NHTSA Complaint #10449303 — 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 2007 IN HOUSTON, TX. IN SUMMER OF 2010 THE RUBBERIZED COVER TO THE BACK LATCH BEGAN TO MELT AND HAS BECOME MALFORMED DURING HOT WEATHER. THIS HAS RESULTED IN DIFFICULTY OPENING THE BACK HATCH DOOR, SINCE THE MALFORMED RUBBER HAS MADE IT, AT TIMES, ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PRESS WITH ENOUGH FORCE ON THE PORTION OF THE HANDLE REQUIRED TO RELEASE THE LATCH. INABILITY TO OPEN DOORS ON A VEHICLE IS OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY CONCERN. THE HANDLE CONTINUES TO MALFORM DURING HOT WEATHER, RESULTING IN AN ONGOING CHANGE IN THE SHAPE OF THE HANDLE COVER THAT SOLIDIFIES INTO THIS SHAPE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR (COOLER WEATHER) - MAKING IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO OPEN THE DOOR SINCE THE RUBBER IS FAR STIFFER IN ITS NORMAL STATE. AS A SEPARATE ANNOYANCE, WHEN IN THE MELTED STATE, THE HANDLE LEAVES A TAR-LIKE SUBSTANCE ON YOUR HANDS WHENEVER TOUCHING THE HANDLE. *TR