2012 Toyota Prius V Steering Problems

8/2/22 My ABS light came on. Took the car to a dealer. They kept it for six weeks and returned it on 10/3/22. No charge and no explanation. 11/7/22 engine light came on. Took in to dealer, they returned it 11/17/22 indicated incorrect air/ fuel mixture. 10/9/23 Traveling 47 mph, came around a mountain and encountered stopped cars. Slammed on the brakes, car did not slow down, steering wheel locked to the right, car yawed to the right, and turned over, hit a curb and the car righted itself. 3 occupants, 2 injuries , 1 death. Researching the 2012 Toyota Prius, found many instances of a faulty ABS system, mimicking exactly my experience. I was never informed by Toyota or the local Toyota dealer.

NHTSA ID

11569297

Incident

Oct 9, 2023

Found car tampered with cut in carpet under driver seat to check battery maintenance per Toyota owner manual where hybrid battery was not receiving charge , was running hot Unknown person impersonated me registered my VIN to enroll with Toyota upgraded software app Entune version not with purchase is a 2021 software version with parental like controls, I took to Toyota dealerships below for assistance , new battery and hybrid faulting losing charge, car does not provide hybrid fault notice , loses charge , uses little gas , I researched on side of road to rest throttle and work around as I was driving it could have lost all power and stalled per recall notice needed hybrid software update Ran dr Prius app and finding recalls serviced at Toyota chambers burg pa are coding J0V issue w/inverter not completed and additional engine & battery codes almost causing my car to not enter fail safe mode hybrid battery almost fully discharged as approaching Bay Bridge Service notes from Fitzgerald day there were no issues specific repair request was for diagnostic report of car hybrid battery and sensor check, they claim no issue Only repair was replaced fob key although car at location 10 days, missing fuses found upgrade causes car to get 2-4mpg and burn battery hot/discharge without any dash or other warnings from car Safety recall notice no. 18v-684 are indicative of car symptoms Since incident Easton Md Toyota Service, Arlington Va Koons, Hagerstown MD Toyota and chambers burg refused to provide diagnostics Chambers burg held car did not perform service claiming no issues but noted cut carpet under driver seat above hybrid air vent battery cool/ intake Problem still an issue no Toyota will run diagnostics -

NHTSA ID

11427529

Incident

Jun 30, 2021

AFTER REPAIR OF STALLING ENGINE CONDITION: VSV VALVE REPLACED, A SOFTWARE UPDATE SUBSEQUENTLY WAS PERFORMED ON MY CAR (JOV RECALL). EVER SINCE THAT SOFTWARE UPDATE IT HASN'T BEEN SAFE TO DRIVE MY CAR : UNSAFE BREAKING, REALLY HARD BREAKING, ESPECIALLY ON HIGHWAYS AND UNTIMELY DASHBOARD LIGHTING RELATED TO TRAC/VSC, CHECK ENGINE AND HYBRID WARNING LIGHT

NHTSA ID

11277943

Incident

Oct 16, 2019

Mileage

180,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS INOPERABLE. WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE AND THE VEHICLE WENT IN ANY DIRECTION WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED. ALSO, THE VEHICLE SHOOK WHEN TURNING. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000.

NHTSA ID

11164612

Incident

Dec 28, 2018

Mileage

178,000 mi

STEERING COLUMN BROKE. DRIVING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. HEARD AND FELT A LOUD CLUNK. THUMPING FEELING WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED. ONLY 130,000 MILES. SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN ON ANY CAR.

NHTSA ID

11163048

Incident

Nov 15, 2018

Mileage

130,000 mi

NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 15V449 MANUFACTURER RECALL: FOR / HYBRID INVERTER/POWER MODULE (IPM) CRASH INVOLVING PRIUS V (OWNED BY ANOTHER PERSON - MY MOTHER WAS HIT AND KILLED BY PRIUS V) OCCURRED ON SR 105. PRIUS V TRAVELING N ON OUTSIDE LANE CROSSED INSIDE LANE AND 11' GRASS MEDIAN BORDERED BY CONCRETE INTO S BOUND INSIDE LANE AND COLLIDED MY MOTHER DRIVING ONCOMING VEHICLE ON INSIDE S BOUND LANE. WOMAN DRIVING PRIUS V WAS KILLED ON IMPACT, AND MY MOTHER DIED LATER THAT DAY AT UF HOSPITAL JACKSONVILLE. TWO WITNESSES DRIVING BEHIND MY MOTHER SAW CRASH AND SAID THE PRIUS V APPEARED TO BE ACCELERATING ACROSS MEDIAN. CRASH OCCURRED APPROX. 2 MONTHS BEFORE TOYOTA'S RECALL ON JULY 15, 2015 OF 109,000 PRIUS V HYBRIDS. THE PRIUS V THAT KILLED MY MOTHER WAS PART OF THIS RECALL. IN FEB 2014, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE PRIUS ECU. THE PRUIS V HAD THE SAME ECU, BUT TOYOTA CHOSE NOT TO RECALL THE PRIUS V UNTIL ALMOST A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, 2 AND A HALF MONTHS AFTER MY MOTHER'S FATAL CRASH. IF THEY HAD RECALLED THE PRIUS V IN 2014, WOULD MY MOTHER STILL BE ALIVE?

NHTSA ID

11039192

Incident

May 9, 2015

I WAS DRIVING, TRYING TO PARK MY CAR, WHEN THE STEERING (POWER FAILED) IT TOOK ALL MIGHT STRENGTHEN TO TURN THE WHEEL. THE CAR WAS SERVICED BY TOYOTA REGULARLY - THERE WERE NO PREVIOUS SIGNS OR INDICATORS THAT ANY PROBLEM EXISTED. STEERING SYSTEM FAILED; HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. AT 50,000 THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED, NOT GETTING ANY ELECTRICITY TO THE STEERING COLUMN. NEEDED A NEW STEERING COLUMN.

NHTSA ID

10885332

Incident

May 13, 2016

Mileage

50,000 mi

NOISE ("CLUNKING") WHEN TURNING LEFT & RIGHT AS IF THERE IS "PLAY" OR SOMETHING IS LOOSE SOMEWHERE IN THE STEERING SYSTEM. WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY AND UNDERSTAND THERE WERE PREVIOUS RECALLS OF THE SHAFT ON PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS. DO NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING SHAFT AS DEALER SUGGESTS IF NOT NECESSARY.

NHTSA ID

10839830

Incident

Feb 24, 2016

Mileage

59,815 mi

VEHICLE IN MOTION WHEN STEERING COLUMN ADJUSTMENT RELEASED AND WOULD NOT RELOCK CAUSING THE STEERING COLUMN TO MOVE FORWARD AND BACK, UP AND DOWN. THE CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT STAY FIXED IN ONE POSITION. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REMOVED THE STEERING COLUMN AND REINSTALLED A BOLT THAT HAD COME OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN AND REINSTALLED THE BOLT WITH THREAD LOCK. COST OF REPAIR WAS $532. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND OTHER MODELS SHOULD BE CHECKED FOR THE LOOSE BOLT.

NHTSA ID

10821117

Incident

Jan 16, 2016

Mileage

72,240 mi

I FELT A LOOSE NOISE BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE CAR. TOOK THE CAR TO SERVICE WHERE I HAD BOUGHT IT AND THEY CERTIFIED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDS A REPLACEMENT @ 47,000 MILES. PRIUS MODELS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS NOT SOLVED, YET THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE THE DEFECT AND NO OTHER RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS AROUND 500.00 I HAVE HAD ABOUT TEN CARS IN MY LIFE AND IN NONE HAVE I EVER HAD THE WORRY OR NOT EVEN THE SOUND OF A LOOSE STEERING SHAFT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE STEERING WHEEL... AND I HAVE A FAMILY OF 5.

NHTSA ID

10654416

Incident

Oct 1, 2014

Mileage

47,000 mi

THE STEERING COLUMN WAS A BIT LOOSE WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM A RENTAL OFFICE AT I 95 TOYOTA BRUNSWICK GEORGIA IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE AT 130000MILES ABOUT 90% HIGHWAY THEY TELL ME IT WILL COST $1100 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE COLUMN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10643068

Incident

Oct 1, 2014

Mileage

40,000 mi