2005 Toyota Prius Electrical System Problems
- 156
- 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 156 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 4 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
What owners report
- combination meter · 12 records
- instrument panel · 9 records
- come back · 9 records
- both headlights · 9 records
- failure mileage · 7 records
- safety issue · 6 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 36 |
| 150–400k mi | 32 |
| 1–30k mi | 30 |
| 60–100k mi | 23 |
| 30–60k mi | 14 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Electrical System · Service Brakes, Air
2005 prius no problems except water pump until now. 69,000 miles. Went to start the care and while in neutral idleing the brake pedal pumped up and down and the ps light came on. The red triangle danger message came on. I did not drive it but toyota told me to tow it in. They say the computer is shot and needs a new skid control ecu. I was not in an accident
ODI 10323641
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Driving at night and the head lamps on toyota prius malfunctioned; not aware that they were off. I was on a dark winding road, heavy rain showers. Was alerted by another motorist that my lights were off. Got out of car, tapped the dome, one came on... I was able to drive home. Happened unexpectedly, no warning. Very concern with my safety. They could have been an accident. Checked with other prius owners. Found out,…
ODI 10320133
Electrical System · Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
My 2005 toyota prius have left and right hid headlight problems. The passenger side headlight goes out intermittently, then both headlights goes out with no warning. This is an expensive problem, there are major safety concerns linked to the sudden loss of headlights. There should be a saftey recall on all toyota prius headlight assembly. The headlights and the electronics cost more than $1,000 to replace.
ODI 10322928
Automatic Transmission · Electrical System
I have a 2005 toyota prius. It has never been in an accident or had any damage. For the past couple years, i've been noticing a problem with the gear shifter. Usually in cold weather (below about 40 degrees f), the gear shifter does not change gears. For example, i'll put it in drive, release the gear shift, and it immediately reverts to neutral. Same thing happens when i put it in reverse. To go anywhere, i have to…
ODI 10310208
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
My 2005 toyota prius has a problem with the headlights going out,it started in december 2009 and as of today they go out about every 5-10 minutes ... I called toyotas customer service and they implied there was no wide spread problem with the headlights on the 2005 prius ... I have an associated press article in front of me that says (the prius is a highly computerized car and has had many problems in the past ...…
ODI 10310110
Electrical · Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
In my 2005 toyota prius, one or both of the headlights spontaneously go out while driving. If you turn them off using the switch and then turn them on, the re-illuminate so the bulbs are not burned out. *tr
ODI 10306256
Electrical System
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. The vehicle was parked all day until the driver pushed the power button and there was no power in the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealership for diagnostic and testing. It took the dealer two weeks to perform a diagnostic test on the vehicle. The technical support team had to replace the power e.c.u. The contact was concerned that the vehicle would continue to lose…
ODI 10316338
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
I own a 2005 toyota prius, and the headlights have both gone out. They are supposed to last 10 years. For a while, when i turned off the headlights and turned them back on, they would work. However, they do go out when i am on the road quite often. I have been quoted by the dealership that replacing a single lightbulb will cost over $400 including parts and labor. This is a safety issue because i drive to work in…
ODI 10288745
Electrical System
My 2005 prius headlights are brand new and the lights go on and off. I went to the dealer and he told me that they could not detect whether it is the hib headlights or the ecu to gives it power. They told me that it will cost me a thousand dollars to get both done. The lights go off in the middle of driving and present a hazard in darkness and inclimate weather.
ODI 10322985
Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control
The problem is engine surging when i am braking. The regenerative brakes seem to send power to the motor that the computer does not handle properly and the engine surges, making it difficult for me to slow the car down to make turns or to stop. The car feels out of control. This problem seems to be random. I have contacted the toyota dealer several times about the problem over the years since i purchased the car in…
ODI 10312345
Electrical System · Engine And Engine Cooling
Fire and total loss of 2005 toyota prius, 19,300 miles after returning from work, the vehicle was parked as usual with engine power cut in the owner's driveway. A few minutes later, smoke was noticed inside the car with flames showing from underneath the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire about 10 minutes after it was first noticed. The main damage is in the rear left (driver's side) of the vehicle,…
Fire reported
ODI 10269762
Electrical System
In march of '09 i drove my car to a local shopping center. When i returned to my car 10 minutes or so later, i tried to start the engine by pushing on the start button. The entire dashboard display lighted up, including all of the warning lights, but the car wouldn't start and i wasn't able to turn to turn off. I am not sure if the engine actually came on. I also wasn't able to put the car in gear.. At some point,…
ODI 10311432
Electrical System · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
On 2/27/09, my 2005 toyota prius' brakes completely failed. I was going downhill in an highly transited urban road (rte 123 in va, close to tysons corner). Thankfully i was only going about 40mph when the light changed to red. The 2 vehicles in front of me stopped. I pressed the brake pedal and my car accelerated initially, and then nothing. Brakes are meant to work. Always. I kept pumping the pedal hoping to engage…
Crash reported · 2 injuries
ODI 10263905
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
On three separate occasions my headlamps have gone out. Each time it has been the right or left side. The fourth time. The lights came on using the hi-beam only. Numerous incidents have taken place. This is the second time my wife has been pulled over for this. I have replaced these myself. However, this last time it is not the bulb. It is the electrical system. According to the forum. Costs have been from $300 -…
ODI 10253301
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Left headlight keeps going out in prius. Turn off then back on to reset both headlights went out one night and almost caused a wreck it reset once i turned it off and back on. *tr
ODI 10250535
Electrical System
I own a 2005 toyota prius. I purchased it in march 2005. Last week, my multifunctional display (mfd) ceased to operate correctly. The mfd initialized to the mpg screen but had unusual colors. I attempted to change the display screen by selecting the audio, climate, display, and info buttons but to no avail. The screen would go blank and then show the ?prius hybrid? Initializing screen and then return to the mpg…
ODI 10235664
Electrical System
2005 toyota prius right hid headlamp flickers and sometimes turns off while driving. Dealer will not cover extensive repair cost. From internet information this seems to be a very common problem that could be very dangerous if both headlights quit simultaneously. *tr
ODI 10219579
Electrical System · Equipment Adaptive/Mobility · Exterior Lighting
I had been pulled over on several occassions for faulty tail lights. This has been ongoing since i bought the car. Then my children told me of the front head lights going out for no reason. I did not believe them till the went out on me. After taking it to several toyota dealers and said that there is nothing wrong, on 09/10/2009 i filed a complaint with a "monica" from the nhtsa in dc. I have yet to hear anything…
ODI 10329123
Electrical System · Exterior Lighting
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. While being serviced at the dealer, they noticed that the headlights were distorted. The plating on the internal part of the headlights were overheating. There is no way to release this heat and the contact is concerned that a possible fire may occur. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they did not want to be responsible because it was no longer under warranty. The…
ODI 10207429
Electrical System
Five no starting concerns after two years of ownership. *tr
ODI 10230229
Electrical System · Engine
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph under normal road conditions, the vehicle stalled. There were no warnings prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who was not able to identify the problem. Updated 12/18/2006 -*nm
ODI 10173984
Electrical System
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. For the past two years, the vehicle has emitted an odor inside the passenger compartment, which sticks to the contact's clothing and hair. The odor has been recognized by toyota as an odor that originates from the rear battery which is found under the back seat. The odor is triggered by extreme heat and while pulling heavy loads. The contact lives in arizona so the vehicle is…
ODI 10244631
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip · Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control
I have reviewed my service records and it is quite clear that i have had problems with the "electrical" system in my car since april 2006 @ 3,370 miles. This was also the same time it began to accelerate from a stopped position for the first time, when i noticed that the braking system began to "feel" different, when the car began "slipping" on perfectly dry roads, and when my steering wheel would lock up. I find it…
ODI 10320338
Electrical System
Dt*: the contact stated the console showed whether the vehicle was running on engine power or electrical power. Since purchase the vehicle has not operated on electrical power at low speeds. The dealership determined there is nothing wrong with the vehicle.
ODI 10150734
Electrical System
While driving on the freeway at speeds up to 65 mph pulled off and went through a small town. After coming to a stop light started to press the gas pedal to accelerate and the red triangle with an exclamation mark lit up on the dashboard, and then the small car with exclamation mark came on the lcd screen. The car didn't stall nor loose power, but i pulled over to check and see what the owner's manual said. It…
ODI 10148380