general problems of the 2004 Toyota Prius - part 1

The odometer on my 2004 Prius stops at 299,999. This is a known problem in the 04-05 models that was corrected in 2006. Leaves me unable to track miles for maintenance and other uses. This also has the problem with the entire digital dash going dark which means no speedometer or gas gauge. Making the vehicle almost unable to be driven safely at this point. I have reached out to Toyota and they verify that it was an issue with this year range but because I have owned it too long they don't do anything about it.

During a hot period of summer, my drive selector decided to not stay in the drive position unless I held it there. I could make the initial selection of drive and then stop on the gas, but it would not stay unless I physically held the lever down in the drive position. I never had an issue with the reverse position; only drive. I could always get the car back into park. This is an extremely unsafe driving condition because it happens without warning and the fix is not obvious. Once the driver is aware of the fix, it forces them into an unsafe driving condition: driving with one hand on the parking selector. Once cooler weather came, the issue went away. It didn't happen on all hot days and was intermittent. I replaced the drive selector in 2022 and have only had the issue come up one other time since replacing this part.

Combination meter is black 90% of the time. Restarting engine or disconnecting battery only works on occasion. Have safety concerns.

I am the owner of a 2004 Prius. After buying my car used 2 years ago I noticed that once in awhile the display, including fuel consumption, speedometer, odometer, and more, would not light up and that the car would not turn off easily several times I have been in situations where I have little gas an am unable to see my gas gauge or know how fat iam going on the highway. I understand that this was once covered by Toyota under the warranty extension but is not considered a safety concern. The warranty extension is expired. In what universe are a functioning fuel gauge and speedometer not considered a safety concern? I am also concerned that this will deteriorate further and cause an accident.

Takata recall vehicle needs to have brake actuator. Bg brake fluid service.

(combination meter problem) while driving at night on the freeway the entire instrument panel (dash board) started blinking on and off. For our safety, we decided to slow down and exit the freeway and stop in a safe area. We turned the ignition off, then started the car, with nothing appearing on the instrument panel beside the check engine light. We lost the speedometer, all gauges and all the electrical and electronics which normally helps to guide our driving. We had to take the car to the Toyota dealer the following morning which took seven days to replace the combo meter. I later found out that this issue is not knew and there was a letter issued by Toyota titled (2004 to certain 2009 model year Prius vehicles combination meter warranty enhancement notice). The letter stated that they had problems with some of these Prius year models and that if the owner did not experience this condition to file the letter in their vehicle's owner's warranty information booklet. Here is my request: this should not be a warranty issue but should have been a safety recall as depending of the number of miles the vehicle is driven, this issue seems to sooner or later occur. I repaired my vehicle and paid for all the repairs, all I need now is for the NHTSA to look into this problem, investigate it and have Toyota send a recall letter rather than an extended warranty. This way I can receive a reimbursement for the repairs. . Read more...

My car head lights are turning off, at first it was one not turning on and then it was the other one, now they take turns. It is a safety issue which almost had make me crash more than 2 times. To the point that I am unable to use the car during the night. This happens if the car is parked or running.

Car was in motion, 55 mph on highway going straight, had been driving one hour. Smoke started filling the rear hatchback area, coming from the driver's side of the cargo-area floor. Pulled over and flames came up. Doused it with water. Upon inspection the sks sensor (remote control door lock sensor) had burst into flames, burning the plastic and other components around it.

My 2004 Prius's check engine light turns on randomly wnd often and I lose full power of the car. The battery is fully charged. The car stopped 4 times today - lost all power and the brake would not stop the car.

3 days after buying my 04 Prius both of my low beams and one of my high beams went out. A few months after replacing them my driver side low beam went out, the high beam was fine. 2-3 months after re replacing the driver's side low beam the passenger side low beam went out. I have had to replace my headlights about 5 times each (10 times total driver+passenger side) I had my ground wires checked, I constantly check my fuses, mechanics say nothing is wrong with my lighting, but here I am with this reoccurring issue. I have been using the same kind of bulbs because I can't imagine spending more money on a bulb to have it blow out in a couple of months (xtravision 9003 12. 8v,55/60w halogen). Apparently my reverse lights aren't working either, and one of my license plates lights is out (I think the plate light is probably not connected to the other lights going out) zi do think the reverse lights are a related problem though. My lights go out both in motion and stationary (I couldn't tell you if it happens on turns or not, but it can happen on highways), sometimes I can get them to come back on by giving a little smack, but usually a few days after that they officially burn out. I've researched this problem on Prius forums and apparently I am not the only Prius owner experiencing this with the same frequency, there are no recalls for this issue, yet so many of us are experiencing this, which is quite detrimental to ours and others safety. Sometimes I can't tell my lights have gone out til I get pulled over or am able to see my headlight reflection on another vehicle, even worse is when I'm wondering why I can't see anything when it's so dark out just to found out one of my headlights blew again. I still own this vehicle and still trying to figure out why this is a continuous problem.

The front right side headlight keeps going out . Already replaced it twice and it seems this is very common with the Toyota Prius. Fuse also keeps burning. This is a very dangerous situation at night . Driving with one head light is becoming to common for this type of vehicle .

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the combination meter failed, which caused the instrument panel and dashboard lights to not illuminate when the vehicle was started. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

Speedometer & other control information display went blank. Pulled over to side of road but unable to turn off engine. Contacted Toyota & was told problem is known & warranty extend to 9 years & unlimited miles. However, my vehicle is older than nine years, so I must pay estimate $1400 to fix & car will be unavailable for estimate 2 weeks. The vehicle is unsafe to drive, prior to this known problem occurring car was operating perfectly ( averaging 50 mpg per tank of gas, documented). This appears to be a safety problem that was known by the manufacturer, however they seems to be trying to hide this by making the statistical estimate that by extending the warranty the majority of these cars would be off the road and their lawyers & legal insurance would cost less than the few humans kills after this arbitrary 9 year risk period. I could have been killed as a result of this failure! fortunately I was not, however I am left with a vehicle that is undriveable (with no warning!) and can only be repaired by Toyota at a cost I am not able to afford!.

Tl-the contact owns a 2004 Toyota a Prius. The contact stated that the when the vehicle was started, the dash panel would not illuminate and failed to display the mileage, speed, fuel level, etc. The failure recurred on several occasions. The contact also stated that the on several occasions the vehicle would not power off after the on off switch was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed that the multi functional display multi-meter and the power switch where faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the extended warranty no longer applied to the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000. Sw.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota pruis. The contact stated that the brake warning light on the instrument panel intermittently illuminated. This was a recurring failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician was unable to determine the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

Passenger headlamp goes out while car is being driven. Driver side headlamp remains on (illuminated). Turning headlamp switch off and on causes passenger and driver side headlamp to illuminate. On re-illumination, passenger side headlamp sometimes appears normal and at other times appears to be dimmer, more yellowish. Dealer quoted replacement hid bulb and labor to replace will cost $225. 00 total.

Odometer stops working at 299,999 miles. Toyota says there is no fix.

Same intermittent headlight problem posted here hundreds of times. Why is Toyota only fixing 2006+ model years? the same problem plagues all model years.

My 2004 Toyota Prius's hid lights are going off intermittently and coming back on when I turned them off and back on again. The driver's side is going off again and will come back on again when I turn it off and then back on. Also, my headlight leveling system warning light is coming on. When I drive on the highway light goes off, I feel very unsafe. I have to turn them off and back on in seconds to avoid a possible accident. Dealer can't find the issue. They recommend to change the bulbs but it doesn't solve problem.

My 2004 Prius has a touch screen display that controls many functions including climate controls. On a recent morning I started my vehicle and got an error message saying "no external connection to air conditioner" at the same time I could not access heater, defrost, navigation, hybrid monitor or hands free phone. Fortunately, I had a rag in the car and could keep my window clean. After 20 minutes of driving, the radio cut out and then all controls came back. Another 10 minutes of driving and the controls cut back off. This problem now occurs each time I drive the vehicle. When I researched this issue on the internet, I discovered this is a widespread problem with the displays on the 04 and 05 Prius. Toyota issued (TSB) el002-05 dealing with this issue but offered no recall. The problem lies in the circuit boards that were supplied to Toyota motors. I live in maine and not having access to my window defroster is a huge safety concern. I have to keep a rag in the car to keep my window clean. Toyota customer service refuses to fix this because I am beyond the 3 yr / 36000 mile warranty. This is a manufacturing defect that causes loss of visibility while driving. Absolutely should be a recall campaign for vehicles manufactured with this defect.

Both headlamps go off and on sporadically, as follows: approximately thirty (30) days after buying this used car, the left hid headlamp appeared burnt out. Both left and right headlamps were replaced on or about January 8, 2013, as recommended for this type of light. On installation, either light would flash on but then go out again, but turning the headlamp switch off then on agan seemed to rectify the problem. Both headlamps then remained on for approximately two weeks, at which point the left headlamp was sporadically out for approximately two weeks, when it would go on only if the headlamp switch were turned off them back on again. Both headlamps then worked for approximately six weeks, at which point the left headlamp went out for approximately four weeks, but then came on after approximately one month when the police found the right light to be out. They said it needed to be fixed; that it is a safety hazard, at which I explained the history of Toyota Prius headlamp issues and that I would pursue an appropriate remedy for this manufacturing defect. The right headlamp remains out to this date, but did come on for approximately one week in the interim. Turning the headlamp switch off then on again has not helped since the day of installation.

2004 Toyota Prius with hid headlights is used as a taxi cab. On September 25th, 2012 the drivers side headlight would begin to flicker and turn off after around five minutes of operation. The hid bulb replacement did not resolve the matter. Headlights must be turned off and then on again in order to resume their operation.

The right headlight keeps going out and after we turn the switch back and forth it goes back on. This past weekend in a driving rain storm at night, the lights went completely out on a windy mountain road. I flicked them on and off several times and they would go on and then go out shortly afterwards. Neither dim or bright would work. I ended up having to pull the bright signal on the column back manually and hold it while driving the last 45 minutes to home. It was very dangerous for about 20 miles in the rain at night the lights going in and out on curves or against on coming traffic, a head-on could have occurred easily.

Upon starting the car one morning I noticed the speedometer, fuel and gear indicator digital readouts were not working. I researched the problem on the internet and narrowed the problem to a faulty combination meter (bad solder). This problem has been occurring with numerous other Prius owners according to forums and such. I purchased the car at a Ford dealership and also purchased their Ford esp base care plan. Clearly the plan stated the speedometer/odometer, electrical or mechanical problems were covered. However the agent at the extended warranty office denied the claim. So my car sits at a Toyota dealership with the dash apart and the appraised value of the car less $2000. 00 according to the sales dept. Because the mileage is unknown. Toyota has yet to declare a recall for the problem which could result in death in some cases if not properly addressed. I have two children and value their lives. I hope and pray that Toyota comes around.

Tl-the contact owns a 2004 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the multi-display module for the heater and defroster units failed, causing the windshield defogger to fail. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the multi-display module needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no recalls for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 28,000. Kmj.

Random failure of lights, began with driver?s side and continues to occur randomly with greater frequency. Passenger side also turns off randomly, though with less frequency. Many occasions, I have had both lights turn off while driving.

I need your help! there is a manufacturing defect well documented as a common problem with 2004 Toyota Prius multi-functional display (mfd). The problem is that the 60 pin connector on the printed circuit board of the mfd sometimes develops a play in the connection and hence the sporadic display. I wrote to Toyota customer service. Toyota instructed me to take my car to the dealer and speak to Toyota. Told me that he did talk to the Toyota rep and explained to him that I had been taking very good care of my car and that this mfd problem was not my doing. Told me that it would cost $980. 57 to install a remanufactured mfd. And that the Toyota rep is only going to contribute $250. So net out of pocket for me would be a substantial amount of $730. 57. It is unfair for Toyota customer service to ask me to pay, since this is a common problem with 2004 Toyota Prius mfds that is well documented to be a common problem. I have already spent a lot of time and money on the problem. Toyota customer service is taking the approach that it is out of warranty and there is no recall so we don’t want to do anything. That logic is wrong. If there is a common problem that may have not escalated to a recall status, that does not mean that there is no problem. Recall is if enough people have problems. Meanwhile, you cannot deny for all the people who are stuck with this problem. It has been clearly demonstrated that this is a manufacturing defect that Toyota is responsible. Your high level intervention is needed. Please write to Toyota demanding that it would only be fair since the mfd problem is clearly documented to be a manufacturing defect, that Toyota repair without delay at no cost to the client, since he has already suffered enough. Thanks! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I have been having a problem with my Prius combination display (digital display that shows the speed, mileage, fuel level, current gear selection, etc. ). Sometimes when I turn on my car, the combination display is blank and will not turn on. The rest of the car turns on, but that display remains blank. I can drive the car, but I can't see my speed, mileage, or what gear the car is in. This usually happens when it is cold outside (below 50 degrees or so). When the problem first came up in 2012, I would turn off the car and turn it back on and the display would then work fine. It was very hard to repeat the problem and it was quite intermittent. This winter (2014-2015) the problem has come back, but now the display will often not turn back on even if I power cycle the car. There is another new related problem. Whenever the car shows this display problem, I then cannot turn off the car. I press the power button and nothing happens. I even tried to hold it down for 3-10 seconds. The car will not shut off. I have to usually disconnect the battery to get it to power down. This problem has me concerned. Not being able to see my speed is my biggest concern. Also since the gear shift lever always returns to a reset spot (it doesn't stay in the gear position after you select your gear) it's impossible to see what gear the vehicle is in. Also very concerning. I took it to the dealer and they confirmed the problem/defect. It appears that many other owners have this same problem. I believe there is a defect in the manufacturing of the display/circuit board. Toyota did initially offer to fix the problem, but by the time I could actually repeat the problem to show to the dealer, the offer had expired for me to get it repaired. It's a serious issue that I wanted to report to the NHTSA. Thank you.

Dash board controls and light went off. I have informed Toyota and the dealers of this issue several times that the dash board lights go off and then the car doesn't shut down for a long time. I finally diagnosed the issue myself (bad combination meter) and informed the dealer. They informed me that although Toyota had an extended warranty on the meter that my car was out of warranty. Eventhough I had complained about this issue before, it was not documented properly and therefore not the dealer or Toyota itself would fix the issue. This is an extremely dangerous issue. As the car drives without any of the dash board lights on. You have no way to know how much gas you have or how fast you are driving. And if you find yourself outside the warranty period they are unwilling to fix the issue. Help !!!! I can die driving this car !!!! I am in the process of selling it but I have to drive it to and from work. This needs to be a forced recall !!!! call me I have details of my conversations with Toyota ! this should be in the news. Gary.

The driver's side hid headlight, intermittently, unpredictably and inexplicably shuts off. It will occasionally return to service on its own, but usually requires a cycling of the light's power switch before full function is restored. After which, the length of time before the light shuts off again varies from a few seconds to not at all. After researching this issue, it seems to be a rather systemic problem with the 2004-2009 Prius. Obviously, the situation this condition creates is unsafe at best, can place me personally in an unexpected illegal position - and (should both lights go out together, as some have reported) could quite possibly be life threatening. For the safety of the driving public, I would strongly urge NHTSA to investigate this issue. Toyota must take responsibility for their design flaw, and engineer a resolution to this problem.

S10 appropriate handling re Toyota vehicles recall, owner of a 2004 Toyota Prius experienced sudden unintended acceleration. The consumer stated as he was driving, he approached a slower moving vehicle, but when he attempted to apply the brake, the vehicle instead accelerated. As he hit the brake harder, the vehicle accelerated even more. The consumer had to avoid an accident by crossing over the double yellow line into oncoming traffic. The consumer managed to avoid an accident and quickly moved back over to the correct side of the road. The consumer stated the gas pedal was not stuck as Toyota is claiming there is a quick fix and placing the blame on the accelerator pedal. Prior to the incident, the consumer stated as he was waiting in a line, with his foot firmly on the brake, the engine seemed to suddenly rev up and the vehicle lurched forward but did not move due to his foot being firmly on the brake. The consumer also stated on several occasions when he hit the brake the radio and air condition would come on. The dealer claimed there was nothing wrong and that the consumer must have hit the radio and climate control buttons on the steering wheel. The consumer believed that the braking system influences the electronics or computer and causes the acceleration of the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the touch screen module which included the temperature gauge, the fuel gauge, the odometer, etc failed. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer who informed him that the display screen was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure was approximately 120,000.

Left and right headlights failed in November and December of 2009. Headlights were replaced. Left headlight has failed in 2011. I drive 10,000 per year. I do not do much driving with my headlights on.

The information screen on '04 and '05 Toyota Priuses fails. Toyota has known about this for some time (their technical service bulletin el 005-02). Not only is it no longer possible to fully control the sound system and the heating/cooling controls, but the nav system no longer operates. And most important from a safety point of view, the warning that sounds and shows when a door is opened and the transmission is still engaged (something easy to do in a Prius) no longer operates. Nor does a message show when the system detects something wrong with the engine management system. Nor does the low fuel message show. I have two friends with early 2004 Priuses and both of them have had the same problem. The cost of a fix for this defective part is over $800!.

Failure of dashboard multi-display, along with all its functions, including nav, climate, radio, fault notifications. And bluetooth phone operation. On the latter, the phone will connect, but not operate, making this a safety issue. There is a TSB on this issue. Display was replaced by dealer under extended warranty. Replacement took about 4 weeks to arrive. Dealer said Toyota was switching to a "out-of-warranty exchange" policy for this repair, meaning that the owner would have to put up with a big hole in the dashboard with loose connectors while the unit was being repaired.