general problems of the 2008 Toyota Prius - part 2

The dim headlight only, not the bright, only on the drivers side front goes out 4 or 5 times a year. The front brights are not affected and have never gone out nor has the dim headlight on the passenger side front ever gone out. The car is driven daily usually and on city streets only.

There is a very wildly known issue with the Prius 2004-2009 break accentuator assembly. Toyota created an extended warranty for the replacement of this part because they know it is extremely faulty, the warranty has been extended three times since the original in 2004. The last expiration date they set was good until July of 2018. However, since then, there are tons of cars, including mine, where the assembly has gone bad, meaning that the brakes will continue to have a slow leak and can fail at any point causing physical harm and possible death to the driver. Toyota is very very aware of this issue, however refuse to do a recall on the part. . Since their third time extending the warranty, I can no longer get my replaced, which is a $2,700 fix, that is a cost that is worth more than the cars themselves. A recall needs to be done on this part, it is extremely unsafe since drivers can lose the ability to brake their cars causing harm to them, those traveling in the car, as well as everyone around them. I am eight and a half months pregnant, and will be driving with a newborn and unable to get this part fixed, so I can no longer drive my vehicle because Toyota will not replace the part. . It needs to be put under a recall status immediately.

The inside to outside air vent actuators are moving in different directions, venting intake manifold gases into the cabin. Synthetic oil smell in the cabin, via the two front vents.

1, dark instument panel, speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge, prnd display. 2, power button inoperable, at the time of speedometer failsure this is very dangerous when driving without instrument panel, you do not know the speed of driving, you do not know when you run out of gas , you do not know which prnd mode you are at and you cannot turn off the power of the car.

No dashboard lights - combination meter is bad.

While driving down the road the instrument panel went black. I could not see driving speed or remaining fuel. I drove to Toyota dealer and could not shut down the engine upon arrival nor remove my key from the key slot. There are numerous online complaints about "prius instrument cluster not working". Toyota quietly agreed to extend warranty coverage for 9 years from date of first use or until 2013. . Read more...

A lot of times when I turn the vehicle off and come back to turn it on there's no display for speed what gear I'm in mileage or fuel. The only way I seem to be able to make it work is to pop the back hatch and disconnect the main power from the battery. Sometimes I do that 20 or 30 times before it works.

Combination meter display not illuminating when the vehicle's ignition is turned �on� I have a 2008 Prius that I maintain regularly at authorized Toyota dealers without a miss. Dashboard on Toyota Prius stops working intermittently. When it fails, one can't know the speed of vehicle, milage, gear (d/r/p/n) etc. This happened couple of times even during middle of drive. When it happens, I can't even stop the car. I had do bit more research to figure out how to stop the car when this happens. I took it a dealer near by they diagnosed its due to defective combination meter. The quoted $800 to fix this. When I asked dealer about warranty, he said there is a warranty enhancement but it will only cover 9 years from date of purchase. Upon further research on internet, this issue appears to be very common in Toyota Prius models and found a reference to warranty enhancement. I never received any such communication, more over this is a real safety issue that involves no consumer fault. I found no reference to this in Toyota web pages in "my Toyota" section, rather found references in internet (attached). I called 1-800-331-4331 number the dealer gave me, they weren't willing to honor the warranty because 9 years gone from my date of purchase. I tried to explain why its safety issue with no consumer fault. Fix is very costly for consumer for problem caused by Toyota.

Combination meter failure - went to start car and no response. Looked like an electrical short, nothing on dashboard lit up, nothing worked. Weather had recently turned cold. Online research shows this is a common problem. There's an expired extended warranty: bulletin no. : pol12-05 this should be a recall.

For several years our Toyota Prius has exhibited the following issue: intermittently, and without warning, when you start the car the dashboard does not light. As a consequent, you cannot not see the speed you're driving at, the fuel level of the car, any warnings such as check engine, low tire pressure etc, and you're not able to use a number of other important features such as cruise control. In addition, you are not able to turn off the car when you reach your destination. Because you cannot turn off the car, you cannot lock it. Undisclosed to customers, there has been for several years an extended warranty being offered by Toyota, to the dealerships, to fix this problem (warranty policy bulletin, pol 12-05). This information is provided only to dealerships. As I customer, I never received information about this extended warranty. I only found out about it via other customers. Our local Toyota dealership (Toyota of olympia) has refused to apply the extended warranty and fix the problem. We contacted the dealership several years ago about the issue, which they have a record of. Toyota customer service also refuses to help us get this issue fixed and apply the extended warranty. The case number with customer service is 1812072507. Both Toyota and the dealership state that the customer most replicate this intermittent issue to a dealership mechanic before either entity will authorize fixing the issue. Several weeks or months may go by before the issue appears and it appears only for an unpredictable duration before "going away", so this is an impossible burden of proof for the customer -- the customer has to take the car to a dealership at the moment the intermittent issue occurs, and must arrive at the dealership and get the mechanic to immediately drop their other work in order to hopefully witness the issue before it "goes away".

Tl- the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle and pressing the brake pedal an audible peeping sound had occurred and the vehicle would not immediately stop causing the braking distances would be extended. During the failure the abs, vsc, brake and battery warning lights had illuminated. The vehicle and taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brake actuator and the abs brake sensors were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer(unknown) was notified of the failure. The manufacture was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000. Jft.

Tl the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. While driving 20 mph, the brake, anti-lock braking system, vehicle stability control, and traction control warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. Additionally, there was a triangle symbol flashing. The vehicle was taken to autonation Toyota leesburg (1 cardinal park dr se, leesburg, va 20175, 571-357-3965) where it was diagnosed that the anti-lock brake system actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 1809122780. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not covered under a warranty. The failure mileage was 206,970.

This is a ridiculously dangerous car. The push button system for starting is extremely dangerous for kids. My wife loads my three year old in the Prius with her keys in her bag. The older son who is five likes cars and jumps in the drivers seat at the base of our driveway on the hill where he can start the car since she is within 10-15 feet of the car.

Combination meter is defective, light panel, including speedometer & fuel levels go dark, unable to tell speed of vehicle or remaining fuel, multiple incidents, all began (thus far) while vehicle was stationary.

Brake acu.

Toyota has acknowledge an issue with its combination meter in the 2004-2009 Toyota Prius but has not recalled the issue and instead wants payment to fix the problem. Toyota has documented this under the Toyota service bulletin t-sb-0172-"some 2004-2009 model year Prius vehicles may experience an intermittent condition where the combination meter display will not illuminate in cold weather conditions. An updated combination meter ecu is now available to correct this condition" Toyota offered a 3 year warrenty window for this but being outside this they want almost $1000 to fix this. This issue stops the speedometer for illuminating which creates a safety hazard when gauging the correct speed for the road and conditions.

Combination meter is failing. U was told by a dealer that Toyota had issued a warranty enhancement, instead of a safety recall. Since I am not the original owner I was not notified of the problem and by the time I discovered it, the warranty extension has expired. Toyota refuses to pay for repairs. Instrument panel not working is a safety issue and Toyota has to be forced to issue a recall.

Car stalled completely under high speed acceleration about 70-75mph mph on freeway. Lost all power .

Lighting on speedometer only works when it is warm outside. I can't tell how fast I'm driving or if I have any gas. Happens when vehicle is moving and when stationary.

My mother has a 2008 Prius that has two serious issues that Toyota has acknowledged and even offered to fix under what they call a support program. Sounds great right? here's the problem. 1. She never received a letter notifying her of the problem and that it needed to be fixed (and only now that the issues have become her issues is she aware there was a recall and 2. Toyota set a time frame to fix these issues which she is now past. Again, sounds like they tried to do the right thing? the first issue is an internal leak causing her brake booster to malfunction (which is a Toyota issue, not an age or wear and tear issue) and the second issue is that there are no lights on her dash board(combination meter) which means that for a Prius, there is no way to tell your speed or gas levels. So take that in. She has a car, that has two major issues, one of which Toyota fixed up until Dec of 2017 and the other Dec of 2016 and are caused by faulty parts and labor by Toyota, and they will no longer fix these. The break issue cost $2400 and the dash $800. For an issue that is caused by Toyota not the driver or wear and tear and is a serious safety issue. This is the kind of company Toyota really is. Several years ago my mom received about 14 letters stating she needed to come in and replace her floor matts because they were part of a recall. Floor mats! she's received recall issues on her door lock among other things that she promptly had fixed. She took her car to the Toyota dealership many times and no one ever mentioned these issues or "support programs". But breaks and dashboards aren't as important as floor mats or door locks. I would love for Toyota to explain to me and everyone else, how something they acknowledge is a Toyota issue, has an expiration date to get fixed by them.

The headlights go dim and /or shut off as I am driving. This problem usually starts with the right headlight shutting off and sometimes both will go dim or shut off completely. Both lights work initially on startup and shine bright at first but immediately dim to a lower level and then as I drive they will dim or the right light will turn off or sometimes both turn off all together. They will come back on if I turn off and back on the headlight switch.

The electronic dashboard combination meter (speedometer, fuel gauge, and odometer) is defective and intermittently fails to turn on. The dashboard is blank. We have no ability to discern vehicle speed, fuel level, or number of miles driven. Typically, the display will not turn on when the ignition is started. After several miles of driving, the combination meter eventually turns on. The problem seems to have become worse now that the weather is cold, with the combination meter taking far longer to turn on -- after 10-12 miles of driving. Toyota has issued a TSB on the defect and has extended the warranty for this defective part, but our vehicle falls a few months outside the extended warranty period. Don wood Toyota of athens, OH and Toyota motor sales USA refuse to replace the defective part under warranty. A little internet research indicates that this is a common defect in certain model year Prius.

Toyota Prius (2008) - fire after minor accident (battery fire) after a fairly standard rear end collision (25-30 mph), my Toyota Prius caught fire and burst into flames. I was stopped at a red light on a city street in chicago, IL when the accident occurred, my vehicle was not in motion. Within minutes of impact (to right rear of car), the responding police officer saw fire under the car (began in rear) and the fire dept was called. The fire travelled to the front of the car and the car has been deemed a total loss. The police and tow company believe this was caused by the Prius battery and these cars are very unsafe to be on the road with this condition. There has been no related recall on this vehicle, but it's incredibly unsafe and I'm very happy I was not traveling with my children at time of accident. I appreciate you taking time to review this case and taking steps to ensure Toyota addresses the issues with the Prius vehicles. I've attached the police report and photos of the car fire (I also have video of the fire, but the file is too large to attach on this submission - available upon request). No major injuries - I experienced soreness / headaches from impact/whiplash and saw my doctor following accident (no major injury). Please review and let me know if I can provide anything else / answer any questions. Thank you in advance! frederick gundrum.

2008 Toyota Prius como meter failure. Combo meter fails in cold weather, creating a dangerous driving condition. Cannot read speed, fuel, climate controls unresponsive. Very unhappy with my Toyota Prius when they told me it was out of date for the warranty repair. They want $1300 to fix one of their safety violations. There should be a safety recall for this part. My car has had this problem stationary and moving.

My display has gone black multiple times. Start the car and there is no display, no rear camera. . . . A major safety concern I have found out through the Toyota forum. So I have to go to the back unplug something from my battery - or my wife or daughter. Not safe by any means!! no recall for this fmvss issue. Unacceptable.

I am writing to you about my 2008 Toyota Prius. . . The dashboard will go completely out while driving on the hwy when this happens you have no complete dashboard and the ignition will not operate. I have reached out to Toyota and was told my 9 year warranty is out of date and this my problem. . . Very unsafe component to have fail while driving.

The main display/touch-screen in my Toyota Prius stopped working while it was parked and the engine was off. The device worked in the morning when, but it would not work that afternoon when I re-started my car. The device also stopped working at that same time. As a result, I am unable monitor the hybrid system; access the climate controls (there are some controls on the steering wheel, but, since I cannot see the effect, I am very reluctant to touch them fearing that I will lose what little a/c I have now); the back-up camera; the blue-tooth (for my hands-free cell phone); the navigation system; vehicle maintenance info; etc. I have driven my vehicle since, and now my vehicle flashes the symbol indicating the absence of my key-fob (even though I have it with me in my pocket) unless/until I push the key-fob into its slot in my Prius. As a result, in addition to all of the other things I am no longer able to access, I am now very concerned that my Prius is going to malfunction while I am driving down the road due to its failure now to recognize the presence of my key-fob. In researching this issue, it is apparent that many other Prius owners (several year models) have had similar issues with this device. When I took my vehicle to Toyota to have them repair/replace my device, the asst. Service manager informed me that Toyota did not make the device, that they do not have any replacements, that the manufacturer also does not have any more replacements, and that my only hope was for them to disconnect/remove the device, send it off to a 3rd party to "hopefully repair" my device, and that this process will take up to 2 weeks (while I drive without it). It is inconceivable to me that Toyota is unaware of this problem (since all of their supply and the manufacturer's supply of replacement units has been exhausted). Please help.

I have three major problems with my 2008 Prius. #1 the engine intermittently, will not turn off when parking the car. #2 the dash lights also intermittently will not come on, affecting my ability to see how fast I am going on the highway or streets, it also prevents me from seeing how much gas is left in the tank. #3 the outside air and air conditioner, also will not work, intermittently.

The main display randomly goes out after starting the car. My Prius was at 82,000 miles when the problem began. I contacted the dealer, central florida Toyota, who informed me it's a bad euc module that controls the display for speed, fuel, what gear you are in and if your head lights are on. All of those items are extremely important when operating a vehicle and if not working could cause an accident. I contacted Toyota corporate on the issue and was provided a case number. They informed me the 9 year out warranty had expired since my car left the lot in Sep. 2007. Toyota corporate nor central florida Toyota would offer any assistance on the part, labor or even proving a loaner car while service was preformed to correct the issue. I was informed from central florida Toyota it could take up to 6 weeks for the part / labor to be completed. Please open an investigation of this part, as research has shown this to be a known bug with the system. Due to the tools this module controls (speed, gears, lights) this could cause a catastrophic accident. Please hold Toyota accountable to keeping their customers safe. As a long time Toyota owner, I am extremely disappointment in their handling of the situation. I will be happy to provide any information needed to help correct this issue for all Prius owners that have or have had this issue with no assistance from Toyota.

Faulty combination meter, which displays car speed, odometer, fuel level, and turning off the car. Toyota extended their warranty for 9 years but won't fix the known issue anytime past 9 years. Mine failed 9 years 2. 5 months. Toyota customer service said that they have replaced a whooping 669,000 combination meters.

Pasdanger headlight goes on and off without cause and at will.

When vehicle is turned on, instrument cluster also known as the combination meter, fail to turn on. This issue is very concerning due to the overall computer controlled functions of this vehicle. The speedometer, trip meter, odometer and other functions are not functioning due to the failure of the combination meter. Functions that are considered safety items such as the power brakes, power steering, anti lock brake system, speedometer, lights, etc. There is an issued warranty covering the issue up to a certain amount of time however since it is not a wear and tear item it should be covered by the manufacturer regardless. After vehicle is eventually ignited, combination meter does not illuminate and when attempting to turn off the vehicle, it fails to do so which also includes not being able to remove the key. I was advised by a Toyota mechanic to access the safety override by holding the power button however that procedure does not work all of the time. I am very concerned about this issue due to my safety and drivers around me and their safety and hopefully this issue can be avoided before a possible a catastrophic accident happens.

Smog check failed because of obd bulb check failure and obdii failure. Service fault codes are u0100 lost communication with ecm/pcm "a" and u0111 lost communication with battery energy control module "a. " car only has 60,000 miles.

Inverter water pump replaced at 75000 miles under recall and failure. Same pump failed again at 146600 miles. Replacement pump lasted less miles than original. Pump design or manufacture is not adequate for service. Diagnosis was pump seized during expressway driving (65 mph). Did not cause an immediate stoppage but vsc warning caused reduced controllability.

Dash lights showing speed, fuel level and odometer stop functioning intermittently. So far it happened once on start up after a cold night. Dash lights came back on later in the day. Vehicle was not driven, though everything else seemed to work ok.