2007 Toyota Prius Fuel System Problems

Your Prius won't accept a full tank of fuel—it stops taking gas and overflows, causing fuel to spray forcefully out of the filler neck. The fuel gauge doesn't work, so you can't tell how much gas is in the tank, and in winter the car only accepts about 2 gallons before overflowing. This creates a fire hazard since fuel can spill near the filler area and potentially ignite. The issue appears to be a faulty fuel tank bladder (an internal component that controls fuel flow) that's preventing the tank from filling normally and causing fuel to back up and spray out.

THE PRIUS' CHARCOAL CANISTER HAS FAILED, TRIGGERING REPEATED "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WARNINGS. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE PROMPTING A RECALL OF OTHER 2007 PRIUSES, LIKE MINE, BUT TOYOTA SAYS MY VEHICLE ISN'T COVERED. SEE: HTTPS://PAULTAN.ORG/2016/06/29/TOYOTA-CHARCOAL-CANISTER-RECALL/ HTTPS://WWW.JUST-AUTO.COM/NEWS/AIRBAG-AND-CARBON-CANISTER-RECALLS-FOR-29M-TOYOTA-VEHICLES_ID170365.ASPX HTTPS://REPAIRPAL.COM/CHARCOAL-CANISTER

FUEL GAUGE NOT READING PROPERLY IN CAR. CAR LABEL STATES 11.9 GALLON CAPACITY IN FUEL TANK. GAS GAUGE SHOWS ONE BAR OF GAS LEFT IN CAR, BUT IT TAKES ONLY SIX GALLONS OF GAS TO FILL UP AUTOMOBILE. THIS MISLEADING GAS GAUGE MEANS DRIVERS DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE TRUE READING OF GAS IS REMAINING IN THEIR FUEL TANKS WHICH COULD LEAD TO THE CAR RUNNING OUT OF FUEL IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING.

VEHICLE ONLY HAS 110K MILES ON IT. CHECK ENGINE STARTING GOING ON WHEN ACCELERATING ON UPHILL. FULL UP GAS TANK & LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. THEN CHECK ENGINE WOULD GO ON WHEN LOW GAS LEVEL. TOLD TO CHANGE GASCAP. DID NOT RESOLVE ISSUE. FILLING PULLED CODES IT WAS CATALYTIC CONVERTER. PART COST $1700.00 FOR PART ALONE FOR A PART THAT IS SUPPOSE TO LAST LIFETIME OF CAR.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF FUEL ALTHOUGH THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THAT 1/2 TANK OF FUEL WAS PRESENT. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

MASTER WARNING LIGHT, BRAKE WARNING LIGHT (YELLOW) AND VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WITH ONE BEEP WHEN VEHICLE STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT. PROCEEDED TO FRIEND'S HOUSE (APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES) AND MADE APPOINTMENT WITH TOYOTA DEALER FOR FOLLOWING MORNING. IN MORNING CAR WOULD START BUT NOT GO INTO DRIVE. READY LIGHT NOT ON. CAR TOWED TO DEALER. CODE CHECKER SCAN CODES P0AA6, 526 AND 613. "TRANSAXLE FAILURE." TRANSAXLE (PART 30900-47040) REPLACED WITH COST OF $4948.04. I AM CONCERNED THAT ON A BUSY FREEWAY THIS COULD OCCUR WITH LOSS OF BRAKING, STEERING AND STABILITY CONTROL AND RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY (INCLUDING DEATH). TOYOTA STATES THAT THIS IS NOT A COMMON PROBLEM. GENERAL WARRANTY EXPIRED IN OCT. 2013. *TR

THE MILEAGE IS BETWEEN 30 AND 35 MPG, WHICH IS A LONG WAYS FROM THE STICKER CLAIM. THE HEADLIGHT GOES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY, EVEN THOUGH REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. SECOND HEADLIGHT IS ALSO FAILING. THE BLOWER WORKS ONLY INTERMITTENTLY, USUALLY AFTER HITTING A LARGE BUMP IN THE ROAD. *TR

THE GAS GAUGE OF MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2007 IS DEFECTIVE AND HAS CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I FIRST NOTICED THIS ABOUT A MONTH AGO. THE TANK WAS EMPTY, I PUT A FEW GALLONS OF GAS IN THE TANK AND IT DID NOT REGISTER AT ALL. THE GAUGE STILL SAID EMPTY. THE NEXT TIME I FILLED THE TANK, IT SEEMED TO BE WORKING PROPERLY. THEN, ON JANUARY 16TH, I HAD A TANK THAT WAS NEARLY EMPTY. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR AN HOUR OR SO WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE GAS GAUGE SPONTANEOUSLY WENT FROM ALMOST EMPTY TO FULL. THIS CREATES AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE THE GAUGE IS NOT ACCURATE. THERE WILL BE NO WARNING BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF GAS. IF THIS SHOULD HAPPEN ON A HIGHWAY, IT COULD EASILY BE FATAL. SLOWING DOWN WITHOUT WARNING IS AS DANGEROUS AS ACCELERATING WITHOUT WARNING. TOYOTA MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS DEFECT. THEY WILL "RECALIBRATE" THE GAUGE AT A COST OF $180/HOUR TO ME. THIS IS NOT A SATISFACTORY RESPONSE TO A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO PROVIDE ALL PRIUS OWNERS WITH RELIABLE GAS GAUGES. THANK YOU. *LN

RAN OUT OF GAS IN AN '07 HONDA PRIUS . EMERGENCY VEHICLE SUPPLIED 2 GALLONS AND WE WENT ON OUR WAY. TWO TANKS OF GAS LATER FOLLOWING A REGULAR SERVICE VISIT TO DEALER, I RAN OUT AGAIN JUST MINUTES AFTER LEAVING SERVICE WHILE THE GAUGE INDICATED THAT I SHOULD HAVE ABOUT 3 GALLONS REMAINING. I COASTED INTO A STATION AND PUT 2 GALLONS IN TANK. CAR STARTED BUT ONLY DIED AFTER SEVERAL TRIES. TOWED BACK TO DEALER. THEY REPORTED THE CAR WAS OUT OF GAS. I TOLD THEM I'D ALREADY ADDED GAS. THEY PUT IN 5 GALLONS AND SAID THE GAUGE INDICATED "FULL." 3+2+5 DOES NOT EQUAL THE 11.9 GALLONS THAT THE TANK IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD. THESE CARS FEATURE A BLADDER TANK WHICH IS MONITORED BY COMPUTER AND IF THE COMPUTER DECIDES THAT THE TANK IS EMPTY, IT WILL SHUT THE CAR DOWN. THIS IS NOT A SAFE SITUATION UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. THE DEALER, PICKED UP THE TOWING EXPENSE, THE COST OF A TEMPORARY RENTAL AND THE COST OF THE 5 GALLONS OF GAS. THEY REFUSED TO EXPLORE THE PROBLEM FURTHER AND SAID WE MIGHT NEED A TO REPLACE SOME PART OF THE FUEL MONITOR SYSTEM. COULD IT BE THAT THE BLADDER TANK WILL NOT FULLY RECOVER IF A DRIVER RUNS THE CAR OUT OF GAS? *TR

I OWN A TOYOTA PRIUS 2007 WHICH IT WAS PERFORMING EXCELLENT UNTIL 3 MONTHS AGO THAT THE FUEL ECONOMIC WENT DOWN DRAMATICALLY TO HALF OF IT"S USUALLY FUEL CONSUMPTION AN AVERAGE NOW I GETTING AROUND 200 MILES FOR TANK WHEN I USE TO GET AT LEAST 400 PER TANK NOW THAT'S IT IS A BIG DIFFERENCE. I WAS THINKING ON CONTACT THE TOYOTA DEALER BUT MY CAR IT IS BEEN OUT OF THE WARRANTY BECAUSE IT ONLY HAVE 3YEARS OR 36,000 MILES SO I AM AFRAID THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME FOR CHECKING MY CAR IT IS VERY SUSPICIOUS THAT I START W/ THIS ISSUE AFTER MY WARRANTY EXPIRE BESIDES THAT THE CAR IT IS WORKING EXCELLENT BUT I PAY A LOT MORE TO SAVE ON GAS AN NOW IT IS PERFORMING LIKE ANY REGULAR BECAUSE THE MOST MILEAGE I AM GETTING NOW IT IS 35 MILES PER GALLON.VERY DISAPPOINT ABOUT THIS AND HOPE YOU GUYS LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS VERY SERIOUS. *TR

CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE DRIVING AND ALL ELECTICAL FUNCTIONS CEASED. OCCURRED ONE TIME ONLY IN 10/09. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PEBBLE IN THE THROTTLE. CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN ONLY ON CITY STREETS,NO COUNTRY ROADS OR OFF ROAD. THROTTLE WAS CLEANED FOR A COST OF $350.. *TR

DECREASING CAPACITY OF 2007 PRIUS GAS TANK. *TR

GAS TANK WILL NOT FILL UP FULLY. ANY AUTO SHUTOFF GAS PUMP WILL START SHUTTING OFF WITH ABOUT 1.5 GALLONS TO GO. IF I DRIBBLE GAS IN A LOWEST POSSIBLE DELIVERY, WE CAN FILL IT UP, BUT IT TAKES ABOUT TEN MINUTES, AND THEN IT OFTEN WILL REGURGITATE GAS WHEN IT IS FULL. WE HAVE COMPLAINED TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THEY SAY THIS IS NORMAL DUE TO BLADDER IN GAS TANK. WE THINK THIS IS A DEFECT, THAT IT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO GET FULL RANGE OF TANK ON A TRIP. OUR PREVIOUS PRIUS FROM 2005 DID NOT HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. DEALER WILL NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM FURTHER. *TR

I OWN A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. I CANNOT FILL UP THE GAS TANK WITHOUT IT HAVING AN OVERFLOW OF 1-2 PINTS OF GAS ONTO THE GROUND. IT SEEMS TO BUILD UP A BACK PRESSURE AND KICK OUT THE GAS I TRY TO PUT INTO IT. IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHER PRIUS OWNERS AS I READ IT IS ON THE INTERNET, WE HAVE A SEVERE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD OCCURRING FROM THIS GAS TANK DEFECT. *TR

VEHICLE DOES NOT ACHIEVE ADVERTISED FUEL CONSUMPTION PERFORMANCE. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS SINCE THE FIRST SERVICE VISIT. TODAY A FACTORY TECHNICIAN GOT UNACHIEVABLE RESULTS SUGGESTING THAT OUR REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE AFTER 29,000 MILES WITH THE VEHICLE IS NORMAL. HE CLAIMED TO HAVE GOTTEN 66.984 MPG AFTER A 42.2 MILES OF 55 MPH HIGHWAY AND "IN TOWN" DRIVING, NOTING ONLY THAT AN OUT OF FUEL FAULT HAD NEVER BEEN CLEARED. *TR

ON A 2007 PRIUS GAS GAUGE SHOWED 2 BARS AND WAS DRIVING ACROSS A BRIDGE IN CALIFORNIA WHEN THE GAS ENGINE STOPPED. LOOKED AT THE GAS GAUGE AND IT STILL SHOWED 2 BARS. WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ON A SECTION OF THE BRIDGE WITH A BREAKDOWN LANE. 1/2 MILE FURTHER ON AND WE WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN ONE OF THE TRAFFIC LANES. THE VSC, CHECK ENGINE, AND HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE INDICATORS WHERE ON - BUT NOT THE LOW FUEL!!! GOT TOWED TO A DEALER. SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US THAT THE CAR WAS OUT OF GAS AND THAT THE "GAS GAUGE WAS STUCK" THAT'S WHY IT DIDN'T SHOW EMPTY. HE BLAMED IT ON THE BLADDER DESIGN OF THE FUEL TANK AND SAID IT WAS "A DESIGN DEFECT" THAT TOYOTA NEW ABOUT. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE - WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. *TR

THE FLEXIBLE GAS TANK ON THE PRIUS OFTEN FAILS TO FILL UP ALL OF THE WAY TO FULL. IN COLD WEATHER THE TANK OFTEN FILLS ONLY 8 GALLONS(WHEN COMPLETELY EMPTY) AND SOMETIMES CLICKS OFF AT 3 GALLONS OR LESS AND KEEPS CLICKING OFF UNTIL MORE GAS IS FORCED INTO THE TANK. THE PRIUS WAS BROUGHT IN TO THE DEALER AND THEY LOOKED INTO THE TANK ISSUE AND FOUND NOTHING. THERE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO FILL UP ON THE SLOWEST LEVEL AND TO TILT THE GAS NOZZLE TO SIDE OR UPSIDE DOWN TO FORCE MORE GAS INTO THE TANK. THIS DID NOT RECTIFY THE SITUATION AND THE DEALER COULD NOT OFFER ANY FURTHER REMEDY. THE DEALER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING FURTHER TO FIX THE SITUATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. HE TRIED TO PUT GAS IN VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT HE COULDN'T FIT THE GAS NOZZLE DOWN INTO THE OPENING, STOPPING THREE INCHES SHORT. WHEN HE DID TRY TO PUT THE GAS INTO THE VEHICLE THE AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF ON THE GAS NOZZLE DIDN'T WORK ON THE PRIUS. THERE WAS SPILLAGE WHEN THIS HAPPENED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS USING DIFFERENT GAS COMPANIES. HE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAD ONE OF THEIR DEPARTMENT MANAGERS,GO ON A TEST DRIVE WITH THE CONTACT, AND HE NOTICED THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THE GAS NOZZLE DIDN'T FIT INTO THE GAS TANK. HE FOUND IN THE DOOR PANEL OF THE GAS TANK THE INSTRUCTIONS AFFECTING THE GAS NOZZLE MUST BE COMPLETELY INSERTED SO THAT SPILLAGE DIDN'T OCCUR. HE SPOKE TO TOYOTA MANUFACTURER, AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE, AND WAS GIVEN CASE NUMBER 200704181013, AND THEY DIRECTED HIM TO SPEAK TO NHTSA. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE COULDN'T BE ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE IT WAS A DESIGN ISSUE. WITH 600 MILES. *AK