2011 Toyota Prius

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN AFTERMARKET HEATED SEAT WARMER MANUFACTURED BY PHILIPS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEATED SEAT WARMER FAILED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT HAD BECOME HOTTER THAN NORMAL THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED THAT A HOLE HAD BURNED INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE SERIAL AND MODEL NUMBERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56, 200. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING ON A ROUGH ROAD SURFACE AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THE CAR LOST ITS BRAKES OR THE POWER TO THE BRAKES AND SURGE FORWARD. THERE WAS A FEELING THAT THE ABS HAD ENGAGED THAN DISENGAGED LEAVING THE CAR WITH NO BRAKES. NORMALLY THE BRAKES ARE VERY CONSISTENT, THEY SLOW AND STOP THE CAR QUICKLY AND SAFELY, HOWEVER WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED WHILE RIDING ON ROUGH ROADS THEY BECOME VERY INCONSISTENT AND UNRELIABLE. IT FEELS THAT THE BRAKES STOP FUNCTIONING, BRAKING DISTANCE BECOMES LONGER AS DOES THE TIME REQUIRED TO STOP THE CAR. I FIRST NOTICED THIS CONDITION WHILE BRAKING ON A ROUGH ROAD AT ABOUT 30 MPH. THE CONDITION NOW OCCURS NOT ONLY WHEN DRIVING ON ROUGH ROADS (PAVED ROADS WITH POTHOLES/POTHOLE REPAIRS) BUT ALSO ON WET/SLICK ROADS. THIS CONDITION IS INTERMITTENT BUT IS OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY AND AT ANY SPEED, ROAD SURFACE AND WEATHER CONDITION. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN REPLICATING THE CONDITION BY DRIVING THE CAR OVER ROUGH ROADS AND APPLYING THE BRAKES. THEY TELL ME THAT UNLESS THEY CAN EXPERIENCE THE CONDITION (SEE FOR THEMSELVES) THEY CAN NOT DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE CONDITION. TOYOTA CORPORATE TELL ME THEY STAND BEHIND THE DEALERSHIP AND CAN DO NOTHING. *TR

WE PURCHASED A 10 MONTH OLD TOYOTA PRIUS ON MARCH 16ND 2012 WITH ONLY 1367 MILES. THE PRIOR OWNER WHO WAS LEASING THIS CAR RETURNED THE CAR DUE TO MILEAGE INCONSISTENCY..... ON OCT 5TH 2012, I WAS DRIVING ON SUNNY DRY DAY AT 22MPH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME SLOWED DOWN. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE TO SLOWDOWN BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. WHEN I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE IT DID NOT RESPOND IMMEDIATELY, I APPLIED COMPLETE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE HOWEVER THE CAR STILL DID NOT SLOW DOWN ENOUGH AND I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. PER THE REPORT FROM TOYOTA THE SPEED WENT DOWN FROM 22MPH TO 5MPH AT THE TIME OF THE IMPACT. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE TOYOTA REPORT THAT I ONLY STEPPED ON THE BRAKE FOR 2 SECONDS AS IT WAS MUCH MORE... BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKE WAS MUCH HARDER AND LESS FORCEFUL PRESSURE MADE THE CAR STOP AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE BRAKE FEELS SOFTER AND MORE PRESSURE IS NEEDED TO MAKE THE BRAKE WORK. THIS IS AN ALMOST BRAND NEW CAR WITH 7K MILES ON IT HOWEVER I DO FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR ANYMORE AFTER THIS ACCIDENT AND I FEAR FOR MY LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY. WHAT WILL HAPPEN I DRIVE ON A HIGHWAY AT 60MPH AND THE BRAKE WILL NOT WORK?? TOYOTA DENIES ANY TECHNICAL ERROR WITH THE CAR AND BLAMES THE ACCIDENT ON ME. THERE ARE PLENTY OF REPORTS OF SIMILAR ACCIDENTS REPORTED BY CONSUMERS ON THIS SAME ISSUE HERE: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0DB60B. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED A LEAK COMING FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE SPIDERS IN THE HVAC DRAINAGE HOSE AND THE SPIDERS HAD CREATED A NEST EGG IN THE HOSE, WHICH CAUSED THE LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER HER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 20,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST INCIDENT, BUT THE MOST NOTICEABLE. WHEN BRAKING AND COMING TO A STOP, IF THE TIRES HIT A POTHOLE OR ANY KIND OF HOLE OR BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES SUDDENLY. TODAY, IT ACCELERATED AS I WAS BRAKING AND COMING TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT. MY BACK RIGHT TIRE WENT OVER A POTHOLE, AND THE CAR JUMPED AND ACCELERATED ABOUT 10 FEET. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME. *TR

WE'VE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE DRCC (DYNAMIC RADAR CRUSE CONTROL) ON OUR 2011 PRIUS. THE DRCC LOCKS UP (FREEZES) -LOCKING ONTO A PHANTOM VEHICLE AHEAD AND ACTIVATING THE BEEPER/APPLYING THE BRAKES -' EVEN WHEN THERE IS NO VEHICLE IS AHEAD! THIS CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD AS THE CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATES AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS WITH NO WARNING TO VEHICLES BEHIND. WE HAVE HAD 7 OCCURRENCES OF THIS PROBLEM. A SEARCH OF THE HTSA DATABASE YIELDS TWO SIMILAR REPORTS (10448415 & 10421208). IN ALL CASES THIS HAS OCCURRED ON CLEAR SUNNY DAYS AS THE CAR WAS PASSING A SEMI TRACTOR-TRAILER ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN OUR CAR WAS PASSING THE SEMI'S CAB. IN MOST CASES, THERE WAS NO VEHICLE IN FRONT (CAR IN CONSTANT SPEED MODE) - IT JUST SUDDENLY ACTED LIKE THERE WAS ONE! WHENEVER THIS OCCURS, THE CAR KEEPS BRAKING AND THE ONLY IMMEDIATE SOLUTION IS TO TURN DISENGAGE THE CRUSE CONTROL. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS HIGH (ABOVE 90 DEGREES) WHEN WE RE-ENGAGE THE DRCC, THE UNIT IS STILL LOCKED UP! WHAT CLEARED THE LOCKED UP CONDITION WAS TURNING OFF THE CAR. ON ONE OCCASION, WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE HAD DROPPED BELOW 90 DEGREES THE DRCC CLEARED ITSELF. I HAVE A LOG OF ALL 7 OCCURRENCES OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (CASE #S [XXX] & [XXX]) AND THEY HAD ME TAKE THE CAR TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHO USED THEIR TECHSCAN TOOL TO DOWNLOAD ANY SYSTEM GENERATED ERROR CODES - THEY FOUND NONE. (OF COURSE, IF THE SOFTWARE DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THAT MALFUNCTION HAS OCCURRED, NO ERROR CODE WILL BE GENERATED.) THE DEALER ALSO TOOK THE CAR OUT ON A COUPLE OF (SHORT) TEST DRIVES, BUT THE SYSTEM PERFORMED NORMALLY. *NOTE: A POSSIBLE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT, WHEN HOT, THE RADAR UNIT IS PICKING UP SIGNALS FROM THE TRUCK'S SATELLITE POSITION REPORTING SYSTEM. THERE ARE SEVERAL ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURING FAULTS THAT COULD LEAD TO THIS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON APRIL 3 2012 WE DROVE OUR 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP SIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. WHILE WE WERE STOPPED, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. MY WIFE, WHO AS DRIVING LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK THAT HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. WHILE STARING AT HER FOOT SQUARELY ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD AGAIN ABOUT 3 FEET. THE CAR THEN SURGED FORWARD AGAIN ABOUT ONE FOOT BEFORE STOPPING. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CROSSING TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS OR ANY OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS. NO COLLISION OCCURRED AND NO ONE WAS HURT. WE CALLED TOYOTA CARE IMMEDIATELY AND THEY PROMPTLY PICKED UP THE CAR AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER LATER CALLED US AND INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND THAT NO PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND. WE DISPUTED THAT WE WERE UNWILLING TO TAKE THE CAR BACK UNTIL A PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND THEY TOLD US THAT THEY HAD DONE EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO AND EVEN HAD DRIVEN THE CAR 10 MILES WITH NO INCIDENT. I INFORMED THEM THAT WE HAD DRIVEN THE CAR NEARLY 10,000 MILES AND IT HAPPENED ONCE. ONCE IS TOO MANY TIMES. THE DEALER TOLD US WE HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK. WE ASKED FOR A WRITTEN STATEMENT GUARANTEEING THE SAFETY OF THE CAR AND THAT THE ISSUE WOULD NOT OCCUR. THEY SAID THEY COULD OFFER NO WRITTEN STATEMENT, SO WE REFUSED TO TAKE THE CAR BACK WHAT FOLLOWED WAS ESSENTIALLY THE DEALER PASSING THE BUCK TO TOYOTA CORPORATE WHO BASICALLY TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT IF WE STILL HAD A PROBLEM WE COULD GO TO ARBITRATION. TOYOTA CORPORATE WAS NEITHER REASSURING NOR HELPFUL. WE ARE NOW IN ARBITRATION WITH TOYOTA. WE HAVE OUR ARBITRATION HEARING TODAY. IT HAS NOW BEEN NEARLY TWO MONTHS SINCE WE HAVE HAD THE CAR, YET WE ARE STILL PAYING THE LEASE AND INSURANCE. WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR MONEY, WE ONLY WANT ASSURANCE AND SAFETY FOR OUR FAMILY. *TR

WHEN I PUSH ON THE BRAKES AND I HAPPEN TO GO OVER A BUMP OR A POT HOLE, MY PRIUS SPEEDS UP. IT ACCELERATES WHEN I TRY TO DECELERATE. I HAVE TO PUSH HARDER ON THE BRAKES TO REALLY SLOW THE CAR DOWN. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS WHEN I'M DRIVING AT AROUND 40MILE/HR. I HAVE A 2011 TYPE III PRIUS. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS TOTAL BS BECAUSE AS SOON AS I GOT IT BACK FROM THEM I COULD REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM ON MY WAY BACK HOME. PLEASE ADVISE ME OF WHAT TO DO. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR