2017 Toyota Prius

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY STARTED. KOONS ARLINGTON TOYOTA (4045 LEE HWY, ARLINGTON, VA 22207, (703) 522-6000) WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. *TT

I PULLED INTO THE CAR PORT AND PUT MY CAR IN PARK. I THEN HEAR A POP SOUND AND SAW THE SMALL HATCH WINDOW WAS SPIDER WEB CRACKED COMPLETELY ACROSS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SMALL WINDOW. I WENT OUT TO INSPECT THE REAR WINDOW AND IT HAD CRACKED AND FALLEN APART ON THE SIDES AND PART WAY ACROSS THE TOP. A WEEK EARLIER, I WENT TO GET IN MY CAR AND SAW A CRACK GOING ACROSS THE FRONT WINDSHIELD THAT WASN'T THERE THE PREVIOUS DAY. THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF ROCK OR OTHER OBJECTS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING IT TO CRACK.

IN MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WITH THE TOYOTA DYNAMIC CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED ON THE HIGHWAY BETWEEN 55 AND 70 MPH, THE PRIUS HAS DANGEROUSLY ACCELERATED ITSELF TOWARDS A CAR IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF MY CAR AND WOULD HAVE CREATED A FRONT-TO-REAR COLLISION IF I WAS NOT EXTREMELY VIGILANT AND MANUALLY BRAKED AND CANCELED THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE SYSTEM WITHIN 10-20 FEET OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE SYSTEM SEEMS TO OPERATE BLINDLY IN MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AND WILL ACCELERATE TO USER-SET SPEED EVEN WHEN A CAR IS TRAVELING SLOWER IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. I STRONGLY SUSPECT THE PRE-COLLISION BRAKING IS FAILING AT THE SAME TIME AS THE DYNAMIC CRUISE (IN RAIN) SINCE IT RELIES ON THE SAME COMPONENTS. THE PRIUS PRIME NEEDS TO BE REPROGRAMMED TO NOT ALLOW DYNAMIC CRUISE ENGAGEMENT IN MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE DRIVER VISIBILITY IS ALREADY IMPAIRED UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. IF THIS DID NOT OCCUR MULTIPLE TIMES, I WOULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED IT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. THE PRIUS MANUAL SAYS THAT RAIN CAN CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO NOT BEHAVE AS INTENDED; HOWEVER, IN THAT CASE IT NEEDS TO BE AUTOMATICALLY DISABLED SO IT DOES NOT CREATE A VERY FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. THIS IS GOING TO COST LIVES IF IT'S NOT REPROGRAMMED. I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THIS WAS THE ONLY TOYOTA THAT EXHIBITS THIS DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT LIVES CAN BE SAVED WITH A SIMPLE REPROGRAM OF THE SYSTEM TO NOT ALLOW OPERATION UNDER CONDITIONS THAT CAN CREATE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION INTO A SLOWER MOVING VEHICLE. TOYOTA SHOULD SAVE THEMSELVES MILLIONS IN POTENTIAL LIABILITY AND TAKE THIS SUGGESTION SERIOUSLY.

WHEN IT RAINS THE COLLISION DETECTION SYSTEM GIVES OFF FALSE WARNINGS. THE INTELLIGENCE CLEARANCE SONAR (ICS) SYSTEM GIVES AN ERROR AND IS UNRELIABLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MULTIPLE PRIUS OWNER WITH THE ICS SYSTEM: HTTPS://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/CLEAN-PARKING-ASSIST-SENSOR-AND-INTELLIGENT-CLEARANCE-SONAR-ISSUE.182931/

ON I-75 @70 MILES/HR, WITH AROUND 800 MILEAGE NEW PRIUS, TOYO TIRE OF THE REAR TIRE POPPED OUT AND ROLLED ON THE I-75 WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS BUT WITH SOME GAS SMELL, PUTTING ALL THE OCCUPANTS TO HIGH RISK OF CRASH ON THE BUSIEST FREEWAY, AND THE AGONY OF THE INCIDENT. I TOWED MY PRIUS TO VALDOSTA TOYOTA, EVEN THOUGH TOYOTA CARE SHOULD COVER ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY CHARGED ME FOR TOWING AND PUTTING NEW TIRE. THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PRIUS GAS SYSTEM OR TOYO TIRE OF PRIUS. AFTER AROUND 100 MILES I TRIED TO PUT IN GAS, PRIUS TANK DIDN'T TAKE GAS, WENT TO CLEAR WATER TOYOTA AND GOT IT REPAIRED, DESPITE EXPLAINING TOYOTA CARE AND LESS THAN 1K MILEAGE, THEY CHARGED ME FOR REPAIR. CONTACTED TOYOTA CARE AND MY LOCAL DEALER, THEY SAID VALDOSTA AND CLEAR WATER TOYOTA SHOULD NOT HAVE CHARGED. THE DEALERS SAY TOYOTA CARE NEED TO REIMBURSE THE REPAIRS AT LEAST, AS THEY CAN'T COMPENSATE THE AGONY OF LOSING A TIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. TOYOTA CARE DOESN'T EVEN BOTHER TO REGISTER A COMPLAINT AND INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE AND DETERMINE PRIUS GAS SYSTEM OR TOYO TIRE IS UNDER FAULT. EVEN AFTER GOING THROUGH 3 TOYOTA DEALERS AND CONTACTING TOYOTA MANY TIMES, THERE IS NO SOLUTION, SO A) WHO INVESTIGATES THE ISSUE? B) HOW TO ENSURE TOYOTACARE FOLLOWS THEIR PLAN? C) HOW TO BRING RESPONSIBILITY TO TOYOTA OR TOYO, THEIR SUPPLIER, SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY AS PART OF THE CAR WARRANTY? D) HOW TO ENSURE THE KINDS OF HORRIFYING INCIDENTS DO NOT HAPPEN TO ANY OTHER FAMILY IN FUTURE?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF POWAY (13631 POWAY RD, POWAY, CA 92064), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

FRIDAY JANUARY 12, 2018, DROVE VEHICLE 3.5 HOURS ON HIGHWAY DURING PERIOD OF DECLINING TEMPERATURES- 34 TO 29 FAHRENHEIT, WITH SNOW BEGINNING HOUR 2.5. OPERATED FRONT DEFROST CONTINUOUSLY FOR ENTIRE 3.5 HOUR TRIP WITH CABIN TEMP BETWEEN 72 AND 75F. MADE 2 STOPS, 10 MINUTES EACH- ONE AT 1.5 HOURS AND ONE AT 3 HOURS. PARKED OVERNIGHT IN HOME GARAGE AT END OF TRIP. AIR TEMP DECLINED TO 19F OVERNIGHT. BACKED CAR OUT OF GARAGE IN MORNING AND WINDSHIELD CRACKED AT CENTERLINE OF FRONT DEFROST VENT. CRACK HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND TO POINTS ALMOST EXACTLY 5 INCHES BEYOND EACH END OF DEFROST VENT, THEN STOPPED EXPANDING. PASSENGER SIDE (RIGHT SIDE) CRACK IS ALIGNED EXACTLY WITH CENTERLINE OF DEFROST VENT. AT POINT 5" OUTBOARD OF VENT, PASSENGER SIDE CRACK TURNS DOWN AND EXTENDS TO BOTTOM EDGE OF WINDSHIELD. DRIVER (LEFT SIDE) CRACK IS PARALLEL TO VENT ON LINE 3" BELOW VENT, THEN TURNS UP, CROSSES VENT, AND PARALLELS VENT 3" ABOVE VENT TO TERMINATION OF CRACK AT 5" OUTBOARD OF VENT. NOTHING IMPACTED WINDSHIELD DURING TRIP AND WINDSHIELD WAS NOT CRACKED AT END OF TRIP. ENGINEERING DEFECT- INADEQUATE GLASS STRENGTH- UNABLE TO USE DEFROSTER FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. CRACK CREATED BY STRESS FROM LOCALIZED THERMAL EXPANSION- ALIGNED WITH HEAT SOURCE OF DEFROSTER VENT AT LOWER MIDDLE REGION OF WINDSHIELD. THIS IS FIRST EXTENDED USE OF DEFROSTER IN CAR- PURCHASED MAY 2018. CURRENTLY HAS 21,800 MILES.

TOPIC: PRIUS CRACKED WINDSHIELD I HAVE A 2017 PRIUS PURCHASED NEW ABOUT A MONTH AGO WITH ABOUT 1500 MILES DRIVEN. 2 DAYS AGO, WHEN I PULLED TO A GAS STATION TO PUMP GAS, I NOTICED A SMALL CRACKS ON UPPER RIGHT HAND ALONG THE EDGE OF WINDSHIELD. YESTERDAY, THE CRACKS DEVELOPED INTO 12 IN. LONG. CHECKED THICKNESS BETWEEN FINGERS, IT IS ABOUT SAME AS THAT OF A DRINKING GLASS, VERY THIN FOR A CAR. QUICK CHECK ON INTERNET REVEALED THIS IS VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH PRIUS 2016 OR NEWER. CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS INFORMED THIS IS NOT A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I'VE OWN SEVERAL CARS FROM TOYOTA AND HONDA WITH NO ISSUE WITH ROCK HITTING. PLEASE CHECK INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE TO SEE IF IT IS A DESIGN MISTAKE IN PURSUE OF WEIGHT REDUCTION. THANK YOU.