THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER OR/AND TURN OFF WITHOUT NOTICE AND QUITE OFTEN, REGARDLESS IF THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY OR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY AT NIGHT. REPLACING THE HID BULBS DOESN'T REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THIS MAY BE VERY DANGEROUS.
2008 Toyota Prius
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Prius years
Owner complaints for the 2008 Toyota Prius are substantially higher than the model-year median of 164.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Prius years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
1,248 reports with mileage · 249 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 579 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 235 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 171 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Exterior Lighting complaints
579 reportsJUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. LEFT HEADLIGHT WILL FLICKER A FEW TIMES AND THEN GO OUT. THE WHOLE LIGHT IS OFF, BOTH LOW AND HIGH BEAMS WILL NOT WORK. IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON IT WILL WORK AGAIN.
HEADLIGHTS FLICKER AND TURN OFF AND ON. HAVE HAD HEADLIGHTS REPLACED 3 TIMES AND PROBLEM REOCCURS. LIGHTS ARE ON WHEN I START DRIVING THEN TURN OFF AND SOMETIMES TURN BACK ON.
WHILE DRIVING IN THE DARK MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. THEN A FEW DAYS LATER IT SWITCHED TO THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT GOING OUT. NOW WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THEY WILL GO OFF AT LEAST 10 TIMES ON MY 9 MILE FREEWAY DRIVE. IT IS NOT SAFE! *TR
MY 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS HID HEADLAMPS. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AON OF THE HEADLAMPS WENT OUT, SO I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA, AND THEY REPLACED THE BURNED OUT HEADLAMP AND ALSO REPLACED THE OTHER HEADLAMP, SAYING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLAMPS, AND THE NEW HEADLAMPS SHOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO REP…
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MY 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS HID HEADLAMPS. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, AON OF THE HEADLAMPS WENT OUT, SO I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA, AND THEY REPLACED THE BURNED OUT HEADLAMP AND ALSO REPLACED THE OTHER HEADLAMP, SAYING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLAMPS, AND THE NEW HEADLAMPS SHOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I HAD TO REPLACE ANOTHER HEADLAMP AT ABOUT 80,000 MILES, AND THE OPPOSITE SIDE HEADLAMP AT ABOUT 90,000 MILES. SINCE I REPLACED THE LAST HEADLAMP, THE RIGHT ONE, IT WENT OUT AGAIN, SO I REPLACED IT AGAIN. NOW THAT SAME HEADLAMP KEEPS GOING OUT, AND THEN IT GOES BACK ON, IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE HEAT RELATED, AS SOMETIMES IT IS OFF WHEN I FIRST START THE CAR AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT COMES ON. IF I FLASH THE BRIGHT SWITCH BACK AND FORTH IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE THE LOW BEAM. IF I REPEATEDLY FLASH THE HI-LOW SWITCH, EVENTUALLY THE LOW BEAM WILL GO OUT, THEN IF I TURN THE LIGHT SWITCH OFF AND ON AGAIN, THE LOW BEAM RETURNS BACK ON. I HAVE REPLACED THE LAMP WITH ONE THAT I THOUGHT WAS BURNED OUT AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS. I HAVE CHECKED ON LINE, AND HAVE READ HOW PEOPLE TAKING THEIR PRIUS TO THE DEALER ARE BEING CHARGED FROM $300.00 TO $4000.00 FOR CHANGING VARIOUS PARTS, AND STILL ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE BEE STOPPED BY THE POLICE TWICE FOR HAVING 1 HEADLIGHT OUT, AND I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO BE OUT. I HAVE READ OF SOME PEOPLE HAVING THE PROBLEM WITH BOTH HEADLIGHTS, AND KNOW THAT IT IS AN ACCIDENT JUST WAITING TO HAPPEN. I HAVE EVEN TRIED TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN OPTION AVAILABLE TO CHANGE THE HEADLIGHTS FROM HID TO HALOGEN, BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY SUCH OPTION AVAILABLE. SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM, AND AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, SHOULDN'T TOYOTA STEP UP AND OFFER A SOLUTION? I WOULD APPRECIATE IF THIS PROBLEM COULD BE INVESTIGATED. THANK YOU. *TR
ONE HEADLIGHT TURNS OFF RANDOMLY. EVERY NOW AND AGAIN TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND ON AGAIN WILL FIX THE PROBLEM FOR A SHORT TIME.
MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT. I WAS OUT IN THE COUNTRY, IN THE MOUNTAINS ON A CURVY ROAD, WHERE THERE WERE NO STREET LIGHTS. IT WAS PITCH DARK AND A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, TO SAY THE LEAST. I'M LUCKY I DIDN'T RUN OFF THE ROAD OR GET IN A WRECK. I'M 74 YEARS OLD AND MY VISION IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO…
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MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT. I WAS OUT IN THE COUNTRY, IN THE MOUNTAINS ON A CURVY ROAD, WHERE THERE WERE NO STREET LIGHTS. IT WAS PITCH DARK AND A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, TO SAY THE LEAST. I'M LUCKY I DIDN'T RUN OFF THE ROAD OR GET IN A WRECK. I'M 74 YEARS OLD AND MY VISION IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO BE AND I HAD TO DRIVE 40 MILES TO MY HOUSE, WITH JUST MY FOG LIGHTS. I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, TO SEE IF THEY KNEW WHAT CAUSED MY HEADLIGHTS TO GO OUT AND IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT WAS PROBABLY A LIGHT BULB PROBLEM AND THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST ME $120 JUST TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM. I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM FOR THIS CAR AND REPLACING THE LIGHT BULBS COST AROUND $500 AND IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IN MANY CASES IT REOCCURS. SO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WHY WOULD I SPEND $500 ON THE PROBLEM, WHEN IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM?? I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE'S NO RECALL ON A PROBLEM OF THIS NATURE, AS IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT!
HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY SHUT OFF, CAN SOMETIMES BE TURNED BACK ON IF HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF AND THEN ON, BUT THEY NEVER STAY ON. VERY UNSAFE WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL AND FIX THIS ISSUE. *TR
MY HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I AMDRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE HAVE GOTTEN WORSE AND GO OUT MORE FREQUENTLY AND SOMETIMES STAY OFF. I HAVE REPLACED THE LIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES AND AM STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. I NEED HELP BECAUSE I HAVE ALMOST GOTTEN TICKETS BEHIND THIS PROBLEM. MY THING IS TOYOTA KNOWS ABOT THIS AND REFUSE …
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MY HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I AMDRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE HAVE GOTTEN WORSE AND GO OUT MORE FREQUENTLY AND SOMETIMES STAY OFF. I HAVE REPLACED THE LIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES AND AM STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. I NEED HELP BECAUSE I HAVE ALMOST GOTTEN TICKETS BEHIND THIS PROBLEM. MY THING IS TOYOTA KNOWS ABOT THIS AND REFUSE TO HAVE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE.
THE HEADLAMPS GO DARK AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THIS OCCURS ON THE HIGHWAY OR CITY STREET AND MORE OFTEN SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING THE DRIVE RATHER THAN LATER IN THE TRIP. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ONE OR BOTH HEADLAMPS WILL SHUT OFF. I AM ABLE TO RESTORE THE LIGHTS BY SWITCHING THE HEADLAMPS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THIS…
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THE HEADLAMPS GO DARK AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THIS OCCURS ON THE HIGHWAY OR CITY STREET AND MORE OFTEN SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING THE DRIVE RATHER THAN LATER IN THE TRIP. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ONE OR BOTH HEADLAMPS WILL SHUT OFF. I AM ABLE TO RESTORE THE LIGHTS BY SWITCHING THE HEADLAMPS OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR TWO YEARS SINCE THE CAR HAD 45,000 MILES UNTIL NOW WITH 65,000 MILES. *TR
Official recalls
412V536000 · Engine And Engine Cooling; Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter
Nov 14, 2012
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Consequence: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Engine And Engine Cooling
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Consequence: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
12V537000 · Steering; Steering:gear Box:shaft Sector
Nov 14, 2012
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Steering:gear Box:shaft Sector
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Consequence: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Steering
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Consequence: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
10V036000 · Equipment:other:labels
Feb 3, 2010
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
09V388000 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal
Oct 5, 2009
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
Remedy: TOYOTA FILED AN AMENDED DEFECT REPORT ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009, STATING THAT DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR SURFACE UNDER THE PEDAL. THESE CHANGES ADDRESS THE RISK OF PEDAL ENTRAPMENT DUE TO INTERFERENCE WITH THE FLOOR MAT. REDESIGNED ACCELERATOR PEDALS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE BEGINNING IN APRIL 2010 AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY MODIFIED PEDAL WITH THE NEW PEDAL IF DESIRED. ALSO, DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY GENUINE TOYOTA OR LEXUS ALL-WEATHER FLOOR MATS WITH REDESIGNED ALL-WEATHER MATS, OR REPURCHASE THE PREVIOUS MATS FROM OWNERS WHO DO NOT WANT THE NEW ONES. ADDITIONALLY, SOFTWARE MODIFICATIONS WILL BE INSTALLED ON CAMRY, AVALON AND LEXUS ES 350, IS 350 AND IS 250 MODELS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THE BRAKE OVERRIDES THE ACCELERATOR IN THE EVENT BOTH BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE APPLIED. TOYOTA WILL BEGIN MAILING LETTERS TO OWNERS ON DECEMBER 31, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331, LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP13001 · Intermediate Steering Shaft Separation
Opened Feb 21, 2013 · Closed Apr 8, 2020
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:column; Steering:linkages
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Additional source detail variants (3)
Steering:column
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Steering:linkages
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Steering
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Illustration