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The odd-looking Toyota Prius is consistently at or near the top of consumer satisfaction surveys and its owners are always eager to assure you that they are doing their part to help humanity, save the environment and, perhaps most important, get into the car pool/HOV lanes.
That's all fine but if everyone drove a battery-equipped hybrid today, there would be a huge toxic waste problem when it came time to scrap the batteries. Also, there is some question about just how economical and reliable these cars will be longterm. It's great the new owners like their cars but such surveys really tell us nothing about what happens two, three and four years down the road, now do they?
If you're considering a Prius, or any hybrid, take a close look at the complaints in this section. There are some unexpected costs -- higher insurance rates, for example -- and it's likely you'll face odd problems that may not be as easy to diagnose as those that afflict traditional gas-powered engines.
Also, not to be a wet blanket but it's worth noting that the Prius has not one but two engines -- one gas, one electric. For those who believe that Murphy's Law is still in force, that's twice as many possibilities for trouble.
Some, like Andrea, have already had a rather thorough sampling of the potential problems:
Andrea of Plano TX (7/8/03):
My complaints are numerous (2001 Toyota Prius):
1. Front end alignment -- cause unknown. Several alignments, still doesn't track well.
2. Gas gauge/tank problems -- went from 45.0mg to 29.5 mpg - took several trips to get the problem "solved" -- not sure that it is totally solved. Consumption screen is screwy and so is the gas gauge. Also told car loses gas mileage as they get older -- car was only a year or so old and a Prius doesn't use gas when stopped.
3. Rack and pinion steering -- several trips to service before they agreed there's a problem and fixed it.
4. 3rd set of tires -- 18,000, 36,000 and about 45,000 miles
5. Accelerator assembly quit in rush hour traffic -- fixed, took two trips. There's still a noticeable drop in power, almost daily.
Most problems "fixed" but I don't trust this car nor do I trust Toyota of Richardson Tex to fix my car. The second trip for the accelerator I was told there was nothing wrong with the car, but the "sticky" place disappeared after second trip. They didn't want to admit they were wrong.
Here are some of the reports we've received from other Prius owners:
Thomas of Louisville CO (07/07/08)
We bought a 2008 Prius in early May and have about 2000 miles on it. The car runs perfectly and we are getting just slightly under 60 miles per gallon. I'll file another report in a year, but judging by my experience and the relatively few complaints you have listed, I'd say the Prius is a good buy.
Richard of Ventura CA (07/03/08)
In December 2008 I bought a new Toyota Prius from another dealership out of town (Thousand Oaks). I just took it into (Ventura Toyota)for the 5000 service. At that time was getting an average of 45mph and up. I'm the only driver and very caught up in max mpg thing. The Prius makes it real easy with it's computer assisted dash display. After my service my mpg dropped to 38/39. I ran a comlete tank of gas through it before I went back to let them know something isn't right.
My upset has fallen on deff ears and they refuse to assist in looking for the problem. They keep claiming opperator use and mpg's very, but there is something still wrong with my car. I feel like I am doing damage to my engine and will not get the life expectency I deserve. Not to mention the stress & hastle to find out what's wrong on my own. The factory said I was upset because the dealer didn't agree with me.....they were correct.
Allen of Bessemer MI (07/02/08)
While accellerating into traffic on US-2 WB from Country Club Road in Gogebic County, Michigan, the throttle on my new Prius (4,000 miles) stuck wide open. I was able to maintain 55 mph by sporadic breaking and finally managed to brake to a stop. While the engine was in the accellerating mode, I was unable to shift to neutral, shut the engine off, or otherwise stop the vehicle. After I was finally able to brake to a stop (with both electric and gas engines still drawing full power), the engine did shut down for a few seconds and I was able to hit the power button and shut the engine off. I thought, at this time, that whatever was wrong would have rectified itself, so I restarted the car with the power button, while in park. The engine returned to it's normal idle cylcle, but as soon as I put the shift lever into drive, the engine again began racing and as I was now in heavy traffic in a 40 mph zone, I had to maintain steady pressure on the brake pedal to keep the car within a safe speed and lane usage. The engine (both gas and electric) now applied more power as I was breaking and before I was able to pull off the street, the brakes were smoking so badly my brother thought thew car was on fire. Once into the parking lot of a local bank, and stopped, the engine again paused briefly and I shut it down with the power button. While this engine racing was taking place, I tried to shift to neutral, hit the park switch, the power putton, stepped on and off the throttle pedal repeatedly, and switched the cruise control button on and off several times. The only succesfull remedy was to brake down through full applied power to a stop, with smoking brakes and wait for a pause in engine rpm. If I waited for more than a second or two, the high revs would resume and run high for several more seconds. My Toyota dealer advised me that they could find nothing wrong, test drove the car for 10 miles and had no recurrence. They also suggested that my floor mat had become stuck on the throttle pedal causing the incident. The service manager (Eric Bolen) stated that Toyota maintained that this rampant throttle run was IMPOSSIBLE I am a retired Michigan State Trooper especially trained in accident investigation and reconstruction, a former Cummins Diesel mecahnic and have installed several after market cruise controlls on at least three different makes of vehicles, so I am very familiar with mechanical and electronic systems. I am also quite experience in dealing with emergency driving situations after spending 25 years on the road as an enforcement officer. After being told about the floor mat excuse, and knowing that I had tried to step on and release the accellerator pedal over and over while the incident was happening, I did take the time to place the floor mat both over and jam it under the pedal.......neither tactics were able to jam the pedal's movement. In spite of Toyota's claim that this condition is impossible, I have enough experience with vehicles and emergency driving situations to know that this actually did happen, was not a matter of a floor mat getting jammed either on or under the accellerator pedal, and in fact was the result of some internal operating system glitch. At this juncture, I have no complaint with our Toyota dealer or their employees, and the vehicle seems to be functioning normally now. I am concerned that Toyota has not addressed this as a safety issue, however. Had this happened with my wife driving, I am sure this would not have come to a safe conclusion. We are still driving this vehicle but I have instructed her in how to handle a simililar condition should it recure. Thank you for providing a forum for getting this information out. If necessary I can provide vehicle VIN etc for more thorough evaluation.
Jarko of Louisville CO (07/01/08)
Joe Benton at consumer affairs published an article Unexpected Problems Confront Prius Owners which contains many inaccuracies, lies, and misleading statements about the Prius. Clearly, he has no clue about how a hybrid works, and he is possibly also intentionally misleading potential customers. For example, Battery failure More than one Prius owner has returned from a business trip or vacation to find their hybrid dead in the garage with no power and unable to start. Jump-starting the Prius can be tricky. The enormous and expensive main battery is easily damaged and convincing Toyota to replace the battery is difficult, This clearly shows that Joe has no clue about the batteries in the Prius. It is the small 12V battery that causes the car not to start up (not the big one). This battery can be easily jump started by any other car. He also talks about tire wear of the 2002 Prius. This is irrelevant for the vast majority of Prius owners who bought one since 2004. Joe also states: But so few Prius owners have obtained the 60 mpg that the Japanese automaker eventually backed off the claim, blaming the error on Environmental protection Agency fuel mileage testing. This is FALSE. Toyota never back off those numbers. The laws dictate that the carmakers can only publish numbers from the EPA. The EPA recently revised their MPG tests for all cars.
Joe's lies and misleading statements have caused a few potential Prius owners to reconsider their purchase. This has slightly lessened the long waiting lists for the Prius and may lower overcharging by Toyota dealers, causing them a loss in income. ConsumerAffairs.com is also hurt by this slanderous article.
Thank you for your interest in ConsumerAffaris.Com Jarko.
Joe Benton
Kurt of Fort Worth TX (06/28/08)
Subject: 2008/2009 Toyota Prius With the lease on my soon-to-be discontinued Jaguar X-Type up in September 2008, I've made several contacts with Dallas-Fort Worth dealerships concerning purchasing a 2008/2009 Prius. I learned there is only one DFW story. With waiting lists now exceeding six-plus months, I have been told every 2008 Prius is now delivered at at least $3,000 above sticker. With two customers bidding driving the final out-the-door price to $5,000 above sticker on the only Prius arrival at a certain DFW Toyota dealership this past week. One very seasoned sales professional we've used for years to lease business vehicled from noted it's now impossible to reach break-even on fuel cost savings in less than 5-8 years on any Prius being sold. The Camry Hybrid availability is better, yet, the most modestly appointed is now fetching a few cents under $30,000, with a 3-4 miles per gallon gain on the highway over the $17,000 4-cylinder gas version, that $13,000 difference can buy a lot of $4, $6, $8, and even $10 gas! One very important point to add...the professional we've been leasing Toyotas from for business over many years, literally refused to place us on the Prius list saying the gouging made him sick.
Ed of Dalla PA (06/28/08)
I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS WIH MY TWO PRIUS AUTOS I HAVE OWNED IN 2002. We have traveled well over 70,000 miles without a mishap. The few times I have had starting the car was when my smart key and cell phone were in the same pocket. We recently drove from Dallas to Estes Park (change in elevation of about 8500 feet, total of 870 miles) and a fully packed car and got 52.2 mpg. Furthermore, I know of a lot people who own a Prius and I have never heard a complaint from them. IMHO, I have owned a lot of cars in my life and none has given me more satisfaction as Prius.
Anna of Keizer OR (06/24/08)
My Prius had the brakes go out (luckily for me it was under warranty and I had a Toyota staff person advocate for my warranty so it was honored) however, after reaching 100,000 miles, my display is now starting to show the same signs as some of the other people are complaining about the monitor turning off the radio, or a/c while I'm driving.
When I asked for the diagnoistic to be done on my monitor, I was simply told that the monitor needed to be replaced and the dealer wouldn't do the diagonistic for the screen period.
James of Huntingtown MD (06/20/08)
I have just read the comments of a person who reported problems with their Toyota Prius gas capacity. I have had a related issue. I noticed that the range the car could drive on a single tank varied significantly over the course of 12 months. Summer I could go 520 Miles with a single fill while winter it drops to around 400 or less. Related to this was the amount of gas I could put into the car. In summer and empty tank would take up to 9.7 gallons while in winter it would take around 8. When I asked the Toyota service department about this they explained that the tank is actually a bladder and that capacity varies with the temperature.
While I have never run out of gas with this car (like the other individual reporting this problem), it is something that should be stressed to drivers and included in the manual. Looking at miles driven as an indicator of how far you can go on a tank can easily get you into serious trouble. Toyota has produced a spectacular vehicle in the Prius, but they would be well served to apply some of that advanced engineering to the cars fuel guage...
Matthew of Mesa AZ (06/19/08)
I have an '08 Prius...and it's a great automobile....because I use it for for what it's specifically engineered for! I'm sorry the people on this website are having problems or have experienced injury and loss. But honestly, most of what I have read shows me a total lack of intelligence and common sense. I am astounded that people are actually trying to use this car in conditions I'd hesitate driving my Tundra truck with a V-8 in. The Prius is engineered for urban, in-town, moderate road conditions...Not the Alaskan bush country! If you need to drive up a steep gravel incline or blizzard to get home every day, BUY A VEHICLE DESIGNED TO USE THAT WAY for God's sake! And I'm sorry...but getting an attorney involved in a situation he or she knows absolutely nothing about is ludicrous. The novel-length diatribe accusing Toyota of ignoring a supposed defect with brake failure is comical. If brakes are worn down to metal-on-metal, it's a case of long-term brake usage and ignorance of the owner-operator...not Toyota. I really like the guy who expected to get 60 MPG on a USED '05 Prius. Yeah, 60 MPG...on a used car no less. Idiot. Try a motorcycle dude. You also might try reading the specs on the car before you buy it. That will help take away some of the disappointment. Hey people...they're cars...they break. Name me one car that doesn't have problems. The problem I see in most of these complaints is unrealistic expectations by owners, poor knowledge of basic automotive engineering principles, and lack of common sense. Ignorant people + automobiles. Bad combination.
Arie of Nethanya, Israel (06/19/08)
After a wait list of 3 months I finally got my new 2008 Prius, witch by the way here in Israel costs 47000 $ and not 23K$ as in the states. I began to drive the car and I liked it, but when I calculated the fuel consumption, I found out that it drinks fuel like Russian drinks vodka. Actually 15.5 liters per 100Km , but this is not the only problem. I have an EV button that should let the car run with the electrical engine until 50Km/h, unfortunately there are times when the EV just refuses to work and on the screen it writes some invalid work add and beeps 3 times. I know all the rules about how it should work: the battery must show 4 bars or more and the car must be under 45Km/h without accelerating the car. I showed the problem 3 times to the technician at Toyota Nethanya , we drove the car together 3 times, also once I took with me their big boss (CEO) and he told me after he saw the problem that this is not a car problem , this it how it should go because all the heat sensors the battery has , about the high fuel consumption he told me that my driving is to be blamed, even that I showed him that I drive very moderate . They run some diagnostics and told me everything passed . They want me to meet some Toyota specialist that can meet me only Wednesdays once two weeks in the morning until 12. I explained them that this problem happened only after 12 when it is hotter and the car must be driven more the 2 hours in the heat, they told me this is the best they can do. I am so sorry I bought Toyota Prius , I consider to sell it after only less the 2000 Km I drove with it, hope no one from Israel is reading this.
Geo of Huntsburg OH (06/15/08)
we bought a new 2002 toyota prius and with 20,000 miles on our original set and 50000 on our 2nd set we now have to buy a 3rd set of tires because the outer tread has worn down to the radial. these tires are supposed to last 65000 miles and neither toyota nor bridgestone will do anything about this potentially life threatening problem. We had the tires rotated, balanced and aligned as needed. In my opinion, if you want a eco freindly car buy a honda.
John of Winchester OR (06/13/08)
i made a righthand turn into trafic there was a small amount of rainwater on the road the tirer started to spin the car came to a stop on its own this was on a very bussy road i pushed the gas again and again . after a very long 12 or 15 sec. the tirer stopped spining and down the road i went. i,m glad the cares coming at me saw what was going on and gave me room. the car is dangerous. someone must make toyoya fix this.Don't get me started about trying to get up a gravel road; time to get out and push.
Michael of Willits CA (06/12/08)
The Traction Control system on my 2008 Toyota Prius is worthless. I have a steep gravel driveway that is extremely hard to climb due to the unnecessary engine cut outs, especially if there is any extra weight in the rear of the car. The engines quit when the computer senses any type of slippage; worse in the summer when gravel is dry. Also there are very noticeable engine cut outs when just going over bumps on level pavement. My previous Prius, a 2002, would slip a bit on the same driveway but I had much more control over the car and the speed compared to the new 2008, very acceptable. Heavier tires with more rubber on the road made little difference with the 2002; I expect the same when I get better tires on the 2008. Had I known about the problem with this earlier, as I have just found reported on the internet, I would not have purchased this car. I think Toyota should recall and correct these cars' problem. Perhaps a trade in on a 2009 model with optional on/off Traction Control as found in many other vehicles would work for me and others. The trade in could be prorated like the warranty on tires. But I should not have to take a big loss on selling the car after disclosing this problem to a potential buyer; Toyota should eat that loss. The argument that shutting down the power to the front wheels in all cases of slippage is ridiculous. If the issue of over spining the electric motor is the reason for this system, as pointed out in some of the chat rooms, how did the earlier years of Prius, such as the 2002 I had, get by without any such issues coming forward? I am now considering selling my 2008 Prius for something that works safely for me. Toyota should have informed the buying public of this limitation once it became an issue back in 2004 instead of denying the problem. I would join a class action suit against Toyota to get them to make this right. I appreciate Toyota for being on the cutting edge of technology and making sensible cars for our times but Toyota also has to take responsibility for their mistakes along the way. This Traction Control system is the worst thing to come along in a long time. Thank you for this forum.
Darlene of Woodland WA (06/11/08)
Well, it is official from Toyota Corporate ... if you do happen to have challenges filling your gas tank ... there is NO fix ... Toyota notes that 6 - 7 gallons at a fill up is normal! As having owned MANY cars, what is not normal is being able to acutally fill your gas tank.- ... :-( I am perosnally astounded and saddened that this design flaw has not yet been corrected, after years of complaints by Prius owners. Here is the response from Toyota Corporate ... you will note that they do encourage comments from owners. (You may also wish to contact and file complaints with the BBB, NHTSA, your state's Attroney General, Consumer Reports, and the NCDS - National Center for Dispute Settlement over the issues you are having with your Prius!) Subject Re: Prius gas tank safety issues Dear Ms. : We apologize with your dissatisfaction with the fuel tank bladder in your 2008 Prius. As your Case Manager explained to you, this is the design of the fuel tank and there is no repair available to change the design. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know of your dissatisfaction with the fuel tank bladder because the only way we know what our customers are looking for is when they tell us, as you have. We try to scope our customers out in advance, by researching the market, conducting interviews, surveys, focus groups and doing our homework, but there's no better source than a Toyota owner who takes the time to tell us like it is. We can't guarantee that a change would be made, but if it were, it would be driven by just this sort of honest communication. We have documented your email at our National Headquarters under file #. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us. Sincerely, Toyota Customer Experience
Chris of Casper WY (06/10/08)
We just bought a used 05 Prius and thought it would be great to get 60 miles/ gallon. Like others who hoped for 60 miles/gallon we have been disappointed. The on board computer reads about 41 to 43 around town. I have not figured the mileage by the old fashoined way but my guess is it is less than the computer. We have been huge Toyota fans for many years but this is really a huge letdown for our Toyota loyalty. We have had the vehicle for about a week and are thinking of selling it. Subaru or Honda are very appealing.
Joanne of Toronto, Canada (06/10/08)
I decided to buy a Prius but the wait list where I live is quite long. Also with the dollar currency, it would be cheaper to buy it in the US. After numerous emails and phone calls, and giving a bank draft for the amount. I decided to make it simple and had not even negotiated, but just took the car with all the options--easy sale you would think. After discussing all the details, I arrived on the agreed upon day to pick up the car. I looked over the documents and realized they had not filled out the documents for title properly and had not filed the documents properly!! I had given up my leased car. It took five months to get the documents filled out and filed properly.
Darlene of Woodland WA (06/08/08)
I have just read several stories of concern on: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/toyota_prius.html. There are MANY other websites that speak to Prius problems: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/01/prius_winter.html - http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1205be - http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/2008-prius-fuel-tank-capacity.html - http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-main-forum/10650-prius-fuel-tank.html - http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f10/problem-putting-gas-prius-1611/ - these are just the ones I have stumbled across.
I am SICK to my stomach. I have TRUSTED Toyota for YEARS to provide a SAFE and RELIABLE vehicle. I traded in my 2007 Toyota Touring Avalon on my 2008 Toyota Prius ... NEVER even giving ONE thought that I was buying an UNSAFE and HAZARDOUS car. (Boy do I ever wish I still had the Avalon ...)
I have personally experienced the FAULTY gas tank design, fuel gauge that is ONLY at best a GUESS gauge, gas and air bubbling out when you TRY to fill the tank and the sheer fright of WONDERING if you are going to run out of gas when your tank shows a few bars left on the gauge.
Now, I am TOTALLY DISGUSTED to have discovered that my car very well may QUIT functioning in snow or slick conditions!!! I live where snow happens rarely, but rain happens ALL the time! I do drive in snow conditions often ... luckly is seems, not yet in this HAZARDOUS car.
I was SOOOO very EXCITED to take my new Prius on our recent road trip!!! Now I am nearly in tears realizing that I am driving, literally ... AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN ...
Luckily, as of today, there has not been any physical damage. Unfortunately, emotional damage and loss of faith in Toyota has happened.
Pat of Woodcroft, South Australia (06/06/08)
I bought a 2004 Toyota Prius a year ago, I have covered 30,000 kilometres in it over that year and I'm as happy as a pig in muck with my Prius. This is a fantastic car which uses about half the fuel of my last car, a 2 litre Camry. I have recently completed 2 long journeys of about 7,000 kilometres each, the first with wife and son, the last on my own. I have nothing but praise for this car. On the last trip I covered nearly 3000km over 2 days sleeping in the back when tired and I arrived fresh at my destination. The Toyota Prius is a great interstate car. It returned 5.1 litres per 100km on the open road speed limit while it achieves 4.2L/100km around town, totally awsome!
This kind of performance is going to cost me another $25,000 because my wife wants a Prius too!
Roger of Endicott NY (06/05/08)
Your article is misleading. I have owned my Prius for 4.5 years. I have checked my mpg against the computer on every fillup. The error is never more than a couple 10ths of a gallon. I average 48 mpg summer and 42 mpg winter. Whatever the Bloomington lady's problem is, it is not due to false advertising or an intentional computer bias caused by Toyota. Both my brother and a few friends get similar mileage.
Steven of Petersburg VA (06/05/08)
There are a lot of complaints about the Prius I see. I just wanted to give my two cents by saying that my Prius is a GREAT car. I bought it used for $18K in Jan 08 with 80K miles on the odometer. It now has over 100K and I am getting 57mpg city/highway combined. I easly go just under 600 miles on one tank before I have to refill. I would recommend a Prius to anyone (if you can find one) and I cannot wait until the price of the plug-in battery packs comes down. The battery packs are just too expensive right now, but as the price of gas goes up, the battery pack price will come down.
No damage just a great car.
Ginny of Cascade ID (06/03/08)
My new 2007 Prius Toyota with 5000 miles on it quit running. Would not start. Called dealer and had maintenance dept. walk me through a jump start as with these cars you do it under the front hood not in the back where the battery is. Car still would not start. They said have it towed in. I did have it towed in the 85 miles to the dealer. After several mis communication calls and two different reports on my car I found out they will not fix under warranty. Say I jumped it wrong. They say I caused the damage and that warranty is only for defective parts. How come the car wouldn't start in the first place? How could I do that much damage anyway? I was very carefull anyway and know red from back and positive from negative. Why did the mechanic walk me through the jump if it had potential to damage the hybrid system. Why didn't he just say to have the car towed in. They want me to pay a minimum of $4800 and maybe the towing which could be thousands more. I bought this car because of the high maintenance rating and know look what a mess I am in.
They want me to pay for the repair and estimate a minimum of $4800. Could be much more. I can not afford a lawyer, and feel they should fix the car under warranty. How do I know it is not a lemon. Have read several articles about these cars just stoping (after I had already purchasedone...all the reviews were flowing on the purchase sites)
Mark of Kingfisher OK (06/02/08)
My wife and I just purchased a 2008 Prius Touring edition from Northcutt Toyota in Enid, Oklahoma. The salesman Jeff Wagner was absolutely the best salesman I have ever had the pleasure to deal with. As for prices of insurance we insured our new Prius through State Farm with 100/300/100 coverage with a $500.00 deductible paying $52.00 a month/$624.00 a year. Both of us have a great driving record but I have very poor credit. It is possible that those receiving high insurance rates, such as $1500.00 a year, are receiving that rate because of poor credit, even if they have a great dirving record. Most all insurance companies run credit reports and AllState insurance is one that will charge you more for auto insurance due to poor credit and/or cancel you if its really bad (I know this from experience). I suggest checking with all insurance companies as it is possible to get a decent rate for the Prius, it just takes time to find the right insurance provider.
Darlene of Woodland WA (06/02/08)
We just got back from an over 2000 mile road trip. There was an area where we needed a full tank of gas. We stopped to fill up in Ashland Oregon (the gas is pumped for you here) and thought the tank was full. After switching drivers ... not quite 83 miles later ... we were down to four clicks on the fuel gauge!!! Luckily, there was ONE last station before we headed into an area of no gas stations. I filled up and managed to nearly fill the tank. We called our local Toyotal dealer on Tuesday May 26th to report the issue and never received a call back even though I talked to a live person! (This tech noted that this was becoming an issue, even though Toyota was not acknowlodging it!) I did not get a call back ... I called again on Friday after we managed to get home. Mine you, each fill up took extroadnory measures (pulling the pump nosile nearly entirely out of the tank ...) which seems a HUGE safety risk JUST to fill a gas tank! and then filling the tank REALLY REALLY slowly and the letting the AIR bubble out a couple of times ... JUST to get a FULL tank of gas!!!!!!!!! Also on our road trip we ran into another Prius owner at a reststop. He owned a 2005 Prius. We asked if he has any challenges with filling his tank. He did and was told that it had to do with the ambient temprature! I passed on that I was told that there was a bladder and that there were many issues with trying to fill up a Prius. In addition to the fuel gauge NOT working and the average fuel guage NOT working ... long stroy not so short ... the Prius does get reasonable fuel ecomomy (my 1989 Honday civic got 39MPG) this fuel tank, gas guage, average mileage, is a HUGE saftey issue!!! I cannot count on the gas guage to tell me when I am low on gas ... since it takes nearly 200 miles for one tick to tick off ... I cannot count on the average mileage to tell me when to fill up ... I have to look at the miles driven and guess about 40MPG at when to fill up! I tell you ... I have had several Toyotas, but not one where I had NO IDEA as to what or when I needed to fill up!!!!!! !
J.j. of Cranberry Township PA (05/27/08)
I am writing concerning some issues with the Toyota sales staff that at some dealerships in western Pennsylvania who have displayed very unprofessional behavior and poorly represented Toyota. My wife and I are contemplating purchasing a Toyota Prius. We have been very excited about this prospect and have been motivated buyers to say the least. On Wednesday May 21, 2008, I made several calls to local Toyota dealerships in Western, PA (Baierl Dealership in Mars, PA, North Hills Dealership, McKnight, PA, and Diehl Toyota in Butler, PA. I asked the sales representatives at Baierl and North Hills about Prius availability and was treated very rudely and told that I would not have any luck at any other dealership. It was obvious that they did not want to sell me a Prius or any other type of car. I then called the Diehl Toyota dealer in Butler, PA. I was thrilled when I spoke to a sales representative named Todd who told me that the dealership had six Prius available and that we could test drive one. On Saturday May 24, 2008, my wife and I went to Diehl Toyota and an employee approached us and asked us if he could help. We told him that we wished to test drive a Prius and he told us that the dealership did not have any available. I was confused and told him that I spoke to Todd and that he said there were six available. The man frowned and told me that he would look for Todd. After 10 minutes of waiting, we went in search of this man and while we were wandering the dealership a different Diehl employee approached us and asked if he could help. We told him what we were there for and once again we got told that they did not have a Prius to test drive. He also told us that Todd had gone home for the day. I believe this man was the sales manager, Brandon Znosko. I once again relayed what Todd had told me, and miraculously, Todd appeared a few minutes later. Todd introduced himself to us and then immediately followed this up by telling us, You have me for fifteen minutes because Im going to the hockey game in Detroit tonight.? Apparently this was more important than providing any type of customer service. He then hurriedly took us to the suddenly existent Prius collection on the side lot and we took one for a rushed test drive. During the entire experience it was obvious that he had no interest in selling us the car. I then asked Todd if there was another sales person available who could take the time to assist us with our questions and describe the cars features. The answer was No?. He did not apologize and suggest setting up an appointment at a later day, nor did he attempt to set us up with another representative upon our return. Todd also explained that this fleet of Prius cars was technically not part of the inventory and were being used as rentals. But for a $1000 deposit we could hold one until July. So it appears the cars are for sale, but also not for sale. This appears to be a way around some corporate directive asking the dealership to not sell the Prius. At the conclusion, I informed Todd that we were impressed with the car and would probably buy one. But not from Diehl. Additionally, I generally get my Jeep serviced at Diehl Jeep. Not anymore. I was appalled at the level of customer service at Diehl and I cannot believe that any franchise owner or manager would allow this type of behavior from his employees.
Ted of Eagle CO (05/26/08)
On August 10, 2008 my wife, Elizabeth James, experienced an unintended acceleration of our Prius resulting in a totalled car and long term minor injuries for her (chronic back pain, obstructed intestines). I am pasting her accident report to the police below.
NHSTA has checked out our after market floor mats which could have caused the problem but my wife claims that they were not the problem, that she looked at her feet to be sure they were on the brakes and the mats were still in their usual place as they had been for almost 10 months.
Here is what she states on the morning after the accident:
I was alone, driving my 2005 Toyota Prius. I was traveling from my home in Eagle, Colorado, in route to Denver International Airport to fly to Little Rock, Arkansas to visit my father. At approximately 7:45 am I was driving eastbound on I-70. I had passed the intersection of I-70 and US Hwy 40 and was watching my speed, as the limit was 65 mph. I was in the right hand lane. I had to apply my brakes to keep the speed at 65 mph. I noticed that when I let up on the brake the car was starting to speed up even though I was not pressing on the accelerator. I had not been using the cruise control. I was going downhill so at first it did not occur to me that there was a problem. Suddenly the car started to accelerate. No matter how hard I pressed on the brake, the car would not slow down. While keeping my right foot on the brake I slammed my left foot on the emergency brake and saw the red light go on, indicating that I had engaged the emergency brake. The car continued to speed up. When I looked at the speedometer I was going 90 miles per hour. I was quickly approaching the car in front of me, unable to slow down. I passed that car on the right hand shoulder and then saw an exit ramp ahead (exit 233, Lawson).
I exited off I-70 and proceeded down the Lawson ramp, I continued to press as hard as I could on both brakes and the car was not slowing at all. In my rear view mirror I saw blue smoke coming out of the back of the car. I traveled through the stop sign and continued down the frontage road through the town of Lawson. I saw some pedestrians walking on the right hand side of the road. After passing the pedestrians I saw that the road was curving to the left, going under an underpass to 1-70. I went straight ahead, leaving the road and crashed through the forest. This whole time I had been pressing on both brakes, and the car was not slowing down at all. I felt the car tumbling and was aware of the air bags deploying. I finally came to a stop.
I tried to find my cell phone but when I saw that I was in the river I crawled out of the car, waded through the water, over rocks and tree limbs and climbed up a steep embankment to the highway to get assistance. I am hurt. I have intense back and neck pain, as well as pain in my right ankle and heel. I am extremely sore all over with some scrapes and bruises.
This is husband Ted again, I am working on a video to put on youtube where I have some photos of the car in the river plus video and photos I shot of the car and the accident scene plus footage I shot when the Toyota engineer was evaluating the vehicle.
Toyota's official postion at this point is that the accident was caused by her brakes being worn out prior to the incident.
Here is text from a letter sent by my lawyer to a legal claims employee with Toyota:
December 5, 2006
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Troy H Higa Claims Administrator
Legal Department
19001 South Western Ave Torrance, CA 90501
RE: Toyota Reference FCRP200609051499, 2005 Toyota Prius, VIN#JTDKB20U657045329 Dear Mr. Higa: I received your letter via fax, dated October 23, 2006. Frankly, I was disappointed in the approach taken by Toyota with regard to this accident and the defect in your product. I firmly believe this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of this defect, and it is clearly a problem which Toyota Motor Company needs to address.
By the grace of God, Elizabeth was not injured more seriously or killed as a result of this defect. It was only her quick reactions and level headedness which avoided injuries to the public or greater property damage.
The sales of Prius vehicles are quite brisk and this defect represents a huge safety concern for the public. The long-term cost to Toyota is going to be much greater if Toyota continues its present course and merely ignores this defect. This entire strategy is out of line with Toyotas stated policy and guiding principles. It is possible, I guess, that only Mrs. James vehicle was defective, but I will be surprised if that, in fact, turns out to be true. Continuing to ignore this problem in the long-term will mean greater injuries on the road and possible deaths.
One of Toyotas guiding principles is the protection of the public and the promotion of public safety. Ignoring this defect, particularly when Toyota is in a unique position to determine the source of the defect is unconscionable.
One of Toyotas guiding principles is that it strives to provide clean and safe products.
This defect creates a totally unreasonable risk to public safety. The current course taken by Toyota is not a morally appropriate or financially advantageous strategy. Toyota should be working, in earnest, to determine precisely what caused this vehicle to accelerate and why this acceleration was not disengaged when the brakes were applied. The goal of Toyota should be to earnestly investigate this defect and get it remedied before further injuries occur or lives are lost.
I am amazed at the shallowness of Toyotas analysis in this case. I expected more from the number one car maker in the world. The James have been loyal Toyota customers over the years having purchased three Toyota vehicles. The clinets have purchased Toyota vehicles for their quality and innovation. Toyota has always presented itself as company committed to quality and serving the needs of its customers. Ending the analysis with a determination of brake failure is extremely short-sighted and does not reflect a commitment to producing safe products or to meeting the needs of the customers.
Given this vehicles unintended and uncontrollable acceleration, one would expect the brakes on this vehicle to be completely used up. The fact that the brake linings are completely worn down to the metal illustrates only the efforts she was putting forth to attempt to stop this vehicle.
Toyotas conclusion that this accident was caused by excessive brake wear is simply a diversion to avoid determining the true source of the defect. In our telephone conversation and in your letter, you indicate there were signs of previous brake wear. I would like to know what evidence you have to support this conclusion.
The brake shoes and pads were taken down to the shear metal in an attempt to stop this vehicle. I can see no evidence which would point to prior excessive brake wear. This vehicle was less than a year old and had approximately 14,000 miles on it. Brake wear is simply not an acceptable answer.
Your analysis in this case is an inch deep and falls far short of the rigorous analysis necessary to find the source of the defect and the remedy to ensure the public safety. Mrs. James was not the first one to experience this unintended acceleration. Apparently, an individual in Woodland Hills, California had a similar experience. See attached National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report dated June 15, 2006.
This is not an isolated incident. The grades and weight of this vehicle do not support a conclusion of improper brake usage. There was no problem with the brakes prior to the accident. My client is a 48 year old school teacher and mother of two. She is a highly experienced driver with an impeccable driving record. She has traveled the mountains of Colorado for many years and is very experienced with mountain driving. She has lived in the mountains of Colorado years without incident.
Driver error does not make any sense and is simply a rouse to avoid Toyotas taking responsibility for its clearly defective product. I have attached a series of photos for your review. The grades and weight of the vehicle do not support Toyotas conclusion of worn brakes. The James Prius was not heavily loaded semi where brake failure could be a plausible answer. This was a woman with no passengers traveling on a Blue Bird day that had her car take off like a missile.
She used everything within her means to get this vehicle stopped resulting in the brake linings being completely destroyed. Stopping the analysis at brake failure is simply Toyotas way of avoiding a truth that they have a defective product which needs to be fixed. I sincerely hope Toyota is not involved in some sort of cost benefit analysis in choosing to ignore this defect. Mr. and Mrs. James continue to be hopeful that Toyota will step up to the mark and take responsibility for their defective product. The Toyota literature is full of lofty goals and pronouncements about being a global citizen.
This is where the rubber meets the road, is Toyota going to stand up and be a responsible citizen and take responsibility for its defective product? I anticipate having the little black box and computer from this vehicle examined and the data from those components read. It is my understanding that we may need additional information from Toyota to understand the codes we get from these components. Please let me know if Toyota will agree to provide this information without the need for formal discovery, or not. Please let me know within ten days if Toyota intends to change its position from that which was expressed in your October 23, 2006 letter so I can begin to make preparations to file suit without delay.
At present, I dont have any indication that serious injuries were involved in this accident, but certainly with the vehicle crashing into a gas station the potential for a real tragedy was present. The defect in these vehicles needs to be remedied before someone is killed. By my count this is the fourth incident which I am aware of involving a Toyota Prius failing to respond to the driver and accelerating out of control.
These incidents have occurred in California, Michigan, Colorado and now Washington. I am sure Toyota has heard about many more. Contrary to Toyotas public statements, public safety appears to be low on the priority list. It appears Toyota has adopted the dollars and cents approach to defects i.e. until the costs get too high no sense in trying to figure out what the defect is or try to remedy it?. You are on notice, the Toyota Prius is defective and the defect is of such a nature that serious injury and death may occur.
My client continues to want to find the source of the problem and be sure it is fixed to avoid future injury and possible loss of life. If Toyota changes its position and wants to determine the source of the defect to avoid future injury or loss of life, my clients Toyota Prius remains available for analysis.
The car was totalled. We still have it stored away as possible evidence for a court case. Our statue of limitations in Colorado runs out on August 9th of this coming summer.
Bob of Edmonton, Canada (05/26/08)
This problem has appeared 3 times on this site and involves the 2004 Prius. The monitor shows that there is a bad connection of the air conditioner. Sometimes the radio will cut out and especially going over a bump in the road the display shows no power coming from gas or battery. The rest works but when we took it in the dealer did not know what was wrong but said that it was not a conection to the air conditioner. We had bought the extended warrenty but the milage was over by 1000 km. or 600 miles. They replaced the monitor at $3500. but a week later the same thing is happening. It goes back tommorrow but after praising the Prius for 5 years have little good to say about the PR work and honisty of the dealers. Will log on to tell you the rest of the story as it unfolds.
Greg of Huntington Beach CA (05/25/08)
Severe troubles with the traction Control System on toyota Prius. In snow or Ice conditions the wheel lock up due to the traction control system and leaving me stranded in snowy conditions.
Almost resulted in my car sliding from a stand still off the side of the road down an embackment. People had to hold the car from sliding. Was not able to accelerate while they guided me and pushed me.This is dangerous and modifications need to be done to the computer software to allow more control for snowy or icey conditions.
Thomas of Princeton TX (05/19/08)
I have 40,000+ miles on my Prius, I have owned the 2007 model for 1 year. I tis rock solid, and with what little common sense I have; I have not had any of the problems reported by the people above::: Makes me wonder, why am I not having any proplems, doesn't seem fair, because I don't have anyone to blame for my lack of common sense. Why didn;t I get a car that has problems, then I could complain too.
Awesome CAR! I wish I had two of them.
Dean of New Rochelle NY (05/15/08)
The Toyota Prius nearly killed a mechanic and me today, literally. I had the car stored for months in my flat level driveway for a relative who is traveling abroad. Naturally, the battery went dead after not being driven during this time. So, I had a mechanic come and he started the engine today. While the Prius engine was running, both the mechanic and myself were half in and half outside the car; the mechanic by the driver side and me by the passenger side. The car suddenly lunged in reverse and the driver side opened door of the Prius totally destroyed my car driver side door parked along side it, and somehow the mechanic brought the car to a stop. The mechanic claims the Prius was in neutral but the brake had been applied when it suddenly, with no warning, accelerated in reverse. Im thankful we escaped without injury but now I have a hefty expense to replace my car door. Just imagine if someone had been behind the Prius today, they likely would have died.
James of Depew NY (05/15/08)
My 80 year old father experienced unintended acceleration while driving his 2006 Toyota Prius. He stood on the brakes, pulled over and shut the engine off. After restarting, the car behaved normally. The accelerator was not jammed by a carpet for floor mat. Contact with West-Herr Toyota has been initiated. The car cannot be trusted and will not be driven until the problem is satisfacorily resolved
No visible damage but the effect of the racing engine and full power braking on the car's longevity are unknown. My father will not drive the car so he has to drive his large pick up that guzzles gas and causes economic hardship. He also now owns a $23000 Prius that is unsafe to drive.
J. of Dublin, Ireland (05/15/08)
June 2004 Toyota Prius....28,800 miles. Computer Display unit on the dash-board has gone faulty. Toyota say its not covered on the 8yr Hybrid system warranty? They are looking for almost 3500 euro to replace it.....after ONLY 28,000 miles!!! Have been offered a Reconditioned unit for half the price? There must be a manufacturing problem with this unit??
Air-conditioning unit not working and radio also faulty, plus no read-out on display unit. A right pain to say the least!
Sherry of North Las Vegas NV (05/12/08)
I have a 2004 Prius. I need to update the GPS. It costs $350 and I find that usurius. It is totally unfair for it to cost so much to use a part of my totally paid for equipment. I am willing to pay for an update, but somewhere in the vicinity of $75 would be far fairer.
Jennnifer of Framingham MA (05/12/08)
I bought a Toyota Prius in the Summer of 06 and over the last two years have had to replace 6-7 tires on the car. In the last 15,000 miles I have replaced 3 tires and at my most recent service I was told that the rear passenger tire (a tire I had replaced in the last year) was threadbare and need to be replaced. I have replaced the tires for a variety of reasons including sidewall problems, flats, and worn tires. After suggesting that there might be a problem with the tires they have been putting on this car, I was told that the problem must be with my driving, not the car or it's tires. The dealer did replace one tire for free after I returned within one month of replacing that tire, but there has been no compensation or discount offered for any of the other tires. My main issue is that Toyota must be aware of these problems (an internet search revealed many people complaining of tire problems on their Priuses, but they do not give this information to the consumer. Furthermore, when I tried to suggest that there was a problem with the kind of tires they are placing on this car, they simply said they had not heard of any other complaints and the problem was probably due to my driving.
Each tire costs $125. I have replaced 6 (was told I need to replace an additional tire within the next couple weeks b/c it's threadbare).
Paget of Santa Monica CA (05/09/08)
I recently bought a Toyota Prius 2008. After one week I had a dead battery. I have since learned that the car is started with a small 12v battery and due to the size and number of items it runs on the car (radio, CD, air conditioning fan, alarm, smart key entry etc) the battery can go dead very quickly. if the car is not driven, the battery dies in 7 days. Even if you drive the car, it takes approx 10 hours of driving to fully charge the 12v. I have never read this in any of the research I did on this car. Obviously the Prius is a great car, BUT it has to fit the way you drive.
If you travel and don't use the car for days here and there or don't have at least a 30 minute commute daily, this car could be very problematic. In addition the normal tow truck drivers don't know how to properly jump start the car. For example the 12v battery is in the rear, but when the battery is dead the hatchback (electric latch) does not work.
Thus you must jump start it from a covered panel under the hood that connects to the actual battery in the rear--no one knows this. I was fortunate enough to buy the car from an exceptional dealer who has helped me with everything and is going to give me a battery tender, but people should know that this is not a trouble-free car. If you don't live near a dealer, don't want to hassle with charging the 12v battery or using a battery tender, if you travel a lot or if you get stuck in serious traffic (which could drain the battery if you use the air conditioning or heater), this car is probably not for you. (this is only referring to the 12 starter/auxiliary battery, not the hybrid/electric battery.)
I feel I bought this car without knowing the full ramifications about what it takes to maintain the battery and the lack of people/companies available to help with a problem should I not be near a Toyota dealer.
The full trouble and cost will be unknown until over time I have to deal with the problems. So far i have spent about 14 hours of my time on the first dead battery issue with taking back to the dealer, renting a car (dealer paid) and researching the issues. I am now afraid to drive the car on a long trip or away from a Toyota dealer. The car also has limited use as compared with a standard car which does not have to be babied.
All of this was unclear when I purchased the car.
Kevin of Rochester NY (05/09/08)
While test driving a Toyota Prius today the car accelerated on its own even though my foot was off the gas and on the break. The sales women was in the car with me and was as frightened. I drove the car about a half a mile before I could find a driveway to pull off on. By then the car was engulfed in smoke from the breaks over heating. I was finally able to pull off the road and stopped the acceleration when I tapped the accelerator. We drove the car back to the dealership to the service department. Upon telling the service person our story he commented that this happens all the time with this car and blamed the problem on the accelerator being caught in the floor mat. I immediately walked ou to the car opened the driver door, got on my hands and knees and examined the floor mat and then pushed the accelerator down to the floor and determined there was a inch distance between the mat and accelerator. Toyota has a problem they need to solve!
William of New York NY (05/07/08)
I have a 2006 Prius fully loaded. I was checking the tire pressure one day and had my hand in front of the tire. The engine kicked in, I guess to charge the battery and the car jerked forward an inch or two. Good thing I moved my hand quick enough. This is an accident waiting to happen. So becareful if you have it on park and the engine is on. In addition, when I'm waiting for someone in the streets and put it on park. When the engine kicks in, the car jerks forward. And you know, in NYC midtown area, there are alot of jay walkers. I hope they take this safety concern into consideraton in future models.
Michael of Placerville CA (04/25/08)
Toyota Prius balked (shut Down) when entering highway from a incline and we were not able to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. Repair costs to prius almost $10,000. Cannot get up drive way when it rains, snow makes the car start and stop often.
Summer of Redding CA (04/21/08)
I have an '06 Prius, and I love it! I also sell Toyota's and talk to Prius owners all the time - in fact - it was my customers that actually sold me on the car. As for the MPG results a lot of people are complaining about...... there is some 'technique' involved in getting the most out of the car. A good sales person will properly explain this... if you drive it like a 'normal' car - you are not maximizing it's potential. Hence, the reason the Energy Monitor screen is there - to help you be aware of your driving habits. In the city, for example, I can be driving at 35 MPH, and might be using the gas engine - getting maybe 45-70 MPG.... if you let off the gas pedal so the gas engine shuts off - then eggshell the gas pedal you can maintain the 35-40 MPH (on flat roads) and be using electric power only - getting 99 MPG. Awareness makes a HUGE difference in your MPG results. I typically average 44-52 MPG - depending on where I'm driving (freeway at 75 MPH I get 40 MPG; mountains I get 50+ MPG, in town I get about 45 MPG). If you want to better understand how to maximize the potential of this car - go to your local dealership and ask for a Hybrid Expert sales person, and have them go over the techniques that will make you a better hybrid driver. They are minor adjustments to typical driving habits that make a huge difference!
Vernon of Oconomowoc WI (04/12/08)
I put money down on a 2008 Prius with option package 2. The car was to be there in 3 or 4 days. I was called that my car was there and to come finish up the paperwork. It was raining and cold and the sales person took us out to the red Prius, explained a few things and gave me the key and left. I drove home and discovered that it did not have all of options 2. Only the AM/FM CD player. There is no Smart Key system, Backup camera. I don't know yet if it has the Vehicle Stability Contro. It is not listed on the window sticker I was given. This was yesterday 4/11/08. I live 60 miles away from the dealer.
Pat of Casco WI (04/10/08)
Bought an '07 prius in August, 07. no trouble until winter hit. then all kinds of trouble with fuel tank. bladder? first time we were told about it. they ought to be right up front about this! found out all winter that the bladder, the fuel pump nozzles, the outside temperature, the gas temperature, etc etc etc ad nauseum,,, dictates how much fuel you can put into the tank when the gauge says it's near empty! This is ridiculous in and of itself. but when the temp got to 45 degrees outside, finally... and I was able (with much joy) to actually FILL the blasted tank, it burped - with fuel spilling out... I am outraged by this design flaw, and further outraged by other design flaws affecting winter driving and have to wonder when are we going to STOP admiring the emporer's NEW CLOTHES and DEMAND that TOYOTA FIX this? other car manufacturers deal with recalls ALL the TIME and don't blink and eye: we have to expect toyota to step up to the plate, admit they made a mistake, and FIX IT !!!
Thomas of Tijeras NM (04/09/08)
I recently purchased a used 2004 Toyota Prius hybrid with 63,000 miles. It looks and runs like new and I like it very much, but it started snowing unexpectedly on the drive today. Two to three inches accumulated on my gravel driveway and dirt road as I live in the mountains of New Mexico.
I needed to leave the house for an errand and to my dismay it would not climb the slight grade out to the main road.The tires would not turn even with my foot to the floor. I took six runs at it before the snow packed enough to just bearly crawl out to the road. Once on the main road it refused to climb the first hill I encountered. I litteraly had to back down the hill against the traffic to the bottom of a blind hill hoping not to get hit.....in only two inches of snow!!!!!
I am in total dismay that a vehicle like this is allowed on American hiways....this car is scary and very dangerous. I commute 30 miles in each direction and is the sole reason I bought such an economicalrunning car. It is 30 miles uphill into the mountains from work and is snowy or muddy for many months of the year. My community is filled with two wheel drive vehicles and they would never have a problem is such conditions.
I have owned two wheel drive vehicles, even front wheel drive cars that would have not even the slightest problem. I also own a fleet of trucks for my business that are two wheel drive and we drive them in the snow all winter...this is a horrible problem and it needs to fixed. This rediculous traction control is uneffective, dangerous and has rendered this vehicle useless to me for days,or weeks at time!
I am having a hard time comprehending how such a massive blunder has gone on unfixed....If I drive home in good weather and it snows at night....I am stranded at my house....and then the grader pushes extra snow into the drive as it does it job. I can't get a little momentum to get out! I firmly believe that Toyota must be forced to fix this issue with a recall...this car is dangerous since the driver has limeted control of the cars actions. I am very discourged and angered that I won't be able to use this during winter and the spring thaw......it is absurd!!!!!! I will buy the best snow tires I can and carychains so I'm not stranded on the road somewhere while little cars with bald tires drive right on by.
On the upside, this car is normally fun to drive, and gets great milage, just can't use it!
Ben of Paris TN (04/08/08)
06 prius since Oct 06. I drive normal- top speed 120, at 55-60 mph i get 60-55 mpg. At 75 mph i get 46 at 80 i get 35. It has to deal with a 4 cylinder pushing a heavy car. I had no problems yet other than losing a key fob and paying $273 to get it replaced and reprogrammed. BC
Bruce of Oak View CA (04/05/08)
The Prius is a very misunderstood car, particularly if you don't read the owner's manual. There are many helpful sites on the web - try Priuschat.com for helpful hints and to find other people with similar problems. From Prius_Technical_Stuff@yahoogroups.com web site, if you have problems driving in the snow:
1. Put on proper tires! (Preferably on four different wheels so that you don't take the chance of ruining them when you switch in the spring/fall.) Either Nokian WR or one of the modern studless snow tires from a first tier tire manufacturer (Michelin, Bridgestone, Nokian, Yokohama are). This is the most important thing you can do.
2. For most on road winter conditions, higher pressure helps more than lower pressure.
3. Be sure to use four snow tires.
4. If you are already stopped sometimes you need to tell the Prius that you really, really want to go. Slowly press the accelerator pedal down until movement happens. If you are not stopped, then light pedal pressure is best. Heavy pressure on the pedal will start the wheels spinning which will cause traction control (TC) to kick in, slowing the vehicle down even more. This is kind of the opposite of an old fashioned car so it requires a bit of practice.
5. There are some situations that no car will traverse, but in general you will be able to go anywhere that a car of similar ground clearance will go if you have the proper tires on. IMHO, the Prius is a fine winter car. It's kept me on the road when cars around me are slipping into the ditch. The vehicle stability control (VSC) is a feature that I wouldn't do without in any future cars. Most of the problems on Consumer Affais could have been avoided with proper owner training by the dealer sales force.
My experience with the Prius gas tank is that when the flashing icon starts, I set my trip odometer to zero and know that I can go another 50 to 75 miles before I need to fill up. Fill up is usually then about 9.5 to 10 gallons. The bladder gas tank helps fight global warming.
Joe of Helena MT (03/30/08)
I purchased a 2008 toyota prius tourng edition completly loaded. I was excpecting to get about 43 miles a gallon combined city and highway. I drive very normally no jack rabbit starts or high speeds just moderate driving most of it city driving. In the winter months in Montana the Prius routinely averaged 26 miles to the gallon(very dissapointing),We drove the car 3,500 hundred miles from Montana to San Diego and back. On this road trip the car averaged slightly above 36 mpg. The car has been checked by the dealer 3 times and to no avail they have not been able to correct the mpg. I have 3 other vehicles a BMW x-5 a mercedes 430 s and a jaguar xjs all of these vehicles get the mpg listed for each vehicle. I am stumped that Toyota can not find the challenge with my prius touring vehicle. I shall soon be approaching the lemon law clause if this is not resolved.
Linet of Phoenix AZ (03/25/08)
Purchased a Prius in April 2007. I read in the manufacturer's manual that the gas tank is 11.5 gallons. By October, when I filled up, the tank would take only 8.5 gallons. When I called the Service department, I was told that the cold weather prevented the gas tank bladder from expanding fully, but that as long as I was still getting 47.2 miles per gallon, that I should be happy. I wasn't. By the time the weather warmed up in February, the gas tank was still only taking 8.5 - 9 gallons, therefore, the story about the cold weather was a lie. When I called Toyota once again, I was told that there is a defect in the bladder, and that as long as the gas mileage does not decrease, there is no reason to replace the tank. I stated to them, that as long as this does not meet manufacturer specifications, it is a manufacturer defect, and must be replaced. They laughed at me! When my Husband, who also owns a Prius, and has experienced that exact same drop in gas tank volume, went in to has his oil changed, the service manager explained to him that when the gas tank is run down to a low volume, the tank gets air in it, and this prevents the bladder from expanding fully. The bladder never does recover its full original volume. I want the problem corrected, Toyota has so far blown off my concerns, and has not responded to my complaints.
Jerry of Auburn PA (03/23/08)
My wife purchased a new Toyota Prius on January 10, 2008. We live in the hilly terrain of Eastern Pennsylvania. We have been driving on snow covered roads for 50 years. Driving down a slippery hill, we engage a lower gear and the engine compression brakes and the brakes are pumped or held down if ABS equipped. There is no safe way to drive a Prius down a snow covered hill. A prospective buyer in our area should be warned before purchasing.
Karen of Oneonta NY (03/21/08)
2007 Prius. Same stalling problem on slippery surfaces as reported by others. It IS dangerous. I live in upstate New York and travel I-88 between Albany and Binghamton regularly. There are very steep hills on this route. In a recent snow storm, when traffic was going 25 - 30 mph on the interstate (except the semi's going 50), the Prius' engine started backing off when I was trying to go up a very steep hill. I thought it was going to stall in the middle of the interstate. I was white-knuckled for about an hour nursing the acceleration carefully to try to keep from stalling. If it had stalled, I would have been rear-ended. I found out about this problem only after I bought the car. If I had known it was this bad, I never would have bought it living where I do. I also have a VERY steep driveway (20%?). Needless to say, it usually stops about half-way up when it's slippery.
Joan of Rockport ME (03/21/08)
I have just read the complaints of the Prius in snow. I live in Maine and have a steep driveway and commute 80 miles per day to work. Good snow tires solved the problem
Scott of East Leroy MI (03/19/08)
I brounght my 2006 Toyota Prius in to have the drivers side headlight looked at, it was intermittent. The dealer said the headlight computer was bad, that was $600, luckily my extended warranty covered that, but they then said when the computer went bad it also took out the headlight, so I said fine what that going to cost $60-$70, no said the dealer it going to be $315, because its a Hi Intensity light, so I said go ahead and replace it. They order the light install it, drive it on bumpy roads to make sure they have the problem solved. I get a call now the passenger side headlight is intermittent, thats another $315, so I call the Toyota customer Experience Center to find out if there is another choice that would be less expensive, Jack, put me on hold looked it up and said no. I got back on the phone with the dealer and told him to go ahead and order the headlight for the passenger side. After I get of the phone I figured I would google 2006 Prius Headlight, a website called www2.partstrain.com, had it for $111.15. I called the dealer and cancelled the order for the passenger headlight, I asked if he could take out the drivers headlight too, he said he could but he would still charge me the $315 for the part. I am totally fine with being charge ALL LABOR associated with this job, but I think it's bull that A HEADLIGHT for a compact car cost $315 when the whole car was $23,500, I would totally understand that price on a Lexus or Infinity, but on a Prius? I feel the Customer experience center was not forth coming on my options. I have nothing negative to say about the dealership, I understand they have to buy the parts that are Toyota authorized.
Bill of Brentwood TN (03/19/08)
In Dec 04 Dale of Msp reports his Prius runs out of gas after using only 10 gallons - published tank capacity is 11.9. I just bought a 2008 Prius and have had the same problem twice - I deliberately ran out of gas to test the range of the tank. So, apparently Toyota still hasn't fixed the problem.
Anne of Topsham ME (03/17/08)
Overzealous (to say the least) traction control on Prius I have gotten stuck on my driveway more times than I care to recall. And that's with studded snow tires. The guys from Toyota may say it doesn't pose a safety problem, but he's full of you-know-what. You effectively lose power when TC takes over: if you are on a hill, you SLIDE uncontrollably. If we didn't have barriers keeping us from falling off the side of our steep driveway, I would have plunged 15 feet over the edge of the driveway more than once. The driveway pitch is indeed steep (15 degree pitch with a curve at its worst). My new trick is to back up the driveway to get home, but even this doesn't work if the car thinks it's too slick. I've gotten stuck at intersections that are steep- and if that's not dangerous, I don't know what is. I do not know what's keeping this ridiculous feature from being recalled. Toyota has no business marketing this vehicle in climates where the ground freezes. I've been told by the dealership that nobody has this problem. One look on the internet yielded lots of hits. If I cannot get the TC turned off, I'll likely get rid of the car. After all, it doesn't approach achieving its advertised fuel economy in town (maybe their standards were tests done in a flat dessert??)
Kathy of Torrance CA (03/13/08)
I am the owner of 2006 Prius. On February 25, 2008 at 8am heading to work, suddenly, the hazardous red light and the battery light went off on my dashboard screen and realized that my car was loosing power on busy 110 Harbor freeway north bound. I panicked not knowing what happened. The car became heavy and it started to slow down no matter how I pushed the accelerator.
I could not control the speed anymore. All I could think was to pull my car to the right shoulder and I barely made it to the nearest shoulder which was very narrow. I feared of the speeding cars approaching from behind thinking maybe one of the cars will eventually crash into me. I called above dealer right away but I was told that they would not know the problem until they see my car and suggested my car be towed. When my car got to the dealer, Sean first told me that things like this is most likely covered under warranty so he suggested leaving the car and rent a car.
The technician replaced the air filter with the new one because the air filter had accumulated oil but I was also told that this type of service was not covered under warranty and that I was responsible for the service/labor as well as the rentacar cost.
My car was at their shop few months ago for 20,000 oil change but he told me that this has nothing to do with what they did, it was not my fault either and there was nothing for me to do in the future to avoid the same problem. I was not thrilled with his response - I just didn't get it my most important thing was nothing but safety. After I told him that I plan to report this to the manufacturer, he went to talk to his supervisor and decided not to charge me.
Even though I didnt have to pay, I still was not happy not knowing why the oil got into the air filter. Sean didnt know the answer. As the mechanic, Steve who fixed my car left for training, I waited few days for his return. He said he learned that putting in too much oil in the oil filter can cause the oil to overflow to air filter and thus the oil can accumulate quicker and can cause the car to breakdown.
The normal service of replacing the air filter is usually after 60,000 miles. I then called Sean and repeated what the mechanic informed me and told him to educate the mechanic who did the oil change on my car few months ago and also inform his supervisor. He was sincere and apologized for the inconvenience I went through. I still cant get over the traumatic experience I went through that morning on 110 freeway and I am still paranoid off and on thinking, I hope this car doesnt stop again.
David of Mount Gretna PA (03/12/08)
I really like my Toyota Prius except when it is snowing. I was stopped on a slight incline and the traction control system would not let me get going. This was really distressing as a large truck was coming at me and I am sure he was wondering why I wasn't moving. The slush would cause the tires to slip and the control system would not let the tires spin enough to get a grip on the pavement. This could have caused a bad situation. I have been driving for more than 40 years and know how to drive in the snow. Would suggest a switch so that the driver could turn off the system.
David of Mount Gretna PA (03/12/08)
I really like my Toyota Prius except when it is snowing. I was stopped on a slight incline and the traction control system would not let me get going. This was really distressing as a large truck was coming at me and I am sure he was wondering why I wasn't moving. The slush would cause the tires to slip and the control system would not let the tires spin enough to get a grip on the pavement. This could have caused a bad situation. Would suggest a switch so that the driver could turn off the system.
Vesselin of Burlington, Canada (03/11/08)
Impossible to drive off in 2 inches of snow due to the wheel shut off of the 2007 Toyota Prius' traction control. This was on my driveway and on a parking lot. Thanks god it was not in real driving condition! Toyota, please give us the ability to shut down the traction control in such situations!
E. of Montebello NY (03/06/08)
On warm days when I use the air conditioning in my 2007 Toyota Prius, there is a smell of mold. I brought the car in for service and was told by Bob that the problem was my fault because I was circulating the air within the cab. He advised me to switch it to outside air. That was a lie. I've since learned that the car defaults to outside air. I brought the car in again to get service and this time they put some kind of awful smelling air freshener through the system. They insisted that the problem was not covered by the warranty, and I've paid for each service visit. I purchased the car last April and the warranty is expiring soon. Toyota has been playing cat and mouse with me. They assigned a case worker who leaves messages for me at home when I'm obviously at work. She then takes two days to get back to me. They are conciously running out the clock so that future repairs won't be covered under the warranty. In the meanwhile, the front passenger seat doesn't slide forward and the CD player won't fast forward or back. I'm afraid the very first new car I've ever had in my life is a disaster. Please help!
John of Pittsburgh PA (03/02/08)
This is the first winter I've driving my 2006 Toyota Prius. I am very concerned with how the car drives in ice and snow. It is extremely dangerous and I will not drive it if the is any chance of snow or ice on the roads. Just one of several times I was caught in a potentially dangerous driving condition. One dark snowy night, I was attempting to pull out onto a roadway and the wheels began to slip. Then the engine power cut back until the wheels stopped slipping. Every time I tried, the same think happened. I was in the middle of the intersection and the car would not advance forward. My car was sitting broadside in the road to oncoming traffic. There was another car behind my car before I pulled out. He is now at the stop sign. So now I cant go forward because the car stops when the wheels slip. And I cant backup out of the intersection because there is a car behind me. And now there is a car coming towards me broadside. Well with the help of a couple of very alert drivers (on that dark road) we were able to avoid a very serious accident. I live in Pennsylvania and Ive been driving in winter for over 40 years. And Ive driven all types of vehicles. It is my believe that this is not a safe car to drive in ice or snow. It is just a matter of time (if it hasnt happened already) before someone is seriously injured or is killed.
Bob of Columbiana AL (02/27/08)
I purchased a new Toyota Prius in 2004. Backing up is very dangerous. There is a bar across the rear window obscuring rear vision, the car is absolutely silent outside (electric motor)to a person behind me. There is a backing up beeper but it can only be heard inside the car! Toyota should minimize this danger by recalling for a rear camera, and an outside loud beeping backup noise.
Gerald of Carlsbad CA (02/23/08)
I have a 2004 Toyota Prius that has had only one fault in 70000 miles. From the day we brought it home the brakes have grabbed severely when first starting out in the morning and after the car sets for some hours. The agency keeps saying that it is moisture in the brakes and has to burn off. I have checked with several neighbors who own the vehicle and they do not experience that problem. I get no satisfaction from the dealer and am concerned that my warranty will expire before the problem is remedied.
Russell of Harwinton CT (02/22/08)
2006 prius will not go in 1 of snow or more the anti slip traction control kicks in and shuts down power to the wheels. I was entering a intersection on Rt 202 with a slight incline and the wheels slipped and I stopped in the middle of the incline. This almost caused an accident with on coming cars. Toyota dealer said the car was good in new england. He did not say only on sunny days
Josh of Long Branch NJ (02/21/08)
I have to report that I lost control of the 2007 Toyota Prius I was driving with two inches or less of snow on the road. The wheels completely stopped responding to acceleration, forcing me across a road resulting in a minor collision with no injuries, but a ticket for me. I can't believe Toyota can allow this condition to exist without remedy. How about a sensor that allows the gasoline engine to power the car in bad weather?
Dave of Groveland CA (02/16/08)
My 06 Prius has an intermittent problem with the HID lamp shutting off. After some research on the WEB, I see that this is a wide-spread problem with many 06 Prius owners with HID headlamp systems, and that replacement of the bulb does not solve the problem. This is a potentially dangerous situation, especially when BOTH lights can go out at night;(reports on line). While there have been no serious accidents or deaths because of this problem, I think it is just a matter of time until that occurs. Toyota USA should acknowledge the problem and do the right thing and stand behind the product that made it No. 1 in USA sales and recall and replace the defective part or parts before their success story becomes tarnished, or worse someone dies as a result of an accident where the headlamps failed at night.
Michael of Middletown NJ (02/12/08)
I had an experience today with a 2007 Toyota Prius that I had rented from Avis. I was excited to be able to rent a Prius for 10 days. Unfortunately, that excitement soon faded. I drove the car to work this morning, and by this afternoon it started to snow. My trip home was on the Garden State parkway, and all seemed fine with the handling in the snow. When I got off the Parkway, I headed home. The street I live on has a small uphill grade, and was snow covered, but not particularly icy. I stopped for the mail at the end of my driveway, which I do on a regular basis with my normal vehicle. When I went to accelerate to turn up my driveway, the front wheel spun (I was going as slow as the car would let me), and the car went backwards. I applied the brake, and it stopped. I again tried to accelerate, and again there was no forward motion, just the front end completely out of control. The anti-skid feature had been activated in the car, as indicated by an icon on the dashboard. No matter how slowly I tried to accelerate, the car went backwards, and depressing the gas further, actually stopped the front tires from turning altogether (I guess the car had taken control!!). I then tried to back up, and found that difficult as well. There was not much control, and the cars anti-skid was still lit on the dashboard. To make a long story short, I had to back up numerous times, almost two house lengths back, and still I was not able to get the front wheels to gain any traction because the computer would keep telling the engine to NOT apply power to the front wheels. I spent almost 1/2 hour trying to go the 50-75 feet forward, and finally was able to barely crawl, and then to gain enough traction to get forward momentum. The rental car only had 18,000 miles on it so the tires should have not been too worn. I also have been living in this location for almost 25 years, and know that there are times when things can be slippery, but this was totally a new experience in a vehicle that I have never experienced in all my years of driving. I know how to handle slippery roads, but this was a case of a single wheel slipping, and not both wheels, and as I said, it was more snow than ice, and in other vehicles (my wifes) it was no problem at all. I called the rental car company, and tomorrow morning will get a replacement vehicle, assuming that I can get to the rental place without a repeat of this experience. I did a google search and found that I am not the only person who has experienced this problem in a Toyota Prius. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/01/prius_snowbound.html The article describes exactly what happened to me. I'm not sure that the grade on my street was as significant as mentioned in the article. I find this to be unacceptable behavior in a passenger vehicle, and my dreams for the Prius have faded into the dust. Maybe an anti-skid cutoff button would have enabled me to proceed without this problem. Having a vehicle take total control and shut down power to the front wheels in totally unacceptable when trying to go 3-5 mph forward!!
Matt of Sunnyvale CA (02/12/08)
I am one of the first to buy a Prius in 2001. Now, after 130,000 miles of driving the main battery is dead. Toyota dealer is telling me the battery for the main battery was for 100,000 for my car, although the new Prius' come with 150,000 mile warranty. I have been told by the dealer (which I don't trust), that I am the 3rd Prius which required main battery replacement. Labor and part, plus tax: $4,500. Only a week before that I had to have a sensor, that helps air/fuel mix, replaced for nearly $400. Unfortunately, there is no third-party service provides who know how to fix Prius. The independent repair shops don't know about or scared to touch electronic/electrical stuff. Soooo, this means you are stuck with your Toyota dealer and Toyota's prices for parts... to the end.
Here is the big picture for future Prius owners: - Be prepared to pay a $4,500 for the main battery before 150,000 miles. Of course, you can buy a decent used car for the same price. Tough choice... - The car is loaded with electronics and solid state controllers. Be prepared to pay outrageous prices for diagnostics and repair (very rarely you will walk out with a bill costing under $300) - Do you know you will pay nearly $150 for having a duplicate key made to your Prius? That is because the key apparently has an anti-theft chip which has to be programmed by Toyota. Quite frankly, I am done being a maverick. I am not buying another hybrid car. When is hydrogen powered cars coming???
Margaret of Northlake Il IL (02/10/08)
I bought a preowned 03 Toyota Prius. The tires said 50# pressure which I thought was odd. I emailed Toyota with 2 questions and they answered one but ignored my question about the tire pressure. My dealership acted ignorant about it also. So I emailed Toyota again and said What tires came standard equipment on the 03 Prius? This time they responded and said We have no way of knowing that and told me what tires I should use. So I see all these problems people had on your website that people had with their Prius tires and realize now that Toyota was probably lying to me i.e. that they know there was a problem with those tires. And that the tires I have on with the unusual 50 psi are probably replacement tires that the original owner had to put on.
Matthew of Dayton OH (02/09/08)
This is a comment on the reports of traction control failure in the Toyota Prius during snowy conditions on hills. I live in Dayton, OH and have driven a Prius here since Feb 04 (35,000 miles). We get perhaps 20 snowy, slippery days a year.There are some steep hills where I live and the driveway to my house is fairly steep. I have never had any problem with power shut down as described. The ABS part of the system works perfectly.
Robert of Fort Mohave AZ (02/06/08)
Our Toyota Factory Navigation System in our 2008 Prius Touring Does Not Function As Advertised By Toyota. My Dealership Anderson Toyota in Kingman AZ. has done everything possible to assist in this matter. This Mavigation System Does Not Recognize and will not allow input of our listed home street address. Consequently, we are Unable to use the turn by turn navigation to any addresses or back to our home address? Toyota Customer Care blames this on the Navigation System Manufacturer, and the fact that this is considered a 'rural area' and is NOT mapped in detail by Navteq=System Manufacturer. Toyota stated to me just yesterday; Although you are experiencing continuous difficulties with your Navigation System, Toyota does not have a solution to the problem. You will need to PURCHASE Update Discs as they become available from the manufacturer? Toyota WILL NOT Supply you with these update discs as they are considered 'customer pay items'? The Factory Installed Navigation System Does Not Work As Is Advertised. My Dealership AND a Toyota Senior Field Tech BOTH Tried to Input my home address BUT Neither could get it to accept the address. The subdivison I live in has been in existance 15 years. All streets were mapped and platted out at the time of inception. County Maps, as well as the Local Phone Book Maps BOTH show this street! I asked for system update discs to be provided for me due to system failures. Toyota REFUSES to send them to me. WHY? That is the ONLY Solution making sense! UNLESS Toyota Wants To Refund Me The Price Of The Navigation System? As a sidenote; My wife was at Office Depot and input our home address in both the Tom Tom and Megellon aftermarket Navigation Systems. She HAD NO Problem with both accepting the address as well as providing Turn by Turn Directions Right To Our Home! It's a SAD Commentary when a cheap aftermarket system works much better than the VERY EXPENSIVE Factory System!
Heidi of Spokane WA (02/03/08)
I bought my 2007 Prius just over a year ago. It has been in the shop MANY times for various problems that seem like quality control issues, (ie: bolt missing on chassis, defective seat lock, rattle in dashboard, etc.) The biggest problem is that it is sitting in my garage and won't budge whenever there is the slightest bit of ice or gravel. Either the VSC or the Traction Control cause the brakes to lock. What good is a car that is unusable for many months of the year!?! Isn't that what buying a Toyota is supposed to prevent? My friends with Prius's are able to drive their cars, so I'm guessing that mine is a lemon. Also, my husband has the same problem, so it is not driver error.
L. of Milford DE (02/03/08)
I was driving to Strasburg, PA. It started snowing and there was about an inch of snow on the roads. Everytime I used my brakes to slow down, my car became a sled. I had to resort to driving around 8 - 10 miles per hour, not brake and do a lot of praying. I thought I was going to wind up spinning out of control and getting into an accident. At one point, I thought of parking the car in an available lot and calling my family to come and get me. Thank God that the vehicles behind me were patient with my inching along at such a slow speed.
Cognoscenta of Spring Valley CA (01/29/08)
I just want to respond with info re. the problem Dale and others had with fuel and fuel economy on the Prius. Here's my experience and what I found out today: I am getting great mileage, but about 4 months ago (at about 10K miles on my 2007 Prius), I noticed that I was getting fewer miles per tank than before. I had been getting 410-425 miles without breaking a sweat. My mpg was even improving at 42 mpg. I was completely dissed at the dealership when I went in to get this explained/fixed the first time.
The service specialist wrote down my complaint accurately (driving range but not mpg reduced), and after waiting 4 hours, he told me to replace the air filter. As I expected, this did nothing to affect the issue. However, today I called to find out about the fuel capacity of the tank and the fuel reserve that is left once the light starts flashing. I got a very helpful woman from the service department who told me that the gas tank is actually a bladder! This means that it collapses as it empties!
Furthermore, IF YOU ALLOW THE TANK TO COMPLETELY EMPTY, IT FILLS WITH AIR AND WILL NOT COMPLETELY FILL WITH GAS AFTER THAT. This is undoubtedly what happened in my case. This is something that is still under warranty and can be fixed, and I have high hopes of this being done. I have a service appointment tomorrow, and I will let you know what happens. I thought you might be interested to know what no one else, to my knowledge, has noted: That indeed the gas tank should be filled before it reaches empty to maintain maximum fuel capacity.
We might question the wisdom of putting a bladder tank in the car, but that's what's there, and there you have it.
Jeffrey of Los Angeles CA (01/29/08)
Yeah...the Japanese didn't bomb Pearl Harbor and the Toyota Prius gets 60 mph in the city...yeah. Try 35 if you're lucky...
Cynthia of Mandeville LA (01/28/08)
I purchased my Prius in Oct of 04 and approximately 6 mos later the gas mileage fell dramatically and I started having problems with electric system. They then replaced gas tank to no avail. I took it in multiple times, even between the hurricanes and never did they remedy the problem. I went from ~60 mpg to ~ 40 mpg. Lots of times they would say that I was wrong and so I took the gas mileage by keeping data gas tank to gas tank and indeed the mileage had fallen. I kept taking it in and had my mileage documented. One service man told me that Toyota falsely sets the initial gas mileage. Katrina hit our community and there was much delay in getting my car serviced, over and over again. For this reason the warranty and all should be extended. I recently had to replace the battery and despite having the big 100K warranty I had to pay for it.
J of Napa, CA (01/28/08)
I have a 2007 Toyota Prius I bought it as I believed the 60 MPG ads...which are a lie. I moved to Wisconsin and am lucky to get 42 MPG. I live 8 miles from work and then only get 38 MPH as the car doesn't warm up. The interior of the Silver Mica color shows EVERY tiny dirt spot and is impossible to keep clean. Aren't there agencies that watch dog these outrageous claims???
Mike of Medford OR (01/28/08)
I am a seasoned driver in the snow. I can drive front wheel drives, rear wheel drives and four wheel drives. I am a forester and have been driving in snowing conditions for 28 years, 22 of those years on the job. I just had my first experience driving my Toyota Prius in the snow today. The engine cut out all power anytime the wheels slipped at all. It made controlling the vehicle on an uphill climb almost impossible. It was very dangerous as you had no control as other vehicles came toward you, and once I lost momentum and could not start again. This was in 2 inches of wet snow on a 6% incline. I finally inched my way home and ended up putting chains on to back into my flat driveway with 2 inches of wet snow. This absolutely is a design flaw in the traction control on the Prius. The car seemed to perform better with tire chains on as I backed in my driveway but I was too afraid to take it back out on the road to test it because I thought I might hit somebody. This is a very poorly designed traction control system and if anyone denies it I would love to take them for a test drive tomorrow morning, or anytime there is a bit of wet snow on the road. I will be contacting toyota about this. It is just a matter of time before someone is injured, killed or stranded because of the cars performance in the snow. It's too bad because I have really enjoyed the car up until now.
Peter of Brookhaven PA (01/19/08)
My 2004 Prius w 49000 miles on it runs like a top! No problems whatsoever. I bought an extended bumper to bumper warranty just before the 36 K warranty ran out in case something does goes wrong but so far so good. I'm good til June 2010 or 75 K miles.
Andrew of Milwaukee WI (01/17/08)
I own a 2006 Toyota Prius. It has a very serious design flaw which Toyota denies and refuses to fix. In slippery conditions, if there is any wheel slippage, the car shuts down all power to the wheels leaving you without any control. When pulling out into traffic power to the wheels just dies if it's slippery (especially in snow) and leaves you helplessly exposed to oncoming traffic. I'm afraid to drive it in anything less than perfect conditions. Additionally, the car can't even climb a hill in snow. Other cars drive past me on both sides while my car refuses to apply any power to the wheels. People are going to get killed.
S. of Norco CA (01/13/08)
I bought 2007 Prius in Jan. 2007. Since I took it home, I noticed (1) it has rattling noise (when starting engine and stopping on traffic, (2) engine shakes, and (3) 44 miles on Hwy instead of 60 as promised. False representation and fraud. I took it back to Toyota dealership 4 times for the same complaints, but I was harassed and refused services under warranty. The manufacturer rep showed up at dealership and told me the 2007 Prius was as designed and refused to service my 2007 prius. He also refused to give me Toyota's corporate address or to file arbitration for resolution. The dealership managers and GMs are very hostile to threaten me out the door. I got a Toyota lemon. I do not recommend Toyota to anyone.
Maureen of Langley WA (01/13/08)
Dec. 1 snow, Prius stopped engine/battery power totally on medium uphill approach to driveway/garage resulting in car falling off driveway into ravine of trees.
S of Greenville SC (01/12/08)
My 2008 Prius is getting a very disappointing 35mpg around town. My dealer says it checks out fine on their computer. What am supposed to do now???
Rick of Williamsport PA (01/12/08)
My Prius gas gauge is stuck at 5 out of 10 bars. Filling it up makes not change, driving it makes no change. I see others are complaining about the accuracy of the gas gauge and the difficulty of completely filling the tank (both of which I experience), but not too many mention it getting stuck. Any Help?
Sam of Loomis CA (01/09/08)
Summary: After a series of problems with the Prius engine Roseville Toyota informed me that I needed to have the cars transmission replaced. The estimate for repairs is around $7,000, almost the value of the entire vehicle. I am disappointed that the quality of the Prius has been so poor, and naturally the vehicle is no longer covered by its warranty. Back Ground: 2003 Prius, Odometer reading 116,289. On 12/22/2008, I started the car and the Check Engine light appeared. I tried driving to the dealership, but the engines power failed after several miles, and I was towed to the dealership. The dealership informed me that the gasoline engine shut down and the battery ran out of juice. The dealership checked the sparkplugs and coils, detected slight misfire until warm but could not reproduce the problem. The cost of the service was $123.77.
On 12/27/2008, I started the car and the Check Engine light appeared again. The codes on the display looked as they had on 12/22, so I had the car towed to Roseville Toyota. The dealership discovered oil in the intake manifold as per a TSB. The dealership did not charge me for part of the repairs. The cost for the remainder of the repairs performed at this time was $126.44. On 01/04/2008, I was driving when an intermittent grinding noise began on both braking and acceleration. I found that the noise disappeared if I braked and accelerated extremely gently. I immediately drove to the dealership. When I went to the dealership, I was told that the problem could be as simple as a shim in the braking system that may have slipped out of position.
I authorized an estimate of $52.52. The following day, Michelle of the dealership called and told me that the brakes were fine but that the problem could be resolved by changing the sparkplugs. I orally authorized an estimate of about $150.00 (I dont remember the exact amount.). Michelle called me later that day (1/5) and explained that my problem wasnt really the sparkplugs but that the cars transmission needed to be replaced. The estimate for the parts and labor for this repair would be approximately $2,000. Michelle informed me on 1/6 that a mistake was made and cost of the new transmission alone would be $5,000, with other parts, labor, and the cost of a rental car, the final estimate for repair was around $7,000.
John of Findlay OH (01/09/08)
I work for a Toyota dealership (but, I am not neccesarily a fan)however, I think your writer, Joe Benton is way off base in his Prius mpg article and I believe that the tone of his comments are slanted against Toyota. He says that Toyota was the one stating the 60 mpg city figure. Not true. The EPA mandated those figures be on the window sticker, not the manufacturer. Toyota knew that the EPA's test was antiquidated and not at all accurate on Hybrid vehicles. Anybody that looks at those EPA numbers must understand that they have nothing to do with real-world driving conditions and were only to be used to compare one vehicle to another under their same unrealistic test conditions. In fact, during the 60 mpg label days we always told customers to expect about 45 mpg. Toyota never said that these cars get 60 mpg so it shouldn't be put on them. Blame the EPA - your tax dollars at work.
Robert of San Francisco CA (01/02/08)
I have a 2005 Toyota Prius with 35,800 miles on it. I have had no problems until 27 December 2007. On that day with conked out on the Golden Gate Bridge. All the warning lights came on. Take car to dealer immediately, etc. The fellow in the GG Bridge tow truck asked if I was out of gas. We checked the guage. It registered 1/2 a tank. Same as when we left our house 10 minutes before. So we were towed to our local Toyota dealer where the car had had its 35,000 mile service two weeks before. Next day the csr service rep calls. You were out of gas. Reason has to have been a faulty fuel gauge. I monitor the gauge ALL THE TIME. So does my wife. So did the tow truck fellow. My conclusion, the computer controlled fuel gauge is NOT reliable. Also the warning lights send all sorts of erroreus messages. I mean why not a You are out of fuel message instead of a take car to dealer immediately message.
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Karen of Minnesota City MN (12/29/07)
On September 14, 2007 I pulled up in our driveway in our 2006 Prius and stopped at the mail box to get the mail. At that time the gas engine switched off and over to electric. We are at a dead end so I pulled forward, (approximately 4 miles per hour) to make a y-turn to back into our driveway. When I pushed down on the brake the car jolted forward (I didn't even get a chance to try and pump down on the brake again) and went through a six foot wooden fence with such force that it broke not only the wooden fence panel but also the sturdy cemented in wooden post.
The car sustained $3,000. worth of damage plus I also had a whiplash injury and went through two months of physical therapy at a cost of around $2,000. We reported this promptly to Toyota's National Customer Experience Center who sent a representative to inspect the car and told us that their was no diagnostic trouble codes in the ECM and that the incident was not caused by a manufacturing or design defect. And they left it at that!? We have also had a few incidences where the car is running and in Park and noticed that when the car shifts off gas and onto electric that the car slightly moves from the motor shifting on and off gas to electric. Doesn't happen all the time but we have noticed it a few times. I am now extra careful stopping for pedestrians at stop lights, ect. to make sure I have plenty of room in case the car jolts me forward that I don't accidentally hit someone. They couldn't blame the car mats as my husband checked them and there is no way it interfered with the brake or the gas pedal.
They also tried to suggest that I was wearing high heels, ( I don't even own or wear high heels!) It was also suggested that maybe I accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal. When I went through the fence and the car got caught through the fence and land scapping with my foot was firmly still pushing down on the brake when I looked down. After going through this incident we will probably never buy another car from Toyota. I am thankful that I didn't hurt someone or crash into another car that day because I had no control over the car when I pushed down on the brake! When they inspected the car they cleared the computer and rebooted it up in the car. We know this as a fact because we lost all our personal settings we had on the car. We thought this was the perfect little car to save gas mileage but no longer feel safe driving it!
Newt of Toronto, Canada (12/21/07)
I have a Toyota Prius hybrid car bought 3.5 yrs (2004)ago with 69000 km on the clock. [the warranty is 3 yrs bumper to bumper, and 60000km for the electrics]. The consumption display screen developed an intermittent fault. The fault develops about 3 minutes after the engine is turned on, and disappears after about 20 minutes of driving. During the fault period, the following happens; - The radio suddenly cuts out but can be turned on again. - The touch-screen display computer is extremely slow. - Cannot change the aircondition settings, but the A/C is working. It also indicates the A/C is not connected. - The gas consumption indication stops, yet the odometer works perfectly. The garages I have been to cannot/would not repair but would change the display unit for $3200 + taxes !!! Any suggestions ???
M.c. of Gloucester MA (12/17/07)
I bought a 2008 Prius and today, after only 2,000 miles it stopped while I was driving on the interstate... Two warning lights went on (brakes, engine) and power was lost...I had it towed to the dealer and am waiting to hear what is wrong...but my confidence in the reliability of Toyota and Prius have been seriously undermined. Waiting to see what happened.
Francis of Menomonee Falls WI (12/17/07)
2007 Prius- gas mileage is now at 33 mpg as winter temps are in the 20s. Very disappointing since the 50/61 mpg is a falacy.
Tom of Coronado CA (12/16/07)
Gas pump stops fueling at 1/2 tank at every pump we visit. After that we have to top off the other half of the tank. This is frustrating to say the least! This does not happen to other cars, just the Prius!
David of Westcliffe CO (12/14/07)
I am the owner of a 2005 Toyota Prius. Minus the traction control system it is a wonderful vehicle. The traction control system (TCS) is flawed by design and should be subject to a mandatory Federal recall. The TCS has left me and my family stranded in front of a oncoming semi-truck closing at 60 plus MPH. The Prius would only inch ahead as the truck now in a panic stop situation loomed upon us. This all due to a small amount of sand on the payment. There have been numerous other problems with the TCS in snowy conditions. Perhaps Toyota would respond to a class action law suit as this situation is extremely dangerous not to mention the added costs of having to have another vehicle to drive should it snow.
Dave of Melbourne FL (12/08/07)
I, too, purchased a 2007 Toyota Prius at the advertised rate of 60 MPG. I brought my car back to the dealer at 3000 miles because I was only getting 40 - 43 MPG. I had brought the car in at 2000 miles but the technician told me that the car needed a break-in period before it would achieve better mileage. Needless to say, the mileage did not improve. The dealership checked the car out and stated that it was getting what it should at 35 - 43 MPG and that Toyota was only following government regulations by posting the 60 MPG rate that was provide by the EPA. I asked for and received the corporate number and called and spoke with a case worker, only to hear the same retoric. Obviously Toyota took advantage of the EPA results to hype their sales and I feel that I, along with many other consumers, was taken advantage of by Toyota.
Joy of Madison WI (12/05/07)
I recently purchased a 2007 Toyota Prius and I cannot even make it up my driveway after a light snow. The engine completely shuts down and you have no control over anything. I simply slide back down my driveway very quickly and pray no one is behind me. Very dangerous!
Steven of Oak Park IL (12/04/07)
I want to be included as one of the people that is very disatisfied with my toyota prius' performance in snow. I have the same problem with lack of traction as the drive train shuts down immediately when there is a slip. This makes it impossible and unsafe to drive in snowy conditions. When I called Toyota in California to complain they told me that I was the first one to voice this complaint. I told them that I found that hard to believe since there are postings all over the internet. They said the problem isn't fixable. This is unacceptable. Please help.
David of Torrance CA (12/04/07)
It is rarely, if ever, the cost of ownership for hybrid vehicles is discussed. Recent Internet research efforts found little published on the support issue for these hybrid vehicles incorporating advanced electronic technology.
I recently discovered the hidden costs associated with the ownership of my 2006 Toyota Prius when I inquired about software upgrades to correct erroneous directions I was getting from the vehicles integrated GPS system. The dealership parts manager informed me that yes, the newest Version Seven of the Toyota GPS software is a whopping $350.00.
Being quite shocked I confirmed the price with the dealership service manager. Upon hearing the price is indeed $350.00 (plus tax) I informed him, and any who would listen at the dealership, that I considered such a fee usurious. Leaving the dealership stunned at the price, I was seriously considered ways I could duct-tape a hand held GPS over the front to the cars map screen.
The Garmen or Magellan GPS systems are suitably sized, and with some wrangling, one might be able to retrofit this white elephant. This letter of complaint is to inform Toyota, that as a consumer I do not like being taken advantage of. Beyond my feeble efforts as a single consumer to get this unfair pricing done away with; it is my hope that some enterprising software company may read this and be able to find a way to produce an independent product at a more competitive price.
Frederick of Red Lion PA (12/04/07)
I just finished reading an article on your site about the on-board computer on the Toyota Prius. I just bought a 2008 Toyota Prius and noticed that I too am not getting the mpg that the computer claims. For instance, the other day it claimed I got 51.4 mpg but when I took the miles I drove and divided it by the gallons I put in the tank, it was more like 46. This has been pretty consistent. Something seems wrong with the on-board computer; it isn't presenting the correct results. I called the dealership and the manager there couldn't help me out other than telling me to go to the service department.
Harold of Waverly IA (12/03/07)
12/1/2007--2 to 3 inch snowfall of wet heavy snow. Driving car into untraveled parking lot@ about 10 - 12 mph. Traction control engaged to keep from spinning tires. As traction control turned ON and OFF repeatedly, car gradually lost all momentum and came to complete stop. Moving throttle pedal had no effect. With car at idle, traction control light would blink ON and OFF and car would shudder in place with no forward movement. Had to back out of parking lot, being very careful to not get out of my tracks I had made going in. This problem was repeated in my own driveway a little later. I believe this is a major safety hazard and could cause rear end collisions because this car will not go forward or could leave motorists to become stranded in snowy weather. Toyota says traction control can not be turned OFF. Gm cars have a switch to turn their traction control OFF.
Bruce of Allen TX (12/03/07)
I own a 2001 Prius. About 2 years ago, the dashboard warning lights began coming on randomly. The lights indicated either to contact a Toyota dealer immediately or to find a safe place to pull off the road and stop depending on where in the owner's manual you looked for the meaning of these warnings. After the first dealer on-board diagnostic check, I was told that the only thing they could find was that maybe I had some bad fuel. The warnings continued, although the car seemed to run normally. The warnings disappeared after the car was turned off and cooled off. The warnings became more frequent, and after leaving the vehicle for a couple of days with the dealer, I was told that the diagnostics indicated the fuel tank was Imploding. Because it's a bladder, I had understood that was normal as the fuel was used. The dealer said that the fuel tank needed to be replaced, and I had it done. I filled the tank and when the gas gauge read about 3/8 full, the warnings showed up again. This time the diagnostics showed that the Engine Control Unit and a relay needed replacing. These items are under warranty, so there was no charge. The gas tank replacement cost me $621.61. After about 1000 miles, no warning lights have appeared. The problem first showed up at about 50,000 miles, and the warranty work was done 391 miles after the tank replacement. I am convinced that the original problem was the faulty relay and Engine Control Unit and not the gas tank. I found on 3 web sites that other Prius owner's have had a similar experience. I am trying to get an resolution with the dealer and Toyota to find out just how the tank failed and what Toyota has done to prevent future occurances in their hybrid models.
Mary of Northfield VT (11/22/07)
The Prius traction control presents a driving experience I can only liken to riding a bicycle in the snow. Traction does not exist in snow, mud,ice and other slippery conditions. Unlike the bicycle, studded tires offer little traction outside of braking.
Drivers have no choice but to back down when the system engages. Picture the car in a fresh snow that engages the traction control essentially stopping forward motion while going up a hill that is passable by any other automobile on the road.(Even two wheel drive pickup trucks notorious for poor traction in the same conditions can travel on public highways with less chance of becoming a hazard) What is the problem?
Toyota has engineered a system that detects wheel slippage and applies braking to the slipping wheel and if both wheels slip the powertrain shuts down. The reasoning must have a purpose but the purpose puts the traveling public at risk.
No other automobile shuts itself down to protect itself.
To overcome this problem, the driver must increase speed to climb in fresh snow or slippery conditions. If entering the highway or coming to an intersection this becomes an all too apparent design flaw. Leaving the highway to climb the home driveway requires the same acceleration sufficient to propel by inertia instead of traction. Put other cars or pedestrians in the mix and the result is predictable.
Does Toyota listen?
The chief mechanic where I bought my Prius reports in Australia and in Japan (home of Toyota) there is an override that disables this feature. Of course to install this override in America would admit to a litigant society that to drive their car in slippery conditions one must depart from the industry standard and press a button.
I have to go get my groceries, they are at a neighbors because the traction control prevented me from climbing my driveway after a snow. This is only November in Vermont.
Cole of Columbia SC (11/21/07)
Toyota Prius is a great vehicle with one major flaw....the fuel supply system. The tank is a bladder tank that will 'burp' fuel back out if you fill it to its capacity - negating some of the fuel savings realized by the hybrid system. The gas gauge (read 'guess gauge') is also a major concern. When the warning light and indicator come on telling you to refuel, you are running on fumes. I was able to go for 3.7 miles before running out once the warning came on. Ridiculous. The dealer always says that they have made the adjustments to correct the problems and things stay the same. I suspect that the problem is with the bladder system, and that it makes it difficult to determine the amount of fuel remaining in the tank. Lets put a conventional tank in with a proven gauge system and put this problem to rest.
Daniel of Temecula CA (11/19/07)
I bought a new Pruis 5 months ago. This company registered this car with a leasing company inadvertantley. They told me they were going to back this out. However the DMV still has no record of this being done on their computers.
Fredericki of North Highlands CA (11/16/07)
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