Problems with 2007 Toyota Prius STRUCTURE

After only about 4 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 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 3 yr. mark. we live in texas where temperatures were extremely warm last summer. apparently 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 life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. i have had several instances where i was not able to get the hatch open on an extremely hot day. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in florida for example). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years.

My 2007 toyota prius' rear hatchback latch rubber covering has melted into black goo. every time i open the hatch it gets all over my fingers. i asked my dealer if toyota had recalled the latch and was told no. i didn't have it replaced then because it is very expensive. however i can't take it anymore and am going to get it replaced before the latch fails to open. it is going to cost $257! this is a safety issue and a defect issue, not a normal wear and tear item. toyota has known about this and done nothing to fix it by issuing a recall. shameful. *tr

After only about 4 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 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 in texas. 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 life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-care-maintenance-troubleshooting/71647-2007-prius-trunk-hatch-release-rubber-piece-melted-4.html *kb

Rubber handle on rear trunk opener/release melted resulting in frozen latch (unable to open truck). vehicle has no alternative way of opening (no inside vehicle release). to access trunk area i must remove either of 2 children sitting in rear seat strapped into child safety seat and lean over back seat. this removal of child opens the possibility that they could get hit in parking lot or along the side of the road when access is a necessity. toyota refuses to repair. have had difficulty over a number of years that has been escalating but at this time the truck will not open at all using the hand release. *tr

Like so many others with a 2007 prius, my hatch back rubber latch started getting sticky and then slowly started deteriorating to the point where i couldn't open the hatch door. i took it to maita toyota in sacramento and asked if they would fix it, but they charged me. i'm seeing that some people complained to toyota and got this paid for. i'm going to see if i can get reimbursed for this. i'm glad people put their complaints here to see. *tr

2007 toyota prius tailgate latch rubber has degraded and effectively melted to where the latch fails to work most of the time, and deposits rubber goo residue when contacting the latch. the part is clearly defective as indications of the problem started within 3 years of purchase. clearly should be a recall or replacement via toyota. if not labor, at least cost of new part. *tr

The hatchback handle on my 2007 toyota prius has melted over time. this causes the latching mechanism to fail, which is a potential safety hazard in that it leaves this door virtually inaccessible during an emergency. each time i try to open the rear door, melted rubber sticks to my hand. this car has performed satisfactorily otherwise, but the handle failure constitutes a manufacturing defect. *tr

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

The hatchback latching mechanism has degraded to the point that it is nearly impossible to open in winter conditions. in the summer the exposed rubber parts became sticky and basically melted on your hand when you tried to open it. the latch also became harder to actuate. now in the winter the latch requires so much force to open it that it is difficult to open at all. *tr

After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 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 florida. we also live in florida. 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 life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in florida for example). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-care-maintenance-troubleshooting/71647-2007-prius-trunk-hatch-release-rubber-piece-melted-4.html [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b

2007 toyota prius rear hatch handle failure. rubber cover melts into electric switch making it inoperable.the back latch of my 2007 toyota prius first degraded ("melted" almost) over the course of several months/years. it no longer functioned properly, and i was unable to open the back hatch door easily. sometimes it required considerable effort and perseverance to get it open. the malfunctioning handle started to get loose until eventually if just fall off and it's just hanging by the electrical wires. i had to tape it until it gets fixed i am concerned that in the case of an emergency, i will not be able to get the door open. this is a major cause for concern and it is a serious safety hazard.this is a safety hazard because the trunk is the only way to access the spare, any of my repair tools, emergency kit, flares, jumpers, etc. there is no alternative internal method for opening the hatchback/trunk. toyota needs a recall of this defective part as the cost to repair it is exorbitant, quoted to me over $200 for the part alone. i called toyota customer service and they won't fixed their faulty parts until the government forces them to. it's sad that it might take some injuries or death for this issue to be fixed. *tr

I have a 2007 prius and 2-3 years after purchase, the rubber piece under the hatchback melted, making so that it was a sticky black mess and it wouldn't open. it now doesn't open at all and i can not get into my trunk, recently had a battery replaced and my car was stranded, the aaa guy had to crawl to the back w/ seats down from the side of the car. i could not get to my trunk if i have a flat tire in the future. i am out of warranty . my understanding is that toyota is making owners pay 300+ to fix this despite the fact that it is obviously a manufacturing defect. please assist with this safety concern on all prius vehicles. *tr

The rubber on the rear hatch release has deteriorated causing difficulty or impossibility of opening the rear hatch. this could pose a safety issue in an emergency. *tr

2007 toyota prius, back hatch release, rubber piece. this piece has deteriorated and it difficult to open back hatch. i have had this problem for about 1 year. i have done research and see this is a common problem in these 2007 toyota vehicles. i believe this to be a hazard and would think toyota would have recalled this piece as there are so many complaints. *tr

The switch sub-assembly, lug (part# 84905-47010) part for the rear door handle started to melt. black tar like material would get on your hands and under the fingernails. the entire part was decomposing and the door lock would not work as it should. searched the internet and found many other 2007 prius cars doing the same thing. called toyota, and they said during production they used an adhesive for insulation. this adhesive, when exposed to heat (normal summer conditions), would emit chemicals that would cause the rubber to melt, or decompose. toyota said that they would do nothing, and offered to clean the rubber. i told them it is like tar not rubber! this is not a cosmetic problem, it could lead to more damage to the car. i purchased a new part for $84.31, and will install it. also contacting the bbb. *tr

The rubber cover of the external trunk latch has melted. on many occasions, the latch opens only after many attempts. a web search found many other owners who complain about the same problem. *tr

The hatch release on the hatchback melted making the hatchback nearly impossible to open. as safety equipment such as flares, spare tires, and flags are kept in the hatch under the flooring, not being able to access them in an emergency is a serious safety issue. *tr

The rear hatch handle assembly has melted completely into a gooey mess. this handle was replaced by toyota under warranty in 2009.. and the replacement melted completely as did the original equipment. but now this will cost appx. $300 to replace. there is other way to open the rear hatch . this part is clearly defective and results in no way to access the spare tire and other safety equipment in the hatch. update 9/15/15*cw *cn

The rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 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. i thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners. 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 life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark. i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting. it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. please review these forum comments of other incidents: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...runk-hatch-release-rubber-piece-melted-4.html

Rear hatch door latch failure, starting with softening and deformation of the rubber-like cover and progressing to latch not opening, especially in cold weather. *tr

After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 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 florida. i live in louisiana . toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $600, and has done nothing about recalling this. from a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme 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 the exterior hatch release handle. to me, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties, since the failure appears to occur at around the 3 year mark (ie after 3 years of exposure to the bright sun in louisiana, for example). i am aware of the outstanding work done by nhtsa on other safety issues, including the problem with rusty frames on 02 isuzu axioms, and i find this problem to be similar in nature, so i am asking for your agency to take a look at these instances and also to inquire from toyota why they are not recalling these handles that are melting in the sun!!! it's outrageous. i think a door handle or hatch handle should be made to last more than 3 years. and now my trunk won't open and it is about detach from the car because of the extra pulling needed to open it. why has it not been recalled? it should be mandatory. they told me i would have to pay over $600 to do it at the dealer, but they should pay for it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving at 48 mph, the brakes suddenly locked up and swayed to the left side when he depressed the brake pedal. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership for diagnosis. the dealer repaired the axle and driver side body but it was unknown if the dealer repaired the brake system. the contact believed that the rain was a factor in the failure as it caused the computer chip for the brake pedal to malfunction. the braking system for the vehicle failed periodically in rainy weather. the vin was unavailable at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 35,000. the current mileage was approximately 60,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated during the winter, when he attempted to open the lift gate it failed to open. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but they could not determine the cause of failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 79,000. the vin was unavailable.

The rubber rear hatch release button (wide rubber piece which activates an electrical switch) first became sticky and black rubber would stick you your hand. then the rubber piece hardened and became so hard (and cracked) that the rear hatch release does not work. this is a safety issue in addition to making the trunk unusable. toyota owners of this model year frequently report this problem in all climates, toyota clearly has a manufacturing defect in the rubber material they used for this model year and should perform these repairs for no charge. *tr

1. after i opened the automatic electric garage door and waited for my wife to enter from our home and seat herself in the front passenger seat i started the vehicle, geared it into reverse to prepare to back out of our attached indoor garage. 2. as i started to back up, proceeding not more than about 18 inches, we heard a loud explosive sound accompanied by a tremor and shattering glass at the same moment. immediately i shut off the engine and both of us exited the vehicle. we discovered that the right rear gas pressurized strut had exited with such force through the rear hatchbach trunk lid window shattering the glass and the impact of the strut had damaged the metal railing of the garage door. had anyone been in the path of the strut they could have been killed. the back of the vehicle was at least two feet inside the open garage door. the rear trunk lid did not collide with any part of the garage door. there were no injuries. 3. upon my insistence the vehicle was towed to our dealer for inspection. and eventually repaired. i have most of the old parts at my home. *tr

The rear hatch is poorly designed with no indoor release. i keep injuring my hand and neck to get it open, often having to take pain pills, get therapy the next day after straining my neck trying to lift up on the tiny little grip area with my hand. the latch will not release on the first try and when the temps are below freezing i often cannot get it to open at all. how is one supposed to get a spare tire out? when is it zero degrees out one should be able to get their rear door open without taking off one's glove. this hatch will never operate with a gloved hand attempting to open it. it is also not safe to have to fumble around in parking lots attempting to squeeze between parking places to load items purchased when one should be able to easily deposit items in the back of the vehicle. this is a safety issue and needs to be corrected by toyota. i have seen many people complain about this online but nobody has mentioned being able to solve the problem, nor have dealers been able to fix this without charging the customers $100's of dollars. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that the trim around the trunk latch melted and was stuck to the vehicle, which made it impossible to open the trunk. the vehicle was taken to jay wolfe toyota of west county (located at 14700 manchester rd, ballwin, mo 63011) where the technician broke the latch in an attempt to open the trunk. the technician glued the latch back and stated there was no recall. the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

Release button for 2007 toyota prius hatchback has defective rubber, which deteriorates prematurely and leaks hydraulic fluid used to actuate the door release. after a while, door will not open, and requires replacement of release mechanism. *tr

Tl*- the contact purchased a 2007 toyota prius on february 28, 2007 with 4 miles from beaver toyota of santa fe new mexico. the day after purchasing the vehicle while driving over 40 mph it did not drive straight, it moved left to right. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer, and was told that this was how the vehicle drove. the service manager explained that these vehicles had many complaints because of the way the vehicle was aerodynamicly made, the vehicle tended to move from side to side going over 40 mph on the highway. the failure mileage was 20, and the current mileage was 300 miles.*ak updated 04/09/07. *jb

The trunk handle has melted - turning the rubber into a sticky goo - and one is unable to open the trunk. local toyota dealer removed and replaced the rear hatch switch at the cost of $310.22..the local toyota dealer informed me that this repair was not unexpected in that a similar problem on the scion has been identified and is being repaired by toyota at their expense. other reports on the web highlight the same problem with the prius. request have been sent to toyota to cover the cost of this repair, but they have refused to pay for this defect. *tr