2007 Toyota Prius Structure

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 PART CAN IN NO WAY BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO NEGLECT OR ABUSE ON THE PART OF THE DRIVER/OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED BY TOYOTA. *TR

THE VINYL(?) MATERIAL THAT COVERS THE LATCH TO OPEN THE BACK HATCH IS MELTING AND STICKY. LIKE SO MANY OTHER 2007 PRIUS OWNERS I LOVE MY PRIUS BUT AM DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA FOR NOT TAKING CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THE COST FOR THE REPLACEMENT SWITCH (I WAS TOLD THE FIX IS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE SWITCH BECAUSE THEY DON'T SELL A REPLACEMENT PIECE OF VINYL ONLY) IS $70, THIS IS THE COST FOR THE PART ONLY, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. AFTER THE HASSLE OF MULTIPLE RECALLS ON THIS CAR IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT TOYOTA REFUSES TO TAKE CARE OF A PROBLEM THAT SO MANY OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING. *TR

THE RUBBER HANDLE ON MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS MELTS IN THE SUMMER AND FREEZES IN THE WINTER. IF IT'S COLD OUTSIDE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET INTO THE CAR THROUGH THE TAILGATE WHICH COULD PRESENT A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD THE REST OF THE DOORS BE UNUSABLE IN AN EMERGENCY. IN THE SUMMER, I'M ABLE TO GET INTO THE DRUNK BUT IT LEAVES A BLACK RESIDUE ON MY HANDS THAT TAKES A FEW DAYS TO CLEAN OFF ENTIRELY AND IT CAN BE VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH IF LEFT OUTSIDE ON A HOT DAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RUBBER ON THE TRUNK MELTED AND LEFT A BLACK TAR SUBSTANCE ON HIS HAND WHENEVER THE TRUNK WAS OPENED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DAILY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

THE RUBBER ON THE REAR HATCH LATCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND DEGENERATED INTO A PILE OF GOO, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH DOOR. THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN DEFECT FOR THIS MODEL AND YEAR, BUT TOYOTA HAS SO FAR NOT MADE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. *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 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

REAR HATCH HANDLE HAS MELTED AND MAKING ACCESSIBILITY TO THE REAR HATCH LIFT GATE IS VERY STICKY AND SOFT. SOMETIMES THE HATCH DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH. THE PIECE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN 2009 AND IS NOW MALFUNCTIONING AGAIN. *TR

2007 PRIUS LIFTBACK BLACK RUBBER SWITCH-HANDLE IS MELTING AND BLACK RUBBER TAR IS ALL OVER HANDS WHEN TOUCHING THE SWITCH-HANDLE. REPORTED FOR YEARS BY OTHER OWNERS ON PRIUSCHAT BLOG: HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/2007-PRIUS-TRUNK-HATCH-RELEASE-RUBBER-PIECE-MELTED.71647/PAGE-3 SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECTIVE MELTING RUBBER HANDLE WHICH IS ON HANDS WHENEVER YOU TOUCH IT. VERY HOT TO TOUCH DURING SUMMER WEATHER TOO. PART NUMBERS FOR 2007 PRIUS (BUT ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK THEM!): 84905-47010 - FOR MODELS WITH SMART ENTRY. 84840-47020 - FOR MODELS WITHOUT SMART ENTRY. LOCAL DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THE DEFECTIVE PART IS COMMON, BUT WOULD NOT REPLACE/REPAIR FOR FREE. THE BLOG ABOVE SHOWS COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF SIMILAR CASES COSTING AS MUCH AS >$300 TO REPLACE. THIS IS ALSO HAPPENING IN OUR 2009 PRIUS TOO. *TR

REAR HATCH RELEASE IS DISSOLVING AND HATCH WILL ONLY OPEN WITH DIFFICULTY OR NOT AT ALL. MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON LINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR THIS PRIUS MODEL YEAR. *TR

ON OUR 2007 PRIUS, THE RUBBER COVER FOR THE REAR TRUNK HATCH HAS MELTED INTO BLACK GOO. THIS DEGRADATION DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE DUE TO HEAT, SINCE THE CAR HAS BEEN KEPT IN A COOL GARAGE. THE RUBBER ITSELF EFFECTIVELY TURNED INTO TAR, COMING OFF ON OUR HANDS AND DRIPPING ONTO THE BUMPER AT TIMES. THE MELTING HAS ALSO MADE IT DIFFICULT TO OPEN THE REAR TRUNK, AS THE GOOEY RUBBERY MESS APPEARS TO BE INTERFERING WITH THE ACTION OF THE SWITCH THAT RELEASES THE HATCH. *TR

LATCH ON MY 2007 PRIUS IS MELTING AND STICKY, LEAVING BLACK RESIDUE ON MY FINGERS WHEN I OPEN IT. IT IS DIFFICULT TO OPEN AT TIMES IN ADDITION. *TR

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ILLUMINATED. I CONTACTED A-1 TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED LEAK ON REAR WINDOW. HEARD WATER SLOSHING IN THE CAR. WATER LEAKED INTO CARGO AREA. THE WEATHER STRIP WAS REPLACED.

REAR HATCH RELEASE LATCH RUBBER IS DISSOLVING AND WILL ONLY WORK WITH DIFFICULTY OR NOT AT ALL. I WAS UNAWARE THAT THIS IS A FREQUENTLY REPORTED PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND HAD NOT CHECKED WITH THIS WEB SITE. THE DISINTEGRATING RUBBER APPEARS TO BE INTERFERING WITH THE ACTION OF THE SWITCH THAT RELEASES THE HATCH. MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER SAID NOTHING ABOUT THIS BEING A COMMON PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE REAR HATCH SWITCH ASSEMBLY FOR A COST OF $167 PLUS TAX. THIS COMPLAINT WAS MADE AUG. 6, 2014. *TR

I CANNOT OPEN MY HATCHBACK IN COLD WEATHER. THE RUBBER PIECE IS VERY HARD IN COLD WEATHER NOT ALLOWING ME TO ENGAGE MECHANISM FOR OPENING HATCHBACK. IF IT WAS MADE OF A PLIABLE MATERIAL IN COLD WEATHER I THINK IT WOULD OPEN. PLEASE GET TOYOTA TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

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 (FROZEN SOLID AND IMMOVABLE IN COLDER TEMPERATURES). 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. ALSO, AT TIMES, DUE TO THE INFLEXIBILITY OF THE RUBBER I AM UNABLE TO OPEN THE TRUNK AND, THUS, ACCESS THE SPARE, ANY OF MY REPAIR TOOLS, EMERGENCY SAFETY KIT, FLARES, JUMPERS, ETC. THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE INTERNAL METHOD FOR OPENING THE HATCHBACK/TRUNK.THIS IS A MAJOR CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

I AM UNABLE TO OPEN MY REAR HOOD LATCH. THERE IS A COVERING ON THE LATCH THAT IS STICKY, GOOEY AND IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN MANIPULATE AND USE. I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB (SEE, FOR EXAMPLE: HTTP://WWW.MEYERSONSTRATEGY.COM/2013/09/TOYOTAS-STICKY-2007-PRIUS-HATCH-PROBLEM.HTML). IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE OVER TIME. GIVEN THE WIDESPREAD NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM, I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA INSTALLED A FAULTY LATCH AND SHOULD REPLACE THE LATCH AT NO CHARGE. *TR

THE RUBBER ON THE HANDLE / LATCH ON THE BACK HATCH OF MY 2007 PRIUS HAS DEGRADED TO THE POINT OF MELTING / FALLING OFF. STICKY TACKY RUBBER HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR A WHILE, BUT NOW THE PIECE JUST MELTED ONTO THE BUMPER. IT IS NOT A PARTICULARLY HOT DAY COMPARATIVELY, SO MUST HAVE JUST FINALLY DEGRADED TO THE POINT OF FALLING OFF WHILE I WAS PARKED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON DEFECT, AND I WOULD LIKE TOYOTA / DEALERSHIP TO COVER FIXING THIS: HTTP://WWW.MEYERSONSTRATEGY.COM/2013/09/TOYOTAS-STICKY-2007-PRIUS-HATCH-PROBLEM.HTML. *TR

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, THE TRUNK LATCH BEGAN TO STICK AND WOULDN'T OPEN WHEN IT WAS COLD. I CAN RECALL SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO OPEN THE TRUNK UNSUCCESSFULLY. AGAIN, THINGS IMPROVED ONCE TEMPERATURES WARMED UP IN SPRING. THE WHOLE CYCLE STARTED AGAIN IN THE SUMMER AND REPEATED OVER AND OVER. OVER TIME, THE PART THAT THE LATCH IS CONNECTED TO BEGAN TO FEEL LOOSE. I ASKED ABOUT IT DURING MY ROUTINE 80K MILE SERVICE, AND THEY SAID THAT THE WHOLE PART WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, NOT JUST THE LATCH. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE, APPARENTLY IT WAS NOT COVERED AND WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE IT AT THAT TIME. WELL, THIS FEBRUARY, THE TRUNK LATCH WAS ONCE AGAIN MALFUNCTIONING AND WOULD NOT OPEN WHILE RUNNING ERRANDS. AT ONE LOCATION, I TRIED OPENING THE TRUNK, SQUEEZING THE MELTED BUTTON, AND THE ENTIRE PART THAT THE SWITCH IS ATTACHED TO (INCLUDING THE PUSH BUTTON LOCK, THE BACK-UP CAMERA, ETC.) BROKE OFF OF THE CAR. I AM 30SOMETHING WOMAN WITH AVERAGE STRENGTH, AND I DON'T FEEL I WAS BEING OVERLY AGGRESSIVE ON TRYING TO OPEN THE CAR. I BELIEVE THIS WAS DUE TO THE PART NOT FUNCTIONING AND OVER TIME, THE CONNECTIONS WERE JUST TOO WEAK. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED FROM NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, AND IT IS CLEARLY A DEFECT BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED ON MANY OTHER TOYOTA PRIUS VEHICLES OF THE SAME AGE. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL AND REFUND THE $312.03 I HAD TO SPEND TO REPAIR A DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

THE HANDLE TO THE REAR DOOR IS BARELY FUNCTIONING. IT HAS BEEN STICKING FOR A LONG TIME BUT NOW IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE REAR DOOR ALTOGETHER. THE RUBBER OF THE HANDLE LOOKS MELTED. *TR

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

MY TOYOTA PRIUS HAS A RUBBER HATCH LATCH COVERING THAT HAS MELTED AND HAS TURNED TO A GOOEY SUBSTANCE THAT ATTACHES TO YOUR FINGERS WHEN BEING OPENED. IT APPEARS TO HAVE IMPACTED THE EASE OF OPENING THE HATCH. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY TO OPEN THE HATCH. FOR EXAMPLE IF THE TIRE IS NEEDING TO BE CHANGED I AM AFRAID THAT THE ENTRY MAY BE HINDERED DUE TO THE APPARENTLY DEFECTIVE LATCH COVER. WHAT I WOULD LIKE IS FOR NHTSA TO FOLLOW UP WITH TOYOTA ON WHY THIS PART HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. THE RUBBER COVER ON THE HATCH RELEASE HANDLE OF MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS MELTED INTO A STICKY, BLACK TAR SUBSTANCE. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OPEN. PLEASE HELP. *TR

THE RUBBER TRUNK LATCH HAS MELTED INCREASINGLY OVER TIME. WHEN THE WEATHER IS WARM, OPENING THE TRUNK LEAVES MY HAND COVERED IN TAR-LIKE GOO AND THE SENSOR IS DIFFICULT TO ENGAGE. IN WINTER, THE LATCH DOES NOT WORK AT ALL AND THE TRUNK CANNOT BE OPENED WHATSOEVER. IN ADDITION TO BEING INCREDIBLY ANNOYING, THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS IT IS A POSSIBLE EGRESS POINT SHOULD THE CAR EVER BECOME WEDGED. PLEASE GET TOYOTA TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

COVER OVER HATCH HAS TURNED TO GOO AND HATCH RELEASE NO LONGER FUNCTIONS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE DOOR CAN NOT BE OPERATED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN KEPT IN A GARAGE WHEN NOT IN USE SINCE PURCHASE, SO WEATHER WOULD NOT BE A FACTOR. AM WONDERING WHETHER THIS WAS A FACTOR IN THE EARLY DEMISE OF THE 12V BATTERY. *TR

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.