2008 Toyota Prius Body Problems
- 39
- 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 39 stored complaint records:
- 7 indicate a crash
- 4 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
What owners report
- rear hatch · 8 records
- open hatchback · 6 records
- hatch release · 6 records
- spare tire · 5 records
- open hatch · 5 records
- lift gate · 5 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 15 |
| 30–60k mi | 8 |
| 100–150k mi | 4 |
| 1–30k mi | 1 |
| 150–400k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body · Power Train
On occasion the vehicle will pop out of d or will have a problem getting into d. This day i parked, left the vehicle running (on) since it was cold in boston and my wife was sitting in the passenger seat. Existed the car, retrieved a package i was delivering from the back seat and left. About 5 min later, my wife said that all of a sudden she feels the car moving forward and before she can stop it the car crashed…
Crash reported
ODI 10564473
Body
Black handle on hatch melting. After only about 5 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of my 2008 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 went…
ODI 10541802
Body
The hatchback release is melting. It is all gooey when you open the door. One of my concerns is what type of chemical is getting on my hands? Is it toxic? The second is safety. I have read over time you will not be able to open the hatchback. This would not be appropriate if you had a flat tire. I contacted toyota and they said they have no record of this problem,but after researching the internet i see a…
ODI 10523649
Body · Electrical System
Rear switch that allows lift gate to be open, fails. Rubber breaks down and becomes like glue, making it hard for individual opening lift gate to remove hand as normally expected, inducing strain on individual back and creating unexpected twisting motion causing injury and damaging trim on car. Toyota has issued recall in japan but not us [https://toyota.jp/recall/kaisyu/121107.html] [not sure of exact date, this is…
1 injury
ODI 10811934
Body
The black rubber trunk release cover has deteriorated/melted, making it difficult to open the rear hatch of the car. This appears to be a common problem, based on the number of complaints reported on the internet for this same issue. Appears to be a manufacturing/part defect. *tr
ODI 10482212
Body
LIFT GATE LATCH RUBBER COVER IS MELTED. *TR
ODI 10537547
Body · Service Brakes · Vehicle Speed Control
On 8/29/12, i got into my 2008 prius in the parking lot of the easton, md giant food-store to return home. This lot is on a slope just above a parking lot for walmart, with a paved road between the 2 lots. The parking lots were very crowded. I needed to get to the road separating the 2 lots in order to go home. I had just started the prius and put it into drive when it started to roar loudly, jumped out fast, and…
Crash reported
ODI 10474398
Body
We purchased our prius in 2008. Approximately 3 years after purchase, we noticed that the handle on the back hatch started to melt. At first it was just a nuisance as it left a black goo on your hands. As time passed it became progressively worse and the hatch became harder to open due to the melted handle. Last week (aug. 2015) our 12 volt battery died over night and we couldn't start the car or get anything to…
ODI 10758736
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota prius. The contact stated that the handle on the lift gate melted. The contact noticed it when he grabbed the lift gate handle and a sticky solution covered his hands. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that there was no recalls on the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.
Fire reported
ODI 10471238
Body
I live in texas where the weather gets hot during the summer. I noticed last year that the rubber trunk latch on my toyota prius was noticeably different in texture after i had tried to use it after it had been parked in the sun. It didn't cause much of a problem then, but now it has melted so much that it droops down over an inch and is about to fall off from the sides. The handle has turned into a tar like…
ODI 10524692
Body
After about 3 years of use, the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) started to become soft and sticky, and after a few months eventually totally melts into a sticky, gooey black mess that would stick to your hands whenever you touch it. The hatch becomes harder and harder to open. *tr
ODI 10481334
Body
After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2008 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…
ODI 10459771
Body
At about 2 years old the handle to the back hatch release melted into a tarry goo. *tr
ODI 10475414
Body
Melt down of hatchback release handle. Very hard to open hatchback. *tr
ODI 10516184