2013 Toyota Prius V

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE DRIVER'S SIDE HALF SHAFT AND BALL JOINT TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE OTHER DAY AND MY 2013 PRIUS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I FELT A POP AND I HAD NO GAS BY THE GRACE OF GOD I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND NOT GET KILLED I CALLED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE I DID HAVE POWER I DID HAVE STEERING BUT THERE WAS NO GAS UPON CHECKING AT MY TOYOTA DEALER THEY SAID THE PISTON HAD GONE STRAIGHT THROUGH THE ENGINE AND I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY DUE TO ABUSE OF OIL AND LACK OF OIL CHANGES I GOOGLED AND SAW THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND I'M ACTUALLY A DOCTOR AND HAVE SEVEN CHILDREN AND I DID CHANGE MY OIL AND I HAD NO WARNING LIGHT

MY PRIUS V RECENTLY STARTED TO HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH COOLANT LOSS AND LOSS OF PERFORMANCE. MY ONBOARD MONITORING SYSTEM (HUM BY VERIZON) WARNED ME I HAVE A MISFIRE ON CYLINDER 2. I REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS ( DENSO PLUGS) AND CHECKED ALL THE COILS. I ALSO CHECKED AND CLEANED THE EGR VALVE. THIS MADE NO DIFFERENCE. UPON START UP, THERE IS A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE AND I HAVE WATER PERIODICALLY COMING OUT OF THE TAILPIPE. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO A REPUTABLE SHOP THAT SPECIALIZES IN ASIAN CARS AND IT HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AT 165,000 MILES. THATS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR! I HAVE LOOKED AT PRIUS FORUMS AND SEEMS LIKE THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THIS YEAR MODEL. ACCORDING TO TO PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THIS FORUM, TOYOTA HAS SINCE CORRECTED THIS PROBLEM. IF THIS IS TRUE, SHOULDN'T TOYOTA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGES? AS A CONSUMER AND WORKING MAN, IS IT FAIR THAT I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN GOOD FAITH BECAUSE OF TOYOTAS REPUTATION, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT I HAVE BEEN DECEIVED BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM?

MY BRAKES FAILED ON A TWO-LANE DIVIDED STREET IN LUTZ. WE WERE DRIVING STRAIGHT, AND WHEN MY HUSBAND PUT HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THEY FAILED. WE DROVE TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA GARAGE AND THE AGENT SAID THAT IT WAS A MASTER CYLINDER PROBLEM BUT THE PRIUS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL - PRIUS' LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD AND LESS THAN 150,000 MILES ON THE CLOCK WERE COVERED. MY CAR FIT BOTH CRITERIA. ON RETURNING TO COLLECT THE CAR, NONE OF THE V CLASS PRIUS' WERE INCLUDED. THE PART NUMBER WAS C1391. WE HAD TO PAY $3886.09. OUR MANUFACTURER NUMBER WAS NOT COVERED. IT WAS ONE NUMBER DIFFERENT. I SPOKE TO THE MOST SENIOR EXECUTIVE I COULD CONTACT AT TOYOTA. (DANNY CASTRO). DANNY HAD NO ANSWERS THAT I FOUND SATISFACTORY. HIS BASIC REPLY WAS: 'YOUR MANUFACTURERS NUMBER IS NOT INCLUDED.' THESE ARE MY CONCERNS AND REASONS: 1. THERE IS A KNOWN FAULT WITH THE MASTER CYLINDER WITH ALL PRIUS CARS, BUT THE COMPANY SAYS THAT IT IS ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTAIN MANUFACTURER PART NUMBERS, WHICH DOESN'T INCLUDE THE V'S. I THINK IT'S A DESIGN FAULT AND BY GIVING THE PART A DIFFERENT NUMBER TO AVOID THE RECALL ON V'S, SEEMS UNDERHANDED. 2. THERE IS NOTHING I HAVE DONE TO INSTIGATE OR AGGRAVATE THIS PROBLEM. 3. MY CAR HAS BEEN PERFECTLY SERVICED AND I HAVE NOT MISSED ANY MILEAGE DATES. 4. WE WERE LUCKY. WITH THE BRAKES FAILING ABRUPTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, WE WERE AT RISK AND I BELIEVE THAT MY COMPLAINT MAY SAVE OTHERS THAT AREN'T SO FORTUNATE AS US. ALL PRIUS CARS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL PROGRAM.THE INTERNET DOCUMENTS MASTER CYLINDER FAILURES ON ALL PRIUS MODELS, THE TOP ONE BEING A LEAK; MY PROBLEM. 1.5 MILLION CARS ARE BEING RECALLED - WHY NOT MINE!!!!

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING OCCASIONALLY, I'M DRIVING AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN, THE TRACTION CONTROL, ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN ON AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS SLUGGISH AND STARTS TO APPLY AT A DANGEROUS LOW LEVEL, THE PEDAL ALMOST HITS THE FLOOR, THEN A DAY MAY PASS, THEN IT STARTS NORMAL AGAIN, FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, THEN, THE LIGHTS COME ON AGAIN, AND THE PEDAL STARTS WITH THE PROBLEM AGAIN, IT'S GETTING VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME TO DRIVE THE CAR. THAT HAPPENED WITH MY YOUNGEST SON AND MY GRANDSON, THIS STARTED AT APRIL, AND IT STILL DOING IT 'TILL THIS DAY, PLEASE HELP.

THIS VEHICLE HAS A PUSH START AND KEYLESS REMOTE FOB. THE ENGINE WAS STARTED PROPERLY WITH THE KEYLESS REMOTE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I STEPPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE KEY WAS LEFT OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I DROVE AWAY AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. THERE IS NO SAFETY FEATURE THAT NOTIFIES YOU THAT THE KEY IS OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE OR STOPS THE ENGINE WHEN THE KEY IS OUT OF RANGE. *TR

REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT JAMS FREQUENTLY. ISSUE STARTED ~3YRS INTO OWNERSHIP BUT SINCE USING LATCH CAR SEATS FOR MY KIDS IN THAT SEAT DIDN'T NEED TO USE OR WOULD USE OTHER SEATS IF UNABLE TO RELEASE THE SEATBELT. I TOOK INTO DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT 5YR / 80,000 MARK (NOV 2018) AND THEY TUGGED AND WERE ABLE TO GET FUNCTIONAL, BUT PROBLEM QUICKLY CAME BACK. NOW AT 7YR/100,000 MARK, BELT IS COMPLETELY NON-FUNCTIONAL AND REQUIRING A $400 REPLACE COST (OUTSIDE OF ANY WARRANTY PER DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA CORPORATE SO NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN). MY CASE ID IS [XXX] WITH TOYOTA AND I AM CURRENTLY INCURRING THE COST TO REPLACE AS MY DAUGHTER IS NOW OUTSIDE NON-LATCH CAR SEATS. I WOULD FEEL SICK TO MY STOMACH IF ANYONE ELSE HAS SIMILAR ISSUE AND DECIDED TO NOT REPLACE AND IN COURSE OF AN ACCIDENT WOULD BE INJURED OR DIE BECAUSE OF IT. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM IF THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THE PART AND FEEL SINCE THIS IS BEING CONSIDERED OUTSIDE OF ANY WARRANTY MAKE ME HESITATE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TOYOTA AGAIN. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WE WERE DRIVING IN THE CITY AND AFTER GOING ON A SLIGHT INCLINE ROAD THE CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER. NOTICED A FEW WARNING INDICATORS CAME ON THE DASH THEN I LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE THE CAR SO I HAD TO PULL OVER WHILE IT WAS SLOWING DOWN. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SHORT DISTANCES TILL IT COMPLETELY LOST THE ABILITY TO DRIVE DUE TO LOST OF ACCELERATION. VERY SCARY SITUATION AND IT SEEMS LIKE ITS DUE TO THEIR INVERTER ISSUES THEY WERE TRYING TO FIX WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE. IF THE SHOP CONFIRMS, ITS DUE TO THE INVERTER ISSUES, NOT SURE IF ID FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR EVEN IF THEY REPLACE THE WHOLE INVERTER ASSEMBLY. IT'S OUR FAMILY CAR FOR ROAD TRIPS AND I WOULDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE UNTIL THEY FIND A SOLID FIX FOR THIS ISSUE. 3 RECALLS FOR THE SAME ISSUE? THAT'S RIDICULOUS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE A SEQUENCE OF 4 LIGHTS APPEARS ON THE DASH- 1. BRAKE LIGHT 2. MASTER WARNING LIGHT 3. SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT AND 4. ABS (ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM INDICATOR LIGHT). WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE VEHICLE'S POWER BRAKING SYSTEM GOES INTO WHAT SEEMS TO BE A MANUAL MODE MAKING THE PEDAL HARD TO PRESS AND BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION, IT IS SO DANGEROUS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED FAULT CODE C1391 (ABNORMAL LEAK IN THE ACCUMULATOR) AND THE "BRAKE CYLINDER ASSY. ABS PUMP, PART # 47050-47110 IS DEFECTIVE. THE ESTIMATE GIVEN BY THE DEALER FOR MY REPAIR WAS $3040.00. AFTER DOING MY RESEARCH ON THE CONDITION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT LETTER CODED "ZJB" FOR SIMILAR PRIUS VEHICLES OF THE SAME YEAR SPAN AS MY VEHICLE. AFTER CONTACTING TOYOTA, THEY STATED THE ENHANCEMENT IS VIN-SPECIFIC AND THE PRIUS V MODEL DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE "ZJB" ENHANCEMENT. THE ENHANCEMENT CURRENTLY APPLIES TO 2012-2015 PRIUS AND PRIUS PHV VEHICLES, BUT NOT THE PRIUS V. THE PROGRAM OFFERS COMPLETE REPAIR, AT ZERO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. IT IS MY POSITION THAT THE PRIUS V SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS REWORK AS IT AFFECTS THE SAME COMPONENTS, SAME FAULT CODES, AND SAME SYMPTOMS AFFECTED ON THE COVERED MODELS. TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE WITH THESE ABS BRAKE PUMPS GOING BACK TO THEIR 2010 CARS. IT IS ALSO MY POSITION THAT SINCE THERE ARE LESS PRIUS V MODELS ON THE ROAD, THERE JUST HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO MAKE IT RELEVANT. I CURRENTLY HAVE AN OPEN FILE WITH TOYOTA, THE FILE NUMBER IS 2005133097. AT THIS TIME THEY HAVE AGREED TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS ON THE REPAIR COSTS, HOWEVER, TOYOTA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ADD THE PRIUS V MODEL TO THE "ZJB" WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT REWORK LETTER. THERE ARE MANY OTHER PRIUS V MODEL OWNERS THAT THIS ISSUE IS AFFECTING AND NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY BY TOYOTA. PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO HELP? *DT*JB