IllustrationTHE BLACK RUBBER IS DISINTEGRATING AND FALLING OFF THE OUTSIDE TRUNK LATCH, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO OPEN THE HATCHBACK TO GET TO THE SPARE TIRE OR BATTERY. THIS IS ALSO HAPPENING TO MY NEIGHBOR, WHO PARKS RIGHT NEXT TO ME AND ALSO HAS A 2008 PRIUS.
2008 Toyota Prius
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Prius years
Owner complaints for the 2008 Toyota Prius are substantially higher than the model-year median of 164.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Prius years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
2880–25K
31125–50K
22150–75K
13675–100K
169100–150K
123150K+
1,248 reports with mileage · 249 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 579 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 235 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 171 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
152 crash reports6 fire reports50 injury reports
Unknown Or Other complaints
50 reportsTHE REAR HATCH HANDLE COVER - WHICH APPEARS TO BE RUBBER - STARTED DETERIORATING RATHER QUICKLY IN THE SUMMER HEAT ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS AGO AND HAS TURNED INTO A RUBBERY, STICKY BLACK MESS. THE DETERIORATING RUBBER HAS INTERFERED WITH THE USE OF THE HATCH RELEASE HANDLE. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND WAS COMPLET…
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THE REAR HATCH HANDLE COVER - WHICH APPEARS TO BE RUBBER - STARTED DETERIORATING RATHER QUICKLY IN THE SUMMER HEAT ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS AGO AND HAS TURNED INTO A RUBBERY, STICKY BLACK MESS. THE DETERIORATING RUBBER HAS INTERFERED WITH THE USE OF THE HATCH RELEASE HANDLE. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. WE DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR HATCH HAD NOT CLOSED COMPLETELY AND RESULTED IN AN INTERIOR LIGHT REMAINING ON WHICH COMPLETELY DRAINED THE BATTERY. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET BLOGS AND CHAT FORUMS FROM OTHER PRIUS OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS COULD EASILY RESULT IN A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE INABILITY OF THE REAR HATCH TO CLOSE PROPERLY AND POTENTIALLY OPENING DURING OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER CHARGED ME $208 TO REPAIR/REPLACE THE LATCH. IN MY OPINION, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VEHICLE DEFECT WHICH SHOULD REQUIRE A RECALL OR A WARRANTY EXTENSION FROM TOYOTA AND A REFUND OF ANY MONIES PAID BY PRIUS OWNERS TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
VEHICLE STARTS, RUNS FOR LIMITED TIME -2-3 MINS. SHUTS OFF VEHICLE STARTS NO ELECTRICAL VISIBILITY ON DASH.. BLANK. VEHICLE STARTS WITH ELECTRICAL VISIBILITY, RUNS FOR 3-5 MILES, LOOSES ELECTRICAL VISIBILITY. UPDATED 12/4/2017*CN VEHICLE STARTS WITH ELECTRICAL VISIBILITY RUNS FOR 3-4 MILES .VEHICLE STOPS, SHUTS OFF I…
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VEHICLE STARTS, RUNS FOR LIMITED TIME -2-3 MINS. SHUTS OFF VEHICLE STARTS NO ELECTRICAL VISIBILITY ON DASH.. BLANK. VEHICLE STARTS WITH ELECTRICAL VISIBILITY, RUNS FOR 3-5 MILES, LOOSES ELECTRICAL VISIBILITY. UPDATED 12/4/2017*CN VEHICLE STARTS WITH ELECTRICAL VISIBILITY RUNS FOR 3-4 MILES .VEHICLE STOPS, SHUTS OFF IN TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WILL NOT START. REQUIRES JUMP START,,. AND RUNS ENOUGH TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER. VEHICLE WILL NOT START, REQUIRES JUMP START AND WILL NOT HOLD CHARGE. REQUIRES TOWING TO DEALER. MA 10/8
THE BLACK HATCH RELEASE ON MY 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS MELTED MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT (SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE) TO OPEN THE HATCH. TOYOTA IS APPARENTLY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM YET REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. THE COST TO REPLACE WITH PART EXCEEDS $300. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS DOORS NEED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY ON A VEHICLE.
THERE IS A GLASS AREA BELOW THE LIP OF THE HATCHBACK, THAT EXPLODED WHEN SHUTTING THE HATCHBACK. THE GLASS WAS NOT HIT BY ANY OBJECT INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE CAR. GLASS JUST EXPLODED.
2008 PRIUS WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE SHIFT GEARS POP BACK INTO 'NEUTRAL' POSITION AND WILL NOT STAY IN 'DRIVE' OR 'REVERSE' MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE.
THE LIFTGATE GLASS RELEASE SWITCH COVER HAS TURNED INTO A BLACK BLOB AND MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET INTO THE TRUNK TO ACCESS THE SPARE TIRE AND ANY SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON BOARD. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY 2007-2008 PRIUS OWNERS. *TR
THE BACK LATCH OF MY 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS DEGRADED ("MELTED" ALMOST). IT NO LONGER FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, AND I AM UNABLE TO OPEN THE BACK HATCH DOOR EASILY. SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES CONSIDERABLE EFFORT AND PERSEVERANCE TO GET IT OPEN. I AM CONCERNED THAT IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE DOOR OPEN. THIS IS A…
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THE BACK LATCH OF MY 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS DEGRADED ("MELTED" ALMOST). IT NO LONGER FUNCTIONS PROPERLY, AND I AM UNABLE TO OPEN THE BACK HATCH DOOR EASILY. SOMETIMES IT REQUIRES CONSIDERABLE EFFORT AND PERSEVERANCE TO GET IT OPEN. I AM CONCERNED THAT IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE DOOR OPEN. THIS IS A MAJOR CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. THE ITEM IN QUESTION IS A RUBBER PAD, ABOUT 1" X 3", LOCATED FACING DOWN ON A HORIZONTAL SURFACE OF THE TRUNK LID, JUST ABOVE THE LICENSE PLATE. IT COVERS A MOMENTARY CONTACT SWITCH. WHEN YOU DEPRESS THE SWITCH, THROUGH THIS RUBBERY PAD, THE COMPUTER CHECKS TO SEE IF THERE'S A KEY IN THE VICINITY. IF THERE IS, THE AUTOMATIC LATCH FOR THE TRUNK IS ACTIVATED AND THE TRUNK OPENS. THE RUBBER PAD DETERIORATION INTERFERES WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE LATCH AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE PROACTIVELY IN SPITE OF NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE DEFECTIVE MATERIALS THEY HAVE USED. *JS
AS AN ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER OF THE MILITARY, I MOVE FREQUENTLY. MY MAILING ADDRESS WAS AT ADDRESS "A", THEN I MOVED TO ADDRESS "B" NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO. SINCE THE MOVE, I HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL MAILINGS AT ADDRESS "B" FROM TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS (SPAM MAIL, FLYERS, ETC.) AND FROM TOYOTA CORPORATION (PENDING RECALL NOTICES). I RE…
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AS AN ACTIVE DUTY MEMBER OF THE MILITARY, I MOVE FREQUENTLY. MY MAILING ADDRESS WAS AT ADDRESS "A", THEN I MOVED TO ADDRESS "B" NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO. SINCE THE MOVE, I HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL MAILINGS AT ADDRESS "B" FROM TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS (SPAM MAIL, FLYERS, ETC.) AND FROM TOYOTA CORPORATION (PENDING RECALL NOTICES). I RECENTLY RECEIVED AT ADDRESS "B" A NOTICE FROM TOYOTA CORPORATION THAT THERE WAS AN UPCOMING RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE'S STEERING SHAFT AND WATER PUMP. THE ACTUAL RECALL NOTICE, WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO RECEIVE REPAIRS AT TOYOTA'S EXPENSE, WAS JUST MAILED LAST WEEK TO ADDRESS "A". I STILL LIVE AT ADDRESS "B" AND NEVER CHANGED MY ADDRESS BACK TO "A". FORTUNATELY, THE CURRENT RESIDENT OF ADDRESS "A" FORWARDED THE RECALL NOTICE TO ME, AT PERSONAL EXPENSE. IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW TOYOTA COULD ACCIDENTALLY REVERT TO AN EARLIER ADDRESS ONLY FOR THE MAILING NOTICE THAT COSTS TOYOTA TIME AND MONEY. I WENT TO THE TOYOTA WEBSITE TO UPDATE OR VERIFY THE ADDRESS THEY HAVE ON FILE FOR AN OWNER. BEFORE AN OWNER CAN ACCESS THAT INFORMATION, THE OWNER MUST READ THROUGH A LENGTHY "TERMS AND CONDITIONS" AGREEMENT AND PROVIDE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS SO THAT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, TOYOTA CAN SEND "OFFERS". I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ADDITIONAL "OFFERS" FROM TOYOTA, NOR PERMITTING AN OPEN MARKETING AGREEMENT WITH THEM. I WOULD ONLY LIKE MY DEFECTIVE PRODUCT REPAIRED. *TR
PASSENGER HEADLIGHT SUDDENLY WENT OUT. WILL COME BACK ON MOMENTARILY IF YOU TURN LIGHTS OFF AND BACK ON. *TR
Official recalls
412V536000 · Engine And Engine Cooling; Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter
Nov 14, 2012
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Consequence: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Engine And Engine Cooling
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2003, through March 30, 2009 and FCHV-adv vehicles manufactured December 12, 2008, through September 13, 2011. During manufacturing, a scratch may have occurred inside of the electrically driven water pump at the coil wire. The coil wire may corrode at the scratched portion.
Consequence: The corroded coil wire may break and the water pump could stop. The corroded coil wire could cause a short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will replace the electric water pump, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
12V537000 · Steering; Steering:gear Box:shaft Sector
Nov 14, 2012
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Steering:gear Box:shaft Sector
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Consequence: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Steering
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.
Consequence: Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
10V036000 · Equipment:other:labels
Feb 3, 2010
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
09V388000 · Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal
Oct 5, 2009
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CAN GET STUCK IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION DUE TO ITS BEING TRAPPED BY AN UNSECURED OR INCOMPATIBLE DRIVER'S FLOOR MAT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
Remedy: TOYOTA FILED AN AMENDED DEFECT REPORT ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009, STATING THAT DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND, ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, ALTER THE SHAPE OF THE FLOOR SURFACE UNDER THE PEDAL. THESE CHANGES ADDRESS THE RISK OF PEDAL ENTRAPMENT DUE TO INTERFERENCE WITH THE FLOOR MAT. REDESIGNED ACCELERATOR PEDALS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE BEGINNING IN APRIL 2010 AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY MODIFIED PEDAL WITH THE NEW PEDAL IF DESIRED. ALSO, DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY GENUINE TOYOTA OR LEXUS ALL-WEATHER FLOOR MATS WITH REDESIGNED ALL-WEATHER MATS, OR REPURCHASE THE PREVIOUS MATS FROM OWNERS WHO DO NOT WANT THE NEW ONES. ADDITIONALLY, SOFTWARE MODIFICATIONS WILL BE INSTALLED ON CAMRY, AVALON AND LEXUS ES 350, IS 350 AND IS 250 MODELS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT THE BRAKE OVERRIDES THE ACCELERATOR IN THE EVENT BOTH BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE APPLIED. TOYOTA WILL BEGIN MAILING LETTERS TO OWNERS ON DECEMBER 31, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331, LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP13001 · Intermediate Steering Shaft Separation
Opened Feb 21, 2013 · Closed Apr 8, 2020
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering; Steering:column; Steering:linkages
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Additional source detail variants (3)
Steering:column
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Steering:linkages
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606
Steering
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined the Petition Vehicle?s history, including its repair history; 4.Reviewed and followed-up potentially related consumer complaints; 5.Assessed Safety Recalls 06V-188 and 12V-537; and, 6.Requested and examined complaint, claim, field report, service history, and warranty information from Toyota.ODI's review revealed that the petition vehicle had been recalled (Recall 06V188) to remedy a defect in the system identified in the petition with the remedy taking place prior to the failure that prompted the petition. Circumstances point to incorrect reassembly of the petitioner's vehicle by those who performed the recall remedy.ODI examined the issues raised by this petition to identify any related safety defect trend in the general subject vehicle population.That review identified a low rate of related consumer complaints (twenty-five over a eight year period from a population of over 600,000 vehicles) and no pattern that would identify either a safety defect not already covered by the two existing steering safety recalls by Toyota or a systematic problem with either recall remedy.Based on this evaluation, ODI does not believe that additional investigation will lead to a finding that a defect related to motor vehicle safety exists in the subject vehicles. Therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize NHTSA?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition is denied. The denial of this petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.For more information, see the Federal Register notice in the public file for this action (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle, select NHTSA ID, enter: DP13001)The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed on-line (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls#vehicle) under the following NHTSA ID numbers:10407520, 10418710, 10429551, 10473654, 10478195, 10478053, 10437229, 10489425, 10510722, 10639984, 10648277, 10499778, 10712626, 10723196, 10787530, 10808124, 10838803, 11071646, 11098144, 11099507, 11102659, 11160767, 11192607, 11287550, 11287606