13 of the
544 complaints about the 2013 Toyota Prius are about the
body and structure — 2% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
40,500 miles.
While driving straight on smooth paved road, car began to shake and right rear passenger wheel came completely separated from car. After skidding off the road and being able to visually inspect, it was clear the sub-frame had broken and the wheel had come off in its entirety. The rotor, the lugs, and calipers were all still attached to the wheel.
NHTSA complaint #11753091 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cerritos, CA
STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD
The clear coat failed despite regular wax and optimal storage. I have seen a few Toyota vehicles of this same color with clear coat failures.
NHTSA complaint #11597302 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Woods Hole, MA
STRUCTURE:BODY
The rear right wheel broke off when going in reverse, leaving driveway (low speed). Towed to a garage. Was told that the rear frame member had rusted through. Had no warning of this -- car is used regularly and had been inspected several months ago. EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ANOTHER COUPLE WE KNOW WHO ALSO OWN A 2013 PRIUS -- rear wheel came off because the frame member rusted through. Happened about a month before ours. They too were going in reverse, slowly, coming out of a parking spot, after driving 40+ miles to Boston. Car needed to be towed and rear frame member replaced. Repair for us cost $1300
NHTSA complaint #11565553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 133,425 milesToledo, OH
STRUCTURE:BODY
MY TOYOTA PRIUS WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT RUN ACCIDENT. YARK COLLISION COMPLETED WORK ON VEHICLE. WHEN PICKING UP CAR FROM YARK MY CAR WOULD NOT START SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE MECHANIC HE SAID MY BATTERY DIED AND I EXPLAINED TO THEM I HAD NO ISSUES ,PRIOR TO BRINGING MY CAR TO YARK I HAD JUST HAD DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE AT TOYOTA. VEHICLE SAT AT MY RESIDENCE OVER NIGHT AND VEHICLE HAD DIED AGAIN. I CONTACTED YARK TOLD THEM I WAS BRINGING BATTERY IN FOR THEM TO CHARGE BECAUSE I WAS NOT SURE AS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON SINCE WE HAD ALREADY REPLACED BATTERY. VEHICLE ALSO HAD MY SKID PLATE IN TRUNK PRIOR TO DROP OFF AND NOW I AM HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES MY HORN NOW DOES NOT WORK AND I HAVE CHILDREN .I DID NOT RECEIVE MY CAR UNTIL 1 MONTH AND HALF DUE TO INSURANCE NOT GETTING BACK TO US . VEHICLE HAS BEEN NON DRIVABLE SINCE PICK UP.
NHTSA complaint #11374173 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 90,000 milesOceanside, CA
STRUCTURE:BODY
SUN ROOF EXPLODED / SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FWY. AT 70 MPH. NO TRAFFIC AROUND, CLEAR DAY ABOUT 70 DEG F. AFTER HEARING THE EXPLOSION, I PULLED OVER AND FOUND THE GLASS HAD SHATTERED AND IT APPEARED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY PRESSURE FROM INSIDE AS THE SHAPE OF THE SHATTERED GLASS WAS BOWED OUTWARDLY. NO APPARENT IMPACT FROM ANY FOREIGN OBJECT.
NHTSA complaint #11161713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 80,000 milesConcord, MAFire
STRUCTURE:BODY
I WAS DRIVING DOWN A CITY ROAD AT 25-30 MPH AT DUSK (5:15PM), AND WITH MY HEADLIGHTS ON. THE FIRST INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WAS THE SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER WHEN I TURNED ON THE HEATER. ASSUMING THE PROBLEM WAS WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME, I TURNED OFF THE HEATER AND KEPT DRIVING. A MILE LATER, AS I WAS NEARING MY DESTINATION, I NOTICED SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS TURN ON (SKID LIGHT AND EXCLAMATION MARK LIGHT) AND THE STEERING BECAME LESS RESPONSIVE. I THEN SAW SMOKE EMITTING FROM UNDER MY HOOD. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE FRONT PASSENGER-SIDE CORNER OF THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER, WOKE UP MY TWO YOUNG CHILDREN FROM THEIR CAR SEATS, AND GOT EVERYONE OUT. WITHIN A MINUTE, THE ENTIRE HOOD WAS ABLAZE. GIVEN WHERE THE FIRE STARTED, I SUSPECT THE HEADLIGHT. I REPLACED IT THE DAY BEFORE. THE LIGHT SEEMED TO WORK FINE FOR 1 DAY, BUT IT IS SUSPICIOUS THAT IS ALSO THE AREA WHERE THE FIRE STARTED.
NHTSA complaint #11150819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 50,000 milesMemphis, TN
STRUCTURE:BODY
CAR WAS PARKED AND NOTICED THAT REAR BUMPER ON RIGHT CORNER WAS HANGING OFF SLIGHTLY, WITH CLIPS VISIBLE UNDERNEATH. WHEN PUSHING IT IN TO TRY AND REHINGE ONTO THE CLIPS, IT MOVED ANOTHER PART OF THE BUMPER. BUMPER VIEW FROM THE REAR IS NOT SHOWING ONE SIDE IS SAGGING.
NHTSA complaint #11123884 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 31,000 milesPGH, PACrash
STRUCTURE:BODY
THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW. IN MY 2013 PRIUS AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT HAVE DRIVEN OVER THE CEMENT MEDIAN BARRIER. THE WINDSHIELD PILLAR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IN AN OBSTRUCTION ( BLIND SPOT) WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN. I ALWAYS SEEM TO BE LEANING TOWARDS THE CENTER SEAT COLUMN WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN AND EVEN GOING AROUND A BEND TO THE LEFT. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE LITTLE WINDOW THEY HAVE IN FRONT DOESN'T HELP WITH THIS. IN SPEAKING WITH A FRIEND WHO HAS THE SAME CAR, HE STATED HE NEARLY HIT A MAN CROSSING THE STREET BECAUSE OF THIS SAME PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #10702082 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Falkville, AL
STRUCTURE:BODY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A RAT INSIDE THE VEHICLE THAT WAS EATING THE WIRES. THE WIRES WERE COATED WITH OIL, WHICH ATTRACTED THE RAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint #10597103 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 23,000 milesKailua Kona, HI
STRUCTURE:BODY
THE SKID "PLATE" - AN EXTREMELY THIN PIECE OF MOLDED PLASTIC ATTACHED BY A COUPLE OF LAG SCREWS - CAME LOOSE ON THE FREEWAY, ROLLED UP UNDER THE CAR AND OUT INTO THE ADJACENT LANE. THE FRONT (MOLDED PLASTIC OF COURSE) BUMPER OF CAR WAS SHATTERED. OTHER DRIVERS IN THE FAST LANE HAD TO AVOID THE SKID PLATE WHICH CAME FLYING OUT FROM UNDER MY CAR. THE CLEARANCE OF THIS CAR'S SKID PLATE (WITH AN "L" SHAPED EXTENSION DOWN TOWARDS THE GROUND) IS PROBABLY NO MORE THAN 6 INCHES, MEANING THAT IT WILL NOT CLEAR THE COMMON PARKING LOT CURB. THIS LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SKID PLATE COMING LOOSE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM THAT IS GOING TO RESULT IN SOMEONE GETTING HURT, EITHER THROUGH LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE (IT MISSED MY FRONT TIRES AND THEREFORE DIDN'T AFFECT MY STEERING BUT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL). I DID NOT OWN THIS CAR, BUT NOW IT IS APPARENTLY GOING TO COST ME $1200 TO FIX THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE THIS DESIGN FLAW. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO TASK FOR PUTTING SOMETHING THIS UNSAFE INTO THE MARKET.
NHTSA complaint #10584549 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sebastopol, CA
STRUCTURE:BODY
WHEN I TURN ON THE LOW BEAM OF THE HEADLIGHTS THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT SHADOW ON THE UPPER HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD. IT GREATLY DIMINISHES VISIBILITY. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR ITS 6 MONTHS SERVICE A FEW WEEKS AGO THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM BUT SAID THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX IT.
NHTSA complaint #10574378 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 5,500 milesHouston, TXCrash
STRUCTURE:BODY
WHILE THE CAR WAS GOING DOWN THE RAMP TO THE PARKING BASEMENT, THE BRAKE IN OUR PRIUS DIDN'T FUNCTION EVEN THOUGH THE DRIVER SLAMMED ON IT AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO PICKED UP ACCELERATION. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED EITHER, AMAZINGLY. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND MISSED THE WALL/CONCRETE PILLAR, BUT THE DRIVER HIT A PARKED CAR AND THAT'S WHAT STOPPED THE PRIUS FROM MOVING FURTHER.
NHTSA complaint #10573591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 165 milesStillwater, OK
STRUCTURE
WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT I NOTICE THAT ON-COMING LIGHTS (BOTH FROM ON-COMING CARS AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS) ARE DISTORTED SO THAT THERE IS A TRIPLE IMAGE, WITH DUPLICATE IMAGES BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW THE ACTUAL LIGHT SOURCE. THESE DUPLICATE IMAGES GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE ORIGINAL LIGHT SOURCE AS THE VEHICLE GETS CLOSER TO THE LIGHT SOURCE.
NHTSA complaint #10524689 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.