2002 Toyota Prius problems

“I was driving on the 91 freeway west exit ramp to merge into the 57 freeway in Orange County ca. when suddenly I lost all power steering on the car . We managed to get out the freeway on the first exit”

“TIRE THREAD SEPARATION OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 60-70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING VEHICLE TO WEAVE NEARLY OUT OF CONTROL. A COLLISION WAS AVOIDED BY THE DRIVER. DAMAGE TO THE FENDER, BUMPER AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. TIRE BRAND WAS BRIDGESTONE INSIGNIA 175/65R14 DOT IC8I E20 1604 EQ8R. *TR”

“I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE INTERSTATE I-75 RETURNING FROM EAST RIDGE, TN, AND THE POWER STEERING LIGHT AND WARNING LIT-UP ON THE SCREEN PANEL. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY RIGID WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AND I HAD TO CLASP THE STEERING WHEEL FIRMLY TO CONTROL THE STEERING OF THE VEHICLE. *TR”

“APPLIED BRAKES WHILE CAR WAS MOVING SLOWLY, LESS THAN 10 MPH, AND HEARD LOUD GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM LEFT FRONT AS CAR STOPPED. SHIFTED TO REVERSE AND CAR BARELY MOVED, ABOUT 1 FOOT, WHICH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE LOUD GRINDING SOUND, THEN STOPPED. TURNED CAR OFF AND COULD FIND NOTHING INTERFERING WITH THE WHEELS BUT DID FIND PIECES OF BRAKE PAD ON THE GROUND ALONG THE PATH THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL HAD FOLLOWED. THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL APPEARED AS IF THE CALIPERS WERE HOLDING WHATEVER REMAINED OF THE BRAKE PAD AND/OR BACKING TIGHT AGAINST THE ROTOR. BRAKE FUNCTION HAD BEEN NORMAL FOR PRIOR 7 11/12 YEARS, IE, SINCE I PURCHASED IT AS A NEW CAR. THERE WAS A BOTHERSOME GRINDING, SOMETIMES RATTLING OR SQUEALING NOISE FROM THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL SINCE THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP AND I WAS REPEATEDLY TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. BRAKE RUST HAD GRADUALLY ACCUMULATED ON THE LEFT FRONT ALUMINUM WHEEL BUT NOT ON ANY OTHERS AND THE DEALER BLAMED THAT ON WINTER SALT. IT WAS TOWED TO A DIFFERENT DEALER AND THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE FRONT ROTORS BEING RESURFACED. DESPITE MY REQUEST, THE BRAKE PAD FROM THE OTHER SIDE WAS NOT KEPT NOR WAS ITS…”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 65-75 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS WHEN ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SUDDENLY, A STRONG BURNING ODOR CIRCULATED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE CRUISE CONTROL, POWER WINDOWS SYSTEM AND CELLULAR PHONE POWER OUTLET BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED OPERATION WITH CAUTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE TRANSAXLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTIONS. THE CONTACT PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS AND EXPERIENCED THE IDENTICAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”

“DRIVING SPEED LESS THAN 25MPH ON FAMILIAR SURFACE STREET WITH NEED TO STOP FOR A CAR ABOUT 75 FEET (ESTIMATE) IN FRONT; SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASY STOP; APPLIED BRAKES BUT CAR ACCELERATED (I THINK ONLY ELECTRIC MOTOR); FURTHER BRAKE PRESSURE DID NOT STOP THE CAR, CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE (ESTIMATE 30 MPH); FENDER BENDER CRASH OF DRIVER SIDE FRONT FENDER INTO PASSENGER REAR FENDER AND SIDE BUMPER. VERY FAMILIAR WITH CAR (19 YEARS DRIVING IT) AND VERY FAMILIAR STREET NEAR MY HOME; CONFUSION WAS NOT A FACTOR; NO AIRBAGS ON EITHER CAR ACTIVATED; I WAS ABLE TO STOP WHEN I WAS BEYOND THE STRUCK VEHICLE. I PLAN ON NOT DRIVING CAR FURTHER AND HAVE ASKED TOYOTA DEALER TO TAKE IT BACK FOR JUNK WITHOUT A DEFINITE REPLY SO FAR”