Problems · by component
2007 Toyota Prius structure problems
184 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2007 Toyota Prius cite structure, 9% of all 2,004 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
184
9% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
Reported by owners
What owners say about the structure
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“catalytic converter is easily accessible and there should be a recall to have a safety operation and stop all these cars from being sold in the market because there is a rise in many thefts of the catalytic converter due to it being very easily accusable without any guard in place to prevent thieves from getting to it to remove and sell for parts. Spray paint can be cleaned off and vin numbers can be sanded down. simply trying that will not work. i was unaware that it was stolen off of the vehicle until i drove it a little ways to where the vehicle was then burning and i could smell it catching on fire”
“THE MAIN DASH.DISPLAY, SPEEDOMETER, WILL NOT SHOW UP DUE TO ELECTRIC PROBLEM. POWER FROM REAR, AUX, BATTERY IS INTERRUPTED SOME HOW. THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL BE INOP IN THIS SITUATION. THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING WHEN THE CONDITION WILL SHOW UP, BUT WHEN DOOR IS OPENED, THE INDICATOR LIGHT WILL NOT COME ON. CAR WILL HAVE BEEN PARKED, TURNED OFF. DIFFERENT FIXES ON THE NET. MY FIX IS TO IN PLUG REAR BATTERY'S 2 CONNECTIONS, WAIT THEN HOPE, AND TRY AGAIN”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRIM AROUND THE TRUNK LATCH MELTED AND WAS STUCK TO THE VEHICLE, WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE TRUNK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JAY WOLFE TOYOTA OF WEST COUNTY (LOCATED AT 14700 MANCHESTER RD, BALLWIN, MO 63011) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN BROKE THE LATCH IN AN ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE TRUNK. THE TECHNICIAN GLUED THE LATCH BACK AND STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,000.”
“FIRST ISSUE IS WITH THE REAR LATCH BEING USELESS SOMETIMES DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER AS THE MOLDING IS ALL MELTED AND ACCESS TO THE TRUNK BEING IMPOSSIBLE. SECOND AND MOST IMPORTANT I'VE NOTICED THE BRAKING ON THIS CAR IS VERY VERY SUSPECT. PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE AROUND 6 MONTHS AGO FROM WESTBURY TOYOTA AND I'VE LEARNED I NEED TO APPLY MY BRAKES AT LEAST A GOOD 50 TO 100 FEET BEFORE THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. COUPLE MONTHS AGO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BRAKED SO SUDDEN THAT I ALSO HIT MY BRAKES, THE ABS SIGN FLASHED AS IF IT "WAS" WORKING BUT THE CAR JUST KEPT GOING, I ENDED UP PRESSING THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND STILL NO RESULT. IF I HADN'T KEPT MY DISTANCE I WOULD'VE DEFINITELY ENDED UP IN THAT CARS TRUNK. I CAN SAY FROM ALL MY EXPERIENCE AS A DRIVER AND ALL THE CARS I'VE OWNED THIS CAR HAS THE WORST BRAKING SYSTEM IN THE HISTORY OF MOTOR VEHICLES. FEELS LIKE BRAKING A 747 PLANE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BRAKING”
“THE REAR HATCH IS EXTREMELY HARD TO OPEN IN THE SUMMER AND NOW IN THE WINTER EVEN HARDER. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. MY CAR IS PARKED UNDER A CARPORT WINTER AND SUMMER. I HAVE LESS THAN 80,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET IN THE REAR HATCH TO CHANGE A TIRE OR GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN CASE OF EMERGENCY AND I SOMETIMES CAN'T GET IT TO OPEN. IS THERE SOME WAY TOYOTA CAN HELP MAKE THIS RIGHT. THE RUBBER PART THAT YOU PRESS IS HARDER THAN A STICK AND WON'T RELEASE. THIS HAPPENS SOME TIMES AT THE GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT OR AT ANY STORE PARKING LOT. SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS WHEN I ARRIVE HOME AND CAN'T GET MY GROCERIES OUT BECAUSE THE HATCH WON'T LET IT RELEASE. IS THIS A DEFECT THAT CAN BE CORRECTED?”
“THE BACK LATCH TO THE TRUNK/HATCH IS DEFECTIVE. THE RUBBER EXTERIOR PART HAS MELTED AND IS ALL GOOEY AND STICKY. IN THE WINTER TIME IT FREEZES. WE ARE UNABLE TO OPEN OR USE THE TRUNK. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND ALSO CAN NOT ACCESS SPARE OR COMPARTMENT. THIS IS A FAULTY PART AND THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF SIMILAR REPORTS. I WOULD LIKE THIS FIXED AS IS A MANUFACTURING FLAW AND DEFECT.”
Showing 6 of 184 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.