Problems with 2005 Toyota Prius ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The dashboard lighting system quit turning on in july 2019. i could not tell how fast or how slow i was driving. the anti lock brake system light turned on while the car was running on sep 23 2019 and the brakes failed to operate while on the road outside my house

The instrument panel display stopped working in my 2005 prius. you press the button to start the car and the car starts but nothing displays. you cannot see your fuel gauge, so i ran out of gas and almost was hit by a vehicle while walking down the side of the highway. you cannot see your speedometer so you don't know how fast you are going which makes it impossible to follow speed limits. it is a serious safety issue and toyota knew about the problem and even issued a warranty extension ztv to cover it, but they did not inform me about the extension in 2013/14. now that extension has expired and they will not repair my car. my technician at automotive perfection diagnosed the problem, but toyota would not accept his diagnosis and spartan toyota charged me $132.45 to make the same diagnosis. they then told me a new meter would cost me $696.06 installed and refused to fix the vehicle even though toyota has known about this problem since at least 2012.

My vehicle will not go but about 30 or 40 maybe 50 on highway after very slow exelaration i'm almost killed every time i get on the highway highway and reg streets to excearate it very very slow to start then i have to pull over and kill it start over not using het or air now it just won't start have not had it checked can't afford it

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. every time the vehicle was started, all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. also, the brake pedal was more difficult to depress than usual and took longer to stop the vehicle. toyota of vero beach (1075 us-1, vero beach, fl 32962) diagnosed that a new brake actuator needed to be installed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. the failure mileage was 76,000.

The combination meter which contains the speedometer and gas gauge, among other things, has been going dead frequently (does not light up when the car is started) for the past few years. it used to be 1-2 times a month, but recently it occurs a few times a week. the car drives normally, but it is very dangerous to not know the speed or to know how much gas remains in the tank. even when the meter starts to work again, the gas reading is not accurate. it is not even possible to tell if the car is running or not, because the screen is black. this is a known problem by toyota but they no longer offer replacement. this is a serious safety concern that the manufacturer should address on all affected vehicles. even the separate touch screen which contains diagnostics tests for the electrical system is black, so there is no way to correct the issue.

The headlights will intermittently go out. i will turn the lights off and on, it will come back on. then shuts off again after a few minutes. you have to continue switching it off and on, off and on. taken it to toyota several times for this problem. the last time i took it was in august 2018 and was told that the only remedy was to replace both headlights. the estimate total was $318.62 for one headlight. toyota is aware of the problem but wants no liability or recall for this model year. it is very dangerous for night driving as the headlight will just suddenly shut off.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the instrument panel would remain on when the ignition key was used to turn off the vehicle. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel needed to be repaired. the vehicle was taken to gettel toyota of lakewood (5959 e state rd 64, bradenton, fl 34208, (941)-567-1080) where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel failed and needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the extended warranty was expired. the failure mileage was 104,000.

Combination meter intermittently not functioning. when turning the car on, sometimes the dash meter works, sometimes it's just black and continues the entire time the car is running. then when trying to turn the car off, it will not turn off, which is a major safety concern. when this occurs, there are no dash lights at all to indicate fuel amount, odometer reading, door open signal, check engine, maintenance required and so on. the speed being driven is not showing either which is another major safety issue. cruise control also does not function, the center touchscreen does not display hybrid motor information or mpg. the beeping when backing up does not function. also the rear hatch will not open while car is running which is also a major safety issue in addition to all of the other functions not available. the odometer is not recording mileage during these times which makes it difficult to do proper maintenance that goes by mileage, such as oil changes.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the odometer was not going over 300,000 miles and was stuck at 299,999. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vehicle needed an odometer cluster. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was not due to the vehicle needing maintenance. the dealer (ira toyota of danvers, 99 andover st, danvers, ma 01923) diagnosed that the odometer needed to be replaced, but was not due to a defect. the failure mileage was 299,999.

The combination meter on my 2005 toyota prius is not working. so my instrument panel will go out or go dark and my car will keep running

Left and right front head lights go out intermittently ,

I started the car and the speed indicator didn't illuminate. i thought it was a lightbulb or something that that had gone out since the car drove like normal. when i got to my destination i tried to turn off the car but it didn't turn off. i called the campus car service, by the time they got to me (about 30 minutes) the car had turned off by itself. this has happened about 8 times since. there was a recall on this very issue where toyota admitted that high milage prius' were experiencing this problem. the recall ended in 2013. i just don't understand how a know issue is no longer being fixed when they clearly stated that it affects high mileage cars. so people like me who's cars haven't reached a 'high mileage" during their recall period are basically told to guess how fast the car is traveling?

Headlight goes out repeatedly. headlight works again after headlights are turned off then on again. started with the same one headlight going out. now the other. sometimes both go out, including at night. each time the headlights must be turned off then on again and they work for a while longer. lights go out when stationary and when driving.

The headlights are prone to turning to off randomly, sometimes one side, other times both sides. after turning them on/off at the steering column they will come back on for a while then the issue starts over. this problem occurs with the vehicle either moving or in the stationary mode. no headlights when driving at night is a definite safety hazard. so far, toyota refuses to honor a fix!

Toyota prius combination meter not working for 2 days when i repeatly turn it on and turn it off....then works one day then is not working now---i can't see the instrument panel and how fast i am driving and then i can not shut the car off for several minutes....very unsafe. and i just had the car serviced for a messed up battery. this is a used car that i bought to replace the 2001 toyota prius that was rearended in dec 2016 then the dealer sold me a junk car in april 2017 now having to fix all these problems. i will sell this car as a piece of junk to the junk yard as strap metal because that what it is. very unsafe and the nhtsa is allowing this to happen. started on 08/22/2017 & 08/23/2017 & 08/25/2017 i can't see the panel.

The prius odometer stopped at 299999 and won't record more mileage. however, the trip odometer continues to register miles, so it seems clear the mechanisms are working to collect miles. the problem this causes is that some states view this failure to move on or reset at 000000 as an inspection failure. should not be a designed failure, as previous comlaint indicated since this is a digital readout.

Car headlights will intermittently go off during nighttime driving. this issue has occurred on multiple occasions.

During charging the vehicle caught fire during the process distroying vehicle vehicle was stationary

Clock cable failed.. caused the airbag, horn and cruise control to not work..

Lights would go off while driving, at first 1 side or the other, acouple times both went off with the last time almost causing a collision and i had my kids in the car.

Dashboards lights were off. could not see speed or gas gauge at night. vehicle would not turn off.

My front right headlight turns on and off randomly. now it doesn't turn on at all. i replaced the bulb and it still doesn't work. many people have had the same problems and have also fiiled complaints because toyota doesn't assemble or run the electrical circuits properly.

Passenger headlight goes off intermittently. turn switch off and on and comes on again. have had bulb replaced x2 and now toyota dealer says that toyota has a bulletin about it. note to the tune of $500 to fix. in researching this seems to be a common problem. it's a hazard at night or in rain or inclement weather and evidently something toyota has had complaints about enough to put out a bulletin. vehicle in motion, highway miles. i believe some sort of short but certainly not mechanic. this has been happening since january 2017. two new bulbs plus labor and now told wiring mechanism. help. if toyota knows a problem, address it in a recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that there was a manufacturer service campaign for a wheel alignment. the dealer serviced the vehicle for the repair. shortly after the repair, the instrument cluster display panel went blank. in addition, the vehicle failed to shut off twice and had to be left running due to the failure. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the combination meter needed to be replaced. the contact was provided with a loaner as the dealer further tested the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was waiting on their recommendation concerning the dealer's repairs. the failure mileage was not available.

Takata recall im having a problem in headlight of my toyota prius 2005 the driver side always missed up and once i turn it off and on it works for a while then same problem i been pulled over by the police many time i have changed the light but same problem its also dangerous sometimes when im driving in a curve where is no light and the light turned off i found my self in the shoulder that really weird. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the instrument panel failed to illuminate after the vehicle operated. the contact also stated that the reverse lights failed to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the instrument panel unit needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 230,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle accelerated independently and the hybrid battery warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery failed and caused the rpms to rev and the battery needed to the replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact noticed that the odometer gauge was not functioning. the gauge remained at 299,000 miles. the dealer informed the contact that the odometer gauge needed to be replaced and also stated that the gauge was designed to stop at 299,000 miles. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and indicated that they had not received any complaints concerning the odometer gauge failing to work after a certain amount of miles. the failure mileage was 299,000.

Dash goes completely blank while in motion and car will not turn off

Digital dashboard sometimes is completely blank for extended periods so that i can't see my speed, fuel levels, odometer, and other info. when i start up it happens and continues the whole time i am driving. it is causing other problems related to the hydrolic braking sometimes as well when this happens.

The car kept slipping into neutral when wanting to drive. parking button didn't work.the vehicle was parked and i was trying to drive it.

Our daughter drove the vehicle to school. she parked the vehicle and found that the vehicle would not turn off. we took the vehicle to the dealership and was told by the service advisor that the cause of this problem was a part called the combination meter. he advised that the part was recalled and we should have been contacted by toyota. he provided me with a phone number for the toyota corporations recall department. i telephoned toyota and they advised me that i was misinformed by the service advisor and that the part was not recalled, but there was an extended warranty issued on the part in 2012. i asked why the vehicle was not recalled and was told because it wasn't a safet my concern is that this vehicle is unsafe if this part fails. by surfing the internet, i found that there have been many complaints by others regarding the same problem. if my daughter would have driven this vehicle home, parked the vehicle in the garage as she usually does. the vehicle would not have turned off. the vehicle is a hybrid and when the battery power was depleted, the gasoline engine would have kicked on. this could have caused a danger, due to carbon monoxide poisoning to any occupants within the house. additionally, if the anti lock braking system no longer works when this part fails, the braking distance increases in an emergency braking situation. when this part fails the dash goes completely black, the driver is unaware that the abs braking system is no longer working. the driver is also unable to see the speedometer or any other gauges in the dash. due to recent deaths, due to carbon monoxide poisoning caused by vehicles not turning off. i feel that toyota is negligent for not taking my concerns more seriously. toyota is aware that there is a problem with this part, they issued an extended warranty in 2012.

The car jumps out of gear, or it won't go into park. but it started to drives away after i got out of the car, or as i was getting out. this happen twice, once at the dealer. the display for transmission position was broken. the same display that shows speed, fuel level and other items was not working. also, i could not shut off the car or remove the key. the first time it happen was 8/19/2015 at a car wash. the display went dead during the wash. wile trying to fix the problem, the car drove away in reverse and knocked me over. i had minor injuries. i might have some other problems as a result of that accident. the next day i want to the dealer. without looking at the car (no computer analysis), the service man told me the display and computer was bad. he said it happens a lot. he also quoted me a price of around $700. i went back to my daughter house to look for another dealer and to research the issue. (i was visiting from ca). at her house, i noticed the car would not shut off and i could not get the key out (the dealer rep told me to put the key in the slot). so i just went back to the dealer to have them fix it and pay the price. (it should be noted that the dealer and its employees never gave me the same information and they wanted me to get so frustrated, that i would leave with the car not repaired. they suggested that i take it somewhere else. at one point, they claimed that i told them i was going to take the car away without the repair. i never said that! they did everything they could to make me mad and so would not fix the car). when i went back to the dealers, the car drive away, again in reverse. i had to hop on one leg to keep up and get back in to stop it. in ether case, i could have been killed. no display, can't shut it off ...

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. after the vehicle was shifted into the park position, the contact exited the vehicle as it began to roll away. the vehicle struck the contact. the instrument panel failed to illuminate. a police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. in addition, the contact attempted to turn the ignition to the off position, but the key failed to eject from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 174,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while washing the vehicle, the contact noticed 2-3 drops of water entering the front passenger side window. the window was closed at the time of the failure. additionally, when the vehicle was started, the contact noticed that the instrument panel failed and would not illuminate. the contact engaged the push-to-start button with the brakes applied to shut off the vehicle, but to no avail. the contact then shifted into park and attempted to exit the vehicle when the vehicle abnormally accelerated. the contact was knocked to the ground by the driver side door and sustained minor injuries. as a result. the dealer stated that the instrument panel computer needed to be replaced. the dealer failed to perform a diagnostic to determine the cause of the electrical failure or the acceleration failure. the dealer also advised the contact that the manufacturer extended a warranty to cover the failure, but the contact's vehicle was over the mileage limitation by 4,000 miles. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 174,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving the vehicle, the combination meter would intermittently fail causing the instrument panel gauges to stop functioning. in addition. the parking brake did not function. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that combination meter would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 159,000. the vin was not available.

Just purchased this car. there is a pungent odor in car resulting in dizziness and nauseous and it leaves a strong chemical odor on the hair and clothing for hours after being in the vehicle. it is a strong, plastics odor. i googled this and found it is a common issue. there was one post that explained very clearly what the issue is. toyota has ignored the problem but it can cause physical harm due to the toxins in the air as a result of the problem.

I am currently experiencing troubles with my front passenger headlight. the problem first occurred about a year ago (jan. 2014) when i purchased the car used from a car dealer in tysons corner va. i took the car back within days of noticing the light kept going out and asked them to repair the issue since i had just purchased the car. they did so and said that it was most likely a faulty light and replaced it. it is a little over a year now and the same light is going out again. what is happening is that when i turn the car on and turn on all of the car lights to drive it at night, they turn on, but about 15-20 minutes down the road and unbeknownst to me, the right passenger light goes out. because of the shape of the car, you cannot tell that it is out. the only reason i knew it was out again was because i got pulled over and given a ticket. this is extremely unsafe and i have read a number of similar occurrences online. i took the car to the repair shop and they have said (after looking online) that the issue is the "headlight light control ecu sub-assembly". because of the safety risk this posses to the driver and others on the road, not to mention the cost of the single item to repair it, toyota should make appropriate financial accommodations to those having this trouble. normal ware and tare on the vehicle is reasonable, such as burt out lightbulbs but systems like this that work for a couple days and then suddenly do not is not safe.

Bought one-owner 2005 prius 11-26-2014 after paying for a pre-purchase inspection at a toyota dealer showing complete service record including all recall campaigns. 4-19-2015 without warning on the expressway, the entire 'combination meter display' simply turned off, leaving the car running in the blind, no gauges/meters/guidance of any kind. the car continued to operate and i drove directly home and parked it. internet search revealed that this as a known safety issue by toyota affecting 2004-2009 prius models. toyota issued a 'warranty enhancement-ztv' and warranty policy bulletin (bulletin no. pol12-05) to effect the necessary safety repairs, but only applies if one discovers (meaning suffer the panic of having the entire panel go blank) the issue before either '9 years with no mileage limitation or before september 30, 2013', whichever is longer. in our case, it expired just before our pre-purchase inspection/purchase of the prius and the dealer indicated/toyota confirmed that this is not something that a toyota dealer service department could have discovered through toyota records. instead, the owner has to wait for the failure to occur. in our case, toyota corporate, with full knowledge of this safety defect, said our joint 'plan of action' was (a) if the display does not illuminate, under no circumstances drive the car, and have it towed to the toyota dealership for necessary repairs, or (b) if the display illuminates, immediately drive it to the toyota dealership for necessary repairs, but that (c) toyota would 'decline to further participate or contribute' to the repair. this should be a mandated, required safety recall; by its own measure, up to 669,000 prius models may be at risk to this known defect, yet toyota refuses both the recall and the repair. how many out there are ticking time bombs? *tr

While driving at night, headlights turned off (failed). stopped vehicle and waited a couple of minutes and turned light switch off and back on. lights functioned ok. one week later, same failure occurred. *tr

Left headlight will intermittently go off. there have been a couple of instances where both lights have gone off on the highway at night. *tr

Driving after dark, temp 12 f, dashboard light went black on area behind steering wheel. upon arriving at destination, vehicle took several attempts before it turned off. car was taken to toyota dealer. i suggested this problem may be on a recall for the multi system light in the dash. after 2 hours toyota did not address the "recall" issue and diagnosed loose batter cable. car performed normally. next morning the car started and dashboard lighting came on as per usual. end of day when temp dropped dashboard went black again and the car was difficult to turn off at end destination. toyota dealer was called immediately (sunday) left message. called again next morning after 10am no call received from dealership. *tr

Car when in park or stopped (at a stop sign or light) will automatically shift into neutral about a second after i try to put it in reverse or drive. it began happening about a month ago and now happens every time i start the car. it also began happening at stoplights and almost caused an accident when i was trying to accelerate onto a fast highway from a stoplight last week. it takes up to 10 attempts to keep it in drive or reverse now from a stopped position, and i never know when or for how long it will happen. other than this, my car is in good condition and has not had any problems. i looked up the issue online, and from what a lot of other prius drivers say, it sounds like a major issue with the shift lever assembly (see below for links to forums where many others have the same issue). this fix costs a few hundred dollars, and it seems common in the 2004-2009 prius. it has a tsb out on it (see link below), so the issue is known?but this part should be issued a recall for those having issues!! it is a dangerous and not-uncommon defect, and i am afraid for my safety when driving this car now! http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/62-prius-forum/343977-08-prius-won-t-stay-gear.html http://www.justanswer.com/toyota/6wctj-toyota-prius-prius-2008-will-not-stay-reverse-drive.html http://priuschat.com/threads/2008-prius-shifts-back-to-neutral-wont-stay-in-drive-revposted-wed-aug-12-2009-7-04-am.67254/#axzz3mfyfau2j. *tr

On start up the combination meter failed to operate. since the combination meter presents bulk of the critical vehicle information it present a hazard to the operation of the vehicle. it is a known intermittent problem and was first observed on my 2005 prius approximately three years ago, however, the problem can clear itself. when it first occurred i brought it to the sun toyota service department, 3001 u.s. 19 holiday, fl (727) 478-0070 for service. the service personal noticed the problem, recycled the power on the vehicle, then the problem cleared itself. they said at that time there was nothing they could do to repair the problem unless it hard fails. since that time i have had it intermittently fail and correct itself. i discovered that this was a known design defect and that a warranty extension had been issued by toyota motor sale, usa which would cover repair of the vehicle. i experienced the failure again on 11/18/2014. i immediately drove it to sun toyota. they examined the problem, i pointed out the extended warranty, but they said the vehicle was now outside of the extended warranty and could not be repaired. i drove the vehicle to clearwater toyota, 21799 us highway 19 n, clearwater, fl 33765 (727) 799-1234, and they too said it was out of warranty. as a last recourse i called the toyota customer experience center. they assigned a case to me but they too said the problem is out of warranty. *tr

The right side headlight goes out multiple times for no apparent reason. i have to turn the lights off- then back on--it will come back on--only till it goes out again. *tr

My left head light goes out intermittently. the light goes back on when i turn the lights off and then on again. this seems to be a problem that prius owners are regularly experiencing. *tr

Today, when our 2005 prius was turned on, the dashboard lights, including the odometer and speedometer, and all of the dashboard warning lights, did not illuminate. additionally,the prius would not turn off by pushing the button on the dash. a google search revealed a known problem with the combination meter display that controls the dashboard lights, including all of the safety warning lights, that prompted toyota to issue a warranty enhancement, covering this defect either for 9 years from the date the car was first put into service or until september 30, 2013, whichever is longer. as it turns out, my prius is outside this warranty extension by three days. i called the national toyota customer experience center at toyota and was told, because there was a warranty extension, no further extensions can be granted and i am responsible for the repair of this defect. i have an issue with this due to the fact the module in question is not user-affected or serviceable in any way. if its engineering and/or manufacturing is such that it only lasts 9 years, and it is crucial to the operation of the car, and the display of system warning lights that reflect any problems with the supplemental restraint system, braking system, hybrid system, etc. i have an issue because this electronic device makes the car inoperable and many people with toyota prius vehicles, from model years 2004-2009 are experiencing this problem. shouldn't non-serviceable, critical parts to the operation of a car, that display the status of safety-related systems, last more than 9 years? there will be consumers who opt to drive the car anyway, which could lead to injuries and death, depending on the status of their safety-related systems, which they have no way of being able to see when this defect appears in their cars, at the time of a crash or need to brake in an emergency. *tr

Hybrid battery exploded in car, i thought someone shot at me or bomb went off in car. later i realized there was a problem with the hybrid system. i couldn't get a hold of toyota or representative of toyota, i took battery out so there wouldn't be a fire. when i opened casing up i saw the damage where a cell or two exploded inside hybrid battery pack. when i finally got to talk to someone from toyota 4 days later and told them i removed the pack so it wouldn't start a fire in car and for the authorities to inspect battery, they started yelling at me for driving the car and removing the battery. i said this is a safety issue, it can happen to anyone. it has affected me, my child and dogs hearing as a result and negligence of toyota. i was scared and frightened by toyota's response and the call back after i yelled at the and hung up. i got a call back from them where i was threatened by a man. i thought toyota cared about customers, not to threaten them, and to tamper with evidence and hide a safety issue. *tr

I went from a stationary driving position, to driving off at 20 mph down a 3 lane highway, suddenly a few seconds after, all these lights came on: flashing warning light, brake lights, abs light and a loud beeping noise. i had no power, no brakes?.. fortunately there was nobody in front of me or close behind and i could veer into the side of the road. i turned the car off totally. and then tried to turn it back on again to see what would happen, and all the same lights and beeping noise started again. had the car towed to toyota in santa monica. there was no manager on site. one of the service guys said he would have it checked. they refused to give me a temporary rental or substitute car - they said they would give me a ride to a rental place! this is 11 a.m. the following morning. the manager at the dealership is still not there. the associate called me and said i could pay to have it repaired !! i have called the toyota customer relations service, who say they will get back to me in "a day or so". aside from my life and others lives, being put in total jeopardy by my cars' failure, i think the lack of urgency on this matter is appalling. there may be other prius cars that will have the same failure, and people killed. *tr

Purchased this vehicle used as a means of fuel efficient transportation while i am in college. i began experiencing headlight failure on the vehicle about a week after purchasing it from the dealership. when i brought it to their attention, i was informed that the headlights were under recall and would be replaced. a few months later the passenger side headlight began flickering again and went out again. the headlight comes on initially before flickering (sometimes violently) and going out again. i suspect that it is a power supply issue and not a headlight issue. *tr