2014 Toyota Prius C

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning from the left lane, the steering wheel popped out. The vehicle was able to reverse however, tires were pushed inward. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The hazard light was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was not available.

While driving, I received a warning "hybrid system malfunction". Within seconds, the vehicle powered off and the steering wheel LOCKED. I had no control of the car and came to an abrupt stop in lane 1 of a two lane road. I was fortunate that it was late in the evening with few cars on the road, had I been on the highway during rush hour the outcome, due to loss of power and control (steering), could have been catastrophic and perhaps fatal for me or other commuters. I note that in 2014, Toyota notified NHTSA of a recall to, "rectify software in two of the Prius's electronic control units, one for the motor/generator and the other controlling the hybrid system." Further Toyota said, "In rare circumstances, it could shut down the hybrid system itself, resulting in loss of power and the vehicle coming to a stop". This is exactly what happened to me the other night. Toyota claims, in 2014, that "it has received no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problem." This seems to be an extraordinarily amount of good luck as I could have been easily rear-ended the other night. Curiously, in this NHTSA data base, another owner reported an incident (11439720) on November 8, 2021, that is similar to the experience I had just days prior. And our VINS are eerily close. Coincidence? Not likely. Does the 2014 recall apply to my car and if not, why not given I experienced the exact same symptoms?

I BOUGHT A 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS C 10-07-2017 FROM CARVANA WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES. WITH 2 NEW TIRES IN THE FRONT BRIDGESTONE ECOPIA 175/65 R15. IT WOBBLES AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH AND SLOPPY STEERING THE ROAD WAS DRY. WELL AT THAT TIME THE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANT WITH CARVANA SO IF I CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT IT I COULD GET ANOTHER CAR. SEARCHED THE WEB FOR SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND FOUND A FEW. SO WE TOOK THE CAR TO A PLACE THAT SOLD BRIDGESTONE TIRES TO REPLACE THE REAR TIRES THAT WERE ORIGINAL BUT GOODYEAR BRAND SAME SIZE. SO NOW WE HAVE 4 TIRES THE SAME AND QUESS WHAT HAPPEN THE SAME WOBBLY DRIVING AND SLOPPY STEERING AT 50 MPH. SO WE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE SHOP. THE MECHANIC SAID I GUESS THAT IS WHY THEY PUT THE 2 NEW TIRES IN THE FRONT TO CORRRECT THE PROBLEM BUT WHAT YOU NEED AFTER MY TEST DRIVE IS A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT. SO I SAID GO AHEAD AND DO IT. DURING THE PROCESS THE ALIGNMENT MECHANIC GUY SAID THE FRONT PASSED BUT THE REAR FAILED. SO THEY CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND ASKED IF THEY WERE SPECIAL SHIMS TO FIX THE REAR ALIGNMENT. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THERE ARE NO PARTS FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT CAR MODEL DOES NOT REQUIRE A REAR ALIGNMENT. THE C IN TOYOTA PRIUS MEANS C IS FOR CITY DRIVING ONLY. WE WERE STUNNED. I SAID I KNEW THEY HAD A REASON WHY THEY GOT RID OF THE CAR BUT CAN YOU FIX IT ? THE MECHANIC SAID IT IS A POSSIBLE FACTORY DEFECT AND WE SEE SOME OF THOSE SOMETIMES BUT I THINK WE CAN FIX IT AND SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS WITH THAT CAR. WE CAN USE SOME SHIMS THAT ARE MADE FOR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TOYOTA CAR AND SEE IF WE CAN GET IT IN PROPER ALIGNMENT. I SAID I AM WILLING TO GAMBLE ON YOUR EXPERTISE GO AHEAD AND DO IT. IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY WITH CARVANA BUT I DO LIKE THE HATCHBACK CAR. AFTER THE WORK WAS DONE THE TEST DRIVE PROVED THE SUCCESS AND THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. OH AND BY THE WAY IT DRIVES GREAT ON THE HIGHWAY AND I STILL OWN IT.