Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, all warning lights began to illuminate on the instrument panel. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was not able to be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v449000 (hybrid propulsion system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
2007 Toyota Prius electrical complaints
Page 4 of 9: complaints 71 to 100 of 248, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My wifes 2007 prius headlights continue to flicker while driving at night. Then one side or the other will go out. The headlights have been inspected by 2 certified mechanics neither can find any faults in the headlights or bulbs even applying contact grease to assure electrical continuity. Attention the federal safety agency administrators ( this certainly could become a deadly problem.) we have had both lights go out simultaneously. The driver must immediately turn the light switch off then on to restore lighting. I hope they never fail to re-light!! Of all the problems- attention surely must be given to these lights. Almost a thousand complaints here..how many people keep taking this problem to the dealers, only to have it repeat itself? Immediate action is required by the federal safety agency.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel lights failed to remain illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. The contact also stated that when the failure occurred it was impossible to shut the vehicle off without removing the negative battery terminal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
One hid headlamp will occasionally turn itself off. Turning headlamp switch off for 3-5 minutes and then back on will correct the issue. As one could imagine, very problematic when driving on the freeway at night. Multiple bulb replacements (over $150 each) have had no effect. Dealer recommended full headlamp replacement is over $1000. Research found that many others have had a similar issue, and eventually trace the problem back to the ballast of the hid lamp, which is easily damaged by water from poor design (the ballast is weather-sealed against the engine compartment, but not against the headlamp itself; any water that makes its way into the lamp will run down and pool on the ballast electronics).
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. While driving 70 MPH, the brake pedal depressed on its own and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The brake hazard warning indicator illuminated several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 52,800.
Yet another 2007 prius with the rear hatch door latch cover that has decomposed rendering the ability to open the door from the outside impossible. This is a defect that is widely documented on various websites. Toyota should be held accountable and correct this defect at their cost. Safety issues: inability to access equipment necessary to repair a tire failure, potential to be stranded on interstate highways, in remote areas etc. I am 69 years old, have had a hip replacement, a comminuted fracture of the patella on the same leg resulting in wire and screws holding the patella together. The other leg has sustained a traumatic injury that resulted in a rod from top to bottom of the tibia, and muscle, vascular, and skin grafts. Crawling inside the vehicle to access the manual release is not the easy task it may have once been; inability to access first aid or other safey equipment in the event of an incident; inability of rescuers to access the cabin via the rear hatch in the event of an accident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning, while driving approximately 60 to 70 MPH, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic control module and the electronic water pump failed. The dealer stated that the repair for the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v536000 (engine and engine cooling, hybrid propulsion system) was performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 167,000.
Headlamps go out suddenly and back on if switched turned off then on. Bulbs werereplaced as part of recall and it continues to happen. Over $500 quote to replace bulbs but no guarantee it doesn't continue to happen.
The rear hatch release on my 2007 toyota prius has begun to deteriorate and turn into a rubbery and sticky black mess. This issue interferes with the use of the hatch as the rubber not only gets on your fingers but appears to be blocking the release mechanism. The deterioration started during the summer.. The issue has worsened and today I was unable to open the rear hatch whatsoever.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the lighting on the instrument panel became dim without warning. The contact pulled over and powered the vehicle off and back on and the lighting returned to normal. The failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. While driving at approximately 50 MPH, the instrument panel, the headlights, and the tail lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the headlights were replaced but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 75,642.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. The contact stated that the instrument panel failed. The contact also stated that the ignition switch failed to release the key or turn it in order to shut off the vehicle. In addition, the passenger air bag warning light continuously illuminated. The failure occurred multiple times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. Ma 07/30/15 updated 10/2/2017
Multi functioning display failure: touch screen for climate controls failed to work. Defrost became unusable (during rain/cold conditions), causing car to veer off road due to diminished road visibility. This screen sporadically ceases to be functional.
I started my car and as I was driving noticed no instrument lights on dash. I tried turning engine off (2 step procedure) and was unable to stop engine, unable to remove keys. I was stuck with a car that was running, an inability to lock the car because it did not recognize the commands. I tried calling the closest dealership and was passed from one person to another without answers as to what to do. I then called the dealership where I had purchased the car and they were able to tell me how to get the engine off - and they said there had been a recall on the instrument cluster. I had not been notified. I regularly have my car serviced at the dealership - as recently as 3 weeks ago.
My 2007 prius has the hid (high intensity) headlights. Sometimes both headlights go out at the same time and sometimes just the passenger side headlight goes out. I originally thought that the problem was the bulbs so I replaced both bulbs just a few weeks ago with new bulbs, but the problem is still occurring. Sometimes when I turn the light switch off and then on again the headlights come on again. It seems to be a random occurrence but it is happening more and more frequently. This is a very dangerous situation especially when driving at night.
While driving the left headlight went out I turned off the lights and back on, the headlight came back on. Since this first incident the right headlight done the same while driving. Both headlights have turned off at the same time while driving. It seems like this is a wide spread issue with this year of prius. The dealership will currently only replace the bulbs at a cost to me of $1250.00. The bulbs don't seem to be the problem, considering they work most of the time. If you can turn the lights off and back on again and the light(s) return to working state, its seems to be an electrical controller board problem.
My headlights keep going out. Both headlights will go out at once. I've replaced the bulbs which did not change anything. I also contacted toyota multiple times, all incidents ending up in them telling me they would do nothing about the issue, it's not a recall and will not be a recall and it's my responsibility to take care of. Even after I pointed out the multiple articles I read of toyota reimbursing and extending the warranties for this issue. Along with the class action lawsuit. I've long extended the warranty because I bought the car used. It had over 30,000 miles on it when I bought it. The toyota dealership is even less of a help! Going down a dark highway at 65 MPH and both headlights going out is insane. Not to mention being pulled over multiple times for the headlight(s) being out. This is one of the worst safety hazards a car can have and should recalled and every prius owner should have this issue taken care of!
Vehicle does not properly start-up and ends up in a state where it cannot be turned off. I pushed the ignition button, which normally quickly turns green and normally the car would start. Instead, the car goes into a state where the dashboard illuminates, an error icon is displayed, and the power cannot be turned off. I hold down the power button for over 5 minutes before the car finally turns off. During this time, the power button is amber, the dashboard does not show the car is in any gear, and the green light on the park button is on. The power button absolutely does not function, nor does the gear selector. My understanding is that holding down the power button for 5 seconds should absolutely turn it off, this is not the case. This has happened on three occasions in the past week.
The rear latch of my 2007 toyota prius has degraded to the point that it is inoperable. The rear latch release has melted to the point that it ends up all over my hands when I attempt to open the rear hatch and does not open. I am unable to open the trunk. This is a major safety issue. I have two children under the age of 5 who are strapped into car seats. In the event of an emergency, the rear hatch may be the only way to access them. Obviously, if I am unable to access them, the failure could result in serious bodily injury or death to the passengers, including my children. I have contacted toyota requesting that toyota correct this problem on my car, but they have told me that: 1) they are unaware of the problem; 2) my car is out of warranty and I do not have an extended warranty; and, 3) they will not fix the car. Do people need to get injured or die before toyota reacts?
Headlight hid lights goes off without any reason. Problem has been found in various vehicles as per the online forums.
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.
I was driving home last night and various warning lights came on. Within a short time the vehicle lost all power (entered a failsafe mode) and the hybrid system shut down while I was driving. The result was a complete loss of power and the vehicle came to a stop in traffic. I was close to the curb and turned on my emergency flashers. Called a tow truck and will take this to the dealer. I called toyota customer service to see if others had experienced anything similar and they had no access to any information about other customer's experiences. They did say that there are no active recalls for this make and model year. A recall for the 2010 - 2014 toyota prius was issued in february 2014 for what sounds like a similar problem. While this wasn't a life threatening issue for me last night, in a press release drivers who've experienced similar issues were warned to get out of their vehicles because they could be in danger from being rear ended.
The rear door latch cover material has deteriorated and the latch is no longer operating as expected. The rubber material is a soft gummy consistency and the latch mechanism to the hatchback fails to release allowing access to the rear storage area. This area contains the spare tire.
At approximately 65mph a red triangle warning light appeared on the dash panel accompanied by a yellow circle. The parking button was flashing and a pink cartoon car appeared on the display. The car was running fine so I continued till I reached my freeway exit. At the bottom of the exit I had to stop for a red light. The exit is dark and has a sharp curve. Upon stopping the car the transmission locked and the engine shut down. I was unable to start the engine and the car could not be pushed out of the way due to the transmission lock. Frantically I had to get a flashlight and wave off oncoming traffic. It was very dangerous. After a few minutes I retried the engine and it started allowing me to get off the ramp and get home. The warning lights stayed on. I took the car to the dealer the next day and after they tested everything they said that there was nothing wrong. Next time I might not be so lucky.
2007 prius dashboard lights malfunction - completely dark. See the federal safety agency # 10544698 and many other complaints regarding dashboard lights/cluster going completely dark and engine will not shut off. This is an extremely serious safety issue and dealerships will not repair for free. The part needed is a combination meter/cluster that costs around $1000 to repair from the dealer. Please everyone - push for national recall as this is an extremely dangerous safety issue.
The back hatch door grip handle on the hatch of my 2007 toyota prius no longer functions properly. The rubber grip has degraded and is soft and sticky during warm weather and in cold weather becomes nearly immovable. The back hatch door grip handle frequently jams rendering the car inaccessible through the rear compartment. This is a major cause for concern and is a serious safety hazard. There have been multiple cases of this complaint reported. This rubber grip is clearly a material of poor quality and given the past history of electrical problems toyota has had with the prius it is highly probable that this is one more. Before someone is injured or dies as a result of not having egress from this vehicle toyota needs to be made to take responsibility and provide repairs at no cost.
While driving on the highway, both headlights shut off. This caused a near accident with other motorists on the highway. By rapidly toggling the headlight switch on and off, the headlights turned back on. This has been a persistent issue even though I have had the bulbs replaced at a great expense.
The combination meter display ( speedometer) will not illuminate. Toyota knows of this issue. This is a safety issue as driver are unable to know the speed of their vehicle. Toyota issue a extended warranty but in most cases refuses to replace the part as it is difficult to reproduce.
The buttons on the steering wheel began to stop working. One by one, each began to fail. I wasn't too worried since they're simply the climate and stereo controls, however, as I began researching all signs pointed to this being the "clock spring" assembly. This also controls the airbag and is a huge safety issue. I went to the dealer who confirmed and said this would cost $500 to repair. When I asked about the airbag they said they do not recommend that I drive the car because the airbag "might not work" anymore. After seeing a sufficient amount of posts here, I wanted to also add my feedback as it appears this is far more widespread than just an isolated incident. I have drive 4 other (non-toyota) vehicles for well above 200,000 miles and never had this issue. My father (automotive mechanic for another car brand) said he's never had anyone come in with this issue before. Considering that toyta prides themselves as having safe vehicles, I would hope that they consider a recall on this life-threatening part failure.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2007 Toyota Prius?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history