2008 Toyota Prius

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND SURGED FORWARD. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A ROCKED LANDSCAPING. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 8/31/2017*CN

DRIVING 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH 105K MILES ON THE FREEWAY. SUDDENLY, I SAW THE ABS,VCS AND BRAKE LIGHTS SHOWS UP ON THE DASHBOARD ALONG WITH A CONTINUOUS SCREECHING NOISE. I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP, I APPLIED THE BRAKE EVEN HARDER, STILL THE CAR DID NOT STOP BUT CONTINUOUS TO MOVE FORWARD. IT WAS TRAFFIC TIME ON A MONDAY MORNING, SO I WAS GOING ON 15MPH. WHEN I FOUND THAT MY BRAKE DID NOT RESPOND, I IMMEDIATELY MOVED TO THE CURB AND CALLED AAA. DEALER DID CHECK MY VEHICLE AND SAID THERE IS BREAK ACTUATOR ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACE WITH A PRICE TAG OF 3823 USD. SPOKE TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND THE ASSOCIATE TOLD THAT THIS IS A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. HOW COME THE BRAKE ACTUATOR BECOME FAULTY ON A 6 YEAR OLD CAR, WHICH WAS ADVERTISED A SAFE CAR. NOTE: I HAD MY 100K SERVICE DONE AND I WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. *TR

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

GEAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT USE OF GEAR SHIFT CONTROL. HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND WASN'T ABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE. KEPT GOING BACK TO NEUTRAL. PARK ALSO WASN'T WORKING. POWERED CAR OFF WHICH DID PUT IN PARK. RESTARTED AND DROVE HOME WITHOUT ISSUE. TRIED TO RECREATE AT HOME AND SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. WAS ABLE TO MANUALLY HOLD GEAR SHIFT IN DRIVE OR REVERSE TO MOVE CAR INTO DRIVEWAY. HAVE LEFT CAR AT TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER TODAY FOR INSPECTION. DID NOT OCCUR WHEN TECH TRIED IT DAY AFTER INCIDENT AT 7AM. INITIAL INCIDENT OCCURRED ON HOT AFTERNOON AT 5PM WITH 100 DEGREE TEMPERATURES. HAVE READ ONLINE OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS RELATED TO HOT TEMP. HAVE HAD CAR FOR 5 YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS LIKE THIS. JUST CROSSED 50000 MILES AND AM COVERED UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL OCT. I HOPE IT CAN BE REPAIRED. AND HOPE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN WHILE I AM DRIVING AT FASTER SPEEDS. SO FAR ONLY HAPPENS WHEN PARKED AND RECENTLY STARTED. STARTER BATTERY WAS REPLACED AROUND 2 YEARS AGO. *TR

ON THIS DATE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE 5 NEAR LOS ANGELES MY PRIUS MADE A LOUD NOISE AND STARTED SHUTTING DOWN AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FAR LEFT LANE. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN AND THE VSC ICON AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ICON BECAME VISIBLE, HOWEVER THE ODOMETER WAS BLANK AND I COULD NOT TELL WHAT SPEED I WAS TRAVELING, THE CAR WAS COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. ONCE I MANAGED TO GET TO THE FAR RIGHT SHOULDER THE CAR MADE A STOP. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A BIG RIG WHICH HAD TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT SIDE IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING MY CAR. IT WASN'T UNTIL THEN THAT I NOTICED THE RED ENGINE LIGHT ICON DISPLAYED ON THE CONTROL PANEL NOT THE ODOMETER. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS WARNING LIGHT BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE OWNER'S MANUAL IT CLEARLY STATED THAT ONCE THIS LIGHT APPEARS YOU NEED TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE OR IT WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED THIS SIGN AND IT APPEARED AFTER THE FACT. THE CAR HAD NO ENGINE OIL, WHICH WAS RIDICULOUS SINCE I HAD NOT NOTICED ANY LEAKS AND I TAKE MY CAR IN EVERY 2 MONTHS TO THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THE DEALER HAD NO EXPLANATION OTHER THAN IT DID NOT HAVE ANY LEAKS AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO VERIFY WHEN THE RED ENGINE OIL CAME ON. THIS HAPPENED ON 5/30/14, MY LAST VISIT TO THE DEALER WAS ON 4/12/14 AND AT THE TIME THEY DID NOT DETECT ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE OIL LEAKING. THIS CLEARLY MAKES NO SENSE AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. TOYOTA OWNERS SHOULD BE VERY CAUTIOUS AS THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED THE SENSOR SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A WARNING PRIOR TO THE CAR SHUTTING DOWN. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED MANY FATALITIES BEING IN A HEAVILY POPULATED HIGHWAY. *TR

ON 09/01/10, WE TOOK OUR 2008 PRIUS IN BECAUSE THERE WERE TWO TIMES THE CAR DIDN'T STOP WHEN WE USED THE BRAKES. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER, THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. IT WAS SCARY AND I FEARED AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THEY WORKED ON THE CAR, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE FLOOR MATS THAT INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME BECAUSE I HAD TO PUT MY FOOT UNDER THE PEDAL TO RAISE IT UP SINCE IT WAS STUCK. I WAS ANGRY THEY COMPLETELY IGNORED THE FACT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN AND ACTED AS THOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS HANDLED. ON 03/31/12, W. MANCHESTER/HINDRY, BEFORE 2:00 P.M., IT HAD DRIZZLED, I STOPPED AT A LIGHT, DROVE AHEAD AND AT A FORK IN THE ROAD I TAPPED MY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN ON A CURVE. INSTEAD, THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND. THE CAR KEPT GAINING SPEED! I WAS AT LEAST 3 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND OTHER CAR, PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP BUT THE CAR ACCELERATED NO MATTER HOW HARD I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES. IT WAS TERRIFYING! I REALIZED I WAS GOING TO CRASH AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO PREVENT IT. I REAR ENDED THE MERCEDES, THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. I HAD 2 BOXES OF BOOKS IN THE TRUNK THAT HIT THE BACK OF MY SEAT AND KNOCKED DOWN THE REAR SEATS FROM THE IMPACT. THE CAR WAS TOWED. DAMAGES: $5,988.79. MEDICAL: $25,000. NEXT MONTH, A CRACKED PUMP WAS DISCOVERED AT FIREWALL, DUE TO THE ACCIDENT. THE BLACK BOX SHOWED IMPACT WAS AT 35 MPH, (35-27) MPH, 0.02 SEC. INJURIES: CONCUSSION, WHIPLASH, BACK SPASMS, DOUBLE-CRUSH INJURY, PTSD, DEPRESSION, MIGRAINES. I COULDN'T DRIVE OR START PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR 4 MOS., UNTIL 07/27/12. MY THERAPIST WORKED ALOT TO RELAX MY MUSCLES, I HAD TRACTION, BOUGHT A TRACTION DEVICE $400. AND 6 MOS. OF CHIROPRACTIC FOR MUSCLE SPASMS. 12/08/12, I HAD A NERVE-TEST, IT WAS ABNORMAL FOR A DOUBLE-CRUSH INJURY. PRESCRIBED XANAX FOR PTSD, ANXIETY. *TR

ON 09/01/10, WE TOOK OUR 2008 PRIUS IN BECAUSE THERE WERE TWO TIMES THE CAR DIDN'T STOP WHEN WE USED THE BRAKES. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER, THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. IT WAS SCARY AND I FEARED AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THEY WORKED ON THE CAR, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE FLOOR MATS THAT INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME BECAUSE I HAD TO PUT MY FOOT UNDER THE PEDAL TO RAISE IT UP SINCE IT WAS STUCK. I WAS ANGRY THEY COMPLETELY IGNORED THE FACT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN AND ACTED AS THOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS HANDLED. ON 03/31/12, W. MANCHESTER/HINDRY, BEFORE 2:00 P.M., IT HAD DRIZZLED, I STOPPED AT A LIGHT, DROVE AHEAD AND AT A FORK IN THE ROAD I TAPPED MY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN ON A CURVE. INSTEAD, THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND. THE CAR KEPT GAINING SPEED! I WAS AT LEAST 3 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND OTHER CAR, PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP BUT THE CAR ACCELERATED NO MATTER HOW HARD I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES. IT WAS TERRIFYING! I REALIZED I WAS GOING TO CRASH AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO PREVENT IT. I REAR ENDED THE MERCEDES, THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. I HAD 2 BOXES OF BOOKS IN THE TRUNK THAT HIT THE BACK OF MY SEAT AND KNOCKED DOWN THE REAR SEATS FROM THE IMPACT. THE CAR WAS TOWED. DAMAGES: $5,988.79. MEDICAL: $25,000. NEXT MONTH, A CRACKED PUMP WAS DISCOVERED AT FIREWALL, DUE TO THE ACCIDENT. THE BLACK BOX SHOWED IMPACT WAS AT 35 MPH, (35-27) MPH, 0.02 SEC. INJURIES: CONCUSSION, WHIPLASH, BACK SPASMS, DOUBLE-CRUSH INJURY, PTSD, DEPRESSION, MIGRAINES. I COULDN'T DRIVE OR START PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR 4 MOS., UNTIL 07/27/12. MY THERAPIST WORKED ALOT TO RELAX MY MUSCLES, I HAD TRACTION, BOUGHT A TRACTION DEVICE $400. AND 6 MOS. OF CHIROPRACTIC FOR MUSCLE SPASMS. 12/08/12, I HAD A NERVE-TEST, IT WAS ABNORMAL FOR A DOUBLE-CRUSH INJURY. PRESCRIBED XANAX FOR PTSD, ANXIETY. *TR

IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TWO TIMES WITHIN A MONTH. IN ONE CASE, I WAS TURNING LEFT TO TAKE A RAMP WITH A VERY LOW SPEED AROUND 5 MPH. EVEN THOUGH SOME PARTS OF THE ROAD WAS ICY, BUT THE CAR DIDN'T SLIP. IT WAS EXACTLY A SEVERAL SUDDEN PUSHES, UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE ONLY. I WAS SO SCARED BECAUSE I COULDN'T CONTROL THE CAR FOR FEW SECONDS, AND I THOUGHT I TOTALLY LOST THE CONTROL OF THE CAR. I TRIED TO STEER THE CAR SAFELY AND TURN ON MY EMERGENCY LIGHT. CHECKED THE BRAKE AGAIN, IT WAS WORKING AFTER THAT. THE SECOND TIME, HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WAS COMING OUT OF SCHOOL PARKING AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY SPEED AT ALL. AGAIN AROUND 5 MPH. SCHOOL IS LOCATED IN RESIDENTIAL AREA. WHEN YOU GET OUT OF THE PARKING, YOU CAN ONLY TURN RIGHT, THEN THERE IS AN INTERSECTION WITH A STOP SIGN ALMOST 50 FEET AWAY. ON THE DAY OF INCIDENT, I TRIED TO STOP BEHIND THE STOP SIGN WITH NO SPEED AT ALL, BUT SUDDENLY THE CAR GOT THE SAME CONTINUOUS AND SUDDEN PUSHES. IT WAS ACCELERATED UNINTENDED. MY FOOT WAS COMPLETELY ON THE BRAKE, BUT I LOST THE CONTROL AGAIN, AND I WAS SO LUCKY THAT DAY THAT THERE WERE NO CARS AROUND THE INTERSECTION, I TRIED TO STEER THE CAR TO THE LEFT, TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY LIGHT, AND TRIED TO PUSH THE BRAKE AGAIN AND AGAIN. AFTER FEW SECONDS, I FOUND IT WORKING. I CALLED THE TOYOTA THE SAME DAY, AND THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SCHEDULING ME FOR INSPECTION. AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THE SURFACE WAS SLICK WITH ICE, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE SPEED, AND IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE ABS IS WORKING. I EXACTLY KNOW HOW ABS WORKS, SPECIALLY WHEN IT IS SNOWY OR ICY. THIS IS VERY SCARY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THANKS. *TR

I HAVE A TOYOTA PRIUS AND IT IS USED AS A TAXI IN SAN FRANCISCO. I HAD NOTICED A FEW TIMES THAT THE ENGINE REVS UP WHILE I WAS AT STOP AND THE BATTERY WAS FULLY CHARGED. IT WAS LIKE THE ENGINE PULSE. IDLE TO HIGH REV AND IDLE AGAIN FOR A FEW TIMES AND THAT HAPPENED FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS WHILE ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE BY ITSELF AT THE FIRST WEEK OF NOV 2013 AND HAPPEN AGAIN ON HIGHWAY 101 SOUTH IN MILL VALLEY CA AROUND 8 PM. I HAVE CALLED CITY TOYOTA AND EXPLAINED ABOUT IT BUT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT JUST TOLD ME TO GET APPOINTMENT TO CHECK IT UP. AS I ASSUME MYSELF AS WELL EXPERIENCED DRIVER WITH 25 YEARS OF DRIVING MULTI TYPE OF VEHICLES, IT IS NOT DRIVER ERROR NOR THE PEDAL NOR THE FLOOR MATS. IT IS MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED EXCESSIVELY AS THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A WALL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AS A PRECAUTION, BUT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 11/14/13*CN