report was available. the vehicle was towed to a body repair facility where the mechanic advised that the vehicle was destroyed. the dealer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 48,000.

I drive a 2005 toyota prius and the headlights have started going off intermittently without warning. when i start the car (light switch is always in the on position), sometimes both lights are on, sometimes one, sometimes none. while driving the car, the lights will suddenly go out, usually one or the other, but there have been times where both went out. i have researched the problem and there doesn't appear to be a known solution. i plan to purchase a replacement bulb to see if that solves the problem. *tr

At about 104k miles the hid headlights, along with the dash dashboard lights, went out while my daughter was driving on a country road at night. the sudden darkness resulted in a collision with a guard rail while braking. after putting the car in park, turning off the power button and restarting the car everything came back on. while we were shaken up, no one was hurt. the car sustained $2k damage to the body, but not to the headlights. the local dealer didn't express any knowledge of headlight failures in priuses, inspected the lighting system and pronounced everything fine. i did have to pay for the inspection as the lights weren't damaged and not covered by the collision claim. internet research has brought up many similar cases of this occurring with other priuses; with no acknowledgement by toyota. my daughter is now terrified of driving this car. i also own a 2007 prius with hid lights and 55k miles. i'm monitoring it's headlights whenever possible as it is driven mostly during the day with the headlights on. *tr

2005 prius. lights go off without warning. when lights are turned off and then on again they come back on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving 20 mph and applying the brakes when the skid control warning light illuminated. the vehicle began to slide uncontrollably. the contact was able to gain control. the failure would occur during braking in low gear; traveling uneven roads or gravel. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired at the time of the complaint. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

Sudden warning light indicating headlight leveling failure. occurs intermittently under various circumstances. consequences: headlights either aimed too high blinding oncoming drivers or slanted downward making car impossible to drive at night. part has not been replaced and car is not driven at night. old part still available. there was a technical service bulletin in early 2006 indicating that the headlight leveling sensor was not watertight and prone to failure due to water entering the system and corroding the electrical contacts. toyota improved the integrity of the unit and sold it using the same part number with the added suffix "g". while toyota will cover the replacement cost of the sensor under the 3 yr/36,000 mile warranty there is no coverage for vehicles out of warranty. a recall was never issued. again, this is only a problem that occurs with the hid headlight system in the earlier generation ii prius (2004 - 2005). service bulletin:00406 nhtsa item number:10019992 my car is out of warranty and i was unaware that there was a problem with the system when it could have been remedied while the car was under warranty. mileage at failure 72,000. this is a safety issue and a recall should be issued ! cost of part $370.00 + tax. labor is another 210.00 + tax. *tr

August 4, 2010 around 8:36pm i was on i4 heading eastbound about 13 miles from my house going around 66mph. the driving conditions were hot with no rain. when my emergency light, explanation mark light and the vsc light all came on at the same time and my car experience a jerking liking motion. i called my father immediately told him what¿s happening, he told me to turn around and get the car home. i turned around and as i was on my way home after exiting i4 on sand lake rd my brake light came on with a loud continuous beeping noise that lasted about 20 seconds every 2 minutes. when this loud beeping noise occurred the brakes would stop working for about 10 seconds than start again. i made it home at 8:52pm and parked the car in the garage. *tr

Toyota prius headlight leveling sensor when it fails, headlight can point downward limiting visibility. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving at approximately 10 mph, the headlight leveling sensor message illuminated on the dashboard twice. the contact also stated that the headlights would intermittently aim downward, providing limited long distance illumination of the roadway. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was awaiting a diagnosis of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 44,000 and the current mileage was 48,000.

We received a recall notice for our toyota prius. i wrote them a letter asking them to acknowledge that they were going to do only the mechanical modifications they described and not any work with the computer or electronics. their response was to assign a subordinate to call me back and simply read my letter back to me. i want the courtesy of a written reply to the points i made in my letter before we leave our car in their hands. the california dept. of consumer affairs bureau of automotive repair put me on hold for 20 minutes and then told me to contact you. the car is registered in my wife's name. *tr updated 01/31/11

At around 10pm this friday night i was driving home on the country road 3 miles from my house. it is a 2 lane road with no street lamps. i was traveling at 50mph and coming around a gentle curve when all of a sudden every light in the car went out...headlights, taillights, dashboard, hazards, even the navigation system display. a month ago i had my car in for its safety inspection and 150k mileage service and was told the car was "fine" but i've had intermittent issues with the hid lamp on the driver side going out. when this happens if i cycle the light switch off then back on again it fixes the issue. when all my lights went out on friday, i was only able to avoid driving off the road and getting in an accident because it was a road i am very familiar with and knew where the turn was coming up. i was able to slow my car to a stop. after sitting in the dark a minute (the engine was still running just fine) i was worried a car might come down the road behind me and not see me and hit me. i then decided to try cycling the light switch off and on because that had worked for the headlamp issue. i cycled it once but the lights remained off, but after the second time i cycled the light switch all the lights in the car came back on and i was able to drive home. i took the car to toyota of warrenton and told them what happened. they "ran a diagnostic" and checked the vehicle but said they couldn't duplicate the issue and then sent me home. i am now afraid to drive my car at night in case this happens again. *tr

With less than 45,000 miles of easy driving (and all maintenance performed on a timely basis at the dealership) on a single-owner toyota 2005 prius, the warning lights on the car's dashboard suddenly illuminated, which an out-of-town dealership interpreted to mean failure of the "skid control ecu". this part controls all major braking functions, including conventional brake control, regenerative brake cooperative control, abs, enhanced vsc and handles sensor information eps ecu and hv ecu. if occurring on a major ca highway, like us highway 5 and the "grapevine", this warning and failure can be a very serious and unexpected driving hazard. repairs costs nearly $2,000 and this part must be "ordered" by a dealership and take 4 -5 hours to repair once the part is delivered overnight or longer. toyota already is recalling this "skid control ecu" part on all 2002 -2003 sequoia passenger vehicles. toyota does not consider this a defect on the prius, and offers no recall or help to any of its prius customers; to them it is simply a "(bad) luck of the draw" situation, tough luck for the prius driver-owner with this defect. *tr

The passenger front headlight goes out. toyota has replaced various parts 4 times and it still doesn't work. *tr

2005 prius with abs/vsc and caution light on. reduced braking power traced to bad anti-skid computer. ordered part and was cautioned to limit driving. later that day, exited fast-food drive-thru and sailed into street. no braking power whatsoever even with standing on pedal. stopped vehicle by plowing into curb. vehicle then towed to shop awaiting parts. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated the headlights would intermittently flicker on and off and there was limited illumination. the dealer performed a diagnostic on the vehicle and advised that the automatic flashing headlight leveler remained on and caused the headlights to intermittently fail. the contact stated that there was also an unknown light that remained illuminated on the dashboard. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 77,000.

Toyota prius 2005 headlight leveling control sensor fails due to corrosion in the sensor. result is inadequate night drive due to improperly positioned headlights. safety issue. *tr

Over the past two months, my 2005 prius has developed an intermittent headlight failure. the headlight in question is on the passenger side of the vehicle. turning off the headlights and turning them back on resolves the issue, thus the bulb is not the issue. this defect makes the vehicle less safe to operate and holds me civilly responsible for "fix it" damages. the "fix" for this defect is a replacement should not be my responsibility for it is not a failure of obsolescence. i will cheerfully accept the bulb ending life, but for the sensors, switches, and computing behind the headlamp switch to have this level of dependability is not my problem to fix. *tr

While driving in a snowstorm in my 2005 prius, i stopped at a red light on a busy street, the roads starting to become slippery with snow. as the light changed to green, i stepped on the gas, and the"slippery" light came on my dashboard. when this happens, the front wheels will not spin at all. i could not move the car at all, since the computer determined i was on a "slippery" spot. i saw cars and trucks barreling toward me in my rear view mirror, unable to move, and visibility greatly reduced, due to the falling snow. i put my blinkers on, and thankfully on coming traffic was able to avoid me. i was stuck at this intersection for four light changes, slightly panicked. i finally put the car into reverse, and got just enough movement out of the car to find a dry patch and get me moving again. when i reported this to both toyota, and my local dealer, they told me this is a "safety" feature. it's a safety feature that will surely get someone killed. the front wheels simply will not spin in the least if the car determines it is slippery, which left me no where to go at that intersection. i later googled the problem, and found that this is a very common problem with prius owners. a few people left the comment that snow tires are necessary to avoid this problem. not knowing what else to do, i went out and bought 4 new snowtires. it did make a huge difference, but i'm afraid that for someone else, they may find out too late. this safety feature is an unacceptable death trap waiting to happen. *tr

2005 toyota prius. consumer states brake problems *tgw the consumer stated within a month of purchasing the vehicle, she noticed the brakes would engage, then fail, then engage again. the vehicle was taken to the service department, but they were unable to duplicate the problem. *jb

2005 prius: when i brake as i drive over any kind of variation in the road (which is quite often), my vehicle lurches forward and i am unable to come to a stop right away. i have to depress the brake quite hard to make it stop and it is very dangerous. i have taken my vehicle to the dealership for this issue twice and they have not been able to duplicate the issue. i have also called toyota and opened a case with them which they closed without inspecting my vehicle. *tr

Dear nhtsa: 2005 toyota prius. headlights. the car is equipped with a headlight leveling device. at present my low beams only show about 14 feet in front of the vehicle. when the high beams are on they shine where the normal low beams would shine. i have contacted my dealer, this is a $500.00 dollar fix. the car has 48k miles . this is a safety hazard. i am not safe driving this vehicle at night. this is a serious condition and affects lots of toyota prius as i have found out on the blogs. appreciate you guys looking into this problem, the device should be replaced by toyota as it has failed through normal use and not from abuse. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2005 prius driver's hid lightbulb failed with less than 80,,000 miles. cost to replace bulb quoted at $400 plus $300 for labor. *tr

The headlights on my 2005 toyota prius go out intermittently without warning, one at a time. the bulbs will come back on after the first or second time of restarting the car. this may be happening more often than i'm aware. the first time was about 7 months ago when a chp officer pulled me over and gave me a fixit ticket for the headlight being out. it was too late at night to buy another bulb anywhere. i pulled into a lighted parking lot to see if there might be a loose connection. i turned off the car, opened the hood, removed some parts that were in the way of accessing the back of the passenger side headlight, and jiggled the connection to the bulb. i turned the car back on and the light worked. the next time i was at a service appointment at the dealer i asked them if they were aware of any problems with the headlights going out intermittently. the service rep said they do that occasionally, but since they were expensive to repair, to just keep driving until it goes out altogether. about 3 or 4 months ago, my driver side headlight did the same thing that time, i wasn't able to remove the back of the headlight. i was in a remote location late at night about 50 miles along a winding 2-lane road away from my destination. i started the car back up and the driver side headlight was still out. i decided to continue on to my destination with just one headlight, taking a chance the other wouldn't go out. the next day when i started the car, both headlights were working fine. last night, the passenger side headlight went out for the second time (that i'm aware). i was on a 3-hour drive home after working out of town all week. i stopped for some coffee and when i turned the car back on, both headlights were working fine. after about 10 minutes driving, though, the passenger side headlight went out again and stayed out all the rest of the trip home. today i googled the problem; several others have had similar problems with prius headlights. *tr

When i go over a bump or hit a pothole in my 2005 prius and i am braking it feels like my brakes disengage for just a second and the car seems to go faster. i have never felt comfortable with this situation but since i don't know a while lot about cars i thought it might be normal until i saw an article in the newspaper from another prius owner with the same complaint. this article suggested a complaint be filed with nhtsa. i am filing this with the date of the newspaper article although the strange braking feeling has been ongoing since i purchased the vehicle in june 2005. *tr

2005 toyota prius. consumer states vehicle loss steering, brakes, cruise control on the highway, when applying brake at a full stop vibration is felt *tgw the power steering, brake and abs light illuminated. the consumer stated he noticed when the problem occurred, he was using his bluetooth headset. *jb

Hid headlamp failure on my 2005 toyota prius. it would work sometimes and then go off as i was driving down the road. took to dealer 3/26/10; they replaced the headlight bulb for $198.09. it worked for about a month then started flickering off again as i drove down the road. i could turn it off completely then back on and it would work for only a few seconds. took to dealer again today 6/21/10 and they said it needs a new assembly because it had been "hit". my husband backed into and scraped the headlight cover in 2006 (five years ago), but it worked perfectly until feb. 2010. interesting that there are multiple complaints of this same problem, with 160 pages of complaints to nhtsa alone. *tr

Normal use of high intensity discharge headlamp/bulbs lights are flickering. wire harness mentioned by dealership, cost to replace is prohibitive. bulbs should not be 'flickering' if the capsule simply needs to be replaced. this problem is common among this model year prius as well as before and after 2005. *tr

The hid headlights on my 2005 toyota prius went out several nights ago. the car was taken to toyota, and this problem is common on the 2004-2008 prius, which a simple google search proved. these type of bulbs overheat (since they're halogen). nevertheless, they charged $1150 for two headlights which cannot be bought anywhere except the toyota dealership. they were only 2 years old. when i called toyota, the person i talked to understood, saying it had happened to him too, but there was nothing he could do since the car had over 136,000 miles on it. apparently toyota only warranties its parts for one year. shameful. *tr

2005 toyota prius with headlights driver's side headlight that goes on and off intermittently. the dealership is charging $350 for this one light bulb, to replace it. there are multiple complaints regarding this problem with the prius, on multiple web sites, all with the same concern. it is obviously a defective part, and the headlights should be recalled by toyota. they go off at very dangerous times, like driving on the interstate. *tr

2005 toyota prius. consumer expresses discontent with dealer response and recall *tgw the consumer stated on three separate occasions, when accelerating to pass and merge, the brake did not deactivate the cruise control. the consumer stated if felt wa though the vehicle was accelerating on its own. the consumer stated he did receive a recall notice in the mail regarding an accelerator problem. *jb

I drove a 2005 toyota prius vin#[xxx] until 5/13/2010. at around 10am i was driving on the hwy in the lft lane. with cruise control on going 75mph. i had a gps on and navigating. and i had my blue tooth earpiece on. then all at the same time my blue tooth shut down. my gps shut down. and every warning lite came up in the car. even the display that usually shows how the hybrid systems works was blinking problem!! problem!! so i let off the gas and started to move to the rt side of the road. thats when i realized that i had no power steering. there was an exit coming up so i let the car slow down to about 50mph. as i started to exit i put my ft on the brakes. thats when i noticed that the pedal was very stiff and vibrating. i was coming to a blind intersection and i had the red lite. so i pushed on my brakes. instantly i could hear screaching tires. so i looked in my side mirror. and to my suprise im looking at a large amount of smoke coming from me! my rear tires had locked up and my front tires werent doing anything. so i started fishtail back and forth like i had my ebrake on. i put all my wt on the pedal cause the intersection was really getting close. and without power steering it was very hard to keep the car from crashing. i came to a stop just before the light. then drove my car to the nearest dealer at in berkeley ca at 10mph. i told them everything. even about my blue tooth and garmin. they got me a rental car then 4day later they said if i give them $2000 for a part and $1000 in labor it might fix it but there not sure cause they never saw this problem before. and they werent going to pay for my rental cause the part was out of warrenty after 36000miles. i have had every svc done at toyota. and if theres a computer pt that toyota knows can brake easily. which they do. thats why its only warrenty to 36000miles. it shouldnt result in the loss of your brakes and power steering. very dangerous!! i could of died. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *tr

Momentary loss of brakes when lightly braking over a bumpy surface. it has happened throughout the 3 years i've owned this car. *tr

I drive a 2005 toyota prius. i am concerned with how the brakes operate. when i apply the brakes and hit a bump at the same time, there is what feels like a lag or "release" if you will in the braking of the car. it's only for about a second but is very frightening. to put it another way, when trying to brake the car and hitting a bump in the road, the brakes :"fail" momentarily and then re-engage. this happens for about 1/2 of a second although it feels longer. i have read other complaints about this issue and toyota responded to these complaints saying the "lag" is caused by the abs system kicking in. i don't understand the lag time though, it seems excessive to me not to mention dangerous. i believe the newer prius' have been recalled for a similar problem and am wondering if the 2005's will be as well. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated she had been having a recurring failure with the headlights where they would intermittently fail while driving at various speeds. the dealer advised that the manufacturer was aware of the failure in his model vehicle but did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continued to recur intermittently. the failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 120,000.

Vehicle type: toyota prius 2005 [uncorrected by recalls] problem: was driving at approximately 45 mph, attempted to brake in preparation for a turn and brake pedal would not depress. examined brake pedal and discovered floor mat had crept under the pedal preventing braking. shifted vehicle to neutral. attempted to retrieve mat but unable to by hand. used foot to pull mat from under brake pedal and was able to brake. removed mats to prevent future problems. resolution: none. toyota's recent floor mat recall doesn't address this problem. contact with toyota has left me with the feeling that they are unaware of the problem [or worse, have misdiagnosed this problem as being a stuck accelerator problem which is also related to the floor mat]. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving at 30 mph and attempting to stop, the brakes failed to engage for about three seconds. on one occasion, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle did not stop and crashed into another vehicle in front. the driver in the other vehicle sustained injuries and a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed and repaired. the contact called the dealership and the manufacturer but was told that they could not assist because there was no failure with the vehicle. the failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 35,235.

Braking momentarily fails after hitting a bump, pothole, or other road irregularity. this article describes the issue perfectly. http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2009/12/nhtsa-tracking-braking-loss-on-prius-hybrids/#more-17003 dealers since day of purchase have said there was "nothing wrong". *tr

I drive a 2005 toyota prius. my car has 26,000 miles on it; which is very low mileages. while i was on the highway, my car`s lights on the dashboard starts to flash. the brake system warning light and buzzer comes on along with the abs warning light and the malfunction indicator lamp. i had nowhere to pull aside. after two minutes the warning signs shut off so i kept driving. five minutes later, all the warning lights come on so i decide to get off the highway to take it to the knoxville toyota dealer. as i`m exiting the highway, i immediately realized that i had no breaks (when i pressed the brake pedal with my foot it automatically touched the ground)! i remembered that my dad always told me that in case of a brake emergency to pump the paddle until the breaks work. i almost crashed into another car; the exit ramp was very steep. i was going about 50 miles per hr by then; luckily i managed to stop while i kept pumping my breaks. i took it to the dealer right away. they checked my car and replaced: pump assy. water, super long life c, inverter coolant pump, sliding yoke, reflashed engine and hv ecu and shaft kit. steeri. i found my case very dangerous and my life was at risk. not only was my life at risk but as well as other individuals. i would hate for this to happen to someone else! it was scary and i felt like my life might have been over. *tr

I have a 2005 toyota prius and have concerns about its braking system. this has been a constant occurrence that, to date has not caused a crash. when braking on a bumpy road it feels like the braking system does not engage for about a second and the car surges forward. this is only when there is a bump in the road and does not occur when braking on a smooth surface. even when i apply my brakes slowly this occurs when there is a bump in the road. *tr

1. while driving over rr tracks, a lack of brake response (or feel) - happened once in 2008. mentioned to dealer, but i did not know if this was a typical problem. 2. while driving downhill on a slippery road, the vehicle would not stop. there was no feel of braking. the vehicle finally stopped when it hit a curb. happened jan/2010. mentioned to dealer, but i did not know if this was a typical problem. 3. while driving uphill on slippery roads, the vehicle would slow down to a stop, or not go at a s&g light. this happened repeatedly in 2010. mentioned to dealer, and was told this was a function of the traction control that prevented tires from spinning. *tr

I have made complaints to the dealership since i purchased my 2005 toyota prius regarding a momentary brake failure when driving over a bump or hitting a pothole. i have been told everything from "it is just how abs works" to "you need to hit the brake harder when you come to a stop" (i.e. rather than a slow and careful stop, a quick and sharp stop). there are too many incidents to name but one that occurs routinely is about 30 yards away from a stop sign leading into the parking lot at my place employment. i now have to coast very carefully and prepare myself for brake failure. should there be cars around, this becomes a dangerous matter. again, this happens routinely and none of my complaints have been taken seriously by the dealership. *tr

I have this problem ever since i bought the car in 2004. the skid light comes on everytime i hit an uneven road surface feeling like i¿m driving in the snow and icy road. on the way home while making a turn, the car hesitated when i stepped on the gas and the warning lights for brake, vsc, trac, and abs came on. i brought it to the dealership and the service representative told me it was the wheel sensor, that my rear right tire is not being sensed, but the rest were. it did not correct the problem of the warning lights in the dashboard; and with further diagnosis, they found out it was the skid control computer assembly. i felt robbed by spending money on the wheel sensor that was replaced when all the while it was the skid control ecm was the problem. *tr

I own a 2005 toyota prius. when applying the brakes on a surface with a pot hole or deep indentation, the car speeds up and gives the feeling that it is not going to stop in time. i try to leave a greater stopping distance but then never know when this type of surface will suddenly appear and raise the possibility of a crash. this is not a one-time occurrence. other than, "it's not on the recall list" toyota never has any comment on this concern. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the vehicle would intermittently experience braking failures. when the brakes were applied, the vehicle would surge forward before the brakes would engage. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the failure continued to occur intermittently. the vehicle was again taken to an authorized dealership where the vehicle was serviced accordinging to remedy associated with nhtsa campaign id number 10v039000. the failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 115,039.

I have a 2005 toyota prius and the lights go off while i am driving. if i turn off the lights completely they will come back on. the dealer does not know what to do in fixing it. the lights go off in the middle of driving at night. this is a safety hazard that needs to be addressed. this incident happens day to day. i have been stopped by the police several times not knowing that the lights have gone out. there needs to be a recall to investigate the electrical system. *tr

While driving my car, a 2005 toyota prius, the headlights will just stop working. it began with the right headlight, sometimes it is both headlights. the headlights will sometimes come back on if they are turned off and then back on, sometimes the car must be turned off and then on again. the dealer has said that it could be fixed by replacing the entire headlight unit (not just the bulb) at over $300 each or possibly the computer control board at over $1000. this is a recurring issue. because it is now affecting both headlights, the car cannot be driven at night. *tr

I had been pulled over on several occassions for faulty tail lights. this has been ongoing since i bought the car. then my children told me of the front head lights going out for no reason. i did not believe them till the went out on me. after taking it to several toyota dealers and said that there is nothing wrong, on 09/10/2009 i filed a complaint with a "monica" from the nhtsa in dc. i have yet to hear anything to this date and i am afraid of a serious crash when the lights go out without knowing why. i also have a check light that has been on since before my warranty went out and no one wants to correct the problem. i hate this car, it scares me and there are other issues and i have to date only received one recall and that is on the mats. *tr

48 mph traveling north on or 217; without cause and simultaneously brake warning light on abs warning light on vsc warning light on audible alarm steady tone then try to stop: brake pedal up high, brake pedal unresponsive and hard to press, immediately pulled of on allen exit; brakes still unresponsive, pressed maximum force on brake pedal brakes locked up the wheels skidding and burning rubber. *tr

2005 toyota prius--experiences braking and handling failures when braking on uneven or wet surfaces. when we are braking and hit a pothole, gravel, railroad tracks or wet surfaces, the car feels as if we are losing control of it, and braking seems to temporarily stop. the "skid danger" light comes on, even at very low speeds. this happens nearly every time we brake under these conditions. also, at idle (ie. stoplights), the car will frequently lurch forward slightly, even with the brake pedal fully depressed, especially when engine transfers from electric to gas. we were told early in our ownership that this is normal "dieseling". these have been on-going problems, since we purchased the car in 2005 (new), that we thought we were "imagining" until hearing all of the reports of similar problems.toyota claims that the prius braking issues only affect the 2010 prius, but we see it firsthand on an on-going basis. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 10 mph on a paved and grassy surface with his foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle surged forward and crashed into a tree destroying the vehicle. the police arrived to the scene and 3 injuries were reported. the vehicle was towed to an independent body shop but the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 65,000.

2005 toyota prius brake failure *gr the consumer stated she drove into a parking lot, made a sharp left turn, and then a sharp right turn into a parking space and experienced complete brake failure. the only thing that stopped her was an elevated median between parking rows and the fact that she was going very slowly. after several days of the vehicle being at the dealer, they were unable to find a problem. the consumer has since traded the vehicle, because she did not feel comfortable driving the vehicle any longer. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while the contact was driving approximately 55 mph minimal pressure was applied to the brake pedal which suddenly traveled to the floor and remained in a stuck position. the manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not included in the recall and was unable to provide further assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. the failure and current mileages were 28,800.

[xxx] , a resident of wantagh, ny, was driving on the wantagh state parkway when she was hit from behind and then experienced the sudden, unintended acceleration of her 2005 toyota prius. the acceleration continued after she pressed on the brake pedal. as a result, [xxx] struck another vehicle on the road and was involved in a serious accident. moreover, the seatbelt in the vehicle was defective in that it became unfastened and the airbags did not deploy. the vehicle has a vin# [xxx] and was purchased at atlantic toyota in long island. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated while driving at unknown speeds, the brakes would not engage when depressed. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. the contact stated the failure would occur intermittently for years. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 427 and the current mileage was 50,000.

My 2005 prius headlights are brand new and the lights go on and off. i went to the dealer and he told me that they could not detect whether it is the hib headlights or the ecu to gives it power. they told me that it will cost me a thousand dollars to get both done. the lights go off in the middle of driving and present a hazard in darkness and inclimate weather.

2005 prius no problems except water pump until now. 69,000 miles. went to start the care and while in neutral idleing the brake pedal pumped up and down and the ps light came on. the red triangle danger message came on. i did not drive it but toyota told me to tow it in. they say the computer is shot and needs a new skid control ecu. i was not in an accident

2005 toyota prius. consumer writes to express discontent regarding the dealership and the handling of recall repairs. *tgw

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while the contact was driving approximately 20 mph the brake light, anti-lock brake system and stability control warning light indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the failure occurred one time. an authorized dealer and manufacturer were notified; and the contact was displeased with the lack of response. the failure and current mileages were 61,800. updated 05/10/10 *bf the consumer stated toyota has taken care of the problem free of charge. updated 05/12/10.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving at speeds of 45 mph, the abs warning light and master warning light indicator illuminated on the warning panel. the driver experienced total brake failure. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for possible repairs. the dealer replaced the battery in an attempt to correct the failure. the vehicle exhibited the same issue again after the repairs were performed. the current mileage is 71,000 and the failure mileage was 67,079. updated 05/11/10. *lj updated 06/03/10*bf updated 06/04/10.*jb

2005 toyota prius suddenly accelerated to maximum speed without warning. consumer states he was in heavy traffic and had to slam on the brakes. *kb the consumer believed he accelerated from 25 mph to about 45-50 mph in a matter of seconds. the braking action did, in this case cause the acceleration to stop at that point. there was no explanation and the incident had never occurred before. the floor mats had been removed weeks before.

My 2005 toyota prius has a problem when i hit a bump when i am applying the brakes. the brakes momentarly stop funtioning. i never thought much about it thinking i hit a slick spot. i was talking to anothr 2005 prius owner today who told me he had this problem, and that it is a know problem with the newer prius. i just wanted you to know it is happening with the 2005 model as well.

My 2005 toyota prius have left and right hid headlight problems. the passenger side headlight goes out intermittently, then both headlights goes out with no warning. this is an expensive problem, there are major safety concerns linked to the sudden loss of headlights. there should be a saftey recall on all toyota prius headlight assembly. the headlights and the electronics cost more than $1,000 to replace.

My 2005 toyota prius arbitrarily lost braking ability as i approached a ramp to enter another highway. many lights went on including the red triangle with an exclamation point. i used the emergency brake to stop the car. i have been told that the skid control unit is broken and needs to be replaced. i will need to replace this part at a cost of $2200. is this unit a safety threat?

While on a 3 hour trip across rt 40 from nashville to knoxville, my 2005 toyota prius unexpectedly accelerated three times. the first time it happened, it lasted a few seconds and then returned to normal. the second time it happened, i tapped the brakes to make it stop. the third time it happened, i applied the brakes but the car continued to accelerate to about 84 mph (probably about 3 seconds) so i held down the power button and pulled off the highway. i do not use cruise control (because i don't like my car driving itself!!!). there were some scattered rain showers but the road was mostly dry. the car goes to the dealer tomorrow to replace an $818 heasdlight so they are going to check out the sudden accleration problem while it's there.

2005 toyota prius. there is an electrical problem with my headlights. one or both headlights will go out at least once in an hour of driving. turning off the headlights and back on restores it to normal operation. *tr

The parking brake light in my 2005 toyota prius came on and shortly after that, the abs light came on too. i checked to make shure the brake was released and it was because i was driving the car at the time of the incident. as a result of the problem, the car is only giving me an average of 32 mpg, previously i was getting and average of 48 mpg, the battery also seems to be draining its energy faster than usual. i took my car to the penske toyota dealership in downey, ca. 90241, and the service advisor told me that this car was not included in a recall that toyota is conducting on some cars, therefore if i wanted them to inspect the car to locate the problem they would need to charge me for the inspection plus whatever repairs are needed. i feel that because of all the brake problems that toyota is having with their cars, they should at least inspect the car for free. the problem happened all of a sudden while driving. i felt the car was getting a bit sluguish after the lights came on and then noticed the mpg started to go down. right now the car only gives me an average of 32 mpg.

Having just started the car and enroute to my destination, i was on a city street following a large landscape truck traveling approximately 20-25mph.. road conditions were dry. although the truck's brake lights were not on, i perceived the truck was gradually slowing. in anticipation of making a stop, i moved my foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal. when the truck's driver applied his brakes, i also applied my brakes intending to come to a gentle stop by lightly pressing the brake pedal. without warning the brake pedal 'softened' and my prius continued to coast with no braking at all. since the truck's size and width obscured sight of any on-coming traffic, i couldn't turn out of my lane and as a result rear- ended the truck. since there was no damage to the truck or injuries, a police report was not filed; however, i immediately called my insurance agent and was authorized to drive to an approved body shop. after the repairs were completed, i scheduled an appointment on march 19th 2010 with my toyota dealer to check my car's braking system. the brake pads/shoes, braking fluid were found to be fine, but no analysis of the computer braking system was discussed. according to the toyota service adviser, the braking failure couldn't be duplicated and their mechanic found nothing mechanical that might have caused the problem. i am dissatisfied with toyota's service adviser's dismissive position regarding my brake's failure. despite their inability to diagnose the problem, the service adviser insists the car is safe to drive, but offers no evidence to support this claim. in the past i've complained to toyota service about the intermittent 'floaty' feeling i experience when depressing the brake in stop and go traffic. no extensive diagnosis of the braking system was ever offered to me, and indeed, the brakes finally failed. since no one at my local toyota dealer is willing to resolve this issue satisfactorily, i find it necessary to file a formal complaint

Traction control light flashes and car accelerates when encountering sudden bumps in the road. this occurs when hitting bumps while the brakes are being applied. i have informed toyota about this and they never replied. the affected car is a 2005 toyota prius with 65,000 miles. purchased cpo in august of 2009 from a toyota dealer. this issue is a repeat occurance. i have encountered this issue in excess of 20 times since i've assumed this car and noticed prior to the massive recall noise in the media. thank you for your time.

About 6 months ago, i was on i-95 in ft. lauderdale, just exiting: i touched the brakes to slow -- and they firmly locked. i touched them again and, fortunately they worked normally. had this happened while i was still on i-95, there would have been a horrible accident. i reported this to toyota, at their nyc headquarters, when their other problems became public. this has not happened again, however, i no longer take any passengers, and i drive much more cautiously! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving between 65-70 mph. the accelerator pedal began to stick without warning. the vehicle slowed down after the accelerator pedal was released by positioning his foot underneath the pedal. the failure mileage was 15,000. the vin was unavailable.

Driving at night and the head lamps on toyota prius malfunctioned; not aware that they were off. i was on a dark winding road, heavy rain showers. was alerted by another motorist that my lights were off. got out of car, tapped the dome, one came on... i was able to drive home. happened unexpectedly, no warning. very concern with my safety. they could have been an accident. checked with other prius owners. found out, it's a widespread issue with the prius. toyota is aware of the problem and needs to address it before someone gets seriously hurt or killed. overall the car is fine but this headlamp issue needs to be addressed from a safety perspective. there are no deaths /injury in my case but prevention is the key. thank you. *tr

The passenger side headlight burned out on my 2005 toyota prius. i took it to the dealer and they charged $818 for the headlight and the onboard computer that comes with it. i don't yet know what the labor charge will be.

1) car engine starts and revs up to full speed just after turning it on without pressing the gas pedal. fortunately, the car has been in park during these incidents, but it still lunges forward and is caught by the parked transmission. 2) this has occurred 3 to 4 times during my ownership of the car which has been about three years. there have been no consequences other than once denting a trash can and scaring the driver. 3) i spoke to the local toyota dealer's service department about it once, and they told me that they have never heard of such a thing, and that it was very unlikely that the car would just do it all on its own, and that maybe i was pressing on the throttle. evidently, they didn't believed me. i know for a fact that under normal conditions if you press on the throttle, it does nothing since it is a hybrid; so this was out of the ordinary. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while attempting to pull into his driveway to park the vehicle and depressing the brake pedal simultaneously the vehicle abnormally accelerated. the brakes would not engage and the vehicle crashed into the garage cement wall. the contact immediatley engaged the emergency brake in an attempt to stop the vehicle from proceeding any further. the passenger in the vehicle sustained minor injuries to her head and face area. the police arrived and a report was filed accordingly. the manufacturer was contacted and he was awaiting a reply, to date. two months prior to the incident, he noticed his vehicle was under recall (nhtsa campaign id number: 09v388000: vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal) and took the vehicle in for repairs. the dealer advised him there was nothing wrong with the vehicle upon a visual inspection. a diagnostic was not performed on the vehicle and the vehicle was released to the owner. the failure and current mileages were approximately 40,000. updated 6/1/10 *cn updated 06/17/10*jb

I was driving at night and suddenly realized i couldn't see the road in front of me. when i pulled up to a stop light, i could see the reflection of both headlights on in the back of the car in front of me, but when i started driving again i couldn't see the road again. i put my high beams on and they worked, but the regular lights had become too dim to see anything. i just replaced one of the bulbs two months ago because it was out, but now they are both working but too dim to be useful. the toyota dealer said the bulbs need to be replaced, but one of them is barely two months old. i asked a non-toyota dealer and they said it is not a bulb problem if the bulbs work, but a wiring or battery problem. i don't know what to do because i don't want to pay to fix the wrong problem, since i just replaced a headlamp that can't be the issue. *tr

Ltr to administrator re 3/9/2010 accident involving a 2005 toyota prius in harrison, ny, requesting that nhtsa immediately assume control of this investigation and work with local authority's. *tgw the vehicle accelerated suddenly down a winding driveway, crossed a two-lane road and shoulder, then crashed into a stone wall, resulting in significant property damage and a knee injury to the consumer. *jb

Ltr fwd fm (ca) re sudden acceleration from owner of a 2005 toyota prius. *kb the consumers wife pulled into a parking garage . as she pulled into a parking space and applied the brake, the vehicle instead accelerated suddenly and with such force that the vehicle flew from the 3rd story space down to the second floor. the consumer also stated on at least one occasions prior to the accident, the vehicle started up on its own without the presence of a key. the vehicle was totaled. *jb

My 2005 toyota prius has twice accelerated beyond my control. both occasions occurred within the past 2-3 months. the first time, i was accelerating to pass someone. i had the pedal basically to the floor, and when i stopped accelerating, the pedal "stuck," and the engine revved. when acceleration continued after i took my foot off the accelerator, i applied the brakes and the acceleration stopped. the second time, i was accelerating rapidly to enter the highway. again, acceleration continued after i took my foot off the gas pedal. i tried the brake, which did not work, so i put my foot under the gas pedal and lifted it up, and the acceleration stopped. i am very aware toyota is having similar complaints, and that floor mats are sometimes blamed; however, at the time of both of these incidents, there were not floormats in the car. *tr

Incident with my 2005 toyota prius i've had problems with my braking system and went to great lengths to get my car repaired. i have toyota dealership documentation of what was done to my car to correct the problem. my car was in their shop for 2 months and it took 2 dealerships to figure out what was wrong. if you would like to ask questions about my experience for your investigation, i'll be happy to cooperate to the best of my ability. *tr

I have reviewed my service records and it is quite clear that i have had problems with the "electrical" system in my car since april 2006 @ 3,370 miles. this was also the same time it began to accelerate from a stopped position for the first time, when i noticed that the braking system began to "feel" different, when the car began "slipping" on perfectly dry roads, and when my steering wheel would lock up. i find it difficult to believe that the failure of my brakes and my intermittent acceleration issues are not somehow related to the cars "computer" system and not mechanical issues. i have filed complaints with toyota for these issues (cases # 200807100210, 200811030088). i experienced my first braking issue on 27-jun-2008 (25,133 miles). while i was able to bring the car to a stop eventually, the slowing of my car was a very gradual process requiring heavy pressure on the brake with minimal braking response. i went to the toyota dealership. the dtc code at the time was c1247 with "code 179" stored, there was "no brake assist." the dealership reset the memory and reinitialized the linear solenoid valve and calibration. the brakes were reported to have returned to "normal." on 09-jul-2008 (25,551 miles), i returned to the dealership because my brakes failed again. this time my brake failure resulted in a car accident (the person i hit stated at the time of the accident he had whiplash but he never contacted me afterwards). toyota replaced the skid control ecu and rechecked operation reassuring me once again that the brakes had returned to "normal." on 03-nov-2008 (29,575 miles) as i was driving over 65 on a major highway my brakes again failed (dtc c1247, code 179). toyota case #08300402. at this point the repair shop replaced the brake stroke sensor. i am concerned because my car had an acceleration issue on 13-feb-2010 and i find it to be "slipping" again on dry roads. similar problems to those i had before my brakes failed. please help. updated ivoq 04/02/10 updated 04/08/10.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 2 mph backing out of her drive way, the vehicle accelerated and it crashed into a telephone pole. one passenger injured her wrist and bump her head. a police report was filed. the vehicle was severely damaged. the vehicle was repaired by a local dealer. the failure mileage was 65,000. the current mileage was 88,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the vehicle would lunge forward whenever the vehicle was idle. the failure would occur on a daily basis. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but received no repairs. the failure mileage was 12,000 and the current mileage was 70,000.

I have been routinely bringing my 2005 prius to a toyota dealership every 5k miles according to manufacturers suggested maintenance schedule and never had a problem reported to me. (one time the software needed to be reloaded.) on the evening of the incident that i am reporting, i had traveled on the mass turnpike and rte 495 (~38 mi) home from work (~9:30 pm) and successfully slowed and stopped my 2005 toyota prius as needed. as i got into on local roads, i suddenly lost my braking ability. fortunately i was going slowly and was able to roll to a stop. there was a really shrill alarm and a red light showing abs (antilock brake problem)--i'll say. i tested to see if there was any braking power so that i could get the car home. if you pressed the brake to the floor--there was some residual slowing--so i crept home. aaa towed my car to toyota the next day and toyota ultimately identified the problem as a computer problem. they replaced the 1 89540-47130 computer assembly, skid. aside from the cost ($2250), its the possibility that i could have lost my brakes on either of the two highways that i take on the way home, exit ramps, toll booths, and that i or some others could have been seriously hurt, really upsets me. and how do i know that this will not fail again? regular service does not check computer status. i think that you should look into computer problems with toyota and also what toyota includes in regular service. they say that they haven't seen this before, and that may be true: i have a 5 yr old prius with more than 110k miles on it and i'll bet that is a lot of mileage for a prius. as more people drive prius's for longer times and accrue higher mileage, i would bet that toyota will see a lot more of these incidents. i think that you should be proactive and deal with this before people get hurt. *tr

1. noticed that the left headlamp is having intermittent difficulty staying on this past week. 2.once the headlamps are turned on, the left headlamp starts to dim and the light appears to have a pink tint. after a few minutes (3 ¿ 7) the left headlamp goes completely out. turning the lights off and then on again starts the cycle all over again. i have been pulled over because the light was out. having to drive with only 1 functional headlamp is a safety concern. 3.the toyota dealership wants $375.79 for one hid light bulb. mileage is 67575 i cannot afford the light bulb nor the hundreds of dollars required for the labor costs to replace it. *tr

Our 2005 toyota prius has exhibited the same braking problems as described in the news. when you are applying the brakes and hit a bump or pothole the car feels like it lurches forward. i now understand that what i was experiencing as a "lurch" or "skidding" sensation was probably caused by the momentary split second failure of the brakes. these brakes are also extremely touchy when it rains. they grab as if you had slammed on the brakes. it is hard to deal with and we have not found a way to avoid the problem by somehow altering our braking. i mentioned these two problems to the toyota dealer after we bought the car and then again when all this was on the news. they said they'd had no complaints and dismissed my concerns. however, when i looked online there are other 2005 prius owners who have experienced the same problems. i feel it is unsafe for the car to do this. i think the earlier prius models need to be included in the investigation and fixed. *tr

I drove a 2005 prius and was behind a semi-trailer. when i accelerated to go, the car lunged forward crushing into the semi's trailer. i didn't have enough time to react because of the close distance, however the brakes were not strong enough to overcome the acceleration power. the prius ran into the semi for a good 25 seconds while i tried to brake and i then put the car in neutral and turned off the car. there were 3 other passengers inside the car during the incident. *tr

2005 prius - intermittent acceleration problem. on five occasions, but none in the last year, when wanting to slow down by taking foot off accelerator to step on brake, the car accelerated briefly, for less than half a second. but the brake worked normally and there was no problem stopping. date given is approximate for last time it happened. *tr

Unexpected acceleration occurred twice in my toyota prius 2005 car. both times i was in the driveway going slowly into the garage and stopped the vehicle by slamming on the brakes. no damage occurred. this was when it was fairly new and i did not report it thinking i had done something wrong. now that all the news has come out about these problems i realize it wasn't me. *tr

I was traveling down a residential street and approaching a pedestrian intersection when a pedestrian on her morning exercise run suddenly ran across my path. i immediately tried to stop, but the edge of the sole of my dress shoes were caught behind the brake pedal, and i was unable to move my foot onto the pedal to depress it. only by steering away from the pedestrian, and her action to stop, did i avoid a serious accident. the cause of this incident is the fact that the accelerator and brake pedals are displaced by several inches, that is, the brake pedal is closer to the driver than what the accelerator is. this requires one to lift your foot by 6 inches or so before moving it over to the brake pedal to depress it. in an emergency situation your reflexive reaction is to try to move your foot over as quickly as possible. however, the displacement of the brake pedal creates an obstacle than, in the best case, results in a delay, and in the worst case results in an inability to operate the brake pedal in time to avoid an accident. *tr

My toyota prius (2005) gas pedal stuck. i was taking my wife to the hospital with a heart attack.we were going down a ramp and it stuck wide open. i kept pushing the start buttton and it quit. i called the toyota dealer and he told me to remove my floor mats. i do not think my floor mat had anything to do with it. it has not stuck since. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated the vehicle does not go into ready mode to start the engine. this has happen twice and all the the symbols illuminate on the instrument panel. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they cannot duplicate the failure. the manufacturer had not been called. the failure mileage was 30,000.

2005 toyota prius makes a loud noise caused by anti-lock brake problems.*ts the consumer stated the noise was heard when the brakes were applied. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. upon diagnosis, the consumer was informed it would cost $2,300 to correct the problem. the service rep stated a tsb had been issued regarding the problem, but there was no safety issue involved. the service rep it was not necessary to have the unit repaired. *jb

Although i have never had an accident because of it, my prius (2005) has a habit of lurching forward when i hit the brake the stop at a light, for example. rather than decelerating the car suddenly speeds up before coming to a stop. this happens about once a week. sometimes it does not happen for a couple of weeks and other times it happens a couple of days in a row. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. immediately after the vehicle was turned on it lunged forward while his foot was on the brake pedal. when he applied pressure to the brakes again it stopped accelerating and began to perform normally. the failure has occurred four additional times. the dealer was contacted and they stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed and no repairs were made to the vehicle. the failure mileage was 28000 and the current mileage was 34000.

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) 2005 toyota prius [xxx] when braking on uneven/bumpy road (even freeway lane divider bumps), skid light come on and braking force is reduced. has happened at both low and high speeds. no issue on smooth roads. has occured several times, over several years, have never had the brakes serviced. last occured 3/3/2010. *tr

The front right headlight and rear right taillight randomly turn off. i have seen no pattern as to when it goes out, but it will stay out until the vehicle is turned off and restarted. 95% of the time, this resolves the problem. *tr

I'm constantly replacing the headlights in my 2005 toyota prius (non-hid bulbs) as they have stopped working 6 times in the last 35k miles. i've replaced them with different manufacturer's bulbs, differing models, and even oem bulbs, but they keep going out. the first time they actually went out with both headlights together at exactly 100,000 miles. i don't know if this is planned obsolence or something else, but both headlights going out while driving at night is far from safe. given the fact that the dealership wants almost $300 per bulb change, this is getting pretty ridiculous, and i'm not thrilled about the concept of getting tickets due to bulbs burning out every couple of weeks. aside from the inconvenience and cost, i'm really concerned about the safety aspects of this recurring problem. *tr

I previously reported this problem under odi # 10304339. i incorrectly reported that "i felt a big thump like i was hit from behind". however, i now believe that this activity could have been caused by "the sudden acceleration" that has been frequently mentioned by the media. although what i felt seemed like a hit from behind, it could have been a short acceleration burst lasting only a couple of seconds. there have not been any further incidences of this nature. *tr

I noticed very soon after i bought my toyota prius there was a little serge while in park as well as while in drive. the surge would actually make the car jump forward a little but i just wrote it off as a strong little car and didn't consider that it could be dangerous. i still own the car but don't drive it anymore. now i am very worried for the people who do drive the car. i have not been notified about any recalls. just a notice of two that they might want to change to floor mat and they would let me know, but that day never came. my mats were not hitting my pedal when i felt the car lunge while in park! *tr

On 11/24/09 i was parked in a san francisco shopping mall parking lot and started my vehicle, put it reverse, released the brake and it, immediately, accelerated out of the angled parking space, across the one-way single lane and crashed into the rear of a car similarly parked on the opposite side of the traffic lane. i frantically hit brakes but the car did not stop and, in fact, seemed to speed up. i am absolutely convinced that the cause of the accident was a fault in the accelerator mechanism. i, at first,thought it was my fault and said so to my insurance company within an hour of the accident. but on reflection, i decided it was the car itself and the following day i called my insurance company and told them that it was a fault with the car that was the cause. i have tried to contact toyota corp. numerous times by email and have not been successful. finally i contacted the local toyota dealer who was good enough to relay my email to toyota corp. the local dealer sent me an email the following day telling me that i had to get an official case opened with toyota,s customer experience center and to contact them at 1(800)331-4331 to get a case number. i have been phoning them for weeks and i am not able to get anything but a recorded message. trying the local dealer again, he called direct and asked them to call me but they told him that they were not able to do so because of their long waiting list. so i am now trying the nhtsa. *tr

Last evening 3/3 my 2005 toyota prius experienced a stuck gas pedal causing me to go in and out a ditch then across the road and hit a sign prior to my finally being able to get it into neutral. since neither toyota total care/roadside assistance or the toyota of bowie dealership would tow it to the dealership i placed a claim with my insurance company usaa. when i got to the dealership they were extremely unhelpful saying i had to make a complaint with toyota as they were not toyota but an independent dealership. they did not want to look at it since it looked fine on one side but they didn't even want to hear about the under carriage. the car is there waiting for my insurance adjuster to look at it. they also advised that i needed to complain to nhtsa.gov since there's nothing wrong -- without even looking at it they said this. i just had the car in the 90k and then for electronics problem since over 7 times if you drove the car then shut it off then try to restart it 5 minutes later all the lights would come on but you couldn't start the engine or do anything until the electronics unfroze. they said it was the battery and the remote but i disagree since they said to make sure everything is off before you turn it off. i ask why and they just said that?s how toyota says to do it. today one of the first things they asked was if the defroster was on or other electronics. as you can imagine i am extremely upset!!! to ask me to drive it to see it does it again was an extremely inappropriate response to my situation. *tr

Over the past several i've noticed at least twice that after filling up my car with gasoline that the gauge reflecting gasoline status does not reset correctly, e.g., it tank was half full, filling up does not cause it to reset to "full". i suspect that this is due to some type of electronics error. in over 50 years of driving i've never had a car that didn't correctly reset to "full" upon "filling up". last incident date was in february 2010. prior occasion was approximately 5-6 months earlier. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 55 mph the mass air flow sensor failed causing the vehicle to shut off. the contact towed the vehicle to the dealer to have the mass air flow sensor replaced. the abs warning lights also flashed on the dash board causing the brakes to fail while driving 40 mph. the contact drove the vehicle to the dealer to have the abs brake actuator replaced. the failure mileage was 18,461. updated 11/10/10 *bf updated 11/18/10

2005 toyota prius with momentary failure in braking system. occurring 3 times in 2009. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. several months ago she received a letter from the manufacturer to take the floor mats out of her vehicle and what to do if the vehicle accelerates. the contact has experienced the vehicle accelerating multiple times. the contact then took the vehicle to the dealer who informed her that the vehicle had to be repaired at her own expense. she then contacted the manufacturer and they stated that since they did not recall her vehicle there was nothing they could do. the received a recall notice from the manufacturer and they refuse to make the free recall repair. her state attorney general was notified and they informed her that they were going to mail her a complaint form. the failure mileage was 5. the current mileage was 31000. updated 04/05/10 *bf updated 05/17/10 *jb

3/1/2010 hid bulb out on the toyota prius 2005, told that it would cost $450 to replace the bulb. i can't believe that i spend so much money on this car, to be told that something so simple was costing so much. when i used to do this my self. i also complain about my car accelerating and was told that my car was not on the list. that i would have to wait for the notification to bring it in for the rug replacement. i called to complain about acceleration on my car and was told that i was wrong. i have been driver since my teens (over 30 yrs now) and should know when there is something wrong with my car, i am the one driving it. this incident about the car accelerating happen a few times during last summer and the fall season i never noted the dates down. *tr

The gas "bladder" on my 2005 toyota prius will not expand correctly. this limits the total amount of fuel that can be put into the car to as little as 7 gal. in cold weather. the rated volume is 11.4 gal. *tr

Abs braking system on my 2005 toyota prius will lock the drive wheels leaving you stalled in the middle of the road/turn. the accelerator can be all the way to the floor - engine racing - i have had to sit for 30-45 seconds before system released the drive wheels. *tr

1 - my right headlight keeps going on and off while i am driving. i received a ticket that i now have to pay for. the los angeles times mentioned that other cars have this problem. it should be easy for the manufacturer to fix at their expense. 2 - since i purchased my 2005 prius in 2004, when i go over bumps, sometimes the light for the stability comes on and the brakes do not work for a second or two. i had asked when the car was serviced and was told there was nothing wrong. i guess we know better now. 3 - sometimes the two front tires lose traction and make a noise while spinning, before the car moves. 4 - if my car was under the "carpet" recall, why is it that it is not listed under the recall for the gas pedal? 5 - two of my locks are not working. one is the front passenger an one in the back. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the vehicle was parked all day until the driver pushed the power button and there was no power in the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealership for diagnostic and testing. it took the dealer two weeks to perform a diagnostic test on the vehicle. the technical support team had to replace the power e.c.u. the contact was concerned that the vehicle would continue to lose power. the failure mileage was approximately 93,000. the current mileage was approximately 98,000 miles.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that on a daily basis, she noticed an acceleration problem. the vehicle would pull back and suddenly lunge forward with no warning. the vehicle was never uncontrollable but she was concerned about it. she took the vehicle to the dealership and was told that they could not diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 50,000. the failure mileage was approximately 7,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. he was driving 30 mph on a rainy day when he started to apply the brakes and the vehicle surged. the dealer test drove the vehicle and stated that the abs needed to be replaced. no repairs were made to the vehicle. the failure mileage was 107415. the current mileage was unknown. updated 4/5/10 *cn updated 07/01/10.*jb

I have a 2005 toyota prius with defective hid headlights. these lights are very expensive to replace ($650+/-each) and burn out about every year. my headlights have gone out on several occasions, including on the freeway at 8:30pm in the dark. everyone i know who owns a prius has had the same problem. toyota freely admits the headlights are defective, and because of that they are not even an option on the 2010 prius, but denies that the bad headlights are a safety concern. i disagree. having my headlights suddenly turn off at 65mph on a dark freeway is certainly a safety concern. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. he experienced the identical failure as the 2010 prius when he attempt to engage the brake pedal. the brakes began functioning normally whenever he wasn't driving over a bump in the road. he has always experienced the failure but he thought it was normal. when he took the vehicle to the dealer for routine service and mentioned the brake failure; the dealer told him there was nothing to be worried about it was a normal function for the prius. the failure mileage was 120, 00 and the current mileage was 143,000.

2005 toyota prius brake failure over bumpy or icy roads reported to nhtsa in 2005 with no response. toyota denied failure and we were told to sue. *tr

2005 prius brakes fail temporary when traveling over bumpy surface. it occurs weekly. no consequences yet. nothing done to correct the problem. *tr

My 2005 toyota prius brakes didn't engage when i pressed on them in stop and go traffic. i was behind a utility truck with a concrete post hanging about 10 feet off the back of it (properly marked), and i gave myself room behind the truck and was aware of the pole hanging off of the truck. traffic started moving, and i was going between 5-15mph, and then the truck braked and i braked but my brakes didn't respond until the concrete pole had come through my windshield and roof, inches from my head. my engine/front of car was not damaged but my insurance adjustor has estimated damages at a minimum of $4,000-$4,500 for the windshield and roof, not including possible dash replacement from the shattered glass in the vehicle. the car was drivable to move off of the road, but failed to turn back on when the tow truck arrived. i have reported this incident to toyota and am waiting for a case manager to get in touch with me. i was miraculously not cut, maimed, or decapitated, but have sustained shoulder, back, neck, and arm injuries and am seeing a chiropractor and awaiting x-ray results. i also have bruising from my knee hitting the dash board. my mileage is approximate based on an oil change receipt i found from last month. *tr

Abs service light and brake light came on. when braking vehicle bucks - driver hesitated to drive car few miles to dealership. "abs code c1247 strolesensor malfunction performed linear int and calibrate. if condition recurs abs ecu may be faulty" - (9/7/06) "abs light comes on. code #c1247...internal open circuit in skid control computer, replaced computer. - (3/20/07) abs light on. diagnosed brake pedal stroke sensor internally shorted code #c1247. replaced sensor. (4/23/07) . the preceding was taken from the dealership service department's notes on their service sheets. after the three trips to the dealer the problem appears to have been solved -- obviously an electronic part that might have had serious consequences depending on the circumstances. *tr

Gear shift selector sticks in drive or reverse. a few years ago, the only symptom was clicking noise when lever was actuated, but now it does not return to a neutral position when you let go. happens every time. consequentially, unless you consciously return the lever to central position, pressing park does not take the car out of gear. if inattentive or a unfamiliar driver operates car, it will continue to move. i have been trying since november 2 to convince toyota customer experience that this is something they should repair, is not a normal wear item, and began even before my vehicle was out of warranty. no luck. dealer has offered a 15% discount from a $575 repair and has already charged me $45 to "diagnose". *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated while driving at 20 mph on a bumpy road the contact applied the brakes to slow the vehicle down and the brake failed causing the vehicle to accelerate into the intersection. the vehicle eventually came to a stop. the contact feels this vehicle is unsafe to drive. the failure mileage was 30,000.

When i was pulling slowly into my regular parking space at work, my 2005 prius suddenly surged forward and smashed into a cement wall that was about 4 - 6 feet in front of me. there were cars parked on each side of me; i didn't hit either of them. i went straight into the wall at the font of the parking space. no water or ice or bad conditions were present. the surge was much faster than would have occurred had i mistakenly hit the accelerator rather than the brake. over $3300 worth of damage was done to the front of my car. my ankle bone was chipped, my wrist was sore, i had minor whiplash. i was alone in the car. i feel strongly that this was not a result of driver error on my part, nor do i think it is a result of the floor mat catching the accelerator. what i experienced matches much more closely with descriptions of a fluke computer error causing the car to surge forward when i touched the brakes. it was a strong, fast and sudden surge; much more powerful than what i experience when i use the accelerator. i reported the incident to toyota (reference #200710181201). they sent someone out from the chicago regional office to inspect the car in minneapolis. they claimed everything was working fine and refused to do more. after i explained the situation and my fear about driving my car, the local walser toyota dealer did another very thorough check and reset all of the electronic components. it has worked fine since. prior to this 2007 incident there were a couple of other times when the car seemed to surge rather than brake at stop signs. none caused crashes. and once, also prior to 2007, the antilock brakes did not deploy when they should have. i narrowly avoided a crash that time. *tr

Please note this is my second complaint about my prius's brakes, but it is not a duplicate complaint. my car has two problems with it's brakes which seem to me to be unrelated. my prius brakes very oddly when driving in the rain, or in the early morning when there is appreciable dew/condensation. when gently depressing the brake pedal at a constant pressure, the car decelerates slowly, then abruptly transitions to very rapid deceleration, as though i had slammed the brake pedal down hard. it is very difficult to modulate the braking. this happens several times, then seems to ease up as the vehicle is operated for around 15 minutes. on several occasions i have reported this to the toyota dealership. they have sometimes dismissed the complaint out of hand, and once attempted in vain to replicate the defect, unsuccessfully. in any event, i have always been told my brakes were operating normally. please note that this is not the same problem as the brake failure which occurs when braking while riding over a rough or uneven surface, which my vehicle also does. at least, i assume the two problems are unrelated. i have filed a separate complaint form for that problem. *tr

The problem is engine surging when i am braking. the regenerative brakes seem to send power to the motor that the computer does not handle properly and the engine surges, making it difficult for me to slow the car down to make turns or to stop. the car feels out of control. this problem seems to be random. i have contacted the toyota dealer several times about the problem over the years since i purchased the car in january of 2005. they said they had received no other complaints of a similar problem. it happens more frequently in the summer than in the winter. i talked to the service manager at my toyota dealer last month and he again said that there were no other complaints of a similar problem and that it might be the fault of the ethanol in the gasoline. i think it is a problem of the electronics and that the shield protecting the electronics is not capable of protecting against electro-magnetic problems in the area or in my car. *tr

I have an unresolved safety issue with my 2005 toyota prius. this happened to me on the first day that i drove my then-brand new car. i still remember this dangerous event very clearly. i can easily replicate the problem for you. i was about to back my prius out of its diagonal parking space on a busy main street in downtown el cajon, ca. it was daytime. vehicles were parked on either side of me, which prevented me from seeing whether or not there was traffic approaching. i carefully backed out of the parking space until i could see whether or not there was traffic approaching. i saw that there was and it was approaching quickly, so with the intention of stopping my car¿s backwards movement and, instead, going forward into my parking space, i hit the brakes and quickly moved the gearshift lever over to the left and fully down into the drive gate to the stop position, before i released the spring-loaded shift lever (which sends it back to its 'home' position). i then quickly pressed the gas pedal, intending for the car to move forward so that i could drive back into my parking space. to my shock, my car jumped further backwards into the traffic lane, instead of forwards into my parking space. having good reflexes, and in somewhat of a panic now, i once again shoved the gearshift lever fully into the drive gate and fully down until it contacted the stop, before letting go of it. once again i punched the accelerator pedal and once again the car jumped -- backwards! i fully applied the brakes and hoped that the oncoming vehicles would not hit me. fortunately, they did not. the problem is that if the gearshift lever on the 2005 prius is moved too quickly, there will be no gear change. this could be corrected if the gear selector remained in the appropriate gear's gate, giving the electronics time to make the shift. this flaw could cause accidents and be falsely attributed to driver error. in the interests of safety, it should be fixed. *tr

I sent an e-mail to nhtsa on 2/8/10 describing this complaint. my husband and i are the owners of a 2005 prius which we bought new. ever since we've owned it we have always had the following problem: when we go over a bump, pothole, or uneven surface we experience a momentary loss of braking ability-we have always felt this was due to the nature of the anti-lock brakes and never considered that it might be a defect or flaw, until now. this situation is only momentary, and because it lasts only briefly we never felt our safety was compromised. this situation is on-going. we have had our floor mats modified by toyota last month. *tr

My 2005 toyota prius frequently experiences brake failure while braking on bumpy pavement or rough terrain. the car appears to lurch forward for one or two seconds. i described the problem to bay ridge toyota on several occasions while having the car serviced. they reassured me that the brakes were working normally, and this phenomenon was supposed to happen with abs brakes. since i was told this was "normal", no repair was offered me. i have had one relatively minor crash because of this defect, resulting in damage to the hood of the car, but fortunately no injuries. but this problem has been there since i first took delivery of the car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 15 mph out of a parking lot in inclement weather, the contact applied the brakes and the vehicle failed to stop. the vehicle accelerated through a stop sign and crashed into a vehicle. the crash caused damages to both vehicles. no one was injured during the crash. the contact was able to drive the vehicle after the crash occurred. the contact has not called the manufacturer. the contact stated the brakes always malfunction during inclement weather. the failure mileage was 30,000. updated 3/24/10 *cn updated 06/30/10.*jb

I own a 2005 prius and have 3 unintended acceleration incidents in 5 years, two separate drivers. city driving at 35 mph. pedal did not stick, it was sucked to the floor we turned of engine before speed got to 50mph. no accident or injury, note this: each time i asked the dealer repair shop about it, they dismissed it as floor mats and "could not reproduce it ". interestingly, the repair request did not show up on dealers action list (2 different dealers) even though every time i asked about a squeak or rattle did show up on the records.. did toyota give instructions to dealers on how to downplay it and not record the complaint? *tr

My 2005 toyota prius feels like it "jumps" or accelerates when i am braking on bumpy roads. it does not happen often, and only for a second. it has happened rarely since i have owned the care, but it has occurred more than once in the past 4 years. it always happens at one intersection, and so i am especially careful there. i thought that i was imagining it, but then it happened in another place. *tr

I would like to file an official report of my accident that involved my 2005 toyota prius on january 13 of this year. it was in the morning after i had dropped off my children to their school. i was driving down the hill and driving the normal 25- 30mph down the hill to go home. upon coming to the stoplight, i noticed the cars in front of me stopped at the stoplight so i went to hit my brakes and did not feel any power from my brakes so i quickly stood on my brakes with both feet and realized i had absolutely no brake power. i subsequently crashed quite hard into the car in front of me and experienced severe pain to the right side of my neck. after initial shock, i was able to maneuver my car out of traffic to a parking lot and noticed it funny that my brakes were working at that point. after exchanging information with the man that i hit, my car was towed to an autobody shop. after going to kaiser to look into my injury (which was whiplash) i was told at the autobody shop that my car was totaled and could not be fixed. he also told me that my airbag did not deploy because i had hit a larger american car which was higher than my bumper. it never hit the airbag sensor on my car that was lower than the impact point. after the accident, i asked my insurance company, the interinsurance exchange of the automobile , to please look into the brake situation and they stated that they did not find anything wrong. i am not satisfied with this answer because i have read that the toyota problems are not easy to diagnose. i have been driving for 27 years and have never been in an auto crash that was my fault. i also have never experienced such a scary feeling as having absolutely no control over my car. *tr

2005 toyota prius with unintended acceleration. consumer states that the vehicle accelerated without warning and caused him to hit the vehicle in front of him. *kb

2005 toyota prius - slipping brakes - multiple occurrences over the years, one today while approaching a traffic light. as car slowed, brakes slipped during transition from regenerative to mechanical. car's nose passed about 1 foot beyond white line demarcating intersection. no crash or damage to vehicle or occupants - this time. why is toyota prius brake recall limited to 2010 year model when these events are occurring in earlier year models? i have submitted two requests to toyota customer service to understand the problem in the last two weeks with no response. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that when the traction control engaged, the brakes would release for a second. he noticed the issue on a bumpy road and he saw the traction control engage when the light on the dashboard illuminated. the problem occurred whenever he had to brake on a bumpy surface (1-2 times a month). he had not taken the vehicle to the dealership or called the manufacturer to-date. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 98,100. the failure mileage was approximately 2500.

While braking, my 2005 toyota prius sometimes surges forward instead of slowing. this usually occurs on rough or uneven pavement. it has happened between 10 and 20 times since i have owned the car. no accidents or injuries have occurred, and nothing has been done so far to correct problem. a mechanic friend thinks this sounds like the current recall situation with the 2010 prius, and suggested i report it. *tr

I have a toyota prius 2005. purchased in december 2004. ever since i bought this car, i have noticed there is a acceleration lag while making turn on right or left. i have noticed that there is not continuous acceleration and feels like, car may stop in the middle of the road while making a sudden turn on right or left. i have brought this problems to dealers attention but they never took much interest. i still have this issue with this vehicle. recently in january of 2010, steering tie rod came off while removing a car from the shopping mall. no break,it completely came off without having any damage to tie rod threads. we were fortunate that it did not happen on the freeway, it would have been a big disaster. i still have a tie rod with me. *tr

I was stopped at a stop light in my car, a 2005 toyota prius. when the light turned green i took my foot off the brake. this is when my car quickly accelerated into the car in front of me while my foot was not on the gas or the brake. after the initial impact my car drove into the car in front of me again. while this was happening i applied the brake but nothing happened. the car stopped moving after the second impact and came to rest on the front car's bumper. the damage to the car i hit was $1000, the damage to my prius was $7000. toyota had contacted me in a form of a recall about floor mats being the cause of this problem. when i called toyota of orange tell them what happened they looked up my vin number and assured me my car was not a part of any recall. they said i could bring my vehicle in however nothing would be done if they could not recreate the problem. since the initial crash my prius has mimicked this same situation a handful of times. none of the times after resulted in a second crash. i have not taken my prius to a dealer to have the problem looked into. i do not have any other mode of transportation and toyota does not offer loaner cars. *tr

Was driving down a flat hartford, ct street at around 20 mph and began to brake as approached intersection at an avenue with stop sign. when compressing brake absolutely no response came and the car continued to go as if it was coasting. went straight through the intersection--fortunately it was late and no traffic was present. happened again at the next intersection, stopped by bumping into curb. . thought nothing of it at the time, it had started snowing and i figured it must be some black ice. but given all the toyota brake problems reported, and thinking about the fact that no abs signal ever came up, and it didn't feel as though abs was "pumping" the brakes it seems like this could be consistent with the other reports of prius brake failures. *tr

Abs system failure while preparing to stop from 40 mph in 05 toyota prius last september. had at least three occurrences during the summer of the brake pedal going quickly and easily to the floor, making a "thunk" noise, sounding and feeling like metal on metal, but this would not happen again when i stepped on the brakes again immediately, and certainly didn't happen for my mechanic to hear. toyota diagnosed a computer failure that cost me $2000 to replace. *tr

In march of '09 i drove my car to a local shopping center. when i returned to my car 10 minutes or so later, i tried to start the engine by pushing on the start button. the entire dashboard display lighted up, including all of the warning lights, but the car wouldn't start and i wasn't able to turn to turn off. i am not sure if the engine actually came on. i also wasn't able to put the car in gear.. at some point, all the display lights, including the gear shift box, started flashing.. after trying for about 5 minutes, i called my toyota i10 dealer in indio, ca who said he had never heard of this happening. while talking to him i kept pushing buttons and finally, i was able to turn the car off and then back on and everything worked from that point on. i was not told by the toyota technician to bring the car in and i didn't. the second time it happened on 4/3/09 the same problem happened again. the car was parked in my garage and when i went to start the car, all of the above happened again, but i believe i was able to turn off the ignition. i called aaa, they jumped my 12v battery , and i immediately drove the car to my toyota dealer. they recharged the battery and said that the battery tested high after the recharging. that battery did not have to replaced until 10/22/09. i have another complaint which may or my not be connected to this complaint,. on approximately 1/6/10 while driving my car the lights displaying my speed and fuel gauge went out. i thought it might be a blown fuse so had that checked. the fuse had not been blown. i continued to drive the car for about another week or so before calling to make an appointment with my toyota dealer for the next day. on that day, 1/20/10 i called i drive my car to do several errands, one of which was quite near the area when i first had the trouble with the car starting. in this case, as i was leaving the area, my display lights came on and i have not had any trouble with them since. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that when driving slowly, 5-15 mph, the brakes would fail to engage when she depressed the brake pedal.the skid light and chime would flash on the dashboard. after that, the vehicle would operate normally. she noticed the problem three times. she took the vehicle to the dealership and the dealer told her that there was nothing they could do about it. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. she had not spoken with the manufacturer to-date. the current mileage was approximately 45,600. the failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

My wife and i recently bought a used 2005 prius from wilde toyota in west allis, wi. in the last few months we have experienced braking issues with the vehicle on icy roads, slick roads, and snow covered roads. we have had three brake failures. the first was when i was driving on a side-street. i was going slow, less then 15 miles per hour, and stepped on the brakes to make a turn. the brakes were unresponsive for aprox. 2 seconds causing me to roll before the brakes engage. the second occured when my wife was driving at a low speed, under 40 miles an hour, on a main road. as she approached the stoplight she stepped on the brakes, which also failed to engage. due to her higher speed she rolled over 10 feet and came close to hitting the car stopped in front of her before the brakes finally engaged. the final occurance also occured when my wife was driving, this time at a higher speed between 40 and 50 miles per hour, when pressing on the brakes on an overpass the brakes failed to engage and the car physically seemed to shake a bit. after being unable to stop for several feet the brakes finally engaged. we believe these occurances are due to an error with our abs system. in each occurance the "slippery road" warning has appeared. we took it to wilde tayota this morning. after software testing as well as road testing on their snow covered lot they failed to replicate the problem. no system errors were present and they were unable to take any further action. we are, however, still convinced that a problem exists. if it occurs again we will once again take it to the dealership and try to replicate the problem. *tr

I own a 2005 prius, bought new. i now have 130,000 miles on it. it has been serviced and maintained at scheduled intervals, mostly by a toyota dealer. #1: i have complained to the dealer since the first winter that i bought the car that the "traction control system" is dangerous in bad weather conditions. whenever the road is slippery, if the car senses wheelspin, it cuts power to the engine. this is scary if you're pulling out into traffic on a rainy day, as the car will sometimes just quit running for a second, leaving you vulnerable to oncoming traffic. snow is far worse. i live on a hilly road. if it's snowy the car will slow down, and simply stop trying to move forward on the first steep slope i come to. it doesn't matter how hard i mash on the accelerator, or if i back off and try again, the car will not attempt to move. once the car stops moving forward it begins to slide backwards, and control is totally lost. i was nearly killed the first time this happened (in about one inch of snow) as my car eventually slipped sideways across the oncoming traffic lane. an suv came down the hill and nearly broadsided me before i was able to get my car turned back down the hill. (my car was equipped with aggressive snow tires at the time.) ever since then, if i'm coming home from work in the snow, i leave my car in the shopping center at the bottom of the hill and call my husband, who picks me up with his ford bronco. # 2: anti-lock braking. the 2010 prius's aren't the only ones with problems; mine does the same thing. if i'm braking on a bumpy stretch of road or over a manhole cover in the rain, the car will cut power to the brakes, causing the car to feel like it's surging forward. again this problem is much worse in the snow. going downhill on a snowy, slippery hill the anti-lock brakes repeatedly cut braking power, which actually causes the car to accelerate to unsafe speeds. my dealer tells me that this is how the car works, and nothing can be dome to correct it. *tr

On 11/5/09 in mid-afternoon i was driving my 2005 prius north on calvert st. in baltimore city, just above saratoga st., at about 25 mph when the traffic in front of me slowed. at the time i was speaking to my boss on my verizon cell phone using my bluetooth headset. i applied my brakes and the car was braking as usual slowing down normally until about 10 mph, or so, at which point i felt the car bounce very slightly and gently as if there was a small gradual dip and rise in the roadway surface. my foot was still applying light pressure on the brake pedal as i intended to come to a near crawl as i neared the car in front of me, but after the slight bump the brake pedal gradually went to the floor and my car proceeded without any braking in effect. after the pedal was depressed to a point near the floor i pumped the brake pedal once and press on it as hard as possible. at this point the right rear wheel brake applied and the rr tire squealed as it appears it was the only one braking. i continued pressing until the car came to a stop at which point i notice that several of the instrument panel lights were now on, including the ones for the brake, the abs, and vsc. i then continued driving slowly home, about 2 mi., because it appeared that only the rr brake was working and that there was not power assist with the braking. when i got home i turned the car off and then back on to see if the problem persisted, and upon restart the brakes appeared to work properly and some or perhaps all of the warning lights were off. i took the car to bill kidd toyota in timonium, md on 11/9/09 and they reported that scan code c1357 was present. they reportedly contacted toyota tech assistance who instructed them to clear the scan codes and perform linear solenoid calibration. they road tested the car and said it was ok to drive. my boss was on the phone with me during the entire incident and hear the rr tire squealing and we discuss what was going on. i am a mechanical engineer. *tr

I have a 2005 toyota prius and my brakes slip whenever a front tire drops onto an uneven surface. it seems to be the exact problem described as happening to the 2010 models. i have had it happen several times as i live on a gravel road and when i turn onto my road it is an uneven surface. it has happened numerous times, to the point that i anticipate the occurrence when on an uneven surface. i think that i could recreate the occurrence if needed. (the date listed below is just one of several) also, the light showing that vehicle stabilization is on lights up whenever this happens. *tr

2005 prius braking issue: my brakes delayed to engage when i tried to brake on an uneven road surface. i ended up going thru a curb at a higher rate of speed and just missed being in an crash. i now avoid engaging the brake if the road is uneven (where possible) to avoid this type of response. *tr

My 2005 toyota prius' braking system acts the same way as the 2010's with the recall. when approaching a stop, with the brakes depressed, if you hit a bump in the road the brakes disengage. *tr

There were three one-car crashes in my 2005 prius, the first on 1 may 2007, the second on 16 nov 2009, and the third on 1 dec 2009. all were in forsyth county, nc. the first was an inexplicable crash into the exit gate from my community; the second and third crashes were sudden, uncontrollable accelerations into brick walls while trying to park the car in designated, marked parking spaces. the first crash caused personal injury and was reported to the local police. the second and third crashes were not. all three crashes caused significant vehicle damage. i became afraid to drive the car any longer, and so i traded it in to the local toyota dealer on 1 dec 2009 for a new 2010 prius. i have written to the liability claim dept of toyota, asking for compensation, but have not received any, as of this date (17feb10). the data below refers to the first crash. *tr

My 2005 model prius lost brake momentarily and accelerated on a bumpy stretch of road. it happens always i pass over the same stretch just on a stop signal. it stopped very close to the other vehicle in front after regaining the brake luckily avoiding accident. this is the same problem reported on the 2010 prius and is being recalled. *tr

Continuation to incident# 10310144, the problem showed up at the dealer's service bay. the service technical people saw that but still wanted a separate diagnostic fee of $57 to tell me the real issue. i am sure they would have seen this before. *tr

I have a 2005 and 2010 prius. i have noticed a sense of"surge" when braking slowly over irregular pavement with both cars. i always just considered it a quirk of the car. there is absolutely no question in my mind that this braking problem is at least present in the 2005 priuses. i have not had any accidents relating to this. nothing yet has been done to correct this. *tr

I have a 2005 prius and have been experiencing temporary brake failures since the first winter in 2005, often on rainy or snowy days, driving down hill while trying to stop at the bottom of the hill at a stop sign. instead of responding to the brake, the car will appear to temporarily surge forward. i have had 4 near-misses, twice with the car coming into the middle of busy street and would have gotten into serious accidents had there been oncoming traffic. i have brought the car into the dealership 4 times, each time being told that the car is performing to spec, and hybrids take longer to brake. i do not buy this argument since it does not consistently behave this way, and if the brake cannot be engaged in time, then the design of the brake system is defective to begin with. performing to specification brings our families no comfort when we lie dead at the bottom of the hill. this same problem is being investigated and addressed in the 2010 prius model. it's obvious that toyota will continue to refuse acknowledging and addressing this fatal defect until nhtsa pressures them to. please broaden the prius brake failure investigation to include gen 2 prius also, from years 2004 through 2009. a quick google will demonstrate how wide-spread this problem has been among many unhappy prius owners. *tr

I have a 2005 prius and have been experiencing temporary brake failures since the first winter in 2005, often on rainy or snowy days, driving down hill while trying to stop at the bottom of the hill at a stop sign. i have had 4 near-misses, twice with the car coming into the middle of busy street and would have gotten into serious accidents had there been oncoming traffic. i have brought the car into the dealership 4 times, each time being told that the car is performing to spec, and hybrids take longer to brake. i do not buy this argument since it does not consistently behave this way, and if the brake cannot be engaged in time, then the design of the brake system is defective to begin with. performing to specification brings our families no comfort when we lie dead at the bottom of the hill. this same problem is being investigated and addressed in the 2010 prius model. it's obvious that toyota will continue to refuse acknowledging and addressing this fatal defect until nhtsa pressures them to. please broaden the prius brake failure investigation to include gen 2 prius also, from years 2004 through 2009. a quick google will demonstrate how wide-spread this problem has been among many unhappy prius owners.*tr

My 2005 prius shows the following message "caution: the transmission p lock mechanism is abnormal. park your car at a flat place, and apply parking brake completely". if i turn off the power and turn it on everything is ok. dealer wants 57 usd to tell me what is wrong. *tr

Easily replicated, unexpected brake release on 2005 toyota prius. 1) drive over rough part of road, or slick spot 2) apply brakes 3) no response from brakes for a second or so. *tr

Owned a prius and had a brake failure.. coming of the highway slowing to a stoplight by taking foot off gas, when i started to get close to the car infront i hit the brakes to complete my stop when i did nothing happened.. i ended up rear ending the car in front of me.. i had my car repaired and i reported the problem to toyota dealer (who did the repairs) they said they checked the brakes but didn't see any issues.. the braking problem happened after that too.. but they just ignored my claims.. *tr

Brakes appear to not engage properly or momentarily release when applying brakes over rough pavement or potholes. seems to last for about a second. this occurs frequently and i noticed this two years ago... assumed it was normal... odd, but normal. this can be easily replicated. *tr

If the car drives over an unlevel surface (e.g. steel plate, manhole cover, transition from asphalt to cement road) and the brakes are applied, the car accelerates momentarily. this does not occur on a consistent basis, but is more random. i have repeatedly brought this to the attention of the dealer (russel toyota in baltimore md 21228) who keeps saying this is normal and expected for priuses. i have repeatedly told them that this is not normal. when i hit the brakes in my other cars, it never accelerates. they have advised that i contact toyota, but have requested that i not report this to nhtsa. *tr

My 2005 toyota prius has a problem with the headlights going out,it started in december 2009 and as of today they go out about every 5-10 minutes ... i called toyotas customer service and they implied there was no wide spread problem with the headlights on the 2005 prius ... i have an associated press article in front of me that says (the prius is a highly computerized car and has had many problems in the past ... in 2005 toyota repaired 75,000 prius that had a software problem that caused the car to stall and the prius also has had problems with the headlights going out since 2001 ) is there a fix that they would not tell me about ... thanks. *tr

Car always surges when i hit a slippery patch. it has done this for years and i have complained to toyota several times over the last few years. (local service at dealer), but am always told it's normal. *tr

The brakes began to noticeably grab then release at low speeds, but it was intermittent. my son was driving, slowed for a stop light and hit the car in front of him when the brakes released. i took the car to the dealer, they could not recreate the problem and told me no fault was detected. three weeks later, driving back from washington, through oregon, we pulled into a gas station, the car slowed at first, then the breaks let go and my husband had the stomp on the pedal. he turned off the car, filled it with gas, and when he turned it back on all the warning lights went off, signaling brake failure. we had it towed to a dealer in roseburg, and the brake sensor had faulted. but they told us we could probably drive back to sacramento. we decided to have it replaced there and not risk driving it any further. *tr

Vehicle: 2005 toyota prius, currently not covered by brake recall. when i apply the brakes and drive over a bump or pothole, i experience a momentary loss of braking power. this happens consistently - there is one particular pot hole that always causes this to happen, so it happens at least three times a week. i took it to the dealership to have it fixed, and they told me to call toyota directly. this has been happening since 6-28-09, two days after i bought the car, and happened again as recently as this morning. *tr

I was involved in an accident with my 2005 prius on 3/29/2006. the cause of the accident remains a mystery. i was sitting at an intersection, waiting for traffic to clear. witnesses reported that i pulled out into the oncoming traffic, resulting in a collision with another vehicle. due to the injuries i suffered (a minor concussion resulting in retrograde amnesia), i had no recollection of the period prior to arriving at the intersection up until the paramedics removed me from the vehicle. as such, i can't explain exactly what happened. while i have no proof of this, it seems that a possibility would be an issue with the stuck accelerator that's being reported relating to the prius. i've been at a loss to explain why i would have pulled out in front of oncoming traffic at an intersection that i was very familiar with. when i heard of the acceleration issues with the prius, i wondered if that could have been the cause. since the vehicle was totaled, it's no longer available for inspection. i thought i'd submit this report to add to the suspected cases of accelerator issues. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately 65 to 70 mph on normal road conditions when suddenly, there was a loss of engine power. the driver was able to coast the vehicle to the side of the road with caution. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician stated that the fuel tank contained no fuel. the fuel gauge and indication sensors were reset. there was also a recommendation to to fill car with gas the gauge displayed three bars. one month later, the fuel gauge reading was inaccurate. the fuel level displayed three bars level and abruptly the gauge displayed "full". the vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction at this time. the failure mileage was 56,313. updated 3/30/2010 updated 06/04/10.*jb

My 2005 toyota prius has the same brake/acceleration problem that has been reported in the media. sometimes when i apply the brakes on bumpy surfaces, the car tends to accelerate - or even lift up slightly - until the wheels touch down and regain contact with a flat surface. i never pump the brakes, but when this happens, my control over the vehicle is momentarily interrupted. this problem has recurred on numerous occasions since i bought the car a few years ago, but i ignored it. however, when i read a description of this braking problem being reported on 2010 models, i immediately recognized it as something that i have experienced from time to time. note: the "incident date" is merely an estimate of the first time i experienced this problem. *tr

After listening to publicity about the 2010 prius problem i realize that i have had the same problem of brake fade in my 2005 prius. there is a bridge section that i drive over several times a month. this bridge section is 1 inch higher than the asphalt road and on a steep hill immediately before a stop sign. so if i am braking as i hit the bridge section, i notice an immediate brake fade. so for all these years, i assumed it was an abs peculiarity with car unweighting. i've learned to brake hard immediately before i enter the bridge section, release the brakes as i hit the edge of the bridge section, brake hard on the bridge section and release as i drop off the section, then brake to the stop sign. i have never experience this problem in other situations but i am aware of the brake fade and might be anticipating the problem. it has been occurring since i purchased the car in 2005. *tr

Headlight height control sensor failed on my 2005 prius. started having problems in 2008 while it was still under warranty. when i took it to dealer, because problem was on again/off again, he couldn't find it. by the time dealer finally figured out what the problem was - it was out of warranty. *tr

I love my prius but a different story here, i think. i bought a new 2005 toyota prius. when it was approximately 2 years old with approximately 40 thousand miles on it (3 years ago) the gas pedal stuck and it was not related to a floor mat. i was accelerating getting up to the 55mph speed limit while also climbing a hill going out of town into the mountains. when i crested the hill and let up off the gas it just kept going. it was quite lucky that it happened on a straightaway just before the mountain curves and drop offs. as a lifelong professional driver with experience operating just about anything my first learned reaction was to dig my heels in and pull the floor mat back, it's happened to me in other vehicles. i glanced down and there were no obstructions at the pedal. my severely disabled son was with me. automatically, i started kicking the gas pedal. after several kicks it slowed. no problem since. never reported the incident. just figured a weird glitch. had not tried brakes yet, nor neutral, it's a different kind of car, a bit scared to try to turn it off while going down the road. i had already spotted a decent place to ditch the car with minimal damage. i had reached 75 to 80 mph when kicking the pedal stopped it. it's a computer thing. *tr

We ordered a 2005 prius in the fall of 2004 and received delivery in may 2005. my wife drives the car more often than i do and she informed me that during times of wet or rainy conditions the brakes "grab' when applied. this braking problem was not apparent during the first year. i've experience the brake "grab" evertime i drive it in wet weather, and even though i try to avoid it by gently applying the brakes, they they still "grab" this is just not a "one time" occurence...i have read the reports from other prius owners about the brakes. if there is a fix, and there should be, toyota should take care of this and not be in denial. *tr

After changing lanes from the left right lane to the left lane near downtown los angeles, a car suddenly stopped on a yellow light. i quickly hit the brakes which seemed to slowly engage and was hit the car from behind. *tr

After accelerating from a red light behind a van, the van abruptly stopped. i hit the brakes in an attempt to stop. the brakes did not enable right away and the car i was driving rear-ended the van. *tr

I have a 2005 toyota prius. it has never been in an accident or had any damage. for the past couple years, i've been noticing a problem with the gear shifter. usually in cold weather (below about 40 degrees f), the gear shifter does not change gears. for example, i'll put it in drive, release the gear shift, and it immediately reverts to neutral. same thing happens when i put it in reverse. to go anywhere, i have to hold the gear shift in the gear i need. sometimes, if i hold it in drive for about a minute, it finally stays in drive when i release it. so far it hasn't jumped gears while driving - only when i first turn the car on. i took the car to the dealer today and he said he's seen several cars with the same problem, and said i have to get the entire gear shift mechanism replaced, which costs ~$700. i'm nervous that if i don't get it replaced, the gears could jump while driving and cause a safety hazard. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 20 mph over a bump in the road approaching a stop sign, with his foot on the brake pedal the vehicle surged forward and the brakes failed. the dealer will be contacted about the failure. the failure has occurred 20 times and more frequent whenever it rains. no repairs have been made. the failure mileage was 32000. the current mileage was 37047.

The right hid headlight on our 2005 toyota prius extinguishes randomly, several times a week, and sometimes comes back on when the headlights are power-cycled. the left headlight has been replaced once, which we feel is normal, while the right headlight has been replaced three times, two of which were probably unnecessary. we have been stopped and warned by police several times, and we may not be noticing all of the failures that occur during daylight. the dealer says the problem could be the ballast ($800) or the computer ($1,000) but would not replace either under warranty (stringing us along with lamp changes until it expired) and will not guarantee that either or both fixes will eliminate the problem. *jb

We have a 2005 prius hybrid. it has, ever since we purchased it, occasionally accelerated when we have put on brakes. it stops after a second or two, and has never caused an accident, though it is scary when it happens. i believe the only recall that applies to this model year is the floor mat problem, which is not the issue. what i've read is that the older prius's don't have the braking/acceleration problem. but ours certainly does. we love the car otherwise, but would like to know if there is some action we should take regarding this, and if other people have reported it. *tr

2005 toyota prius has brake issue. when braking over pothole or bump, i momentarily loose all brake. the brake comes back about 1 sec later. this has always happened, i have talked to the dealer several times, but i am only told that i need to 'get used to it'. *tr

My 2005 toyota prius brakes failed when i tried to stop at a stop light. i didn't realize it was red until i was very close to it, so i "slammed" on the brakes. i had my foot all the way down on the pedal and it was like the brakes released. less than 2 weeks later, my husband was driving the prius and traffic infront of us stopped very quickly. the same thing happened to him, the brakes released when he had the brake pedal all the way down. again this was an "extreme" braking situation. i took the prius to darcars in frederick, md, where i bought it, to report the problem and they said that it did not happen. they said if anything went wrong it would be recorded in the software of the car and it wasn't so that meant that nothing was wrong with the car. i then traded the car in for a rav4 because i wasn't going to drive a car that had unreliable brakes. *tr

Accelerator on 2005 prius stuck

When approaching a light, i changed lanes into the left turn lane, applied the brake to slow down, let up on the brake to go over a depressed area where a pipe was being replaced and the road repaired. i then applied the brakes firmly to stop the vehicle. unfortunately, nothing happened. the traction control light went on when i went over the bump and it took about 2 seconds of heading towards the back of a truck for the breaks to engage at all. when they finally engaged, the car stopped very quickly (as i would expect) and i was almost rear ended by the person behind me. i have had the brakes not engage on one other incident that also involved switching lanes and a bump. traction control and abs on this prius need to be replaced with something that will not kill. i was very disappointed that the "braking problem" was "limited" to 2010 priuses. it is not. this issue has clearly occurred twice for me in the past 5 years of moderate driving (about 10k miles per year). to address the issue, toyota told me that i was making it up, it never happened, i must have not pressed the brake pedal. i never released my foot from the pedal and the car stopped just fine after a significant delay. they did not replace any parts or make any changes to the vehicle. *tr

My 2005 toyota prius brakes failed totally while driving. when i touched the brake pedal the brakes locked hard, and the smell of the brake bands was high. i slowed to 20 mph and went to tonio divion toyota in riverdale utah. the drive train warranty had not expired, but they said that the brakes were not a part of the drive train. the electronic board failed and was replaced at a cost of $985.87. if this qualifies on a prius recall can i get any money back? *tr

I have a 2005 (early 2nd generation) prius and i experienced the latest reported "design flaw" in the braking system from day 1 in 2005. the best description i've heard of it is "inconsistent braking over rough surfaces". that is, when driving over a pothole or bump when applying the (regenerative) brakes, the bump seems to push back, momentarily disengaging the brakes. the effect is at best, unnerving, and at worst, scary, depending on what you're trying to do when it happens (ie, slowing vs trying to stop). i brought this experience to the attention of my dealer service personnel a couple times over the last several years and was met with the equivalent of blank stares and the sound of crickets. bottom line, this is not a new problem in 2010 model prius only. *tr

I have a 2005 toyota prius. i am having the same problem with braking. it happens mostly in wet weather when going over a bump. it always brakes after so i haven't done anything about it. they should know it is not just 2010 cars, it has happened several times. *tr

I consistently experience the feeling of my brakes momentarily releasing when going over a pot hole or train tracks while driving in normal conditions (usually at low speed). when i glance to see if the anti skid light is on , on these occurrences it is not. i have become accustomed to the odd feeling and the situation is always only momentary so i came to think nothing of it. however, with all the information about prius brakes failing completely, i want you to know that this is also occurring on my 2005 model. *tr

I have noticed the ongoing disturbance with the brakes on my 2005 toyota prius, as described in media reports on the newer prius models. during the braking process, if i encounter any disturbance in the road such as a pot hole or an expansion joint, i feel a momentary loss of braking. the car will regain braking control if i continue to hold the brakes down. i have been told that it was just to be expected with the traction control system. i have noticed this issue every since i bought the vehicle in march of 2008.

During a drive on us224 in ohio, my husband was driving my 2005 toyota on cruise control. after passing a vehicle, he attempted to slow down by braking but the car was still trying to accelerate. it took four iterations of pushing on the brake to finally make the car slow down. we were able to pull off of the highway and stop. during the incident, we could feel the pull of acceleration even when he was depressing the brake. if he let off of the brake the car would begin accelerating again. we did have an aftermarket floor mat on the driver side, however it is a very heavy, thick mat that does not move. we are 100% convinced that the floor mat was not on top of the accelerator pedal during this incident (as proven by the car finally slowing down and stopping with out the floor mat being adjusted).

Wanted to let you know the problem with braking on rough pavement is not limited to the 2010 prius. we have suffered with this problem on our 2005 prius since the beginning *tw

Our son was killed on oct 22nd in a single car crash while driving a 2005 toyota prius( the police report states that he lost control, jumped the curb and died in the ensuing crash) while negotiating a curve while attempting to enter the freeway in tucson az. we strongly believe that this may have been caused by sudden acceleration and or brake problems. i know this is an older model, but in light of toyota's lies and cover-ups time will only tell. updated 02/19/10 *bf *cn updated 03/10/10 *bf updated ivoq 09/02/10*jb update 9/19/2011*cw

2005 toyota prius braking delay on bumpy/wet roads single vehicle accident 04/16/2007 on rt 70 in brick, nj. *tr

This is an ongoing problem with a 2005 prius. if you hit a bump or pothole while braking from a normal speed, the car will briefly accelerate on its own. this causes additional braking pressure to be needed and precise steering. many prius owners since 2004 have indicated this problem. *tr

2005 prius brake my brakes failed in the rain. i was driving on a road that has old trolley tracks and i was only going about 20 mph and i decided to stop for a yellow light. i put the brake pedal to the floor and nothing happened. i just kept rolling downhill. no abs nothing. if there had been something in front of me i would have hit it. after about 20 feet my brakes started to work and at that point the skid light came on. i was really lucky that this intersection has a stop 20 feet before the corner or i would have gone right through the intersection. *tr

Feb. 4, 2010 -- similar to what is being said about the abs brakes in a 2010 toyota prius not working properly if the vehicle has hit a pothole or is going over wash-board type surfaces, i have noticed that my 2005 prius has done the same thing when i go over very rough/choppy road surfaces. this has happened since i bought it brand new in dec. 2004. i never thought much about it until the recent reports of the 2010 model. i just chalked it up to the wheels bouncing in reaction to the surface. *jb

When braking on bumpy roads or potholes my prius lurches forward before the brake finally engages. i put today's date as the "incident date" but this has happened numerous times since i've owned the car. there is a bumpy road near my home where i frequently experience this. *tr

We have a 2005 toyota prius. we have experienced the braking problem that has been noted with the 2010 models - the brakes seem to pause, especially when stopping on rough or slippery pavement. we had not reported this earlier, because we didn't know if this was just an illusion resulting from the hybrid system. now that the recall is in full effect, we believe that this is the same defect that is being reported. this has been a consistent item since we bought the car in 2005. at this time, we have done nothing to correct the issue. *tw

2005 toyota prius. similar "braking" problem as is in news for 2010 prius. after going over a (even a small) bump, car almost lurches forward; glad i wasn't near another car, or might have hit it. has happened a few times when going over small bumps took to dealer-did not find anything. seems like more of an acceleration. drivetrain problem. second possible prius issue: a few times when i pushed down accelerator to enter highway from full stop, nothing for a second-a delay that could be lethal. seems as bad as nader's corvair-based "unsafe at any speed". would not buy another prius. *tw

My 2005 prius has periodically experienced the momentary loss of braking associated with the 2010 model. the problem has usually occurred on a bumpy downgrade, with the brakes applied. when the car encountered an especially large bump, or sometimes on level ground when it hit a pothole, it suddenly felt as if it were airborne. this sensation was very brief, and the vehicle almost immediately regained braking effectiveness. however, it was disconcerting. *tr

I was sitting at a stop light waiting for it to turn green when my brake pedal suddenly went all the way to the floor. i only had a few blocks to get to my destination and the brakes still worked if i pushed on them really hard. i got it parked and left it for about 4 hours and when i started it back up they worked fine again. it only happened once. i have abs brakes. *tr

My 2005 prius skidded off the road during a snow storm. i was not traveling at an excessive rate of speed. my car hit 2 trees head on and was totaled. none of my airbags deployed. i informed my insurance company and toyota (sent them pictures) and neither seemed to feel it was a safety issue. since i was not satisfied with toyota's response, and since i would never buy a small car unless i had absolute faith in its airbag system's ability to protect me in the event of a crash, i chose not to buy another toyota vehicle. the prius was my third toyota, and i had been very loyal to the brand for years due to their record of quality, reliability and safety. i still have pictures of my wrecked car. please contact me, if anyone would be interested in reviewing them. i did not file a report at the time of the accident, but in retrospect think that i should have. i am only writing now to alert your agency that there may also be an airbag deployment problem with earlier prius models. *tr

I have 2005 toyota prius that was bought on dec 2004. while driving to my work on june 30th 2009, my prius car speed reduced slowly from 45mph and did not go faster than 30 mph on rte 28 north from manassas,va to centerville va. since i cannot drive more than 20 miles per hour, i parked the car on local roads and asked aaa to tow my vehicle to ourisman toyota dealer, chantilly. dealer could not duplicate the problem and gave car back. i believe, this is due to computer system failure. but dealer could not identify. it happened only one time from dec 2004 so for. but i am scared of driving the car to long travel and using only for local drive. *tr

I have a 2005 prius that has experienced brake issues including surging forward when brake is depressed. i brought this to the attention of my dealer and was told this is normal. it doesn't happen all the time but is a bit scary. i plan to bring it up to the dealer again when i go for my 45,000 mile tune up, probably next week. *tr

For a number of years i've noticed a strange sensation when going over a bump or ripples in the road while braking in my 2005 toyota prius but didn't think too much about it because it is a rare occurrence. after reading about toyota's recent recall of the 2010 prius i realized that what was happening is the brakes were releasing while going over the bumps. recently while driving one of the few times in the snow, i had the sensation that the anti-lock function released the brakes for about 2 seconds during which i could not stop the car and there was no sensation of pulsing or skid marks. there is a rippled spot on a nearby road that i can always reproduce the brake release issue. *tr

I have a 2005 toyota prius. when i hit a bump and try to slow down, the car jumps forward. when i hit the brakes the car accelerates. this does not happen all of the time but is intermittent. i have tried to complain to toyota but cannot get through. *tw

I noticed a problem with breaking. it would lunge forward if i hit a manhole cover or any bump. i complained to the toyota dealer and they told me it was normal because of the abs. it didn't seem normal and i've gotten used to it but i was frightened the first few times. *cn

When crossing over uneven surfaces or during wet road conditions, the brakes will occasionally momentarily disengage while the pedal is pressed down. during such conditions on a handful of occasions, i came very close to rear-ending the vehicle stopped in front of me. when i heard about the 2010 prius brake issue, i immediately identified with the problem which i've experienced since i bought my 2005 prius as a new vehicle. my prior vehicle was this was an all-wheel drive so i assumed it was a "quirky prius thing", but given the recent news, i believe this may in fact be a defect similar to that described for the 2010 prius. each time it occurs, there is a feeling of brief loss of control of the vehicle which is frightening. the date provided is the most recent incident which occurred as i crossed over a bumpy stretch of road with uneven paving. *tr

I am an owner of a toyota prius 2005. after reading the investigation about the 2010 prius brake problems i feel i experience the same problem in my car. when brake sometimes it feels as though the car momentarily speeds up before the braking action occurs. it is brief (about a second in duration) and then the car brakes as expected. i have asked the service department of toyota dealerships i've had my car serviced at several times about the sensation and was told this was normal as the car switch regenerating the batteries to when the hydraulic brakes are engaged and nothing to worry about. i understand toyota has admitted a problem in the 2010 model year but i feel the same problem exists in my car and would like to make sure that the investigation is not just for 2010 model year of the toyota prius. *tr

We have a 2005 toyota prius that was involved in an accident as a result of the car taking off on it's own and the brakes not working. the prius only stopped when it hit another car and then we were unable to get the car turned off. this was not due to the floor mat recall. the car was in park and took off, would not stop even with both feet on the brakes, it stopped only upon impact. literally was seconds away from pinning a person inbetween the two vehicles. this could have led to a death or serious injury. since then the car was repaired but toyota engineers test drove it for about 10 miles and of course it didn't happen to them so they indicated there was no problem. we had 51,000 miles on the car before this happened. currently the car sits in the driveway not being used because of the defect. this model is not part of the recall yet but obviously is defective. we have two additional 2007 prius models in the family that are of concern. this is of major concern as nothing is being done to correct or address these models, only the newer prius models. we see toyota as ignoring the concerns on this model. it is a huge safety hazard as when you look around on the roads, many of these vehicles are still in use. *tr

2005 toyota prius - i have had braking problem. near where i live there is a small pothole near an intersection with a stop sigh. when trying to stop if i hit the pothole the car's brakes just seem to disappear for a second. almost ran out through stop sign. this has happened a couple of times so i am now very careful to avoid the hole by nearly running off the right side of the road. now i hear there is a recall for the same thing with the 2010 prius. i've already had the "floor mat" recall. this concerns me because i wonder if it is really the floor mats or the run away gas pedal problem. i'm going on vacation and seriously considering renting a car because i'm almost afraid to drive my car. *tr

About 1-2 times per month, i've noticed what feels like a very small momentary acceleration while braking, if i hit a bump/pothole at the same time. i've only noticed the issue within the last year, since transferring and using a different route to get to/from work. *tr

Feburary 13, 2009, my breaks failed to engage when approaching a busy intersection. no warning lights flashed. my breaks just didn't work. in order to stop my vehicle from slamming into cars waiting at the light and people crossing at the cross walk, i applied the parking break and turned off my car. thankfully i was able to stop my car in time. i turned my car off, then back on and a warning light came on; indicating something wrong with the abs system. toyota diagnosed the problem citing the break actuator and computer skid control. *cn

Brakes stop working intermittently when applied going over rough surfaces such as railroad tracks and potholes. this results in a brief suspension of braking activity. occurs each time the above conditions are met and brakes are applied. this has happened since i purchased the vehicle new. since i always reduce speed in these potential situations, no accidents have occurred, but it does result in an intermittent loss of braking which could result in rear end collisions. previously my 1999 chevrolet suv did the same thing and i was told it was an inherent characteristic of the antilock breaking system. *cn

We have the same brake defect in our 2005 toyota prius as the defect that is currently being reported in the 2010 toyota prius. in our car, when we go over a manhole cover or similar irregularity in the road while braking, the car feels like it is momentarily hydroplaning and you have lost traction. my wife stopped driving this car because of this sensation that the car is out of control. this has been going on since we first bought the car in 2005 and has happened many times. i thought it was because the car is light weight so i never reported it until i read people's descriptions of the 2010 prius problem. our problem is exactly the same thing. *tr

2005 prius that has the same braking issues that the 2010 prius is being recalled for. the brakes momentarily fail while slowing down and hitting rough or slick road spots. this behavior has occurred many times since i first purchased my prius. *tr

2005 prius loss of control during tire slippage (traction control system activation.: when the vehicle detects a traction control problem while driving (going over railroad tracks, rain or wet conditions, loose gravel, etc.) all power is cut to the wheels leaving the car in an uncontrolled skidding condition. there is no anti-lock braking to the wheels (pulsed on-off-on) to keep control. pulling into traffic or stopping on wet roads has almost led to me being hit or hitting another car or pedestrian. prius owners of the second generation have well documented being unable to go up driveways and many others have reported accidents. *tw

2005 prius that i purchased new loses braking momentarily when going over a bump or a pothole. i noticed this soon after i took possession of the car. i have never contacted the dealer regarding this but feel it is important to mention it after hearing about the problem with the 2010 prius. this problem persists. *tr

Brakes stopped working. *jb

Brakes stopped working. *jb

Brakes stopped working. *jb

Braking on 2005 toyota prius. when slowing to a stop and you hit a bumpy surface or manhole cover the antilock brakes go off and the brakes release for approximately 1-2 seconds and you feel as if you are skidding on ice. *tr

I have been complaining to the dealer since i have had my 2005 prius (i bought it new) that at slow speeds on occasion when i just very lightly touch the brake my prius will suddenly stop as if i had slammed on the brakes. they insist that they have to see the problem before they can do anything about it. naturally the car doesn't do it when they have it for service. i selected "service brakes hydraulic" below because, you don't have a selection for just "brakes". *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the brakes were momentarily unresponsive at low speeds including 10 mph when driving over a pothole or rough surface and appeared to lunge forward. he noticed the problem continuously since he purchased the vehicle. he had neither taken the vehicle to the dealership nor spoken with the manufacturer regarding the problem. the vehicle had not been repaired to-date. the current mileage was approximately 86,000. the failure mileage was approximately 8,000. updated 03/18/10 *bf updated 06/17/10*jb

Steering wheel started shaking while driving. had wheel alignment checked, no problem. took it to the ventura toyota, they charged us over $200 and said the problem was loose screws in the steering column. this was quite scary and even though we had purchased bumper to bumper 100,000 mile warranty, this was not covered. they said it was only loose screws. we felt this was definitely a safety issue and if it hadn't been taken care of, we would have had steering failure resulting in an accident. *jb

2005 prius with about 50k miles. driving in nv. temp about 33f. accelerated from about 60 mph to 70 mph to pass. throttle stuck wide open. accelerated up to about 85 mph. after about 15 secs, the engine throttled back to normal. i checked immediately for a bunched up floor mat or carpet or anything under the accelerator pedal. there was nothing at all. this has only occurred once. *jb

I have a 2005 toyota prius i have the same braking issue that the 2010 prius has with braking on uneven surfaces and hitting pot holds my brakes have memory loss they hit the uneven surface the car continues to move, it feels like it gets air borne also when the weather is wet the brakes lock up, i barely touch them then brakes lock throwing everything forward. i have taken my car into the dealership for brake issues the last time was about 10/09 they found no trouble, both problem are current issues. the dealership continues to tell me there is no problem with the brakes. *tr

2005 and 2009 toyota prius braking problems. i have a 2005 and a 2009 toyota prius. on both of these vehicles, i have experienced the same problems which are being described in the news about the 2010 prius model. i have never had an accident relating to this problem, but the potential is certainly there. the problem occurs when i am moving forward, have the brake slightly depressed, and i hit a pot hole or speed bump. the wheels momentarily speed up, so i react by pressing harder on the brakes and the wheels slow down. *tw

I have a 2005 toyota prius. at first the lh headlight would internittently go out. it would also come on during my drive also. then my rh headlight would do the same. i have had four instances where both headlights have gone out completely leaving me in a serious situation since i live in a rural area with no street lighting and curvey roads. i have read online of the thousands of people blogging and complaining of their same problems. i was told by lancaster, ca. dealership it needs headlamps replaced. online people all state they haved had them replaced and the problem still exists. mine goes out sometimes minutes after turning on the car. other times it goes for about 20 minutes before shutting off. it is random and seems to have no pattern. i do not believe it is only the headlamps because of what the numerous people online have said is the result after their headlights being changed. it still goes out on them, just every 30 minutes not every 20 seconds they write. this is not acceptable. i have also tried like the online people suggest by turning on the switch back and forth. it works so how could it be the lamp only? the dealership wants $600. to change the lights. i say they need to address this. *cn

In my 2005 toyota prius, one or both of the headlights spontaneously go out while driving. if you turn them off using the switch and then turn them on, the re-illuminate so the bulbs are not burned out. *tr

Several times over past 5 years my 2005 toyota prius abs system had released the brakes for uncomfortable amount of time (0.5-1.0 seconds) when coming to a stop over slightly bumpy road. if i didn't keep good distance i could have crashed into a vehicle in front of me. *tr

I am writing to express my concern over a one car accident in which i was the driver. this accident occured on a snow covered road while on my way to work. i was driving a 2005 toyota prius. this is the same explanation i gave to the police and to the insurance company. i was driving somewhere around 40mph when i applied the break. when i did this i did not stamp on it harshly rather in a normal break application. immediately my car slammed across the road very very fast, and it rolled over on its side. my seatbelt held me firmly in place but i was tilted with my head down by the passanger seat and my legs upwards to toward the top of the steering wheel. i remained in that position for about 20 or 25 min.unable to move until the emergency squad arrived. i was transported to the hospital in the ambulance. my car was declared to be totalled. my concern is that the insurance company keeps saying that the car is not on a recall list but my acciident experience is curiously similar to what they are saying is the problem with the 2010 toyota hybrids.. i think they should be investigating all possible vehicle issues. how can i persue this? do you have any recommendations? *cn

There were no events leading up to the failure. the failure is of the brakes in my 2005 toyota prius. the nature of the failure is intermittent and brief, and only occurs when going over rough terrain or potholes. it is identical to the recent advisories issued on the 2010 model prius. i called the dealer and was told that it was a normal 'anti-skid' feature on the vehicle, but now i believe otherwise, after reading about the 2010 model issues. *cn

About 2 years ago, on route 840 in utica, i floored the gas pedal on my 2005 toyota prius to pass a car. the prius does not have a lot of power, so flooring it was sometimes necessary to pass uphill. when i took my foot off the gas pedal, the car was still accelerating. i touched the brakes. nothing. finally, i pushed down hard on the brakes and got the car to the side of the road and turned it off. i have rubber mats. i thought one of them had gone under the pedal. "case solved" so i thought. last december, again passing a truck uphill on route 840, i floored the pruis gas pedal. the same thing happened! this time i knew it was not the mat because i had drilled holes in it and attached it to the mat posts. it was inches away from the gas pedal when this happened. i pushed the brakes down hard and struggled the car to the side of the road right before the lanes merged and the truck would have cut me off (into a swamp). the brakes, with a burning smell, fought the racing car. i finally got it turned off. when i turned it back on, the gas was still racing! i turned it off again. after waiting,it started normally. it has done it every time the pedal was floored(seldom). i went to the internet and found this had been a problem and toyota was planning a prius recall, with parts to repair available in april. i was very scared to drive the car, but can't afford to sell it (wrong) or buy another. so i decided to wait for the recall. i have been driving on pins and needles since. and now there is no recall for the prius gas pedal! i'm glad for the brake recall because my prius has done that once too, but freaked out about no sticking gas pedal recall for the prius. i went to the dealer today for 115,000k service and told them about this. "technician can not replicate problem". just like so many stories from other toyota owners on the web. this will be many a prius driver's epitaph without government action. please make toyota fix these sticking prius accelerators *cn

The car suddenly and momentarily accelerates when coming out of a dip or pothole, or over a speed bump. momentarily sounds unimportant but one speed bump was ahead of a crosswalk at the zoo, with many people crossing. it has also accelerated for longer periods (30 seconds) on the highway. i did not report this to toyota because my in-laws prius did the same thing, only they almost had an accident and when they reported it to toyota, they were told that there was no problem with their car. they ended up selling it out of fear. the momentary accelerations happen frequently. the longer acceleration has happened twice, about 6 months ago. *tr

The brakes "slip" when driving over a bump or pothole in the road. this experience is similar to what has been described in the 2010 prius model recall. i am driving a 2005 prius hybrid and have experienced similar slips since i purchased the vehicle in october of 2005. to date the slipping has not resulted in a crash, injury or failure however i have had some close calls. *tr

Car seizing up in 2005 prius when i go over large bumps in the road-- have experienced this problem continuously over past 2 1/2 years since i bought the car in may 2007 with 19,000 miles. i have seen reports that this problem has been reported in the 2010 prius and a very large recall is about to happen, but i just want you to be aware that i have experience the same problem in my 2005.

The prius braking problem is not limited to 2010 models. i have a 2005 prius and have noticed that after applying the brakes, if the car moves over an uneven or slick surface, the brakes seem to disengage for a moment. an example is applying the brakes while traveling over a crosswalk stripe that has been moistened by fog or rain. the car seems to lurch forward as the brakes seem to disengage and the slip indicator light comes on. then the brakes come back on. this can be somewhat disconcerting and could be hazardous if there were an obstacle or pedestrian immediately ahead. *tr

On my 2005 toyota prius, i have occasionally experienced, when braking, if there is a bump in the road or the road is a little slick, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second. the most recent time was february 1, 2010. *tr

Just heard a report about brake issues with the 2010 prius. my 2005 prius does the exact same thing - sometimes accelerates when pushing the brake pedal on bumpy roads or streets with potholes. this is an ongoing issue that has happened on numerous occasions. *tr

2005 toyota prius - when applying brake lightly in the phase of slowing down, as i go over a defect in the road, the car speeds up immediately until i put heavy pressure on the brake and the car stops. this has happened several times. the dealer has test driven the car and has not been able to reconstruct the defect which is intermittent. their response is disbelief! approximate incident date is latest date but problem has been there all along. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 15 mph over rail road tracks the vehicle accelerated while his foot was on the brake pedal. the failure occurred approximately 12 times last year. the dealer was not contacted. no repairs have been made. the failure mileage was 45000. the current mileage was 56000. updated 3/8/10 *cn updated 06/04/10.*jb

I bought a new toyota prius in 2005. when the vehicle rides over uneven pavement the stability control makes the car quickly lurch forward. this has happened dozens of times over the past five years. recently, i have had a problem with my brakes in icy conditions. i was cruising at about 15 mph to a stop sign, not on snow, it was just below freezing that day, when i applied the foot brake i felt no resistance in the pedal. i could feel the abs system disengage for about 3 seconds. i could not stop the car using the brakes so i rolled to a stop. this happened again a few minutes later. *tr

I have been driving my 2005 prius for 5 years and have experienced the following nearly 20 times, when braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second. and the vsc light on the dash will go on for a short time. *tr

Abs & stability control lights stay on. dealer says that systems are faulty. not a warranty repair!!??!!! n.b.: it would help consumers if your complaint-search function would allow simultaneous searches for model of multiple years; and, for keywords so that results would appear regardless of whether complainant has chosen a different--or, even, an incorrect--category of equipment. *tr

'05 toyota prius. chronic failure of antilock brakes and of vehicle stability control. toyota dealers repair shop claims that this is to be fixed at my expense. seems to me that important safety defects should be repaired for free. how many like-complaints have you rec'd.? *tr

Toyota prius braking issues - pre 2010 models. on jan 18th, while approaching a traffic light on wet pavement, i applied the brakes on my 2005 prius and felt what appeared to be a slight delay in the brakes engaging. i firmly believe this contributed to my sliding out into the intersection and hitting another vehicle. had i stopped an inch or two earlier i would not have hit the other vehicle. toyota has admitted to its dealers that there are braking issues with its 2010 model and i believe these issues may go back to previous models also. the hybrid system has not changed significantly in the past 5 to 6 years. toyota should be required to thoroughly test this system on all prius models. *tr

Temporary loss of braking when going over a pothole or rippled surface. i have reported this twice to the toyota dealer, but was told this is just the way abs works. the new york times reports today this is a problem with the 2010 prius, but this has been happening in my 2005 prius since the beginning. *tr

2005 toyota prius stalled while driving and in motion. i own a 2005 toyota prius that i had just driven on highway about 25 miles and then was on local road. the vehicle stalled without any warning and all lights came on. the car was not responsive to gas and engine was shut. so i had to pull over. the car will not start and had to be towed to the dealer. fortunately, it was during off peak time and i was on local road. if it had been during peak time and on highway, the consequences would have been significantly different. the dealer had no technical details as to why this happened. he said it was software issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. whenever the contact attempted to apply the brakes while driving approximately 25 mph over a bump in the road, the brakes did not fully engage which increased the stopping distance. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer and the contact has noticed the failure since the day the vehicle was purchased. the current and failure mileages were 47000.

05 toyota prius ( my car) was running at 25 miles/hour in local traffic. i found the car in front of me was slowed down, so i stepped down my prius' brake firmly. my prius's response the event of brake being stepped down was not agile enough , so prius hit the front car's back bumper. i would like to report this sluggish of prius brake to figure out whether my car's safety is compromised or not. *tr

I own a 2005 toyota prius and i want to report that there is a problem with the anti-lock brake system in that model as well. during the 4 1/2/ years that i have owned the car there have been three incidents where the abs system took too long to kick in. in two of those incidents, if there had been one more second before the brakes worked, i would have been in an accident. all these incidents occurred on smoothly paved freeways. i want it to be known that the abs failure is occurring in 2005 models and on smooth pavement. during my ownership of the car the brake pads have been replaced but this did not prevent the abs failure from happening again. the incident date i am including is the most recent time this happened on the north 5 freeway in los angeles in december 2009. *tr

I read lots of news reports yesterday that the 2010 prius has a braking issue when run over speed bumps. my 2005 prius has a similar behavior which semi-known cause which might explain this, while being slightly dangerous in another way. when one drives a 2005 prius too fast over a speed bump, or through another situation which causes the car to think one of its wheels is slipping or spinning at a different rate than the others, the car temporarily (as i believe is in the instruction manual) flashes a briefly appearing indicator light on the front panel indicating it is slipping, and temporarily cuts back on engine power. avoiding this requires knowing the driving behavior of the prius, and i wonder if this is the behavior certain 2010 prius owners may be noting. {if one is looking at the road and scared by the sudden drop in engine power, one may never look down at the dash to see the indicator flash for 1-2 seconds either.} normally this is might seem like reasonable, but this becomes potentially extremely hazardous should one try to make a sharp right turn onto a higher-speed main road (40 mph+) from a dead stop on a side road with a high rate of acceleration to attempt merge into high-volume, fast-moving traffic. in such cases (especially if water is present, but even if the road is dry), i have had the anti-skid feature kick in and cut back on engine power for a half-second or so, which risks stalling the car temporarily in front of an oncoming vehicle. as a result, i try not to do any maneuvers like this, even though other cars often can "burn rubber" a bit and do this. nothing has been done to attempt to correct the issue, as it is presumed to be normal behavior for the car, and i never had a car with anti-skid abilities before. seeing this was common for me at first, but is now somewhat rare (less than once/month) due to changing my driving habits. (my2005 prius lacks vehicle stability control; but has the standard anti-skid safety feature.) *tr

My daughter was driving our 2005 prius at about 30 miles an hour at approximately 3pm when she saw a truck stop approximately 300 feet ahead of her. she applied the brakes but the prius did not stop and collided with the truck causing a total loss of the prius. the road surface was wet from snow and the temperature was approximately 34 degrees. although the car was heavily damaged the air bags did not deploy. this crash could have resulted from a brake problem or unintended acceleration. *tr

Right headlight is intermittent on my 2005 toyota prius. i will be driving down the road and it will go off. if i turn off my light off and back on it comes back on. *tr

My 2005 prius has the same braking problem that has been identified in the news as only occurring in the 2010 model. anytime i am braking and hit an uneven road surface i feel a loss of my ability to brake. it seems like the car stops braking if you hit a pothole or bump while you are pressing the brake. it only lasts for a few seconds then the car starts to brake again. *tr

2005 toyota prius there have been multiple occasions when as i have neared an intersection at the same time as hitting a depression or pothole in the road, my car, while my foot if on the brake bringing the car to a stop has jumped forward. there is one place on my way to work where this has happened many times. since my foot is already on the brake i press harder and the acceleration stops. fortunately this has never happened when there was a car or pedestrian directly in front of me. i am concerned though that it could cause harm in the future or that it could get worse or totally out of control. i see no evidence that this has anything to do with the gas pedal. i never did anything about it because it was so momentary, i was always able to stop it. and it never occurred to me that it could get worse or totally out of control.. based, however, on what i've read, it doesn't sound like toyota would do anything about it even if i did bring it there for repair. putting something under the gas pedal is not going to fix this problem. *tr

Clearance problem between brake pedal and accelerator. while exiting from a major highway as i attempted to slow down on the off ramp my foot got trapped between the brake pedal and the accelerator. this caused the car to accelerate and i tried to brake with my left foot which caused my right foot to further depress the accelerator. i was now at the end of the ramp at an intersection where i was able to turn right and i was able to remove my left foot from the brake, free my right foot and brake with my right foot. if there had been any cars coming through the intersection there would have been an accident. the clearance between the brake pedal and accelerator needs to be increased or perhaps install a small floor mounted divider between the brake pedal and accelerator so that the right foot can not get under the brake pedal. *tr

My toyota prius 2005 has the same braking issue as described in the media today for the 2010 model. in addition, the skid control causes a sudden power loss during acceleration in similar situations to the problems described with braking failures in the 2010 model (potholes, even small bumps in the road, rapid acceleration around curves, in addition to when there is ice on the road) that reportedly has been fixed. although the complete power loss lasts less than a second recovery of power is slow enough to have stranded me in front of oncoming traffic waiting for acceleration in a number situations where there was no risk associated with loss of traction. i contacted toyota several years ago and tried filed a complaint (i was really persistent), but they refused to recognize this as a design flaw saying only that the vehicle was functioning as designed. when i pointed out that the vehicle, as designed, was dangerous, they only reiterated that it was functioning properly and refused to take further action. it felt to me that they were concerned that admitting the problem could avalanche into a problem similar to what they have now. please note that this is a recurring and persistent issue that has occurred numerous times since i have owned the car (four plus years). *tr

Pulling away from the curb, on a slope, my 2005 prius did not respond to the brake pedal and the engine continued to accelerate. at the bottom of the slope (hundreds of feet), the brake stopped the car just at a very busy, fast moving intersection. i told this to the floor mat recall desk (as my floor mat was fine) and they insisted i call a different number, which i neglected to do. *tr

I own a 2005 toyota prius. occasionally, and almost always in rain, the car jerks when i come to a complete stop or attempt to accelerate after coming to a complete stop. *tr

I have a 2005 toyota prius. when it was 8 months old, probably already with more than 10,000 miles on it, it suddenly stopped on the highway when it was running. it was fixed by a toyota dealership in wellesley, ma and they said the problem was with the codes for the electronic throttle (something i knew nothing about at the time). they said however that they needed to get codes from california. i don't know if they knew at that time about an existing broader problem but didn't want to tell me, since i was a new toyota prius owner at the time. i found it puzzling that they could not fix the problem locally. lately, i've been hearing about the recall of various toyota cars so i wanted to let you know about my prius just in case: 1) sometimes, when the car is put in park, the engine suddenly revs up for no reason (i'm not pressing on the gas pedal) 2) very occasionally, i drive over a pothole and as the car is re-contacting the ground, the engine again seems to rev up. this has not resulted in an actual serious acceleration yet i don't believe that there is any problem with the floor mats or pedals. the floor mats fit nicely around the pedals. aside from the above, my toyota, which i drive a lot (it has more than 100,000 miles already) has done rather well, with minimal serious problems. i've been good about getting it serviced regularly. please feel free to contact me with questions. *tr

I drive a 2005 toyota prius. i recently heard about toyota admitting there is a problem with the braking system. i have experienced this problem in my driving. when i either begin braking or have been braking and hit a pothole or rough pavement, it feels like the prius stops braking momentarily and then quickly resumes. the duration is maybe a second, but a lot can happen in a second. luckily this lapse in braking hasn't happened when there has been a car right in front of me. i think if it did, i would hit the car because i have no control of this braking lapse. i am concerned about this and if this is a defect that could be fixed, why wouldn't it be fixed. this has been an ongoing issue from when i first bought the prius in 2008. i didn't think about complaining until i just read the news article recently. *tr

I have a 2005 prius that has an extra option of stability control. the car does as others are reporting in the 2010 models. if i hit a bump or icy patch while applying the brake or as i am applying the brake the car lurches forward and the brake does not engage. thus far i am able to hit harder and hold the brake a second time and the car then behaves as expected and stops. *tr

I have a 2005 toyota prius with about 80k miles. when braking, the car jerked forward into an intersection almost hitting another car. there were no special weather conditions to report when this happened and i was driving at a normal speed before braking. this has happened about three times. *tr

I realize you've just opened an investigation into 2010 prius' surging forward on their own, but you need to know it happens with earlier models. i've been keeping a close eye on the toyota problems because i have a 2005 prius. and i have the same exact problem with surges that's been reported as 'only' a 2010 model problem. it's not. whenever i go over a pothole, or bumps in the road, or even sometimes, a wet surface (if it's raining) my car will surge forward without me having used the gas. i kept waiting for something like this to be mentioned in the reports but today is the first time i've heard it. it could easily be replicated in my car, if tested. it does it everytime. i've never hit anyone, though i've been close to rear-ending other cars before. it happens without my foot being on the gas or even the brake. then once i slam on the brake it will stop. however, the car does this surge all on it's own. i'm growing more concerned about it and am growing scared about driving my prius. i used to love it-- now i want to trade it in for a ford! please help. the latest incident was a few weeks ago-- during some rain. *tr

This morning's ap story about the nhtsa looking into allegations of momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over uneven road surfaces, potholes or bumps in 2010 priuses jogged my memory about this having happened several times to me in my 2005 prius. i can't state dates, but i'd say that every 3 months or so, i will brake where the road is uneven, the slip indicator lights up on the dashboard, and i feel a loss of control just for a moment until i feel the car regain control. maybe that's just the antilock brakes kicking in, but it is an uneasy feeling. *tr

I just read about the 2010 prius braking complaints. i have a 2005 prius and constantly experience what is being described. every time i hit a bump or a pot hole, the prius lunges forward especially if i'm braking at the time. also, when i brake on slick roads i often experience the prius' brakes not engaging as they should. once i tried to make a right hand turn, going a proper rate of speed, on a snow covered road. the prius' brakes did not engage enough to slow the vehicle in order to make the turn. i was forced to go straight through the intersection in order to avoid a collision. this "problem" has been present since we purchased the vehicle in 2005. i knew it was the computer system causing the anomaly, but i figured that i just needed to get used to it. now, after reading the media reports, i believe this is infact a problem with my vehicles sensors and software. *tr

Please be advised that the braking problem in the toyota prius is not a 2010 model problem only. i complained to my dealer at least 3 years ago that my 2005 prius lurched forward when braking on bump or even a manhole cover. they did not consider it a serious problem at the time. your investigation needs to go back to earlier models! *tr

I have a 2005 toyota prius. while driving my prius at a low rate of speed, under 5 miles per hour, in the rain, i was unable to stop the vehicle. the brakes ceased to work. i glided into the back of a very large suv. while his car was not damage and neither of us were injured my car crumpled. there was no reason for this accident to occur other than the brakes not engaging. i am very very concerned about driving my car in the rain in stop and go traffic. the dealership has told me repeatedly there is nothing wrong with the prius braking system. i have seen discussion boards were many people were complaining about this exact same issue. *tr

My 2005 toyota prius, exhibits the same symptoms of acceleration, skidding effect when hitting a bump and braking, as today's report of the 2010 prius doing the same thing. i thought it has been the anti-skidding mechanism all these years, but the description of this malady in the 2010 prius sounds like my 2005. *tr

Temporary loss of speed control when hitting uneven surface (pothole) during braking. has occurred on at least two or three occasions recently (based on my recollection following announcement of braking issue with 2010 toyota prius). i was able to regain control of the car with no other consequences (stayed on road; didn't hit another car or pedestrian). *tr

I was driving approximately 35 mph and braking upon approaching a curve and a metal plate on the road about 40 feet before a stop sign. the car accelerated momentarily (surged) on the uneven surface, for less than 1 second. as i drove this stretch of road once per week, i then approached it more slowly. at lower speeds, the braking problem did not occur, but weeks when i forgot to drive more slowly, the braking problem recurred (not sure of the hit rate - perhaps 40% of the time at ~35 mph). i am uncertain of the dates: very roughly, april 2009 - september 2009, while the metal plate was in place. // i have experienced a braking problem on one other occasion on a straight stretch of uneven road, going about 35 mph and over a pothole. this was approximately january 1, 2010. once again, the car accelerated/surged for less than 1 second. *tr

Brakes have begun to exhibit unusual behavior: inconsistent pressure to achieve the same stopping distance. sometimes, inexplicably, the brakes are extremely sensitive...an extremely slight pressure leads to a sudden stop, almost like the brakes are jamming or grabbing something inside. it's a bit scary when it happens, because the wheels feel like they are going to lock up, and it's hard to control exactly where the car stops. *tr

2005 toyota prius loss of control over vehicle after skidding over ice or snow, traveling on local road. the car went over snow that had been shoveled to that area, or fallen from a truck. the car immediately turn sharply to the left and then right, repeating this weird action about 4 times, gathering more speed with each movement. finally, i applied the brake with force and narrowly missed a tree by about 6 inches, and a parked van. i landed on top of a heap of soft snow, that must have been plowed into that spot, which kept the car from moving because the wheels had nothing to grip . up to now the vehicle had performed well, with the exception of the small battery that failed when the vehicle was only a few months. i had to pay out pocket for the replacement. the vehicle now has 119,000 miles. and now i will go shopping for another brand. i am a fleet administrator, i know this problem is very serious. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 50 mph he was going over a ridged roads with her foot on the brake pedal the would vehicle accelerated on its own. the failure has occurred everyday for approximately 2 years . the dealer has not been contacted. no repairs have been made. the failure mileage was 70,000. the current mileage was 99,000.

I have a 2005 prius. three times, the car has surged for a few seconds while stepping on the brake. the first time it happened i was slowing to make a right turn. i reported it to the dealer on 5-25-05. i was told that sometimes that's the way the brakes operate. another puzzling occurrence which i reported to the dealer on 4-25-06, was that sometimes when i step on the gas, nothing happens, and then it surges forward. *tr

Our 2005 toyota prius surges when we are braking, coming to a stop and pass over a mound or pothole, that is, any irregularity in the road's surface. this has happened many times, and luckily, no collision has yet occurred. *tr

Applying brakes when going over slight road disturbances causes complete loss of braking temporarily, followed by a brief surge (acceleration). no other vehicle i've owned has had this problem. additionally slight road disturbances (mild bumps) cause traction control to turn on inappropriately. no other vehicle i've owned has had this problem. the dealer (specifically the sales person) was initially contacted in 2005 about these issues and it was reported back to me that this was normal. now i am finding out that many other owners are complaining about this problem, some of them in brand new 2010 vehicles. the initial incident date is aug 2005, but the problem continues to this day. *tr

I was driving my 2005 prius on a residential street going approximately 20 mph approaching a stop sign. there were no other cars on the street. as i touched the brake pedal i felt a big thump like i was hit from behind but no other car was present. the weather was clear and the street was dry and smooth. i've owned the car about 7 months and have had no other similar problem. i am unsure what caused the incident. *tr

Sudden acceleration problem when braking in light rain; multiple occurrences * model year: 2005 * make: toyota * model: prius * component: antilock brakes before i bought my car, i went on a test drive of a prius with the salesman in the car. during the test drive, it began to rain lightly. when i approached a stop sign, i stepped on the brakes, and the car suddenly accelerated for a few seconds before slowing down and stopping. i asked the salesman next to me what that was all about. "that's the antilock brake system; isn't it great?" in fact, it was greatly terrifying. when i bought my own car, i also found that in a light rain, the car also consistently accelerates briefly before slowing down and stopping the car. this happened on many occasions, and now i do my best to avoid driving in the rain unless it is absolutely necessary. i realize that there have been many complaints about sudden acceleration lately, but this seems to be different from what is being looked at in that it only occurs (so far) on slippery roads, it only lasts a few seconds, and it occurs when i step on the brakes, not when i release the gas pedal. i've always allowed plenty of room for braking and so far have not crashed, but i'm hoping you'll find a solution besides luck to deal with this problem. *tr

I have a 2005 prius and have an intermittent problem with the head lights. one of them will turn off but if i turn off the lights and turn them back on, the headlight comes on. i have heard of similar problems with other prius, i feel this is a safety issue, and possible a design issue/flaw since the condition is intermittent (not related to loose wires per my toyota dealer) and could result in total loss of lights. so far, both headlights have not shut off at the same time, but both are affected. *tw

The odometer on toyota prius 2005 stop working. for prius model, it is called the combination meter. this is because this meter is working in conjunction w/ the start/stop button and on board computer to put the car in drive/neutral/reversed or park. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving 5 mph attempting to park her vehicle it accelerated into a trailer hitch on a truck. the contacts license plate fell off of the vehicle, the bumper and vehicle had minor damages. there were no injuries. there was no need to contact the police and there were no damages to the other vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the toyota representative stated that there were no problems with the vehicle. the toyota manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 75,000.

My 2005 hid headlight on the driver's side went out at 78,000 miles. the auto parts store looked up my car info and sold me two bulbs for $50.00. after trying to replace them myself, i called quality toyota in ft walton beach, fl. they quoted me $150 for labor if i had my own bulbs. upon arrival, they said my bulbs were not correct, and wanted to charge me an additional $300 per bulb, plus the $150 labor. i declined, checked the internet, and am appalled that after so many complaints with the same year, make, and model, toyota hasn't been forced to recall for this reason. this is a major safety hazard, for which toyota is obligated to fix. *cn

I have 2005 prius and it is my 3rd time that hid head light went off last two times i paid over $800 to replace it but this time i cant afford i am driving with one head light only i have 78000 miles on it. *tr