2006 TOYOTA PRIUS Structure Problems

I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH BECAUSE THE RUBBER/PLASTIC COVERING HAD HARDENED TO THE POINT THAT I COULDN'T CAUSE IT TO MAKE CONTACT AND OPEN. SINCE THEN, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO OPEN THE HATCH WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OPEN IT WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM. A DEALER IN TENNESSEE TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD COST $300 TO REPLACE THE WHOLE PART. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCESS THE SPARE TIRE, FIRST AID KIT, OR TO OPEN THE HATCH IN EMERGENCIES TO ALLOW PASSENGERS TO ESCAPE IF OTHER DOORS ARE INOPERABLE. *TR

RUBBER COVER TO THE REAR HATCH SWITCH (HANDLE) HAS DETERIORATED OVER TIME (CAR WAS 4 YEARS OLD WHEN THIS FIRST BECAME NOTICEABLE). IT IS NOW 8 YEARS OLD WITH 81,000 MILES AND THE DETERIORATION IS SO DRASTIC TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH, OR VICE-VERSA SOMETIMES THE HATCH WILL NOT LATCH CLOSE. STICKY GOOEY TAR ALWAYS GETS ON THE FINGERS UPON EVERY ATTEMPT TO OPEN THE HATCH. NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE NOTED THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE ONLY HAND-WASHED THE CAR WITH PLAIN WATER, AND I LIVE IN A VERY MILD CLIMATE (SAN DIEGO). OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A DEFECTIVE BATCH OF RUBBER USED BY TOYOTA. THIS PRESENTS A SAFETY PROBLEM IN THAT IT COULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCESS THE SPARE TIRE AND TOOLS TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE IN AN EMERGENCY. THERE IS AN INTERNAL MECHANICAL RELEASE SWITCH, BUT THIS COULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO...

I BEGIN TO NOTICE BLACK MARKS ON MY FINGERS. IT TOOK ME AWHILE TO LEARN THAT THE LATCH COVER WAS DISINTEGRATING. I ASKED OUR LOCAL MECHANIC TO LOOK INTO GETTING IT REPLACED. HE REPORTED BACK THAT HE CALLED TWO TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS. ONE DEALER WANTED $500 FOR THE DEFECTIVE PART AND ANOTHER DEALER SAID THE PART WAS BEING CHANGE TO PLASTIC BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND WANTED $230 FOR THE PART. SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL USED, I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THE CAR AND PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. CAN YOU ASSIST WITH MY REQUEST? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYS SOME OF THE DASHBOARD ON THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, WHICH CAUSES YOU TO AVOID THAT AREA OF YOUR WINDSHIELD. THIS IS A DEFECT IN ALL 2006-2009 TOYOTA PRIUS CARS. WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT YOU START LOOKING AT THIS REFLECTION AND IT CREATES A SAFETY CONCERN. YOU ALSO DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR VIEW THROUGH THE REFLECTION. IT IS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING. WHEN YOU ARE ON A COUNTRY RODE LATE AT NIGHT, WHERE THERE MAY NOT BE ANY STREET LIGHTS, IT IS EVEN WORSE. THIS PROBLEM WAS FIXED IN THE 2010 MODELS AND BEYOND WITH A LONGER EDGE ON THE DASHBOARD AT THE TOP. I HAVE TALKED TO TOYOTA ABOUT THIS, BUT HAVE GOTTEN NOWHERE. I FEEL THIS IS A BIG SAFETY CONCERN THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED AND I AM TURNING TO YOU FOR HELP. I COULD HAVE GOTTEN LAWYERS INVOLVED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT,...

THE EXTERIOR HANDLE OF THE REAR HATCH ON OUR 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, MELTED INTO A STICKY TARRY, RUBBERY, GOOEY SUBSTANCE. IT'S LIKE A VISCOUS BLACK GLOB LIKE ROOFING TAR. WHEN OPENING THE HATCH, IT IS SOFT AND GETS UNDER MY FINGERNAILS. I BELIEVE THIS MELTING PROCESS STARTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO, BUT IT'S BEEN WORSE THIS YEAR WITH THE TRIPLE-DIGIT TEMPS. MY DEALER, LOU FUSZ TOYOTA (IN MISSOURI) SAID THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE, BUT WHEN I RESEARCH IT ON-LINE, I FOUND THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL CAR OWNERS. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS, AND IS SELLING THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS FOR $250 PLUS REPAIR COSTS, AND HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT RECALLING THIS. FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, THIS MEANS YOU CAN EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY OPENING THE REAR HATCH (A LIFE SAFETY ACCESS POINT), AND WILL GET STICKY BLACK TAR ON YOU FROM THE MELTED DOWN RUBBER COVER OF...

AFTER ONLY ABOUT 2 YEARS USE, THE RUBBER COVER ON THE HATCH RELEASE HANDLE (THE EXTERIOR HANDLE OF THE REAR HATCH) OF OUR 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, STARTED TO BE STICKY. NOW, AFTER NEARLY 5 YEARS AFTER PURCHASE, I NOTICE THAT IT HAS MELTED INTO A STICKY TARRY BLACK RUBBERY GOOEY MESS WHICH HAS SPREAD OVER A MUCH LARGER AREA. I CAN BEST DESCRIBE IT AS BEING A VISCOUS BLACK GLOB LIKE ROOFING TAR. TO OPEN THE HATCH, YOU HAVE TO TOUCH THIS BLACK GOO EACH TIME (IT TAKES 2-3 DAYS TO REMOVE THE STAIN COMPLETELY FROM FINGERS/NAILS), WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO OPERATE THE HATCH RELEASE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS MELTING PROCESS STARTED WHEN I NOTICED THE STICKY FEEL. I THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT BE A SINGULAR ISSUE, BUT HAVE FOUND THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL CAR OWNERS, PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTH. WE LIVE IN MOBILE, ALABAMA. IT...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TWO FRONT FENDERS ON THE VEHICLE WERE SEPARATED FROM THE BODY AND ROCKER PANEL. HE ALSO NOTICED A QUARTER INCH GAP ON BOTH FRONT SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT HE SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL DRIVING OVER RAILROAD TRACKS AND BUMPS, WHICH THEY DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES. A CASE WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT IS AWAITING A RETURN CALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 43,000.

ON OUR 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS, PURCHASED JUNE 27, 2006, NIGHT-TIME DRIVING VISION IS IMPAIRED BY THE REFLECTION OF THE DASHBOARD ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. THE IMAGE OF THE DASHBOARD INFORMATION LIGHTS IS STRONGLY REFLECTED RIGHT INTO THE CENTER OF THE DRIVER'S VISION NECESSITATING LOOKING UNDER, OVER, OR AROUND THE REFLECTIONS. POOOOOOR DASHBOARD DESIGN. VERY DISAPPOINTING AND SCARY.