Rear hatch latch release button is rubber. It has deteriorated releasing black substance onto fingers, it is sticky and button does not release as well as before.
2007 Toyota Prius body complaints
Page 6 of 7: complaints 131 to 160 of 184, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I cannot open the hatch of my prius. This is a major safety concern. In all prius base models that I know of the handle literally melts off of the car making it impossible to open the hatch. This is a serious issue in the case of an emergency. The dealership charges up to $300.00 to fix this issue when it is quite obvious it should be a recall. It is completely insane that they are making prius owners pay this and are making an insane amount of money off of its consumers when we were sold a faulty part.
The rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) on my 2007 toyota prius has melted making it difficult to open the rear hatch. I can best describe it as being a viscous black glob like roofing tar. The vehicle's smart key locking system has also been affected by the melted switch. It now takes several seconds to find the sensor due to a loss in sensitivity in the switch, caused by the melting of the rubber cover. I thought that this might be a singular issue, but have read numerous complaints online from other car owners. From a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point) 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 (ie after 3 years of exposure to the heat). I think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. Thank you for your assistance.
The rubber on my trunk release has turned to a tarry mess making it very difficult to open and leaving black tar all over my fingers. When the release does not work, I have pull out my keys to press the unlock button or open the car to press the unlock button which sometimes releases it but not always. I opt not to use my trunk because it is so terribly inconvenient and frustrating now, especially when I am juggling packages and/or kids. I am terribly disappointed that toyota is not taking ownership of this problem as I see many posts dealing with this very same issue.
The material in the trunk door handle is dissolving and or disintegrating. I recently researched the defect on the internet and observed what I was experiencing has been previously documented in other complaints. In a recent visit to a toyota service center for routine maintenance I presented what was happening and was told the vehicle repair was out of the warranty period and there would be a charge if I wanted the repair. The charge imo was excessive for something that imo was a built in defect and deserves a recall.
Within the handle for the rear hatch of the 2007 prius there is a strip of rubber which I assume is to prevent moisture from penetrating into the interior components and it may also shield some electrical wiring. This piece of rubber is becoming soft and melting. Whenever we open the hatch, our fingers and hands are stained with a black gooey substance that's difficult to remove from our hands. This has been a problem ever since we purchased the vehicle in 2011. It seems to me that a body part should last more than 4 yrs and since we purchased used, it may have already been gooey before we purchased.
The rubber cover to the external trunk latch has melted to the point where it is either gooey to the touch in warm weather or frozen solid and immovable in colder temperatures. This is a safety hazard because, at times, due to the inflexibility of the rubber I am unable to open the trunk and, thus, access the spare, any of my repair tools, our earthquake kit, flares, jumpers, etc. There is no alternative internal method for opening the hatchback/trunk. Toyota needs a recall of this defective part as the cost to repair it is exorbitant, quoted to me as $352.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. The contact stated that the vehicle rear hatch door seal failed and allowed water to penetrate the rear passenger side floor board. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The dealer denied assistance with the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 86,000.
The plastic weld process or other type of gluing process used to make the vehicles exterior front and rear turn signal, brake and back up light lense assemblies or housings fails. All four, two front and two rear, exterior combination light lense assemblies suffer this premature and serious failure. When these exterior lenses begin to fail they allow water intrusion from the exterior of the vehicle. This allows moisture to penetrate into areas of the lense assembly which support all of the light bulbs used to warn or signal other drivers or pedestrians. At a very minimum this problem results in premature bulb failure for all of the signaling systems specified above. Researching your site this problem has been reported to you many times and toyota motor corp. Is also aware of this problem. What you don't seem to be aware of is the most serious concern resulting from this problem; if the right (passenger side) rear lense suffers this problem and begins leaking, the water runs or drains directly into the interior 12vdc starter battery well. This battery well is as deep, or deeper than the factory installed 12vdc starter battery is tall and can result in water overtopping the battery. This causes shorting/grounding across the positive/negative 12vdc starter battery terminals. This prevents the operator from starting the vehicle and cuts off power to all 12vdc electrical systems including emergency flashers. It could easily result in serious damage to the 12vdc starter battery and many expensive 12vdc electronic components or systems. This problem is more serious in areas that receive high amounts of rainfall. I called a toyota authorized dealership, lum's auto center, and reported my car wouldn't start. They suggested I bring it in. After 4 days they were unable to find the problem. No diagnostic codes were logged. This is a serious problem needing immediate attention!
Rear door opener !! Rubber melted and block door opener (lock unlock system) .
After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 toyota prius, melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. 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, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. We believe this melting process started at about the 2 yr. Mark. I thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida. I live in louisiana . Toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $600, 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 (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in louisiana, for example). I am aware of the outstanding work done by the federal safety agency 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!!! It's outrageous. I think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. And now my trunk won't open and it is about detach from the car because of the extra pulling needed to open it. Why has it not been recalled? It should be mandatory. They told me I would have to pay over $600 to do it at the dealer, but they should pay for it.
Tail gate lifters failed to completely lift the tail gate. Not noticing the tail gate was slightly lower than normal, the driver, while standing on the ground to remove groceries from the back, leaned into back of vehicle and struck the top of her head on the tail gate, sustaining a concussion. Symptoms included nausea, headaches and difficulty concentrating, leaving her unable to complete her normal tasks for the day. The symptoms lasted 2 days. Driver's husband came out and immediately confirmed that tailgate had failed to open completely and he determined it was no longer opening completely, representing a partial but dangerous failure of the lifting mechanism. The time was approximately 4 pm; the temperature was approximately 48 degrees. What makes it particularly dangerous and pernicious is that the mechanism that used to open the tail gate all the way up, providing ample head clearance, was now leaving the tail gate open but with reduced headroom. The mechanism that used to provide sufficient head clearance so one could stand behind the vehicle and lean into the rear was now only partially opening the tail gate, to a point low enough to cause a concussion but not low enough to be noticeable. The change from having ample headroom to not having enough headroom created a trap.
The problem has occurred whenever the donut tire is being used on the vehicle as a temporary replacement for a flat tire - this has occurred on both the two occasions that in which I have had to used them both times on the front tires, once on the left tire and the second occasion, most recent on the left. Apparently, the donut tire because of its smaller diameter causes the car's slip differential system to activate (surmised by the icon I see on the dash when this occurs), often for periods of half the driving time - what then happens is that there is a total loss of engine power to the drive chain, the car cannot accelerate or even maintain speed - it essentially coasts or slows. This occurs even when/if the accelerator pedal is depressed to try to feed power to the wheels - the engine is unresponsive. Intermittently, the power is restored, and then the cycle begins again. Although I have not had an accident due to this loss of vehicle control, I consider myself lucky not to have. Use of a donut tire is the only option open to temporarily replacing a flat tire. I think that this system's response to use of the donut tire (which is manufacturer's supplied) is a defect that is dangerous. A driver must be able to maintain and control vehicle speed to prevent and/or remedy a dangerous situation. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
2007 prius trunk hatch release rubber piece melted and I had to replaced it with my own money in toyota dealer.
The rubber rear hatch release button (wide rubber piece which activates an electrical switch) first became sticky and black rubber would stick you your hand. Then the rubber piece hardened and became so hard (and cracked) that the rear hatch release does not work. This is a safety issue in addition to making the trunk unusable. Toyota owners of this model year frequently report this problem in all climates, toyota clearly has a manufacturing defect in the rubber material they used for this model year and should perform these repairs for no charge.
The rubber trunk release is cracked, melted and does not function in cold weather. It is a sticky gooey mess in hot weather. The estimate to replace it is $187. It is not covered under the warranty. The dealer claims it is not a safety issue. I think that if you are not able to open a door to your car, it is a safety issue. How, for instance would I be able to remove my spare tire in the event of a flat tire. Big safety issue. What if I was in an accident and the only accessible way out was the hatchback? Big safety issue. Really.
Release button for 2007 toyota prius hatchback has defective rubber, which deteriorates prematurely and leaks hydraulic fluid used to actuate the door release. After a while, door will not open, and requires replacement of release mechanism.
The rear trunk release has melted and the trunk cannot open or if it does requires much effort. Poses a safety issue.
After only about 1 year of owning my pre-owned 2007 prius, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess. 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, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. I thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, particularly in florida and california. I live in southern california and noticed an increase after a particularly hot spell. Toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, 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 3-5 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in ca for example). I am aware of the outstanding work done by the federal safety agency 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!!! It's outrageous. I think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years.
The rubber on the hatch entry deteriorated so severely that it coated my fingers with a hot tarry mess that burned my fingers and stuck there, continuing to burn. The hatch also became virtually impossible to open and several times, especially in colder weather would not open at all. This is also a safety hazard since entry to the vehicle from the rear becomes impossible at such times. Since I am handicapped and on disability (serious heart, lung and back problems) I need to be able to place equipment and purchases in the hatch area, but I often cannot access the area. Toyota is well aware that this part is defective, but has refused to cooperate with toyota owners. Therefore, I am asking the federal safety agency to consider the safety issues caused by this defective part and take action to force toyota to replace or repair this defective part.
We have had some unseasonably hot weather here recently; on the day in question the car thermometer said it was 91 degrees in full shade. The rubber gasket covering the hatch opening switch was attached when I parked. When I came back, it looked like the gasket had literally melted off one of the screws; the covering was just hanging on to screw on the driver's side by a few gooey threads. That left a melted, tar-like residue on the hatch opening switch. Now the switch is covered in gunk and nearly inoperable. The prius does not have a trunk release, and without a repair the hatch is nearly inaccessible. This is a major safety issue because the hatch on the prius is a safety access point (the largest on the vehicle); the hatch is also the only way to access the batteries stored in the rear in case of fire or accident. When I googled the issue, I found multiple reports in hot weather areas of exactly the same issue, but I found no official response from toyota. My understanding is that this is a very common problem, especially here in southern california, and dealerships keep the part on hand in hot weather for exactly this reason.
The rubber covering on the rear hatch opening mechanism is melting. I have two other model year prius vehicles (2004 and 2006) and this has not occurred on those - only on this 2007 car. It is becoming difficult to open the hatch and it will probably fail completely soon.
The car was involved in a collision north of san antonio, texas. The collision ended up being a total lose of the vehicle due to the frame being split, firewall bent and a broken windshield. My concern is the airbags did not deploy. The airbags not deploying with an impact of this nature could increase the likelihood of injuries. I believe a failure of safety equipment of this nature should be investigated to prevent possible future injuries or fatalities.
The hatch release on the hatchback melted making the hatchback nearly impossible to open. As safety equipment such as flares, spare tires, and flags are kept in the hatch under the flooring, not being able to access them in an emergency is a serious safety issue.
The trunk handle had melted off, making access to the spare tire impossible in the heat.
The switch sub-assembly, lug (part# 84905-47010) part for the rear door handle started to melt. Black tar like material would get on your hands and under the fingernails. The entire part was decomposing and the door lock would not work as it should. Searched the internet and found many other 2007 prius cars doing the same thing. Called toyota, and they said during production they used an adhesive for insulation. This adhesive, when exposed to heat (normal summer conditions), would emit chemicals that would cause the rubber to melt, or decompose. Toyota said that they would do nothing, and offered to clean the rubber. I told them it is like tar not rubber! This is not a cosmetic problem, it could lead to more damage to the car. I purchased a new part for $84.31, and will install it. Also contacting the bbb.
The tailgate switch had a rubber cover that is melting and become nonfunctional at times. According to toyota service department, this is a common problem on many prius. The breakdown starts after warranty runs out in many cars.
I was driving in heavy traffic about 20 or 25 MPH the cars in front of me stopped, when I applied the brake nothing happened, my car crashed into the rear of the car in front of me. The time was about 2:30pm july 10/2012 the car had just been serviced by a toyota dealer on june 28th/2012 for the 30,000 mile check up. We live in west los angeles.
On the trunk is a door latch with a plastic cover. The plastic cover has melted or is disintegrating. There are many posts on google if you search for the terms "prius trunk latch melt". Considering I don't drive very often my car is almost always covered in the garage. Plus I live in hawaii so heat shouldn't be too much of an issue like other states. This isn't my picture but it shows what mines looks like. Http://priuschat.com/attachments/p1000894-jpg.22615/.
On my way home from work on the frontage road along I-5. My tires hit the gravel and I lost control. I went through the grass on the side of the road down a dip and landed on the passenger side of the car on the railroad tracks. I began to roll and rolled the car from side to side at least 15 times. A row of trees is what stopped me. The engine was still running and I was still buckled in the drivers seat. I had to kick out the windshield in order to get out of the car. I went to emergency that night where I was x-rayed and checked out. I ended up with only major bruising on the left side of my body, the chp that responded was sure I was dead. They told me they expected to see a dead body in the car. I barely escaped with my life and the air bags never deployed in the car.
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