2015 Toyota Prius

I RECEIVED A LONG TECHNICAL LETTER FROM TOYOTA WITH MY VIN NUMBER WARNING ME OF A POSSIBLE FAILURE OF THE INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE IN MY 2015 PRIUS. IT SAYS THIS IS NOT A RECALL, BUT RATHER AN ADVISEMENT OF A VOLUNTARY CUSTOMER PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN INITIATED FOR MY VEHICLE. IT SAYS THAT IF I HAVE THE INCLUDED SYMPTOMS, TO BRING IT IN FOR EVALUATION, AND A REPAIR WILL BE ATTEMPTED, BUT IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT THE IPM, I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE INVESTIGATION. THIS SOUNDS MOST UNFAIR. I DO NOT HAVE THE SKILLS TO MAKE THE NECESSARY DETERMINATION. I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE SOMEONE CALL ME BACK, BUT NO ONE HAS CALLED!

STARTED HEARING GRINDING AND SCREECHING NOISES FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AFTER A 125 MILE DRIVE TO SAN FRANCISCO. THE FOLLOWING DAY VEHICAL STARTED BUT GRINDING NOISE PERSISTED WHILE VEHICAL WAS PARKED IDLING.DORVE TO THE STOE AND ON THE WAY BACK HOME THE CAR STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. COULD NOT GET IT TO TURN BACK ON SO I PUSHED IT OFF THE HIGHWAY. ERROR MESSAGE ON DASH MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT AN ERROR WITH THE HYBRID SYSTEM.

105K MILAGE. DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 45MPH AND CAR SUDDENLY JERK AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 10/15MPH. LOST ELECTRIC POWER, ABLE TO ONLY CONTINUE DRIVING ON GAS 10/15MPH. TOYOTA HAD TO REPLACE THE FOLLOWING WHICH THEY INDICATE WAS NOT UNDER WARRENTLY WHICH COST $2642. TRANSISTER KIT, POWE PLUE KIT, INVERTER D GREASE SUPER LONG LIFE COOL GASKET

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN MY CAR'S HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS A CAME ON , AND THE CAR SLOWED TO A CRAWL. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE CAR COMPETELY SHUT DOWN. I'VE HAD IT TOWED TO TWO TOYOTA DEARLSHIPS, (THE SAME ONE TWICE),WHERE I WAS TOLD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS. FIRST, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS WATER IN THE GAS TANK. THERE WAS NO WAY THAT WAS TRUE, SINCE I HAD ALREADY DRIVEN 3/4'S OF A TANK OF GAS, AND I ALWAYS FILL MY TANK UP. I REFUSED TO HAVE A NEW FUEL SYSTEM PUT IN TO THE TUNE OF $2500. I HAD IT TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND WHERE HE GOT 5 GALLONS OF WATER OUT OF THE TANK. I ONLY HAD ABOUT 3 GALLONS OF GAS IN THE CAR TO BEGIN WITH, AND I KNOW I DIDN'T PUT WATER IN THE TANK.THE HYBRID SYSTEM SEALS HAD NEVER BEEN BROKEN, SO THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T EVEN CHECK THAT OUT, EVEN THOUGH THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON REGARDING THE HYBRID SYSTEM. VERY FISHY...THE NEXT DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THERE WAS WATER IT AND IT NEEDED TO BE DRAINED AND FUEL REPLACED, EVEN THOUGHT THAT HAD JUST BEEN DONE. THEY SENT ME A PHOTO OF A COKE BOTTLE WITH ABOUT 1/4 CUP OF FUEL WATER MIX. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEM WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY SINCE AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DRAINED THE FUEL SYSTEM.THE CAR'S BATTERIES WERE STILL UNDER WARRANTY, SINCE IT WAS UNDER 100,000 MILES. WE SENT IT BACK TO THE FIRST DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY NOW SAID IT WAS A FAILED ENGINE WHICH WOULD COST $10,000 TO REPLACE. (MORE THAT THE WORTH OF THE CAR). THIS NIGHTMARE HAS LASTED OVER 8 MONTHS! IT BEGAN IN SEPT.2019. COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA CORPORATE TO NO SATISFACTION. BOTTOM LINE, TOYOTA DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR, AND WOULD NOT FIX IT UNLESS WE PAID TO HAVE IT FIXED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE RECALL THAT IS BEING IMPLEMENTED IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY CAR. *TR

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2025 AND I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING BRAKE FAILURE ISSUES EVERY TIME I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE OVER EITHER A POTHOLE, A SLICK SURFACE LIKE A METAL SHEET AT ROAD CONSTRUCTION OR WET ROADS THE BRAKE WOULD FAIL. ALL THE RED WARNING SIGNS WOULD COME ON IN THE DASHBOARD AND THE BRAKES WOULD MAKE THAT LOUD HORRIBLE NOISE. I LOVE MY PRIUS, I DON'T WANT TO GET RID OF IT. I WAS HOPING TOYOTA MOTORS WOULD HAVE A FIXED FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM BY NOW AS THIS IS VERY UNSAFE SPECIALLY INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS. MY GOAL IS TO PASS THIS CAR TO MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WHEN SHE GOES TO COLLEGE IN 2021, BUT THIS MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE IF TOYOTA DOESN'T TO UP WITH A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

THE PRIUS WAS STATIONARY, PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY OF OUR HOUSE. MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WAS IN THE CAR WASHING THE WINDSHIELD AND WINDOWS ON THE INSIDE AND ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED THE GEARBOX (SHIFTER). THE CAR WENT OUT OF PARK AND INTO NEUTRAL AND ROLLED BACKWARD. THE ENGINE WAS NOT ON. THE CAR QUICKLY ROLLED 20 FEET INTO A TREE AND CAUSED 6200$ DAMAGES TO THE REAR OF THE CAR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS BEHIND THE CAR. I BELIEVE THAT THE PRIUS CAN BE ACCIDENTALLY PLACED IN NEUTRAL IF ELECTRICAL IS ON IN THE CAR (IE RADIO) AND SOMEONE HAS THEIR FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND HITS THE GEARBOX BY ACCIDENT. THERE IS NO SAFETY ON THE SHIFTER TO PREVENT UNINTENTIONAL SHIFTING. MANY OTHER CARS REQUIRE A MANUAL BUTTON ON THE SHIFTER TO BE DEPRESSED PRIOR TO SHIFTING. THIS IS NOT THE CASE ON THE PRIUS. WITHOUT THAT SAFETY FEATURE, ACCIDENTS LIKE THIS ONE CAN HAPPEN AND POTENTIALLY KILL SOMEONE. THE CAR CAN BE MADE TO BE IN NEUTRAL BY ACCIDENT RATHER EASILY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON OCCASIONS THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. ADDITIONALLY, THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMPS BECAME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT WOULD THEN HAVE TO USE TO THE HIGH BEAM HEADLAMPS FOR SAFE NIGHTTIME DRIVING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT TURNING OFF THE HEADLAMP SWITCH AND TURNING BACK ON TEMPORARILY REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MOLLE TOYOTA LOCATED AT 601 WEST 103RD STREET 64114 PHONE (866)-577-9913. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HEADLAMPS OPERATED AS INTENDED WHILE BEING INSPECTED BY THE TECHNICIAN. THE CONTACT WAS ASKED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHILE THE FAILURE WAS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,300.

THE BRAKES ON MY 2015 PRIUS TOTALLY FAILED AND I HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE CAR STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. I'VE BEEN DRIVING FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. IT WAS TERRIFYING. TO WIT: I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 20 M.P.H. ON CITY STREETS IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, IN APRIL 2019. AS I DROVE OVER A BRIDGE, TRAFFIC WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT 200 YARDS IN FRONT OF ME. I DROVE OVER A NARROW METAL PLATE--THERE ARE SEVERAL ON THE BRIDGE--AND HIT THE BRAKES, BUT MY CAR DIDN'T SLOW. A WARNING LIGHT FLASHED--A STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT, I BELIEVE, DUE TO THE METAL PLATE. I PRESSED THE BRAKES TO THE FLOOR AS MY CAR ROLLED DOWNHILL ON PAVEMENT. MY CAR DID NOT SLOW AT ALL. I LOOKED IN THE DRIVER SIDE MIRROR AND SAW THAT THE LANE TO MY LEFT WAS CLEAR, SO I SWERVED INTO IT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP WELL BEYOND WHERE I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED HAD MY BRAKES WORKED PROPERLY. THE INCIDENT WAS SO TERRIFYING THAT I HAD TO PULL OVER TO COLLECT MYSELF. MY BRAKES WORKED PROPERLY AFTER THAT. A FEW DAYS LATER, I TOOK MY CAR TO PENSKE TOYOTA IN DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA, WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR, AND TOLD A SERVICE AGENT WHAT HAPPENED. I ASKED HIM TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER SERVICE TECHNICIANS INSPECTED THE BRAKES THAT DAY, I WAS TOLD THE BRAKES APPEARED TO BE FINE AND, BARRING A RECALL, NOTHING COULD BE DONE. I'VE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR SINCE THEN, BUT I'VE WORRIED THAT THE BRAKES COULD FAIL AGAIN. THEN I SAW THE JAN. 3, 2020 ARTICLE BELOW. AS A RESULT, I'VE RENTED A CAR AND HAVE STOPPED DRIVING MY PRIUS. THIS IS A TERRIFYING, LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED NOW. HTTPS://WWW.DAILYNEWS.COM/2020/01/03/A-SOUTHERN-CALIFORNIA-TOYOTA-DEALER-WANTS-THE-CAR-GIANT-TO-FIX-AN-ALLEGED-BRAKE-DEFECT-BEFORE-PUTTING-LIVES-AT-STAKE/ P.S. I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATE THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. DATE BELOW IS MY BEST ESTIMATE.