Table 1 shows two common suspension related problems of the 2003 Toyota Prius.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Suspension problems | |
| Rear Suspension problems |
2003 Toyota Prius with excessive tire wear. First tire failure (Sep 03) at approximately 14k miles; total failure of tire, we lucked out. Remainder of tires replaced at about 18k miles. That good-quality set has now worn to the point of needing to be replaced at 38000 miles. Toyota admits there is a problem, but will do nothing to help the customer with it. A web search shows other owners have had this problem (tire wall failures, like our first failure) -- with some compensated, some not. There are also other defects which the manufacturer will not/cannot repair after several reports. . . . Until they blame the customer for "hurting" the car after they can't fix it.
Bridgestone tires supplied by manufacturer had began delaminating along inside rim because rear alignment on 2003 Toyota Prius was incorrect. One tire was near complete failure when discovered. The question does the weight of the battery pack (placed immediately over the rear axle) cause the rear suspension to misalign in normal daily driving, which in turn places extreme wear on the inside of the rear tires? because the wear is on the inside of the tire, the problem may not be discovered before a blowout occurs.