Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the key to the vehicle was radioactive. The contact was concerned about the safety risk because he wore a pacemaker. The dealer informed the contact that there was no need for concern. The current and failure mileages were approximately 56,000. The consumer stated he was involved in two accidents and was injured. He didn't give any other specifics. Updated 07/22/10
At only 4 years of use and under 34,000 miles, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle of my 2007 Toyota Prius has melted into a sticky, black tar substance. In order to operate the hatch, you have to push a button which is located under the black tar substance, which makes it difficult to operate the hatch release. As I have looked into this issue, it seems that there are several other Toyota Prius owners, nationwide, who have experienced this same specific issue. Toyota knows told me there have been several complaints about the rubber switch melting as well, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $153.23 plus repair costs, and had no recalls concerning the rubber switch. From a safety perspective, this is both a serious life safety issue and a serious quality defect that Toyota is opting to ignore and only fixing on vehicles with extended warranties. …
After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 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 thought that this might be a singular issue, but have found that this has happened to several car owners, Toyota knows about this, and is selling the entire wiring harness for $96 plus repair costs, and has done nothing about recalling this. From a safety perspective, this means you can experience extreme difficulty opening the rear hatch (a life safety access point), and will get sticky black tar on you from the melted down rubber cover of the exterior hatch release handle. …
After only about 3 years use, the rubber cover on the hatch release handle (the exterior handle of the rear hatch) of our 2007 Toyota Prius has begun melting. It is sticky to the touch and it does make the trunk release difficult to operate. I just dropped my car off at the servco hawaii dealership and they told me that I would have to pay $170.00 to replace the latch system. The service tech asked me if my car has been out in the sun. Well, I do live in hawaii, I do garage my car but I have never experienced a rubber piece on any car to melt. Further, the rubber trunk release cover is not exposed to direct sunlight at any time because the rubber cover is on the underside of the trunk/rear hatch release by design. Please have Toyota take responsibility for this defective part. After a quick google search it appears that I am one of many people that have had this happen. …
The back latch of my Toyota Prius 2007 has degraded. In the past I have rarely used the trunk of my car and therefore did not realize the extent of the problem. I am now almost 9 months pregnant. A couple of months ago (around November 2013) I tried to open the trunk. While it was difficult, after a lot of pressing and maneuvering I was able to open it. Most recently for the past 3 weeks, I am completely unable to open the trunk. Now that the trunk is completely unable to be opened, I am extremely concerned for the safety of my newborn that will be riding in the car. In the event of an emergency, being able to open the trunk to potentially remove my baby out of the car is a must. Therefore, I believe this is a serious safety hazard. I am requesting that Toyota correct this problem on my car.
2007 Toyota Prius rear hatch handle melted. Noticed about a 3 months ago just though that it was really hot out. Then though this handle should not melt to high heat there has to be a problem. Went to dealer to have oil change and inspection, had service mgr. Open hatch and he stated there is a problem. He stated that because car is out of warranty he can not do anything and that it will cost 58.84 for handle and 97.00 for labor. He gave me Toyota care number to call, I called today and they state the same thing out of warranty...........I knew that was coming..... This handle should not melt, there has to be a problem with the wiring over heating. The buttons on the doors to lock the car are made out of the same material. Toyota will not do anything until someone has a fire and someone dies.
I am owner of a 2007 Toyota Prius. Less than 3 years since purchasing the vehicle new from Toyota, a rubber weather seal component in the rear hatch handle has progressively melted. With the seal now compromised, I fear the hatch handle will eventually fail or malfunction resulting in corrosion or worse still, accidental opening of the rear hatch while the vehicle is in motion. I have contacted Toyota about the defect and they advise it would be a $150 repair and all costs would be the responsibility of the owner. As this is clearly a manufacturer defect and one that could potentially lead to serious injury or death, I would expect Toyota to correct the problem at their own cost.
Everything about my 2007 Toyota Prius is great except for the latch for the back hatch. There is a rubber cover for the latch that you have to push to open the rear hatch. This rubber has melted. It makes if difficult to open the rear hatch in any kind of an emergency. Right now, if you touch the latch you get a thick coating of melted rubber on your hand. Sometimes the latch fails to open at all. You still get the black melted rubber on your hand. This should not happen to a 4 year old vehicle. I live in a hot part of the country - the mississippi gulf coast - and rubber covers for hatch latches should be able to withstand summer heat down here.
I have a 2007 Prius and 2-3 years after purchase, the rubber piece under the hatchback melted, making so that it was a sticky black mess and it wouldn't open. It now doesn't open at all and I can not get into my trunk, recently had a battery replaced and my car was stranded, the aaa guy had to crawl to the back w/ seats down from the side of the car. I could not get to my trunk if I have a flat tire in the future. I am out of warranty . My understanding is that Toyota is making owners pay 300+ to fix this despite the fact that it is obviously a manufacturing defect. Please assist with this safety concern on all Prius vehicles.
Components: equipment latches/locks/linkages 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. And therefore access the spare, any of my repair tools or my earthquake kit, flares, jumpers, etc. There is no alternative internal method for opening the hatchback/trunk. Toyota needs a recall of this defective part. The quote to repair was $291 plus labor. Nhtsaid has had other complaints #10533059, 10511408, 10504366, 10496197, etc. Etc. I am 80 years of age and this is presenting a definite safety defect.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2007 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2007 Toyota Prius, 2% of the model year's 2,003 complaints. The component named most often is hatchback/liftgate › lock (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Toyota Prius door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2007 Toyota Prius, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2007 Toyota Prius door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to locks & latches problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.