Lemon Information for the 2008 Toyota Prius

Better World Club's "Lemon Information" highlights consumer complaints against a different car model each month. We are not editorializing or claiming that these cars are necessarily lemons. Instead, we are merely providing information and ask readers to form their own opinions.

Component: Fuel System
Consequence: The fuel gauge does not work, and the driver cannot completely fill the gas tank due to a faulty fuel bladder. [NOTE: This same complaint was lodged by five different Prius owners.]

Component: Seat Belts
Consequence: The left-rear and center seatbelt receptacles are positioned backwards. Thus, when passengers are seated in the left-rear and center seats, seatbelts cross awkwardly at the adjacent receptacles.

Component: Interior Lighting
Consequence: The interior display is reflected in the windshield at night. This causes a distracting 6-inch-long line of blue light to appear in the middle of the windshield.

Component: Headlights
Consequence: Headlights fail to project far enough down the road.

Component: Headlights
Consequence: Both headlights work when they are initially turned on, but the driver-side light turns off after a few minutes.

Component: Airbags
Consequence: The Prius was struck on the passenger side by another vehicle. None of the airbags deployed, resulting in the deaths of two of the vehicle's passengers.

Component: Seating
Consequence: Middle-back seat is incompatible with at least 3 different child restraint/booster seats.

Component: Cruise Control
Consequence: The cruise control suddenly turned off while the Prius was driving 65 mph on the highway. This caused the car to quickly slow, almost as if the breaks were being applied. The driver had to pull over, turn the car off and then back on before the cruise control could be reset. The problem occurred three more times since.

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