2006 Toyota Prius Body and structure Problems

“Rubber cover to the rear hatch switch (handle) has deteriorated over time (car was 4 years old when this first became noticeable). It is now 8 years old with 81,000 miles and the deterioration is so drastic to the point where it is often difficult to open the rear hatch, or vice-versa sometimes the hatch will not latch close. Sticky gooey tar always gets on the fingers upon every attempt to open the hatch. Numerous other people have noted this problem. I have only hand-washed the car with plain water, and I live in a very mild climate (san diego). …”

“I was driving on a highway and the car on the right started to move to my lane without turning on turn signal, he probably didn't notice me as he was moving on me, I started to brake but brake pedal started to work at once, it started to work only after delay and after it started working I lost control over the car, ABS signal turned on and I started to move to the left. I tried to prevent it but car was totally out of control and this caused the accident. The same happened to my wife in february when she was driving my car on highway. …”

“I was unable to open the rear hatch because the rubber/plastic covering had hardened to the point that I couldn't cause it to make contact and open. Since then, I have been unable to open the hatch when the weather is cold and have been able to open it when the weather is warm. A dealer in tennessee told me that it would cost $300 to replace the whole part. I believe that this is a safety hazard because it is impossible to access the spare tire, first aid kit, or to open the hatch in emergencies to allow passengers to escape if other doors are inoperable.”

“The exterior handle of the rear hatch on our 2006 Toyota Prius, melted into a sticky tarry, rubbery, gooey substance. It's like a viscous black glob like roofing tar. When opening the hatch, it is soft and gets under my fingernails. I believe this melting process started a couple years ago, but it's been worse this year with the triple-digit temps. My dealer, lou fusz Toyota (in missouri) said they have not heard of this happening before, but when I research it on-line, I found that this has happened to several car owners. …”

“After only about 2 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2006 Toyota Prius, started to be sticky. Now, after nearly 5 years after purchase, I notice that it has melted into a sticky tarry black rubbery gooey mess which has spread over a much larger area. 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 (it takes 2-3 days to remove the stain completely from fingers/nails), which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. …”