Continued from part 7
Peggy of Index WA (07/25/07)
I was drivig a new Prius (fewer than 600 miles) and experienced an uncontrollable accerlation while entering a freeway in Everett, Washington. As I attempted to merge into heavy traffic, I accelerated up the on ramp and was attempting to place the car between two vehicles going at a rate of approximately 50 miles per hour. The car lunged forward and would not slow down without my repeated pumping the brakes. I exited the freeway immediately (approximately one-half mile) in heavy traffic unable to disengage the throttle.

I got the car to stop on the off-ramp and turned it off with the power button. Knowing that this was also an unsafe place to leave the car, and after I gain some confidence in myself I started it up once again it was going at full throttle. I got it into an adjacent vacant parking lot. I noticed a foul odor that I assumed was the brakes. While I went to a telephone to call the dealer (Rodland Toyota).

They asked me to drive it to them. Approximately, twenty minutes later my husband who was with me took over driving and when he started the car. The car no longer was running at an uncontrolled rate, however, we didn't accelerate more than was absolutely necessary. On the way to the dealer we noticed the display was not recording the trip as it usually did. When I spoke with the service department, they suggested the possiblity of the rug covers being the problem. This was not the case, the rugs were not close to the accelerator.

I thought it may have been the cruise control kicking in. But as the car was new to me, I had not yet used the cruise control, on purpose or by accident. The dealer did not know of any other incident of this type and after giving the car a going over, decided it must be an operator error. I've driven for over 40 years and honestly feel this was nothing to do with my driving.

For once, my husband agreed, this car was experiencing problems. The dealer failed to find anything wrong and could not get the car to accerated uncontrollably again. I like the car, but no longer trust it. I would like to believe it was me, so I could trust the car. However, now after seeing other similar incidents, realize that there is a problem and Toyota needs to fix it.

The only damage was to my nerves and possibly my brakes. The owner's manual insisted the car should not be accelerated like what happened before it was driven severl hundred miles as it cold impair the future energy efficiency.

Well??

Tina of Palmetto FL (07/24/07)
We purchased a 07 Toyota Prius. After purchasing and reading all the caustion in the owners manual we started wondering how much EMF is being given off by the high voltage cable. We used a ELM meter that showed where our newborn sits was over 24 mG (our meter only goes to 24 mG so we don't know how high it really is). What is considered safe for kids is 2 -3 mG. I asked Toyota if they could shield to reduce it and the answer was NO. They stated the car has been tested and was consider safe by the numbers they got. I asked to see the test results or what the EMF numbers that Toyota considers safe for kids and they would not tell me.

It has been advised to me by my pediatrician and a cancer research doctor that if it was thier car they would NOT put there kids in it. Since this is a contraversial issue they can't tell me anything other then if it was there car they wouldn't put kids in it. I have read and the higher the mG the higher the chance for kids getting leukemia or other cancers. What I'm really upset about is if a car (hybrid in general) gives off high EMF then it should be disclosed to the buyer. That way the buyer can make the decision to buy the vehicle or not.

Cathy of Palm Desert CA (07/20/07)
I bought a 2007 Toyota Prius. In the first tank of gas the average MPG was 31. I took it back to the dealership & was told by the service manager that couldn't be right & to run another tank. The second tank MPG was 34.4. The ONLY reason I bought a Prius was because of the advertised gas mileage. I would NOT have bought this car if I'd known about its pitiful performance. I understand there is a class action law suit against Toyota over the advertised Prius mileage. I would like to become a part of this process. Please advise me on how I can become involved. Thank you.

Debora Koslowsky of North Hills CA (07/18/07)
2001 Toyota Prius has been stalling intermittently for 3 years. The dealer has replaced the hybrid battery which was on warranty (thank goodness!) and now says they need to replace the accelerator pedal position sensor which is not on warranty and the part will cost $435 plus tax and 3 hours of labor.

Amogh of Lawrenceville NJ (07/18/07)
My Prius 2005 ran for 20000 miles and all 4 tires lost all traction and thread.Inspection has failed due to that.I have to change all 4 tires.This is riduculous for only this much mileage..

Mark of Fairmont WV (07/13/07)
My 2003 Toyota Prius has a steering problem. Dan Cava Toyota in Fairmont informed me that my rack and pinion gear will need replaced. Cost @ $1800.00 I read on the internet that other Prius cars have steering problems covered by a recall, mine is not covered. I have 85000 miles on the car.

I have already replaced the gas tank, and electronic control module. This steering repair is just too much money.

Ed of Northfield OH (07/10/07)
2005 toyota prius--traction control cuts power if the wheels slip even slightly, causing the vehicle to stop moving. It is impossible on snowy roads, and very dangerous when pulling quickly from side streets into traffic (wheel slip increases when wheels are turned; happens easily if roads are wet).

R. L. of Collinsville IL (07/05/07)
I have been experiencing problems with my 2002 Toyota Prius. Sometimes, upon start-up, the engine warning lights come on with their exclaimation points and check engine signs, but there is nothing wrong. I have stopped the car, checked the oil, coolant, etc. and can find no problems. The car runs fine with the warnings on, and if I change the computer screen back to the engine parameters, it displays that everything is running correctly. Only twice did it actually have a problem, in that it ran very rough upon start-up, and then shut the gas engine off and only ran on electric power. However, on both occasions, all I had to do was turn the key off and back on, and the car ran fine with both engines doing what they're suppose to. After having the car off for a while, it usually starts back up fine with no warning indicators.

I took the car to Feld Toyota in South St. Louis,( where I bought the car), to have them check it out on their computer. I was told that I need a new fuel pump, gas tank, and engine control module, at a cost of $2300. I called my son in Indiana, who is a certified mechanic, and he said that was B.S. He said it may need the brain box module, but if the fuel pump/gas tank were bad that it would run rough or die all the time. He felt the Toyota dealer either didn't know how to correctly diagnose the problem, or that they were simply trying to rip me off. I have driven the car for a couple of weeks since then, and only one time has it acted up again and given the false warnings.

John of San Marcos TX (07/03/07)
i bought a 2007 prius from san marcos toyota, the epa mpg was 51 hwy and 60 city. even now with the revised mpg, they are still saying it will get 55mpg in town. i get 28 mpg all town driving. it has been in the shop three times. they deny that there is anything wrong with my car. the last time i reset the consumption meter as it dropped it off. a mechanic drove it 17 miles, after i signed the ticket saying nothing was wrong. the mechanic and i got in the car so he could show me how it runs, i then hit the consumption chart and he had gotten 28.7 mpg. he was shocked by the look on his face, took it back in the shop and said he checked a few more things and then said that there was nothing more he could do.

i am out a lot of money tax title and lic fees, interest, cost of extended warranty and prepaid maintainance. i am stressed, angry and very upset every time i put $3.00 + gas in my car. i am frustrated by the toyota run around and their lectures on how to drive and the statement they always make, all these cars(prius) are different. what?

Carol of Derwood MD (06/28/07)
While traveling south on I-95 to Florida in May 2007, my 2005 Prius shutdown in 70 mph traffic. I was in the middle lane and had to resort to coasting along. After 2 minutes and nearly dying by all the traffic around me, I pushed the start button (while drifting at 15mph) and the car restarted.

No injury due to very aware drivers around me--but I was scared to death.

John of San Marcos TX (06/20/07)
i have a 2007 prius, 2800 miles, i will not run on the battery(electric motor). i have had it in the shop twice now, they run their computer diagnosis and both times have told me that there is nothing wrong with my car. it gets 28MPG in town. there is something wrong and they do not seem to want or have the ability to repair this car. i will take it in one more time and then i qualifies under the texas lemon law.

Robert of Henderson KY (06/20/07)
my 2007 prius is stalling and the dealer cnat find any thing wrong they say that no codes are showing up on the computer. but the car will stop running. If I turn it on and off several times then it starts again and runs untill who knows when.

Patrick of Colorado Springs CO (06/18/07)
I experienced a problem last week with my 2005 Prius hybrid that is troubling to me. I came out to my vehicle to find it dead and unable to start. I looked for any accessories that might have been left on, but found none. I pulled out the manual and diagnosed a dead 12V battery. I proceeded to follow the jump start procedures in the manual after asking for assistance from bystanders at the museum where I was parked. I have jump started vehicles on numerous occassions in the past. The jump was unsuccessful, so I called a tow truck recommended by the dealer and had it towed there.

The dealer is saying that the car was jumped with the cables crossed (reverse polarity), and that the repair will be about $5000 (parts and labor to replace the DC/DC inverter/converter assembly, and the main fuse link assembly), plus whatever caused the battery to die in the first place. And it will not be covered under the vehicle's 3yr/36000 mile warranty (bought in Aug 05, 19K miles) due to the improper jump. I am very sure that I followed the jump procedures in the manual. The only possible error that I can think of is that the jump donor vehicle operator hooked up his cables backward. I verbally confirmed with him that his red clamp should go on the postive terminal of his battery, but I did not visually double check.

The rest of the jump procedures I remember vividly, and are exactly as per the manual. I have done a lot of research over the past week, and apparently the Prius has a failure prone 12V battery. It is much weaker (and more expensive) than standard car 12V batteries. If the car is jumped with reverse polarity, it is a much bigger issue than in a standard vehicle, and can cause thousands of dollars in damage, and will not be covered under warranty. Toyota is aware of this, as this has been a recurrent problem.

They have failed to engineer a simple diode circuit protection for the vulnerable, expensive portions of the hybrid electric system, and have failed to even issue a warning in the owner's manual. I feel certain that if the owner's manual had explicitly warned me of the extensive risks of a reverse polarity jump, I probably would not have risked the jump, or at least, would have known to meticulously check all the connections, on both my vehicle and the donor vehicle specifically for correct polarity. I really feel someone needs to let Prius owners know about the risks of jump starting their vehicles. Toyota, unfortunately, seems unwilling to do. I hope you can help get the word out, so more people don't continue to experience this sad experience.

Joan of Tallahassee FL (06/10/07)
Last week all the warning lights came on on my 2003 Prius. Took it into the Toyota dealership where I purchased the car, which now has 32,000 miles on it. They ran the diagnostics and told me the fuel tank, fuel pump and all the connectors had to be replaced for a cost of $870.

Checked around and learned that there is no way a car with only 32,000 miles on it should need a new fuel tank and pump. Called Toyota Customer Service who bounced me up a notch to a Cust. Svc Satisfaction person, and then got a call from the dealership saying they would knock off $275, leaving me to pay $605. Finally got the car back on Friday afternoon late and discovered the remote door locks don't work now so will have to take it back tomorrow.

Guess they forgot to reconnect some wires! Apparently there are major problems with some of the electrical systems (including the gas system) and I've learned the hard way that repairs to the Prius are very costly. Would never recommend a Prius to anybody. And yes, my mileage has gone down as others have experienced.