2004 TOYOTA Prius

Was driving on the interstate at night when both my headlights went out. Thankfully they came back on after I shut them on and back on again. Very scary when you are going 70 mph in the dark!

It was just the left headlight that went out while I was driving. I\'ve got the safety package with special HID headlights. When I turn the lights off and on again, it comes back on for awhile. Two nights ago both headlights went out at the same time. Very scary!

We’ve noticed this problem only a few times in the car since we’ve owned it. That’s been about 3 years. We seldom drive at night but whenever we have it’s always been an issue. usually just the left goes out and resetting the lights brought it back on. This past week the same thing started to happen and resetting it worked a few times but then both headlights went out and resetting the switch did nothing. Thankfully dawn was on the way and with the fog lights on we just kept going. once I felt comfortable turning the lights off completely and after waiting 3-5 minutes with the switch off I tried the lights and they came back on. There is definitely a problem with something; maybe an overheat issue with the bulbs, wiring or control box.

This is a huge deal and needs to be fixed by Toyota regardless of the mileage and year. It’s obviously been a major problem for many people.

passenger headlight started turning off randomly and only turning back on once the headlights were turned off and back on. Recently, the right headlight did the same thing an neither of the lights were working. I had to turn the car off and turn it back on to get them to restart.

Headlights intermittently flicker and shut off. If headlights are turned off then back on, both headlights will work again. Problem happens while vehicle is in motion, as well as when parked. This has happened several times while driving at night, on rural/poorly lit roads, as well as highways. Usually it is one light or the other that goes off, but about 5 different times both lights have gone off at the same time while driving at night. One of these incidents resulted in a traffic stop by a police officer, who promptly issued me a ticket for driving with no headlights on. Both headlight bulbs have been replaced; all fuses have been checked and/or replaced;12V battery replaced – none of which has solved the problem.

LEFT HEADLIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING.
IF I TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON THE HEADLIGHT WILL WORK FOR A WHILE AND THEN TURN OFF AGAIN

Suddenly both headlights went out at night while I was driving on the interstate. They would not come back on, until I pulled over and turned the car off then back on then the worked fine. Took to dealership, paid $100 for diagnostic test, they could not fine the cause. Have driven for a month with no issues, then two days ago the exact same thing happened again. I’m afraid that it is more than a burned out bulb, but a computer glitch or electrical problem, and I do not trust that the dealership mechanic can deal properly diagnose and fix the problem, but that they will charge lots of money, give an incorrect diagnosis, but the underlying problem will remain. It is very dangerous and scary and totally unpredictable when this occurs.

I have had repeated failures of my headlights. Each has been replaced several times. In June, 2013, I was stopped by police because one headlight was out. I took it to my mechanic the next day. They found it working again and could not get it to not work. Last week it went out again and did not come back on. They called Toyota to see if there was anything besides the bulb. The Toyota parts dept said “No”, just replace the bulb. Said they only have demand for other parts (such as the ballast) in case of crash damage. I read that you have had many complaints about erratic Prius headlight performance and that the government has refused to issue a recall.

I support your call for further action on this dangerous and expensive design flaw. The Prius is a great car! The headlights are not up to snuff.

The Screen in the vehicle stopped woking therefore the heat and air conditioning did not work. about a week after that screen went out and the part was being ordered the car began to randomnly shut its self off at a stop light or even full driving speed, the day that I was taking it to the dealership to get it fixed it shut itself of on I-25 at the speed of about 70 MPH, and locked the wheels sending the car sideways, and almost resulted in being hit direct on by a semi-truck. I learned of this problem through the recall notifications for this vehicle and found out that the vehicle had been previoiusly recalled for the same problem, and that it has reoccured.

REPORTED TO TOYOTA ON 2/7/04 FILE #200402110133 & HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE NHTSA. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, 70MPH, CRUISE CONTROL ON, BOTH MY WIFE AND MYSELF HAVE ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED THE GEAR SHIFT KNOB WITH OUR HAND AND PUT THE PRIUS INTO DYNAMIC BRAKING MODE (DBM). THE SEMI-TRUCK BEHIND ME ALMOST RAN ME OVER BEFORE I COULD GET THE CAR BACK INTO DRIVE. VERY DANGEROUS!!! THE BRAKE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON DURING DBM. TOYOTA SHOULD CHANGE THE SOFTWARE TO MAKE A 2 SECOND DELAY IN THE GEAR-SHIFT FOR DBM SIMILAR TO SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN ON THE BRAKE LIGHTS WHEN DBM IS ENGAGED. THIS SITUATION HAS NOW HAPPENED TO ME 3 TIMES THRU 4/23/04. I AM GETTING NO ACTION FROM ANYBODY.

I don’t have the exact dates but I will find out next week. I am going to the dealership for another problem.They just did service on the car and I am getting another warning light. They replaced the whole computer last year. 3000.00 their cost. That was when it stopped operating. So the gps, telephone, and radio did not work during the time they had to order the computer. Long before that the car failed while I was driving about 50 mph. Plus the tires wore abnormally fast. They replaced them and charged me 50%. The mileage has supposedly changed since they replaced the computer. Before no matter how the car was driven the maximum mpg received was 43. Now it is 47. What changed? Did they tinker with the computer because of all the complaints from customers not receiving the 50 to 60 mpg that they touted? To me it is another case for people to question everything the company does. I will get more details later this week with the dates and mileage.Pamela Rogers

Car was totaled… driver was hurt… neither the front nor the side air bags deployed. Toyota says air bags only deploy at certain angles but refuse to disclose what those angles might be.

Experienced acceleration without the gas pedal being depressed. Was able to slow the car to a stop and put in park using the break, but the engine continued to rev at accelerate while brake was being pressed. When towed to the Toyota dealer and diagnosed, nothing was found to be wrong and the computer registered no unusual codes. it was as if it didn’t happen. . . but it did.

2004 toyota prius with brake problems. consumer states that when applying the brakes the vehicle skids out of control. *kb

2004 toyota prius automatic transmission control problems. consumer states that transmission control lever became worn. sometimes the vehicle began to the roll with this defect. *kb the consumer stated the internal spring that moves the transmission lever back to the previous position became worn and now it doesn't return to it's normal position when putting it in reverse or drive. the shifter lever was sticking in drive or reverse. *jb

2004 toyota prius hesitates when trying to accelerate. instrumental panel light and slip indicator came on, then vehicle resumes full power. *kb ***nar*** *jb

Consumer complaint concerning 2004 prius transmission. *ts the consumer had problems starting in low gear on a hill. the consumer received a notice regarding the intermediate shaft, however when he arrived at the dealership, he was told there were no parts available. the dealer eventually replaced the steering shaft. *jb

2004 toyota prius. failure to seal the cabin and under dash areas from open access allowed small rodents to enter the outside air vent leading to the cabin air filter, caused wiring and tubing damages. *ts updated 11/29/2005 -a foul odor could also be smeele inside the vehicle due to the rodents living inside the vehicle. *nm

Fax ltr investigation of the toyota prius hybrid electric vehicle model years 2004 & 2005 reports of vehicle stalling at high speeds.*mr *nm

Brake actuator went out and dealer said toyota used to cover it, but not anymore. i searched the internet and discovered this [part is bad in most prius vehicles and toyota extended the coverage on the 2010-2015 until august 31, 2021. unfortunately my car is 2004 and does not get the benefit of the extension. the cost to repair is almost $4,000. toyota knows of this issue and should repair my car as they are with the other years 2010-2015. this is a driver safety issue.

Headlights would randomly go out completely and would very quickly have to turn them off and then back on to get them to work. this did not happen very often but they did occur unexpectedly and caused extremely unsafe conditions while driving. additionally, the headlights would barely illuminate the road at night all the time while driving in all conditions and on all roads, and the area they illuminated was only a very short distance in front of the car so this also created unsafe conditions at all times. to compensate i would turn on the high beams and then the proper area of the road would be illuminated. this made me have to switch from low to high beam on a regular basis and was extremely distracting having to do so whenever an oncoming car approached! i recently paid about $350-375 to have them relamped and that helped but only a very small amount. this is still a big problem and makes me not want to drive this car at night!!! *tr

Headlights would randomly go out completely and would very quickly have to turn them off and then back on to get them to work. this did not happen very often but they did occur unexpectedly and caused extremely unsafe conditions while driving.

The passenger side brake light does not work.

2004 toyota prius with hid option. one or both hid headlights go out while parked or driving. turning the light control on and off will temporarily solve the issue. the issue is random in nature. for instance, i noticed one headlight went out this morning and before i could turn the switch to reset the other headlight went out, leaving me in the dark on the road. the vehicle may be park or in motion. there appears to be no direct relation to environmental factors. extremely dangerous when driving on rural roads with no street lights. it appears to me to be a ballast issue. this repair requires working with high voltage components and goes beyond the scope of a diy project. this has been an ongoing issue for me, but only recently have both headlights started to fail at the same time. thank you.

Description of the problem: the h.i.d. headlights on my 2004 prius fails unexpectedly (they turn off randomly, on their own). this problem affects mainly the right headlight. the right headlight fails very frequently (hundreds of times during the last 12 months). the left headlight fails sporadically (less than 10 times during the last 6 months). this issue affects both low beam and high beam headlamps simultaneously. when a headlight fails, i turn off the lights then i turn them back on. this brings back the lights. then the failure occurs unexpectedly after seconds, minutes, or hours. this issue has occurred while my vehicle was stationary, in motion, on a city street or a highway, turning, braking, etc. this issue also occurs regardless of road conditions (smooth flat roads & speed bumps / potholes) or weather conditions (sunny, rainy, snowy, warm & cold outside temperatures). this is a major safety concern, especially when driving night time on completely unlit roads.

2004 toyota prius. consumer writes in regards to the combined speedometer/odometer display. *ld the consumer stated when the instrument panel intermittently failed the driver was unaware of the speed and gas mileage. the consumer requested a full recall with no time limit. updated 08/11/2017*js

My left headlight goes off but if i turn the headlights back off and back on it comes back on. the headlight is not burned out. this happens while on the freeway in the dark while raining. this happens intermittently and not all the time.

All the instrument cluster lights continue to go out on my 04 prius. i don't know how much fuel i have this could be a safety issue. i don't know how fast i'm going this could definitely be a safety issue. and zero warning lights come on this is definitely a safety issue. by looking on the internet i can tell thousands of priuses have this exact same issue with the instrument panel cluster going out. this should definitely be a recall.

About 1.5 years ago during a vacation. my car decided to not shut off. i drove to the nearest dealership that was about the close. they assisted and said to hold the power button down until it shuts off then turn it back on. this was a dealership in georgia. the mechanic had heard of the problem before. i recently had the front dash light go completely out. i did not have an instrument panel at all. the was not a way to see mph, gas gauge, warning lights, nothing. the center monitor stayed on. it took 2 days but it came back on. a week later it happened again and again came back on. warning lights came on and i drove to dealership. it was the 2nd water pump going out. as i was leaving my dash lights went out again. i took it back into the prius dealership. they had paperwork stating there had been issues with the metered dash before. is there a recall on it or not? i had to have a car and was allowed to leave with the dash not working. i drove to a gas station. after filling with gas the dash lights came on again. i had to pay for the metered dash part to be ordered up front because the mechanic said it may come back on. there should be a recall on this as it is an ongoing issue. the mechanic even called it a short. due tot he paperwork the desk representative had, it appears there have been several reports before on the metered dash shorting. please help. i need the car and cannot afford these ridiculous prices for manufacturer mistakes.

I was driving approx. 15 mph on a street on 5/14/20 and was making a soft turn and heard a 'click' noise. immediately after my steering wheel began to spin freely while totally disengaged from the front wheels causing total inability to control direction of vehicle travel. this caused a minor collision with rock /debris which caused minor front bumper damage. i then had vehicle towed to nearest mechanic who determined that the main bolt at the intermediate steering shaft and steering rack was disconnected. the mechanic checked the shaft and splines for damage and found none, then proceeded to reattach bolt. i was also informed by this mechanic that toyota had two related recalls: one for the steering shaft, and one for the intermediate steering shaft extension. both of these recalls had been addressed and replacement parts installed for my vehicle. there are two related recalls: 06v188000 (steering shaft) and 12v537000 (intermediate steering extension shaft). *tr

Headlights occasionally go out at random while driving. began with driver side, very intermittent, became more frequent, now also includes passenger side. both have gone out at the same time while driving at night twice. turning all lights off briefly and back on will re-illuminate the headlights. problem first occurred several months ago and has gotten progressively more frequent. now, once light(s) goes out during a drive, it will continue to do so repeatedly every few minutes. very dangerous.

Headlight go out daily and happens while driving at night from work, they turn back on switch on and off

Combination meter is black 90% of the time. restarting engine or disconnecting battery only works on occasion. have safety concerns.

Brake actuator assembly malfunctioned, and had to be replaced, just as predicted in toyota's warranty enhancement zg1. toyota knows the part is defective, but they refused to replace it until it failed, and mine did not fail until after the extended warranty deadline. this failure happened on i-45 near madisonville and i had to pull off the road because a warning light brake light went on.

When stopping suddenly sometimes the brakes on my 2004 prius would not respond immediately as they should. they would release the calipers completely and the only way to stop would be to let off the brakes and press them again. it does not happen often but it is regular enough that this has always concerned me very much. today i was following a car who slammed on their brakes very suddenly and therefor i also had to slam on my brakes. this same issue occurred and i did not have time to release the brakes and press them again causing me to hit the back of the car that i was following. i maintain my cars very well and this car was in top condition with brand new tires. the brakes do not even activate enough to squeal or leave any rubber behind. there is no way that i could possibly have stopped in time. this is not safe and needs to be resolved for other people who have these cars.

When driving down the road all of a sudden we tried to use the brakes and it felt like we only had 10% of our braking ability. the brake light came on and abs light went on and the stability control light came on as well as a warning buzzer. it felt like we had manual brakes.

I am the owner of a 2004 prius. after buying my car used 2 years ago i noticed that once in awhile the display, including fuel consumption, speedometer, odometer, and more, would not light up and that the car would not turn off easily several times i have been in situations where i have little gas an am unable to see my gas gauge or know how fat iam going on the highway. i understand that this was once covered by toyota under the warranty extension but is not considered a safety concern. the warranty extension is expired. in what universe are a functioning fuel gauge and speedometer not considered a safety concern? i am also concerned that this will deteriorate further and cause an accident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the power steering warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 12v537000 (steering) by balise toyota (1399 riverdale st, west springfield, ma 01089, (413) 306-3037), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the contact mentioned that the power steering warning indicator illuminated after the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 138,000.

(combination meter problem) while driving at night on the freeway the entire instrument panel (dash board) started blinking on and off. for our safety, we decided to slow down and exit the freeway and stop in a safe area. we turned the ignition off, then started the car, with nothing appearing on the instrument panel beside the check engine light. we lost the speedometer, all gauges and all the electrical and electronics which normally helps to guide our driving.we had to take the car to the toyota dealer the following morning which took seven days to replace the combo meter. i later found out that this issue is not knew and there was a letter issued by toyota titled (2004 to certain 2009 model year prius vehicles combination meter warranty enhancement notice). the letter stated that they had problems with some of these prius year models and that if the owner did not experience this condition to file the letter in their vehicle's owner's warranty information booklet. here is my request: this should not be a warranty issue but should have been a safety recall as depending of the number of miles the vehicle is driven, this issue seems to sooner or later occur. i repaired my vehicle and paid for all the repairs, all i need now is for the nhtsa to look into this problem, investigate it and have toyota send a recall letter rather than an extended warranty. this way i can receive a reimbursement for the repairs. here is a link to the letter and all consumers complaints: https://www.toyoheadquarters.com/threads/2004-2009-toyota-prius-combination-meter-warranty-extension-ztv.174/ i believe for the safety of all prius drivers in the usa, this should be changed to a recall since many of these model and year prius vehicles are still on the road and will reach a certain mileage to make to combination meter fail.

Abs actuator failures. effecting the braking.

My car head lights are turning off, at first it was one not turning on and then it was the other one, now they take turns. it is a safety issue which almost had make me crash more than 2 times. to the point that i am unable to use the car during the night. this happens if the car is parked or running.

I was driving the prius on city streets in rain. i came to a stop and started to drive and a bunch of emergency lights and beeping started. there was no unusual noise or grinding until i applied the brakes. the brake pedal was hard and had significantly lost braking power. all lights and beeping continued after turning of and restarting the prius. i took it to a certified toyota dealership and the diagnosed the problem as a bad brake actuator. as being a prius owner i’ve done my research and know this is a very common problem with these cars and that 9 months ago toyota was replacing this part for free. i feel like toyota needs to address this problem as my prius only has 80k miles and a 3 thousand dollar repair is pretty outrageous for a car that hasn’t even hit 100k miles.

3 days after buying my 04 prius both of my low beams and one of my high beams went out. a few months after replacing them my driver side low beam went out, the high beam was fine. 2-3 months after re replacing the driver's side low beam the passenger side low beam went out. i have had to replace my headlights about 5 times each (10 times total driver+passenger side) i had my ground wires checked, i constantly check my fuses, mechanics say nothing is wrong with my lighting, but here i am with this reoccurring issue. i have been using the same kind of bulbs because i can't imagine spending more money on a bulb to have it blow out in a couple of months (xtravision 9003 12.8v,55/60w halogen). apparently my reverse lights aren't working either, and one of my license plates lights is out (i think the plate light is probably not connected to the other lights going out) zi do think the reverse lights are a related problem though. my lights go out both in motion and stationary (i couldn't tell you if it happens on turns or not, but it can happen on highways), sometimes i can get them to come back on by giving a little smack, but usually a few days after that they officially burn out. i've researched this problem on prius forums and apparently i am not the only prius owner experiencing this with the same frequency, there are no recalls for this issue, yet so many of us are experiencing this, which is quite detrimental to ours and others safety. sometimes i can't tell my lights have gone out til i get pulled over or am able to see my headlight reflection on another vehicle, even worse is when i'm wondering why i can't see anything when it's so dark out just to found out one of my headlights blew again. i still own this vehicle and still trying to figure out why this is a continuous problem.

For the last couple of years there is a clunking sound from the steering column when turning the steering wheel from side to side, either stationary or when moving.*dt*jb

Contacts stated water pump and alternator stopped working twice on i'-5 towed to toyota tacoma where they flushed fuel billed $500 car broke down on way home towed back to toyota told charge would be 2500 to fix .. flatbed dedicated car to bron's auto hoses and coolant system was melted payed $1500 to replace in tire coolant system and still owe 600 to synchrony car care card now returning home last week turning around to back up there was a loud crunch steering broke steering wheel crunches when turned wheels do not turn at all moving down the road called toyota they said they fixed both on recall to fix it myself it wasn't there problem parts wore out kick rocks the parts didn't wear out they broke 5 minutes sooner id have been head on in traffic on hwy 405 instead of backing up on the city street. unable to steer into our driveway i'm already stuck making payments on coolant system repairs that were recall*dt *tp

Takata recall. my car’s break lights went on, as well as the abs and vsc warning lights. strange noises are coming from inside the hood of the car due to that. i also feel like my car does not break properly.

The brake actuator in my car, which is a known problem in these cars gave out as confirmed by both toyota and an independent mechanic shop. this is a very dangerous safety issue that could get easily cause an accident. it is unacceptable.

Takata recall vehicle needs to have brake actuator. bg brake fluid service.

While driving, the abs, vcs and red brake light all came on. had it towed to the dealership and was told the brake actuator needed to be replaced for $3,000. it was diagnosed as: replace brake accumulator assy. (brake accumulator assy. leak/ low pressure (c1256, c1391))

My prius suddenly had a 70 to80% loss of brake power. my parking brake light came on along with the abs, vcs, the red triangle and a load buzzer. if this had happened at highway speed i could have rear-ended or killed someone. after turning my car off and letting it sit the lights stayed off. this concerns me because it could lead to a false sense there's nothing wrong. i took my car to the dealer and they seemed to know right away it was the abs brake actuator code c1256. i did some digging and it seems this is a very common problem and yet it's not a recall issue. i want everybody to know this is a safety issue. my prius was bought new by my senior parents, they kept it garaged and only had 45000. miles on it when i bought it from there estate. at the time the malfunction ac cured it still only has 72456. miles on it. for a part to malfunction with such little miles to me indicates a very serious defect. in motion going straight driving at 25 mph residential street.

Our 2004 prius has intermittent problems with headlights and tail lights failing. one of both headlights will all of a sudden go out. turning them off and on usually causes them to come back on. my son was driving on a curvy, dark forested road when both lights went out. could not see a thing. this is an extremely dangerous situation. we have also replaced tail light bulbs. they work, then fail again quickly.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving 45 mph, the hybrid system, stability control, check engine, and srs warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent toyota mechanic who informed the contact that the vehicle needed a new hybrid coolant pump and water pump. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified and did not assist. the failure mileage was 83,772.

I received a notice from tk holdings stating i should contact a dealer for repairs if my car was under recall. i was under the impression that all air bags were affected. please let me know when i could expect a notice. my 2004 prius was manufactured in japan. vin [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Shifter sticking in drive position as opposed to returning to its home position. when this shifter sticks, the park button becomes disabled and vehicle remains in drive even though park button is engaged

I was driving my 2004 toyota prius on the highway there were 5 passengers in the car including me. suddenly there was a loud alarm in the car. it was a loud beep. the breaks completely failed. when i stepped on the breaks they did not react. i was going 65 miles an hour on the highway and thankfully we were not going down hill. i used the engine brake and pressed really hard on the breaks to bring the car to a stop on an off-ramp. since i weight 300 pounds i could put all my weight into the brakes and finally brought it to a stop. if my wife was driving we would have crashed. the whole episode took like 3 minutes. it was agonizing because i thought we were going to crash against other cars because i had no way of informing them that i had no brakes. the idea of going in the ramp was trying to minimize the damage to other people. the alarm continues when i turned on the car. i took the the car to the dealership and they said that the actuator was the culprit. they told me it was a matter of time. i was sitting on a faulty part. they said it was on a warranty and not on a recall so they could have only fixed it if it failed and i was too late for the fix. the warranty expired on december 31, 2017. in other words, my 147,700 miles toyota is essentially totaled. the fix cost more than the value of the car. they told me to disable the abs and i would be ok. a mavis brake mechanic tells me not risk it. i always took my toyota to service at toyota dealerships. they never mentioned the recall in spite of the fact that the brake light was on. when they performed the oil change the light would turn off for several weeks and then turn on. i could have killed myself in the car. i feel lucky that nothing happened. i am looking for a mechanic to fix the problem but it is hard to find independent hybrid mechanics. toyota wants to charge $2800

This occurred to me yesterday while traveling 60 mph in 94° f heat on i-76 e just before the 676 / 76 split. i was traveling in the far left lane when the car suddenly lost power. looking at the dash i noticed the shifter had moved itself into n (neutral), it would not move back into drive. i applied my hazard lights and began forced my way rightward across three lanes to the shoulder, speed rapidly decreasing and seemingly more sluggishly than a normal coast. i think the emergency brake was automatically being applied or i was fighting a braking system. one lane from the shoulder, a ups truck was headed for me from behind. luckily, he was able to swerve into the shoulder and pass me there as he could not move left into other traffic. we only narrowly avoided a collision with me or the elevated barrier on the side of the road. i had only 10 mph left and no ability to redirect my vehicle. once on the side of the expressway, i was able to google this well-known issue with the vehicle. i let the vehicle cool off, turned off the air conditioning, though didn’t want to risk turning the vehicle off. i was concerned i would have to wait until nightfall to get back into traffic (still flowing around 60 mph and a very narrow shoulder) luckily during a small traffic backup up the road i was able to re-enter traffic at a modest speed. i crossed my fingers as the rest of my commute (another 2 miles or so) was 95% highway driving. luckily the car held out for me to get home.

Abs brake actuator assembly has failed. i'm getting the red brake light with the loud constant beeping tone in car. the rear brakes are only being activated and i can barely stop.

Please add this information to case no. 11065233. leaking fuel line part no. 77251-47080 and 23901-21081. this may help future owners that could experience the same fuel leaks.

The passenger side headlight goes out while operating the vehicle. it begins to operate again after turning headlights off and on again. this happens multiple times during vehicle operation in a single drive. for example, three times today within 15 minutes. the headlight was replaced within the last 6 months, but we now believe it is a systemic issue, unrelated to the bulb assembly, because it has occurred with two bulbs in a row. this occurred both when the vehicle is in motion and when stationary (idling).

Car was in motion, 55 mph on highway going straight, had been driving one hour. smoke started filling the rear hatchback area, coming from the driver's side of the cargo-area floor. pulled over and flames came up. doused it with water. upon inspection the sks sensor (remote control door lock sensor) had burst into flames, burning the plastic and other components around it.

Every time i get an oil change i make sure that the right amount of oil gets put in the engine. i usually get an oil change every 3000 miles regardless of what the oil manufacturers recommend which is usually 5-7 thousands miles. for the past year i started noticing (usually by the oil service tech) that more and more i’m running low on oil. it started out with a half to one quart of oil missing between oil changes to now 2-3 quarts missing between oil changes. i understand that my 2004 prius is approaching 200k miles but i have always taken great care of my car and now all of a sudden i’m having to top off the oil every week. there’s absolutely no oil leak and i don’t see any white or black smoke from the exhaust. i’m pretty disappointed because i have just recently had to replace my hybrid battery ($2800) and if the engine is going to need to be replaced as well than i mind as well just junk it as it won’t be worth it at that point.

When driving on the interstate in the dark, both my headlights went out. luckily they came back on after i turned the switch off and back on.

Over the past few months my headlights would randomly turn off while i'm driving. sometimes it's one head light, other times it's both. usually they turn back on if i turn them off then back on. the other day they turned off for about 20 seconds while i was driving 70mph down the interstate at 10pm. i saw my life flash before my eyes. they would not turn back on for 20 seconds approximately. upon further research on a priuschat forum, i saw that lots of other people have had this issue. there was even a class action lawsuit against toyota because they knew about the issue but did not recall. i'm a single parent and i depend on my car and my son needs his mom. toyota needs to fix there error and recall the head lights.

My 2004 prius's check engine light turns on randomly wnd often and i lose full power of the car. the battery is fully charged. the car stopped 4 times today - lost all power and the brake would not stop the car.

Digital dash fails to illuminate dealer says recall has expired a known problem by toyota.

Hello team, one of the headlights keeps going out. i can't really tell when or how it goes out since i can't see it. i'll notice it when i see the reflection in the back of another car. if i turn the bright lights on and off it has no effect, but when i turn them all the way off and back on the light comes back. sometimes on long trips it will stay on the whole time, sometimes it won't. sometimes on short trips it will go out, sometimes it won't. it is not an event i can make happen.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while the vehicle was in the garage, the engine started running. when the contact attempted to open the door, the engine stopped running. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 109,000. updated 10/27/17*lj the consumer stated that the vehicle was repaired. the consumer stated apparently, the vehicle was powered off incorrectly. the engine was periodically switching from gas to battery. *js

Right hid headlamp intermittently goes out while driving and does not go back on. however, when you switch the headlight toggle switch off then on again, right hid headlamp goes back on. while driving for a distance of 120 miles last night, this happened 6 times on both city and highway and road conditions ie. bumps etc is not a factor since it happens on a smooth paved highway as well. the outage can occur a few minutes after turning the toggle headlamp switch on or it can stay on for 20 miles then out again. since the car is never left idling with the headlamps on, it is unknown whether right headlamp will go out while parked. have read in the prius chat site that many other drivers have experienced similar problem and despite the dealer replacing the hid bulb or even the entire headlamp assembly which is over $1,100 the problems were never fully resolved. please refer to: http://priuschat.com/threads/headlight-problem.34584/

Driver's side headlight was intermittent. i could jiggle the switch and it would come on. this occurred stationary and moving. i have replace the hid bulb twice with sylvania d2r. the headlight does not work now. dealer will charge over $500 for headlight and ballast repairs--highway robbery. this problem started august 2014.

The left headlight has been going off while driving. i've got the 'safety' package #7 with special hid headlights. when i turn the lights off and on again, it comes back on for awhile. two nights ago both headlights went out while driving. very scary! i was on an on ramp and couldn't see at all. they both came back on after i turned the switch off and then on.

Headlights turn off when driving for about half an hour. i have to turn the headlights off then back on so they can start working again. i do see this to be a safety issue since i drive out of town often and use the freeway most of the time and it is just very hard for me to be turning on and off the headlights at a high speed. this has occurred several times and it's not safe at all. this happens at any speed usually within the first 30 minutes and it continuously turns off.

We've noticed this problem only a few times in the car since we've owned it. that's been about 3 years. we seldom drive at night but whenever we have it's always been an issue. usually just the left goes out and resetting the lights brought it back on. this past week the same thing started to happen and resetting it worked a few times but then both headlights went out and resetting the switch did nothing. thankfully dawn was on the way and with the fog lights on we just kept going. once i felt comfortable turning the lights off completely and after waiting 3-5 minutes with the switch off i tried the lights and they came back on. there is definitely a problem with something; maybe an overheat issue with the bulbs, wiring or control box. this is a huge deal. if we'd been driving into the darkness instead of dawn could easily have had an accident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the combination meter failed, which caused the instrument panel and dashboard lights to not illuminate when the vehicle was started. the contact stated that the failure was intermittent. the vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 170,000. ...updated 02/19/16 *bf

At around 145,000 miles the right (passenger) headlight started turning off randomly. it would come back on while driving if i turned my headlights off and back on. frequency has increased over the last 10,000 miles. recently, the left headlight went out while on the freeway and the right was already out, leaving me with no headlights. i had to flick them on and off multiple times and flick the brights multiple times to get them to turn back on. i had no headlights for at least 30 seconds while on the highway- though in an urban area where other lights allowed me to see. twice, i have been left without headlights while on the road- once on the highway and once at a stop light (turning my car off and then back on revived the lights).

Headlights intermittently flicker and shut off. if headlights are turned off then back on, both headlights will work again. problem happens while vehicle is in motion, as well as when parked. this has happened several times while driving at night, on rural/poorly lit roads, as well as highways. usually it is one light or the other that goes off, but about 5 different times both lights have gone off at the same time while driving at night. one of these incidents resulted in a traffic stop by a police officer, who promptly issued me a ticket for driving with no headlights on. both headlight bulbs have been replaced; all fuses have been checked and/or replaced;12v battery replaced - none of which has solved the problem.

Driver side headlight intermittently turns off while driving. driver is not aware headlight is not working until police pulls him over or after returning to garage at home, he can see from headlight glare on the wall that one light is out. usually turning the light off, and then back on corrects the problem, however you cant be driving down the highway flashing your lights every once in a while to make sure they are on. it is just a dangerous situation. the internet shows this is a common problem and its frustrating that toyota has not acknowledged or provided a fix.

Coolant control valve is failing on many prius's which were made between 2004 to 2009

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that while the driver was making a right turn and an oncoming vehicle crashed into the driver side of the vehicle. the contact mentioned that the resulting force caused the vehicle to spin and crash into an idle train. the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed. the driver sustained injuries that required medical attention. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 240,000. the vin was not available.

I noticed that my passenger side headlight was out while driving home at night. two days later, again while driving at night, my passenger side headlight was working perfectly. i have done nothing to repair the light.

I own a 2004 toyota prius which i have been driving for about couple years and recently couple days ago i had a major accident (see attachment for more details) which damaged most of my car. the accident was very severe and during which none of the air bags activated. the air bags should have been activated in this type of accident, recently my car had been to a general inspection at a toyota dealer and there was no issues recorded of this sort.

Sometimes my left front headlight works and sometimes it doesn't. i have not been able to identify any consistent cause of the intermittent failure. sometimes if the left headlight is out and i flick the high beams on and off, then the light works again, but this doesn't always seem to fix the problem.

The front right side headlight keeps going out . already replaced it twice and it seems this is very common with the toyota prius. fuse also keeps burning. this is a very dangerous situation at night . driving with one head light is becoming to common for this type of vehicle .

Head on collision into a highway barrier. the air bag did not deploy.

While driving at night, my headlights will turn off randomly. sometimes, it is just one but often it is both. if i turn the headlights switch to off and back to on, sometimes one or both lights will turn back on. more recently, this trick hasn't been working as well and i have to drive just using my fog lights. it seems to be something with the computer that controls the headlights. if it was the bulb it would always be out. if it were the wiring, simply flipping the switch on/off wouldn't suddenly get the wiring to connect again.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota pruis. the contact stated that the brake warning light on the instrument panel intermittently illuminated. this was a recurring failure. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the technician was unable to determine the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

Warning triangle and check engine lights came on while traveling. took vehicle to independent mechanic, who diagnosed hybrid water pump malfunction; he noted a recall, so i took vehicle to dealer. dealer charges $130 to plug into diagnostic system, finds same problem; wants $750 to replace. pump was replaced @ 30,000 miles ago under aon recall. multiple reports on web about the same replacement part failing after short time.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. when the vehicle was started, the instrument panel would not illuminate. the failure recurred on several occasions. on several occasions, the vehicle would not power off after the on/off switch was depressed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed that the multi functional display multi-meter and the power switch were faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the extended warranty no longer applied to the vehicle. the approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 toyota prius. while driving approximately 15 mph and while attempting to stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal, the brakes malfunctioned and the vehicle crashed into the rear of an suv. the contact sustained multiple toe injuries on the right foot, including one fractured toe. medical attention was required. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the cause of the failure was not determined. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 205,000.

Speedometer & other control information display went blank. pulled over to side of road but unable to turn off engine. contacted toyota & was told problem is known & warranty extend to 9 years & unlimited miles. however, my vehicle is older than nine years, so i must pay estimate $1400 to fix & car will be unavailable for estimate 2 weeks. the vehicle is unsafe to drive, prior to this known problem occurring car was operating perfectly ( averaging 50 mpg per tank of gas, documented). this appears to be a safety problem that was known by the manufacturer, however they seems to be trying to hide this by making the statistical estimate that by extending the warranty the majority of these cars would be off the road and their lawyers & legal insurance would cost less than the few humans kills after this arbitrary 9 year risk period. i could have been killed as a result of this failure! fortunately i was not, however i am left with a vehicle that is undriveable (with no warning!) and can only be repaired by toyota at a cost i am not able to afford!

As i was going down a hill the abs vsc brake light came on and the brakes failed. the pedal became mush and i lost power braking. this caused me to almost hit the car in front of me. i swerved to the side of the road and pulled off the shoulder just missing the guard rail. i have found out that toyota knows about this faulty problem and now they dealership wants to charge 3,000 to fix it.

Passenger side headlight began to turn off intermittently and has continued since.

Headlamp fails intermittently. usually corrected by switching the headlight switch off and then back on. sometimes this does not correct the problem.

The dashboard display failed to light up, but the car turned on. it did go into drive, so i drove my daughter to school, then stopped to call coggin toyota at the avenues to report the problem, but the car would not turn off. they said it was the instrument cluster, a known problem with the prius and for which there was a technical service bulletin and a warranty enhancement, although that "enhancement" ended 9 years after the vehicle went into service. i brought the car in right away since i couldn't turn it off. my car is 10 years old. i called toyota to complain that i had not been told about this when it was still under the enhanced warranty period (although they have records saying they mailed something) and that if i had known about this (and apparently dozens of other problems looming out there for which there are tsbs) one week earlier when i paid over $3,000 to have the hybrid battery array replaced, i might have made a different choice. my biggest complain centers on being told what i believe was a lie by the toyota customer service rep --[xxx] -- when i pressed for why, if the manufacturer knows the part has a high failure rate that it's willing to take responsibility for, does that enhanced warranty period end? she told me the government of california and other states limits that period to 9 years. she could not provide documentation of that government regulation, and it doesn't sound right that regulations in california (or other states) would limit the time it would allow a company to offer repairs to its product with an enhanced warranty. has this happened to anyone else and what can be done about it? information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Left headlight turned off intermittently. if i turned the light off and back on the headlight would briefly work but then turn off again. *tr

Vehicle slips into neutral and/or will not revert back to drive or reverse. the problem is most prevalent when weather gets extremely hot (99 degrees +). the only way i was able to get moving was to physically hold my shifter in drive position; the second i let it go, the vehicle automatically reverted back to neutral. i had my vehicle over to a local toyota dealership about this issue. the technician at that time did acknowledge this was strange and witnessed the problem on site. after diagnosing the vehicle, he could not find anything wrong; i was told to leave the car with the dealership for a few days to try to replicate the problem; no other means of transportation was offered. i felt it would have been an unfair expense to rent a car for an undetermined amount of time while toyota diagnosed my vehicle for several days; that said, i did not return to the same dealership for this specific matter. given that this seems to occur only in extreme hot weather, you would have to replicate the same environmental conditions to diagnose it. moreover, given the spontaneity of this issue it could take a very long time to diagnose it. this is truly a safety concern especially when the vehicle is in motion. i have attached two youtube video links that demonstrate this problem other owners are exhibiting with this same issue that demonstrate that i'm not just an isolated consumer with this issue. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfxeeuc761e http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwt-hvn5eh8. *tr

I have been having a problem with my prius combination display (digital display that shows the speed, mileage, fuel level, current gear selection, etc.). sometimes when i turn on my car, the combination display is blank and will not turn on. the rest of the car turns on, but that display remains blank. i can drive the car, but i can't see my speed, mileage, or what gear the car is in. this usually happens when it is cold outside (below 50 degrees or so). when the problem first came up in 2012, i would turn off the car and turn it back on and the display would then work fine. it was very hard to repeat the problem and it was quite intermittent. this winter (2014-2015) the problem has come back, but now the display will often not turn back on even if i power cycle the car. there is another new related problem. whenever the car shows this display problem, i then cannot turn off the car. i press the power button and nothing happens. i even tried to hold it down for 3-10 seconds. the car will not shut off. i have to usually disconnect the battery to get it to power down. this problem has me concerned. not being able to see my speed is my biggest concern. also since the gear shift lever always returns to a reset spot (it doesn't stay in the gear position after you select your gear) it's impossible to see what gear the vehicle is in. also very concerning. i took it to the dealer and they confirmed the problem/defect. it appears that many other owners have this same problem. i believe there is a defect in the manufacturing of the display/circuit board. toyota did initially offer to fix the problem, but by the time i could actually repeat the problem to show to the dealer, the offer had expired for me to get it repaired. it's a serious issue that i wanted to report to the nhtsa. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. after starting the vehicle, the instrument panel failed to illuminate and the gauges were difficult to read. the failure occurred intermittently. the contact mentioned that when the failure occurred, the key failed to be removed from the ignition and the vehicle failed to turn off. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the combination meter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 280,000.

The right headlight keeps going out and after we turn the switch back and forth it goes back on. this past weekend in a driving rain storm at night, the lights went completely out on a windy mountain road. i flicked them on and off several times and they would go on and then go out shortly afterwards. neither dim or bright would work. i ended up having to pull the bright signal on the column back manually and hold it while driving the last 45 minutes to home. it was very dangerous for about 20 miles in the rain at night the lights going in and out on curves or against on coming traffic, a head-on could have occurred easily. *tr

My daughter borrowed my prius for a drive from layton, utah to seattle. within an hour of leaving my home in layton, utah she called concerned about a vibration in the front end of my prius as she approached 80mph. when she returned to utah, i had the tires checked, rebalanced, and the front end realigned. soon after that, my husband and i left for the tahoe area. we experienced a vibration whenever we eased the steering from either a left or right pressure to neutral. then at low speed going over a rough road with potholes, it sounded as if the steering column was going to fall apart. i have a recording of the rattling noise it made. i returned to the dealership i purchased my prius from. they found that the intermediate shaft was loose and recommended replacing it. parts #45260,45209, and 45221 were replaced. the vibration and rattling noise have been eliminated. the cost to me was $1003.84. according to my vin number, there has been no recall for the parts used to assemble my prius. i urge you to look further into the quality of the parts used to assemble the steering mechanism in my prius. *tr

Brake light and abs light still on after release the brake pedal . *tr

Both headlights spontaneously went out at the same time while driving. this has been an intermittent problem since that date, despite changing the bulbs. sometimes the lights can be relit by turning the headlight switch off and back on. sometimes this does not work. particularly if the bright lights are on, the off-on switching does not work and the headlights remain off. *tr

A driver in front of me told me about one week ago that my headlights were going on and off while i was driving. then yesterday while stopped at a traffic light, another driver got out of his car to tell me that my lights had gone off. i hadn't noticed a change myself, but then i pulled into a parking lot and cut my lights all the way off and cut them back on and then the light was much brighter. this is not a consistent problem. sometimes the lights stay on fine and then they go out randomly. there doesn't seem to be a pattern to when this is happening. but if i cut the lights off and then back on, the problem will fix temporarily. i have seen on several forms that many people with 2004-2006 priuses are having this problem. *tr

Lost power steering control

I was in an automobile accident recently on april 11, 2014 involving a deer and unfortunately flipped and totaled my 2004 toyota prius. as i was driving down a road shortly after midnight, a deer jumped out in front of the vehicle and initial instinct was to hit the brakes and swerve. when i did so, the tires caught loose gravel in the road and sent my vehicle sliding sideways, my initial reaction was to regain control so i attempted to turn the wheel, which caused the vehicle to hit an embankment and flip landing nose down in the ground. the vehicle was traveling 40-45 mph and the front end was ripped off of the vehicle and the sensor bars for the airbags were broken and the shock trigger was also set off but the airbags did not deploy. the seat belt was buckled and intact causing a harsh burn and gash in my neck as well as several bruises to prove as such. during the rollover, the top of the vehicle did not hit the ground. in the process of the accident, my right humerus right above the elbow was completely shattered and i had to undergo a four hour surgery to have plates and screws put on my bone and 62 staples to hold together the long incision from the operation. now having to endure physical therapy 3 times a week for months as i have lost most mobility in that arm and nerve damage. *tr

I was driving downhill, came around a blind curve and cars were backed up really high on the street. i rear-ended the car that was at a dead stop in front of me as i turned the corner. my car crunched like an accordion and is considered a total loss. i have severe whiplash as well as alot of other bodily pain. my airbags did not deploy. everyone who sees my car is shocked that they did not deploy. i would like to know why and would like toyota to take responsibility for what i consider a faulty part. *tr

Starting last year my passenger side headlight intermittently turns off and will turn back on once i turn lights off and on. passenger side light continues to periodically shut off for no specific reason throughout the duration of the trip. this issue has caused numerous lighting safety issues as well as instances of being pulled over for headlight being out. after extensive research on internet i have discovered that this is a very common issue that toyota has failed to address. i petition for the nhtsa to please look into the issue described above. i seek a favorable and just decision in regards to urging toyota to do the right thing and address the popular defect in not only.2004 models but several other prius model years. toyota has previously issued a recall for 2006-2009 toyota prius'. this precedence indicates that toyota is well aware of this problem and has neglected to take accountability and action in establishing a recall. *tr

I purchased this vehicle in december 2012. ever since i have had this prius, i have had issues with the front drivers side headlight turning off randomly. whenever i turn the car on, both headlights are always on, but while driving, the drivers side headlight turns off. i took it to carfix in garner, nc and they thought that it could be the headlight, so they recommended changing it. i ended up having it changed by a family friend because it was cheaper to do it that way. the headlight was still giving me problems after being changed, so i took it to the leith toyota dealership in raleigh, nc and they said that the headlight that i purchased from autozone was not the correct type of headlight, so they changed it again. even after they changed it, the headlight was still going on and off randomly. i took it back to the toyota dealership today and they said that it sounds like some kind of wiring issue. i have done some research on the issue and have seen recalls for 2005-2009 prius' for the same issues, but since mine is a 2004 it does not fall into the recall category. i believe that it should based on my issue compared to that as well as the number of other complaints on the internet and blogs that i have found. *tr

While driving on the interstate at night, both headlights suddenly went out. neither the high beams nor the low beams worked. i had to pull over, and turn the car off. when i turned the car back on, both headlights worked fine. this incident occurred about 4 weeks ago, and i took it to the dealership. the dealership could not find a cause, and i don't think that they believed me. i had no problems with the headlights for almost 4 weeks. then 3 days ago, the exact same thing happened again. i was driving on the interstate at night and both headlights suddenly went out. again, i pulled over. when i turned the car off and back on, they worked fine. this is extremely dangerous and frightening. i have called two dealerships and neither of them have heard of such a thing. however, in researching the internet, i easily find that this has been the subject of a class action lawsuit involving prius model years 2006-2009. so there should be information out there that toyota should be telling their dealers. i don't know if it's an electrical or computer problem. *tr

Hid headlights intermittently failing. *tr

Problem started with the right headlight turning off intermittently. i reported the problem to the local dealership on 8/27/2013 when the vehicle was serviced. the dealership indicated that they could not find a problem because the problem could not be duplicated. then the same thing started happening with the left headlight. i can correct the problem by turning off & then back on the light switch but this correction does not last long and the problem recurs. i have resorted to driving with my fog lights also turned on in order to provide some semblance of light. it is difficult and dangerous to drive like this in the long alaskan winters with so much ice and snow on the roadways. i can also make this problem occur when warming up my car in the driveway. *tr

Passenger headlamp goes out while car is being driven. driver side headlamp remains on (illuminated). turning headlamp switch off and on causes passenger and driver side headlamp to illuminate. on re-illumination, passenger side headlamp sometimes appears normal and at other times appears to be dimmer, more yellowish. dealer quoted replacement hid bulb and labor to replace will cost $225.00 total. *tr

The basic problem: the gear shift selector sticks in drive or "b" (engine braking mode). if the driver stops the vehicle, with the brake depressed, and then presses the park button to put the vehicle in park, the vehicle remains in drive mode. the vehicle will move as soon as the driver lifts their foot from the brake pedal, even though the driver believes they have engaged the park mode. the driver has to place the normally spring-activated gearshift lever into the home position before the car will shift into park. danger to the driver and others who drive the car. this is very dangerous, as the driver gets very used to being able to place the car into park by pressing the park button. others who drive the car, like parking attendants or friends, will not suspect a problem. the failure of the park mechanism when this happens is going to cause accidents. toyota's response. the toyota dealer's technician says it is a broken spring in the gearshift mechanism, but wants me to pay for it. toyota's customer care center says they will not fix this design flaw because of the age and mileage of the vehicle, unless i pay for the $565.00 gearshift module. although the vehicle now has over 165,000 miles, this is a safety issue, and the design seems unreasonably dangerous. i have seen other complaints about this problem on chat sites, and another on this site.

Odometer stops working at 299,999 miles. toyota says there is no fix. *tr

Same intermittent headlight problem posted here hundreds of times. why is toyota only fixing 2006+ model years? the same problem plagues all model years. *tr

2004 & 2010 toyota prius. consumer writes in regards to rear view visibility and braking issues in both vehicles. *smd

Passenger side headlight goes off intermittently. *tt

My 2004 toyota prius's hid lights are going off intermittently and coming back on when i turned them off and back on again. the driver's side is going off again and will come back on again when i turn it off and then back on. also, my headlight leveling system warning light is coming on. when i drive on the highway light goes off, i feel very unsafe. i have to turn them off and back on in seconds to avoid a possible accident. dealer can't find the issue. they recommend to change the bulbs but it doesn't solve problem. *tt

Headlights (hid) intermittently go out regardless of speed or road conditions. turning the light switch they come on again and it randomly occurs making driving dangerous. i have replaced the headlights yet the incident recurs randomly making it necessary to turn the lights completely out then on again. *tr

Both headlamps go off and on sporadically, as follows: approximately thirty (30) days after buying this used car, the left hid headlamp appeared burnt out. both left and right headlamps were replaced on or about january 8, 2013, as recommended for this type of light. on installation, either light would flash on but then go out again, but turning the headlamp switch off then on agan seemed to rectify the problem. both headlamps then remained on for approximately two weeks, at which point the left headlamp was sporadically out for approximately two weeks, when it would go on only if the headlamp switch were turned off them back on again. both headlamps then worked for approximately six weeks, at which point the left headlamp went out for approximately four weeks, but then came on after approximately one month when the police found the right light to be out. they said it needed to be fixed; that it is a safety hazard, at which i explained the history of toyota prius headlamp issues and that i would pursue an appropriate remedy for this manufacturing defect. the right headlamp remains out to this date, but did come on for approximately one week in the interim. turning the headlamp switch off then on again has not helped since the day of installation. *tr

Dash board controls and light went off. i have informed toyota and the dealers of this issue several times that the dash board lights go off and then the car doesn't shut down for a long time. i finally diagnosed the issue myself (bad combination meter) and informed the dealer. they informed me that although toyota had an extended warranty on the meter that my car was out of warranty. eventhough i had complained about this issue before, it was not documented properly and therefore not the dealer or toyota itself would fix the issue. this is an extremely dangerous issue. as the car drives without any of the dash board lights on. you have no way to know how much gas you have or how fast you are driving. and if you find yourself outside the warranty period they are unwilling to fix the issue. help !!!! i can die driving this car !!!! i am in the process of selling it but i have to drive it to and from work. this needs to be a forced recall !!!! call me i have details of my conversations with toyota ! this should be in the news. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Recently, vehicle has started intermittent outages of hid headlamps. usually on the driver side, but sometimes on the passenger side. apparently this is the result of a computer called the hid ballast or something. toyota is quoting outrageous sums to fix the problem. this vehicle should be recalled and the problem fixed for free. *tr

I was traveling on i95 when all the brake warning lights came on (abs, brake, etc.). i tried to slow down the car, but the brakes didn't seem to work. finally, the regen system kicked in, and slowed the car. when i jammed my foot hard on the brake pedal, the car stopped with a jerk. this is not the first time this has happened. the first time it happened (when all the lights came on), i brought the car to the dealer (kendall toyota), they reset and recalibrated the computers in the car, and everything seemed ok. about 9 months later, the same thing happened. this time, the abs computer had a hard failure. they replaced it with a low mileage used part, and everything seemed fine for about 3 months. then it happened again last thursday. brought it into kendall toyota on thursday evening, and on friday they told me the i needed a new abs computer. turns out toyota knows about this problem and has redesigned the abs computer, but never sent out any notice to their customers. this is why the used part didn't last long. this a very dangerous situation and i could have easily been in a serious accident if i had not experienced faulty braking in the past (see below). a new abs computer plus installation from toyota cost approximately $3000. the symptoms i was having when i reported complaint # 10292409 were identical to those above, except that no indicator lights came on. they car did not want to stop (and even seemed to "run away") until i jammed my foot on the brake. searching the internet, this seems to be a common problem with prius. *tr

The passenger side headlight goes off every 10 to 15 minutes of driving. toyota settled a lawsuit on this issue for 2006+, but not my car. *tr

Drive mode shifter sticks in drive or reverse. if the vehicle is stopped, with the brake depressed, and you then press the park button to put the vehicle in park, the vehicle remains in drive or reverse and the vehicle will move as soon as the brake pedal is lifted, even though the driver believes s/he has engaged the park mode. complaint submitted by the original owner of this regularly-maintained vehicle.

A couple of month ago, i thought i noticed that the front drivers side hid headlight was off when the passenger side was on. i was driving in my other car while a family member was driving the prius. when i looked at the prius a short time later, both light where on. over the past couple of months i have noticed that the driver side headlight has been intermittently off when it should be one. cycling the lights off then on appears to turn both headlamps on for some period of time. there is no indication in the car when the failure occurs, and i am concerned that this creates an unsafe situation while driving at night. while trying to determine if this is a known problem, i came across owner chat groups where others where complaining about the same problem. i also read that there might be an nhtsa investigation into similar complaints. i would like to know if an investigation has happened and if so, what was the outcome? *tr

My 2004 prius has a touch screen display that controls many functions including climate controls. on a recent morning i started my vehicle and got an error message saying "no external connection to air conditioner" at the same time i could not access heater, defrost, navigation, hybrid monitor or hands free phone. fortunately, i had a rag in the car and could keep my window clean. after 20 minutes of driving, the radio cut out and then all controls came back. another 10 minutes of driving and the controls cut back off. this problem now occurs each time i drive the vehicle. when i researched this issue on the internet, i discovered this is a widespread problem with the displays on the 04 and 05 prius. toyota issued (tsb) el002-05 dealing with this issue but offered no recall. the problem lies in the circuit boards that were supplied to toyota motors. i live in maine and not having access to my window defroster is a huge safety concern. i have to keep a rag in the car to keep my window clean. toyota customer service refuses to fix this because i am beyond the 3 yr / 36000 mile warranty. this is a manufacturing defect that causes loss of visibility while driving. absolutely should be a recall campaign for vehicles manufactured with this defect. *tr

Both headlights turn off and on intermittently without warning while driving. it is very dangerous driving in the dark. *tr

Both headlights would cycle on and off. turning the headlights off and on with the switch would make them both come on. unpredictable how long before each headlight would turn off, but they are not in sync turning off and on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the gear shifter could not be shifted into park. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the shifter assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 150,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the multi-display module for the heater and defroster units failed, causing the windshield defogger to fail. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the multi-display module needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no recalls for the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 28,000. updated 1/30/13 *cn the dealer diagnosed the problem as a module malfunction which was an internal short circuit and gave the consumer an estimate of $700 to replace the module with a reconditioned one. updated 01/31/13 updated 2/13/13 *cn updated 02/14/13

Both headlights suddenly went dark. my wife and i are about 95% sure the entire dash went dark as well. we stopped and toggled the headlight switch, and everything came back on. the dealership recommended replacing the "high intensity discharge" headlights, but they do not know why the dash would have gone dark. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius hybrid. the contact stated that hot and cold air was being emitted from the ventilation system when neither the air conditioning unit nor the heater was activated. additionally, the wrench warning light illuminated immediately after the failure. the vehicle was later towed to a dealer for diagnosis where they advised him that the water pump failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired for the water pump. the manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number 12v536000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was serviced per the recall however, the failure recurred one year later. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was later contacted and advised him that the dealer could have previously replaced the water pump with a defective one. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 185,000. the current mileage was approximately 194,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, he depressed the brakes to slow the vehicle but the vehicle took an extended amount of time to slow down. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or mechanic for inspection. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000. the vin was unavailable.

Consistently a single headlight on my 2004 toyota prius would flicker and go out. "it may go off again, in another five or 10 minutes, but i could get them to work again by turning them off and turning on again. *tr

My passenger side hid headlight goes out a few minutes after turning on. when turned off and on again comes back on only to go out a few minutes later. *tr

Car shifts to neutral upon shifting to drive or reverse when starting car (o mph) car shifts back to neutral when driving (25 mph) prob. seems related to cold ambient temperature. *tr

A combination of 2 issues. for several months the gear shift selector has been sticking in the d position instead of automatically returning to the n position as it should. it is documented by other prius owners that the dust cover inside the shifter can begin to warp over time causing this sticking. http://priuschat.com/threads/gear-shifter-sticks.38199/ i thought this was just a nuisance issue until last month and on one other occasion where the shifter stuck in the d position and i hadn't noticed and when i attempted to put the car into "park" by pressing the separate p button the car would not go into park. it is now apparent that this is related to the shifter sticking in the d position and preventing the car from going into park. there is one report of a near incident of the car driving away when the driver didn't notice that the car failed to go into park which is a clear safety problem: http://priuschat.com/threads/2004-park-button-intermittent-failure.118257/. *tr

One of the headlights operates intermittently. turning the headlights off and back on causes it to light again. *tr

Hid headlights turning off repeatedly, will go out randomly having nothing to do with movement, on time, the light will come back on if switch is turned off then on again but lights are unreliable. condition is obviously dangerous during night, fog or poor road conditions. random turning off has kept re-occurring until present time, where light will persist on for only a few minutes at a time. toyota dealer wants 1,000 or more to repair, while light bulb only costs less than 50 dollars on amazon, stating the defect may have to do with a fuse and or ballast. *tr

. 10/09/2012 i went to start my 2004 prius i hit the power button and the dashboard lights had not work. you did not know the status of the car. actuated the power switch and the brake peddle numerous times to no avail. i tried to select the gear and the car would move. but dash board display did not light. the lights and turn signals work fine. i drove 15 miles home with on display. i selected the park button and the car parked i went to turn off the power button and the car would not turn off the was in the battery mode. i tried to shut it off by disconnecting the 12 volt battery to no avail. i found a fuse that if i pulled it out the car would shut off. i tried the power numerous times and the car turn on and with the dashboard display working. on the morning of 10/10/2012 i tried go to work and when the power and the brake are pushed the dash board lights would not light. the car would move if selected to drive now the engine was running because the car was cold. i placed the car in park and selected the power button to off now the engine will shut off. again i tried the power and the brake numerous times to no avail. i tried the fuse trick again it worked the engine stopped. replaced the fuse and tried the power button it work and the dash display were lighted with numerous lights because i shut the down in unapproved mode. turned the power switch on & off. numerous times all light were normal except the check engine was on i drove to the toyota dealer. i was told that is a normal issue the dashboard displays go bad. i understand the dashboard display can go bad. my issue is the safety problem that when the display fails the power button does not shut car off in the battery mode or the engine mode. that's a big issue . *tr

Water intrusion caused corrosion of the main engine wiring harness which caused a fault in the auxiliary 12v battery and has made the vehicle undriveable. toyota cannot determine the source or cause of the water intrusion even though i have brought in the vehicle for routine maintenance since i purchased it and i have complained about a problem which is related to the auxiliary 12v battery several times in the past. this seems to be a flaw in the 2004 prius design. *tr

While driving my 2004 toyota prius home at night on a dark, winding road, both headlights suddenly went out!!!! there was no light! pitch black! crazy! i couldn't believe that my lights were out. my brights were not working either. i didn't know what happened to the car! i thought i was going to wreck/crash. i was about 18 miles from home. as i drove, i turned on my dome lights so the oncoming traffic could see me. after turning the car lights on and off, they came back on, but what a nightmare!!!!! i found out that other toyota prius owners had the same problem with there cars. toyota needs to fix this problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!! toyota needs to recall and replace these faulty headlights! *tr

2004 toyota prius with hid headlights is used as a taxi cab. on september 25th, 2012 the drivers side headlight would begin to flicker and turn off after around five minutes of operation. the hid bulb replacement did not resolve the matter. headlights must be turned off and then on again in order to resume their operation. *tr

My 24 yr. old child was driving out of a driveway at 5 mph when the car stopped and all warning lights including brakes and engine and triangle went on. it would not restart. it would not take a battery jump. had it towed to toyota service and they discovered code p0335 present and verified a faulty crankshaft position sensor, replaced it, and cleaned throttle body. the car works now. cost for diagnosis and service was $367.07. this faulty part was a part of a recall dated in 2006 for 2001 and 2002 priuses. we wish to advise the agency that we believe the year 2004 and perhaps other years ought to be considered for the same recall as the 2001 and 2002 prius models with respect to a faulty crankshaft position sensor. we believe our car had a faulty sensor and that we should be a part of the earlier recall, and also obtain a full reimbursement for charges. this sudden stopping by the vehicle poses a very dangerous situation for any driver. our child would have been on a major highway just a few minutes later and could have been the victim of a horrendous accident. we urge your agency to be proactive in investigating this matter. thank you. *tr

The dash gear selector (common to 2004 - 2009 g2 prius) began clicking when i changed gears (r-d-n) i researched the subject and learned that this can lead to the shifter locking in d or r, a hazardous condition. i also learned that some diy owners have discovered a warped dust plate in the shifter component. it causes this problem. their solution is to remove the plate, trim it, and reassemble the part. link 1 below is a google search that reveals the other two links i included. not all of the hits are relevant. the third link has a video with clear images of the problem and the diy 'solution.' https://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&safe=off&complete=0&site=webhp&q=prius+%22gear+shift%22+click+sticking&oq=prius+%22gear+shift%22+click+sticking&gs_l=serp.3...2446378.2449925.0.2450814.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.les%3bcpsugrpq1..0.0...1.1.iimlxlk1u2c http://priuschat.com/threads/gear-shifter-sticks.38199/page-2 http://priuschat.com/threads/how-to-replace-2g-gearshift-lever.65102/ i am believe that toyota should be asked to recall these cars to replace this dust plate (or the shifter module.) unfortunately the gear shift module included with the car does not have a lifetime consistent with the 10 year/100,000 mile warranty on the traction battery. it is dangerous to have owners make this repair themselves. this could be avoided if toyota were required to do it instead. *tr

Upon starting the car one morning i noticed the speedometer, fuel and gear indicator digital readouts were not working. i researched the problem on the internet and narrowed the problem to a faulty combination meter (bad solder). this problem has been occurring with numerous other prius owners according to forums and such. i purchased the car at a ford dealership and also purchased their ford esp base care plan. clearly the plan stated the speedometer/odometer, electrical or mechanical problems were covered. however the agent at the extended warranty office denied the claim. so my car sits at a toyota dealership with the dash apart and the appraised value of the car less $2000.00 according to the sales dept. because the mileage is unknown. toyota has yet to declare a recall for the problem which could result in death in some cases if not properly addressed. i have two children and value their lives. i hope and pray that toyota comes around. *tr

The headlights go out randomly while driving at night. you have to turn them off and then turn them back on for them to work and they only last a minute after that. huge safety issue!! *tr

I need your help! there is a manufacturing defect well documented as a common problem with 2004 toyota prius multi-functional display (mfd). the problem is that the 60 pin connector on the printed circuit board of the mfd sometimes develops a play in the connection and hence the sporadic display. i wrote to toyota customer service. toyota instructed me to take my car to the dealer and speak to toyota. told me that he did talk to the toyota rep and explained to him that i had been taking very good care of my car and that this mfd problem was not my doing. told me that it would cost $980.57 to install a remanufactured mfd. and that the toyota rep is only going to contribute $250. so net out of pocket for me would be a substantial amount of $730.57. it is unfair for toyota customer service to ask me to pay, since this is a common problem with 2004 toyota prius mfds that is well documented to be a common problem. i have already spent a lot of time and money on the problem. toyota customer service is taking the approach that it is out of warranty and there is no recall so we don€™t want to do anything. that logic is wrong. if there is a common problem that may have not escalated to a recall status, that does not mean that there is no problem. recall is if enough people have problems. meanwhile, you cannot deny for all the people who are stuck with this problem. it has been clearly demonstrated that this is a manufacturing defect that toyota is responsible. your high level intervention is needed. please write to toyota demanding that it would only be fair since the mfd problem is clearly documented to be a manufacturing defect, that toyota repair without delay at no cost to the client, since he has already suffered enough. thanks! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *tt

Random failure of lights, began with driver?s side and continues to occur randomly with greater frequency. passenger side also turns off randomly, though with less frequency. many occasions, i have had both lights turn off while driving. *tt

Tl* the owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact was sitting at a traffic stop when another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact’s vehicle, causing the contact’s vehicle to crash into a third vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the contact was reported injured and the vehicle was destroyed.the manufacturer was notified of the incident and informed the contact that the crash did not meet the requirements for the airbag to deploy. the failure mileage was 122,543.

Had the hid headlights replaced 6 months ago because they were intermittently going on and off. same thing is happening again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact was driving 20 mph and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. the contact stated that the seat belt did not properly restrain, causing her chest to be thrown into the steering wheel. in addition, the air bags did not deploy. the police were contacted and a police report was filed. the vehicle was ruled as destroyed by the contact’s insurance company. the manufacturer was notified of the incident who assigned her a case manager who would return her call in the near future. the failure mileage was 134,000.

Both headlights go out without warning frequently now. the immediate remedy seems to be to turn switch off and on again to restore them. this has recently become a regular problem as i drive at night. thankfully the 'fog lamps' are functional and now i am sure to have them switched on in addition to regular headlights so that i am still visible to other drivers. *tr

Left and right headlights failed in november and december of 2009. headlights were replaced. left headlight has failed in 2011. i drive 10,000 per year. i do not do much driving with my headlights on. *tr

Single drivers side headlight goes off/on intermittently - fixed by turning headlights off/on. *tr

The passenger headlight and taillight stopped working. we replaced the tail light bulb only for it to stop working two days later. we replaced the tail light bulb once a week for a month, and for now it continues to work. the headlight, however, continued not working for about two weeks, then began working again only for the driver side headlight to stop working. after turning the headlight switch off then back on both headlights began working. however, after 10 minutes both went out again. ever since then, it is always a guess as to which headlight, if any, will work at dusk. sometimes they will both work for about a week before quitting. i was given an odi# of 10453541. *js

Headlights go out randomly and only come back on by turning light switch off than on. replaced bulb and problem continues. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the high intensity discharge (hid) headlights would intermittently fail. the failure recurred for approximately one year. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where they advised the contact that the balances on the front headlights needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was unknown. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the brakes malfunctioned and the contact crashed into another vehicle. no one was injured during the crash and the air bags did not deploy. the manufacturer was contacted to have the vehicle inspected for the faulty brakes. the manufacturer did not inspect the vehicle and no repairs were performed. the failure mileage was 90,000.

Both headlights went out on narrow winding roads at night. almost crashed into tree. i turned the switch back off and than on and lights came back on. since than, the right headlamp goes on and off at night and sometimes both go out. the dealer says it will cost over $1000 to fix. i have read many complaints. am i entitled to some kind of help? my wife will take the car on occasion and it has happened to her. is there a recall? i don't think it is a light issue if they go back on what is being done about this? *tr

Intermittent headlight problem. i purchased the car with 111,500 miles on it, and almost immediately noticed that the passenger's side headlight is intermittent when viewing my reflection in the bumper of the car in front of me. sometimes it runs fine for over an hour, other times it doesn't last 5 minutes. turning the headlights off, and immediately back on relights the headlight. this is not only happening at night, but also during the day when they are used as daytime running lights. i made a video of it happening: http://tinyurl.com/intermittentpriushid i am not the only person having this problem with their prius. others have reported this problem with 25,000 to 40,000 miles. it is very hard to notice because the hid headlights are so bright it is hard to tell when one is not working, which actually means this problem may have existed on my prius for a long time without the previous owner noticing. to illustrate my point, this priuschat thread has over 870 responses to date regarding this hid headlight problem: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-care-maintenance-troubleshooting/34584-headlight-problem-17.html thus far i have not noticed this problem in my driver's side. this is a very real safety concern. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact was driving 35 mph when both headlights failed intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the ballast failed for the headlights. the manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 96,000.

I was driving at night on a narrow country road, lined with trees, at 55 mph. suddenly , both head lamps shut off. it is a miracle that i didn't wreck, i could not see a thing, and braked blindly. as i was coming to a stop i turned the light switch on and off and the lights came back on. before i could get home, the lights went off 2 more times! *tr

Headlights dont work, overheating bulbs $800 to replace, you go toyota your car sucks. *tr

2004 toyota prius. consumer states unintended acceleration *tgw the consumer stated the sudden acceleration happened three times, over a six year span. he managed to put the vehicle in neutral, coast to the side of the road, and turned the vehicle off. once the vehicle was restarted, all worked fine. the consumer stated a few weeks ago his vehicle was about to reach 300,000 miles, as he reached for his camera, he realized the odometer never went past 299,999 miles. however, within five miles, the vehicle suddenly lost power brakes, the air condition stopped working, the hybrid drive shut off and the fan for the hybrid battery came on, as well as yellow and red lights appeared on the dash. also, two warning graphics appeared on the navigation screen, one indicating trouble. the consumer pulled over, and shut the engine off. he then restarted the vehicle and everything went back to normal. it appeared that by shutting off the engine and restarting it, caused the main computer reboot. the consumer stated it continued several more times, until he arrived home. the dealer informed the consumer the vehicle was a large computer, and when one component stops working, such as the odometer, other components cease too. the dealer explained an odometer limit was placed on the vehicle by the factory. *jb

The hid headlight leveling sensor part# 89408-47010 failed. big red exclamation on the dash and car won't pass inspection. toyota says it costs $600 to replace. *tr

When ambient temperature is cold, sometimes dashboard lights and speedometer do not come on when the car is started. car runs but with no instrument panel. sometimes when the car is in this state the car cannot be turned off by pressing the start button. car can only be turned off by pressing and holding the start button down for several seconds, and even this does not always work. this problem has been getting worse over time. toyota dealership refuses to investigate the problem, but it is documented in their warranty repair t-sb-0172-09 combination meter intermittent display bulletin. instead, the dealership tries to sell us a new car! *tt

The multi function display registered the error code: check connection of air conditioner. a diagnostic test at pappas toyota on 12/2/11 showed a defective mfd. a new replacement would cost $4300. a refurbished one was to be located but a call was not received as to this having happened. toyota was aware of this possibility at least by 1/10/2005 when a service bulletin was issued. since the defect in the part was known to toyota and involves a safety issue a request for warranty replacement was made. this request was denied. on 12/23/11, after having been told a week would be needed to find the part, i e-mailed pappas and asked that one be located. i made an appt. at that time to have it installed on 1/3/12. i had not received any information by 1/2/12 so i called again and learned the part was to be ordered on 1/2/12 as toyota was closed for the holiday period. the mfd activates the front and rear defrosters. this is critical as the inability to do so is a safety issue in missouri with snow and ice being a possibility. on 1/4/12 a message was received from the dealership, the essence of which was: those displays are on back order status at this time; the mfd holds the memory for the mileage odometer so when it is ordered the vehicle can not be driven so that the actual odometer mileage remains the same; and until i hear from you i have placed your order on hold; there are currently two orders ahead of yours and they will be filled first; they are not able to give us a timetable when they will be released; and once they are available it will take approximately 7-10 business days to receive. toyota is not making the necessary part available; expecting the consumer to be deprived of use of the prius for an undetermined period of time; and of bearing the cost of the defective part. the consumer stated the problem has been resolved. updated ivoq 03/09/12 *tr

2004 toyota prius frontal impact crash into rear of vehicle 2, 2002 honda crv, on tuesday november 22, 2011, 4:33pm est. bumper impact at approx speed 25mph in clear conditions totaled subject vehicle including complete folding of hood, displacement of structural bumper, fan assemblies, radiator & condenser assemblies into engine with structural bumper pushed back 24" at center and 18" to left & right sides. insurance adjuster stated that bending occurred at front of vehicle frame. front fenders crumpled and obstructed front driver and passenger doors, entrapping occupants, both seat-belted into front seats. despite displacement front structural bumper assembly, body and front mechanicals, airbags did not deploy. subject automobile was higher-mileage vehicle with 193,000 miles but immaculately maintained, reliable, mechanically excellent, displaying no system warning lights and having newer michelin radial tires with 25% wear. owner has full set of photographs. exterior & interior, attesting clean condition of car and full set of vehicle maintenance records. crash resulted in moderate injury to occupants, mainly bruising, contusions, back & neck pain. both were admitted to hospital er and discharged same day. follow up medical care ongoing. concerned about airbag-non-deployment. believing this to be a failure of the car's supplemental restraint system. my daughter and wife's injuries are not crippling or disfiguring but in similar crashes, would others fair as well? incident and concerns registered with toyota corporate, which asserted that airbags functioned (?) as designed. not surprised that their first priority would be protecting their corporated hind quarters but believe that nhtsa might perform a more objective investigation into the history and performance efficacy of prius airbags. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the gear shifted from drive into neutral several times independently. the contact had to hold the gear for it to remain in drive. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic. the failure was located at the gear shifter. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but denied assistance with the repair. the failure and the current mileage was 87,691.

The driver's side headlight went out while driving at highway speed. turning the lights off and then on restored the headlights. it happened a couple times in 2 hours of driving. at the end of the trip it was happening about every mile. i took the car to the toyota dealership and they replaced the driver's side lamp. last night 1/2 hour into a 2 hour night trip the headlights went out. it appeared that both lights went out this time. the lights went out every 30 seconds thereafter. upon arriving at the destination, i left the car running and checked out the light situation. the driver's side headlight would go out and the passenger side appeared to dim. the running lights remained on. it appears that other prius owners have experienced similar problems. it also seems that replacing the lamp is not the solution to the problem. it may be an electrical or computer problem. i shall take the car back to the dealership next week. this is a safety issue during night driving. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated the vehicle would shift from drive to neutral when accelerating. there was no warning prior to the failure. the vehicle was not inspected to determine the cause of failure. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 80,000. the vin was not available.

Hid headlights go off intermittently while driving. headlights can be reset by turning headlight switch to off and back on again. a search of the nhtsa and other websites demonstrate that this same problem is widespread for several year models of prius autos. the dealer estimates to replace the headlight bulbs is about $1000 per headlight, making this a serious problem because people will seek lower cost remedies which are not safe. toyota thus far has not officially recognized or attempted to address this issue. since a total loss of lighting can occur at anytime with serious consequences, a recall should be performed to correct this issue before fatalities occur. *tr

The driver's side hid headlight, intermittently, unpredictably and inexplicably shuts off. it will occasionally return to service on its own, but usually requires a cycling of the light's power switch before full function is restored. after which, the length of time before the light shuts off again varies from a few seconds to not at all. after researching this issue, it seems to be a rather systemic problem with the 2004-2009 prius. obviously, the situation this condition creates is unsafe at best, can place me personally in an unexpected illegal position - and (should both lights go out together, as some have reported) could quite possibly be life threatening. for the safety of the driving public, i would strongly urge nhtsa to investigate this issue. toyota must take responsibility for their design flaw, and engineer a resolution to this problem. *tt

Automatic transmission control problems. the transmission control lever became worn. sometimes the vehicle began to the roll with this defect. the internal spring that moves the transmission lever back to the previous position became worn and now it doesn't return to it's normal position when putting it in reverse or drive. the shifter lever was sticking in drive or reverse. *tr

While driving slowly in traffic, after a particularly rough transmission shift, the large red exclamation mark warning inside a triangle lit up on the dashboard, along with the yellow "check engine" and "vsc" (vehicle stability control) warnings. the car was pulled over to a safe location and stopped. the engine was turned off and on a few times and the warnings continued. on the fourth or fifth turn-on, the problem cleared itself and has not recurred. this is the second electronic glitch that has occurred on this vehicle while driving. the first was reported as odi id number 10407518. both times, the problems, which had different symptoms, corrected themselves after turning the engine off and on a few times. since the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem in the first case, the dealer has not yet been informed in this case. it has been exceedingly fortunate that both of these electronic glitches, neither of which were related to floormats by the way, were not of the sudden-unwanted-acceleration variety. the randomness of both the timing and the symptoms of these electronic glitches suggest that sudden unwanted acceleration could easily have been the result. *tr

The dashboard computer in my 2004 prius malfunctions. the energy monitor does not show any of the arrows or current gas mileage. i can't access any of the menus: climate, audio, etc. this means that i can not turn on the defrost heat in the morning when the windshield is frozen. sometimes the telephone menu is inaccessible. the stereo skips and turns itself off. within a few minutes of turning on the car, the computer will right itself and start working. but sometimes the computer will spontaneously malfunction in the middle of driving the car. there is no way to tell what causes the malfunctions and there's no way to know when it will happen. *tr

Front lights went dim. able to turn back on with switch. front lights continue to go out or get dim intermittently and i must turn switch on and off to get them back on. i have paid toyota for several new bulbs and diagnostics with no fix.

The multifunctional display (mfd) failed following dealer replacement of the 12v battery. the dealer is now recommended $5,000 replacement of the mfd. mfd failure in the prius seems to be an increasing event based on on-line chatter on blogs. this appears to be a basic design flaw in the prius mfd system that causes loss of communication between the radio and climate control systems. it also causes the display to be totally ineffective for display of key hybrid engine performance. *tr

Toyota prius 2004 generation 2, speedometer intermittent display problems. the dashboard lights go off and on very frequently for no reason. no display of speed and fuel gauge and also the odometer. *tr

During normal service at dealer service advisor indicated that steering yoke sub assemble and shaft assembly needed to be replaced because of binding. dealer indicated that they had done the steering recall " nhtsa campaign number: 06v188000 " in 2006 on this car. is the current issue (which we had repaired at a cost of almost $1000) associated/or as a result of the prior recall?

The headlamps keep switching off intermittently on my 2004 toyota prius. this has been happening fairly regularly over the last year, but last night (8-2-2011) both headlamps failed at the same time when on a dark, windy road causing me to almost crash into a tree (i couldn't see anything without the lights). when i switch the headlamp control on and off, the headlamps come on again, so it is unlikely to be the bulbs. sometimes only one lamp goes out, sometimes both; but they are failing very frequently and causing me a major safety concern. i have researched this issue online and there seem to be many consumers that have the same issue. please help. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact started the vehicle and the abs warning light began to illuminate. the brake pedal traveled to the floor upon application. the contact proceeded to drive, although the vehicle would not stop unless the brake pedal was applied repeatedly. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they replaced the abs actuator. two weeks after the repair was performed, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated the defect could possibly be related to the skid control unit. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem and recommended the vehicle be taken back to the dealer for inspection. the approximate failure mileage was 94,000. the vin was unavailable.

My 2004 prius with 36,600 total miles has a failing right headlight. toyota service in honolulu estimate cost of parts & labor totaling $500. to replace the failing headlight and $700 to replace both headlights, which toyota recommends. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle started to slide backward as a result from a possible blow out in the front drivers side tire. the contact depressed the brakes and the vehicle spun out of control, causing the vehicle to cross over a five lane highway. the contact then crashed into a freeway sign post on the driver side door. the vehicle continued to slide backward and crashed into a tree head-on yet the airbags did not deploy. a police report was filed. there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to the contacts residence but was not inspected for the failure. neither the dealer nor manufacturer was contacted. the failure and current mileage was 168,000.

While drivimg under cruise control at approximately 70 mph, a continuous loud beep occurred, accompanied with the following warnings on the dashboard: red "brake" warning and yellow "((!))", "abs" (antilock brake system), and "vsc" (vehicle stability control) warnings. attempting to pull over and stop, the brakes had no power assistance but, fortunately, could be operated under heavy foot pressure. after pulling over and stopping and restarting the engine, all the warnings and the beep were still there while the car was driven to a safer location at a gas station. braking was still entirely under foot pressure only. as this was in canada, driver turned off the engine while trying to decide the next course of action. after a few minutes, the engine was again started in order to move the car slightly in the parking lot (to get away from a puddle) and all systems, including brake power assistance, were now operating normally with all the warnings off. the problem has not recurred. the car was taken to the dealer about two weeks later and the diagnostic report states, "could not duplicate customer's complaint". thus, no repair was done nor further action was taken by the dealer. *tt

I was driving on the freeway at about 63 miles per hour, i had been driving for about 20 minutes when my engine cut out, all the lights on my dash turned on including the check engine and red triangle warning light. i drifted to the shoulder and powered the car off. i tried to start it 2 more times, both times the engine did not start and the red triangle and the check engine lights came on again. i waited longer and tried to power up the engine again, it started with the check engine light on. i took it to the dealership 3 days later (they could not see me sooner), ran the codes and it only came up with the code poaof, which means that the engine did not start. they had no explanation of what happened and did not seem to share my concern that this could happen again. the did recall work for me and sent me home. *tr

2004 toyota prius has 160,000 miles. the left headlight has been failing intermittently for about a week. two nights ago, on a dark road, the entire set of front headlights, fog lamps, all suddenly went off. i am happy to say the hazards were functional, because no amount of turning the switch at the stalk would bring the lights back. i pulled car over and turned it off. i had driven approximately 50 miles with them on prior to the event. i let the vehicle rest with power off for approx 5 minutes and the lights were working normally, and continued without further problems for the last 25 miles of my drive home. there are a great many registered complaints about this particular issue. i feel it is indeed a safety issue and would appreciate some help in getting toyota to take a look at the root of this problem. please. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving approximately 55 mph the vehicle accelerated on its own. the vehicle crashed into a concrete divider on the highway. the contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. the contact was able to drive the vehicle after the crash. the driver and the passengers sustained injuries to their back and neck and were under going therapy for their injuries. there was no police report filed. the contact stated that the crash caused damage to the front bumper and the front passenger side door which would not open. the manufacturer stated that an inspector would inspect the vehicle. the inspector stated that there was a problem with the abs brakes. the contact received the report from the manufacturer and they did not indicate that there was a safety failure and were unable to provide further assistance. the body damage was repaired. the contact stated that she did not feel safe driving the vehicle after the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

I have a 2004 toyota prius. since 2004, my headlights have gone out 5 times. the right headlight has gone out 3 times and the left 2 times. the last time i replaced the right headlight, it did not last 12 months. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that he applied the brakes and depressed the shift button to shift into park. as he removed his foot from the brake pedal, the vehicle then rolled forward until pressure was reapplied to the brakes. the contact noticed that there was a malfunction in which the vehicle was not actually shifted into park after he engaged the park button. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or the vehicle repaired. the failure and current mileages were 52,700.

Tl* the contact owns 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving the gear shift became stuck between drive and neutral. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and where the shift lever assembly was repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they told him they were aware of the problem. the failure mileage was 50,500 and current mileage was 50,656.

The smart key on my 2004 toyota prius locked the doors on its own, even while in the car. i unlocked the doors with the smart key, placed my baby in his carseat, buckled him in, placed his diaper bag on the floor in the backseat as always, with the smart key in a pocket of the diaper bag, and as i was closing the back door so that i could get in the driver seat, all of the doors locked on their own. the smart key was in the diaper bag inside the car, as was my baby, and i could not get into the car. i had to call my wife and have her bring the second smart key to unlock the door. luckily my baby was not freaking out, and it was not a hot day. it was an extremely dangerous and scary situation. *tr

Traction control disables car when slippery... engine totally shuts off. can happen passing through an intersection when icy/snowy, etc. also makes ascending hills nearly impossible. *tr

Intermittent hid bulb goes out. there is no particular event that takes place when the lights stop working. when turned on they always come on and at some point they will sometimes stop working. when i see they have stopped i will turn the lights off and back on and they work and will usually stay working the rest of the trip, but not always. i have been looking online and this seems to be a common problem. i was just at my toyota dealer and they said it is probably the bulb and then under his breath he unofficially said it is a crap shoot for solving the problem. *tr

Headlights would go out, but come back on. at first, it was only one headlight, but one evening, when one headlight went out, i switched to high beams and both went out. i pulled off the road, turned the car off and back on and the lights worked for about twenty minutes. dealer had replaced bulbs previously. on august 19, dealer replaced headlamp systems at a very high cost. manufacturer sent me a check to repay part of this, when i complained. now, tonight, december 22, 2010, driver side headlight does not come on, except for a brief flash when locking or unlocking the doors.

1. events leading to failure driving in 1 - 2 inches of snow, i attempted left turn, encountering a somewhat deeper (approximately 4-inch, and heavily tracked from previous vehicles) berm of snow at the entrance of the side street onto which i was turning. 2. the failure, how often it occurs, its consequences the traction control seized all motion of front (traction) tires, though snow was not deep enough otherwise to prevent movement. this left me in the path of oncoming traffic approaching downhill on slippery road. the traction control completely disabled car, leading to very dangerous situation. also, continued application of accelerator pedal to get the car to move quickly created smell of hot transmission. there is no question that, even with the open differential, the car would have progressed through the snow but for the traction control. and, of course, there is no question that this problem is inherent to the traction control system and would occur whenever conditions occur that cross the threshold of slipperiness and resistance i encountered. 3. the defect remains uncorrected. the essential correction is redesign and replacement of the traction and/or adding a disabling switch. *tr

I was coming off of an onramp and intending to turn right at the light. i needed to get into the left lane as i was turning left at the next block. i applied the brakes to slow down and make the turn and nothing happened when i pressed on the brakes. i ended up going up over the curb and the plants stopped the car. the engine was off when i came to a stop, though i didn't turn it off. if there hadn't been a meridian in between the cross traffic, i would have gone into the lanes ahead of me. very scary. i had my car towed to toyota to check it out first, but there looks to be thousands of dollars of damage to my prius. the whole lower front is smashed and crunched, the two left side tires are flat and the rim is partially torn off on the front tire. *tr

Headlights went out on my 2004 toyota prius while driving down i84 in new york. at night! flipped switches and turned on and off and they went back on. had i been on a dark back road who knows what could have happened. why! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the touch screen module which included the temperature gauge, the fuel gauge, the odometer, etc failed. the vehicle was inspected by the dealer who informed him that the display screen was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure was approximately 120,000.

Driver side headlight failure. spontaneously goes out. will come back when switch off and on. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving approximately 55 mph, the contact stated that the headlights shut off without warning. the vehicle was repaired by an authorized dealer. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 155,000. the failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

2004 toyota prius. consumer writes regarding recall accelerator pedal interference *tgw the consumer stated he has received two recall letters. he stated he is pleased with his vehicle and is skeptical about letting the dealer work on his vehicle. *jb the consumer stated the gas gauge was inoperative, to the point where gas would leak out after filling the tank. the dealer informed him, they simply did not know how to fix the problem. updated 12/01/11. *jb

Multi function display (mfd) failure in 2004 prius. this failure it intermittent and causes the radio to turn off, prevents the use of climate/radio controls located in/on the mfd unit, prevents one from knowing whether the battery is charging. the steering wheel controls seem to work for the climate control (though one cannot see the temperature setting) but the audio system is useless without the mfd unit working properly. this is a $3000 (not including labor) repair ... and that is for a used refurbished part! totally unacceptable if you ask me. because this is a known problem impacting thousands of prius owners, toyota should be forced to replace these defective units with new units at no cost to the owner. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the headlights would shut off independently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was advised that the headlights would need to be replaced. in addition, the contact stated that the center console on the dashboard failed. the contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint but no assistance was offered. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 108,000 and the current mileage was approximately 113,000.

Have a 2004 prius. head light on right side keeps going out. after i turn the headlights off and back on, it comes back on for a shot time. waiting for both lights to go out while driving at night. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact was driving at various speeds and the driver side automatic headlight would flicker intermittently. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where they informed that the headlight would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continued to occur. the failure mileage was 108,000. updated 01/13/11*lj the consumer stated both head lights were replaced. however, the flickering continued until the head light started was replaced. updated 03/31/11

Headlight on 2004 pries controller broken. may be due to oxide levels in contacts. smart key oxidation causes poor use. alarm goes off intermittently. *tr

2004 toyota prius. consumer asserts that vehicle accident was caused by a computer malfunction *tgw the consumer stated prior to the accident, on one occasion, the vehicle bolted and jerked slightly as she stopped the vehicle. when she attempted to take off, the vehicle responded sluggishly and then accelerated quickly. the day of the accident, as the consumer approached the stop sign, the vehicle started bucking and jerking violently. after she pulled off from the stop sign, she crashed into a large suv. the consumer stated she saw the suv pass, so she purposely waited so she could make a left turn, but ended causing severe damage to her vehicle. *jb

Intermittent failure of headlights. *tr

Car: 2004 toyota prius problem: intermittent failure of both headlights while driving. last night while driving along an unlit country road, both headlights failed simultaneously. after stopping the vehicle the lights came back on by turning on and off the headlamps using the stalk mounted switch. this is a very dangerous situation, many others have had the same problem. see the toyota recall website and try this search, "trouble shooting prius hid bulb and hid ecu", and you will get this result,"found: 62255 results for "trouble shooting prius hid bulb and hid ecu". but the site only allows you to see and access 45 other "other results", that are very generic and talk about other toyota models. why can't the public see the 62,255 search results. also check the forum at "http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-care-maintenance-troubleshooting/47938-my-hid-bulb-replacement-my-06-prius.html". there are 175 posts dating back to 2008. this is unacceptable to have all the lights intermittently fail in any vehicle. this problem is widespread and deserves the attention of the nhtsa right now. *tr

Unsafe nighttime headlamp lighting due to failure of height sensor, p/n 8940847010, 2004 toyota prius. failure of height sensor caused headlamps to point down. *tr

2004 toyota prius with unintended acceleration. *kb the consumer stated he experienced sudden acceleration after the recall was performed. the consumer also stated someone else drove her vehicle and he experienced sluggish acceleration of the vehicle. a message flashed quickly, but he was unable to read it. *jb

2004 prius at 146k miles with original headlights. drivers side headlight turns orange and goes out after 2 minutes. passenger side light goes out randomly and takes out fog lights at the same time. a complete failure of forward facing lighting including fog lamps should not happen if a headlight goes out. turning the lights off-and-on brings them back for an unspecified amount of time until complete failure once again. *tr

While heading up my driveway in my 2004 prius, the car began to accelerate, i threw it into reverse and turned back toward my garage where it crashed thru the wall. *tr

1) events leading to failure: post-"90l campaign" recall maintenance performed on 2004 toyota prius, vehicle driving at ~15 mph on a flat clear road. 2) the failure: unintended acceleration observed. accelerated, without accelerator depressed, to ~27 mph. brakes successfully applied. release of brake resumed unintended acceleration. "rode the brake to deliver vehicle to safe parking location. consequence: unintended acceleration controllable by braking. 3) nothing has yet been done to correct failure. vehicle has not been driven or moved since failure, since deemed unsafe to drive by owner pending any useful response to notification of this incident by toyota inc. (no useful response as of yet.) the dealer was unable to duplicate the consumers concern. updated 08/30/10 update ivoq 09/01/10*jb *tr

I got my 2004 prius in nov 2003. my drivers side headlight failed last year and i was charged at least $200 to replace last year. the same headlight failed about a month or so ago, and i do not have $200+ to get the bulb replaced. i've been unable to do this myself as have many other prius owners. *tr

2004 toyota prius accelerates due to gas pedal getting stuck in the floor mat. this morning i was driving my toyota prius 2004 that i bought from the original owner who mentioned all recall issues were addressed by toyota dealership. he mentioned the dealer shaved off the gas pedal to make it shorter. but today, while on i 495 going eastwards just before entering the hov lane, i pressed the gas pedal all the way down to over take another slow vehicle. the car engine kept raising noise, and car started to accelerate on its own. i braked, the car slowed a bit but engine kept running fast... i realized this is potentially same issue that people reported on press and with lot of struggle trying to brake and slow down, realized and put the car into n, neutral position. i am lucky to know this from media reports, otherwise i would have been another dead guy on a prius! while i was still on highway, needing to maintain speed i put the car back on drive mode, d and the problem continued. i realized, i can lift the gas pedal with my left foot, and succeeded in untangling the pedal from the floor mat. after i did that it was fine. i arrived at work, but with extreme shock and disappointment. i am wondering how this problem can still remain after a recall repair is done on this vehicle. this is completely unacceptable and my life was in total risk and i survived today purely because of my technical skills and knowledge about this car issue. i am an engineer in profession, a mechanical engineer with a masters degree and i understood how to react. if it was for my other family members in this situation the outcome would have been totally different. i am very very disappointed with toyota corporation and also with you, the nhtsa for not making sure that all prius out there are safety compliant. this is really terrible ! ...because its a known issue, and old issue that should have been corrected. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The automobile was stopped at a intersection and the pavement was wet from a light rain. i applied normal pressure to the accelerator and felt the car move forward as expected. then the problem occurs, i felt the tires slip due to a lost of traction with the wet pavement. at that point the anti-skid/traction control engaged and stopped all power to the wheels. this left me part way into the intersection and no power to the wheels. pressing the accelerator even to the floor resulted in no change, no motor or engine power. this has occurred three time in similar conditions, with mixed results. twice the problem could of lead to an major accident. in summary this problem disable the drive train in a unpredictable manner that takes the driver out of the process. *tr

We own a 2004 toyota prius and have been very pleased with it until it recently experienced a sudden brake failure. after stopping at a rest stop and preparing to return to the interstate, my wife experienced a complete brake failure as she drove the vehicle in reverse from the parking area. she then drove the vehicle forward to get it out of the traffic lane and continued to not have brakes. the vehicle was towed to amarillo, tx where the toyota dealer repaired the vehicle by replacing the stroke sensor (scanned system code c1247). *tr

Intermittent headlight failure on my 2004 toyota prius. it first happened around 67,000 miles when both headlights went out at once (at night!). flicking the switch did make them come back on. after that, the failure has been increasing, mainly with the passenger side headlight. turning the switch no longer always works to turn the light back on. i can;t always tell that it is off if they are on for me to me seen (such as in rain) rather than to allow me to see. this is incredibly dangerous. i can;t drive the car at night reliably now and what about in rain (which is not as easily predictable as "day/night")? this is clearly not a rare occurrence. toyota needs to step up here. by the way, i've already had to spend $800 to fix my multifunction display which failure is also well documented. *tr

My complaint has to do with the high energy discharge (xenon) headlights on my 2004 toyota prius. beginning sometime in february 2010 my wife and i began to notice that the drivers side headlight would shut down after the lights had been on for a few minutes. if the headlights were quickly turned off and then back on (say, while stopped at a traffic light), both headlights would work just fine for a while. i tried to replace the bulbs (d2r type xenon bulbs) which i purchased at a local car parts store for approximately $90 each. after trying to follow the instructions for replacing the bulbs (found in the owners manual), i was unable to open the bulb holders. when i had the car at the dealership (capitol toyota) for service in late april 2010, i asked if they could fix the headlights. the service rep told me that mere diagnosis of the problem would cost $600, with any ballast or bulb replacement added to that cost. i have never paid more than about $40 to replace both of my vehicle headlights prior to this. i appreciate that these bulbs should cost more than halogen or other types, but the costs i'm encountering are outlandish. in the mean time, we are still driving the car with the problem. headlights work for five to 10 minutes, and then one, and now, sometimes the other headlight will shut down. recently, our daughter arrived back from a brief trip complaining that the headlights were very dim. i found out that neither headlight was working - the only lights on the front of the car were the fog lamps. we now do not drive this car at night, and wonder how we will fix this problem. *tr

2004 toyota prius. consumer states acceleration problems *tgw when the consumer attempted to stop at a red light, the vehicle continued to accelerate. the consumer swerved into the next lane to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of her. the motor revved and the vehicle began to fishtail. then the motor returned to normal and the vehicle stopped. the consumer called the dealership to make an appointment, but was told the vehicle was not a part of the recall and the diagnostic testing would not be covered by toyota. the dealer was unable to find anything wrong with the vehicle. *jb

Major problem with the vehicle's headlights. they intermittently turn themselves off without any warning. tried replacing them per the manual instructions but the installed lamps are different than the manual, so replacing them is not an option. i consider this a major safety defect. these lamps are supposed to last the life of the car. any headlamp that stops working without warning is a safety issue. i have never heard of this happening before with any car. you can make the light come back on by turning all the lights off and then on again. this defect is going to cause a major accident and folks are going to get hurt or worse. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while attempting to stop the vehicle, the brakes would not engage and the contact crashed into a vehicle ahead of her. the vehicle sustained extensive front end damage but she was able to drive the vehicle to her residence. the vehicle was not diagnosed and she had not contacted the dealer or manufacturer for repairs. the failure and current mileages were 32,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving at approximately 55 mph the contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle surged forward. the vehicle would not stop until repeated pressure was applied to the brakes. the contact called the manufacturer who stated that the issue was not a big deal. the failure and current mileages were 102,595.

Driving home at night on the 405 freeway at approx. 65mph, suddenly all the dash warning lights illuminated, including the mil symbol, along with a warning symbol on the navigation screen. i pulled off the freeway and parked at the curb. after checking the owners manual, i slowly drove the rest of the way home on surface streets. the next morning (monday) i drove my car to miller toyota in culver city. the primary diagnosis was failure of the inverter coolant pump, which was replaced under the terms of my toyota platinum extended warranty. however, upon further research, i discovered that toyota had issued a technical service bulletin (tsb) covering this very part, on january 26, 2007, indicating that they were aware of this failure-prone part, and that an "improved" replacement assembly was now available to address the issue. in addition, replacement would be covered under their 5-year/60,000 mile toyota powertrain warranty. approximately one month later, on may 15, 2010, while driving my father's 2004 prius to have new tires installed, the same sequence of events occurred. i immediately drove the vehicle to the nearest dealer, santa monica toyota, where it was diagnosed with the same failure code, p0a93 (inverter cooling system performance). although the vehicle had only 34,242 miles on it, it was not covered under the powertrain warranty, as the time limit of 60 months had expired. no amount of discussion with the dealer or toyota's customer experience center could convince them that this part should be considered part of the hybrid system, and as such be covered under their 7-year/100,000 hybrid warranty (despite it being named the hybrid inverter coolant pump). on-line prius-related chat rooms are full of identical situations involving this part. clearly, toyota knows this part is prone to premature failure, but continues to treat it as a "secret warranty" item in order to avoid having to issue a formal recall. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving at approximately 20 mph, the floor mat became stuck inside the accelerator pad. the vehicle accelerated and the contact pressed a button to turn off the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. the failure occurred two times after recall repair was performed for recall 09v388000 (vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal). the failure mileage was 56,767. the current mileage was 71,734.

My 2004 toyota prius has left me stranded for 15 minute periods of time while parked on my street. all the dashboard lights come on as well as the following red warning "caution - transmission "p" lock mechanism is abnormal. park in a flat place and apply brake." i was parked on a mild incline and i always use my parking brake. this however makes me suspicious of whether the parking brake is hardy enough to work when parked on the crown of a street parking space. i applied and re-applied my parking brake without success. i open and closed the hood without success. i open and closed my door without success. i placed all my passenger seat items on the floor without success. i held the ignition button without success. i placed my key fob into the ignition without success. and when trying to remove my key fob so i could go call a tow truck, the entire dashboard housing for the ignition key came loose and dis-articulated in my hand. i just carefully pushed the plastic housing back into the dashboard.... however, that was depressing to see. finally, after all the tinkering for 15 minutes, my car finally turned off. i was then able to turn it back on and drive away without a problem. in retrospect, this has happened on at least 4 occasions since december 24, 2009 and i just assumed that during the bout with my injured leg that i was not adequately placing enough force on the parking brake..... but should this happen so easily?? i have seen many other similar complaints online. i would like to know if this is part of the whole safety issues with cars not being able to stop while running. thanks. *tr

The headlights on our 2004 prius (80,000 miles) have gone on and off intermittently over the past few years. however, it was not until saturday night while we were on the freeway when both lights went out simultaneously. we were told by the dealer that this happens quite often and the a new bulb would fix the problem. at $800.00 to replace a defective part, i think this is excessive and unnecessary. *tr

I have a 2004 toyota prius. i have noticed that when going over a bumpy patch of road, if i brake, sometimes the brake appears to not catch for a brief time (1 second or so). at first i thought it was my imagination, but over the years it has happened often enough that i am convinced the sensation is real. i have recently read about others describing the same experience. i cannot give an approximate date or mileage; this has happened repeatedly over the 6 years i've owned the car. consequently, the date and mileage i am entering is the most recent time when i noticed it. *tr

While driving on city streets (low speed, under 30 mph), i attempted to brake. at first there was no response from my brakes, then the abs kicked in and stopped my vehicle. road conditions were dry and there was no apparent reason that the abs system should've kicked in. at that time both the abs warning light and the brake light came on and remained on. while sitting at the stop light i attempted to shut off my vehicle and restart it. after doing this both warning lights were still on. i drove very slowly to a safe place to pull my car off the road. each time i attempted to brake the abs system engaged resulting in a jerking braking motion. at that point i looked at my car's manual and followed the instructions to have my car towed to the nearest dealership. the dealership hooked my car up to the diagnosis machine which rebooted my car's computer. once off the diagnosis machine, they were unable to recreate the error and sent me home in my car. no further service was done and i was instructed to bring it back to the dealer if the brakes failed again. *tr

Failure of inverter coolant pump occurred without warning during normal driving conditions. this is apparently a common problem occurring at many different mileage intervals for other owners. immediate significant loss of power and several warning lights illuminated. cruise control and a/c went offline. requires replacement which in this instance was $605.00. *tr

Within the first year of owning my 2004 prius i experienced unintended acceleration. in the old days (i'm 71) if you experienced unintended acceleration you would right off check your gas pedal and floor mats. that kind of problem wasn't all that uncommon when you owned old cars. if you didn't find a problem in the area of the gas pedal you would pull off the side of the road and usually find the throttle spring on the carburetor messed up in some way or something along those lines. well, when it happened on my prius going about 40 mph on a stretch of road not so far from my home i instinctively checked my floor mats and throttle shaft for interference or sticking. no problems found. i got the car stopped - don't remember how (with years of driving experience you instinctively try things until you find something that works). anyhow, after that i went directly to mytoyota dealer where they checked it out but found nothing. the problem never occurred again. now i see this claim that it's not an electronic problem on this drive-by-wire car. i don't believe it. if you think about it, if it happens just one time on my one prius in thousands of miles of driving, that makes an incident of this sort pretty rare, rare enough to where it's unlikely to occur under controlled tests (it would be infinitely easier to find the proverbial needle in a haystack). virtually every microprocessor controlled product i've ever used has required a reset now and then. usually there's no indication of why the product locked up (or whatever). if you use satellite tv, a dss modem, or own a pc i'm sure you've experienced it. why it should be any different with car microprocessors is beyond me. the answer is for the government to require some kind of fail-safe apparatus on every drive-by-wire car in the future (i see toyota is already implementing this concept into their 2011 cars). heck, my life or the life of my children or grandchildren might very well depend on it. *tr

My 2004 prius feels like the brakes lose control when i'm going over a bump. i apply the brake, it catches, then releases momentarily, then grabs. the time of the release feels too long to be safe, and i am never really sure that it will grab eventually. this problem has continued since i bought it, and toyota assures me it's not a problem. *tr

My multi function display has failed on me for the past three years. this is a very common problem for toyota prius owners. this means i have had no navigation, air condition/heating, radio/cd and more due to this defective device. there is no physical damage to the screen, and these screens seem to fail only a few years after manufactured. it appears to be the same exact solder joint breaking in every single case too from what i have read online. i can't justify buying a brand new screen, especially since i have spent so much on this one to begin with. *tr

I was driving my 2004 toyota prius with my wife and infant during the evening last summer, and out of the blue three red indicator lights came on as well as a buzzer, and my brakes stopped working. the pedal was able to be pushed all the way down to the floor. pumping did nothing. since it was late there were no other cars around, so we were able to coast to a stop using the emergency brake. i got out of the car and checked for any damage underneath the vehicle, and found nothing. over the next hour while waiting for the tow truck, we tried restarting the vehicle several times, and the brakes were just gone. we finally got towed and got a loaner car. the next morning after the toyota dealer had a chance to look at the car, they notified me that they found nothing wrong with the car. they did a couple hours of diagnostics on my dime and reset the fault codes. there was no air in the brakes, fluid levels were just fine, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with anything. apparently the brakes fixed themselves in the parking lot over night. this has made me fearful since that day that it could happen to me again at anytime, perhaps during rush hour next time. i've contacted toyota and the dealership since then, and the only solution they have to give me is to have my brake system checked regularly. this doesn't seem like a normal thing to happen at all, and i would feel guilty even selling this car to someone else at this point. i'm not sure what more i can do so i am now reporting to safercar.gov. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately 40 mph when the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a vehicle as she attempted to slow down. the air bags did not deploy and the contact was injured. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

While driving to work this morning in rush hour traffic, my car suddenly accelerated as i was merging to my left. as i was merging i felt the car accelerate and the decrease in pressure against my foot as the pedal depressed on it's own. i was able to regain control of the car after forcefully stepping on the brakes twice, at which time the gas pedal came back up.

S10 appropriate handling re toyota vehicles recall, owner of a 2004 toyota prius experienced sudden unintended acceleration. *tgw the consumer stated as he was driving, he approached a slower moving vehicle, but when he attempted to apply the brake, the vehicle instead accelerated. as he hit the brake harder, the vehicle accelerated even more. the consumer had to avoid an accident by crossing over the double yellow line into oncoming traffic. the consumer managed to avoid an accident and quickly moved back over to the correct side of the road. the consumer stated the gas pedal was not stuck as toyota is claiming there is a quick fix and placing the blame on the accelerator pedal. prior to the incident, the consumer stated as he was waiting in a line, with his foot firmly on the brake, the engine seemed to suddenly rev up and the vehicle lurched forward but did not move due to his foot being firmly on the brake. the consumer also stated on several occasions when he hit the brake the radio and air condition would come on. the dealer claimed there was nothing wrong and that the consumer must have hit the radio and climate control buttons on the steering wheel. the consumer believed that the braking system influences the electronics or computer and causes the acceleration of the vehicle. *jb

Recently, i performed a routine flush of the brake fluid on my toyota prius. when i started the prius after completing the brake fluid flush, there were warning lights showing on the dashboard for the brakes, the traction control system, and the anti-lock brake system. this didn't surprise me that the car detected an abnormality during the brake bleeding operation. what did surprise me is that the prius computer instructed the front brakes to become non-operational the trouble code in the prius computer automatically disabled the front brakes because the computer was confused by the varying pressures present in the brake lines during a routine brake fluid flush. i drove to a repair shop with only the rear brakes operational. at the repair shop, a technician cleared the trouble codes for the brake system stored in the electronic control module of the prius. the brakes were then completely operational. i find it unconscionable that the car could decide on it's own to disable the brakes, even when the brakes were otherwise fully functional. please require toyota to program their control modules to allow the brakes to function when trouble codes are activated.

High intensity discharge (hid) headlights "wink" off & on randomly, which causes a serious safety/visibility problem in the dark. i understand you opened an investigation on this issue a while ago but then closed it without a finding of a safety defect. please reopen it again. there is a continuously growing body of reports of this issue with the toyota prius. go to www.priuschat.com and search for the hid headlight thread to see what i mean. many owners have had to pay $500 to $1000 out of pocket to toyota dealers to fix this problem. in some cases, the problem has recurred a few months later. please ask toyota to issue a safety recall of prius models affected by this issue. i hope you can get toyota to do this before someone dies because of this problem. otherwise, you will have a situation similar to the "unintended acceleration" problem which has killed a number of people. thanks for your help!

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while the contact was driving 12 mph she was hit by another vehicle damaging the brake line which caused the contacts vehicle to contunially move after the crash. in order to stop the vehicle the contact had to engage the emergency brake. the contact called the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was difficult to stop due to the damaged brake line. the failure and current mileages were not available.

Last fall the left headlight was noticed to be out on my 2004 toyota prius by a neighbor when i came home one night in november, 2009. made an appointment to get it fixed at my toyota dealer, but then it came on the next day. when i canceled the appointment with the dealer they mentioned to watch it, since the headlights were known to go on and off. we left within the next couple of days for a vacation drive from md to nc. headlight stayed on until we were in nc. went to a toyota dealer and was told it would be $900 to replace the headlight since the computer behind the light had to be replaced as well. at that outrageous price - for just one headlight - we did not get it fixed. the headlight then stayed on most of the rest of the trip, but periodically goes off. this is a safety issue and it should certainly not cost almost a thousand dollars to fix a headlight. *tr

I was entering a major highway from a parking lot when the engine suddenly accelerated at full speed. visibility was good. there was a small pothole so i did touch the accelerator. next i was in the middle of the highway & hit by a car going 65mph. i do not think i hit the accelerator rather than the brake although that was the only explanation at the time. *tr

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). my 2004 prius almost killed us in 2004. it accelerated so fast, that i had to go in the median. we could not sow it down or stop it, there was a bridge ahead, so i managed to get back on the highway shoulder and take it out of gear and slow it down. since then has blamed eveyrthing on me, i fell asleep,etc. i did not know until know that it was the car that caused it. we could have been killed! she insisted we get rid of the car, i sold it to carmax in las vegas,where we lived. [xxx] *tr

I was turning my 2004 prius into a parking garage at between 2-5 miles an hour, applied the brakes as i was going in over a small lip/bump in the pavement, and the car accelerated on it's own. i was lucky enough to swerve and reapply the brakes in time to avoid hitting an oncoming exiting car. it was very scary and i almost hit the other driver. i have never had this happen before. there has been a couple similar incidences where i was braking while coming up to a stop, hit a bump or pothole in the road and the brakes felt like they stopped working for a split second and then seemed to have resumed. it is a strange sensation when you are expecting a stop. the car has always been serviced at a toyota dealership every 5,000 miles since it was new and will be due again in about 2 weeks. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. he experienced sudden acceleration twice on january 16, 2008 and march 6, 2008. while he was driving at approximately 30 mph the vehicle suddenly accelerated up to 100 mph. he continuously applied pressure to the brake pedal until he was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the vehicle accelerated, because the floor mat was trapped under the gas pedal. the dealer replaced and secured the floor mat. the manufacturer was contacted. the manufacturer stated there were no related recalls. he has not experienced the failure again. the failure mileage was 42,154 miles and the current mileage was 61,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while merging onto the highway at approximately 50 mph the accelerator pedal became stuck. the vehicle accelerated to 80 mph before the pedal released.the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. no repairs had been made. the failure occurred once. the failure mileage was 65000. the current mileage was 71000.

My 2004 toyota prius has hid headlights and they have become almost completely fogged over in spite of my best efforts to clean them. the problem seems to be the inside of the lamp, which can't be cleaned. toyota wants $355 per headlight to replace the part + labor. this has become a safety issue and none of my other cars has had this problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius hybrid. while driving approximately 60 mph, the check engine warning light, and an unknown warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the dealer was notified and advised the vehicle was safe to drive; unless the temperature, brake or oil warning lights illuminated. the vehicle began to lose power and the anti-lock brake system warning light illuminated. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the highway. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the failures were related to the inverter water pump and the skid control electronic control unit (ecu). the inverter water pump was replaced. the failure occurred a second time. the vehicle was repaired for the malfunction. the failure and current mileages were 61,000.

2004 prius on several occasions, while braking, there was no initial response to the application of the brake. i thought it was because i had not pressed the pedal firmly enough, but given the publicity about braking hesitation, i wonder if these were vehicle problems. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving in clear, normal road conditions at speeds of 50 mph, the contact attempted to accelerate into the flow of traffic. she then applied the brake pedal, however the vehicle did not decrease in speed. the brakes would not engage and the rear of the vehicle spun out of control or fish tailed. the contact could not maintain control of the vehicle and crashed into a guard rail and a nearby tree. the vehicle was destroyed. the vin was not available at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were 100,000. updated evoq. 05/27/10

Multifunction touch screen display (mfd) malfunction disables the windshield defogger. one must wipe the windshield by hand. if the windshield fogs while driving on a narrow and winding road or busy highway, the driver and passengers are at high risk. there is a website that shows what the problem is and how to fix it (http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mfd/). a multi-pin connector has a faulty pin. the soldering cracks over time resulting in a loose connection. toyota does not provide an affordable solution. they offer to remove the two computer units from behind the mfd and replace them for approximately $3,000, rather than simply re-soldering the connector pin. i cannot afford to repair this, and toyota has not offered any viable solutions. this affects all early type 2 priuses. *tr

I have a 2004 prius. the shift lever began to stick in the select gear position instead of going back to the neutral position. when this happened, the park button would not work, causing the car to move forward if the brake was released. i called toyota and complained twice. the gear select lever needs to be modified so it doesn't stick and the software changed to allow the park function to work when the car is stopped regardless of the position of the gear select lever. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately 25 mph on a gravel road. pressure was applied to the brake pedal and there was no power response. the vehicle failed to slow down and crashed into another vehicle. the opposing vehicles driver, and passengers sustained moderate injuries. the police was called to the scene. the brake system failure occurred intermittently prior to the crash. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for an estimate of the body damages. currently, the vehicle was being repaired at an auto body shop. the cause of failure has not been determined at this time. the failure mileage was 186,000.

The headlights on my 2004 prius intermittently go off. it is corrected by turning the switch off, then back on. *tr

I have a serious problem with my hid headlights not working and has caused me to not be able to drive the vehicle at night. the problem is that either the right or left headlight will stop working. if you stop and turn the headlights off & on the lights will function again. i live in a small town and have been stopped by the police 3 times. toyota wants over $2000 to change the hid computer and bulbs which i simply cannot afford. i searched the web and see hundreds of similar complaints. i believe that toyota needs to recall the prius for the headlight problem. *tr

Headlights, one or both, turn off without warning and the only way to get them to come back on is to turn them off and then back on. *tr

Returning from work approx 1700 driving my 2004 toyota prius in the greater washington d.c. metro area. it was the first day of federal government office openings since the blizzard of 2010 had started. my residence is approximately 1.5 miles from a major primary road (va hwy 7 in loudoun county). the road is secondary state road vadot owned and maintained dirt (packed gravel) road for approximately 1.25 miles, proceeding into our my development the road is paved asphalt fro the remaining .25 miles. on the secondary road the conditions of the road was packed snow with small runs of loose snow. the road is very winding with slight inclines and declines throughout. every time my car would break traction i would lose power leaving me with no correction capability to maintain control over the vehicle. i almost ran into embankments and over the soft shoulder several times despite slowing down to a crawl. once entering into the neighborhood the car seemed to stable out until i began driving on an uphill portion of the road. this is a stepper hill than on the secondary road. when my tires broke traction all power from the car was lost leaving me in an uncontrolled situation of sliding around on the road eventually into the soft shoulder of a downhill cliff. i was attempted to start moving forward get myself away from the shoulder and the car would not move or put any sort of power to the wheels. i was terrified and stuck. i made several attempts finding new lines (paths) finally reaching the top of the hill (my driveway) due to the removal of car power. this has continued to happen un suspecting throughout the month on the unpaved roads placing me in danger. i am scared to drive it in any winter condition. it appears this is well documented on consumer affairs website and i have no way to correct this except sell my car. *tr

We own a 2004 toyota prius. on 02/18/2010 it lost power on the road, major malfunction lights came on, among others, and had to be towed to the toyota dealer in carlsbad, ca. after diagnosing the problem, they said the computer had failed and needed to be replaced. when the computer was replaced it started transmitting new problem codes, namely, poa94, poa78, po279, and po555, which meant that the transaxle had failed, and computer codes show that the inverter could fail also. total repair cost: $5,594.00 so far. if the inverter fails, it would be a total of $9,843.00 to repair. i don't see who would pay this exorbitant amount, let alone being able to afford it. the same incident occurred on 09/15/2008. the prius had lost power and we took it in to the dealer. they performed a diagnostics test, test drove the vehicle on the freeway for 9 miles, it ran o.k. and no computer trouble codes were found at the time. this sounds like it was a prelude to the vehicle failure were are experiencing today, and we are suspecting it has to do with the electronic system. as it stands now, the prius is sitting at the toyota dealer. they had removed the new computer in light of the fact that the entire vehicle is totaled. in short, the prius was fine one day and totaled the next. they told me that this doesn't happen very often. please let us know what we can do to resolve this problem. thank you. *tr

On 23 jan 2010, while driving i-85n in the south carolina mountains the car stalled at 70mph. an audible alert sounded, the car jerked and three warning lights went off. i coasted the car to the shoulder and shut the car down. i restarted the car -- the warning lights cleared -- and continued driving. about 30 minutes later, still in the mountains, the same things occurred (stall while driving 70mph on the interstate.) when i restarted the car a yellow "!" warning remained on. i continued the trip to virginia with no further problems. the warning light went out. on 5 feb 2010, while driving on i-95s in the south carolina mountains the car stalled, warning lights and audible alarm sounded. upon restart the "!" stayed on. this happened two more times; once on i-95 and once on i-20. the last two times the red triangle warning light stayed on also. on 6 feb 2010, i took the car to toyota center in columbia sc. the service manager told me the water pump needed to be replaced ($384) because air got into the system. i asked if that was why i could hear "sloshing" from the engine when driving; he said yes. i explained that i was confused since the coolant recovery tank never went below the low line. his response was that air in the system was a known problem for the prius and that i should keep the coolant level higher than marked. also that driving in the south carolina mountains -- both the heat of the engine and the angle of ascent and descent -- is probably what triggered the problem. prior to both trips, the car was checked by a mechanic. fluid levels were clear and adequate. i am now in the flatlands of texas, and i can once again hear the sloshing sound coming from my engine. beyond the expense i am concerned that the engine is completely stalling. if this were to occur in rush hour in a crowded city i'm not sure the car would be safely navigable to the shoulder. *tr

2004 toyota prius with brake problems. consumer states that when applying the brakes the vehicle skids out of control. *kb

2004 prius: after driving at 10mph on gravel road with potholes and then turning on to smooth paved road engine speed and speedometer started to vary wildly with speedometer going up to 45mph down and back up again for a 5 minute period while driving on the paved road at about 30mph. this continued but car itself did not accelerate abnormally despite change in engine speed and wild speedometer. *tr

Regarding my 2004 toyota prius: the 'multi-information display, i.e., computer display, does not function frequently, at which time a message saying the air conditioner is disconnected. simultaneously, when this message appears, the radio instantly turns off. when this occurs access to the computer is impossible, controls of the air conditioner system are unavailable except through those on the steering wheel which continue to function. the computer function later randomly is restored for brief to long periods but remains subject to random failure again. this failure has existed for years. dealerships refused to take responsibility for repair or replacement of the equipment. this defect is a major distraction to safe operation of the vehicle. for example, during computer shutdown periods, it is impossible to alter air conditioner fan speed during freezing ambient weather. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately 25 mph on a road covered with three inches of snow. the vehicle began began to skid. the skid control warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. the traction control system activated and caused the engine to become inoperative. the failure occurred during activation of the traction control system. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. the technician stated that was a manufacturer design. the failure mileage was 1,000.

I have a 2004 toyota prius. on october 19, 2009, the car accelerated by itself to 65 mph. i was able to press on the brake, slow down the car and pull to the side of the road. i had the car tolled to the local dealership and they said they could not "duplicate the problem." they told me to take the floor mat out. in the meantime, they charged me $1400 to replace a water pump and perform other maintenance services. the recent acceleration recall by toyota does not include my car although i had the acceleration problem with this car. when i called the company to inquire the reason for this, they told me that this model was made in japan with a different part manufacture, thus it is not under the acceleration recall, just the floor mat recall. *tr

This is an update to the complaint i filed on 2008/10/14, odi 10253642 about prius hid headlight failure. since that incident i have had the driver and passenger side bulbs replaced four times and swapped left-for-right for diagnosis twice. even with those new bulbs, which my dublin, ca, toyota dealer swears are the newer, "good" bulbs, the headlights always have failed again within one to four weeks. actually, those are the intervals at which i have *noticed* the failures, but i'm sure the bulbs failed sooner than that, because sometimes it's hard to tell while driving, and the lights always relight when switched off and on. there would have been even more replacements and failures, but i have delayed taking the car in for repair until i could drive into the dealership while the light was out, as proof that it has failed. it's obvious to me and every other prius owner that the bulbs are either not the problem or at least not the only problem--the electronic control module undoubtedly also or instead is faulty. toyota corporate continues to refuse to acknowledge the severity, persistence, and breadth of the problem. yesterday the dealer repeated the left-for-right swap because "toyota corporate demands that diagnostic procedure." but the dealer admitted that no more information will be gained than was gained the last time they swapped left for right, when the light worked there at the dealer, but failed on me subsequently (the same-side headlight with the swapped bulb). they are simply avoiding the expense and liability of replacing the control computer. *tr

Twice while driving my 2004 toyota prius, i encountered a small slick patch on the roadway surface, felt my front tires slip momentarily, then grab, the warning lights came on lighting up the dash. it said i shouldn't drive it. i took the car to the dealer. the first time they said it was the small battery and replaced it for the third time. the second time, they said it was the computer and replaced that. *tr

I have a 2004 toyota prius. i find that when applying the brakes on a road surface with bumps, there appears to be a lag before the brakes engage. this is especially noticeable when driving down a hill. the brakes do not hesitate to engage on level road surfaces. i always attributed this to the abs system engaging, but after the recent recall of the 2010 prius for a similar complaint, i felt it was important to at least advise of this situation. *tr

Driver-side hid headlight turns itself off at brief intervals. turning headlight switch off and on restores it, without fail. situation remained stable for over a year, nov. 2008 to jan. 2010. light turns out whether vehicle is moving or stationary. replacing lamp did not fix the problem -- in fact, new bulb turns off more than once a minute, while old bulb turned off about every 10 minutes. *tr

When the car is cold, the gear shifter won't stay in forward or reverse without being held down manually. it goes into neutral. *tr

I have a 2004 toyota prius and the headlights go off without warning and this happens a lot. if i turn the switch to off and then back on the lights will work again but sometimes they go off again after a few minutes. this is very dangerous. *tr

The fuel tank can not be filled up without spilling large amount of gas, which is a great fire hazard. it seems that the fuel tank gets too much air inside when filling up and the air pushes the gas gashing out. *tr

Odd braking behavior in 2004 toyota prius. when car is in its first few minutes of operation after sitting overnight, this odd behavior occurs: the first or second time i apply the brakes, they grab as though the pedal has been pressed very hard. the car lurches to a stop. i release the brake pedal to go forward again, applying pressure to the accelerator pedal. then i apply pressure to the brake pedal and the grabbing happens again. usually by the third braking action the 'grabby' behavior stops. this has not happened at high speeds, presumably because the car gets it 'out of its system' by the time it is warmed up. i used to be a mechanic and this is definitely something i have never felt before, such as condensation on the disc rotors. this has been happening since the car wa new in 2004. i worked around it. but now with the news about braking problems on new priuses, i thought i should report it. *tr

I have a 2004 prius which i bought used about a year ago and when i read the line that i cut and pasted right from your news release, i couldn't believe it because it describes exactly what has happened to me numerous times. "allegations of momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump," but this problem which has happened repeatedly (usually on the same pothole on the same street) has never caused me to loose control of the car for more than a split second. so until i read this passage i thought i might just be imagining this problem. if it happened for even more than a split second i could see how it would cause me to lose control and possibly get in an accident. but that hasn't happened yet. *tr

Repeated braking at slow speeds resulted in both abs and brake on signals, owner's manual says stop driving and contact dealer immediately. drove slowly to dealer who ran diagnostics.($98)told to replace computer ($2000) not in stock. told ok to drive until replacement. adjusted something. warning lights operated as expected. situation recurred twice. owner's manual indicated knowledge of possible failure. also "parking brake abnormal status has appeared twice. no explanation in manual *tw

My hid headlamp for my 2004 prius is nearly impossible to change on my own and it costs $600 (!?) to change at the dealer. how is a $600 repair for a minor thing like a headlight not illegal from an auto safety standpoint? do you know if there is a class action lawsuit about this issue?

2004 toyota prius with computer problem. started getting an error message that air conditioner wasn't working. then the computer would not give the gas mileage. then the temp wouldn't show. then couldn't use the radio (it would come one but you couldn't see what the station was), now it is all blank. it does not work at all. then it works for 5 minutes about once a quarter. can't control air/heat, radio, can't see mileage, can't see the temp. took it to dealer and they said that it would cost hundreds of dollars to diagnose it. read on toyota board online that this is common problem that toyota does not stand behind. i have owned toyotas since 1980s and have 5 now (kids, work, adults). i am satisfied with all but the 2004. i have a 2005 prius also but no problems (so far). *tr

When going over uneven pavement, or hitting debris or driving over a pothole, when pressing on the brakes, the pedal goes to the floor, with no braking power. this has happened ever since we got the car, many times. the dealer told us it was the anti-skidding system and that there was nothing to be done. *cn

2004 toyota prius cost $449 (includes labor) to replace passenger side head light. *tr

I have a 2004 toyota prius that experiences braking problems when traveling over bumpy surfaces, railroad tracks, potholes, etc. i can feel the car lose braking power and the car seems to skip/ lunge forward and then suddenly seize to a stop. for years i just thought it was an issue with anti-lock brakes in general but now that i've heard descriptions of the problem identified with the '10 models, i know that's what my car does. i've learned to anticipate and compensate when approaching road surfaces where this occurs and so i brake in advance to avoid danger.

Hid headlamps repeatedly flicker, then go out. switching off lights and switching back on brings them back on for an intermittent period of time, then they go out again. i have had to replace both front headlamps at considerable expense. the most recent cost $436 for the lamp alone and $137 in labor. *tr

Problem with anti-lock brakes not working when hitting rough surfaces such as potholes. *tr

I complained about a year ago to toyota about my car losing braking on the ice. i drive a 2004 toyota prius. i read they are recalling the 2010 model and i believe the problem goes much further back and needs to be investigated. *tr

May 29, 2006 - i was pulling into a school parking space when the prius accelerated on its own, and although i hit the brakes, the engine started to roar, and the car jumped a concrete parking lot curb, went into a drainage swale, and stopped only when it hit an iron fence around the school where i worked. i took it to toyota to be fixed. told them what happened. they put it down as "car jumped curb." i wrote to toyota on october 11, 2009, describing the incident and enclosing documentation for the repairs. they said they were sorry about the incident "however, as we were not provided the opportunity to inspect your vehicle at the time of the incident, we have no way of addressing your specific claim and are unable to offer further assistance to you in this matter." toyota wanted me to have them inspect my car for a problem that they didn't know existed. *tr

Tl*the contact owns 2004 toyota prius. while driving downhill out of her driveway, she depressed the brake pedal and the brakes would not engage. the vehicle proceeded to crash into a nearby tree at unknown speeds and continued to push the tree further into the street. the contact's foot remained on the brake pedal; however, the vehicle would not stop. there were no injuries. the police arrived and a report was filed. the police observed skid and brake marks in the driveway, confirming she was attempting to brake at the time of the crash. no repairs were made to date. the contact was unaware if the vehicle was under recall at the time. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 50,000.

My 2004 prius has the same braking problem that has been reported for the 2010 prius, that is, when i am slowing down and hit a bump or hole, there is a momentary acceleration. i reported this to toyota in 2004 and regional toyota rep came out and looked at the car and said it was normal. so...this problem is not limited to 2010 prius. *tr

The brakes suddenly seize when attempting to slow at times after going through a puddle or when the road is wet from rain. this poses a risk as i fear that if another car were close behind i could get rear-ended as the car rapidly slows as if one were slamming on the brakes. the brakes "let go" after taking my foot off the brake pedal, but this occurs unpredictably, except that it happens on wet roads. *tr

I have a 2004 toyota prius with hid headlights. a few months ago i was driving at night and the headlights cut off completely. it was 11:30pm on a foggy, drizzly night, and suddenly i was driving 70 mph in pitch darkness. i was able to get them to come back on and drive home slowly. i took the car to the toyota dealer, where they replaced the headlights for $990. a few weeks later the same thing happened, headlights cut out at night. i took the car back to the dealer, where they kept it for several days. they then returned the car, assuring me that the problem was solved. since that time the driver's side headlight has gone out several times.

On the 2004 toyota prius when driving from a stop across a rough road or pot holes the anti-lock brakes/anti-skid system engages and makes the car skid on wet surfaces. in winter on icy roads the (proper - non-pumping) application of the brakes on moderately icy or wet road surfaces causes the brakes to lock up and the car skids uncontrollably. the later occurred today while the second issue has been going on since i purchased the prius but i never thought that it might be a defect. *tr

My 2004 toyota prius does have an acceleration issue. just wanted to bring to notice that the acceleration issue does not only effect the 2010 model. when ever traveling around 40 mph and you brake -- there is a sudden acceleration for lest than 30 seconds -- this is very much intermittent. this started happening in dec 15th 2008. the car always stop with no other issues. i have learned to be cautious and slow down well ahead. *tr

Twice my toyota prius has "surged" unexpectedly. i was coasting into a parking space both times, so was able to stomp on the brake and stop the car. when the first recall was issued i knew it wasn't the floor mat. mine was the original one and was firmly attached. it did not move and "entrap" the pedal and i did not have my foot on the gas when the surges happened. i did not bother to report it at the time, as i am an older female and have been treated like an idiot at the dealership when i spoke with the service people. the car has been fine in every other way. i believe this is a throttle or computer/electronic problem and i believe that they know it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while at a complete stop, the rpms suddenly increased and the vehicle attempted to move forward while the contact's foot was on the brake pedal. the dealer was contacted and he was awaiting a response. no repairs were made to date. the failure and current mileages were 103,690.

Driving approx 35 mph. applied brakes lightly to slow before a sharp right turn. brakes "froze" and required extreme pressure to slow and then stop the car before reaching an intersection approx. 100 feet beyond the curve. the car stalled and lost power during this maneuver, which was accompanied by very strong smell of burning rubber and multiple warning lights. upon restarting the car, it felt as if the brakes had seized such that it was difficult to proceed through the intersection to a safe place to pull over. i then turned the car off and on repeatedly until the warning lights extinguished and normal operation resumed. my local shop (not a toyota dealer) said there was a code for communication failure with the brake system but no indication of damage to the brakes or wheels. this was the first instance for this problem, which has not occurred subsequently. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota pruis . the contact stated that while driving he attempted to slow down by applying the brake, but the vehicle accelerated on its own . the dealer was contacted and they advised the contact to bring the vehicle in to have it diagnosed. the dealer stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle and they could not duplicate the failure. the contact believes that there is something wrong with the braking system. there have been no repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle is at the dealer. the contact does not want to pick the vehicle up due to the safety risk. the failure and current mileage was 52000. updated 03/04/10 *bf updated 07/23/10*jb

Less than normal wear and tear; only have 32k miles on my 2004 prius. the passenger side headlight blinks off or doesn't light in the first place every time i drive it. nothing done to repair it since this particular component isn't not under warranty that i'm aware of. *tr

I own a 2004 toyota prius. just last week the touch screen that controls the heating / air conditioning, the radio, the current mpg information and condition of the ni-metal hydride battery and the gas engine interconnections, began to fail. sometimes it works for a while, then it stops for some time then it might or might start working again before i get where i am going. it is extremely intermittent in its correct operation. i have read on the internet that many other 2004 and early 2005 prius owners have encountered this problem, but that toyota is refusing to issue a recall. the new part is very expensive (~$4,000). refurbished parts are not readily available for the prius, i suppose because it is a relative new model to toyota. i wanted to report this to you, in the hopes that you might have some way of letting toyotal know that one more owner is having this problem. i did not know if you can force a manufacturer to issue a recall when a certain number of owners complain, or if this is only the case where safety is involved. *tr regards, dale w. howard

Hid headlights on 2004 toyota prius go out intermittently while driving without any warning. turning switch on/off will turn them back on. both have gone out creating extremely dangerous situation.*cw

This is a serious defect! lights can go out at anytime. we currently do not drive this car at night. this has been an ongoing problem for seven months. multiple intermittent headlight failures leading up to headlight replacements for passenger and driverside. the passenger side failed first (01/2009) and on average would fail 1-2 times per week. driver side failed for the first time this month (01/2010) and has only failed one time to date 01/16/2010. now one year later the passenger side has stated to fail again. all failures are similar in nature in that they will come back on typically after the car has been turned off for a period of time. however on occasion they may come back on by themselves. my brother and i have replaced the passenger side (2 hour process) and am in the process of purchasing two new bulbs from a local auto parts store. $150 ea vs toyota $325 ea and does not include installation labor. the average guy should not attempt this bulb replacement it is difficult. i still have the factory original bulb that we replaced. d2r 35w hid my platinum ext warranty ($1400 from dealer) does not cover light bulbs. *tr

Both 2004 toyota prius hid headlights go out, it began with the drivers then passengers going out individually, and by turning them off then on again would bring the lights back on for several minutes, now both go out and do not come back on even after cycling them. toyota says its a replacement issue not a defect. seems to me that all the chatter online and toyotas indifference is coming to a head. i shouldn't have to pay to replace these defective lights. *tr

Headlights on my 2004 toyota prius go off while driving. they come back on when i notice and turn them off and on again. this is a safety hazard. *tr

Hid headlight on 2004 toyota prius is intermittent. goes off at random times when selected on. comes back on by switching headlights off and back on. headlight went off 7 times in a 30 mile trip. *tr

The passenger side headlight on my 2004 toyota prius went out at about 83k miles. it was an intermittent outage, and could be reset by turning headlights on and off. this is dangerous at night! toyota wanted to change both headlights and ballasts for a total cost of $1086. headlights are safety-related and i see that this problem is commonly complained about online. toyota national ofc. offered to reimburse me 1/2 after i fronted the total money to the local dealer repair shop. *tr

I purchased a 2004 toyota prius new in june of 2004. in the last month i have had 3 incidents where the brakes failed while driving. suddenly the brakes go to the floor, the car loses power and the warning lights go on. the last incident also included a high pitched tone which persisted until the car was shut off. the first incident happened on nov.19, 2009. i was driving at a low rate of speed and noticed a slight hiccup in the engine while turning a corner, then about 500 ft. later, the warning lights went on and the brakes went to the floor. i shut off the engine, then turned it back on and drove slowly to the side of the road with the warning lights on and called my dealer, who told me to have it towed in. they had the car for 3 days, and replaced the abs ecu with actuator, the actuator assembly and brake for a total repair bill of $3383.69. on december 22, 2009 the same sequence of events occurred in the morning. i was able to drive the car home at a low rate of speed with the warning lights on, then took it to the dealer, who could not find the problem and told me to bring the car back next week. later that day, the car experienced the same brake failure while driving at a low rate of speed. i had the car towed to the dealer. they now tell me they cannot find the problem and the car is not displaying the warning lights at this time. they plan to keep the car for a week or so to see if they can duplicate the problem. i have a 50 mile round trip commute to work on the freeways of southern ca. if the car dies on the freeway in rush hour traffic an accident would likely ensue. the dealer has treated me very well through this, but i am concerned that they are unable to get information from toyota to diagnose this problem. you have one other complaint for my model year with this same problem. surely there are others, as i have seen similar postings on the web. toyota must know about this defect, which i will bet is a programming error. *tr

2004 toyota prius headlight problem - this is clearly a huge safety issue. when driving, my headlight (both) shut off intermittently. sometimes, one. sometimes the other. sometimes both. no incident yet but surely this is a major safety issue. i came very close to an auto accident on 1/3/2010 due to this issue! i called the dealer to have the headlights replaced and they are wanting $870 dollars to replace the bulbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! $375 per bulb and $60 per headlight for service!!!!!!!! *tr

Intermittent failures of right side high intensity discharge (hid) headlight after 15 to 20 minutes of use. headlight simply shuts off without warning, and without any indication on the instrument panel. replacement/repair costs at toyota dealer were $998. after many months of complaint, to include pointing out the usa today article on this subject, toyota usa authorized repair at half price. toyota usa then reimbursed us via check for our total cost citing a "supplier problem." *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving between 40-45 mph the gasoline motor would fail, and then cause the vehicle to stall without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer twice. the battery was replaced first, and then the fuel system was flushed. the second repair corrected the problem, but the problem of the vehicle locking in park was not addressed. the current mileage was 32,100. the failure mileage was 31,999. updated 01/12/10 *bf all of the alarm lights on the dashboard had illuminated when accelerating. when the consumer stopped the vehicle and switched to park, he was unable to shift the vehicle into neutral. after about 15 minutes, the consumer was able to shift to neutral. the instrumental panel did not display a clear explanation that the internal combustion engine was not starting and that the vehicle was running on the battery only. updated 01/15/10.*jb

Both hid headlights failed repeatedly on my vehicle. it took several attempts to restart the lights by turning them off and on. *tr

2004 toyota prius - headlights go out intermittently for no apparent reason - need to turn headlights off and back on in order to have the headlight come back on. at first, this only happened in the left headlight, lately the right headlight has been having the problem, luckily it has never happened to both headlights at the same time. would be particularly dangerous if this happened on a dark country road! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. when he applied pressure on the brake pedal at 50 mph in the dark, the vehicle would not stop. the anti-lock brake system activated, but the vehicle did not stop. consequently the vehicle crashed into a tree. the vehicle was completely destroyed. he sustained injuries. the failure mileage was 62000. the vehicle identification number was unavailable.

About 40% of the time, my toyota prius doesn't want to stop or slow down when the brakes are applied. under these conditions, i have to apply the brakes hard and then the car will slow down. it feels like the car wants to "run away" when the brakes are applied. it exhibits this behavior in many circumstances: stopping at a stop light, slowing down on an expressway, or slowing down on a city street. *tr updated 11/23/09 *bf the check engine light illuminated. the passenger front window switch wasn't opening or closing the window unless the master switch was used. the throttle body had to be cleaned. the fan belt and brake light switch were replaced. updated 11/24/09 updated 01/06/10 *bf updated 01/07/10.*jb

Driving on bay bridge, sf, ca at 10:00 am going 50 mph. the following lights showed on dash, care lost all baking ability. brake light, abs light, exclamation light, and whining sound. had to use emergency brake to stop car and have it towed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while entering an interstate highway during traffic, the vehicle accelerated without intention. she shifted the vehicle into neutral and coasted to the side of the road. the vehicle was then taken to the dealer for inspection. a technician concluded that the floor-mat was the cause of the failure. however when the failure occurred she noticed that the floor-mat did not interfere with the accelerator pedal. the failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 80,000.

The information screen on '04 and '05 toyota priuses fails. toyota has known about this for some time (their technical service bulletin el 005-02). not only is it no longer possible to fully control the sound system and the heating/cooling controls, but the nav system no longer operates. and most important from a safety point of view, the warning that sounds and shows when a door is opened and the transmission is still engaged (something easy to do in a prius) no longer operates. nor does a message show when the system detects something wrong with the engine management system. nor does the low fuel message show. i have two friends with early 2004 priuses and both of them have had the same problem. the cost of a fix for this defective part is over $800! *tr

I wrote this agency a few months ago regarding my 2004 toyota prius and the problems i was having with headlights alternating on/off. turning the light switch on/off would turn it back on. three or four months ago both lights started going out at the same time. turning the light switch on/off intermittently 5-9 times makes them turn back on. so far i have had this happen to me 3 times within the last week traveling 40-55 miles an hour. i have just read that you guys stopped your investigation. how many accidents or deaths do you need before anything is done about this. when headlights burn out they don't come back on. this is obviously an electrical or computer glitch that toyota has to be aware of. in all my years of driving, i have never had an experience as that of everything going dark and just having to hit the brakes. luckily when it happened last night the car behind us saw our brake lights and came to a safe stop. they flashed their headlights not knowing why our car was stopped in the middle of the road. i request a reply to this complaint since no one contacted me on my prior complaint. thank you. *tr

My daughter owns a 2004 toyota prius with hid headlights. the lights fail one at atime or both at the same time. they come back on usually by turning the switch off and then back on, except when she was driving at night in the fog, and they did not come back on. she had to park and spend the night beside the road, until daylight to continue driving home. she has contacted toyota about the problem and has found out that the bulbs cost $350 a piece and requires extensive dismantling of the car to install them. this meaning that a $1000 dollar expense for replacing the bulbs, not knowing if there is a deeper seated problem with the power supply to the headlights. i was just wondering if their has been anything done about a recall? *tr

Failure of dashboard multi-display, along with all its functions, including nav, climate, radio, fault notifications. and bluetooth phone operation. on the latter, the phone will connect, but not operate, making this a safety issue. there is a tsb on this issue. display was replaced by dealer under extended warranty. replacement took about 4 weeks to arrive. dealer said toyota was switching to a "out-of-warranty exchange" policy for this repair, meaning that the owner would have to put up with a big hole in the dashboard with loose connectors while the unit was being repaired. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving approximately 65 mph the head-lights failed. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the vehicle has not been repaired at this time. the failure mileage was 170,000. the current mileage was 185,000. the vehicle identification number was unavailable.

Headlamps turn off intermittently. *tr

I have a 2004 toyota prius, and my left headlight has turned pink. it is now continuously pink. i was told by my dealership that it would cost $400 to replace the headlamp because it is a xenon headlight. my understanding is that xenon headlights should last longer than mine did. *tr

Intermittent headlight failure on my 2004 toyota prius, with just over 70,000 miles. this is truly dangerous--someone is going to get killed because of this. the problem seems to be widespread--why has there not been a recall? does someone have to get killed first? *tr

Headlights turn off spontaneously, must be restarted by turning switch on and off. *tr

After several years of use, the headlights, most often the right, but sometimes also the left, spontaneously turn off. this happens about every 15 minutes while driving at night. we have to turn off the lights and turn them back on to get them to light again. this sometimes does not work, and we are stuck for a some time on the freeway without headlights. people on forums say it will likely cost $1000 - $1800 to repair, which we cannot afford. *tr

Both headlights turn off intermittently and twice both have gone out at the same time while driving. there was no warning. to replace one headlight, toyota of melbourne told me it would be over $600 (labor not included). (bulb and harness) *tr

Hid lights fail in my 2004 prius and have for several years now - intermittently with no warning. at times, both lights fail at the same time, leaving me on a dark road unexpectedly. i have one replaced at the dealer, only to have it fail again. this is clearly a safety issue. hundreds of these have been reported. *tr

2004 toyota prius. driving at 70 mph on i-57 north. while driving the gasoline engine stopped functioning, triggering several warning lights. i pulled the car off to the side of the highway and managed to exit the highway on battery power. there was a recall in 2005 for a similar condition. my prius had the recall work performed in october 2005 for the software problem. the toyota dealer is unable to find any reason for the problem and can not replicate the engine failure. as a result, they will not perform any further investigation or maintenance on the vehicle for this problem. i have a case pending with toyota customer care, but do not expect any further assistance from them. i am also being charged labor for the dealer to inspect the vehicle. there was no fire or property damage, but if i had not been in the right hand lane, i very well could have been in a serious accident. suddenly loosing power at highway speeds is unacceptable. if they are unable to remedy the situation, i will be returning the vehicle to them. *tr

Headlamp goes out intermittently. *tr

Driver side headlight goes out intermittently. sometimes turning the car off and back on solves it. now, the passenger side headlight is out. last night, the passenger side was out, so i switched to high beams. that turned off both headlights! i was on a long, dark winding road, under trees, so had no ambient light. the headlight connection has been fixed twice by the dealer. *tr

Left headlight of my toyota prius 2004 will turn off with no apparent cause, you can turn off the lights and immediately turn on and it will come back on again, this action is dangerous specially driving at night since you?ll have to briefly drive without the lights on. this issue has a non-harmonic frequency but it just keeps repeating, sometimes on a trip for 10 miles it can go off up to 5 times and some other times on the same trip it will not go off. by now the failure hasn't?t been corrected since dealer will charge over $1500 to fix it, which i don't agree to pay since this is their failure. *tr

2004 toyota prius. both hid headlights will occasionally turn off like the bulb burns out, but if you turn off the headlights and turn them back on it turns on again. mostly right headlight, but occassionally the left will do this. not a loose connection. acts like a relay is tripping on overtemperature or overcurrent and resetting itself after the headlights are turned off. this has been occurring in my car since i purchased it in march 2007. took it to repairman, but it was going to cost over $2000 to replace a circuit board and headlight assembly. i don't have that money and from what i've read on prius owners websites this is a common issue. *tr

Passenger side headlight flickers very dimly. i just noticed it today, on my mother's prius. did some research, and was amazed at the cost to have the dealer fix this. if it was just the cost of the bulb itself, i could swallow the rather large $130 price (at kragen) and do it myself, but the notes here, and on many other sites indicate that bulb replace sometimes fixes the problem (for a short period of time), and at other times, it does nothing. i would hate to throw $130 down the toilet. the primary issue though, is that the headlight goes dim/out intermittently, without warning or pattern, and there is no way to reliably get it re-lit. i don't feel save asking my 69 year old mother to turn the headlights on and off if it's dark out side (and if it's not dark, how would you know it was working or not). i agree, it does sound like a defect as many many people are having the issue, but more importantly, a serious safety issue. how long must we want before some action is taken by the nhtsa? *tr

Left headlight will turn off with no apparent cause. you can turn off the lights and immediately turn on and it will come back on again. there doesn't appear to be anything that triggers. dangerous when driving at night since you have to briefly drive without the lights on .. to turn off and back on again. when spoke to dealer about replacing was quoted $600... "because we have to remove the front bumper to get to the headlight" (toyota design flaw?) but the bulb itself costs $400!! this first started occurring in january 2008 and we "lived with it" for a year before spending the $558.15 that it cost to replace the one bulb in february 2009. we were prompted to do so especially since our daughter was learning to drive and we could not allow her to have to deal with this safety issue. the light is working properly now, but i am not convinced that it won't happen again ...if the bulb was the problem you wouldn't think turning it off and then immediately back on would fix it temporarily. when i spoke to toyota to complain about the cost and apparent defect they gave me no indication that this was a reported problem. she made it seem like i was the only case.. deceitful i think. after searching online i discovered on my own that this was a known problem that many others had. *tr

2004 toyota prius has had headlight replacements five (5) times on the passenger side and now has the same problem on the driver side. 2006 toyota prius has had both sides replaced. both cars suffer from intermittent operation which can be temporarily recovered by turning the headlight switch off then back on. all toyota wants to do is replace bulbs when the bulb obviously is not the problem. i am sure they are being disingenuous with customers in an attempt to postpone the inevitable. it is way past time for a recall - please! *tr

Right front headlamp operating intermittently. dealer repair quote was over $500. online advice suggested that toyota should/would repair at no cost. initially dealer service manager wanted owner to pay labor, over $300, and dealer would supply part. owner stated that since this was a safety and defect matter, toyota should pay full cost. after 24 hours, dealer agreed to replace headlamp at no cost. both headlamps were replaced at no cost to owner. owner is 30 year customer of this dealership. service manager stated that toyota will probably post a recall notice on this matter. *tr

I am having the same problem described here: the multi-function display (mfd) failed. (cross reference nhtsa complaint #10173892). this is a known design defect (cross reference analysis on web: http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mfd/compare.html and http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mfd/). toyota issued a technical service bulletin (either el-002-04 or el-002-05 - conflicting info on this) on jan 10, 2005. when the mfd fails, one cannot control the amount of airflow to the windshield (defroster). this presented me with visibility problems during the morning commute. as such, i consider it a safety issue. toyota has been aware of this for 3 years, given the date of their tsb. the root cause appears to be an undersized solder pad on one of the electronic cards of the mfd. this results in a cracking of the solder joint. because my problem was intermittent, coming and going on a frequent basis, i presume it was a micro crack. this does not help when the windshield is fogging over. all of the various error messages that were displayed on the mfd were consistent with the information on the above referenced web url's. the problem is with the release f of the electronic card assembly and was corrected with release g. there are pictorial comparisons between the two releases on one of the web url's. given that this has an impact on visibility during the winter months, i am shocked that toyota chose to sit on this problem. the supplier of this part to toyota is fujitsu. *tr

The headlights on my 2004 prius keep going on and off. toyota will not cover these under warranty and change $875 to replace 1 bulb. *tr

Head lights on a 2004 prius going out and being able to turn the lights back on by just turning the system off and then turn it back on again. just like a computer, if something is wrong, shut down and start over. this happens almost every time i drive the car now, the consequences are not being able to see at night and during the day safety is diminished without the headlights. the headlamps were replaced but did not repair the problem. the old parts are not available. *tr

Failure of inverter/converter coolant pump. hybrid vehicle has 2nd coolant loop for high voltage inverter/converter. failure of inverter/converter coolant pump allows inverter coolant temperature to rise well above nominal. at a certain trigger point hybrid control ecu sets a trouble code that immediately disengages operation of inverter/converter (and simultaneously disengages cruise control and a/c, which runs of alternating current produced by inverter). immediate impact is a sudden loss of vehicle drive power as inverter/converter supplies to electricity to motor generator 2 (mg2) which is directly connected to drive wheels and supplies needed motive force to maintain highway speeds (ice alone is insufficient). also inverter/converter coolant loop provides cooling for mg2 & mg1. continued operation of vehicle with failed inverter/converter coolant pump could result in catastrophic failure of main electric drive mg2 and subsequent loss of motive power. pump failure occurs without warning, although there may be a brief period of intermittent pump operation/non-operation prior to final failure. the failure seems to be the result of either a defective inverter/converter pump ass'y or one insufficiently engineered to withstand continuous operation in such a critical component. pump failure occurred after approximately 160,000 miles, although has been known to occur in other instances as early as 32,000 miles. sudden loss of power and disengagement of cruise control at interstate highway speeds could cause driver to lose control or to be unable to safely steer to a safe breakdown lane. *tr

This happened to me and cost over $700 to fix: failure of inverter/converter coolant pump. hybrid vehicle has 2nd coolant loop for high voltage inverter/converter. failure of inverter/converter coolant pump allows inverter coolant temperature to rise well above nominal. at a certain trigger point hybrid control ecu sets a trouble code that immediately disengages operation of inverter/converter (and simultaneously disengages cruise control and a/c, which runs of alternating current produced by inverter). immediate impact is a sudden loss of vehicle drive power as inverter/converter supplies to electricity to motor generator 2 (mg2) which is directly connected to drive wheels and supplies needed motive force to maintain highway speeds (ice alone is insufficient). also inverter/converter coolant loop provides cooling for mg2 & mg1. continued operation of vehicle with failed inverter/converter coolant pump could result in catastrophic failure of main electric drive mg2 and subsequent loss of motive power. pump failure occurs without warning, although there may be a brief period of intermittent pump operation/non-operation prior to final failure. the failure seems to be the result of either a defective inverter/converter pump ass'y or one insufficiently engineered to withstand continuous operation in such a critical component. pump failure occurred after approximately 160,000 miles, although has been known to occur in other instances as early as 32,000 miles. sudden loss of power and disengagement of cruise control at interstate highway speeds could cause driver to lose control or to be unable to safely steer to a safe breakdown lane. *tr

Either of the headlights will randomly turn off while driving. when i quickly turn off the headlights and turn them back on, they work again for a while. the problem seems random and intermittent. it happens to both the driver's side and the passenger's side headlight. *tr

I was appalled to find that it cost over $500.00 to replace the passenger side headlight and was told to expect that the driver's side light would likely need to be replace in the near future. *tr

2004 toyota pruis hid headlight intermittently goes out while driving. turning lights off and then back on brings the light back on for a while. there have been three instances during the past 3 months where both headlights have gone out, resulting in total loss of light during the night. exceedingly dangerous! this has been an ongoing problem for the past 6 months but i only recently found out about being able to report it to this site. *tr

Hid right headlight goes out randomly. if i turn headlights off and on again, it relights, but then goes out again between 15 minutes and 3 hours. has been happening for over a year on my 2004 toyota prius.*tr

On my 2004 toyota prius, the lights go out randomly. of course, at night. i took it to two toyota dealerships, and the first couldn't replicate the problem. the second dealership said the fix for one light would be an astonishing $850 because it's a defective electronic controller. since my lights worked intermittently or after being turned on and off...and after searching the internet and discovering this defect is common. i'm thinking lights cutting out while driving, is quite dangerous, and it's a potential hazard for both drivers and pedestrians. many prius owners believe this is a product defect in need of a recall from toyota before someone gets hurt. *tr

Driver's front seat frame failed upon rear impact. car was stopped, impact was at approximately 25mph. the seat back portion was twisted towards the driver's door while the seat bottom portion remained facing forward. no airbags deployed. car was totaled. *tr

Both head lamps go for no apparent reason. by turning off lights and relighting they come back on, but then after a short period of time they go out again. the bulbs are not burned out the hid electrical system is defective. *tr

I own 2004 toyota prius i had problem with headlights in 2006 i replaced $400 and the died again recently i had very dangerous situation driving on fast road they gone i turned them off and they came on again for 10 min and gone again. *tr

Contacted toyota in february 2009 with the following complaint/description: recently my driver side headlight had been blinking off intermittently while driving. i then would have to turn the lights off and back on to get the light to come back on. last night (feb. 15th, 2009), i was taking my daughter back to college and both headlights unexpectedly turned off while driving on a very dark stretch of highway. needless to say, this was very unnerving. i tried to quickly turn off lights and then back on. they came back on on after a few tries, but then they did the same thing to me on my return back to home. this was a 6 hour round trip on a sunday. i did not have any recourse but to try to make it home. i feel this is an extreme safety issue and took it to the dealership monday. the dealership ran some tests and said it was the hid bulbs and not the computer ($375/bulb!!!!!). i then visited a prius chat site that another customer told me about as we were waiting for our vehicles. apparently this problem is very widespread. i am now forced to only be able to drive my prius during the day because i never expected a $900 price tag to change out the bulbs on the headlights, and i am unable to pay that cost right now. also, i live off of hwy 78 in saint clair county which is a very curvy, hilly rural road with very little light. if the lights had spontaneously blinked off on me on this road when either i or one of my teenagers were driving the vehicle, it could have had a far different result. will it take a death or injury to initiate a recall on the headlights? to replace bulbs on 2004 prius, you must remove the front bumper and have a special tool to remove back of headlight assembly. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving between 65-70 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled and shut off completely. the electronics of the vehicle were still operating, but the vehicle itself could not be restarted. the vehicle then shifted itself into park. the hazard lights in the vehicle began running off the auxiliary battery, which is a low power battery. in addition, the hazard lights turned off. the contact called toyota, but they were unable to assist. the vehicle was towed to a dealer. the battery was jumped and the vehicle was restarted. a diagnostic was performed and the vehicle ran normally for six weeks before the failure recurred. the vehicle was towed to a local dealer again and they stated that there was smoke coming from the fuse box, which meant a fuse was blown. after replacing the fuse box, the vehicle performed normally. the technicians were unable to find any other failures with the vehicle; however, the contact does not want to drive it due to fear of the failure recurring. the vehicle has been repaired, but is still at the dealer. the failure mileage was 46,000 and current mileage was 47,500.

I have a 2004 toyota prius that has the driver's side headlight going off and on while driving. i understand it is a hid light and i also understand that many many prius owners of different years are having problems with these bulbs. the bulbs and installation seem to run from $300 up. this is something toyota should be fixing, recalling if necessary. not only is this a danger to the prius owners but to others on the road and many times the owner does not know that is it out. and replacing is at a very high expense to the owners and the problems seem to reoccur with the same owners. i need to replace mine but want to know what is being done about this before i spend the hundreds of dollars to replace it. *tr

Headlights will go out intermittently. either side will fail. if you turn the light switch to "off" and then back "on" the lights will come back on. no particular amount of on time or bumps in road cause the failure. bulbs are hid type. dealer wants over $630 to replace bulbs. non dealer mechanic advised that it may be something other than the bulb, possibly the hid controller. dealer is the only source and very expensive. this is a major safety issue, these are the headlights. this failure now happens every time the car is driven with the headlights on, varies from 5 minutes to an hour after the car is started. this has been going on for about 3 months. i have seen on line that other prius owners are experiencing the exact same problem. no solutions have been presented. *tr

I own a toyota prius 2004 and the headlights go on/off whenever they feel like it. when they go off if you turn the switch they go back on. are there any other complaints on this issue? *tr

2004 prius headlight on passenger side started flickering about 400 miles ago and has now stopped working. will cost $500 to replace. this is ridiculous. i understand that this is an ongoing issue with the prius, regardless of the year. i have read on the internet in chatrooms of several people with this issue. is anything being done to resolve? *tr

My hid headlights go out at random intervals, if i turn them off and back on the headlight may remain on for days, weeks or months without doing the above procedure again. sometimes it the left light other times its the right light, so far it has not happen to both lights at the same time. *tr

Hid headlights intermittently go out. turning the headlights on and off recycles the lights for a few minutes. *tr

The hid headlights on a toyota pruis (2004). the headlights flicker on and off periodically, changing what headlight goes out and sometimes both for no apparent reason. i can turn one or both back one by turning on and off the high beams (which both work no matter what) or by turning on and off the headlights. this has occurred on our mountain road, in which both headlights went off, without even hitting a bump. it is dangerous, i have been pulled over numerous times for a headlight out and when i took it into the dealer, they reported it as a $393/each replacement of a bulb that i have learned will go out again in 20,000-40,000 miles. *tr

My 2004 toyota prius has hid headlamps. the drivers side lamp will extinguish, usually after a few minutes. if i turn the lights off and then back on the headlights come back on only to go out again after a few more minutes. the right side headlight works ok. *tr

Multi-function monitor display intermittent blank out. no display for multi-function display unit. it occurs very often since january 2008. *tr

High intensity discharge headlights intermittently going out. no rhyme or reason as to when the outage occurs but turning the circuit off and back on again will re-illuminate the hid headlight...but for how long?? *tr

The digital dashboard which includes the speedometer, odometer/tripmeter, shift indicator and fuel gauge goes blank. this creates a safety hazard especially during night or poor weather driving, and when shifting. my local toyota service department manager acknowledged that toyota knows this is a common problem, but refused to fix it at no cost. the service manager also told me that he must impound my car until the new part is installed. he said that federal law required this as the new odometer must be set at the distributor before being shipped to the service department. this would cost approximately $800.00. luckily for me the display came on during troubleshooting and i refused further service at that time. now, a month or so later, the display shut off again and i am only driving the car during daylight hours. *tr

Both headlights on my wife's 2004 toyota prius started going on and off. first the driver's side went out and came back on, eventually both of them went out and we were driving at night in the mountains. this seems to be a common problem with prius owners after researching the issue. toyota repair cost have been estimated around $1000. *tr

Hid headlights turnoff on the 2004 prius. first episode started last summer. cost $600 dollars to replace one of the headlights. it has been approximately 7 months and the other head light is starting to turn off. this issue is dangerous and needs to be fixed before someone gets hurt. *tr

Beginning at about 60,000 miles one of the headlights on my 2004 toyota prius began to fail intermittently. switching the lights off and on seemed to temporarily fix the problem. now at 100k miles both headlights are failing, leaving me driving in the dark until i turn the light knob on and off several times. the lights are now failing every time i drive at night and several times per trip. *tr

While normal conditions i have experienced a major brake malfunction, both the abs and the brake lights come on. the vehicle barely has brakes, this has happened multiple times since i have bought the vehicle 2 years ago. i have taken my vehicle 6 times to have to it fixed, and they have never been able to fix it. brakes repeatedly fail on a regular bases. they have replaced the brake accumulator, brake computer, reset the brake piston calpaltors, and the relay that control the brakes, and the 12 volt battery. none of these repairs have worked. brakes still fail regularly. complaint lodge with toyota customer satisfaction center. *tr

The hid headlight on my 2004 toyota prius has not been working right on the passenger side for a while. it was going off from time to time. but, now it appears not to be working at all. i took the car to the auto shop and was told that this is a common problem with many prius cars and that it will cost $457.99 to replace the unit. this appears to be an ongoing issue/defect with many prius cars, which needs to be addressed asap since this is a huge safety issue. there should be a recall on toyota prius headlights since there seems to be a great deal of complaints on this issue which involves the safety of the consumers. thank you very much for your immediate attention to this matter. *tr

For the last 30,000 miles on my 2004 toyota prius, left hid headlight keeps going off. however, when i switch headlights off and back on, it would go on, and stay on, for couple minutes, sometimes hours. after that it goes off again. at toyota dealership they told me that computer with the headlight assembly must be replaced. it would cost me around $400. my car is still under warranty, but they said it does not cover it, even though at the day of the purchase of my car, i bought "bumper-to-bumper" additional warranty. why the headlights are not covered remains a mystery. research that i did on the issue, showed that many people are having the same problem with their toyotas and have no choice but spend hundreds of dollars on something that looks like a defect in the headlight assembly. i think toyota should make a recall for this particular part. *tr

Drivers headlight continuously goes out. i can replace bulbs and it may last 1 week. i can turn my headlights off and back on then it will start working but no more than 1/2 a mile. this is definitely a safety hazard with going down the road and flipping your headlights on and off to get them to work. took to dealer he told me that most prius was having this problem but it would cost around 500 to get it fixed. after researching i found a message board with 35 pages address the same complaint with the headlights. not having both headlights operational is a safety problem that needs to be addressed with the root cause ascertained and repaired by the manufacturer. *tr

Random headlight failure. when fog lights are not on total failure of headlights has occurred. right, left or both headlights will go out with no correlation to weather, speed, temperature, location of lamp or time of day. quickly turning the light switch off then on will reilluminate both lamps. the lamps may go out again, stay lit, the same lamp will go out or the previously lit lamp may fail and the previously failed lamp may light. there is a reduced interval between failures . lightbulb replacement has been suggested but this has not solved the problem for similar complaints. *tr

Driver-side hid headlamp in 2004 toyota prius was noticed to be very, very, dim (effectively off) around 2008/10/14. turning headlamps off and on restored brightness. but the problem recurred at unpredictable times--frequently enough to be a serious safety problem. frequently the driver can't tell while driving, whether one headlamp is off, and obviously it's unsafe to fix it by turning it off and on while driving. toyota dealer replaced driver-side headlamp on 2008/10/15, for $600! on 12/15 the driver noticed the same headlamp again was misbehaving in exactly the same way, and the problem has recurred since then at apparently random times. priuschat.com's many posters about this problem make it unlikely that just the bulb is the problem. probably the ballast. but toyota won't comment. i do still have the original bulb, and the box from the new bulb. lisa at toyota corporate customer experience center replied around 2008/10/18 that toyota would reimburse half of the $600. but as of 2009/1/3 no reimbursement has been gotten. i called toyota corporate again on 2008/12/16 and damian said he must forward my new complaint about the repeated failure to lisa, and that she was "required" to respond in one business day. she has not responded as of 2009/1/3. there are many complaints about exactly this problem on priuschat.com at http://priuschat.com/forums/care-maintenance-troubleshooting/34584-headlight-problem-26.html. *tr

The multi-function display (mfd) failed. (cross reference nhtsa complaint #10173892). this is a known design defect (cross reference analysis on web: http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mfd/compare.html and http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mfd/). toyota issued a technical service bulletin (either el-002-04 or el-002-05 - conflicting info on this) on jan 10, 2005. when the mfd fails, one cannot control the amount of airflow to the windshield (defroster). this presented me with visibility problems during the morning commute. as such, i consider it a safety issue. toyota has been aware of this for 3 years, given the date of their tsb. the root cause appears to be an undersized solder pad on one of the electronic cards of the mfd. this results in a cracking of the solder joint. because my problem was intermittent, coming and going on a frequent basis, i presume it was a micro crack. this does not help when the windshield is fogging over. all of the various error messages that were displayed on the mfd were consistent with the information on the above referenced web url's. the problem is with the release f of the electronic card assembly and was corrected with release g. there are pictorial comparisons between the two releases on one of the web url's. given that this has an impact on visibility during the winter months, i am shocked that toyota chose to sit on this problem. the supplier of this part to toyota is fujitsu. *tr

Right headlight quit working i got a ticket out of the deal and the toyota dealer wants almost $1000 to fix the problem. ridiculous the front bumper has to be removed. many others have had the same problem sounds like a dealer recall to me. *tr

Right headlight intermittent took it to the dealer said i don't have a problem functions perfectly. well i now have a ticket to prove other wise. turn the headlights off it will come on then die. now the light just plain doesn't work. dealer wants $886 to replace. sounds like a dealer recall problem with a majority of prius hid systems. it is also a safety issue. *tr

I own a 2004 toyota prius. i just paid $332.50 to have my 2 headlights' hib bulbs replaced - and that didn't include the parts cost because i provided the hid bulbs from an online auto parts supplier. the symptoms were the same as noted by so many other prius owners: frequent loss of light from the headlight, and recovery by rotating the light switch off then on again...only to have it re-occur a few minutes later. each headlight had its own pattern of inconsistency, but both had the dysfunction. i have received two traffic citations for driving with a headlight out. the dealerships in glen burnie, maryland and in laurel, maryland both quoted me a price for one hid bulb of $351.02 i was able to find the exact bulb online at partsquick.com for a price of $57.27 that's right, the dealership wanted to charge me $293.75 more per bulb. i purchased two online, which - with free shipping - cost me $114.54 for both. do the math...for two light bulbs only (not counting labor) online i saved $587.50 had i not purchased the bulbs online, the total out-of-pocket to replace both headlamp bulbs would have been: $ 702.04 parts ($351.02 x 2) $ 332.50 labor $1,034.54 total the dealership told me they couldn't guarantee that the bulbs were the problem, nor that replacing the bulbs would solve the problem, but that toyota instructs them to replace the bulbs first. this is insane, and certainly unsafe. *tr

Prius 2004 headlight goes out periodically. turns back on only when all lights are shut down and turned on again. *tr

I was quoted $466 just for the price of my bulb for the headlight of my toyota prius. for a non luxury car it so expensive that a lot of people will choose to make due with their flickering one. it is outrageous that toyota did not give a more affordable choice. it is going to be more dangerous out there. *tr

I have a 2004 prius and the front right headlight is working only intermittently. this happens at least three or four times a week; i haven't seen any pattern. i had my dealer check the light and its connections and i was told that the hid light bulb was not working and that it needed to be replaced and that i could only replace them as a pair. the reason being that they are somehow connected to each other and that one failing would lead to the other failing as well. the cost was an outrageous $452 each with labor and that my extended warranty doesn't cover it! *tr

Brake failure, this happened to me today 8/5/08. i purchased this 2004 prius 2 weeks ago(90,000 miles), and i've only had problems up till now. i was driving at about 25 mph, when all of the sudden the abs warning light went off, and the brake light turned on(and a buzzer was heard). i had to depress the break pedal hard in order to get the car to break. it felt just like when a conventional car looses its breaks. thanks god i was only 1 mile from the toyota dealer. i had a scheduled evaporator replacement ($450)scheduled for tomorrow so i decided to leave the car at the dealer (this is what the manual says to do when both warnings go off). *tr

2004 toyota prius automatic transmission control problems. consumer states that transmission control lever became worn. sometimes the vehicle began to the roll with this defect. *kb the consumer stated the internal spring that moves the transmission lever back to the previous position became worn and now it doesn't return to it's normal position when putting it in reverse or drive. the shifter lever was sticking in drive or reverse. *jb

Driver's side high intensity discharge headlamp began switching off about a month ago. last weekend while traveling at night, the headlamp went out about 15 times in 3 hours. each time turning the headlamp switch off and back on temporarily solved the problem. i brought the car to the dealer and they replaced the hid bulb for $355. i had the same problem with the passenger side headlamp six months ago and replacing the bulb has solved the problem (to date). this is a disconcerting issue. i have not received an explanation as to why this occurs as opposed to a normal headlamp just burning out and then being able to replace it for twenty bucks. *tr

Passenger xenon headlight function erratic despite bulb replacement. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. on approximately 10 to 12 occasions, the vehicle would drive roughly and the instrument panel lights would illuminate while driving at various speeds. the vehicle had to be pulled over to the side of the road and turned off. after approximately five minutes, the contact would restart the vehicle, but the instrument panel lights would still be illuminated. the vehicle has been taken to two toyota dealers and the location where the vehicle was purchased, but no one could determine the cause of the failures. the current mileage was 40,000 and failure mileage was 25,000.

Erratic loss of pc use, touch screen, audio deactivated, no picture at all dealer wants $980 to replace with refurbished and $4000 for new. worried about all the other dot troubled listings of total electrical power loss. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving 60 mph, all of the brake warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer. the failure mileage was 42,980.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated that the vehicle has no traction while driving uphill at any speed. the vehicle will not move or go forward. the vehicle has not been inspected. the current mileage is 65,300 and failure mileage was 30,000. updated 04/16/08. *lj the consumer stated when the traction control detects no traction on any drive wheel, the vehicle refuses to give power to the wheels. the vehicle freezes.

Toyota 2004 prius - passenger-side hid headlight went out. dealers want about $650 to fix!!! (includes having to take the bumper off.) the cost is an outrage. i can't afford it. these bulbs have apparently failed on many priuses, so dealers are cashing in. *tr

2004 prius stalled while driving. towed to dealer who found no problem. *tr

Control screen started to work on and off. driver could drive to 5 minutes and the screen would begin to work. after several days of this, the screen stopped working altogether. we can therefore no longer use our heating cooling controls, or our navigation system. we have not repaired this defect yet. *tr

I was driving on the 605 freeway in the carpool lane at approximately 70 miles per hour when without warning, the car suddenly lost power and the check engine and master hybrid warning lights came on. i had to cross four lanes of rush hour traffic to pull to the right side of the freeway as the car lost power. i was barely able to drive the car safely to the right shoulder of the freeway. the car was towed to the dealer since it was not drivable. this was a very dangerous and scary experience. fortunately, a serious accident was narrowly avoided. the dealer attributed the problem to a short. the hybrid vehicle control computer was replaced. the replacement part number is 89981-47270. *tr

While driving (or sitting idling) one (or both) of the headlights will go out. i have verified that the light goes out completely and does not just dim. when only one headlight goes out, turning the headlight switch off then back on will re-ignite the headlight. when both headlights go out, they will not come back on by turning the switch off and on. it takes 4 or 5 attempts at switching off/on before they come back on. i must drive at night time, and this problem causes me to be plunged into darkness suddenly while driving (a very dangerous and frightening experience). the dealer did not know the cause of the problem, but was very willing to sell me 2 headlight bulbs for $790.00 and if that did not fix the problem, come back and buy 2 control units for $950.00. *tr

2004 toyota prius stalling. after speaking w/ the toyota consumer helpline, i've learned that the could put a program in the computer that gives you enough time to pull to the side of the road before you stall. i responded that there isn't always a shoulder to pullover to. i started getting warning lights at 6,500 mi. i now have 36,880 mi. in the beginning, the lights were just a joke or a nuisance when i had to bring it in to the dealer. on nov 11, i stalled along w/ warning lights. you can pull over and shut it off,wait a minute, restart and drive home with warning lights, but they go out when you start up to go to dealer. i brought it to them anyway, but after they looked at the codes i was told it was soft codes and that there was nothing that they could do further. in dec, i got the warning lights, but no stall. i drove to work and back and the lights went out when i started up to go to dealer . feb 25 6:30 pm in the merge lane of the i-10,where there isn't a shoulder and cars are coming 40 to 50 mph into the lane to exit. how i didn't get rear-ended, i can't explain. turned key off, restarted and drove home. lights went out when it came time to drive to dealer sunday night for them to check out mon am. i'm trying a new dealer thursday and i have contacted toyota consumer line for assistance. i not sure how far anyone can fix this issue. the service dept has updated the computer and has given me a new computer, but they don't have an answer when i inform them that this is getting dangerous, now. *tr

On december 25, 2007 when i started my car it locked up with a christmas tree like effect all of the lights came on and i could not shut the car off. all of the gears were engaged according to the display and the car was in slooooow motion forwards. not even a crawling speed. imperceptibly slow forwards. it would not shut off nor would it do anything that would allow me to control the motion of the car except use the brake to hold it in place. i had a scan gauge connected to the obd port and was able to pull the following codes from it: u0293 and p0a1d. i have been told that the first code means lost communication with hv ecu and the second code means hv ecu malfunction. the outdoor air temperature was about 20 degrees fahrenheit. only the use of the scan tool code reset allowed me to power the vehicle off. otherwise i would have had to place the vehicle up against an immovable object to keep it under control. *tr

The multi-function display (mfd) failed. (cross reference nhsta complaint #10173892). this is a known design defect (cross reference analysis on web: http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mfd/compare.html and http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mfd/). toyota issued a technical service bulletin (either el-002-04 or el-002-05 - conflicting info on this) on jan 10, 2005. when the mfd fails, one cannot control the amount of airflow to the windshield (defroster). this presented me with visibility problems during the morning commute. as such, i consider it a safety issue. toyota has been aware of this for 3 years, given the date of their tsb. the root cause appears to be an undersized solder pad on one of the electronic cards of the mfd. this results in a cracking of the solder joint. because my problem was intermittent, coming and going on a frequent basis, i presume it was a micro crack. this does not help when the windshield is fogging over. all of the various error messages that were displayed on the mfd were consistent with the information on the above referenced web url's. the problem is with the release f of the electronic card assembly and was corrected with release g. there are pictorial comparisons between the two releases on one of the web url's. given that this has an impact on visibility during the winter months, i am shocked that toyota chose to sit on this problem. the supplier of this part to toyota is fujitsu. *tr

Driver side hid headlight goes out, but reignites (most of the time) after headlight switch is turned off and then back on. recently, the drivers side light was out (and would not reignites), and the passenger side light went out as well, leaving me without headlights. the passenger side light did reignites after turning the switch off and back on. *tr

Hid headlamps cut out while driving, causing a potentially serious safety issue. *tr

Toyota prius traction control system-if you are going up a hill and you loose traction due to snow and the car stops. you cannot ever go forward,if the tires attempt to spin at any level og gas/electric the rpm goes to zero. the only way to move the car is to back down the hill. need i say more. the dealer agrees and stated toyota never gave us a fix. we have this problem for years. i have talked to other prius owners and they all say the same ,you have to use your other car. which i do. however my wife used the car last week and we had some minor snow and she was on a hill(going up) for 2 hrs before she was able to back down when morning traffic subsided. this is a 2004 prius. this can be a dangerous situation for a person that is uncomfortable in backing down a hill. *tr

Passenger headlight on 2004 toyota prius goes out intermittently. i have noticed this about 8 times. on one occasion i was in a vehicle in front of the prius and the headlight went off after 15 minutes of operation. it came back on after the vehicle was turned off and restarted. i took it to the dealer today, expecting a diagnosis and they put in a new hid bulb ($324.00). i had them save the old bulb because i am doubtful a new bulb will solve what appears to be an electrical short circuit problem. not having both headlights operational is a safety problem that needs to be addressed with the root cause ascertained and repaired by the manufacturer. *tr

With 34,000 miles on my 2004 prius, the glass has developed severe pitting, not only on the windshield, but on their side windows as well. when the sun hits the windshield visibility is greatly reduced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact's computer system failed and he crashed into a tree. none of the air bags deployed. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact cut his forehead and sustained neck and back injuries. a police report is available. the purchase date and speed were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 62,000.

2nd occurrence of toyota prius acceleration. while wife leaving daughters school, car accelerated (pedal off the accelerator!), she jammed on brakes, but was close in provoking an accident on main street. this is the second occurrence. first time, she hit a taxi while stopped in a red light. accident was reported by police (no injuries). first time took car into the dealer (no apparent problems). planning on taking car again to dealer tomorrow.!

2004 prius, 84,00 miles. intermittent headlight failure, both right and left. headlight(s) would go out while driving at night. dealer said it was hid computer and the repair bill is $1140!!!! researching on internet reveals this is a common problem. it is definitely safety relayed and i feel toyota should make the repair at no charge. i'm not excited about replacing the computer not only because of the cost, but can i expect the problem to repeat in a few years? *tr

2004 toyota prius with navigation system problems customer states that now the ac and defroster does not work and the dealership fixed it thank you to the dealership note**nar**cc the consumer stated from time to time the radio would turn off and it would have to be turned back on manually. then the display began to act erratically . the audio off would appear on the screen and the radio was still playing . the climate control became unresponsive and the screen displayed check the connection of the air condition . when the consumer pressed any of the buttons on the display, they would not function or would take seconds to come up and usually only the performance screen or the radio screen would show up. the problem with the air condition and defroster were related to the navigation system the consumer discovered there was a faulty design with the model year. *jb

Auxiliary battery on toyota prius 2001 and toyota prius 2004 fail if the car is not driven at least every 7-10 days. this prevents the car from starting. we purchased a 2001 prius used in march 2004, and a new 2004 prius in june 2004. the auxiliary battery failed on the 2001 prius twice, and we replaced it once. recently the dealer service representative told me the battery held a charge unless driven every 7-10 days, and should be disconnected"if parked for prolonged time." this was potential safety problem for car not starting, such as if returning on plane after 2-3 week vacation and not being able to start the car, risk for vulnerability awaiting jump start. toyota's only response was well, it was a hybrid. they claimed the hundreds of computers in the car drained the battery when parked. they could have designed in some automatic or simple switch to address this. also, they could notify the potential customer of this design flaw. they did not inform us, or any of the other prius owners. we have recently discussed the issue with. the owner's manual for 2001 model made no mention of it. in the 2004 manual there was a brief mention of need to disconnect the battery if parked for"prolonged time, but did not define that. although we have been happy with other features of the prius and other toyotas we owned in the past we considered this to be a serious and risky design flaw. furthermore, we considered toyota's sales people and sales brochures failure to notify us of this problem to be a significant breach of goodwill and respect for customer safety and satisfaction. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. while driving in any type of weather, one headlight would dim followed by the other. however, both headlights could dim simultaneously. the failure occurs intermittently. the vehicle's speed was not a factor. during the failure, all of the other lights were operational. the contact has had the lights repaired due to safety concerns. the current mileage is 90,000 and failure mileage was 70,000.

2004 toyota prius - dashboard design defect. i've been troubled by the extent to which the speedometer display in my 2004 prius dims when i used sun glasses. today i took a moment and rotated the sun glasses in front of the display. my experience taught me that the display emits light. polarized lenses are engineered to minimize transmission of this light. toyota should cease using displays with these misoriented display elements as soon as possible. i have informed toyota. they responded: your email has been documented at our national headquarters under file #200705150093.*ak this seemed 'inadequate' so i'm submitting this to you. it would be pretty expensive to replace all of the poorly designed elements now in service.

Warning triangle, dash lights-brake, abs, came on accompanied by a loud whining sound. the next time i needed to use the brakes i discovered that there was total brake failure - pedal down to the floor with no brakes. i was very fortunate that i was able to roll to a stop. i took the car to auburn toyota (in ca) and they said it was a skid control ecu failure. they replaced it at a total cost of $1868.74. *tr

While driving prius on major highway in dfw metroplex during evening rush hour the warning light came on, then a couple seconds later, entire dash board information screen and all warning lights flashed. car engine continued to run, and would not turn off, but no power was available to steering or brakes. this problem occurred at the apex of a bridge. however, was able to coast the car into the median between the merge ramp of the major highway and the interstate. very dangerous situation if it had occurred before apex of the bridge. )called the dealership, who in turn, called a tow truck. had to basically play with power button, brake, and gear shift to get it into neutral so the car could be loaded onto the tow truck. took dealer three days to diagnose the problem. it was blamed on a short in auxiliary battery. however, it seemed to be working okay. this was the third time occurrence such as this happened to this car, as well as a non-functioning driver information screen, that if the car was hot inside then information screen worked, if no, then the screen stated no connection to air conditioning , which occurred since first time the shut down happened. thought this problem was supposed to be fixed with the software upgrade that they installed after the last occurrence. it appeared that this defect happened every 18,000 miles . now there is 79,000 miles on the car.*ak

With light braking i can stop my 2004 prius without ever illuminating the brake lights. this risks a rear end collision. the lights illuminate after the brake pedal has been depressed a little more than 1/2 inch. the service manager at my dealership claimed that there was no adjustment and would not take the car into the shop. an incident date, as required on this form, is not applicable. this is happening every time i brake. *tr

2004 toyota prius: display screen has stopped working. no screen capability or accessory buttons operate. dealer has ordered a 'crossover' unit, but it has not arrived to date (almost three weeks). new unit costs over $2000. vehicle was not involved in any incident. dealer believes it is a software problem. *jb

Tl*- the contact called regarding the 2004 toyota prius. the contact stated he was traveling up a hill at 10-15 mph with icy road conditions and the anti-skid control engaged and all four wheels on the vehicle locked. the contact pressed the gas pedal. however, the vehicle would not move. the vehicle did not lose power. the contact stated he had to back the vehicle up in order for the wheels to eventually go forward. the contact called the dealer, tested a prius and had the same type failure. the dealer stated that was the normal operation of the vehicle. the failure mileage was 49,000. *ak updated 03/19/07. *jb

1) the vehicle is a 2004 toyota prius, 3 1/2 years old and approx 76k miles on it. it has only been used for carrying passengers. 2) both rear passenger seat belts tore within a week of each other. the right side completely and the left side is approximately 90% torn. the only person to use the rear seats, on a fairly regular basis, is my 14 year old son. two weeks ago he got into the right side and noticed that the belt was completely broken. last week he got into the left side and mentioned that it was also torn. as it is right now, the only seat he can now use is the middle "lap only" belt. in looking at the belts, it appears that the tear is at the place where the belt passes through the plastic shroud covering the retracting mechanism. 3) talked with the toyota service rep yesterday. he told me that he had never seen anything like it before. but,since it was out of warranty it would cost approx $550.00 usd to fix. *nm

Prius stalled when pulling into traffic from a stop light. all lights on the dash board were illuminated including the check engine light. only electric drive systems was operational. i immediately pulled into a parking lot and turned the car off. upon restart, only the check engine light was on. was able to drive to the dealership 2 miles away. stored error code p0a7a was identified - bulletin eg029-05. "false m.i.l. "on" condition. an updated control ecu was installed, covered by warranty. *jb

2004 toyota prius having problems starting.**cc the consumer stated after several tries, the vehicle started, however when he shifted into the drive, the engine raced and the vehicle lurched forward rapidly, even though the accelerator had not been applied. the consumer was unable to stop the vehicle by using the brakes. the vehicle continued forward about 25 feet and crashed into a garage. the consumer received minor scratches to his knee. the consumer also noted that the air bags did not deploy. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle did not start after being parked overnight. there was no response from either the engine or electrical system. the vehicle was jump-started and taken to a service dealer, where the vehicle failed again. the dealer was unable to determine the problem. the manufacturer was notified, who stated that the failure was due to driver error.

Touch screen on 2004 toyota prius is defective and fails to work which leaves me with no heat at times and inability to see if my battery is operating properly, this is an ongoing toyota problem with complaints all over the web by prius owners. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph the vehicle intermittently stalled without warning. this occurred on three occasions. the vehicle was maneuvered off the road and towed to the dealer each time where the problem could not be duplicated.

My 2004 toyota prius electrical display (touch screen) has 'shorted out' with a loud ticking noise through the speakers. it has been in the springfield, va toyota shop twice, and it is continuing to happen. the screen goes dark, and then there is no access to the defroster, gps, etc. they all become non-functional. *jb

2004 toyota prius hesitates when trying to accelerate. instrumental panel light and slip indicator came on, then vehicle resumes full power. *kb ***nar*** *jb

I turned left into driveway of a home- driveway has an incline. i turned off power and two children exited car. one passenger returned within five min and sat in front. i placed foot on brake. brake felt "locked" with no give. i pressed power button with foot on brake, and placed gear in reverse. i let foot off brake to roll slowly out of driveway. when i attempted to brake to slow exit, my foot went all the way to floor--no power. i notice gear was neutral. power would not turn off. car was rolling closer toward a busy four lane street. i noticed the power button light color was red, and the following yellow warning indicators were lit: brake system warning light, malfunction indicator lamp, anti-lock brake system warning light, slip indicator light. i depressed the emergency brake to stop. i told my 14 y/o passenger to exit the car and when she did the master warning light came on while the above lights remained lit. the brake continued to depress to the floor. i again attempted to turn off the power without success. i exited the vehicle with my smart entry key in hand and as expected loud buzzing noise came on. i then contacted toyota roadside assistance. the reference number is 269-568-6678. i called back later to change the reference number to 269-492-2066. i had asked for police assistance for traffic control, but the police did not show. on 9/6 a.m., jim at metro toyota service, kalamazoo, mi called & i described the above to him. at 1530 on 9/6/06, i described my experience to marvin at toyota customer relation. the case number he provided was 200609051137. this is the second like incident with this vehicle. i did not report the first incident to the nhtsa which occurred a few months after i took possession of the then new 2004 toyota prius. no reason was found for the first incident, by the same dealership service. *nm the consumer stated the vehicle accelerated on its own. also, when the consumer applied the brakes, the pedal became soft and went down to the floor. updated

Consumer complaint concerning 2004 prius transmission. *ts the consumer had problems starting in low gear on a hill. the consumer received a notice regarding the intermediate shaft, however when he arrived at the dealership, he was told there were no parts available. the dealer eventually replaced the steering shaft. *jb

I have a 2004 toyota prius i purchased used last feb (06). starting the car does not immediately bring up the dash display. it remains blank, however i can shift into gear. the power steering is off as well. i restart and restart and eventually the dash will pop on. the car is drivable but all the warning lights are not. not at once though. the red triangle with the ! in between is always present but sometimes it is joined by the check engine light or the abs failure light. the toyota dealership is still trying to figure out what's going on. *jb

2004 toyota prius electrical problems. i have been experiencing severe electrical problems with my 2004 toyota prius and they have gotten more severe after the toyota dealer uploaded new code that was supposed to fix a recall. problems include loss of display, loss of control of climate system, radio turns itself off, and occasionally there is loss of power at low speeds which is sometimes fixed by a reboot of the car. after the last loss of power, the car then responded by the gas engine revving very high and not responding to the gas pedal - yet the car was not traveling any faster. *nm

When shifting from park to drive, car sometimes goes into reverse instead. dealer confirmed problem and offered to replace shifting mechanism for $50 deductible on extended warranty. will try to obtain old part. *nm

The prius uses a lever and gate to shift the transmission into gear. on my prius, the lever stuck in the gate position and did not return to the neutral position. i pushed the "park" button and began to exit the car. it rolled forward in gear and i had to jump back in and jam on the brake to avoid injuring someone. this defect is extremely serious. if the selector lever does not return to the neutral position after a gear is selected, the park function is disabled and the vehicle will move forward. *jb

Tail lights on my '04 prius are slowly melting , and as a result, the decorative black plastic inside the assembly is obscuring the brake lights to the point that they are barely visible. i will need to replace these soon; toyota refuses to do it, saying i am out of warranty. *nm

2004 toyota prius air bags failed to deploy in an accident. *kb the consumer's vehicle was t-boned by another vehicle which was traveling at approx. 40 mph. the consumer sustained injuries. a police report was filed at the scene. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph crossing an intersection the contact was t-boned and then hit another vehicle. none of the air bags deployed. the driver sustained various injuries. the vehicle was totaled. there was a police report filed at the scene. updated 06/23/06. *jb also see odino 10164732.

Dt*: the contact stated upon entering a highway at 60 mph, the vehicle accelerated rapidly. brake pressure was applied, but the vehicle did not stop accelerating. each time brake pressure was applied; there was a loud grinding noise. although the cruise control was not engaged, the cruise control was manually activated in an attempt to stop the acceleration. with brake pressure applied, the contact managed to exit the freeway using the exit ramp. when the vehicle slowed, the park button option was pressed and the vehicle stopped. there was no further acceleration or grinding noise. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and is awaiting inspection of the problem. the consumer also stated, when she applied the brakes, the pedal became soft and went to the floor. updated

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35mph, the master warning and check engine light illuminated followed by the vehicle operating at a reduced speed. the vehicle continued operation for about a mile before eventually stalling. the vehicle would not restart, but remained in electric mode. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it is currently awaiting inspection. *ak contact requested to delete the complaint from the system because it was a mistake. *ak

Headlights unexpectedly aim downward in my 2004 prius equipped with the high intensity arc headlights. this causes a serious, dangerous, nighttime driving condition. *jb

2004 prius hybrid abs and other dash lights illuminated . problem was fixed per mechanic, 15 days later lights illuminated. *ts

Dt*: the contact stated when the weather is 10 degrees and below, the instrument panel did not illuminate or provide readings. this is especially difficult in driving conditions because the speed of the vehicle can not be read. the vehicle displayed the same problem several months ago, again in frigid weather of 10 and below. the dealer was notified and replaced the navigation system. after repairs were made, the weather was warmer and the contact was not able to confirm that the problem still existed. the manufacturer was contacted and replied this was a normal characteristic of the vehicle.

Dt*: the contact stated on december 6 2005, a recall remedy was performed for the engine. in january, all the warning lights in the vehicle illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer and the problem with the warning lights was fixed. however, the warning lights defect recurred in both february and march. the dealer was consulted after the second recurrence and was unable to determine the cause of the problem. updated 3/29/2006 - the abs light illuminated in the vehicle . the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for them to fix the problem. each time the vehicle was returned to the consumer the problem recurred. *nm

On three occasions my 2004 prius has started without pushing the "start" button. on 11/19/05 two people had gotten into the back seat and closed the doors. i was standing behind the car. it was at night. as i slammed the hatch back door shut i could see the display panel light up in the dark and hear the car start. when i got in the car i only had to put the car in reverse to pull out. the dealer said this wasn't possible. *nm

When trying to stop abruptly consumer brakes did not respond. *ts *jb

When applying brakes in normal city street traffic at approximately 20 mph, brakes pulsed slowly several times and then failed. brake pedal went to floor, car crashed into rear-end of car ahead. *jb

Dt: the contact stated the tires are shouldering on vehicle. the edges of the tire on the inside and outside are wearing out. the tires were replaced in january 2005 by toyota. now ,in december 2005, the problem recurred. he spoke to toyota, and they said they did not warranty tires, and he should be in contact with goodyear. however, goodyear claimed the problem was with the engineering of the vehicle. *ak

2004 toyota prius engine stalled while driving. ***no answer required*** *ts the consumer requested reimbursement for the towing expense. *sc

Dt: the contact stated the abs failed. the abs and vsc lights flickered while slamming on the brakes and all four tires locked. the lights came on last week when the fuel was low in the vehicle. the abs was still not working. he was taking the vehicle to the dealership today. *ak updated 1/25/2006 - *nm

2004 toyota prius. failure to seal the cabin and under dash areas from open access allowed small rodents to enter the outside air vent leading to the cabin air filter, caused wiring and tubing damages. *ts updated 11/29/2005 -a foul odor could also be smeele inside the vehicle due to the rodents living inside the vehicle. *nm

Toyota prius owned by our agency has had the engine stall problem 3 separate times. *nm

Dt: vehicle stalled /died. and lost power due to throttle failure. *ak

The black plastic material inside the car is getting white splotches on it. if you even put your arm against it or your hand little blotches appear that do not come off. this is occurring on the dash and on the sides of the car. *nm

I own a 2004 toyota prius purchased on march 2nd 2004. approximately 4 months after acquiring my vehicle i was merging onto the interstate when i experienced and ice engine failure. all the warning lights came on and i was able to pull to the shoulder of the road using the electric motor. subsequently i rebooted the car and the engine turned over. the next day i took the prius to a toyota dealership. they had the car for six days and apparently performed diagnostics and performed a software fix. recently, on september 8th 2005 i experienced a 2nd occurrence of the ice engine shutdown. this scenario occurred while pulling up to a red light. again all the warning lights came on and the engine shut down. i rebooted the car and took it to the dealership for service. the toyota dealership completed a tsb eg047-04 for recalibrating the engine ecu. note, i did not receive any prior tsb's from toyota regarding the engine problem. *jb

My toyota prius 2004 vin [xxx] engine suddenly stalled on the freeway. i still can't restart the engine. as of 10/17/05 dealer still can't find the reason. *jb updated 07/18/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Consumers 2004 toyota prius had two battery failures. *ts the first battery failure occurred when the vehicle was started for 5 weeks. the second failure occurred after the vehicle was not started for 14 days. the dealer suggested that the consumer disconnect the battery if the vehicle was not going to be started for 10 days or more. the consumer stated a technical service bulletin had been issued, however the information was never relayed to the consumer. *jb

My wife was coasting into a parking space with her foot on the brake. the engine apparently experienced a power surge causing the car to shoot forward violently going through a fence and over a two foot retaining wall, across a driveway and crashing into another car. whether it was the gas engine or electric drive is not clear. our daughter who was in the front passenger seat observed that my wife's foot was on the brake the whole time. both my wife and daughter received neck injuries requiring treatment. *nm

I have a 2004 toyota prius i was driving on the highway and my gas engine shutdown and all the warning lights on the dash turned on. i had to have my car towed to the nearest dealer for repair. i had asked the manufacture to see if my vehicle had any recall or tsb and they said "no". then if that's the case why am i having the same issue that everyone seems to have with this car? i think toyota does not know what the problem is and does not know hot to fix it. this is a very serious problem lucky i was able to get t the should safely.*jb

Dt: the caller said while driving at 40 mph the vehicle stalled. she was able to get off the road. had to have the vehicle towed to dealer, who did not know yet what the problem was. manufacturer has not been contacted yet.*ak

2004 toyota prius developed problems with stalling.***no answer required***. *mr the first time the consumer experienced a problem with the vehicle, the dealer determined the battery was not holding a charge. the consumer experienced 2 other incidents with the vehicle. *jb

I was driving on the highway at between 40-55 when the engine stalled. i tried to restart it, but it would not start. the car had to be towed. there is a one-week wait on its repair. this happened approx. 240 miles from home. this is the second time this has happened. prius 2004. *nm

Per consumer call with c. rose (odi) on 9/29/05 july 2004: she was backing out of driveway and went from reverse to drive without stepping on brake and started to pull forward and the vehicle stalled/ cut off. could restart all times. july 6, 2004: stopped at a stop light and started to accelerate to about 10-20 mph for about 1 minute when the vehicle went into neutral; gas engine stalled, but she had electric power, but said neutral; thinks stepped on brake and pushed power (starter) button 1-2 times and was able to continue driving the vehicle at full speed. july 13, 2005: happened 2 times - driving on a crowded city street at a max of 30 mph when she noticed that the vehicle would not respond to her stepping on accelerator (panel showed neutral); able to drive vehicle no more than 5-10 mph. pulled over immediately less than 1/2 mile. turned it off and was able to restart right away. drove for another minute and then the same thing happened again so she pulled over, turn off the vehicle, and restarted it right away. did not have any additional problems that day. july 23, 2005: on the freeway going to have the vehicle looked at by dealer. she was accelerating from 45 to 65 mph, when the vehicle lost power. vehicle continued to decrease speed. she immediately pulled over to the side of the road (believes it got down to no more than 20 mph). she stepped on brake and restarted. not sure if the vehicle fully cut off. brought to the dealer and they could not duplicate what happened or figure out what was wrong. dealer called toyota to see if this happened before and they said it did not. dealer did not do any work on it. august 21, 2005: backing out of driveway going from reverse to drive without engaging brake, vehicle stalled/ cut off.

Dt: total breakdown of consumer's wife 2004 prius on september 2, 2005 in san jose, california. the vehicle suddenly lost power while merging into the interstate. a loss of gas engine power with failure of the internal combustion/engine to start, resulted in only electric motor propulsion and breakdown on the highway as the battery quickly went to single pink bar level within a 1/2 mile. multiple mil lamps lit up. began to merge onto the highway from a stop speed of 30 or 40 mph and slowly accelerated into heavy traffic. had to pull off to the breakdown lane of the highway with all of its debris , etc. the dealer completed the repairs at san jose's capitol toyota on 9/2/05. the dealer fixed the car. but the consumer contacted a toyota pries advisor who stated if there was a service bulletin for this characteristic that would prevent the roadway failure then why was it not executed during prior services on 3/9/05, 5/26/05 and 6/09/05. this indicated that the car was reliable after the repairs. the consumer, an accomplished engineer, said toyota knew about software bugs. a software bug did not impair operation until the right combination of environmental factors was reached. all pries had this potential bug that contaminated the electronic control module (echo). *ak *jb

Dt: the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the contact complained about brake problems. the contact stated the pedal hit a stop before locking the wheels to brake. the contact complained about the vehicle to the service dealership and they did check brakes on this vehicle as well as other vehicles of this make and model, but s it was a normal braking procedure with this vehicle. the dealership replaced the brake pads. the contact stated when he pressed the brakes,there was a minimum braking capability in stop and go traffic. the consumer hit a vehicle that was in front of his vehicle because he could not stop it. the contact did not have mechanical knowledge, and did feel this was a problem, even though the dealership stated there was no problem.*ak

Dt: total breakdown of wife's 2004 prius on september 2 in fine weather one in san jose. the vehicle displayed sudden and significant loss of power while merging into the interstate. loss of gas/engine power with failure of the internal combustion with engine to start, resulted in only electric motor propulsion and breakdown on the highway as the battery quickly went to single pink bar level within a 1/2 miles. multiple mil lamps lit up and stayed on. began to merge onto the highway from a stop speed of 30 or 40 mph and slowly accelerated into heavy traffic. she had to pull off to the (ugh) breakdown lane of the highway with all of its debris, etc. the dealer completed the repair, san jose invoice number tocs190787 dtd 9/2/05 applied eg047-04 on car. the dealer repairs seemed to have fixed the car. contacted a toyota prius advisor with three concerns: if there was a service bulletin for this characteristic that would prevent the roadway failure then why was it not executed during prior services 3-9-05, 5-26-05 & 6-09-05 at this same dealer. what led one to believe that the car was not reliable after this repair. the consumer, an accomplished engineer, a knew about software bugs. a software bug did not impair operation until the right combination of environmental factors was reached. the consumer assumed that all prius had this potential bug that contaminated the electronic control unit (ecu). ecu. *ak

3 months ago, all of the check engine lights in my toyota prius 04 came on. i brought it straight to the dealer. they took it for a test drive, but the lights had gone off and they refused to check it, saying it was okay. then, yesterday, all of the lights came on again. i was on the san francisco bay bridge and could not pull over anywhere. then, the accelerator stopped working and the car rolled to a stop. i called 911 and tried to turn off the car. the car would not turn off. the accelerator still wouldn't work and i was stuck in the middle of heavy traffic on the bridge. finally, caltrans used a tow truck to push me off of the bridge. i was then towed to the toyota dealer. the toyota dealer checked the car and discovered that i had a bug in the software control unit. he updated the software and, supposedly, it now works. i asked him if it was the same issue that was reported in the news as a potential recall and he said yes. *jb

Vehicle stalled while driving approximately 25-30mph on surface street with 1/4 tank of gas remaining.

Starting around may,2005, when vehicle was started with the battery indicator not quite at full capacity, lets say seven 'bars', just putting the car in reverse would begin the gradual decline of charge. if driving up a frwy ramp, the indicator would show the charge had dropped into the 'red' zone. at this time the engine would sound like the rpms were about 4,000, a real revving sound. slowly ,with a steady level drive the battery would recharge and look as if it were normal. there was no stalling of engine but i rarely drive as slow as 65 mph! the whole process, happening at least once a day was very nerve wracking...especially in the mohave desert with many 18-wheelers surrounding the car. the first time it happened i immediately called toyota of temecula valley. i was told that this was not good and to bring the car in for diagnosis. when i brought it in, a 'technician' looked at the indicator and said it was ok and not worry about it. i had a difficult time believing that and made an appt. with toyota of el cajon. when their technician used a diagnostic scantool he also said he could not find a problem. i did not believe him or the service $80/hr. guy and said there was either something wrong with their diagnostic tools and/or something wrong with them to think i would go along with their story. i had no idea how right i was until i read about the defect investigation on your website. my prius has not stalled (yet) but it has all the problems leading up to it. the dealership claims, on the work receipt they gave me, to have recalculated the hv ecu with the 40d code and the problem seems to be worse. i will have to go back again to the dealership and fight for my right to a speedy repair. *jb

Nothing special or extraordinary led up to this failure. i was driving to work at about 7:00am. the temperature outside was about 70 degrees and the car is kept in a garage every evening. in the middle of acceleration (i was going about 25mph), the car stalled and the "red triangle of death" came up on the dash, along with several warning lights. the navigation system also provided the word "problem" and a little, red car symbol with an exclamation point in the middle of it when this happened. i was able to drive to an apartment complex under battery power only. i then shut the car off, waited a few seconds, and then started it again. the engine did kick back in after this, but the warning symbol (little, red car) on the navigation system didn't go away. i took the car to my toyota dealership and they said that they had to "recalibrate the engine computer." the car is now running as normal. the car is a 2004 toyota prius. my worry with this is what if this would have happened while driving across kansas, while 80 miles away from anyone to help you? the battery power surely wouldn't be enough to get you to safety. this is a problem inherent in the software of the engine computer and it should be fixed for all owners.

I was transitioning between two freeways in my 2004 toyota prius and had started braking/decelerating for a looming traffic jam up ahead when the gas engine stalled and all dash warning lights came on, along with the nav system screen saying "problem" and a red car icon. my speed could have been anywhere between 70mph and 35mph at the time of the stall. the electric motor was still functional, so i exited the freeway, parked the car, powered it off, then powered it back on. the red triangle of death was still lit on the dash, as well as the engine check light, but the gas engine was now operating normally and was recharging the almost-depleted electric drive battery. i was able to drive home without any further incident. the next day, i took my car into toyota of huntington beach for repair, and they "reprogrammed [the] electronic control module". my symptoms seem related to the pe05029 defect investigation and the nhtsa odi complaints of other prius drivers. this desperately needs to be a recall item because a sudden deceleration to 40mph on a freely moving freeway with other traffic traveling at 75mph could be a very dangerous rear-end collision risk.

Dt: 2004 toyota prius. while driving 55-60 mph vehicle constantly lost power. the engine check light came on. the consumer had difficulty restarting the vehicle. *ak *jb

The car stalled while coming to a stop at a traffic lite. warnings lights on included: vsc,engine warning lite. car restarted and went about 500 ft. going about 35 mph and stalled again. coasted to berm, called dealer, who said it was driveable to dealership. started out on i295, went up to 48 mph and engine stopped. coasted to side of road and was towed to dealer. dealer kept car over a wk, said since battery was dead, chip had no info. they found nothing wrong with the car and returned it to me.

Driving downhill ~50 mph when all warning lights came on. car wouldn't accelerate. gas engine would not start and battery charge was dropping fast. limped ~1 mile home at 25 mph. turned off car, too late to call toyota that night. turned car on and gas engine started right up. all warning lights still on, and main battery nearly drained. slowly drove around on local streets, battery charged. parked and turned off car. later in day, turned on car, all warning lights were off. took it to dealer when we got home. dealer claimed computer had no record of the problem. prior to this event, toyota had upgraded the computer software on this car as described in hv ecu software update 00204. we were told this fixed the stalling problem, but obviously does not. jb

2004 toyota prius internal combustion engine failed to start but vehicle operated in electric mode. when battery failed, the vehicle shutdown in park so we were unable to push the vehicle out of the street. failure of a component should not make it impossible to move the vehicle. vehicle should not fail in park. *jb

Car suddenly lost power when being driven 30 mph on city road. computer said battery power lost; seems like gas engine was not recharging battery, but there was no warning until power loss. i was stuck in the middle of a city street with 2 small children, as the car would not make it to side of road. another motorist helped push me to side of road and no one was hurt. the gas tank was full at the time of this incident. although vehicle could not move, the dashboard and computer still had power; it would not allow me to shut it down, or remove the key fob. the car was towed to a dealership, and now must be towed to another dealiership that services this model. no repair has yet been attempted but i wanted to report incident because my internet research indicated you were investigating this model for a number of similar problems. the car was purchased in november 2003 and has 15,299 miles on it. i had one incident 12 months ago when i could not start the vehicle, but i was able to finally after 10 minutes or so. i have had no previous break downs however.

Dt: while driving 50 mph vehicle lost power/died. consumer took vehicle to dealer who replaced the electronic throttle body. *ak

Dt: toyota 2004 prius. while driving 20-45 mph vehicle stalled and lost power. *ak the stalling was due to a inverter/converter failure. *jb

Dt: contact stated the engine stalled/lost power on two different occasions. *ak

I was accelerating into a yield situation where i had room to merge from an offramp and the gas motor didn't kick in. the check-engine light flashed, the car vibrated, and it moved only as if the electric motor was going for a few seconds and then, as i was flooring it, the car jarted out into the intersection where now there wasn't room and i became involved in an accident

I was driving my 2004 toyota prius approximately 35-40 miles per hour on a local street when the "check engine" light and the safety triangle light both illuminated. i noticed that the gas engine stopped running at the time of the failure although the electric motor got me to the dealership where the car is serviced. the delership called me in a couple of hours to tell me that the car is ready. i was told that they just had to reset the computer software to fix the car. i know that you are researching this problem and wanted to make you aware of my sitiuation. thank you.

1) my wife was driving our 2004 toyota prius and the car had a warning light turn on on display, went to "limp" mode (slow) and suddenly stopped after 1/2 mile. 2) car could not be controlled, no power. 3) toyota towed car to shop and replaced ecu controller in area of fuel tank, ecu relay and entire fuel tank assembly. problem has not happened again.

I was driving about 45 mph and felt the power die and saw the dashboard warning lights come on. i had to stop at a light and the car accelerated but felt like it was coasting. i was very close to home and made it about 500 feet from my driveway when the car stopped. i could not turn off the engine, the lights nor would the car go into drive or reverse. since i was in the middle of the road, after about 15 minutes i put the car into neutral and rolled down the hill closer to the curb. after i got to the side of the road, i once again tried to start the car and this time it started easily. it was towed to the dealer who had never heard of this problem nor dealt with it. they called the next day to say the computer said it needed to be reprogramed and that the car was fixed. they had no idea why this happened but now that the program was reset, "it should not happen again." i love this car however, i am getting 40-42mpg where others i have spoken with are into the 50 mpg range, and now i am concerned about it stalling out. the car has about 13,000 miles.

Fax ltr investigation of the toyota prius hybrid electric vehicle model years 2004 & 2005 reports of vehicle stalling at high speeds.*mr *nm

Dt: vehicle stalled intermittently and lost power. *ak the consumer sold the vehicle back to the dealership. *jb

2004 toyota prius. stalled while driving at about 40 mph. able to restart car after driving with electric motor for a few blocks.

For the second time my 2004 prius has stalled while driving and shut down. i have attached my previous report to you when it happed in may 2005. the first time the ecu was reprogramed. this time i was driving on the freeway going 65 miles per hour on july 2, 2005 when the emergency engine lights came on on the dash board. the vehicle quickly loss power before the engine shut down. the battery meter confirmed the loss of reserve. i had the vehicle towed approximately 50 miles to maita toyota where i have my prius service. the vehicle was keep from july 2 - 12, 2005. the service department was not able to identify the problem. i picked up the vehicle and drove it home today. now i have to watch for the next time that it happens for toyota to research the problem more. a file was open with toyota #2005 00071145 but without any help to identify the problem. contact 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236) tty â¿¢ 1-800-424-9153 or â¿¢ 1-202-484-5238 ÿ» ÿ» ÿ» consumer information name : mr. christopher smith org. name : address : p o box 1543 city, state, zip : carmichael, ca 95608 usa daytime phone : 9163908494 description : 5/6/05 my 2004 prius with 20,400 miles without warning loss all power and shut down while driving hazard light came on warning to take to toyota dealer. the vehicle would not start. the battery meter level was completely dead. the vehicle had to be towed to maita toyota 2500 auburn blvd, sacramento, ca 95821, 916 481-5353 for repair. the work order stated the cause was the ecu which was reprogramed which cleared stored codes. code pulled p3191. is this a new finding in the prius? incident date : 5/5/05

Was driving home at approximately 50mph when the 2004 prius suddenly shut down and was inoperative. we pulled the car over, waited about 15 minutes, and was able to restart. the motor.

2004 toyota prius cut off while consumer was driving at highway speeds.*mr when the consumers vehicle stalled on the highway, another motorist rear ended the consumers vehicle. *jb

Dt: the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the car goes into a mode where it will not let the consumer shift into gear and because it is electric shift, the consumer does not know that he was unable to shift into gear. if he is on a hill this condition would make the vehicle coast down hill. when the consumer gets into the car, presses the brake and presses the power button the car goes into the ignition on mode instead of the ready mode. if he is looking at the dash he can tell this has happened but if he does not look at the dash he would not know that he was unable to shift the car into gear. if the car is on a slope it will go down the slope as soon as he lets off the brake and stepping on the gas does not make a difference. obviously if there is anything in front or behind the car and there was something in the cars path down the hill he would run into it. also, two visits to the dealer unable to duplicate or fix the problem because it is intermittent. *nm *jb

Dt: a. how long and at what speed was the consumer driving before the vehicle lost power? 4 minutes, 50 mph. b. has the consumer accelerated, decelerated or drove at a steady pace when the vehicle lost power? steady pace. c. after the vehicle lost power was the driver able to continue driving the vehicle? if so, how long and at what speed. it stalled out. d. did any warning lights appear before and/or after the incident occurred? if so, describe the lights that were lit. as it happened a hazard icon and an engine check light came on. e. did the vehicle eventually stall and come to a stop? how long did this occur after the warning lights were lit? yes, 30 seconds. f. was the driver able to restart the vehicle right after it stalled? if so, how long did it took, 3-4 times or 2-3 minutes)? took a couple of times, but it started within a minutes. g. was driver able to restart the vehicle after letting it sit awhile? yes. h. was the vehicle towed? no. i. what was wrong with the vehicle? it required an update of a computer program. j did the dealer reprogram the electronic control unit (ecu) or any software? yes. k. vehicle had special service campaigns 40a or 40d performed prior to the incident? when consumer called toyota she was told vehicle was up to date on all services . l. had vehicle any problems since the repair? no. consumer had a problem six months ago where it stalled. . *ak

Engine failure at approximately 55 mph. had just come through a toll gate and merging intersection. while accelerating through about 55 mph the dashboard lights all lit up and the engine died. travelled to a safe location via battery power and called dealer. car has been towed to toyota dealer in leesburg, but they can not work on the car until a battery charger is revieved from toyota. they say there is only one in the 4 state region so it could be a week or so. no explaination by service department on what causes this problem.

Approaching entrance ramp to i495 n exit 32 westford ma at modest side street speed 25-40 approximately. car rapidly lost acceleration. continued for about one minute onto the interstate and stalled on the shoulder. battery indicated showed only one bar. gas at least 1/3 full. electric windows and displays and lights worked. certain warning indicators were lit including red danger triangle. could not turn off the power or remove the key. after 20-25 minutes, while waiting for the tow trunk, i was able to power off and on and then the car started and i drove home (30 miles). performance appeared normal but the red triangle and a few other indicators remained lit.

Power loss on highway, engine light came on. pulled over to side. restarted but the engine light stayted on

Dt: contact has a 2004 toyota prius, and while driving the vehicle it has failed on two separate occasions. a. how long and at what speed was the consumer driving before the vehicle lost power? approximately 15 -20 minutes, going about 45 mph. b. was the consumer accelerating, decelerating, or driving at a steady- state when the vehicle lost power? driving at a steady rate. c. after the vehicle lost power, was the driver able to continue driving the vehicle? if so, how long and at what speed? the vehicle was stopped and pulled off the road. d. did any warning lights appear before and/or after the incident occurred? yes , if so, describe the lights that were lit. check engine light. e. did the vehicle eventually stall and come to a stop? how long did this occur after the warning lights were lit? one part of the vehicle was operating but the driver could not accelerate. f. was the driver able to restart the vehicle right after it stalled? if so, how long did it take (# of attempts and/ or time ? ex: 3-4 times or 2-3 minutes)? yes, the engine light kept coming back on. 1 time, right after the vehicle stalled. *ak

I pulled out of a parking space into traffic and the car immediately stalled. i couldn't turn it off, and i couldn't get it into drive. park and neutral were the only options. traffic was coming at me from both directions and there was nothing i could do, but put on the 4 way flashers.using my cell phone i called the local dealership and they advised me to have the car towed. i called the tow company.

Pe05029 2 times the car engine stopped for no reason at all. dashboard lit up entirely. both times the car restarted. each time, fewer lights came on. brought car in 2x- 1st time, did nothing. 2nd time, supposedly upgraded program. when 1st heard about your investigation, contacted toyota to see if we were part of the 33-- we believe it is being under-reported. contact name: diane romanchick and paul embree.

Toyota prius gas engine stalled after toyota service patch was downloaded to correct problem. bought car march 1, 2004. car stalled may 13 and june 1- see report filed under may 13 date. july 31, 2004 toyota downloaded patch to fix the problem and we thought it was fine. car was ok for almost a year. then, just 2 weeks ago on june 2, 2005 i was driving on the highway (luckily in a lot of slow traffic so only going about 40 mph) and the gas engine died again so the car dropped to 20mph on the electric engine. all warning lights came on again. this time i stopped and restarted the car and the engine (gas and electric) came back on. this is what the dealer had said that the other customers having the problem had found- if you stop and turn it back on after a stall everything works. so since my kids were not in the car i did this and drove it to a parking lot. the warning lights were still on and now i am really scared to drive the car. in all three situations i feel like i was just lucky that i was not going faster and especially inthe second case that the driver behind me was aware enough to avoid my suddenly powerless car. i thought it was important to report this because we thought toyota's software download put in in july 2004 worked to fix this problem but it clearly is still happening. i will not drive the car now with my children in it and am considering getting rid of it. if it were any other car it would be gone by now, but we are big believers in the hybrid technology and really waited to report this to give toyota a chance to fix it. i think this is happening a lot more than is being reported because a lot of the customers feel as we do that we do not want to report anything bad about the hybrid. however, this is too scary now and needs to be addressed. with a third baby on the way we were signed up for the hybrid highlander but unfortunately will wait until we know this problem is solved.

I own a 2004 prius. while driving approx. 60 mph on hwy 110 in los angeles, the warning light came on. less than 5 seconds later, the car lost all power. it even ceased to coast despite the fact that i was on a significant down hill grade. in an attempt to exit the freeway, i navigated the vehicle to the right, where it stalled completely in the right lane, blocking moving traffic. the california highway patrol (chp) quickly came (they were in the area and arrived without being called) and pushed the vehicle off the freeway. after waiting about 20 minutes, the car restarted and i drove for about 10 miles on surface streets. the next morning, i was able to drive one mile to the dealer. the service department of toyota of hollywood, where i purchased the vehicle, said it was due to a "software glitch" and that it needed to be "reprogrammed." they completed this work in less than 24 hours. they also replaced the bumper which had been damaged by chp in the process of pushing the vehicle off the freeway. their service was excellent and i have not had subsequent failures. nevertheless, it was a serious malfunction and should be thoroughly investigated.

Dt:.how long and at what speed was the consumer driving before the vehicle lost power? had driven about 10 minutes on commuting home was driving at least 50-60 mph. b. was the consumer accelerating, decelerating, or driving at a steady- state when the vehicle lost power?driving at a steady state. c. vehicle lost power, was the driver able to continue driving the vehicle? if so, how long and at what speed?not able to continue driving, could not restart vehicle. did any warning lights appear before and/or after the incident occurred? an odd beep and then some symbols illuminated on control panel but can't remember what symbol, thinks it make have been a car with an x through it. referred to owners manual. called for help. . came to a complete stop just seconds after the beep and warning lights. f was unable to restart vehicle. g. no restart whatsoever. h. was the vehicle towed? yes to a dealer. i. what did the dealer say was wrong with the vehicle? diagnosis code did not have available, but was aware of service bulletin pertaining to this issue. questioned why there had not been a recall. j. did the dealer reprogram the ecu (electronic control unit) or any software? yes-the ecu. k. did have recall on navigation software update prior to this episode. l. has the vehicle had any problems since the repair? no but fearful it may happen again. *ak

Started my 2004 toyota prius and placed vehicle into reverse to back out of parking space at daughter's school. car died while backing, blocking traffic, and would not restart. orange light glowed on the starter button. this is 7:45pm. called original dealer in washington pa for advice. no help. looked in owner's manual for advice. no help. called local dealer in charlottesville va. no help. a male teacher opened the hood and fuse cover to ensure that all fuses were snug and secure. nothing. after about 30 minutes, the car finally reset its self, the starter button went green and when tried the car started. told the local dealer of this incident and they denied any knowledge of any trouble like this. coinsidently, my gps system had failed just a couple of days prior to this incident. it took a month to get it replaced.

When i started my vehicle, all the dash lights came on and remained on. i was able to put my vehicle in park and neutral only. i was unable to turn the power off on the vehicle. it was using electricity only. the gas engine would not kick in when stepping on the gas pedal. i let the car sit for about 5 minutes then was able to turn the power off. i was then able to start the car again and drive it. i traveled approximately 35 miles without incident. i then shut the car off. i then turned the car back on and the same incident occured for the second time that day. i called the dealership the following day to report the incident. i was told they were unable to do anything with the vehicle since it was running ok now. they did fax me a copy showing that i reported this incident. this vehicle has now stalled on me a total of 3 times within a 3 week period. the first incident was on 5/23/2005 and i had to have my car towed to the dealership.

My toyota prius stalled while moving at about 35-40 mph in city traffic in chandler, arizona. the emergency light came on and the engine quit. i was able to maneuver the car to the side of the road as it coasted, then we pushed it into a parking lot. i had the car towed to tempe toyota (now power toyota) and they re-programmed the on-board computer, and i haven't had a problem since.

2004 prius driving at approximately 35-45 mph when warning lights on dashboard went on. car died within seconds in middle of busy street and would not restart, had to tow to dealer. dealer claimed they did not know what the problem was but said "it will not happen again"

Yaps (yet another prius stall). i was not going fast - probably about 10-15 mph. just like the other reports, it lost power, all the warning lights came on, and it coasted to a halt. i was able to restart it but the ice would not kick in so it ran in electric mode only. after less than a mile the battery was almost drained so i had to pull over and park it. had it towed in to the nearest dealer - toyota of seattle - where they said it was a software issue and they'd seen it before. they performed an upgrade and returned it to me.

While driving around town and some highway, intermittently, the battery charge level will drop very low (one red bar), the battery will not charge, and the car will loose power. when the prius has power loss, the average mpg drops from the low 40's to the low 30's. the car has never stalled as per current investigation with '04 prius, but, the loss of power almost caused an accident. i have taken the car to a toyota dealer 3 times, they are unable to find anything wrong with the car. have also contacted toyota corp and escalated, but, they maintain that there is not a problem. all sofware technical bulitens and any recalls have all been applied

Prius stalled while driving, all lights came on dealer restarted computer i have read about many people with this complaint

2004 toyota prius sedan. stalls out while driving about 35 miles hour and the electric recharable battery drains. this has happened two times to me and i have taken it back to toyota deal for this. the 1st approximately jan -feb time frame. dealer could find nothing wrong. 2nd time approximately early april. dealer said had trouble code in computer and have corrected problem but let them know if happens again or any other problem. engine load, automatic gear shifts hard and car rolls slightly when put into park.

Dt: the check engine light illuminated on the dash and remained on for about a day. other light illuminated as well but the consumer can't remember which ones. the consumer made it to his destination where he stayed 2 hours, and upon leaving the engine started immediately. the consumer called the dealer but they offered no diagnosis. the dealer did not reprogram the electronic control unit. *ak *nm

Dt: how long and at what speed was the consumer driving before the vehicle lost power? he was driving for about 25 minutes and 35 mph and the warning lights illuminated. b. consumer's vehicle lost power?/decelerated and was going to make a left turn off a highway again the lights signaled warning ,but car was still running. called toyota to see what to do about this because there was no answer as to what those signals were. toyota told to continue driving and vehicle lost power. after driving the vehicle? if so, how long and at what speed? was unable to continue driving, had to be towed. called toyota about the lights not appearing. was told by toyota to continue driving, and vehicle lost power. *ak

Dt: while driving on dry pavement at 35 mph the vehicle stalled. the consumer pulled off to the median. there were lights flashing in dashboard, the driver noticed that the warning codes included do not drive, and no brakes, etc. just before stalling, the warning codes came on, including no brakes, do not drive, all hazards, the explanation pointed to a triangle and all precautionary safety warning lights appeared. once the vehicle was stopped at a median there was no response from the car, it was totally dead. after the lights came on, no acceleration, there was no engine sound to the owner's knowledge. there was no obvious loss of power steering as far as the owner knew, it was not extremely difficult to get to the median. the vehicle was not able to be restarted. the owner tried to start the vehicle twice. at this point, the owner didn't know if the lights stayed on, but the hazards lights were working as she left to go call for help. at the dealership, the vehicle was jumped to get it off the tow truck. this occurred about 45 minutes. the dealer stated they had no idea what could be wrong with the vehicle, and this seemed to be a new occurrence to the dealership. *ak *sc *jb

2004 prius had warning lights come on and stalled in april 2005. software upgrade was performed by dealer. warning lights have come on again yesterday, june 12

2004 toyota prius, stalled while driving. this is the second time i have taken it to the shop for this problem.

Car was driving normal at 45 mph....engine quit. would not restart. car was towed to toyota dealer.

I have a 2004 prius that stalled on the freeway this february for no reason. when we took it to the dealer, the mechanics said they had no idea why it happened, but that they "reset the computer" and it wouldn't happen again.

My 2004 prius cut out at about 25 mph and would not restart.

(1) engine stalled when accelerating from stoplight. weather was cool (low-50s) and rainy. dashboard warning lights lit up ('red triangle of death', check engine, braking system) (2) driver pulled to side of road using electric power only (3) driver called husband, who advised wife to cycle the power off and on, possibly multiple times, until the engine restarted. cycling power successfully restarted engine, but 'red triangle of death' and check engine warning lights remained lit. car operated normally thereafter. dealer applied tsb eg047-04 at no charge. problem has not returned. suspect this is another instance of 'prius stalling' problem. given the number of incidents (1), the dealer response (satisfactory) and the recoverability from the problem (power cycle), i consider this a minor problem. otherwise highly satisfied with car.

Dt: toyota prius gas engine stalled 3 times, twice while driving on highway and on ramp. 1) may 13 2004 stalled in busy intersection going about 40 mph, electrical engine still worked, so speed dropped to 20 mph, and consumer stopped on the side. all warning lights were on. vehicle was towed to toyota, and they said nothing was wrong except dirty gas. they reset warning lights, and told it was safe. 2) june 1, 2004, while merging onto a highway going up the ramp at about 50 mph car jerked and slowed to about 25 mph without warning. car behind m had to go onto shoulder to avoid rear ending consumer's vehicle. all warning lights were on again . when checking engine display only electrical power was working again. gas engine had stalled, causing the immediate decrease in speed, without brake lights so car behind didn't know what was happening. towed to toyota. they said nothing was wrong again except dirty gas. consumer changed gas stations and used their recommended ones since the last incident. consumer refused to take the car back . had two toddlers who were in the car at the time of the incidents. gmc dealer sent a patch which wa ssuppose to fix the problem, but patch did,t work. problem recurred.*ak

Dt: consumer was approaching an intersection while driving in a 2004 toyota prius at 45 mph and when all of the das light illuminated. as it turned out the vehicle was not receiving any power from the gas engine and the vehicle was running on electricity only. while entering the intersection the vehicle stalled. the consumer was able to put the vehicle in reverse to back the vehicle to the curb. then , put vehicle in park or neutral only, but was unable to shut the power off. consumer was unable to move the vehicle. after letting the vehicle sit 35-40 minutes was able to drive the vehicle onto the tow truck. vehicle was towed to toyota dealership where they reset the computer the following day. dealership told consumer they were seeing this happen frequently with the 2004 toyota prius hybrids. also, missed 1 hour of work the following day in order to get a rental car. *ak *tt *nm

Dt: a. how long and at what speed was the consumer driving before the vehicle lost power? had been driving for about 15 minutes going about 65 mph. b. was the consumer accelerating, decelerating, or driving at a steady- state when the vehicle lost power? owner believes she was slowing down at the time of stall. c. after the vehicle lost power, was the driver able to continue driving the vehicle? if so, how long and at what speed? owner was afraid to drive it, and called dealership and had it towed. d. did any warning lights appear before and/or after the incident occurred. if so, describe the lights that were lit. all warning lights were on as it stalled. e.did the vehicle eventually stall and come to a stop? how long did this occur after the warning lights were lit? the vehicle did stall and come to a stop. vehicle stalled, then lit up seconds after stalling. yes. f.was the driver able to restart the vehicle right after it stalled? g. wass the driver able to restart the vehicle after letting it sit awhile? if so, how long was this after the vehicle stalled? no no attempt was made to restart because it was towed. h.was the vehicle towed? yes. i. what did the dealer say was wrong with the vehicle? dealer said there was a software glitch. dealer reprogrammed the ecu (electronic control unit) or any software? yes. *ak *tt *nm

Dt: 2004 toyota prius, consumer was driving on highway 24 and the vehicle stopped. it had to be towed. vehicle lost power while going 60-65 mph. *ak. the vehicle stall again on august 29th, 2005 while being driven driving 40 mph. the mileage was 24480. the consumer contact gm and demanded a new vehicle. the manufacturer bought the consumer's vehicle back. *nm

Dt: while driving and without warning car stalled at 40 mph and had to be towed. caller could not turn power off from power switch. only thing that was working was the panel lights. dealer said it was a car computer problem. manufacturer has not been contacted yet. caller saw several articles that an investigation was on this car.*ak

Vehicle's gas engine quit after leaving a store's parking lot. warning lights indicated to take it to the nearest toyota dealer immediately. dealer indicated it was a software problem, and uploaded a fix. 2 hours of work time was lost.

I own a 2004 toyota prius, 15680 miles. the engine stopped when i was driving at about 60 mph and all warning lights came on. i was able to drive it on the electrical motor for about 1 mile to a gas station before the battery ran out. i had it towed to my dealer, toyota of bowie in md. the next day, it started right up and they said that they checked it and could find nothing wrong with it. this happened a few days before news stories of similar complaints. this is a frightening, and potentially very dangerous problem. i'm surprised and upset that the dealer or toyota has not contacted me with a fix since they have learned about this problem.

Dt: consumer had 2 episodes of engine stalling. the 1st time consumer's vehicle was passing another vehicle when another vehicle appeared in the lane and consumer accelerated quickly and changed lane. the warning light came on along with a beeping noise, and suddenly lost power. was running only on electric power until was able to make it to the side of the road. the engine did not restart until turned off the whole system and then it restarted it. continued to have warning lights for several hours. called toyota hot line, and was informed it was safe to drive. the following monday took vehicle to dealer, who placed it on a computer and noted it was normal. they thought it might have been the vehicle stability control because that light was illuminated, and earlier when that happened driver swerved into a lane. the 2nd episode occurred as accelerating to get on a freeway ramp and had slowed to enter traffic, another driver allowed consumer's vehicle to enter and driver accelerated gain and the engine cut off. was able to drive on battery power about a mile going 40 mph to the next exit. pulled off, and again turned system off, and again the engine restarted. this time the vehicle,s stability light did not illuminate. the display screen had a bar that said, problem. when car was taken to dealer no lights illuminated. *ak

Dt: consumer states while going southbound, he accidentally bump the vehicle out of gear from drive to neutral at about 70 mph. afterwards consumer put vehicle back in drive. it seemed as though vehicle was dead. consumer had to stop the vehicle then put back in drive and then merge back onto the highway. *tt

2004 toyota prius-while driving various warning lights came on including go to a dealer immediately which i did. propulsion power almost vanished in one mile of driving. dealer fixed the problem at no charge saying they "reprogram engine ecu"

Dt: while driving about 40 mph suddenly car died. no power whatsoever. had to be towed to dealership. was told computer needed updating. this was performed on the vehicle. did call toyota, and confirmed that the repair had been done. no problems since computer was updated. *ak

I am estimating the dates - i took my 2004 prius to the dealer on october 12, as it was not driving right since i had done a "hard brake" the week before. the service dept was unable to find anything amiss. then, while driving to work that friday, my car indicated that i needed to stop the car immediately (via the red triangle etc. lights on dashboard). i was travelling at about 45 miles per hour at the time. i coasted into a left turn lane, but was unable to complete the turn into the parking lot as the car had shut down. i was pushed into the parking lot. i contacted the dealer and the car was towed to the nearest dealer (larry miller toyota on w. bell road). i was told the ecu was reprogrammed and that there was a service bulletin that was not sent to owners, but directed dealers to do the fix only when there was a car with the failure. my car has exhibited the red triangle one other time, 4/15/05 i believe, it was towed again, to bell road toyota. the answer seems to be "if there is no code on the computer that something is wrong, we cannot fix it, since we don't know where the problem is."

1. i was driving on the long island expressway. traffic became congested so the pace was stop and go. i started to accelerate (was going about ~35 mph) when my 2004 prius lost power. i was able to pull over. all these lights came on indicating there was a problem. i was able to pull over and get off the road., i called the 800 no. for roadside assist. but the wait was over an hour. after ~20 minutes i started the car to try to boost the power the electric battery. i drove it in a parking lot and kept braking. the car seemed fine so i cancelled roadside assist. i then drove it another 250 miles home without a problem. after hearing the news i thought the problem i had was the same. i wasn't sure what further steps to take. i did have my toyota dealer check it out but someone else dropped the car off for me so i'm not sure they totally understood the actual problem. they did a computer adjustment. no problems since this one and only incident.

My 2004 prius lost power when i was traveling at about 65-70 miles per hour on 2/21/05. i had electric power for a few minutes so that i could pull off at an exit. all the warning/caution lights came on. the kern toyota dealership in winchester va had my car towed in. they kept the car overnight. they said that they reprogrammed my computer and the car was fine. they offered no other explanation or possible future concerns. i reported this to toyota management this morning and have a confirmation # if needed. i just saw the articles where they noted 33 other incidents like mine.

Dt: toyota prius, vehicle stalled at 35 mph warning light came on. pulled over to side of road because caller was losing power from battery, and could not drive it. car was towed to dealer, and they could not find anything wrong with it. problem did not come up on car computer when diagnostic was done. manufacturer has not been contacted yet. caller read article in newspaper about prius. *ak *nm

My 2004 prius "died" with little warning while i was driving about 40 mph on a busy street. i coasted to a stop with cars flying by me. very dangerous. car was towed to the dealer, who explained there was a software problem and they reprogrammed the car's computer. this is an extremely dangerous problem! i'm afraid to drive this car.

Dt: while driving at a steady pace, the vehicle stalled. *ak *jb

Since purchasing a 2004 prius in feb. 2004, it has stalled five times. four were within a two week period in june 2004 and were related to a loose wire to the battery. one was in june 2005.

While driving at 25mph, 4 trouble lights lit up on dashboard. after 1-2 more miles, the engine lost all power, despite the gas engine still running. the electric system showed no battery power. restarting the engine didn't help, and the car had to be towed.

1. i was driving around 30 to 40 mph and the gas engine failed suddenly during the course of normal driving, leaving only the electrical engine running. at the same time the engine failed, many lights turned on on the dashboard. 2. i was on a canyon road in the los angeles mountains when it failed, which was a single lane road each way with nowhere to pull off. luckily, i had just reached on of the crests in the canyon when the engine failed, so with the electrical engine i was able to coast to a side street. once on the side street, the electrical engine died quickly, probably because of the steep slope upwards of the street. 3. i tried to turn off the car and it wouldn't turn off, so i popped the hood and got out to see if there was an obvious problem. finding no problem i could see i went back inside the car and held down the power button until the vehicle turned off finally. when the vehicle turned back on, the engine sempt to work normally, and i immediately went to the nearest toyota dealer. they said they had heard of the problem once or twice before and it requires a software update to the car. i was weary of their proposed solution since it is such a dangerous problem, but that's all they said they could do, so i told them to go ahead.

Dt: while driving about 55-60 mph the car stalled and came to a complete stop. it was towed into a dealership, they looked at the computer and corrected the problem. the vehicle has not stalled since.*ak *nm

Dt: the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. he states that vehicle lost power while traveling at high speeds.the incident just happened one time. the dealer reprogrammed the vehicle, not sure if it fixed it or not.*ak car lost power and would not re-start. it was towed to toyota service department. engine control unit was reprogrammed and car has since ran properly for 600 miles.*sb *nm

Dt: engine shuts down and will not start, also battery dies. check engine light comes on, and then the engine dies. caller had to push car off the road. dealer said they could not find anything wrong the first time, and the other times they replaced a floor harness that went to battery, an amplifier, the original battery. caller read article on his vehicle about same problem. manufacturer said the amplifier fixed the problem.

Our 2004 prius stalled repeatedly on a drive from holland, mich., to st. louis, mo, on dec. 26/27, 2004. the first time it happened, it was after about an hour of highway driving, when all the dashboard lights went on and the engine died. we were able to coast off the highway. after about 30 minutes on the side of the road (it was he day after christmas and a sunday, so help was not readily available), we were able to restart the engine and return to holland. the next day, we took it to the dealer, who could not find anything wrong. we resumed driving and after about an hour, the same thing happened. we pulled to the side of the road, waited a bit, and restarted the engine. we repeated this several times, drive, stall, restart, drive, until we got to a dealer in chicago, who declared that our transmission was shot but we might as well drive back to st. louis since it would take them a week to get a new one anyway. so we drove, stalled, restarted, again and again until we got just south of springfield, ill., where the car stalled for good. after an uncomfortable hour spent on the side of interstate 55 waiting for a tow truck on a freezing cold night, we finally were taken back to st. louis, where the dealer put in a new transmission.

Omg, omg its so fresh in my mind!. i was terrified. my daughter(oldest) was in a terrible car accident and was taken to the hospital(mary washington in va.) i was at work and got the horrific call about 1745hrs (rush hour). i jumped in my car(2004-prius) i i can't tell you how i felt. as i entered the hov lanes from dc to va, my car started pausing..i've felt this before, so i hit the info button and see my battery took over and is on 4 lines! i then see the alert lights illuminate on my dash! this can't be happening?, not now!..i immediately hit my horn and avoid getting slammed into by vehicles behind me. i slowly creep on my last battery line onto the righthand shoulder. my prius died. i called toyotas' (rap>roadside assistance program) and a tow truck was sent. i broke down in dc and (toyotas' rap) only takes me 50miles from the breakdown. i live 62 miles away! this is not acceptable! i was towed to springfield toyotan and it was closed! (it is now 2130hrs! and i'm still not at the hospital and i'm in tears!) the tow truck driver was nice enough to tell me to call my insurance co. i did and they sent another tow truck to pick me up. it is now 2230hrs! i still don't know the status of my daughter! the tow truck brings me to fredericksburg but to a nissan dealership, it seems the address was wrong. we figured out that toyota pohanka was down the street and the tow truck driver was considerate enough to bring me there. i had to drop off the vehicle and lucky i had someone pick me up to bring me home. toyota pohanka of fredericksburg called me the next day and said they found error code p3191 referred to the tsb and reprogrammed the engine ecm per instructions.

Dt: the warning lights came on consumer turned car around to take it to the dealer, and the car just shut off. dealer did clear everything (the lights), and the car started back up.*ak

Dad: vehicle runs and suddenly stalls and stops working. owner attempts to start car again, and it does not start. car was taken to the dealer three times, and dealer fixed it. but, after some time the car did not work again. owner stated that car was serviced on regular basis.*ak

While driving at 30 - 35 mph, the engine of my 2004 toyota prius cut off without warning. the "warning lamp" turned on at the time the engine quit, not before. i coasted to a stop in a nearby parking lot. when i could not restart the car, i called aaa for towing. after waiting 30 minutes, i tried to start the engine again, and it started with no problem. no warning lights were on, and i had no further problem. i had a second incident identical to the first, except this tmie i tried to restart the motor after waiting only 4 -5 minutes.

Driving my 2004 toyota prius home from work, the car suddenly lost power a few miles from my home on a busy thoroughfare. i drifted to the side of the road. all warning lights on the dash were on. i turned off the car and restarted it. it went a few seconds before dying again. this continued several times until i made it home. the incident caused other cars to have to slow down, honk and move around me. i was very scared. it was late at night. i called my husband to come help me but he was not home. the next day the car started and i took it to the dealership. they could find nothing wrong, and said they "reset the engine/battery ratio" so the car would rely more on gas than electricity , and that i would experience a slight decrease in my engine efficiency. i later complained to the service manager, that my prius has had numerous electrical problems since i purchased it in august of2005. twice it would not start in the morning and i had to have it towed. he also told me that what the service person told me was incorrect, that there was no way they can "adjust" the engine/battery ratio. he gave no explanation for my problems and said "no one else" has had any problems with their cars. i want to return the car for a new one, but he says he feels "confident" toyota will correct any problems i am having. i am afraid to drive the car in case this happens again. toyota has done nothing since i have complained. i feel they owe me a new car while they figure this out.

My daughter was driving my 2004 prius on i35w at 55 mph when several red warning lights came on and the car chimed. we were able to exit the interstate and left the car running while we consulted the owner's manual, then called the dealer. we started to drive to the dealership, but the car's power diminished noticeably at each red light or stop sign. it finally stalled about one mile from the parking lot where we had initially paused. the car was blocking a bus route/highway exit/surface street connector at that point. a bus driver and passenger had to push the car to a safer location, out of the bus' way! the ignition locked and the fob couldn't be removed until at least 30 minutes passed. the car was towed to the dealer, who said it was "a software glitch" and that there was nothing we could have done to prevent it, as they had to reprogram it. no parts were replaced.

Driving down the road at approx 45 mph in my '04 toyota prius. the vehicle lost power and stalled in the middle of the road. engine stopped running and battery power ran out causing the vehicle to stall.

Driving my 2004 prius about 25mph on my way home, all of a sudden warning lights on the dashboard lit up. the yellow brake system warning, the malfunction indicator, the master warning and the vsc warning lights were all on. the display had a message that indicated a hybrid system warning. the next day, upon stating the car, the brake system and the vsc warning lights had gone off. all other lights were still on. did not drive the car until i could contact dealer (it was a holiday weekend). after contacting service dept, they said to drive it into the dealer. while driving, the battery level was in the "magenta" range , about three bars, much lower than normal. it rose to the normal range prior to arriving at the dealer. the repair order states "found ecu calibration off" and "reprogarm ecu to new calibrationid 34705100". the lights are now off and the car seems back to normal. the service person was unable to reassure me that this problem would not happen again, only that it was easily fixed and toyota would cover it. my car had already had the ecu reprogrammed in 08/04, as per recall 40d.

I have had 3 'stalls' of my 2004 prius which i drive 150 miles a day and it has 48k miles on it. all of the engine stalls have been at low speed (under 20 mph) and have been preceeded by a red warning triangle light and the screen displaying something like 'critical problem'. on one incident i was in heavy traffic and managed to use the electric motor to get me to the side of the highway before the engine/motor stopped with no power. when i turned the power on/off several times the engine would start but there was no power. i did notice that on all three stalls my gas gauge was low (one or two bars) but i have run the car for thirty miles after the last bar started to flash so it's hard to tell if there is a connection. i did report this to the dealer but they had no information on it and the car reset each time after a period of time.

2004 prius slowed, then stopped on a highway due to a software problem. towed to dealer. dealer corrected the next day.

Dt: the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. this vehicle would stall at high speeds. he was going 65-70 mph at time of incident. this happened without warning. it exactly what the reports said happened to him. he can be contacted by odi for this if needed. also, had premature wear on tires. had the front and rear ends aligned three times since he purchased the vehicle.*ak

My1994 toyota prius suddenly stalled as i was driving. i had to be towed to a dealership. i was told that there was a programming error in one of the computer chips.

Consumer stated while traveling 40 mph all of a sudden , the lights illuminated on the dashboard and then everything shut off. the consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer and they said it was a computer glitch regarding the release of gas to the engine. just before a loss of power the dvd navigation system went completely out about 2 miles before everything else. *jb the dvd navigation system failed as well. *sc

An article in yesterday's l.a. times (5/17) detailed a problem with the 2004/05 toyota prius, where it mentioned that 13 prius owners reported that their vehicles stalled suddenly, often at high speeds. on april 12, 2005, the exact same thing happened to me. while slowing from 65 m.p.h. on i-10 in west l.a. onto the i-405 interchange, easily one of the most congested highway interchanges in the country, my prius stalled and i was extremely fortunate to make it to the end of the interchange where the shoulder began. had it occured a mere two minutes later, i would have been in the fast lane of the 405, triggering a potential disaster and certain sigalert, as it occured at 8:15 a.m.--rush hour. my car had approximately 8,700 miles and was purchased new in august, 2004. i had it towed to toyota of santa monica where i purchased the car, and was dismayed at their nonchalance. a brand new car should not break down for no reason, and it could've resulted in a serious accident. more tro ubling, the toyota service department's technical assessment of the problem was that it was a "computer glitch," and that their repair service was to "reprogram the computer." i have been a loyal and vocal supporter of this hybrid vehicle, pleased in every way with the performance of the car. now when people ask, i give them much the same answer, but verbally insert an asterisk and tell them about the time it broke down without warning, and how i have no guarantee it won't happen again. you can count me as the 14th owner to report this identical problem. and you can be sure that we are only a percentage of the ever-growing prius owners who have experienced this. i hope your findings and the article will make their way to toyota's receptive and responsive ears. thanks.

The car stopped in the middle of the road just after all the warning lights came on

My 2004 toyota prius stalled while traveling about 40-45 mph with a full tank of gas on 5/14/05. the check engine light came on and it coasted to a stop. i turned off the power switch and restarted it and the engine came back on and ran fine except with the check engine light still on. the next day the check engine light was off and the engine ran fine. i took it in to the dealer's service center and they said they did something with the softwear and it should run fine now.

2004 prius, gas engine stalled while excellerating to merge onto freeway during rush hour, was forced to exit on electric engine in heavy traffic driving at 30mph. after exiting freeway and turning car off it would not restart. vehicle finally restarted and i was able to drive with master check engine light on. dealer said the car needed to have software reset, but never gave explaination of what caused original problem. i am guessing at the incident date it was month or so back.

I had driven approximatley 20 miles to my hockey game and was driving at 40 mph. an ! and check engine light came on and the car was then reduced to only running off of battery. i was able to pull off the road without danger and shut down the car and checked the oil and gas to verify that wasn't the cause of the issue. after approximately 3 minutes i started the car and the ! and check engine light remained on, but the gas engine was functioning correctly. i drove the remaining 3 miles to my destination and called toyota roadside assistance and arranged for a tow truck. after finishing up my hockey game ( 1 hour) i was able to start the car and there were not warning lights or issues. i canceled the tow truck and drove the car to the dealer. the next day the dealer updated the code in the car to us tsb eg047-04. i have been driving the car since they updated the code without issue.

Our 2004 prius on four separate occasions had a complete engine shutdown with lots of indicator lights lit on the dashboard. this happened twice while we were traveling on interstate highways in traffic at highway speeds, once in a toyota dealership while the vehicle was being serviced, and once as we pulled into a toyoto dealership for service. we were not aware we could send a complaint to nhtsa until we say today's msnbc article. the first engine shutdown occurred in the hyannis toyota dealership in massachusetts. they took quite a while to fix the vehicle and made several phone calls to toyota engineers for help. they wrote on our receipt: "needs trans replacement for permanent repair." after we left massachusetts we drove across country toward our home in california. the other three engine shutdowns happened during this trip. we had to be towed (at toyota's expense) twice as a result of the interstate engine shutdowns and ended up at a toyota dealership in jackson, mississippi. we had to stay several days at our own expense while they repaired the vehicle, again consulting several times with toyota engineers during the repair. after we reached california we took the vehicle to south bay toyota and requested the "permanent" repair described on the hyannis toyota receipt. we were told they would do nothing because there was no indicator showing any problems at that time. we made several phone calls to toyota but were unable to get them to do anything further to our car.

I was driving on highway 101 north in a stop-and-go traffic. i noticed that the battery level continued to drop and the gas engine failed to start to recharge the battery. i manage to slide out of the freeway and stopped on the shoulder. i could not shut off the car for about 2 minutes. i was able to restart the car after 5 minutes and the gas engine started. the display showed symbols of "check engine" and "hybrid system warning" and a text message - "problem!". i was able to drive to the destination via a local route.

Sudden shutdown of 2004 prius. i was crusing at about 40 mph when the engine unexpectedly shut down and all dashboard warning lights became illuminated. i was able to safely pull to the side of the road. after cycling power button, car started again, but "check engine" light was illuminated. dealership found code p3191 in diagnostic system, but could not come up with an explanation. i am reporting this now because of recent publicity regarding similar prius incidents.

Dt; last summer was driving down highway at about 45-50 mph and one of the engines went out, and the car decelerated and finally stalled out. parked by roadside ,and had to be towed to dealership. serviceman did a computer correction, but did not record this because it happened at night. again about 2 months ago the engine went out, car slowed, and would not restart. had to be towed to dealership. the car was returned without explanation. afraid this may happen again. *ak *sb

I have a 2004 toyota prius (purchased dec. 2003). approximately 10 march 2005 i was driving at city speeds (<40 mph) when the gasoline engine shut down. i was able to proceed about a mile on the electric engine until the battery became drained. i called for a tow under warranty service. while waiting, i was able to restart the gasoline engine after about an hour, but had the car towed into the dealership for investigation of the failure and repair. after a couple of days of investigation, they claimed that they could find no problem and toyota had not issued any service bulletins dealing with such a problem. as recently as last week, when i had the car serviced, the dealership said that they were unaware of any similar reports and toyota had not issued any service bulletins. i gave them a copy of an article from a recent wall street journal details reports of these problems around the country. i have no further problems of a similar nature, but i am somewhat apprehensive of recurrence. otherwise the car is wonderful. i get ~50mpg in the summer and it handles well.

In june 2004, the 2004 toyata prius we had purchased in mid-may malfunctioned as i was accelerating onto a freeway on-ramp in daly city, california. a loud beep sounded, and all the dashboard lights lit up at once, including the exclamation point. the gas engine did not engage as it usually did at higher speeds, leading to a rapid depletion of the battery, which forced me to pull over to the side of the freeway. i turned off the car, waited 5 minutes, and then pressed the power button. the lights on the dash lit up again but the car did not start. i called for a tow, which took about 70 minutes. in the meantime, i tried the power button at 15 minute intervals. at 45 minutes, the car started normally. however, by then the towing company was on its way and the car was towed to the service center of the city toyota dealership in daly city, which happened to be where we purchased the car. the car was left for a few days. when i retrieved it, they were unable to explain why the problem occurred. we have been driving the car since without incident.

Dt: the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. the vehicle is a hybrid. she states that while driving down the freeway at about 60 mph vehicle stalled, making it difficult for her to brake or accelerate. the dealer told her that it was a software glitch, and they knew that they had other problems with this. toyota stated that they contacted everyone. however they did not notify everyone because she was not notified. also, they did not notify some of her friends, and they disregarded her telephone calls.*ak

My 2004 toyota prius stalled when i was going approximately 40 mph. i was able to coast to the shoulder, but then the car had to be towed to a dealership for a programming fix before i could drive it again.

This is not the first time that i have had this problem, but i just learned this is the venue to state my complaints(i have another complaint on this board. i bought this car to save gas,money and the environment,but now this car is doing none of these for me in stop and go traffic. while i'm stuck in traffic in dc(i395n), the battery takes over. the problem is the gas doesn't kick in when the battery is low. i find the battery doesn't stay charged for over 28minutes while moving in traffic about 3 feet every 5 or 10 minutes. i have figured out in order to not get stalled (which has happened to me, 2 times already,besides today.) i have to hold the brake pedal down with one foot and rev the gas pedal with the right foot in order to charge the battery and not get slammed into from a vehicle behind me! my wife refuses to drive the car now for fear that she'll stall. i'm filling my tank more often now than when i first got this vehicle. due to the reving of the vehicle which wastes my gas(sorta defeats the purpose of buying a hybrid for the most part!), also this can't be good for the environment either! oh and lets not forget the safety factor. i have people yelling at me and saying they want to bust my a**! and even an elderly woman with handicap plates gave me the finger right after she almost slammed into my stalled car. i'm embarrassed and scared to drive over 65 because the way the car died on me 2 times before.

The consumer started the vehicle and noticed that the steering was very difficult. after driving for two blocks, the dash light had come on and the steering had become easier. the general warning symbol had come on, which meant the vehicle needed to be taken to the dealer. the brake light had been continuously on. when the emergency brakes were applied, the vehicle did not behave as if it were activated. the ignition relay was replaced per warning light. *ak *jb

I own a 2004 prius and also experienced a complete system shutdown while driving on the highway about 3 months ago. the entire gas engine shut down and all warning lights came on. the electric motor remained operational and allowed me to get off the road and into a parking lot safely. the dealer (cabe toyota - long beach, ca) gave me a brief and unsatisfactory explaination..brushing this off as a minor problem similar to a computer needing to be restarted. i assume they upgraded my system but still fear a recurrence in a less convenient location. please let me know if you would like any additional information on this. vehicle vin = [xxx]

Dt: all of the lights come on and the car stalls in mid-travel. *tt

Dt: consumer states: when the vehicle was under 3000 miles all the warning lights came on, and while driving down the road the vehicle slowly lost power and was going about 25 mph. after about 20 min vehicle started back, the dealer did diagnostic and reset the system. *ak

I have a 2004 toyota prius. i have had it stall at low speed (approx 35mph) march 2004 i had it lose power at highway speed on nov 7, 2004.

Dt: 2004 toyota prius . the warning lights came on and the vehicle lost power. the vehicle came to stop on the freeway. the consumer was able to get to the shoulder and waited about 10 minutes. after the ten min the vehicle was restarted but had very little power. the consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer reprogrammed the ecu as per tsb. no other problems as of yet. this failure was the only incident. *jb *nm

Without warning, the warning light and alarm come on. the gas engine dies and does not engage at all. the electric motor is the only thing that keeps the car mobile. once the power is turned off then back on, both the gas and electric motors move the car as normal, but the warning persists. this has happened twice. i've been told that two different computer were the cause. the first incident happened at about 5,000 miles, and this latest happened just over 10,000.

Master indicator light illuninated, internal combustion engine failed to restart.

5/6/05 my 2004 prius with 20,400 miles without warning loss all power and shut down while driving hazard light came on warning to take to toyota dealer. the vehicle would not start. the battery meter level was completely dead. the vehicle had to be towed to maita toyota 2500 auburn blvd, sacramento, ca 95821, 916 481-5353 for repair. the work order stated the cause was the ecu which was reprogramed which cleared stored codes. code pulled p3191. is this a new finding in the prius?

Computer shut down in the toyota prius causing car to stop in a matter of minutes on two occations.

Purchased a 2004 toyota prius on march 2, 2004. on may 24, 2004 the car stopped while i was driving it. i could not restart it for approximately 15 minutes. i sat in the middle of the street during that time. the dealer said they had never heard of this happening. om june 16, 2004 the car stopped running while i was at an intersection. i had to wait approximately 15 minutes before it would start. the dealer said they didn't know anything about this. on june 21, 2004 the car computers were tested on a recall and found to be out of sync. they were adjusted and i was told that would take care of my problem. in continued to have problems with the car not starting. on oct. 6, 2004 i was given a new car remote control to fix the problem. i continued to have problems. on december 6, 2004 the car completely failed. i was unable to start or turn off the car. after 20 minutes it started and i was able to leave it with the dealer. the multi display unit was replaced. the car continued to stop intermittently;. on january 19, 2005 the car failed to start. a new small battery was installed. on march 29, 2005 the brakes locked up. the abs actuator was replaced. on may 21, 2005 the car failed to start. it is presently at the dealer.

Was driving my 3 month old '04 prius on a 2 lane hwy, late night, 50mph. prius engines suddenly stopped and many warning lights came on. i pulled over, though there was no safe place to do so, set my flashers and began calling for help. spent the next hour calling police and tow trucks, too busy in a dangerous place to troubleshoot. did not feel safe in the car due to high speed traffic. finally towed to dealership and car was admitted in the morning. dealer kept for 5 days, asking me to take it home, nothing wrong. i insisted that i was not comfortable taking the car home until something was done to fix it. called toyota usa hq and reported the problem. they worked with the dealer and eventually got my car back. 1 week later, same thing happened, daytime, with my family aboard. this time, was able to restart and drive to dealership. reported incident to toyota usa hq. while car was in shop, toyota sent me a letter offering to buy the car back from me, due to my lack of confidence in the car. i regretfully accepted. i am very much enthsed by the prius potential, but these glitches are scary. toyota buying the car back from me almost felt like a coverup attempt.

My 2004 toyota prius lost powe, eventually running on battery alone until power was completely lost. contacted my dealer tristate toyota in dudley. by contacting toyota roadside assistance, i was towed to dealer. service mgr. immediately applied the reprogramming of my computer as covered in tsb issued around 10/04. car seems to be back to normal, but this was very disconcerting. reviewed the situation with service mgr. on 5/31, pointing out that this was a serious condition which should call for a recall ao all 2004 & early 2005 models. thank god i was close to my dealer rather than out in the boondocks somewhere. i have an uneasiness about this fix. can toyota assure me that it will not reoccur. remember this tsb was issued in 10/2004 but i was never warned to return to the dealership for corrective steps to be taken. additional complaint - fuel guage inaccurate. when warning blinker comes on i can only add at most 7.5 gallons, in the car whose tank capacity is 11.9 gals. they tried a fix on this - but it was completely inneffective. other than these two items i am elated with the car. i just hope they will do the right thing here.

While driving myh toyota prius has stalled for no reason 3 times. i've brought it in once after the 2nd time and they said that nothing was wrong.

On four separate occasions the prius has had a complete loss of power to the gasoline engine, all the warning indicator lights have been illuminated and the car was able to travel only on battery power for a very short distance before draining the battery. twice this has occurred after stopping at a stop sign and attempting to proceed forward. twice it has happened while driving on the highway at 60-70 mph. when it occurred on the highway the car lost power except from the battery that allowed only 40-42 mph maximum speed. twice the car was towed to the dealer. the first time they performed a software update the second time they reset the computer. the last two times it has happened i have been able to stop the car, disconnect the 12 volt battery which has reset the system and the car performs as expected. this would appear to be software “bug” that requires further investigation by toyota. in any case, this type of occurrence causes an unsafe condition to occur.

A couple of months ago while driving my 2004 toyota prius it lost power and all sorts of warning lights came on. i took it straight to the dealer. at that time they told me it loss it's computer program and went into the "limp home" mode. they reprogamed it and it ran fine. on 5/8/05 after a short drive i stoped and when i tried to restart it, it would not start. all i could get was a lot of warning lights and a wirling sound. i called aaa to have it towed to the dealer. just as the tow truch arrived i tried to start it again and it started like normal. i drove it to the deal and explained the problem to them. they could not find any trouble codes or problem with the car. it has ran fine sence then. but i now worry when it will act up again.

My wife's 2004 toyota prius lost power 100 miles away from home. she was with our 3 month old baby and fortunately was not rear ended or involoved in an accident.

Dt: the consumer owns a 2004 toyota prius. he says that he is having problems with the vehicle because it will shut off while in traffic. also the park mechanism will disengaged and the lock button does not unlock the doors as specified in the owners manual. also the start button does not consistently start the vehicle properly. *jb the vehicle experienced: inoperative brake light, the fuel door spring was replaced, dome light remained on, engine would disengage, lights would remain lit after the vehicle was started, vehicle would not move until the vehicle was shut off and restarted to get the brake light to go out, rattling as if it were going to stall, the alarm sounded on one occasion when the door was opened, fuel door spring malfunctioned and fuel door would not open. the technicians were unable to verify the door lock malfunction. the consumer would like the vehicle replaced with a 2005 model equipped as detailed on the original invoice including aftermarket items paid for. *sc

My 2004 prius' combustion engine shut down on the freeway in sep'04. the car switched to battery mode only and rolled on until the battery was completely drained and then completely stalled. i got stuck in lanes, created a rush-hour traffic jam, and had to be pushed to a shoulder by a police car. the car was towed to a dealer who said it was a software glitch which they proceeded to fix and the car has been working well since then.

Dt: own 2004 toyota prius and on 6 different occasions while driving in the city, the engine has stalled out. the consumer had to stop and wait about 10 minutes and restart the engine and everything would be fine. took to dealer and they could not diagnose this unless they encountered this as it happened. this is the only problem with the vehicle. *tt *sc *jb

Vehicle stalled twice without warning. had to be towed to dealer.

Dt:two weeks ago, the consumer was driving her 2004 toyota prius at 50 mph and it died. luckily it was not during rush hour traffic and occurred near an exit ramp. the consumer was able to maneuver to an exit ramp where she coasted downhill into an off street. the vehicle was towed to a dealer and they have had it for 2 weeks now and they stated the inverter that ties the hybrid to the gas system was the problem. the consumer feel this is a design flaw and feels that she should have been notified by toyota of this problem. *jb *sb

I was driving my 2004 toyota prius at approximately 35 mph when it suddenly stalled and the electric engine power dropped to zero. i could not get the vehicle to move and needed to have it towed to the dealer for service.

I would like to report a stalling i experienced while driving our toyota prius (2004) the car stalled a little after i merged onto highway 85 in cupertino. all the warning lights on the dashboard came on and the car would no longer accelerate as i tried to drive up to 65 mph. it appeared that the gas engine quit and it was running on electric power. i was able to coast on till the next exit. after getting off the freeway, i pulled into the nearest parking lot where i turned to car off. i was able to restart it and it drove fine but all the warning lights remained on. so i immediately drove it to the dealership in sunnyvale where we bought the car where it was fixed. i am not sure that toyota dealers are keeping accurate records of the problem. i read an article in the mercury news today's edition in which adam simms, the operating partner at toyota of sunnyvale has claimed that "none of the people who have bought a prius at his dealership have had problems with stalling". i know this is not true because i have experienced the problem and had it fixed at his dealership. i am not sure of the exact date the incident occured. i believe it was sometime during the the second week of nov.

Dt: consumer stated: vehicle quit while driving, the warning lights did come on before it died. while going 30-35 mph and it just died and couldn't restart. the electrical system stayed on. called tow truck by the time they got there it started. still had to take it to dealer, and warning lights went out. dealership reprogrammed the computer.*ak *sb

I was on the 101 freeway heading south when my 2004 toyota prius lost power, all warning lights came on; i coasted to the shoulder. it took several tries over a period of about 15 minutes to get the car shut off. i called toyota and they told me to bring it in if i could get it started, which i finally did.

I drove my toyota prius from florida to colorado. after about 2100 miles the car stalled. i was stuck on the highway for about 2 hours at a temperature of 15 degrees until i got towed to a toyota dealer. the dealer recharged the battery, which completely discharged while i sat in the stalled car with the heater on, and the problem was gone.

Summary: internal combustion engine died while driving. lots of indicator lights on dash, and message appeared on multifunction display. was able to get to a safe location on battery-only power. details: driving home from town (about 10 miles). car was behaving normally, and had been driven approx 30 miles earlier today with no issues. just before we got home, the following lights came on (i recorded them exactly): (1) red triangle (master warning light), (2) engine check (amber), (3) brake system warning (amber exclamation point in parentheses), (4) vsc, (5) hybrid system warning light (this was also indicated on the lcd screen). lcd had a message on it which i did not record exactly (it was something generic like "there is a problem"). the info screen was indicating that we were running on battery only, and the car had very little "pickup", but we were on our home street, which is quite steep. the car has about 11000 miles, and did something similar when we first got it. after turning the car on and off a few times, the internal combustion engine seems to work again, and most of the indicators have now gone off. (amber "engine check" is still on). after all this happened, i got onto the internet to see if others had seen similar problems, and it looks like there may be a class problem (i note there have been a large number of these in the last few weeks - could it be temperature-related?) car was not out of gas (just refilled yesterday) - gas guage showing nearly full. vehicle was purchased august 2004 (after the tsbs came out that implicated computer problems), so i'm suspecting this may be a different issue than was dealt with there. [xxx]. will notify toyota tomorrow and request instructions as to how to proceed. *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Dt: consumer owns two 2004 toyota prius and both have shut down while driving. consumer has taken both vehicles to dealer and had them reprogrammed. *tt northbrook toyota reprogrammed cars computer, car is ok for now. *sb *nm

Dt: consumer has two 2004 toyota prius and both had engine failures while going between 30 and 40 mph. incident on may 28, 2005 and may 4, 2005 approximately.*ak northbrook toyota reprogrammed vehicle's computer. consumer states vehicle now performs ok. *tt *nm

On 4/7/05 i was traveling on the nj parkway and all of a sudden for no reason my 2004 prius engine stalled no gas to engine only electric power then the electric power slowly in about lest than 2 minutes went to zero and then i had to coast to a safe spot to pull over on the shoulder. luckily i was already traveling in the slow right lane, although at 5 pm rush hour its still going 65+ mph, i coasted down to 40 mph until i finally came to a shoulder in the right lane. i checked for anything leaking nothing, and about 10 minutes later it started up. now all warning lights went on the engine warning failure light which said to bring to dealer right away was on. i brought to dealer the next day a was still able to drive it. they eventually fixed the problem they said it was a computer software problem. they had it from 4/8 to 4/13. it was a very scary situation luckly i was not in the fast lane were i would have been stuck in the middle of fast driving traffic. i just wanted to submit this to put on record just incase there is a bigger problem with other vehicles. the car has run fine since and no problems so far. i read the story from verizon online.

Dt: problem began 5/7/05. while driving, the vehicle suddenly stopped. the indicator said to contact dealership. the vehicle was towed to the dealership. the dealer reset the computer and the vehicle was repaired.*jb

Have a 2004