Toyota Prius Defect Class Action Overview:
- Who: Toyota has been hit with a class action lawsuit over an alleged defect in its Prius HVAC systems.
- What: Drivers allege that the defect fills cars with “an overpowering urine smell” or one comparable to “a pile of rank, sweaty socks.”
- Where: The class action is for drivers nationwide.
An HVAC default in some Toyota Prius models has filled cars with “an overpowering urine smell” or one comparable to “a pile of rank, sweaty socks” due to noxious fumes being released, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
The class action was filed in California on Wednesday by lead plaintiff James Bettles who alleges that Toyota and affiliates knowingly sold the defective cars, failed to warn consumers about the issue, and then refused to fix the problem – violating state and federal laws.
Bettles purchased a new 2016 Toyota Prius in December 2016 in Sacramento and by spring of 2017 he began noticing a foul odor emanating from the air-conditioning, the claim explains.
“At first, Plaintiff thought that the odor was being caused by the shoes and socks he was wearing, and proceeded to wash his socks for several cycles to make sure they were clean, and thereafter purchase new footwear,” the claim reads.
“The foul odor persisted, however, and, in fact, became worse as Summer 2017 approached.”
Despite taking the car back to the dealer twice and discussing the smell he was either dismissed or told there was no fix for the issue and he had to either become more tolerant or do insufficient fixes, such as use air freshener, the lawsuit explains.
Toyota Prius HVAC Defect Causes ‘Moisture,’ ‘Mold’ To Accumulate
According to the lawsuit, 2006-2020 Toyota Prius, 2017- 2020 Toyota Prius Prime, 2010-2015 Toyota PHV, 2012-2016 Toyota Prius C, and 2012-2017 Prius V all have an identical and inherent design defect in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. The defect allows moisture and microbial growth to accumulate in the HVAC system causing it to emit foul, noxious, and toxic odors into the passenger compartments.
This then exposes those in the car to a safety risk from the mold and other contaminants that are emitted in the air circulated through the HVAC system, the lawsuit alleges.
Bettles describes one driver saying the odor was “an overpowering urine smell coming out of the vents,” and smelt like “somehow an animal must have gotten into the engine, urinated and the urine and bacteria has built up somewhere in the car.”
Bettles himself said the odor was like smelling a “pile of rank, sweaty socks.”
Despite Toyota being fully aware of the issue and releasing numerous Technical Service Bulletins to its network of distributors and dealerships describing the foul odors, the company continued to mislead consumers about the cars as it “actively, and affirmatively omitted and concealed the existence of the Defective HVAC System to increase its profits by selling additional vehicles and charging consumers for special filters, HVAC servicing, and other ‘repair’ fees,” the claim alleges.
“Additionally, Toyota has refused to issue a recall and has not remedied the Defect and/or compensated Plaintiff or Class members for their damages resulting from the material Defect.”
Bettles wants to represent Prius drivers nationwide and a Class of California drivers. He is suing for fraudulent concealment, unjust enrichment, breach of warranty, and violations of the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, California’s Unfair Competition Law, California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act, and California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. He seeks certification of the Class, declaratory relief, damages, restitution, reimbursement, interest, legal fees and costs, and a jury trial.
Do you own a Toyota Prius? Have you ever had odd smells come from your car vents? Let us know your experience in the comments section below!
Bettles is represented by Scott Edelsberg of Edelsberg Law, P.A; Jason H. Alperstein, Jeff Ostrow, and Kristen Lake Cardoso of Kopelowitz Ostrow Ferguson Weiselberg Gilbert; and Steven G. Calamusa and Rachel A. Bentley of Gordon & Partners, P.A.
The Toyota Prius HVAC Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Bettles v. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al., Case No. 2:21-cv-07560 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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186 thoughts onToyota Priuses Smell Like Urine, Sweaty Socks, Class Action Lawsuit Alleges
Sometime this spring after a thorough cleaning, a smell started in my 2018 Prius, a very foul chemical smell. I thought it was one of the cleaning products, but after several tries to neutralize the smell, it kept coming back. I have poor lungs. This odor seems like it is toxic. I bought the car as a certified pre-owned vehicle but had my own mechanic perform the work. He’s as frustrated as I am.
I bought a 2019 Prius in sep 2019 from Toyota of Glendale – in Jan 2023 my car vent started smelling musty when I first turned on the air conditioner. I told Toyota about it and they said I needed to change the cabin filter – so I had them do that during a routine maintenance. It did not fix the problem and over time it got even worse and the smell became so gross / and started smelling of urine and unbearably musty. I took my car back to the Toyota dealer and showed them many complaints about the same problem. The service guy tried to tell me that I should have had a full A/C HVAC maintenance flush regularly. He suggested that an animal possibly crawled up into the engine and died. This was the first I had heard about the idea that I shouldn’t been doing this A/C HVAC flush. He said it was $400 – but he’d have the maintenance department look at it and he’d call me after he does the assessment. He called me 2 hours later and told me I needed that flush as well as another cleanse that involved the back seats be taken out of the car in order clean something that has to do with the Prius battery. Also acted like that was normal maintenance that I should’ve been doing regularly – and that everything was going to cost over $850. He also said they wouldn’t guarantee how long this would even last. I had no choice but to get it done because I couldn’t bear the smell. Before I went back to pay – my brother had sent me a link showing the lawsuit against Toyota for the exact thing I was experiencing, so I spoke to the supervisor – and he told me he’d never heard of this before. I told him it was all over the internet and he said “well if they win the lawsuit then you can get paid back by them”
Toyota made a car that has a faulty cooling system which is supposed to cool the battery so it doesn’t heat up too much. Condensation builds up on this and mold forms. It’s in the design. The smell is unbearable and rank. It affects the entire a/c system. Toyota service departments will not admit this. I paid $750 today. They took $100 off and said they would guarantee this for 12 month only. And there’s no guarantee that this will be the end of it. I’m going to have to sell the car to ensure I don’t have that smell come back. It’s not a normal odor from car age. My car was 3 1/2 years old when it started to smell.
I thought was going crazy with this thing. My 2017 Prius Prime smelled like this last summer. I thought the previous owners had a cat in the car and paid to have an extensive detail done, only to have it come right back. It went away all winter and then came back once it got warm, which lead to me to google this issue and find this.
Bought a used 2018 last spring and it breaks like dirty socks after running the air conditioner or not driving it a few days. Extremely irritated by this.
My Prius smells very bad like mildew after rain even though I can not find any wet carpet to indicate a leak
I just purchased a 2016 Prius. I guess I should have known there was an issue when I found air fresheners in the glove box and under seat. When I contacted the dealer about the foul smell, they told me the previous owner probably had a dog and it would go away. I would like to fix this problem – embarrassing to have passengers!
Subject: Toyota Prius 2018 Air Conditioning Nightmare – Stinky Socks Stench Unbearable!
Hey fellow car enthusiasts,
I’m beyond furious and need to vent about the nightmarish experience I’m having with my Toyota Prius’s air conditioning system. Brace yourselves for the putrid stench of stinky socks that has infiltrated my car and turned every drive into a living hell!
I’ve tried everything! I changed the darn cabin filter and air filter together, thinking it would bring some relief. But guess what? The foul odor persists, mocking me with its nauseating presence. How can a brand known for its quality and reliability allow such a repulsive issue to plague their flagship eco-friendly model?
Toyota, are you even listening? Your Prius is supposed to be a symbol of comfort and efficiency, not a breeding ground for toxic odors. I trusted you, and you’ve let me down. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered disappointed Prius owners with this problem. It’s a serious flaw that needs immediate attention!
To all the frustrated Prius owners out there, we deserve better. Let’s raise our voices together and demand that Toyota takes responsibility for this revolting issue. We invested our hard-earned money in this hybrid, and we demand a solution!
Furious and fuming,
[Your Username]