Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2014 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I was in stop and go traffic. We got into a crash and my vehicle was totalled. I’ve never been in an accident before. It felt like the break system just broke down.
Blizzard Pearl White paint started peeling off the car's body around the top areas of the 4 side doors (passenger & driver sides). There seems to be an active recall on this from Toyota for the same paint color and type, but the Prius model is not included in the active recall for this same condition. It has become a hazard such that such paint chips can be ingested by children. I took it to the Santa Monica, CA Toyota dealership and it was verified by the dealership representative there that this was a condition caused by a defect in the original paint with exposure to sunlight.
WHILE BEING DETAILED, PUDDLE LIGHT WAS SEEN SMOKING ON DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. IT MELTED THE BODY OF DOOR AND HAD TO BE REMOVED. I ALSO HAVE VIDEO OF IT SMOKING AND MELTING DOOR.
THE BLIZZARD PEARL PAINT BEGAN SPLITTING AND FLAKING OFF MY PASSENGER SIDE DOOS. THE LOCATION ON BOTH DOORS IS THE AREA RIGHT BELOW THE WINDOWS. THIS STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND NOW LARGE CHUNKS ARE COMING OFF DESPITE HAVING USED A 3 PAINT TOUCH UP PROCESS. NOW THE PATTERN IS REPEATING ON MY DRIVER'S SIDE.
ON A WINTER DAY MY CAR SLID DOWN A STEEP ROAD AND WOULD NOT STOP WHILE BREAKING, BOTH FRONT FENDER FLARES BROKE OFF CAUSING THE CAR TO ACT LIKE IT WAS ON A SLED. THE CAR EVENTUALLY STOPPED AFTER I PLACED IT IN NEUTRAL AND THEN SLID AGAIN AND THEN IT FINALLY STOPPED. I ALMOST KILLED MYSELF.
WHILE PARKED, THE STRUTS THAT HOLD OPEN THE REAR LIFT HATCH FAILED SUDDENLY, CAUSING THE HATCH TO FALL ON THE HEAD OF PERSON LOADING THE CAR. THE HATCH WAS CAUGHT BY A SECOND PERSON, PREVENTING SERIOUS INJURY. ON INSPECTION, THE STRUTS WERE LEAKING OIL.
OTHER CAR DRIVER JUMP RED LIGHT AND T-ZONE HIT MY CAR FROM FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ,EVERYTHING FROM PASSENGER SIDE WAS BROKEN AND WHOLE INTERIOR WAS BROKEN TILL DRIVER SEAT. LATER ON THE CAR WAS DECLARED TOTAL LOSS. IN THIS BIG CRASH ALSO NONE OF THE AIR BAG WAS DEPLOYED TO SUPPORT DRIVER.......UPDATED 12/10/15 *BF *CN
MUSTY SMELL IN VEHICLE, SICK W/ RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING DISTRESS AFTER USING AIR CONDITIONING OR HEATING SYSTEM OR DEFROSTERS. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO DEALER FOR 5000 MILE SERVICE AND MANAGER TOLD ME THE "THERE IS MOLD INSIDE THE AIR CONDITIONER AND HEATING AND ALL VENTED AIR SYSTEM. THIS IS THE WAY THE NEW DESIGN IS, THE AIR SYSTEM IS CLOSED OFF AND THE MOISTURE LAYS IN THERE GROWING MOLD." HE SAID "YOU HAVE TO OPEN THE WINDOWS, IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE, OR HAVE IT CLEANED EVERY WEEK TO KEEP THE SMELL OUT." HE SAID " THAT IS A CHARGE NOT COVERED BY YOUR LEASE, I'LL TAKE THE DASH OFF AND PUT A NEW FILTER AND FLUSH THE AIR HANDLING SYSTEM OUT FOR YOU, THIS TIME. IT USUALLY COST OVER $250.DOLLARS. YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF BY SPRAYING A WHOLE CAN OF LYSOL BEHIND THE CABIN FILTER EVERY WEEK". MOLD IS KNOWN TO BE DEADLY AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ALLOWED DESIGN. I HAVE SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THIS PROBLEM AND NOW REFERRED TO A PULMONOLOGIST FOR SPECIAL TEST. I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT HAVE OBTAINED THIS CAR IF THE DEALER HAD DISCLOSED THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. BAD. *TR
SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING MY 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS IN JUNE 2014, I STARTED NOTICING A MOLDY SMELL COMING FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER. THE HOTTER OUTSIDE IT GOT, THE WORSE THE SMELL INSIDE GOT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM WITH THEM. THEY INFORMED ME THAT TOYOTA SAYS THIS IS AN "ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE" AND CAN HAPPEN IN NEW CARS AND IS THEREFORE NOT WARRANTIED. THE SERVICE MANAGER INSTALLED A CHARCOAL AIR FILTER IN THE CABIN AIR FILTER AND SAID THAT IT WOULD HELP ELIMINATE THE ODOR. IT DID NOT. IN FACT, THE CHARCOAL AIR FILTER REDUCED THE AIR FLOW INTO THE CABIN WHICH CAUSED THE AC TO NOT COOL. I HAD THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACE THE CHARCOAL WITH AN ORIGINAL AIR FILTER IN SEPTEMBER AFTER COMPLAINING THAT THE AC WASN'T COOL. THE SMELL IN THE AC PERSISTS. IT'S NOT JUST A BIT WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON. NO MATTER WHAT SETTING I PUT THE AC ON, IT DOES NOT HELP (FRESH AIR OR RECIRC). WHEN IT RAINS OR WHEN IT IS REALLY HUMID OUTSIDE, THE CAR SMELLS LIKE A SWAMP (EVEN BEFORE IT IS TURNED ON). THERE IS ALSO HUMIDITY INSIDE THE CAR WHEN OPENING THE DOOR. I'VE ASKED MULTIPLE TIMES TO HAVE THE EVAPORATOR REPLACED BECAUSE I FEAR THAT IT IS NOT DRAINING AND CAUSING MOLD AND MILDEW TO FORM. BREATHING IN THE MOLD IS A SERIOUS HEALTH CONCERN AND TOYOTA WILL NOT AGREE TO ANY KIND OF FIX. I'M ALSO HAVING OTHER VARIOUS HVAC PROBLEMS SUCH AS CONTINUOUSLY FOGGING WINDOWS AND A DRAFT FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. THE CAR DOES NOT HOLD HEAT AND IS VERY COLD DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. *TR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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