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Should You Buy a Second-Hand Prius?

Maintenance costs may outstrip fuel savings

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

April 4, 2008

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

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

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

Battery blues

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

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

The decision to buy a second had hybrid was costly.

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

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

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

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

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

Doris was lucky as things turned out.

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

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

Transmission troubles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Early adopter

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

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

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

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

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

Complexity

That is not all.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.
.

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)
Called to arrange an test drive on a 2008 Prius Touring auto. We arrived the next morning for the appointment and he got caught in traffic on 99 and was a little late but no big deal But when he showed up he told me he did not have an 2008 Prius Touring that I could test drive. Nor did he have the color he told me the day before that I could look at Then he tried to get me to look at a different car. We walked away without the test drive.My wife was upset as the car was going to be purchased from her father's estate money.She left crying. we went to another dealership and they had a Prius Touring we could test drive and treated us really great

K. J. of Clinton WI (11/14/07)
After 1 1/2 years of driving my used 2001 Toyota Prius without any problems I experienced an error on the display screen and the car became extremely sluggish. Thinking that there could be a problem with the hybrid system and not wanting to do any damage to the workings of the car - and knowing very little about what that may be - I had my Prius towed to the nearest Toyota garage in Burnsville, MN, which is, by the way, where I purchased the vehicle.

The representative confirmed that they would find the issue, and by later in the day, they called to tell me what the issue was and gave me a price quote. Now, while I wasn't happy with the price I asked them to do the work and change the oil while it was in. The problem turned out to be what amounts to a potentiometer on the accelerator pedal.

This part was not available seperately, but only as an assembly and the cost of the total bill, tax and oil change included was approximately $750. I wasn't happy about the cost, but I was even less happy when I had to almost threaten the dealer to get the worn part from him. 

After seeing the part I was even less happy. The accelerator assembly on a Prius is removed from inside the car by removing two bolts and an electrical plug. Looking at it, I'm sure I could have done the replacement within 20 minutes and probably have time to spare.

So the tow was over $200 and the repair was $750 and the dealership also pointed out that my front tires had the cords showing and needed immediate replacement, which I immediately had done. Anybody wanna buy a Prius!

Amber of Nokesville VA (10/21/07)
We purchased our 2004 Prius in November 2003 as a clean fuel vehicle for my husband to use as he traveled from our home to work at the Pentagon each day. The vehicle currently has 105,000 miles on it, and has received regular maintenance/service ,at the dealership, every 3,000 miles. About three weeks ago, a warning light (synergy failure)came on, so my husband took it in, and was told that there may have just been a short in it which made the light come on. He paid $126 for this information. A week later, he got home from running errands, and the car completely DIED before making it into our garage. He had to have it towed to Toyota. It has now sat there for eight days, and it looks like there is no hope that is can be fixed. How can this be on a vehicle that is touted as one of the best?

My husband has had to call the service department each day and leave messages. The service manager whom he was assigned is not who he has regularly had in the past, and has not been a good communicator as to what is wrong with our vehicle. My husband finally got a loaner, and is headed back to Toyota Monday. There is a chance we'll just have to have Toyota accept the car and the year of payments which are left on it, as a trade in, and we'll need to purchase another vehicle. We purchased all of the warranty options when we first bought this car, but the amount of time which has passed since original date of purchase, and high mileage has voided most of those.

Edward of Santa Maria CA (10/17/07)
My 2007 Toyota Prius needs new tires after about 21,000 miles. I previously had a 2003 Toyota Prius and wore out several sets of tires on it. The Prius wears out tires rapidly. I am pleased with the Prius in all other respects.

Kelly of Whittier CA (10/15/07)
My husband was driving my 2006 Toyota Prius when he fell asleep at the wheel and rear-ended a car. The aribags did not deploy. The Prius considered a total loss. We are very concerned that in a total loss accident the airbags did not deploy!

My husband suffered from severe whiplash and we are very concerned about long term health related issues.

Albert of Linden VA (10/07/07)
While driving my Toyota Prius uphill on a gravel road I had to made a sudden stop to avoid striking a deer. I attempted to move forward again after the deer cleared the area. The traction control kicked in and I was unable to move forward. Luckily I was able to place the car in reverse and drive down the hill. Once at the bottom I was able to gain some speed moving forward and finally made it up the hill.

Mahaanf Jamaica NY (10/06/07)
I bought a Prius in 2005. August of 2007 I noticed the car did not want to accelerate and felt like it was driving heavy on the highway. I brought it in to the dealer and they said there was no problem. Today Oct. 6, 2007 I was driving on the highway and all my power started to shut down. First the hazzard light went on then the car began to slow down to a crawl. I was able to exit the highway and pull over. When I push the power button, all the lights go on but the car will not go into the drive position. I called customer service and they are assigning me a national consultant to work one on one with me and the dealership. I must now wait until Monday for them to call me arrange for a tow truck and schedule an appointment.

Marvin of Los Lunas NM (09/27/07)
New evaluation of Toyota Prius Un-comanded Acceleration Problem reported and commented on Previously. I originally reported that the acceleration problem I perceived had not been caused by a floor mat or driver error. Those facts have not changed. I do not have the all weather floor mats and my floor mats were secure before and after the incidents.

I cannot say that there are no problems associated with the all weather floor mat option, but they were definitely not a part of my problem. I recently made a trip to California and have some new observations of the system and the perceived problem. In all fairness to Toyota, I think the following should be recognized and considered. I drove the car to altitudes above 10,000 feet above sea level and drove on steep mountain roads. I had the sensation of un-comanded acceleration more than once and believe that in each case it was not actually a defect in the system but a failure to properly interpret how the vehicle is designed to react under heavy loads.

I was able to repeat the phenomenon multiple times and verify what was actually happening. With the original problem, there was not enough time to analyze and I could not repeat the problem at will, to evaluate possible causes.

The Prius drive system is set up to acquire power to the wheels from either the electric motor or the gasoline engine or both. The gasoline engine is only used to charge the batteries or to provide a mechanical boost to the torque provided by the electrical system. The engine RPM is not directly proportional to the speed of the vehicle. The engine runs at one of 3 RPM settings depending on the power or torque requirement.

The drive system provides a no shift transition to driving with the electric motor and the gasoline engine thru all speed ranges under most flat land driving. When a power increase is needed on normal acceleration, the engine will go to it's intermediate RPM Range as needed and the power is applied smoothly and without any significant change in sound level or pitch. However, when maximum power is called for, the electric motor immediately produces maximum torque and the gasoline engine may not immediately go to it's high RPM range depending on the speed, battery charge condition, steepness of the road grade,etc. When the computer calls for the high RPM setting for the gasoline engine and the engine RPM increases, two things happen.

First the sound level increases in pitch and volume. This is not in direct proportion to any speed change of the vehicle and the sound is sufficient to cause alarm for an individual who is used to having the sound pitch level vary directly with vehicle speed. Second, the horsepower of the gasoline engine is directly related to the RPM. When RPM increases under full throttle, the torque is applied at the wheels after the sound level change and the vehicle may indeed experience greater acceleration than before the RPM increase. When this occurs while the car is on a steep or high altitude, up-hill grade, the car will actually experience an increase in acceleration beyond what is supplied at a lower RPM and it occurs outside the expected sound and time ranges that most drivers expect.

This creates the illusion that something is not working right and that it is dangerous. It appears to be a characteristic of the drive system and is not a problem unless perceived as a problem. The reason I had thought that the original problem was solved by turning off the cruise control may very well have been coincidence because, at the same time as I hit the cruise control handle, I took my foot off of the accelerator pedal. Releasing the accelerator pedal has taken care of the problem whenever it happened in the mountains on my trip.

I cannot say there are not additional problems, but the problem has not occurred except under high acceleration conditions on the freeway or in the mountains. I can make it happen on even a slight grade near home at approximately 5,000 feet above sea level and suspect It could be repeated at sea level under the right conditions. In my case, I now believe that the condition I have had is totally controllable and was a miss-interpretation of what I thought in the very short time when it occurred the first two times.

The time interval was far too short for adequate analysis of the problem. Since I have found a way to repeat it, I feel much more comfortable.

Ingrid Stewart of Elk Grove CA (09/27/07)
i own a 2005 toyota prius and i went through a power steering replacement, and two small batteries and the big battery. I was lucky to have them replaced because i was insured. i'm wondering how many time i have to pay 500 dollars after i run off the insurance. the only time i didn't have any problem i drove it at least 3 times a week. but i have to take the van from elk grove to stockton and im paying right now in two places. i wish i can return it back.

Barbara of Grayslake IL (09/27/07)
I own a 2001 Toyota Prius and have been experiencing the same sudden loss of power while highway driving as described by Thiettranh of Concord. The incident has happened to me at least twice per year for the past few years. I can temporarily resolve the problem by pulling off the highway, turning off the car and waiting about 10 minutes before restarting. The car will restart and run with hesitation and chugging for several miles and then seem to be ok. The warning light remains on until I bring the car in for diagnostic service. I would coordinate the periodic recalls with these service calls and results or the diagnostics directly related to the loss of power problem were inconclusive until this last incident and service call on Sept. 13, 2007. It was determined the accelerator sensor switch is at fault and should be replaced. The part will cost $486.00 + installation and, of course, it is out of warranty. I cannot understand why this wasn't determined to be the problem sooner, while it was still under warranty.

I declined replacement at this time. I will live with the periodic problem for the time being and hope this does not cause a compromise in my safety while driving the car. In the meantime, I am disillusioned with the value of owning a Toyota Prius.

Shancel of San Jose CA (09/18/07)
Twice now in two days my 2006 Aug Toyota Prius (20K miles) has accelerated out of control. Both times it occurred after a hard acceleration (i.e., pedal to the floor). After the second time I intentionally tried to reproduce (since that would be key to getting it fixed) and was able to on my way to work (i.e., the third time its happened now). Once I got into work I sent an email to all of the Toyota Prius owners explaining my experience and that I would keep them informed. One of them forwarded me this link. After reading the link with the reference to the floor mats I inspected my car. I have purchased after market Toyota Prius mats from Toyota. The mat was not centered and it did have a ware mark where the accelerator was rubbing it. And as I manually depressed and released the accelerator it did seem to catch a little. So I moved the mat around and was able to reproduce the problem. The mat did catch the accelerator and hold it. As with others the only way (without knowing what the problem was) to stop the Prius was to bring it to a full stop and press the power button off. And again, with others, the Prius seemed to reset itself. But here is the rub. If it truly were the mat catching the accelerator the previous three times than why did turning the car off solve the problem. There is nothing with the power button that would do this. And yet each time when I restarted the Prius it was fine (i.e., if the accelerator were caught under the mat once the car was turned off the problem did not persist). To me this doesn't make any sense. So what I've decided to do is remove the mat and drive the car for a month to see if the problem occurs without the mat. If this does turn out to the problem than one has to ask why Toyota would sell a Toyota Prius specific mat that would have any potential of causing this problem. If this does not turn out to the problem (i.e., the problem happens again without the mat) than that is bad and others should know. How do I go about updating the site with my experiences within the next month (without the mat)?

Jana of Arcadia CA (09/17/07)
My Toyota Prius lost power and shut down on a Southern Calif freeway. It acted like I ran out of gas but I had a full tank. Pressed accelerator- no power. The red water temperature light came on. It was towed to the dealer. Diagnoses; trans axle malfunction; replaced HV transaxle also replaced drive belt and tensioner. 74,000 miles on the car. No more warranty (60,000 mi). After much nagging Toyota said they will help me with half the costs of the part. This ordeal costs ME $3,490.74. I am disappointed and it could have been a very dangerous situation. Please include me in your investigation.

David of White Bear Lake MN (09/17/07)
I have had the Prius come to a stop in deep snow and then attempt to start up by spinning one wheel at a time for one turn and stopping. I would have been able to keep a less sophisticated car moving in snow such at that.

This is inconvenient and when I get wheel spin over wet paint on a highway while attempting to accelerate fast ahead of oncoming traffic it is very dangerous.

Lupe of Tustin CA (09/17/07)
I have a 2006 Toyota Prius since December 2006, 28,000 miles. 3 weeks ago I went to pick up my daughter from school, I decided to back up my car and wait for her to come out; suddenly my car accelerated while I had my foot pressing the brakes, it was going too fast I had no time to do anything, I crashed onto a wall about 10 ft. on front of me.

The wall was not damaged, and I did not suffer any injuries. The damages on my car are estimated to be $14,000. I have been driving a rental car for the last 3 weeks which my insurance does not cover and my car will take at least 3 more weeks to be ready. I am also terrified to drive it again, especially now that I know that other people went through similar experiences.

Ruth of Charlotte NC (09/14/07)
I purchased a 2003 Prius in Dec 2002, it has less than 55.000 miles on it. Six times the warning lights, engine ck lites, etc have come on. The car has gone from ~25 mph to 19 to 12 -- all the way to 3mph,-> 2->DEAD. Three times I have waited anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours and the car has restarted with no problem. Three times my car required towing to the dealership. The dealership has NOT found a problem yet. The last time this happened, my car was at the dealership for 1 week to be driven and checked out. One mechanic did not feel comfortable driving it home because it may 'die'.

Patrick of Grover Beach CA (09/13/07)
Anyone here have a 2001 Prius that has been diagnosed with a failed transmission (transaxle)? Mine is at 91K and started humming a few days ago. I brought it in to a dealer for a diagnosis. They told me it was the transaxle. To replace it with a rebuilt transaxle would cost me almost $5K.

Max of Steamboat Springs CO (09/09/07)
Yes,I really like my Prius, and fully agree with the issue of loss traction and control?I live on a gravel road, and have to park my car in the winter, because of loss of power,traction shuts down, and no way to keep moving when the car shuts down, with or without studded snow tires?

I have to buy a four wheel drive for winter use,even when I bought the Prius they said it was good in snow???

Clinton of Edgewood MD (09/07/07)
I have a 2005 Toyota Prius hybrid car it is the worst investment I've ever made this vehicle has cost me an arm and a leg to maintain. I've already bought three sets of tires and as many alignments costing me 13 hundred dollars and forget how much the oil changes cost. I've taken this vehicle to the dealership three time to have the rack and pinion checked out and they say theres nothing wrong with it this is bumkis because a vehicle should not go through three sets of tires in two years. I own a dodge Dakota pickup for about ten years and only replaced the tires four times and it costs less per tire than the Prius tires.

Marta of North Hollywood CA (09/07/07)
Purchased 2007 Toyota Prius, was told about 45-60 MPG, only averaging around 39-41 MPG. Not really close to what was promised.

Karen of Los Gatos CA (08/31/07)
I have a 2007 Prius purchased the last day in December 2006. After driving the car approximately 1000 miles it, my Toyota Prius Hybrid had an uninitiated full throttle acceleration while driving on an expressway. Startled, I slammed on the brakes, the acceleration fought my braking as I pulled over and turned off the car. Shocked, taking a deep breath what was that?

This first episode I put at the back of my mind because I had just purchased this car from an friend who owns a Toyota dealership and I didn't want to be complaining or concerning him already.

This uncontrollable acceleration? occurred a second time at approx. 13000 miles when I had been stopped at a traffic light, it changed to green and I started to move forward; it took off charging toward the car in front of me. Standing on the brakes, I pulled over and turned off the car. Very frightened, I sat wondering what I should do next. What happens if I turn the car on and it takes off again?

I did turn the car on, and everything was normal. I called Toyota an talked to a sales person and explained this dangerous experience. He confirmed that he was familiar with the problem and also experienced this himself when driving one of the earlier models of the Prius.

He told me to bring it in immediately and was certain that service would know what this was. The Toyota service manager was certain that this very serious and dangerous event was due to nothing more than a floor carpet jamming accelerator pedal.

As I explained to him, I didn't have floor mats when this happened the first time.

Disgruntled, he took my car into service. A day later, they came back to me saying that they couldn't find anything and were certain it was the floor mat and would I pick up the car. This time I called my friend who owns the dealership and sold me the car. I informed him of the problem, he did keep the car for a few more days and asked one of his technicians to drive it home.

I realized that the likelihood of this occurring within a short period was extremely low. Again, they weren't able to find anything and asked me to come pick up my car, suggesting that I put the car into neutral the next time it happens.

That doesn't feel to comforting. Before going to pick up my car and returning the loaner, a concerned friend sent me this link - http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/08/prius_acceleration.html.

I forwarded this link to the owner of the Toyota dealership. He too expressed concern and asked me to keep the loaner for a few more days while they get someone for Toyota to look further into this.

At the moment, I'm still in the dealership loaner car. They still have my Prius.

Andy of Brooklyn NY (08/30/07)
Fact is nothing has happened with either of my two Prius cars. I owned a 2005 and traded it for the more advanded 2007 model. I have not experienced any thing that has been mentioned in you article.This is an excellent trustworthy vehicle. No slipping or stalling nonsense. Taction is excellent. Performance expecially on the 2007 model is good. Sorry, but I just don't understand why these people are having problems. I will buy another in 2009.

Janet of Burnet TX (08/27/07)
I was pulling into my garage , half way into the garage, at a residence that was rented to me as I was far from home. Suddenly my Toyota Prius (2007) accelerated out of control and drove into the wall of the garage damaging my nerves , the car and the wall. My husband, thinking it was user error put the car in reverse and it accelerated again without the driver control. It was towed away to Amigo Chevrolet where we were told that they could find nothing wrong with it. The car was under warranty. We were left 900 miles away from home, no car while Amigo had to get technicians from Denver to look at the car. We bought the Car as our retirement car. My husband and I are 70+ and have found ourselves without a car until someone can find what is happening. They say it can't even be traded in ? To date we reported the issue to Toyota and have waited 3 days without a response from Customer service at Toyota.

We are out a car, had to rent a car until some decisions are made. I have a wall to pay for that the Toyota went through and considerable damage to the Toyota. Physical damage was minimal because I was simply rolling into the garage when it occurred, however I am very frightened of the car what if I had been appoaching a group of pedestrians?

Lois of Las Vegas NV (08/24/07)
I have a 2005 Prius.  It has hestitated several time on me. This last time I almost got in an accident.  It chugged along serveral times in a row.  No lights went on.  It has 99,000 miles and has a warrenty to 100,000.  It has been at the Toyota dealership 5 days.  They cannot find any problems.

Dan of Las Vegas NV (08/16/07)
I have never gotten above 40 miles per gallon on my new 2007 Toyota Prius. The only reason I purchased it was for the 60 MPG. The dealership keeps telling me I need to wait until the engine is broke in. It now has over 2,000 miles and the gas mileage is averaging 35 mpg.. The computer states i get 44 mpg on average.

Hilary of Dover DE (08/13/07)
I took my 2005 Toyota Prius in for routine maitenance this morning -- and now, with only 2 years wear (about 26000 miles) the dealership says I need to replace all four tires and get an allignment job (at more than $400 total). My mother's 2001 Prius had its tires replaced by the dealer at 25000 and the replacement tires only lasted 25000 miles. The dealer would not replace my Goodyear tires, even though warranty should be good for 50000 miles (claims the allignment is the issue...)

Marvin of Los Lunas NM (08/01/07)
Gentlemen. I am the owner of a Toyota Prius as well as a qualified Professional Engineer and systems problem analyst. My work has involved automobiles as well as aircraft and industrial systems. I also have a business card for accident reconstruction and expert witness work.

I have had an incident of acceleration, beyond what was commanded, in my Toyota Prius 2 times. The cause is unknown. However, in each case, a simple touching of the lever that disengages the cruise control caused the system to immediately go back to a normal condition with the cruise control off.

I can assure you that the incidences that I had did not involve mechanical sticking or jamming of the accelerator pedal because of a piece of carpet. It was not driver error. The fact that the condition was corrected immediately by disengaging the cruise control indicates that the problem may be in the cruise control system itself. It could be either a mechanical or electronic/electrical problem in the cruise control system.

In each of the instances that I have had, the problem was instantly corrected by my reaction and it has not occurred at any other time. My vehicle has approximately 12,000 miles on it and the problem occurred in the first few hundred miles and again after the first 5,000 mile oil change.

The problem could easily cause a serious accident if the driver, caught unaware, did not take immediate and correct remedial action or if it happened at just the wrong time. This was an intermittent and easily cancelled condition that occurred when I was accelerating on a freeway and did not cause anything but a surprise requiring an immediate reaction.

In each case, the vehicle was accelerating at a rate below maximum and went to and stayed at maximum without driver command. It took an immediate reaction to stop the acceleration. It is necessary for the responsible engineers to search for and find this problem before someone who cannot react correctly in a very short time has a serious accident.

Ben of Walnut Creek CA (08/01/07)
I had a very similar case with the Prius owner you mentioned in your lemon of the week. For me, I was coming up on a red light and there is a large crease or bump in the road.

When my Prius hit the bump in the road the traction control systems kicked in, and at the same time the brakes felt unresponsive and the car felt as if it was accelerating or lunging forward. I almost rear-ended the car in front of me. Luckily I was able to stop the car in time.

I also have many other safety issues with the Prius like ALL of the onboard controls in the car being on that computer screen (which you can't see during the day time in sunlight), and having to take your eyes off the road to adjust climate or change the radio to try and look at a screen you can't read. Also, my legs fall asleep after 20-30 minutes of driving the vehicle.

Toyota Customer Experience (their customer service call center) basically told me working as intended and it sounds like normal operation. I hate this car, will be glad when I'm rid of it, and will likely never buy a Toyota ever again (and I'm a repeat Toyota customer). Dublin Toyota my dealer as well offered NO help on actually validating whether or not this was normal operation and tried to sell me a new car at an outrageous price.

Paul of San Mateo CA (08/01/07)
I have problem with my 2002 Toyota Prius! The car stall on the freeway with 3 warning lights but luckily I am already close to my destination and took the exit ramp. I believe there is problem with the hybrid component. The warning lights are PS which stands for power steering, warning light and hybrid component warning light. Before this incident happen, I have several incident where I feel the car is losing power but no warning lights and the car recovered.

Irwin of Studio City CA (08/01/07)
Twice, on Julyb 29, 2007, our 2006 Toyota Prius took off like a rocket in circumstances just like Herbert's wild ride in Michigan last October. According to Angel: (1) No one has ever had this problem before and (2) They can not recreate it. My instructions to him are to tell me what caused this.

We had no damage YET. But this is a $30,000 car and right now it is unsafe to drive. Fortunately, CA has a lemon law. We might just need to pick it up and bring it back twice more. Of couse they will claim there is no problem.

Manuel of Claremont CA (07/30/07)
I have read your article on Toyota's false advertising for mileage on the Prius vehicle and want to share my experience. I bought a 2006 Prius last March based on Toyota's advertisement of 50 miles to the gallon on the highways and 60 miles to the gallon in the city. I have driven the car nearly 10,000 miles and what I have found is that highway mileage is about 48 which is very close to their claim. HOWEVER, mileage in the city is a horrendous 38-42 compared to the advertisement of 60 miles per gallon. I took the car to Claremont Toyota who is the dealer I bought it from, but I was told that everything in the car is working the way it is supposed to work. They said that the low mileage was probably related to driving habits. I responded that I have tried very slow starts and smooth stops without any noticeable improvement. They said that they could not help me and that I should write to Toyota.

Jessica of Rancho Cucamonga CA (07/25/07)
On July 2nd, I purchased a Toyota Prius. After asking, I was told by the salesman that I was able to drive in the carpool lane alone with the Prius. I am a commuter(driving over 120 miles a day roundtrip) , and this was reason enough for me to purchase the car. 3 weeks later come to find out that the clean air stickers are no longer even issued.

I called the dealership to find out why I would have been informed that I could drive in the carpool lane and to try to settle the issue. I spoke with a total of 4 employees before speaking with the GM. They were all as cordial as they could have been giving the circumstances. One woman even tried offering 2 free oil changes, which was a complete joke, considerin the fact that this is a $41,000.00 vehicle!! I finally got in touch with the GM who was a complete jerk about hte entire situation.

Telling me they would do NOTHING. Too bad, so sad attitide.

He stated that there were plenty of newspaper articles and news segments and that had this happened in December or January, he would have seen a concern but now, since it was July that it was not a concern to him. What he did not know is that I recently moved to California, as I had lived in Wisconsin for about a year before moving here. So for him to make those assumptions was ludacris.

Furthermore, afer calling him out on his terrible atttude and lack of care for an upset customer, the GM of West Covina Toyota felt it was appropriate to hang up on me!! (which I have witnessesfor, in case this turns into another his word against mine) I have called Toyota Corporate, who informed me that they only deal with vehicles that are defective, and recommended I contact consumer affairs to further help me with my dilema.

I do not want this Prius that I was tricked and lied to in order to get the sale! I am wasting money on the vehicle and not saving any time, as I thought I would by driving in the carpool lane! I realize that this was not in writing, but I do feel that at a car dealership, the salesman should have been honest! I would not have purchased the car if I could not have riven in the carpool. My previous vehicle was a 2004 Toyota Celica in great condition that was good on mileage to begin with! Please help! Thanks!

I feel that I am now stuck with a vehicle that was purchased for the reason of drining in the carpool, a perk that no longer even exists, due to the fact that I was told by the salesman that I could. I am now paying $583 a month instead of $327, which I was paying on my previous car, all for nothing.

Peggy of Index WA (07/25/07)
I was drivig a new Prius (fewer than 600 miles) and experienced an uncontrollable accerlation while entering a freeway in Everett, Washington. As I attempted to merge into heavy traffic, I accelerated up the on ramp and was attempting to place the car between two vehicles going at a rate of approximately 50 miles per hour. The car lunged forward and would not slow down without my repeated pumping the brakes. I exited the freeway immediately (approximately one-half mile) in heavy traffic unable to disengage the throttle.

I got the car to stop on the off-ramp and turned it off with the power button. Knowing that this was also an unsafe place to leave the car, and after I gain some confidence in myself I started it up once again it was going at full throttle. I got it into an adjacent vacant parking lot. I noticed a foul odor that I assumed was the brakes. While I went to a telephone to call the dealer (Rodland Toyota).

They asked me to drive it to them. Approximately, twenty minutes later my husband who was with me took over driving and when he started the car. The car no longer was running at an uncontrolled rate, however, we didn't accelerate more than was absolutely necessary. On the way to the dealer we noticed the display was not recording the trip as it usually did. When I spoke with the service department, they suggested the possiblity of the rug covers being the problem. This was not the case, the rugs were not close to the accelerator.

I thought it may have been the cruise control kicking in. But as the car was new to me, I had not yet used the cruise control, on purpose or by accident. The dealer did not know of any other incident of this type and after giving the car a going over, decided it must be an operator error. I've driven for over 40 years and honestly feel this was nothing to do with my driving.

For once, my husband agreed, this car was experiencing problems. The dealer failed to find anything wrong and could not get the car to accerated uncontrollably again. I like the car, but no longer trust it. I would like to believe it was me, so I could trust the car. However, now after seeing other similar incidents, realize that there is a problem and Toyota needs to fix it.

The only damage was to my nerves and possibly my brakes. The owner's manual insisted the car should not be accelerated like what happened before it was driven severl hundred miles as it cold impair the future energy efficiency.

Well??

Tina of Palmetto FL (07/24/07)
We purchased a 07 Toyota Prius. After purchasing and reading all the caustion in the owners manual we started wondering how much EMF is being given off by the high voltage cable. We used a ELM meter that showed where our newborn sits was over 24 mG (our meter only goes to 24 mG so we don't know how high it really is). What is considered safe for kids is 2 -3 mG. I asked Toyota if they could shield to reduce it and the answer was NO. They stated the car has been tested and was consider safe by the numbers they got. I asked to see the test results or what the EMF numbers that Toyota considers safe for kids and they would not tell me.

It has been advised to me by my pediatrician and a cancer research doctor that if it was thier car they would NOT put there kids in it. Since this is a contraversial issue they can't tell me anything other then if it was there car they wouldn't put kids in it. I have read and the higher the mG the higher the chance for kids getting leukemia or other cancers. What I'm really upset about is if a car (hybrid in general) gives off high EMF then it should be disclosed to the buyer. That way the buyer can make the decision to buy the vehicle or not.

Cathy of Palm Desert CA (07/20/07)
I bought a 2007 Toyota Prius. In the first tank of gas the average MPG was 31. I took it back to the dealership & was told by the service manager that couldn't be right & to run another tank. The second tank MPG was 34.4. The ONLY reason I bought a Prius was because of the advertised gas mileage. I would NOT have bought this car if I'd known about its pitiful performance. I understand there is a class action law suit against Toyota over the advertised Prius mileage. I would like to become a part of this process. Please advise me on how I can become involved. Thank you.

Debora Koslowsky of North Hills CA (07/18/07)
2001 Toyota Prius has been stalling intermittently for 3 years. The dealer has replaced the hybrid battery which was on warranty (thank goodness!) and now says they need to replace the accelerator pedal position sensor which is not on warranty and the part will cost $435 plus tax and 3 hours of labor.

Amogh of Lawrenceville NJ (07/18/07)
My Prius 2005 ran for 20000 miles and all 4 tires lost all traction and thread.Inspection has failed due to that.I have to change all 4 tires.This is riduculous for only this much mileage..

Mark of Fairmont WV (07/13/07)
My 2003 Toyota Prius has a steering problem. Dan Cava Toyota in Fairmont informed me that my rack and pinion gear will need replaced. Cost @ $1800.00 I read on the internet that other Prius cars have steering problems covered by a recall, mine is not covered. I have 85000 miles on the car.

I have already replaced the gas tank, and electronic control module. This steering repair is just too much money.

Ed of Northfield OH (07/10/07)
2005 toyota prius--traction control cuts power if the wheels slip even slightly, causing the vehicle to stop moving. It is impossible on snowy roads, and very dangerous when pulling quickly from side streets into traffic (wheel slip increases when wheels are turned; happens easily if roads are wet).

R. L. of Collinsville IL (07/05/07)
I have been experiencing problems with my 2002 Toyota Prius. Sometimes, upon start-up, the engine warning lights come on with their exclaimation points and check engine signs, but there is nothing wrong. I have stopped the car, checked the oil, coolant, etc. and can find no problems. The car runs fine with the warnings on, and if I change the computer screen back to the engine parameters, it displays that everything is running correctly. Only twice did it actually have a problem, in that it ran very rough upon start-up, and then shut the gas engine off and only ran on electric power. However, on both occasions, all I had to do was turn the key off and back on, and the car ran fine with both engines doing what they're suppose to. After having the car off for a while, it usually starts back up fine with no warning indicators.

I took the car to Feld Toyota in South St. Louis,( where I bought the car), to have them check it out on their computer. I was told that I need a new fuel pump, gas tank, and engine control module, at a cost of $2300. I called my son in Indiana, who is a certified mechanic, and he said that was B.S. He said it may need the brain box module, but if the fuel pump/gas tank were bad that it would run rough or die all the time. He felt the Toyota dealer either didn't know how to correctly diagnose the problem, or that they were simply trying to rip me off. I have driven the car for a couple of weeks since then, and only one time has it acted up again and given the false warnings.

John of San Marcos TX (07/03/07)
i bought a 2007 prius from san marcos toyota, the epa mpg was 51 hwy and 60 city. even now with the revised mpg, they are still saying it will get 55mpg in town. i get 28 mpg all town driving. it has been in the shop three times. they deny that there is anything wrong with my car. the last time i reset the consumption meter as it dropped it off. a mechanic drove it 17 miles, after i signed the ticket saying nothing was wrong. the mechanic and i got in the car so he could show me how it runs, i then hit the consumption chart and he had gotten 28.7 mpg. he was shocked by the look on his face, took it back in the shop and said he checked a few more things and then said that there was nothing more he could do.

i am out a lot of money tax title and lic fees, interest, cost of extended warranty and prepaid maintainance. i am stressed, angry and very upset every time i put $3.00 + gas in my car. i am frustrated by the toyota run around and their lectures on how to drive and the statement they always make, all these cars(prius) are different. what?

Carol of Derwood MD (06/28/07)
While traveling south on I-95 to Florida in May 2007, my 2005 Prius shutdown in 70 mph traffic. I was in the middle lane and had to resort to coasting along. After 2 minutes and nearly dying by all the traffic around me, I pushed the start button (while drifting at 15mph) and the car restarted.

No injury due to very aware drivers around me--but I was scared to death.

John of San Marcos TX (06/20/07)
i have a 2007 prius, 2800 miles, i will not run on the battery(electric motor). i have had it in the shop twice now, they run their computer diagnosis and both times have told me that there is nothing wrong with my car. it gets 28MPG in town. there is something wrong and they do not seem to want or have the ability to repair this car. i will take it in one more time and then i qualifies under the texas lemon law.

Robert of Henderson KY (06/20/07)
my 2007 prius is stalling and the dealer cnat find any thing wrong they say that no codes are showing up on the computer. but the car will stop running. If I turn it on and off several times then it starts again and runs untill who knows when.

Patrick of Colorado Springs CO (06/18/07)
I experienced a problem last week with my 2005 Prius hybrid that is troubling to me. I came out to my vehicle to find it dead and unable to start. I looked for any accessories that might have been left on, but found none. I pulled out the manual and diagnosed a dead 12V battery. I proceeded to follow the jump start procedures in the manual after asking for assistance from bystanders at the museum where I was parked. I have jump started vehicles on numerous occassions in the past. The jump was unsuccessful, so I called a tow truck recommended by the dealer and had it towed there.

The dealer is saying that the car was jumped with the cables crossed (reverse polarity), and that the repair will be about $5000 (parts and labor to replace the DC/DC inverter/converter assembly, and the main fuse link assembly), plus whatever caused the battery to die in the first place. And it will not be covered under the vehicle's 3yr/36000 mile warranty (bought in Aug 05, 19K miles) due to the improper jump. I am very sure that I followed the jump procedures in the manual. The only possible error that I can think of is that the jump donor vehicle operator hooked up his cables backward. I verbally confirmed with him that his red clamp should go on the postive terminal of his battery, but I did not visually double check.

The rest of the jump procedures I remember vividly, and are exactly as per the manual. I have done a lot of research over the past week, and apparently the Prius has a failure prone 12V battery. It is much weaker (and more expensive) than standard car 12V batteries. If the car is jumped with reverse polarity, it is a much bigger issue than in a standard vehicle, and can cause thousands of dollars in damage, and will not be covered under warranty. Toyota is aware of this, as this has been a recurrent problem.

They have failed to engineer a simple diode circuit protection for the vulnerable, expensive portions of the hybrid electric system, and have failed to even issue a warning in the owner's manual. I feel certain that if the owner's manual had explicitly warned me of the extensive risks of a reverse polarity jump, I probably would not have risked the jump, or at least, would have known to meticulously check all the connections, on both my vehicle and the donor vehicle specifically for correct polarity. I really feel someone needs to let Prius owners know about the risks of jump starting their vehicles. Toyota, unfortunately, seems unwilling to do. I hope you can help get the word out, so more people don't continue to experience this sad experience.

Joan of Tallahassee FL (06/10/07)
Last week all the warning lights came on on my 2003 Prius. Took it into the Toyota dealership where I purchased the car, which now has 32,000 miles on it. They ran the diagnostics and told me the fuel tank, fuel pump and all the connectors had to be replaced for a cost of $870.

Checked around and learned that there is no way a car with only 32,000 miles on it should need a new fuel tank and pump. Called Toyota Customer Service who bounced me up a notch to a Cust. Svc Satisfaction person, and then got a call from the dealership saying they would knock off $275, leaving me to pay $605. Finally got the car back on Friday afternoon late and discovered the remote door locks don't work now so will have to take it back tomorrow.

Guess they forgot to reconnect some wires! Apparently there are major problems with some of the electrical systems (including the gas system) and I've learned the hard way that repairs to the Prius are very costly. Would never recommend a Prius to anybody. And yes, my mileage has gone down as others have experienced.

Jim of Stoughton WI (06/08/07)
In response to your negative article and just to relate my experience with my 2002 Prius, bought new and now with 48K miles on odometer, yes, there have been a few items repaired under warranty. But, what car doesn't get some of those? And, I firmly believe this has been the best car I have ever owned, and there have been many of those. It's a delight to drive, and my average MPG is around 48 in warm weather and 40-42 during wintertime. I very much love my little Prius. It's a great car with a wonderful design and ingenious technology. Toyota has been very supportive to address any concerns I have ever had with my car.

Kimberly of Winfield AL (06/08/07)
I put a five hundred dollar deposit down for the to order prius. He emailed me at 7pm and said they might have found a prius for me but they would have to see if they could take the toyoguard and floor mats off. He stated he would call me the next day around lunch and tell me if they could get it. I emailed him that night and said do not order the car. I called him early the next day and left a message do not order the car. He called me and said he was keeping my 500.00 because I had signed the paper and given him my debit card number. I asked him if he had told his manager and they agreed to keep my money even though they had not ordered the car and he said, yes.
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Zachary of Homeland CA (06/07/07)<