Table 1 shows one common unknown or other related problems of the 2006 Toyota Prius.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other problems |
The exterior handle of the rear hatch on our 2006 Toyota Prius, melted into a sticky tarry, rubbery, gooey substance. It's like a viscous black glob like roofing tar. When opening the hatch, it is soft and gets under my fingernails. I believe this melting process started a couple years ago, but it's been worse this year with the triple-digit temps. My dealer, lou fusz Toyota (in missouri) said they have not heard of this happening before, but when I research it on-line, I found that this has happened to several car owners. Toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $250 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. From a safety perspective, this means you can experience difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. To me, this is both a life safety issue and a quality defect that Toyota is opting to ignore, and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 4 year mark. I am aware of the outstanding work done by NHTSA on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and I find this problem to be similar in nature, so I am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from Toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun. I think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 4 years!.
I have two Smart keys for 2006 Toyota Prius. One of them lose Smart function and remote function. When a button is pressed, red light is not on at all. I have tested fob battery and it is ok. I believe that the Smart key is defective.
I own a 2006 Toyota Prius. I purchased the vehicle new. It has approximately 57,000 miles. For the past six months, the front headlights will randomly stop working - sometimes the driver's side, sometimes the passenger side, sometimes both headlights. If I turn the headlight switch off and back on the lights will come back on. It is my understanding that over 1,000 Prius owners have reported this same problem to NHTSA. Please add my report to this database.
The 2006 Toyota Prius was being driven up a hill (private road which we have access t). , when the car hit aan aea of loose dirt & gravel. This car, a base model Prius, has anti-skid control, but not traction control. The base model in 2006 was the only one designed like this. What happens, is when the anti-skid kicks in, it cuts all power to the wheels. Since the car ws heading up a steep incline, when all power to the wheels was cut, the car rolled back down and off the road ito the woods and trees/rocks. I just found out from my insurance company the the car is a total loss from all the damage to various parts. This problem never affected us except when trying to get out of the driveway on snowy/icy days. Now, whewn this incident happened, it is apparent the car should never have been sold or designed in this way.
Toyota Prius floor mat and sustained acceleration.
After only about 2 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2006 Toyota Prius, started to be sticky. Now, after nearly 5 years after purchase, I notice that it has melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess which has spread over a much larger area. I can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. To open the hatch, you have to touch this black goo each time (it takes 2-3 days to remove the stain completely from fingers/nails), which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. It is obvious that this melting process started when I noticed the sticky feel. I thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in the south. We live in mobile, alabama. It seems that Toyota knows about this faulty material, and has done nothing about recalling this. From a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. To me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that Toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark. I am aware of the outstanding work done by NHTSA on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and I find this problem to be similar in nature, so I am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from Toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting (it is outrageous). I think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. Please review this.
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact would like to file a general complaint about hybrid vehicles. The contact stated that the vehicle did not make enough noise for blind pedestrians to hear them. Updated 03/20/jb.
: the contact stated while driving 65 mph on a major highway, the sun visors were too small and would not provide flexibility to adjust and reflect the sun. The vehicle had to be pulled over to avoid an accident. The manufacturer was contacted and determined they were aware of the problem which would be referred to their engineering department and could be remedied in future models.
I was walking through a parking lot when the Prius I was behind backed up into me (I moved quickly away and was not injured). I did not know the car was about to back up because it made no noise. I did not even know it was on. I don't know why I didn't notice any backup lights, probably because it was a bright sunny day. I would like, as a pedestrian, to be able to hear that a car is running and about to move.
: the contact stated a piece of the dashboard sticks out, causing a glare on the windshield. The manufacturer was contacted. Updated 03/20/06.