2013 Toyota Prius V

I AM CONCERNED AS THE OWNER OF THE IDENTIFIED VEHICLE IN THIS COMPLAINT OF SERIOUS SAFETY AND VEHICLE FUEL EFFICIENCY ISSUES REGARDING THIS VEHICLE. IT HAS BEEN WIDELY CIRCULATED IN NATIONAL MEDIA THAT CERTAIN TOYOTA PRIUS VEHICLES, HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN CATASTROPHIC POWER INVERTER FAILURES THAT HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THESE VEHICLES AND OFTEN SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING BODILY INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THESE VEHICLES. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT MY PRIUS WAS PART OF A RECALL CAMPAIGN THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO ADDRESS THIS INVERTER ISSUE BUT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN NOTHING MORE THAN A BAND-AID SOFTWARE FIX TO A PROBLEM THAT IS ACTUALLY THE RESULT OF DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS. THIS CATASTROPHIC POWER INVERTER FAILURE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT IS FAR BEYOND THE SCOPE OF A SIMPLE SOFTWARE SOLUTION. MANY INDIVIDUALS ARE ALSO COMPLAINING OF UP TO A 15% OR MORE DROP IN FUEL EFFICIENCY SINCE THIS SO-CALLED SOFTWARE FIX WAS INITIATED. I PERSONALLY HAVE EXPERIENCED A DROP IN FUEL EFFICIENCY OF MY PRIUS V FROM A CONSISTENT 42 MPG SINCE 2013 TO 35 MPG OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS. MY CONCERN THAT THIS DROP IN FUEL EFFICIENCY IS CONNECTED TO THE POWER INVERTER PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VEHICLE. I RECENTLY COMMUNICATED MY CONCERNS RELATING TO THE POWER INVERTER PROBLEMS TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF SOME ISSUES REGARDING THE INVERTERS AND THAT AS A RESULT TOYOTA INCREASED THE WARRANTY OF THIS COMPONENT FROM 8 YRS./100K MILES TO 15 YRS./UNLIMITED MILES! THIS WOULD SEEM TO INDICATE THAT TOYOTA IS FULLY AWARE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. I AM CONCERNED THAT TOYOTA IS NOT ADDRESSING THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY SAFETY ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS V. WHILE MAKING A U-TURN AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND LOST TRACTION. THE VSC, ENGINE, AND HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A MALFUNCTIONING HYBRID SYSTEM AND BATTERY. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE REPAIRS THAT WERE NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V449000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

ALTHOUGH OUR VEHICLE IS NOT IDENTIFIED FOR A RECALL THE SYMPTOMS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME DESCRIPTION AS THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER14V053000. DEALER SAYS EVERYTHING IS NORMAL BUT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY WHICH INCLUDES CHILDREN. CONCERNED ABOUT TOYOTA NOT RESPONDING TO OUR CLAIMS AND THE RISK OF COLLISION AS A POSSIBILITY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED MOLD GROWING INSIDE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

2013 TOYOTA PRIUS V. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HIS WIFE EXITED THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ON. THEY WERE SET TO REMAIN ON FOR A BRIEF PERIOD AFTER THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. SHE GOT BACK IN THE VEHICLE AND THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED; NO LIGHTS, THE DOOR LOCKS DID NOT WORK AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START, THE ONLY FUNCTIONING ITEM, WAS THE BRAKE LIGHTS. THE CONSUMER AND HIS WIFE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES, TO GET THE VEHICLE TO START, SO EVENTUALLY THEY HAD A TECHNICIAN COME AND START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE T O FIND A PROBLEM. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE HAPPENED ON MAY 31, 2014. WHEN THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE FOUR HOURS LATER, HE WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE DRIVER'S DOOR. EVENTUALLY, HE REMOVED THE PHYSICAL KEY FROM THE ELECTRONIC KEY FOB, AND OPENED THE DOOR, BUT WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY SIGN OF ELECTRICITY WAS TWO GREEN TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS FLASHING SIMULTANEOUSLY WHEN HE PUSHED THE POWER BUTTON. THE CONSUMER RETURNED HOURS LATER, AND THE VEHICLE STARTED IMMEDIATELY. HOWEVER, THE CLOCK HAD ZEROED OUT CONFIRMING THE POWER FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM. *JB