2017 Toyota Prius

WHILE DRIVING ON I-75 THERE SEEMS TO BE A SPARK CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK AND BURN BACK TIRE AND THE TIRE ROLLED OFF THE FREEWAY PUTTING ALL THE FIVE PASSENGERS INTO A HAZARDOUS SITUATION ON THE I-75 FREEWAY. WE SMELLED SMELL OF TIRE AND GAS LEAK. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE FREEWAY. IT WAS REPORTED TO TOYOTA AND THEIR DEALERS MULTIPLE TIMES. NO ONE EVEN BOTHERED OR CONCERNED ABOUT THE ISSUE OR SAFETY OF PASSENGERS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE REAR WHEELS SEIZED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP AND THE BODY DAMAGES WERE REPAIRED SO THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KALISPELL TOYOTA (2845 U.S. 93 S, KALISPELL, MT 59901) FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

WHIRLING SOUND EMANATING FROM FRONT AREA... GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. FINALLY TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, EVEN THOUGH NO WARNING LIGHTS, AND THEY INDICATED BRAKE ACTUATOR BAD, TO THE TUNE OF $3400. SO I GAVE MY OTHER PRIUS (06) TO MY DAUGHTER TO DRIVE AND SAME NOISE, SO NOW HAVE TWO FAIRLY YOUNG (FOR A TOYOTA) PAPERWEIGHTS, SINCE SERVICE MANAGER SAID UNSAFE TO DRIVE. COMPLAINED TO CORPORATE AND THEY SAID EXTENDED WARRANTY OUT OF TIME. THIS IN UNACCEPTABLE FOR THIS AGE OF CAR.

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON A SURFACE STREET, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND A CRACK APPEARED AT THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD, ADVANCING LEFTWARD UP AND THEN ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD AND INTO MY LINE OF SIGHT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND HAVE NEVER HEARD A SOUND LIKE THAT IN NEARLY 50 YEARS OF DRIVING. AFTER RESEARCHING REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELDS, I DISCOVERED THAT THEY ARE BACK ORDERED BECAUSE SO MANY PRIUS OWNERS ARE HAVING TO REPLACE WINDSHIELDS. IN FACT, A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT RELATED TO THESE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELDS WAS FILED THIS MARCH. (SEE HTTPS://WWW.COURTHOUSENEWS.COM/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2018/03/TOYOTA.CA_.PDF ) I AM NOW DRIVING WITH WHAT I FEAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ME AND ANY PASSENGERS.

IN EARLY OR MID MAY 2018, WHEN MY NEW 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME HAD LESS THAN OR APPROX. 10,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN I WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR ONE SUNNY MORNING IN MY GATED PARKING LOT, I FIRST NOTICED A VERY THIN VERTICAL CRACK (CIRCA 2-3 INCHES) ON MY WINDSHIELD - STARTING AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD BELOW MY WIPERS. THE CRACK WAS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GLASS, I.E. BETWEEN DRIVER & PASSENGER. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, AND HAD SAT IN MY PARKING SPOT FOR THE LAST DAY OR TWO, AND THEN ON THIS MAY MORNING, THERE WAS A CRACK. NO CHIP MARK HAD EXISTED PRIOR TO THIS, AND NO ROCK HAD HIT IT WHEN I DROVE IT LAST. THERE WAS NO LARGE TREE NEAR MY PARKING SPOT, PLUS NOTHING WAS ON THE WINDSHIELD WHEN I GOT TO MY CAR THAT MORNING, SO NOTHING FELL ON IT. IN LESS THAN A WEEK, THE DAMAGE ON THE GLASS GREW LARGER (6 INCHES) AND WAS SPREADING. I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR 10,000 MILE SERVICE PER TOYOTACARE, BUT TOYOTA DENIED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF ITS FRAGILE PRIUS PRIME'S WINDSHIELD, DESPITE IT BEING WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THE DEFECT MANIFESTING ITSELF WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THE CRACK GREW AND SPREAD LARGER, EVENTUALLY TURNING 90 DEGREES AND EXPANDING HORIZONTALLY. IN LATE MAY OR EARLY JUNE 2018, I REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD VIA SAFELITE AUTO. THE TOTAL BALANCE OF THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS ABOUT $800 - I.E. THE REPLACEMENT COST WAS ABOUT $400, BUT I WAS TOLD MORE MONEY WAS NEEDED TO PROPERLY FIX CAMERA (ADAS) PROBLEMS CAUSED BY REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD. IN JUNE 2018, THE NEW WINDSHIELD CRACKED, ALMOST 1 OR 2 WEEKS AFTER I JUST HAD IT REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED A TINY OBJECT HIT MY WINDSHIELD. I CONTACTED THE DEALER. IN AUGUST 2018, THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT KNEW OF NO PROBLEMS WITH THE 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS WINDSHIELDS.

IN EARLY OR MID MAY 2018, WHEN MY NEW 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME HAD LESS THAN OR APPROX. 10,000 MILES ON IT AND WHEN I WAS GETTING INTO MY CAR ONE SUNNY MORNING IN MY GATED PARKING LOT, I FIRST NOTICED A VERY THIN VERTICAL CRACK (CIRCA 2-3 INCHES) ON MY WINDSHIELD - STARTING AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD BELOW MY WIPERS. THE CRACK WAS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GLASS, I.E. BETWEEN DRIVER & PASSENGER. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY, AND HAD SAT IN MY PARKING SPOT FOR THE LAST DAY OR TWO, AND THEN ON THIS MAY MORNING, THERE WAS A CRACK. NO CHIP MARK HAD EXISTED PRIOR TO THIS, AND NO ROCK HAD HIT IT WHEN I DROVE IT LAST. THERE WAS NO LARGE TREE NEAR MY PARKING SPOT, PLUS NOTHING WAS ON THE WINDSHIELD WHEN I GOT TO MY CAR THAT MORNING, SO NOTHING FELL ON IT. IN LESS THAN A WEEK, THE DAMAGE ON THE GLASS GREW LARGER (6 INCHES) AND WAS SPREADING. I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR 10,000 MILE SERVICE PER TOYOTACARE, BUT TOYOTA DENIED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF ITS FRAGILE PRIUS PRIME'S WINDSHIELD, DESPITE IT BEING WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THE DEFECT MANIFESTING ITSELF WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THE CRACK GREW AND SPREAD LARGER, EVENTUALLY TURNING 90 DEGREES AND EXPANDING HORIZONTALLY. IN LATE MAY OR EARLY JUNE 2018, I REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD VIA SAFELITE AUTO. THE TOTAL BALANCE OF THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS ABOUT $800 - I.E. THE REPLACEMENT COST WAS ABOUT $400, BUT I WAS TOLD MORE MONEY WAS NEEDED TO PROPERLY FIX CAMERA (ADAS) PROBLEMS CAUSED BY REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD. IN JUNE 2018, THE NEW WINDSHIELD CRACKED, ALMOST 1 OR 2 WEEKS AFTER I JUST HAD IT REPLACED. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED A TINY OBJECT HIT MY WINDSHIELD. I CONTACTED THE DEALER. IN AUGUST 2018, THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT KNEW OF NO PROBLEMS WITH THE 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS WINDSHIELDS.

WINDSHIELD CRACKS FROM IMPACT WITH SMALL ROCKS. IN THE PAST WEEK, MY WINDSHIELD WAS IMPACTED TWICE BY SMALL ROCKS. BOTH TIMES THE WINDSHIELD WAS DAMAGED. BOTH TIMES I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES PER HOUR ON A HIGHWAY. THE WINDHIELD IS THE PROBLEM. I REALIZE A ROCK MIGHT DAMAGE A WINDSHIELD BUT THE GLASS IN MY PRIUS IS MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE THAN IS ACCEPTABLE. LUCKILY I GOT BOTH CRACKS REPAIRED BEFORE THE DAMAGE COULD SPREAD AND CAUSE SAFETY ISSUES. (I BOUGHT MY PRIUS THREE MONTHS AGO; IT HAS 5,000 MILES.)

THE VEHICLE STARTED NORMALLY BUT WHEN I REACHED ABOUT TWO BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE, THE PRIUS STARTED TO ACT AS IF THE ELECTRIC MOTORS WERE NOT ENGAGING. THE ENGINE DID NOT ENGAGE EITHER AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS UNRESPONSIVE. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED, I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A 4-WAY INTERSECTION UNTIL I SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED IT. AFTER I RESTARTED THE PRIUS, IT CONTINUED BEHAVING ERRATICALLY. IT SOUNDED AND FELT LIKE THE GAS MOTOR HAD ENGAGED BUT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR HAD NOT. IT ALSO FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING/NOT ENGAGING AND I HAD TO REV THE MOTOR TO GET THE TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE (WHICH IT DID WITH A KICK LIKE IT WAS BEING PUT INTO GEAR). THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SO FAR. I HAD A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE ON THE LAST INCIDENT. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIND ANY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. I REACHED OUT TO TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY COULD ADDRESS THE ISSUE, BUT THEY SAID THAT THEIR FIELD TECH WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY PROBLEM. I AM WORRIED THAT THIS CAR WILL FAIL IN TRAFFIC AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE INCIDENT DATES ARE JUNE 20, JULY 2 AND JULY 27, 2018. THE ONLY INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS ABNORMAL ON JULY THE 27TH. WAS A LOWER MPG READING ON MY DISPLAY. OTHER THAN THAT, THERE WAS NO WARNING OR ERROR CODES DISPLAYED.