RoadVitals

2001 Toyota Prius Suspension Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Suspension reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Oct 14, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
5%
of 165 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Toyota Prius submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming suspension

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Suspension
Filed Oct 14, 2010

PREMATURE WEAR AND CROWNING OF TIRES DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT OF REAR AXLE. CAN ONLY BE CORRECTED BY AFTER MARKET PLASTIC SHIMS INSTALLED AT AN EXPENSE OF APPROXIMATELY $500 OR OVER INFLATE TIRES TO 50 PSI AND LOOSE ROAD TRACTION OR INFLATE TIRES TO TOYOTA SPECIFICATIONS FOR PREMATURE WEAR DUE TO TOE OUT DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10360541
Incident
Oct 14, 2010
Mileage
1 mi
SteeringSuspension
Filed Feb 16, 2010

THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS SUDDENLY STARTS SHAKING VIOLENTLY WHEN I START UP THE CAR. IT SEEMS TO OCCUR DURING COLD WEATHER. I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR WHEN IT HAPPENS BECAUSE STEERING IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE WHEN THE SHAKING HAPPENS. THIS SHAKING HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 5 TIMES. IF I LET THE CAR WARM UP FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE DRIVING IT SEEMS TO REDUCE THE OCCURRENCE OF THE SHAKING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10311151
Incident
Dec 18, 2009
Mileage
40,000 mi
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Feb 4, 2006
Crash reported

TIRES ON VEHICLE ARE COMING APART ON THE INSIDE TREAD LINE AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MILES OF USE. WE HAD ONE CRASH WHERE CAR COULD NOT BE STOPPED IN TIME. DID NOT PUT THE CRASH TOGETHER WITH THE TIRE PROBLEM UNTIL RECENTLY. *NM

NHTSA ID
10149453
Incident
Jul 11, 2002
SuspensionTires & wheels
Filed May 16, 2005

I HAVE SERIOUS AND REPEATING PROBLEMS WITH SUSPENSION/ TIRES ON MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2001 CAR (MANUFACTURED 06/01). THREE TIMES THE FRONT TIRES WHERE ABNORMALLY AND SIGNIFICANTLY WORN (DURING APPROX 7,500 MILES) WITH, WITH SIDE AND TOP SCARS ETC. TOYOTA ALREADY CHANGED THE TIRES FOUR TIMES BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO SOLVE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE SAME PROBLEM IS LIKELY REPEAT ITSELF AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND CHANGING THE TIRES IS NOT A SOLUTION. I DO NOT LIKE DRIVING ON SUCH DANGEROUSLY WORN TIRES; MOREOVER, IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO DRIVE ON TIRES IN SUCH CONDITION). CAR WAS REGULARLY IN SCHEDULED TOYOTA SERVICE (INCLUDING TIRES ROTATION, PRESSURE CHECK ETC.).

NHTSA ID
10121100
Incident
Apr 29, 2005
Mileage
60,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Feb 21, 2004

EXCESSIVE FRONT TIRE WEAR, SAID BY TOYOTA TO BE "INHERENT IN A HYBRID VEHICLE" BUT NOT ADVERTISED TO PURCHASERS ANYWHERE IN THEIR SALES BROCHURES OR WARRANTY PACKET, IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ANYONE EXPECTING TIRES TO LAST MORE THAN 12,000 MILES. TOYOTA BLAMES THE TIRE MANUFACTURER; BRIDGESTONE BLAMES TOYOTA. TOYOTA ALSO REFUSES TO SPECIFY WHETHER THE 2004 MODEL, WHICH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER TIRES, WILL BE ANY BETTER. THEY SIMPLY WON'T ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID
10058654
Incident
Mar 23, 2001
Mileage
3,000 mi
Fuel systemSteeringSuspension
Filed Aug 11, 2003

THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE. *AK ALSO THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT THE TIRES WERE REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE VEHICLE HAD NUMEROUS ALIGNMENTS. THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED AND THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10022058
Incident
May 16, 2003
Mileage
48,000 mi
Fuel systemSuspension
Filed Jul 29, 2003

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING FUEL IN VEHICLE IS CONSUMED FASTER THAN IT SHOULD BE. THE GAS TANK HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, AND THE VEHICLE IS IN THE SHOP AT THIS TIME FOR ANOTHER FUEL TANK. CONSUMER FEELS THAT VEHICLE MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED DURING TRANSPORT TO DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE FRONT END IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. VEHICLE HAS HAD FIVE FRONT END ALIGNMENTS SINCE OWNERSHIP. *AK

NHTSA ID
10031479
ElectricalSuspensionTires & wheels
Filed Jun 14, 2002

CONTINUED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR POSSIBLE CAUSE VEHICLE WEIGHT AND ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. I AM ON MY THIRD SET OF TIRES IN 30,000 MILES AND THE TIRES THAT ARE NOW ON THE CAR ARE WEARING POORLY AFTER LESS THEN 5,000 MILES. TOYOTA IS REFUSING TO HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM ANY FURTHER THEN THEY HAVE. THE CAR WONDERS IN SLIGHTLY WINDY CONDITIONS AND FREEWAY DRIVING WHICH FELLS UNSAFE. TOYOTA HAS HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER AND DO A VALVE JOB DUE TO THE LOSS OF POWER I EXPERIENCED, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
763062
Incident
Sep 14, 2001
Suspension
Filed Apr 2, 2002

FRONT SUSPENSION HAS BEEN WEARING OUT FRONT TIRES. WARRANTY OF TIRES EXPIRED. *AK

NHTSA ID
8006823

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .