2007 Toyota Prius Body Problems
- 93
- 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 93 stored complaint records:
- 5 indicate a crash
- 2 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
What owners report
- rear hatch · 38 records
- rubber cover · 18 records
- difficult open · 17 records
- open hatch · 17 records
- open trunk · 15 records
- hatch latch · 13 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 30 |
| 30–60k mi | 21 |
| 100–150k mi | 12 |
| 150–400k mi | 7 |
| 1–30k mi | 7 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body
I tried to open the hatchback and the entire handle came off (over a foot long), connected to the car only by wires. I have previously reported to you (last year?) that the rubber gasket that gets pressed to open this hatchback was melting and sometimes would not open the hatch. I noticed many other similar complaints and have been waiting for toyota to issue a recall. In the colder winter weather this was not such…
ODI 10700946
Body
The gas tank design toyota prius from at least 2007 and until 2010, contains no actual fuel gauge. In the northern states with severe winters this results in owners frequently running out of gas when they think they still have ample fuel as shown by multiple complaints found on the internet, and for us on a trip in february to march 2015 we were in serious fear of running out of gas when in fact if the specification…
ODI 10726406
Body
The rubber covered latch to the trunk/hatch has disintegrated so it is impossible to open. This causes a safety hazard as i cannot access necessary safety equipment, including car jack, emergency sign, and jumper cables. I have read many other complaints about this piece on this model, and so believe it to be a defect of the substance used in the latch.
ODI 10690950
Body
The trunk latch has melted making it very sticky/gooey in hot weather and frozen solid (immovable) in cold weather making it difficult to open the hatch. The situation continued to worsen to the point of while attempting to open the trunk yesterday the entire back piece fell off the car. I can no longer open the hatch at all. This is both a serious safety issue (a life saving access point) and a serious quality…
ODI 10679303
Body
The rubber handle of the rear liftgate latch has "melted" into the operating part of the latch, making it totally inoperable in the winter, and cooler months. This is not due to exposure to heat extremes - the car has always been garaged in a northern part of the us, where summer temperatures rarely exceed 80 degrees. In an emergency in the winter, there is no way to make use of the hatchback. The operation is…
ODI 10985832
Body · Electrical System
The back latch of my 2007 toyota prius has degraded ("melted" almost). It no longer functions properly, and i am unable to open the back hatch door easily. Sometimes it requires considerable effort and perseverance to get it open. 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. *tr
ODI 10644898
Body
The cover to the back hatch latch has melted into a gooey black mass this makes it difficult (at best) to open the back hatch. There is no alternative internal method for opening the hatchback/trunk,. Since the spare tire and tire changing gear (jack, wrench, etc.) are stored in the back, this is a serious safety hazard. This is an obvious defect in the material used for the latch cover - the deterioration of this…
ODI 10638972
Body
The back latch of my 2007 toyota prius has degraded ("melted" almost). It no longer functions properly, and i am unable to open the back hatch door easily. Sometimes it requires considerable effort and perseverance to get it open. 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. *tr
ODI 10632829
Body
Exterior rear hatch latch handle sticky/melting. Must use rag to avoid touching the mess when using the door. Latch and lock operation has become unreliable and hatch must be slammed to ensure closure. Practically identical to complaint id 10632829. *tr
ODI 10640570
Body · Electrical System
Rear hatch release latch has been getting stick to the touch and increasingly difficult to open. Tried cleaning the latch and discovered that the rubber covering the latch seems to be melting. Checked online and discovered that this seems to be a common problem and, if not corrected, will likely result in latch release switch failure. The location of the rubber latch release cover protects it from direct sunlight…
ODI 10618041
Body
Liftgate latch rubber handle is disintegrating. *tr
ODI 10671959
Body
Water collects in wheel well when driving in wet conditions. *tr
ODI 10650029
Body · Electrical System
The back door latch of my 2007 toyota prius has degraded ("melted" almost). It no longer functions properly, and i am unable to open the back hatch door. Sometimes it required considerable effort and perseverance to get it open. I cannot open it anymore as the latch broke. 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…
ODI 10585114
Body
During the summer of 2011, we noticed the trunk latch mechanism to be sticky and melting, leaving black stuff on our hands. We live in southwest ohio, so temperatures are usually in the 80s-90s in the peak of summer. At times, this would cause the trunk latch not to work, and we couldn't open the trunk. During the fall months, things improved, and it wasn't as much of an issue. Once the colder winter months began,…
ODI 10566973
Body
The rear lift gate latch on my toyota prius has stopped functioning. The exterior rubber over the latch mechanism/switch has melted, turned gummy and will no longer function to open the lift gate. In cold weather the latch has been even more difficult to open and the trim piece containing the trunk hatch latch fractured in sub-freezing weather while trying to get the latch to release. The car was parked with light…
ODI 10886076
Air Bags · Body · Vehicle Speed Control
Parking my prius, my foot on the brake pedal, i hit a very small patch of black ice with the right front wheel. The car slanted briefly to the left--then there was a sudden surge of engine power. The car rushed over a mound of ice and snow, jumped the curb, rushed forward between a wall and a tree, narrowly missing it, and crashed into a parked toyota truck facing outward from the curb. My prius hit the heavy truck…
Crash reported
ODI 10579214
Body
Trunk/hatchback opener/latch melted. Latch is now sticky and very difficult to open. This is a hazard as someone could be trapped in the car because the rear hatch will not open. *tr
ODI 10680400
Body · Electrical System
I have a 2007 toyota prius and the rubber has "melted" off if the latch and has made it nearly impossible to gain access to the rear compartment of my vehicle. It began with numerous black and sticky fingers then progressed to chunks of gooey of what i think was plastic coming off into my hands and has ended up being an almost impossible task to gain access via the back end of my car. From a very quick search of the…
ODI 10556826
Body
The rear hatch release on my 2007 toyota prius has deteriorated and has become more and more difficult to open the hatch. Tonight it is very cold out and the mechanism stuck again and would not open. I tried unlocking to make sure it didn't re-lock the doors and pulled again on the latch and the whole back part broke off in my hand. The combination of the sticking and the cold made the plastic piece that is all that…
ODI 10553628
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius hybrid. The contact stated that the trunk door failed to open. The contact also mentioned that the material that latched the door with the trunk was melted and the trunk could not be accessed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 69,000.
Fire reported
ODI 10552272
Body · Service Brakes
The rubber cover over the rear hatch latch got soft and would stick onto my hands. I had to pay to have it replaced. Also my breaks grab especially when the weather is damp.
ODI 10789735
Body
The lift gate latch on the 2007 toyota prius is inoperative because of the melting of the rubberized substance that covers the liftgate mechanism. I believe this is a defect that many 2007 toyota prius owners have experienced. *tr
ODI 10662870
Body · Electrical System
The rubber covering the external hatch latch at the rear of my 2007 prius has degraded to the extent that the latch no longer functions properly. This is a design flaw for the 2007 prius and very dangerous as it will not allow access into the trunk area in case of emergency. Because of the melted/degraded rubber my wife can no longer get into the trunk and i can only get into the trunk at random intervals with…
ODI 10556654
Body
REAR HATCH HANDLE LIQUEFIED. *TR
ODI 10561478
Body
The hatchback handle/lock has melted. Now when it's very cold you cannot open it without considerable force. My 16 year old daughter is driving the car and she can't get it open. *tr
ODI 10561004