Latches/locks/linkage Problems of Toyota Prius - part 2

My 2007 Toyota Prius has a rear hatch release that has stopped working as it has gotten very soft after about three years. This is a common problem as I search the many forums and replacement is not inexpensive. This is very aggravating and I feel Toyota should replace this defective device. I have serious back issues and getting this hatch open is more than a challenge for me, it is at times impossible.

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1 - my right headlight keeps going on and off while I am driving. I received a ticket that I now have to pay for. The los angeles times mentioned that other cars have this problem. It should be easy for the manufacturer to fix at their expense. 2 - since I purchased my 2005 Prius in 2004, when I go over bumps, sometimes the light for the stability comes on and the brakes do not work for a second or two. I had asked when the car was serviced and was told there was nothing wrong. I guess we know better now. 3 - sometimes the two front tires lose traction and make a noise while spinning, before the car moves. 4 - if my car was under the "carpet" recall, why is it that it is not listed under the recall for the gas pedal? 5 - two of my locks are not working. One is the front passenger an one in the back.

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I am writing to you about an unresolved problem with my 2006 Toyota Prius. In may 2008, the driver's side electronic door lock actuator failed and was replaced by my local Toyota dealer. Now, the drivers side door lock actuator has once again failed, along with the passengers side actuator. My local Toyota dealer informed me that the estimated repair cost would total $1,300. I indicated that in view of the extremely high repair cost and the prior replacement of the drivers side actuator, Toyota should assume a share of the repair cost, and the dealership submitted the matter to their regional representative. The dealership subsequently informed me that the regional representative was offering to assume $300 of the repair cost as a customer goodwill gesture. I indicated that Toyota should assume a greater portion of the overall expense for the current repair, and the dealership once again agreed to convey that point to the regional representative. However, the dealership subsequently informed me that, rather than offering any further adjustment, the regional representatives response was to withdraw its previous offer altogether, leaving me with the entire financial liability for the repair! I then contacted the national Toyota customer experience center in torrance, California, to complain about the regional representatives summary retraction of the adjustment that it had already offered. A representative at the center subsequently informed me that he concurred with the regional representatives actions and was unwilling to reverse them. Against the recent backdrop of widespread and serious mechanical problems with its products, the Toyota corporation has publicly pledged a renewed emphasis on quality and customer service. However, the way in which it has chosen to handle my complaint has left me feeling bewildered, disrespected, and abandoned. Accordingly, I'm writing to your agency to ascertain what other remedies may be available to me. Thank you.

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Rear hatch handle has been leaking almost from the time we acquired it in 2011. Rubber has decayed, leaking goo or other black sticky stuff every time it's touched. Since this is the only way to open the hatch, it's a problem. This seems to be a common issue with this model, witness your own index of complaints, appended below. Let's get Toyota to fix this problem. [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] from the NHTSA website: date complaint filed: 08/01/2013 component(s): equipment , latches/locks/linkages date of incident: 07/25/2013 NHTSA id number: 10533059 all products associated with this complaint expand details close 0 associated documents crash:no fire:no number of injuries:0 number of deaths:0 manufacturer: Toyota motor corporation vehicle identification no. (VIN): not available summary: the back latch of my 2007 Toyota Prius has degraded ("melted" almost). It no longer functions properly, and I am unable to open the back hatch door easily. Sometimes it requires considerable effort and perseverance to get it open. I am concerned that in the case of an emergency, I will not be able to get the door open. This is a major cause for concern and it is a serious safety hazard. Request research help date complaint filed: 05/10/2013 component(s): latches/locks/linkages , structure date of incident: 10/05/2012 NHTSA id number: 10511408 (. . . And many more, but your form won't let me include more than this text . . . ).

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and the rear driver's door could not be opened from the interior. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the child safety lock on the door was engaged. The dealer disengaged the child safety lock, but the failure recurred on an intermittent basis. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.

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I have a 2007 Prius and 2-3 years after purchase, the rubber piece under the hatchback melted, making so that it was a sticky black mess and it wouldn't open. It now doesn't open at all and I can not get into my trunk, recently had a battery replaced and my car was stranded, the aaa guy had to crawl to the back w/ seats down from the side of the car. I could not get to my trunk if I have a flat tire in the future. I am out of warranty . My understanding is that Toyota is making owners pay 300+ to fix this despite the fact that it is obviously a manufacturing defect. Please assist with this safety concern on all Prius vehicles.

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the key to the vehicle was radioactive. The contact was concerned about the safety risk because he wore a pacemaker. The dealer informed the contact that there was no need for concern. The current and failure mileages were approximately 56,000. The consumer stated he was involved in two accidents and was injured. He didn't give any other specifics. Updated 07/22/jb.

Rear hatch door latch failure, starting with softening and deformation of the rubber-like cover and progressing to latch not opening, especially in cold weather.

Today, I went to work driving my Prius (2008 with 11000 miles) without any dash board lights. The dashboard under the windshield is a reflective type with a whole array of operating indicating lights across to the passengers side. Only the airbag indicator light worked for the passenger side. The cruise control did not work. I tried various power on/off brake on/off combinations to get the dashboard lights working. I pressed the power button with or without the brakes engaged during startup. The engine still ran and the headlights, turn indicators, brake lights, radio and fuel consumption gauge worked. I had no idea of my driving speed other than what other car speed around me were doing. I had to drive under the risk of braking the law as well as the distracting no lighting. Then a worse problem developed. I could not turn the shut car off and I could not lock it after I got out. It gave me the usual beep that it was still running. I tried pressing the power button numerous times. I tried locking the car with the mechanical key and it electronically kept opening. I tried various combinations of braking while sitting, walking a greater distance from the car, using the emergency brake and slamming on the dashboard hoping it was a loose wire. Nothing worked. The car is sitting in the parking lot right now still running without a key. I could not lock it. As I walked away, I pressed the electronic key numerous times. The little red light indicated it was working. What else can I do. L was late for work and I start at 6 am. The dealer, (Toyota heartland of bremerton), doesn't open until 7:00 am and its 6:25 am. I manually turned off the display and radio so the minimum amount of lighting was showing. As far as I know, the car is still in the parking lot running and easy to steal. The engine would not power down nor would the car lock. The dashboard (below the windshield) not lighting was same problem I had a couple of months ago.

I am writing to you about a problem with my 2006 Toyota Prius. In July 2008, the driver's side electronic door lock actuator failed and was replaced by my local Toyota dealer - I had extended warranty so it was covered. Now, the driver's side door lock actuator has once again failed. I have not contacted my Toyota dealership because in 2008 if I didn't have the warranty it was going to cost me well over $1,000. The failure of this actuator happening twice is unbelievable. I've noticed similar complaints by other individuals.

2005 Toyota Prius -- floormat becomes lodged between pedals. -- while driving at high speeds (60-70 mph) on the freeway, I noticed a loss of sensitivity on both the brake and gas pedals. I had to press very hard to get a reaction from either pedal. As a result I was unable to keep driving at the same speed as the surrounding cars. Everything else seemed to be operating normally. The sensation continued for a few minutes until I could safely pull off of the freeway. Upon investigation, I realized that the floormat had come unhooked from its restraints and stuck between the pedals and the floor. I secured the floormat to its hooks once again and continued driving without trouble. This has happened a couple times since, but I recognize the symptoms and fix it promptly. However, I fear that another owner might experience this when they need to brake or accelerate suddenly to avoid an accident. (I noticed another posting that described the same problem). Perhaps Toyota should install locking hooks rather than the current ones that easily twist and unhook from the mats.