2002 Toyota Prius

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 65 MPH, THE EMERGENCY AND POWER STEERING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE POWER STEERING WOULD LOCK AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OFF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED, THE WARNING INDICATORS WOULD NO LONGER ILLUMINATE; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE LIABILITY OF THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 96,000. UPDATED 3/16/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS AN OCCASSIONAL SHIMMY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. UPDATED 03/19/09.*JB

WHILE ON A TRIP AND AFTER START UP ON A COLD MORNING, I LEFT THE HOTEL PARKING LOT AND WAS PROCEEDING TO THE ON RAMP FOR THE INTERSTATE. WHILE I WAS TURNING LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY FOR 3-4 SECONDS BEFORE IT SUBSIDED. I NOTICED THIS SHUTTERING OR STIFFNESS A FEW MORE TIMES BEFORE WE RETURNED FROM OUR TRIP. AFTER RETURNING HOME, WE TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER. THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND STATED, "CHECKED TO FIND POWER STEERING RACK & PINION GEAR IS CAUSING PROBLEM EST $2160.85. WOULD NEED TO ORDER PART # 44200-49055." *TR

BRAKE AND ABS LIGHT CAME ON. BRAKES LOST COMPLETE BRAKING ABILITY. LUCKILY WE WERE ON A HILL OFF THE INTERSTATE EXIT WHEN THIS HAPPENED SO THE CAR COULD NOT GO FURTHER, THOUGH IT ALMOST CRASHED INTO THE PERSON IN FRONT OF US (THAT PERSON TURNED OFF ROAD). THIS IS 100% DANGEROUS! THE CAR CURRENTLY SITS AT MY HOUSE. TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. WHEN BRAKE PADS WERE CHECKED LAST I WAS TOLD BRAKES WERE 80% NEW, SO IT IS CLEARLY NOT THE PADS. *TR

ON MAY 4TH, 2008, AT OR AROUND 12:30 PM, I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS NORMALLY. THE HYBRID SYSTEM GAVE ME A TROUBLE LIGHT PRIOR TO LEAVING AN AUTO PARTS STORE PARKING LOT; HOWEVER, I ATTRIBUTED THE WARNING LIGHT TO A RECENTLY REPLACED CHARCOAL CANISTER AND DISMISSED THE WARNING LIGHT, BELIEVING IT TO BE RELATED TO THE RECENTLY REPLACED PART. I LEFT THE PARKING LOT AND PROCEEDED ON TO MY DESTINATION, WHICH WAS MY HOUSE, ABOUT 2 MILES AWAY FROM THE STORE. WITHOUT WARNING, AND SAFELY ON A STREET WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC, AS I WAS DRIVING UP A SLIGHT INCLINE, THE ENGINE FAILED TO START. THE HYBRID SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO RUN PRIMARILY ON THE ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVING THE WHEELS AND USE THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE (ICE) FOR ADDED POWER WHEN THE ELECTRIC MOTORS DO NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH POWER. HOWEVER, IN MY SITUATION, THE CAR NEEDED MORE POWER, AND THE ENGINE FAILED TO START. I TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET THE ENGINE TO START BY CYCLING THE GAS PEDAL, BUT TO NO AVAIL - THE ICE STILL WOULD NOT START. I HAD TO PULL THE CAR OVER, SHUT IT OFF, AND RESTART THE CAR TO GET THE ICE RUNNING AGAIN. NORMALLY I WOULD NOT BE THIS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT HAD THIS ISSUE OCCURRED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN A HAZARD TO THE OCCUPANTS AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD - THE LOSS OF THE ICE IN A CRITICAL SITUATION COULD LEAD TO AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY IF ICE POWER IS LOST AT A CRITICAL TIME, SUCH AS ACCELERATING ONTO A BUSY FREEWAY. BECAUSE OF THIS POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE IT IS MY BELIEF THAT ANY YEAR OR MODEL OF THE TOYOTA PRIUS IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE ROAD AS THE ICE CAN BE UNRELIABLE, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS. I DID NOT TAKE THE CAR TO BE REPAIRED NOR DID I ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE; ON MAY 5TH, I TRADED THE PRIUS IN FOR A DIFFERENT VEHICLE. *TR

I GOT THIS VEHICLE IN 2005 FROM MY FATHER. I HAVE SINCE THEN HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES OF THIS CAR MANY TIMES AND I HAVE ALWAYS REPLACED THEM WITH THE TIRES RECOMMENDED FOR THE CAR. SINCE THIS CAR IS A HYBRID, THE CAR REQUIRES TIRES MADE TO WITHSTAND THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR BATTERY AND THEREFORE THEY COST 100 DOLLARS OR MORE PER TIRE DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU PURCHASE THEM FROM. THE INCIDENT DATE LISTED IS MY MOST RECENT TIRE FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND BEGAN FLASHING A WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT IT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING GEAR BOX AND ELECTRIC SYSTEM FAILED. THE COST OF THE PART IS $1,800. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.