general problems of the 2003 Toyota Prius

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Prius hybrid. The contact stated that she had experienced several failures within the vehicle since purchasing three months ago. The transmission was replaced, the left front tire had a leak and the inverter was replaced because several lights on the instrumental panel remained illuminated. On December 3, 2010, while driving approximately 10 mph the steering wheel began to shake violently. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test but was unable to locate a failure code. The dealer test drove the vehicle but was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 86,000.

2003 Toyota Prius was proceeding west on I-40 near knoxville, TN when the tread separated from the left rear tire and wrapped itself around the axle causing the driver to lose control. The car veered to the left then to the right, hit a guardrail and then hit a semi head-on. The vehicle was totaled, the driver survived with a concussion and a head wound.

I have a 2003 Toyota Prius. I had my first flat tire at approximately 18,000 miles. Second flat tire came 20,000 miles. When I took the car to the tire store I was told that Prius have major problems with tires. They indicated that both back tires were completely worn and needed to be replaced. I spoke to the service manager for Toyota dealership and she admitted that there was an issue but that it had been rectified. She replaced my last existing tire at approximately 25,000 miles. At 45,000 service I was again told that both of my back tires were completely worn and needed to be replaced immediately. Toyota indicated this was my fault for not properly servicing the car. I have had all recommended service up to that point. I contacted the manager of the dealership. He advises me now that the tires will always only last approximately 20 to 25 k miles. He suggested that I check my tire pressure at least every two weeks and have tires rotated every 5,000 miles but admitted that this will probably not help because of the design of the car.

We purchased a 2003 Prius. The cars original equipment included bridgestone extra load tires p175/65r14. In less than 25,000 miles we had to replace the tires with a second set. After about 10,000 wear on both sets the noise from the tires has been so loud it was uncomfortable to ride in the car. While this is not a safety issue it is very aggravating when you consider the cost of the vehicle.

At 5,000 miles the front tires on my '03 Prius were worn to cord exposed. When I first approached the dealer, 4/03, with concerns at 1,500 miles and obvious wear, I was told that they had not seen this problem before. They aligned the front end and said that should fix the problem. When I brought it to the dealer,6/13/03,they told me that the problem is common, a design defect. The tires are too small for the weight of the vehicle's front end. I left the car with them and was called at the end of the day. The said that they could not get the approval from Toyota to replace the tires under warranty. I would either have to pay for the tires myself or take the car as is. I told them I would take the car as is, but would hold them responsible for what may happen if the tires failed. When I went to get the car they were mounting new tires at their expense. I called Toyota customer service to file a complaint, 6/13/03. They pretend to be unaware of any problems with Prius tires. Toyota will not recommend any tire for the Prius than the brigestone potenza re92. I think this is a serious safety issue. It is unreasonable to expect customers to replace tires more often than oil changes. My daily canyon commute is admittedly harder on tires than average, but I described it exactly to the salesman when I purchased the car. Nothing was disclosed to me about potential tire wear problems.