2004 Toyota Prius Electrical System Problems
- 149
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 149 stored complaint records:
- 4 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
What owners report
- 12v/24v/48v Battery · 2 records
- Instrument Cluster/Panel · 2 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 58 |
| 30–60k mi | 19 |
| 100–150k mi | 19 |
| 150–400k mi | 17 |
| 60–100k mi | 10 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System
. 10/09/2012 i went to start my 2004 prius i hit the power button and the dashboard lights had not work. You did not know the status of the car. Actuated the power switch and the brake peddle numerous times to no avail. I tried to select the gear and the car would move. But dash board display did not light. The lights and turn signals work fine. I drove 15 miles home with on display. I selected the park button and…
ODI 10479809
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
2004 toyota prius with hid headlights is used as a taxi cab. On september 25th, 2012 the drivers side headlight would begin to flicker and turn off after around five minutes of operation. The hid bulb replacement did not resolve the matter. Headlights must be turned off and then on again in order to resume their operation. *tr
ODI 10480025
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The right headlight keeps going out and after we turn the switch back and forth it goes back on. This past weekend in a driving rain storm at night, the lights went completely out on a windy mountain road. I flicked them on and off several times and they would go on and then go out shortly afterwards. Neither dim or bright would work. I ended up having to pull the bright signal on the column back manually and hold…
ODI 10662185
Electrical System
Upon starting the car one morning i noticed the speedometer, fuel and gear indicator digital readouts were not working. I researched the problem on the internet and narrowed the problem to a faulty combination meter (bad solder). This problem has been occurring with numerous other prius owners according to forums and such. I purchased the car at a ford dealership and also purchased their ford esp base care plan.…
ODI 10467653
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
The headlights go out randomly while driving at night. You have to turn them off and then turn them back on for them to work and they only last a minute after that. Huge safety issue!! *tr
ODI 10465922
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Random failure of lights, began with driver?s side and continues to occur randomly with greater frequency. Passenger side also turns off randomly, though with less frequency. Many occasions, i have had both lights turn off while driving. *tt
ODI 10462715
Electrical System
I need your help! There is a manufacturing defect well documented as a common problem with 2004 toyota prius multi-functional display (mfd). The problem is that the 60 pin connector on the printed circuit board of the mfd sometimes develops a play in the connection and hence the sporadic display. I wrote to toyota customer service. Toyota instructed me to take my car to the dealer and speak to toyota. Told me that…
ODI 10462717
Electrical System · Software · Vehicle Speed Control
2004 toyota prius. Consumer states unintended acceleration *tgw the consumer stated the sudden acceleration happened three times, over a six year span. He managed to put the vehicle in neutral, coast to the side of the road, and turned the vehicle off. Once the vehicle was restarted, all worked fine. The consumer stated a few weeks ago his vehicle was about to reach 300,000 miles, as he reached for his camera, he…
ODI 10447642
Electrical System
I have been having a problem with my prius combination display (digital display that shows the speed, mileage, fuel level, current gear selection, etc.). Sometimes when i turn on my car, the combination display is blank and will not turn on. The rest of the car turns on, but that display remains blank. I can drive the car, but i can't see my speed, mileage, or what gear the car is in. This usually happens when it is…
ODI 10679735
Electrical System
The dashboard computer in my 2004 prius malfunctions. The energy monitor does not show any of the arrows or current gas mileage. I can't access any of the menus: climate, audio, etc. This means that i can not turn on the defrost heat in the morning when the windshield is frozen. Sometimes the telephone menu is inaccessible. The stereo skips and turns itself off. Within a few minutes of turning on the car, the…
ODI 10432278
Electrical System
Toyota prius 2004 generation 2, speedometer intermittent display problems. The dashboard lights go off and on very frequently for no reason. No display of speed and fuel gauge and also the odometer. *tr
ODI 10421162
Electrical System
The multifunctional display (mfd) failed following dealer replacement of the 12v battery. The dealer is now recommended $5,000 replacement of the mfd. Mfd failure in the prius seems to be an increasing event based on on-line chatter on blogs. This appears to be a basic design flaw in the prius mfd system that causes loss of communication between the radio and climate control systems. It also causes the display to be…
ODI 10421183
Electrical System
Dash board controls and light went off. I have informed toyota and the dealers of this issue several times that the dash board lights go off and then the car doesn't shut down for a long time. I finally diagnosed the issue myself (bad combination meter) and informed the dealer. They informed me that although toyota had an extended warranty on the meter that my car was out of warranty. Eventhough i had complained…
ODI 10523926
Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control
When ambient temperature is cold, sometimes dashboard lights and speedometer do not come on when the car is started. Car runs but with no instrument panel. Sometimes when the car is in this state the car cannot be turned off by pressing the start button. Car can only be turned off by pressing and holding the start button down for several seconds, and even this does not always work. This problem has been getting…
ODI 10444588
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting · Visibility
The driver's side hid headlight, intermittently, unpredictably and inexplicably shuts off. It will occasionally return to service on its own, but usually requires a cycling of the light's power switch before full function is restored. After which, the length of time before the light shuts off again varies from a few seconds to not at all. After researching this issue, it seems to be a rather systemic problem with…
ODI 10433094
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. The contact stated that the headlights would shut off independently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was advised that the headlights would need to be replaced. In addition, the contact stated that the center console on the dashboard failed. The contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint but no assistance was offered. The vehicle was…
ODI 10365754
Electrical System
Multi function display (mfd) failure in 2004 prius. This failure it intermittent and causes the radio to turn off, prevents the use of climate/radio controls located in/on the mfd unit, prevents one from knowing whether the battery is charging. The steering wheel controls seem to work for the climate control (though one cannot see the temperature setting) but the audio system is useless without the mfd unit working…
ODI 10365911
Electrical System · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
2004 toyota prius. Consumer asserts that vehicle accident was caused by a computer malfunction *tgw the consumer stated prior to the accident, on one occasion, the vehicle bolted and jerked slightly as she stopped the vehicle. When she attempted to take off, the vehicle responded sluggishly and then accelerated quickly. The day of the accident, as the consumer approached the stop sign, the vehicle started bucking…
Crash reported
ODI 10360891
Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control
S10 appropriate handling re toyota vehicles recall, owner of a 2004 toyota prius experienced sudden unintended acceleration. *tgw the consumer stated as he was driving, he approached a slower moving vehicle, but when he attempted to apply the brake, the vehicle instead accelerated. As he hit the brake harder, the vehicle accelerated even more. The consumer had to avoid an accident by crossing over the double yellow…
ODI 10323084
Electrical System
I own a 2004 toyota prius. Just last week the touch screen that controls the heating / air conditioning, the radio, the current mpg information and condition of the ni-metal hydride battery and the gas engine interconnections, began to fail. Sometimes it works for a while, then it stops for some time then it might or might start working again before i get where i am going. It is extremely intermittent in its correct…
ODI 10299977
Electrical System
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. The contact stated that the touch screen module which included the temperature gauge, the fuel gauge, the odometer, etc failed. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer who informed him that the display screen was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure was approximately 120,000.
ODI 10371055
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Left and right headlights failed in november and december of 2009. Headlights were replaced. Left headlight has failed in 2011. I drive 10,000 per year. I do not do much driving with my headlights on. *tr
ODI 10455285
Electrical System · Fuel System, Gasoline
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota prius. While driving between 40-45 mph the gasoline motor would fail, and then cause the vehicle to stall without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice. The battery was replaced first, and then the fuel system was flushed. The second repair corrected the problem, but the problem of the vehicle locking in park was not addressed. The current mileage was 32,100. The…
ODI 10294778
Electrical System
The information screen on '04 and '05 toyota priuses fails. Toyota has known about this for some time (their technical service bulletin el 005-02). Not only is it no longer possible to fully control the sound system and the heating/cooling controls, but the nav system no longer operates. And most important from a safety point of view, the warning that sounds and shows when a door is opened and the transmission is…
ODI 10290876
Electrical System
Failure of dashboard multi-display, along with all its functions, including nav, climate, radio, fault notifications. And bluetooth phone operation. On the latter, the phone will connect, but not operate, making this a safety issue. There is a tsb on this issue. Display was replaced by dealer under extended warranty. Replacement took about 4 weeks to arrive. Dealer said toyota was switching to a "out-of-warranty…
ODI 10292302