Problems with 2007 Toyota Prius ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Sometimes when i start my car, the speedometer, fuel level and odometer cluster display goes blank. i do have a speedometer app on my phone. i have used tips from prius owners about how to get the display back on. i still believe this may be a problem for normal drivers. it usually happens when i start the car.

Our daughter was driving our 2007 toyota prius to work in the dark in rush hour on the highway, driving straight, at highway speed, in los angeles, and the instrument panel instantly blacked out, with the car completely dead and halted. it could not even be shifted into neutral! the car stopped right in the middle of the highway. she called 911, and a wrecker was dispatched to lift the car off the freeway. thankfully she was not injured or killed! i then researched the likely cause and diagnosed it exactly. it was the "hybrid water pump" also known as the "inverter pump," part #g9020-47031. that part was recalled in 2012, nhtsa recall # 12v536000. i had it towed to a nearby toyota dealer, north hollywood toyota, to have it repaired. that dealer looked up the vehicle's records and said the recall had been performed in 2013. was it really? if so, then a recalled part that causes a complete, instant blackout on a prius already failed again. the receipt for the repair is attached, including the nhtsa recalled part #. the repair cost $699.09 + tax, and caused an extremely dangerous instant stoppage of the vehicle on a jam-packed highway. i e-mailed toyota usa customer service to appeal the situation, and they sent me a reply and asked that i call them. on the call, they claimed there is no recourse for me to pursue. i'm a 51 year old u.s. army officer veteran and have never experienced or known of anything this suspicious and dangerous in the automobile space. thank you, [xxx] redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *cc *tr

On an intermittent basis, the dash does not light up(speed, gear selections , gas level, etc) when this happens you can not shut the engine off or remove the ignition key which are big safety items when you have to park as you can not lock the doors and all information on the large display does not work or any of the dash display so you have no indication of speed, engine warnings etc. i purchased my 2007 prius from my local county and now they have a 2009 prius with the same problem. all prius should be recalled by toyota, regardless of age and fixed a it is a very dangerous problem. i have searched the internet about this problem and it seems be a problem with the prius. the estimate i have to solve the problem is approximately $1,200 and this should be fixed by toyota as a definite recall safety problem. it is a start, stop problem when you can not shut off the engine or remove the key and while driving no speed indication.

Dashboard troubles shut off and dont show dashight nothing

One headlight on my car keeps shutting off, while the other is fine. i am able to "fix" the issue by turning my headlights off and then turning them on again. dealers initially told me it was because the bulb burned out, but i replaced both at the same time, and it's always the driver's side bulb that "burns out." upon further review on public forums, it appears the bulb is perfectly fine and there's some type of electrical issue/connection problem that causes problems with the bulb. this happens when the vehicle is on and in-motion on any street.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the cluster panel went out while driving at any speed. also, the abs and check engine indicators illuminated when the vehicle was started. the vehicle was taken to autonation toyota pinellas park (727-231-1423, located at 8501 us highway 19 north, pinellas park, fl 33781) where it was diagnosed that the abs actuator needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was an unknown recall in 2017. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

Sporadically, the lights on the dashboard will not light up. when this happen the backup camera will not display as well. this doesn't happen often, but when it happens, it is a while before the they will display.

The dashboard don't work sometimes, sometimes tha break light turns on and the breaks stop working it change it self to neutral and the power steering w. get really hard.. all this hapens when the car is in motion on city streets.

Toyota sent the extended warranty notice on the combination meter to the wrong address; therefore, i could not "connect the dots" regarding my dashboard blackout--meaning i thought it was quirky, not a documented problem with the combination meter. my 2007 prius with only 35,000 miles on it needs a replacement combination meter but toyota will not pay for it--claiming it provided an extended warranty. my response is: so what? i am driving a dangerous vehicle which does not indicate the speed i'm driving, the gas supply, the warning lights, and backup camera. i have had the requisite services over the years and the problem is clearly a defect in toyota's manufacturing and supply chain. if toyota really cares about the customer, why won't toyota take responsibility for the failing part and repair my perilous vehicle? the situation is dangerous! i can't lock the car, know for sure when it is turned off, see the warning lights, know if the airbag alert is legit--non-functional all. to replace the failed part will cost near $1000, my monthly social security. think about this pricetag, toyota headquarters and local dealerships. my safety is severely jeopardized. please work to recall these impacted vehicles. that my prius has been serviced every single year according to schedule, that this mysterious dark screen has been popping up for years, and that toyota sent the notice of extended warranty to the wrong address should demonstrate where the culpability lies. toyota should take ownership of this dangerous situation and fix all the defective vehicles--behavior which demonstrates the company truly cares about its customers!

The instrument panel doesn't show when the car in turned on and the car wouldn't shut off without following alternate shut off instructions. this happened in october 26,2018 and again on december 9,2018. apparently the problem is the combination meter which toyota did a warranty enhancement for 9 years from purchase date which means they won't fix mine unless i pay $800.00 plus tax. since i'm out of their extended warranty. i have less that 100,000. miles. it's dangerous to drive with no display panel not knowing how fast you are going or gas guage and a lot of seniors own this vehicle and can't afford such a costly expense. this should have been a safety recall not a warranty notice.

I was driving my 2007 toyota prius in the middle of the night and all of the sudden all of my lights went out. i was in the middle of a busy road and could not see anything and decide to just pull off the road and hope not to hit anything because i just wanted to get off the road before i got hit by an oncoming car. after i got off the road for awhile i tried the lights and they both worked. i took my prius to a state college, pa dealership and they charged me $450.00 because they said both headlights were out. the next day after i picked my prius from the toyota dealership i went to a grocery store after work and the car would not turn off and the whole dashboard was black.. i called the dealership and said they must have created a short in my car and they said bring it back in. the next day they told me the whole cluster system that controls the dashboard was bad and they would be charging another $680.00.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the instrument panel failed to display and the lights failed to illuminate. during the failure, the vehicle would not shut off. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer (bev smith toyota, 5655 s. us hwy 1, stuart, fl) where it was diagnosed that the combination meter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was also notified. the failure mileage was 106,000.

Dash board goes black! no instrumentation. toyota states there was a recall and i did not respond. i did not receive a recall notice. they refuse to fix the problem. i have emails dating back from 2014.

The 2007 toyota prius touring with 151k on it started experiencing dashboard going blank when power button pressed. the emergency signal and direction signal works but other navigation or main display including speed, fuel gauge and mileage doesn't work. dealer said, it's out of warranty to replace even though it's part of safety warning by toyota before. the vehicle was able to run without dashboard display including break system working but not sure. it's very danger to run this vehicle without dashboard and may run of fuel or go over speed.

Headlights flicker then will shut off completelywhile driving down highway.. no dash lights. have to turn car off and on

The dashboard goes black! no instruments. i have contacted toyota and they said i missed the recall and won't fix it. it happened again today! 3/02/2018 you have to put the fob in and press the start button for 3 seconds just to get the car to turn off.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. when the contact entered the vehicle and pushed the start button, he had to hold the button for 3 to 10 seconds before the vehicle started. occasionally, all the indicators on the instrument panel failed to function, which prevented the contact from knowing how fast he was traveling and the amount of fuel in the vehicle. toyota walnut creek (2100 n broadway, walnut creek, ca 94596) stated that the combination meter needed to be replaced and that the extended warranty expired. the manufacturer was also contacted, but was unable to provide any further assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

Starting may 2015 whole dashboard in my car sporadically goes black, i can't see how fast i was going or how much gas i have left or use my backup camera in my car. for about an hour i couldn't even get my car to turn off. this has been happening ever so often since may of 2015 and is very dangerous driving my car in that condition. the other day my car ran out of gas on the bridge from the 5 freeway to the 91 freeway and i was stranded on the side of the bridge with cars passing at high velocity because i wasnt able o see my gas meter. toyota has known about this defect as shown below and issued a warranty extension for all models 2004-2009 and my car falls 2 months outside of the warranty program and they refuse to take responsibility. https://www.toyoheadquarters.com/threads/2004-2009-toyota-prius-combination-meter-warranty-extension-ztv.174/

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving approximately 30 mph, the instrument panel lighting stopped working. the contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and then drove to koons tyson's toyota in tyson's corner, va where it was diagnosed that the combination meter was faulty and had to be replaced. in 2015, the vehicle was taken to the same dealer because the instrument panel lighting flickered. the contact was advised by the dealer to disregard the symptom. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened case number: 1801160899. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

My car has a clunking/rattle sound when going over bumps or uneven roads even without brakes slightly engaged. it also does this when driving over 60 mph on smooth roads but if i turn wheels slightly left or right the sound stops and when i turn them back straight it begins again. it is so bad that you can feel it on your feet and strongly thru the steering column. also the front tires wear heavily on the inside edge. it feels like steering column may be loose at times. also the horn keeps blowing fuses and when you put a new fuse in the drivers side door will shock you e every time you try to exit the vehicle. and the outside air temp will not read temp. i had new tires put on to replace old front tires and rotated all and balanced and just had new brakes put on from dealship. radio reception is horrible even though other vehicles in same area get great reception. i love this car but i did buy it used so i am not sure if all recalls have been fixed or if they need fixed again. it seems like a lot of mechanics have no idea what they are doing.*dt consumer stated vehicle has been repaired.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the instrument panel indicators failed to illuminate. the contact mentioned that the instrument panel failed to display any warning indicators or the fuel amount. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the contact did not know what parts needed to be repaired. the dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Combination meter display failure. this is a known issue in which the instrumentation panel and cruise control cease to function. the car may also not turn off without going through elaborate procedures. it is seriously dangerous in that the speedometer and the fuel gauge do not display. toyota is aware of this defective omponent and issued an "enhanced warranty" to repair the problem, but only if the problem manifested itself within the defined period of the enhanced warranty.. for those prius owners who have experienced this life-threatening flaw after the enhanced warranty period elapsed, the only recourse is to drive an unsafe vehicle or to pay four figures for a repair. a component that is know to be defective should be replaced free of charge at any time if it involves safety.

Headlights are unreliable, they can go off (one or both) at any time. this problem is well documented on many internet sites

The dashboard went black with no visibility to speed, fuel tank gauge, or other instruments in this panel. also, car would not power off. the instrument panel went dark while i was driving on a city street. the engine power down problem occurred in my driveway upon my return from my city use.

Interior lights are extremely dim. affecting tons of prius owners. shift knob was working and has not gone out as well. too expensive to replace the light bulb in shifter knob. no solution for interior dimmed lighting that lots of people are complaining about. dealer said they know of the issue and it exists in all 2007 toyota prius models.

My dashboard went darking including the speedometer and it appears to also disable the odometer when this happens. this happened after stopping to fill up for gas. after restarting the car the dashboard will no longer light up. it looks like you can temporally reset the faulty part by disconnecting it from the battery and reconnecting it. this issue is regarding a problem that is known to toyota, they have extended the warranty for this part to 9 years/unlimited miles. my prius was effected after 9 1/2 years putting me past the warranty they extended. the problem is with the "combination meter", it appears to be caused by a bad solder during the manufacturing process. research shows me this effects 2004-2009 prius models and it looks like most prius will run into the issue at some point. i'm not sure why this hasn't been a recall as no speedometer is obviously a safety issue, the problem is widespread and toyota seems to acknowledge the problem with their warranty extension. i imagine it took me more than nine years as we only have 90,000 miles after nearly 10 years of ownership. a google search on toyota prius combination meter problem will bring up a lot of information on this. thank you for your time, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

The headlights constantly go off by themselves sporadically. i never know when the issue occurs only if i see my headlights reflected in the car in front of me do i know whether one of the lights are out. turning the lights off and clicking them back on temporarily resolves the problem, but it is a constant problem that is unsafe and scary at times because it causes extreme visibility issues. this has happened at any time, while i'm on the street, while i'm parked and on the highway.

I was driving down the road at 65 mph when the electronic instrument panel went blank i could no longer tell how fast i was going, how much fuel i had left or if any of the warning lights ( low tire, low oil, running high temperature, etc. ) were on. the display originally went out in 2010 but the toyota dealership told me how to correct it. it has happened 2 more times since then the latest being the third. this time it has rendered the car unsafe and undriveable. i found out searching the internet that toyota has been aware of this problem since 2009. siting t-sb-0172-09 combination meter intermittent display which affected prius from 2004 to 2009, for 3 years 36000 miles. in 2012 they issued a warranty enhancement program for the same problem combination meter intermittent display and then became 9 years from date of first use or before september of 2013 with unlimited mileage. since it was a warranty enhancement instead of a recall they did not send notices to everyone with prius about this defect. since notice was not supplied i was one of i am sure quite a few who fell through the cracks. i contacted toyota about the situation and was informed that toyota would do nothing to correct the problem.

This 07 toyota prius dash instrument lights will go out whether stationary or in motion and or not come on at the start of the vehicle. the car can be driven but there is no way to reference the speed or vital functions of the vehicle when this occurs. also the vehicle will not turn off when the power button is pushed when the dash is inoperative unless you hold the power button down for an extended amount of time. toyota knows about this issue but the time limit on the unpublished extended warranty that i was told has expired. we bought this vehicle new in 07.this vehicle started doing this recently. this should have been a recall item on this vehicle due to the potential safety issue.

As i was coming back from livermore to san jose down the sunol grande last weekend, my dash lights suddenly went out meaning i had no speedometer or wait to tell how much gas i had and the abs and stability control went out while going 65 miles an hour down a steep hill.luckily i was able to get home and don't ask me how i figured out to get the car to turn off. i called the one 800 toyota number and it turns out there was a problem with something called the combo meter on these cars and it had an extended warranty for a total of nine years. my warranty expired they said april 2016. this seems like a serious safety issue that toyota should cover if they are concerned about their customers safety.

Dashboard display (including backup display) intermittently functions. this happens when stationary, in motion, on a city street or highway, turning, driving straight, or breaking. the following unsafe conditions resulted: no speedometer, no gas gauge, no tire pressure gauge, no odometer, no cruise control, no backup display, etc.

Driving on a rainy day, abs and vsc lights on dash came on. my car violently fishtailed almost 180 degrees, back and forth 6 times on a curve getting off a freeway (about 45 mph) nearly crashed. i proceeded very slowly to side street. car shimmied to right making a left turn. felt like i was driving on ice. called a tow truck. dealership found rodent damage to wires to wheel speed sensor. i discovered manufacturers using soy oil on wiring. $1300 repair. *tr

Steering wheel control on right side only works intermittently. unable to control defroster or control air conditioner vent.

The trunk opener switch on my 2007 prius no longer works reliably because it is made of a defective rubber which has at this point melted into a goopy mess. this means that the opener switch can become stuck in the closed position, rendering it impossible to open the trunk until the release mechanism of the switch overcomes the tensile strength of the goop. as a cursory google search shows, this is a common problem which toyota routinely refuses to repair. it is a potential safety issue because a pet or child could be difficult to retrieve from the trunk area if the trunk cannot be opened. an unexpected hazard such as a leaking propane tank or a battery fire in the trunk area could similarly be difficult to mitigate.

Takata recall. my car won't shut off. they say the instrument panel cluster needs replaced. it has been on back order for 13 days so my car is useless. i can't drive it. i paid either 23,000 or 28,000 for it and have kept it maintained. the toyota place says they have another lady that's been waiting 3 days less than mine. i called california toyota. they can't tell me anything - but today told me it might be on back order. this is a safety issue. a car that won't shut off is a danger. it could kick into gear. it could damage the motor. a car that you can't tell how much gas is in it can be a problem as well. i can't drive it. the speedometer won't work. this is a problem with safety as if you can't tell what speed you are going you risk tickets. the toyota place in birmingham has replaced 30 of these instrument clusters. if that is representative nationwide there is a big problem and these cars should be recalled. i only have 150,000 miles approx. on my car. the salesman told me it would last at least 300,000 miles. i had to replace the 4800.00 battery at 103000 miles. my other gripe is they didn't tell me until 13 days later it was "probably" on back order. i wouldn't have rented a car for 13 days had i known it was "probably" on back order.

While i was driving, the car suddenly made a very loud sound, that did not go away. along with that, the lights on the dash lit up, the brake light, the red hazard exclamation triangle light, the abs and vsc light. it felt the brakes were not working and i would need to press it down hard for it to slow down. this has happened three times! and each time i took it in to toyota, their diagnostic tests showed nothing. they think it could be the battery but they did not suggest changing it. the three episodes that happened, luckily no injuries or crashes. but it is very concerning as i feel this will happen again and they have not figured out what the problem is.

Combination meter failure while driving. unable to view speedometer or dash lights. car sometimes locks up, unable to view abs signal because dashlights become inoperable. unable to turn car off during dashboard/combination meter failure. *tr

The electronic dash (heads up instrument display) on our 2007 prius has intermittently failed to light over the last year. yesterday, it failed and also wouldn't turn off. we always use the remote (keyless) ignition system. but, after the failures yesterday i put the electronic key fob into the hole in the dash thinking that might help. instead, i couldn't remove it. i tried every combination of pressing buttons (the park and power buttons) and other controls, brakes pedal, shifter and it still wouldn't shut off or light up the display. after holding the power button in for an extended amount of time, it turned off and ejected the key fob. but then the car wouldn't light up the instrument display or start. this morning, again, it would not start. i was told by an experienced prius mechanic (also an owner) that these were classic symptoms of a failing power amplifier for the display and that it was a "secret warranty," a voluntary repair to avoid a government recall, but that toyota would only do it for 10 years. the dealer refused to do it under warranty even though the symptoms began before the car was 10 years old. they told me the recall was only good for nine years. they want $765 for the repair. it strikes me that this is a safety failure and should be covered, period. with no indication of speed or other functions (abs function, traction control, etc.), or to turn the vehicle off, it is unsafe to operate the vehicle. the various failures, including loss of cruise control while in motion, took place when the car was cold and when it was warmed up. at rest and in motion.

In september 2014 i turned on the ignition and the dash did not come on. the car would drive but it did not indicate speed, gear selector etc. upon parking the vehicle would not turn off. by moving forward and backward and trying to turn it off repeatedly it eventually turned off. this did not reoccur until the following year when the weather got wet in southern california. it would happen occasionally on cold damp mornings and then everything would be functional the next time i drove it. it started happening often and for multiple days in 2016. it became so difficult to turn the car off (and if the car does turn off there is little indication so i had a close call when i exited the vehicle and it began to roll away) that i went online to see if anyone else had had this problem. apparently it is very common and toyota is aware of the design flaw, so they will repair it under warranty for 9 years from the new vehicle purchase date. i called toyota and they said that the car was 9 years and 4 months old and they would not cover it and it would be ~$1500 to fix. i explained that it had been going on for 2+ years and they said there was nothing they could do. i asked why they had not notified owners and they said that it was not a "recall" so they didn't have to. this is a safety issue and an acknowledged design flaw that poses a safety hazard to the public. when the prius "combination meter" is not functioning the vehicle can not be turned off quickly and the vehicle may drive off if the the emergency brake is not strong enough to overcome the engine. please compel toyota to at least notify owners of vehicles affected by this design flaw. even better, compel them to fix defective vehicles or issue a recall for all vehicles to head of this potential public safety threat.

Bought 2007 prius used and everything worked. now the driver side headlight wont work after several new lightbulbs and a ballast have been changed. it has never been in an accident to my knowledge, i would like to know if toyota will fix their problematic vehicle.

Front driver side headlight keeps turning off intermittently and at random while driving. the car has been in to the toyota service department several times but the problem can not be isolated. several on-line forums suggest this is a manufacturer defect with the hid or electrical connection and have been charged thousands of dollars replacing bulbs, light housings, and connectors without fixing the issue. this is a major safety concern and traffic violation to be driving at night when your headlight can turn of at any moment. please have toyota address this issue immediately. https://priuschat.com/threads/headlight-problem.34584/ https://www.carcomplaints.com/toyota/prius/2007/lights/headlight_randomly_turns_off_while_driving.shtml http://www.toyotaproblems.com/trends/prius-headlights/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1f8h7himfe http://www.kctv5.com/story/18609018/kctv5-investigates-prius-headlight-problems

The rubber cover of the rear lift gate switch has deteriorated to the point where the switch won't work any more. i am unable to access the spare tire and other important things in the back of the car.

The lighting, i believe is basically led, has, over a period of ,time, become so dim that it is impossible to read when not in the shade(ok at night) the dealer said that there was a notice, but only if the display had completely out. i believe that a dim display (that cannot be seen during normal driving)is a real safety problem. this is a constant problem not a particular date and time. the photo attached is the driver view of the instrument panel during operation. also a picture of the vin panel. ...updated 08/02/17 *bf *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. without warning, the instrument panel cluster failed and the gauges failed to properly function. the vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and indicated that the time frame had expired for the contact to receive the warranty extension campaign and provided no remedy solution. the approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

The headlights on my prius randomly go dark. sometimes 1 headlight and other times both. turning off the light switch and then back on is a temporary fix. the problem comes back minutes later. this is very unsafe for myself and other drivers on the road. this happened while i was on the interstate going 70 mph last night!

Our car was stationary all 3 times the instrument cluster went out, where we could not see what gear we were in, the speedometer, odometer or fuel gauge. one time, even though we pushed the power button, the car would not turn off. toyota advised they issued a warranty enhancement, after a technical services bulletin was issued, but we did not receive the notice. we feel the nhtsa should have made them issue a recall as this is not safe. toyota told us we are past the 9 year enhancement so they are refusing to pay for the repair. although we have not experienced it, we were told others have been in a situation where the car conked out on the interstate when they were going 65 mph. we hope nhtsa will make toyota issue a recall on this dangerous problem.

The headlights turn off during driving, so i exit the freeway and turn them on and off and they start again and so on, i already changed the bulb did not help, i took it two times to the longo toyota in el monte california and they refused to repair it stating that they could not duplicate it, i i complained about the noise of the abs system and they refused to repair it there is recall on both

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, all warning lights began to illuminate on the instrument panel. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the failure was not able to be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. in addition, the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v449000 (hybrid propulsion system). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 148,000.

Hid headlight leveling sensor failed due to corrosion, sensor is exposed under the car and apparently leaks road salt solution.. headlights pointing down, inadequate visibility driving at night. exorbitant cost to replace, ~$400 us

One hid headlamp will occasionally turn itself off. turning headlamp switch off for 3-5 minutes and then back on will correct the issue. as one could imagine, very problematic when driving on the freeway at night. multiple bulb replacements (over $150 each) have had no effect. dealer recommended full headlamp replacement is over $1000. research found that many others have had a similar issue, and eventually trace the problem back to the ballast of the hid lamp, which is easily damaged by water from poor design (the ballast is weather-sealed against the engine compartment, but not against the headlamp itself; any water that makes its way into the lamp will run down and pool on the ballast electronics).