Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2017 Toyota Prius submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Toyota Prius. It was discovered when the contact listed the vehicle for sale that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was as a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 126,611. The potential purchaser provided a CARFAX report that recorded the mileage on 11/6/2024 at 225,810.
For the past year or so we have had issues with the vehicle not starting properly. If we leave the radio, wipers, heater, or air conditioner in the ON position when we shut the car off, or a window down a little on a hot day, a sensor triggers a Low Battery error code. We have had the battery checked and it is NOT low. When this happens to start the car we need to get a jumpstart from someone. This limits where we feel safe driving to as in a remote place where not many other people and cars are it would be more difficult to find someone to give us a jumpstart. On occasion, we have had to call a towing service to come to help us, which requires sometimes a long wait. The car starts right up once the connection to the other vehicle's battery is made. We should not need a checklist to make sure everything is turned off before we leave the car to avoid this non-starting issue.
EVEN THOUGH THIS VEHICLE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS CASE, I CONSIDER THAT IT IS VERY RELEVANT THAT I EXPRESS MY CONCERNS WITH THIS VEHICLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT I TRADED IN MY 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS FOR A VEHICLE THAT PROVIDED AN UNSAFE DRIVING EXPERIENCE TO MY FAMILY WHICH WAS THE 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH VIN NUMBER [XXX] AFTER TAKING IT TO THREE DIFFERENT TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS TO BE EVALUATED BY TWO DIFFERENT TOYOTA FIELD INSPECTORS FROM TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS, TOYOTA MOTOR VEHICLES MADE THE CHOICE NOT TO LISTEN TO OUR CONCERNS AND REJECTED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDING ME A SAFETY HAZARD PRODUCT IN ORDER TO AVOID LEMON LAW AND/OR MAKE ME AWARE OF THE HIGH LEVELS OF EMF THAT THE VEHICLE HAD. ON APRIL 18 2019, WE NEVER WERE TOLD BY THE SECOND FIELD INSPECTOR SENT BY TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS THE RESULTS OF HIS FINDINGS. BIG TWO TOYOTA TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION AND CONVINCED US TO TRADE IN THIS VEHICLE FOR A NEW 2019 TOYOTA SIENNA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY DURING RAIN THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SPONTANEOUSLY STOPS AND LASHES ON THE DASH DISPLAY THAT IT IS NO LONGER SET, THE CAR DECELERATES RAPIDLY, LEAVING THE DRIVER SCRAMBLING TO DETERMINE WHAT HAS HAPPENED. THE SYSTEMS INVOLVED ARE THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AND "TOYOTA SAFETY SENSE."
WHILE DRIVING ON I-75 THERE SEEMS TO BE A SPARK CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK AND BURN BACK TIRE AND THE TIRE ROLLED OFF THE FREEWAY PUTTING ALL THE FIVE PASSENGERS INTO A HAZARDOUS SITUATION ON THE I-75 FREEWAY. WE SMELLED SMELL OF TIRE AND GAS LEAK. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE FREEWAY. IT WAS REPORTED TO TOYOTA AND THEIR DEALERS MULTIPLE TIMES. NO ONE EVEN BOTHERED OR CONCERNED ABOUT THE ISSUE OR SAFETY OF PASSENGERS.
THE VEHICLE STARTED NORMALLY BUT WHEN I REACHED ABOUT TWO BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE, THE PRIUS STARTED TO ACT AS IF THE ELECTRIC MOTORS WERE NOT ENGAGING. THE ENGINE DID NOT ENGAGE EITHER AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS UNRESPONSIVE. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED, I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A 4-WAY INTERSECTION UNTIL I SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED IT. AFTER I RESTARTED THE PRIUS, IT CONTINUED BEHAVING ERRATICALLY. IT SOUNDED AND FELT LIKE THE GAS MOTOR HAD ENGAGED BUT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR HAD NOT. IT ALSO FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING/NOT ENGAGING AND I HAD TO REV THE MOTOR TO GET THE TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE (WHICH IT DID WITH A KICK LIKE IT WAS BEING PUT INTO GEAR). THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SO FAR. I HAD A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE ON THE LAST INCIDENT. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIND ANY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. I REACHED OUT TO TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY COULD ADDRESS THE ISSUE, BUT THEY SAID THAT THEIR FIELD TECH WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY PROBLEM. I AM WORRIED THAT THIS CAR WILL FAIL IN TRAFFIC AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE INCIDENT DATES ARE JUNE 20, JULY 2 AND JULY 27, 2018. THE ONLY INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS ABNORMAL ON JULY THE 27TH. WAS A LOWER MPG READING ON MY DISPLAY. OTHER THAN THAT, THERE WAS NO WARNING OR ERROR CODES DISPLAYED.
CAR STARTED BY ITSELF WHEN IT WAS PARKED IN A DRIVEWAY IN HOT WEATHER IN THE SUN. MY KEY FOB DOES NOT HAVE A REMOTE STARTING MECHANISM - ONLY DOOR UNLOCK AND LOCK CAPABILITY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY STARTED. KOONS ARLINGTON TOYOTA (4045 LEE HWY, ARLINGTON, VA 22207, (703) 522-6000) WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. *TT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAD AN AUTO POWER START FOB, BUT IT WAS NOT AROUND THE KEY FOB. IN ADDITION, A HEADLIGHT WARNING SENSOR ILLUMINATED THAT ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (BRUNSWICK AUTO MART, 3031 CENTER RD, BRUNSWICK, OH, 44212). THE DEALER REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT SYSTEM AND SENSOR. THE HEADLIGHT WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE VEHICLE ENGAGING INDEPENDENTLY TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WOULD DOCUMENT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,000. ...UPDATED 09/21/17 *BF UPDATED 9/22/2017*JS UPDATED 09/25/2017*JS ***UPDATED 09/26/17*LJ *JS
1) THE TABLET INFORMATION SCREEN IS SO LARGE AND THE INSTRUCTIONS SO COMPLICATED THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR A LONG TIME JUST TO REGULATE HVAC AND RADIO 2) THE CAR GOES COMPLETELY DEAD RANDOMLY AFTER DRIVING IT. MUST BE TOWED.
WE PURCHASED A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS ON JANUARY 29TH 2017 AND ON MARCH 22ND 2017 THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE OUT OF NO WHERE. THE CAR WAS PARKED AND OFF WHEN SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT FROM THE AROUND THE SHIFT CHANGER AND THE TOUCH SCREEN AREA. AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE.
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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