2008 TOYOTA PRIUS Structure Problems

THE RUBBER COVER ON THE REAR HATCH DOOR LATCH / SWITCH HAS DEGRADED AND MELTED. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH AND TO ACCESS MY SPARE TIRE, MAKING THIS A SAFETY HAZARD. THERE IS NO MANUAL WAY TO RELEASE THE HATCH. THERE HAVE BEEN DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA SITE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, SEE HTTP://WWW.MEYERSONSTRATEGY.COM/2013/09/TOYOTAS-STICKY-2007-PRIUS-HATCH-PROBLEM.HTML FOR MORE. THIS SHOULD BE FIXED BY TOYOTA--IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE ($200-400) REPAIR. *TR

THIS ISN'T A "SAFETY" ISSUE SO I HOPE THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO FILE THIS. THE TRUNK LATCH ON THE TOYOTA PRIUS DISINTEGRATES. I BELIEVE THE MATERIAL, DESIGN IS POOR. IT WILL COST $487 TO REPLACE THIS. *TR

THE LATCH COVER ON THE HATCHBACK HAS DETERIORATED AND IS ALMOST COMPLETELY MELTED AWAY. IN WARM WEATHER IT IS INCREDIBLY STICKY AND ANYTHING THAT TOUCHES IT GETS BLACK GOO ON IT, AND THE GOO IS HARD TO REMOVE FORM HANDS OR ANYTHING ELSE. IT HAS BEEN HARD TO OPEN FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, AND HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE IT TODAY AT A COST OF $285. I EMAILED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE MONTHS AGO ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS IS AN ISSUE ON THEIR VEHICLES. *TR

REAR HATCH BUTTON RUBBER HAS MELTED. CAUSES ELECTRICAL HATCH OPENING MECHANISM TO FAIL COMPLETELY. RUBBER REMAINS STICKY IN HOT WEATHER, TRANSFERS TARRY RESIDUE TO FINGERS. IN COLD WEATHER BUTTON WILL NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE REAR HATCH IS NOT ACCESSIBLE. CAN NOT ACCESS SPARE TIRE. THERE IS NO HATCH RELEASE AVAILABLE AT DRIVER'S SEAT IN FRONT. THERE IS NO MECHANICAL ONLY ALTERNATIVE. CHILD TRAPPED IN TRUNK WOULD HAVE NO WAY OUT. DESPITE NUMEROUS AND WELL DOCUMENTED CASES REPORTED ONLINE TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX PROBLEM VOLUNTARILY. *TR

BLACK HANDLE ON HATCH STARTED MELTING. AFTER ONLY ABOUT 4 YEARS USE, THE RUBBER COVER ON THE HATCH RELEASE HANDLE (THE EXTERIOR HANDLE OF THE REAR HATCH) OF MY 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS, MELTED INTO A STICKY TARRY BLACK RUBBERY GOOEY MESS. IT DRIPS DOWN ON THE REAR BUMPER. 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, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO OPERATE THE HATCH RELEASE. EVENTUALLY THIS WILL DISABLE THE LATCH FROM OPERATING. I WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT BUT DID NOT GET ANY ANSWERS AND CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT. I AM ASKING FOR YOUR AGENCY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE INSTANCES AND ALSO TO ASK TOYOTA WHY THEY ARE NOT RECALLING THESE HANDLES. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. *TR

TOYOTA PRIUS (2008) HATCH RELEASE RUBBER COVER PIECE DETACHED AND TORE APART. NOTE THAT MY RX300 SELECTION OF MAKE/PART NUMBER IS BOGUS, AS I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHO MADE THIS RUBBER COMPONENT. *TR

WHEN I TRY TO OPEN THE TRUNK, THE RUBBER PIECE THAT YOU TOUCH IN ORDER TO OPEN THE TRUNK SEEM TO HAVE MELTED. MY FINGERS TURN BLACK EVERY TIME I TRY TO OPEN THE TRUNK. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THAT RUBBER PIECE IS CALLED OR THE PART NUMBER SO THAT I CAN REPLACE IT? IT MAKES THE REAR HATCH VERY HARD TO OPEN IN HOT AND COLD WEATHER. *TR

THE PLASTIC PART ON THE REAR LATCH FOR THE TOYOTA PRIUS IS NOW LIKE GUM. AFTER INTERNET RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR ALL TOYOTA LATCHES AND IT COSTS ABOUT $280.00 TO FIX. I HAVE A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS AND THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE CHARGED. *TR

THE MATERIAL IN THE TRUNK DOOR HANDLE IS DISSOLVING AND OR DISINTEGRATING. AT TIMES THIS APPEARS TO BE THE CAUSE OF A DELAY IN OPENING THE TRUNK. MY CONCERN IS THAT IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY A DELAY IN REACHING ITEMS NEEDED TO DEAL WITH A ROADSIDE EMERGENCY THAT ARE STORED IN THE TRUNK MAY OCCUR. I HAD MENTIONED THIS DEFECT TO TOYOTA DEALERS IN PRIOR YEARS AND MY COMPLAINT WAS IN MY OPINION RELEGATED TO THE "UNIMPORTANT BUCKET". I RECENTLY RESEARCHED THE DEFECT ON THE INTERNET AND OBSERVED WHAT I WAS EXPERIENCING HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY DOCUMENTED IN OTHER COMPLAINTS. IN A RECENT VISIT TO A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE I AGAIN PRESENTED WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THE DOCUMENTATION I OBSERVED ON THE INTERNET AND WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE REPAIR WAS OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE IF I WANTED THE REPAIR....

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE ENGINE REVVED UP. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE JUMPED THE CURVE AND RAN INTO SOME BUSHES. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,102. ..UPDATED 11/14/12 *BF UPDATED 11/15/2012 *JS

TOYOTA 2008 PRIUS TRUNK HATCH RELEASE RUBBER PIECE MELTED. 2008 MODEL WAS ONLY 2.5 YEARS OLD WHEN THIS HAPPENED. DEALER SAYS $197.00 FOR THIS PART. *TR

WE BOUGHT OUR 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS IN NOV 2007. AFTER ABOUT 3 YEARS USE, THE RUBBER COVER ON THE HATCH RELEASE HANDLE (THE EXTERIOR HANDLE OF THE REAR HATCH) MELTED INTO A STICKY TARRY BLACK RUBBERY GOOEY MESS. TO OPEN THE HATCH, YOU HAVE TO TOUCH THIS BLACK GOO EACH TIME, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO OPERATE THE HATCH RELEASE. WE BELIEVE THIS MELTING PROCESS STARTED AT ABOUT THE 2 YR. MARK, BUT HAS BEEN A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR THE PAST YEAR. WE CAN BARELY OPEN THE REAR HATCHBACK NOW. I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL CAR OWNERS, PARTICULARLY IN FLORIDA. WE LIVE IN VIRGINIA THOUGH. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS, AND IS SELLING THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS FOR $96 PLUS REPAIR COSTS, AND HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT RECALLING THIS. FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, WE EXPERIENCE EXTREME DIFFICULTY OPENING THE REAR HATCH (A LIFE SAFETY...

AFTER ONLY ABOUT 3 YEARS USE, THE RUBBER COVER ON THE HATCH RELEASE HANDLE (THE EXTERIOR HANDLE OF THE REAR HATCH) OF OUR 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS, MELTED INTO A STICKY TARRY BLACK RUBBERY GOOEY MESS. 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, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO OPERATE THE HATCH RELEASE. WE BELIEVE THIS MELTING PROCESS STARTED AT ABOUT THE 2 YR. MARK. I THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT BE A SINGULAR ISSUE, BUT HAVE FOUND THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL CAR OWNERS, PARTICULARLY IN LOUISIANA. WE ALSO LIVE IN LOUISIANA. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THIS, AND IS SELLING THE ENTIRE WIRING HARNESS FOR $96 PLUS REPAIR COSTS, AND HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT RECALLING THIS. FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, THIS MEANS YOU CAN EXPERIENCE EXTREME DIFFICULTY OPENING THE REAR HATCH (A...

MY 2008 PRIUS TRUNK HANDLE HAS MELTED. IT IS NOW DIFFICULT TO OPEN, AND IS EXTREMELY MESSY. THIS STARTED IN MAY 2011, JUST OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD OF THE CAR. *TR

RUBBER ON THE 2008 PRIUS IS MELTING AND DRIPPING. I'VE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON LINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. THE CONTACT OBSERVED A WATER LEAK IN THE TRUNK IN THE SPARE TIRE WHEEL WELL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE WATER WAS DRAINED FROM THE WHEEL WELL. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD CONTRIBUTED TO WATER LEAKAGE WITHIN THE BATTERY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.

THE PRIUS HAS A MARK ON DASH BY CENTER SCREEN AND IS POOR SIGN. *TR

VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY, ALMOST DANGEROUSLY, SENSITIVE TO CROSS WINDS AND WAKE TURBULENCE FROM LARGER VEHICLES, TRUCKS SPECIFICALLY. *TR