What 233 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota Prius Phev

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Prius C. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds and turning from the left lane, the steering wheel popped out. The vehicle was able to reverse however, tires were pushed inward. The vehicle was pushed out of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The hazard light was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11586549

I was dropping my daughter off at school and the car completely shut down on me and turned off in the middle of an intersection. I have just had brakes and oil changed but ever since I got the car codes keep popping up and when checked it’s all good. Front lights keep glitching and even with new brakes there is still a bad sound. My dash computer thing keeps going in and out. It happens a lot more when it rains and makes a sizzling sound I’m afraid to drive it in the rain. I’m besides myself how the car turned off on me and my child we couldn’t move I could accelerate and we almost got hit then another light came on and I couldn’t even turn my wheel. Very dangerous

NHTSA ODI 11569995

The seal of the rear lamp assembly becomes unsealed and lets water in. Burns our bulbs and short out electrical system because of this. Second right rear assembly was replaced today and now front units are also foggy so I know that the seal on the lamp unit is also wearing. I read about this with other Prius and other c models. I had to buy actual Toyota parts as there are no aftermarket units.

NHTSA ODI 11432288

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.

NHTSA ODI 11321209

THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT, RUNNING HIGH BEAMS AND LOW BEAMS, HAVE STOPPED WORKING DESPITE CHANGING THE BULBS. IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE BALLAST GOING OUT AND/OR JUST NOT WORKING ANYMORE. THIS SEEMS LIKE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11281512

THE LOW LIGHT BEAMS ON THE CAR BURNOUT EVERY FEW WEEKS. IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. I WILL BUY A NEW BULB AND INSTALL IT AND THEN IT BURNS OUT IN A FEW DAYS OR A WEEK OR TWO LATER. I HAVE TRIED VARIOUS BRANDS OF BULBS BUT I JUST DO NOT THINK IT IS A BULB ISSUE. I HAVE ALSO BROUGHT THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO REPLACE THE BULBS BUT THE SAME ISSUE CONTINUES.

NHTSA ODI 11151007

THE HEADLIGHTS ON PRIUS ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE THE ROAD AHEAD OF THE CAR. THE ARE ON BUT SOMEWHAT DIM. OTHER DRIVERS CAN SEE THE LIGHTS, BUT THE LIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO ILLUMINATE THE ROAD IN FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS OCCURRED AFTER I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A SERIES OF ELECTRICAL RELATED PROBLEMS THAT ALL STARTED HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS AFTER THEY DETERMINED THE HEADLIGHTS HAD BURNED OUT. IMMEDIATELY, I NOTICED THAT DURING TIMES WHEN I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE NIGHT VISIBILITY WAS NOT WHAT IT HAD BEEN PRIOR TO PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRING. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER BU THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA ODI 11053939

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT ON BACK ROADS WHEN BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I STOPPED THE CAR, TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED IT TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. THE LIGHTS DID NOT GO ON, HOWEVER, I FOUND THAT IF I HELD THE SWITCH UP AS THOUGH I WAS TURNING ON HIGH BEAMS, THE HIGH BEAMS WORKED. I COULD NOT GET THE LOW BEAMS TO WORK. I WAS TAKING SOMEONE HOME AND STOPPED AT THEIR HOUSE. WHEN I CAME BACK TO THE CAR AND TURNED IT ON, THE LIGHTS WORKED NORMALLY.

NHTSA ODI 11047655

WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS - NOT DRL - ARE ON AND THE DASH LIGHTS ARE ON LOW THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS GO DARK WHILE CROSSING UNDER SHADOWS (BRIDGES, TREES, ETC.) IN DAYLIGHT AND AT NIGHT WHEN GOING FROM BRIGHT LIGHTS ON HIGHWAY EXCHANGES BACK TO DARK. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE DAY-TO-SHADOW PROBLEM IN THE SHOP (SHOP MANAGER) THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE DAY-TO-SHADOW PROBLEM ON A 2065 PRIUS V. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS MUST NORMAL FOR NEWER PRIUSES AS NO ONE ELSE HAS COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. IT CAN ALSO APPEAR TO HAPPEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS WHEN WEARING POLARIZED SUNGLASSES. THE DASH LIGHTS ARE ON HIGH, THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON: DRIVING UNDER THE UNDERPASS THE PANEL LIGHT LOWERS SO MUCH THEY APPEAR TO GO OUT. THE CAR IS A NEW-USED CAR. THE PROBLEM DID NOT APPEAR DURING TEST-DRIVES, ALL TAKEN IN BRIGHT TEXAS SUN. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS ON A SUNNY MORNING WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A PARK. AS I WENT FROM BRIGHT LIGHT TO SHADE THE DASH LIGHTS WOULD GO DARK. IT FRIGHTENED ME, BUT I FORGOT ABOUT IT, UNTIL I WAS DRIVING ON I-35 IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AT 4PM ON A SUNNY DAY: THE INTERSTATE IN DOWNTOWN HAS UPPER AND LOWER LEVELS; WHILE ON THE LOWER-LEVEL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD GO DARK, THEN LIGHT AS THE SHADOWS WERE EXACERBATED BY THOSE CAST BY TALL BUILDINGS NEAR THE INTERSTATE. IT OCCURRED MOST RECENTLY AFTER LEAVING THE DEALER YESTERDAY. DRIVING ON I-410 IN SAN ANTONIO ON AN OVERCAST DAY, EVERYTIME I DROVE UNDER AN OVERPASS, THE DASH, RADIO, CLIMATE LIGHTS ALL WENT OUT. AT NIGHT, IT OCCURRED WHEN TRAVELING ON US-281 NEAR LOCKHART, TX: ONCE I WAS UNDER FULL-LIGHT, THE DASH LIGHTS, ETC. WENT OUT UNTIL I HAD BEEN DRIVING IN THE DARK FOR ABOUT 10-20 SECONDS.

NHTSA ODI 10838083