2004 TOYOTA PRIUS Complaints

MY WIFE WAS COASTING INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE ENGINE APPARENTLY EXPERIENCED A POWER SURGE CAUSING THE CAR TO SHOOT FORWARD VIOLENTLY GOING THROUGH A FENCE AND OVER A TWO FOOT RETAINING WALL, ACROSS A DRIVEWAY AND CRASHING INTO ANOTHER CAR. WHETHER IT WAS THE GAS ENGINE OR ELECTRIC DRIVE IS NOT CLEAR. OUR DAUGHTER WHO WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OBSERVED THAT MY WIFE'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE THE WHOLE TIME. BOTH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER RECEIVED NECK INJURIES REQUIRING TREATMENT. *NM

TOYOTA PRIUS OWNED BY OUR AGENCY HAS HAD THE ENGINE STALL PROBLEM 3 SEPARATE TIMES. *NM

DT: THE CALLER SAID WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD. HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER, WHO DID NOT KNOW YET WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET.*AK

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT BETWEEN 40-55 WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED. I TRIED TO RESTART IT, BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. THERE IS A ONE-WEEK WAIT ON ITS REPAIR. THIS HAPPENED APPROX. 240 MILES FROM HOME. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. PRIUS 2004. *NM

DT: 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 55-60 MPH VEHICLE CONSTANTLY LOST POWER. THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THE CONSUMER HAD DIFFICULTY RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. *AK *JB

DT: 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS, CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 24 AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. IT HAD TO BE TOWED. VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE GOING 60-65 MPH. *AK. THE VEHICLE STALL AGAIN ON AUGUST 29TH, 2005 WHILE BEING DRIVEN DRIVING 40 MPH. THE MILEAGE WAS 24480. THE CONSUMER CONTACT GM AND DEMANDED A NEW VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER BOUGHT THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE BACK. *NM

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH STALLING.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE FIRST TIME THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER DETERMINED THE BATTERY WAS NOT HOLDING A CHARGE. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 2 OTHER INCIDENTS WITH THE VEHICLE. *JB

DT: TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF WIFE'S 2004 PRIUS ON SEPTEMBER 2 IN FINE WEATHER ONE IN SAN JOSE. THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED SUDDEN AND SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER WHILE MERGING INTO THE INTERSTATE. LOSS OF GAS/ENGINE POWER WITH FAILURE OF THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION WITH ENGINE TO START, RESULTED IN ONLY ELECTRIC MOTOR PROPULSION AND BREAKDOWN ON THE HIGHWAY AS THE BATTERY QUICKLY WENT TO SINGLE PINK BAR LEVEL WITHIN A 1/2 MILES. MULTIPLE MIL LAMPS LIT UP AND STAYED ON. BEGAN TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM A STOP SPEED OF 30 OR 40 MPH AND SLOWLY ACCELERATED INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC. SHE HAD TO PULL OFF TO THE (UGH) BREAKDOWN LANE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH ALL OF ITS DEBRIS, ETC. THE DEALER COMPLETED THE REPAIR, SAN JOSE INVOICE NUMBER TOCS190787 DTD 9/2/05 APPLIED EG047-04 ON CAR. THE DEALER REPAIRS SEEMED TO HAVE FIXED THE CAR. CONTACTED A TOYOTA PRIUS ADVISOR WITH THREE CONCERNS: IF THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS CHARACTERISTIC THAT WOULD PREVENT THE ROADWAY FAILURE THEN WHY WAS IT NOT EXECUTED DURING PRIOR SERVICES 3-9-05, 5-26-05 & 6-09-05 AT THIS SAME DEALER. WHAT LED ONE TO BELIEVE THAT THE CAR WAS NOT RELIABLE AFTER THIS REPAIR. THE CONSUMER, AN ACCOMPLISHED ENGINEER, A KNEW ABOUT SOFTWARE BUGS. A SOFTWARE BUG DID NOT IMPAIR OPERATION UNTIL THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS WAS REACHED. THE CONSUMER ASSUMED THAT ALL PRIUS HAD THIS POTENTIAL BUG THAT CONTAMINATED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU). ECU. *AK

PER CONSUMER CALL WITH C. ROSE (ODI) ON 9/29/05 JULY 2004: SHE WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND WENT FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE WITHOUT STEPPING ON BRAKE AND STARTED TO PULL FORWARD AND THE VEHICLE STALLED/ CUT OFF. COULD RESTART ALL TIMES. JULY 6, 2004: STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO ABOUT 10-20 MPH FOR ABOUT 1 MINUTE WHEN THE VEHICLE WENT INTO NEUTRAL; GAS ENGINE STALLED, BUT SHE HAD ELECTRIC POWER, BUT SAID NEUTRAL; THINKS STEPPED ON BRAKE AND PUSHED POWER (STARTER) BUTTON 1-2 TIMES AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT FULL SPEED. JULY 13, 2005: HAPPENED 2 TIMES - DRIVING ON A CROWDED CITY STREET AT A MAX OF 30 MPH WHEN SHE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO HER STEPPING ON ACCELERATOR (PANEL SHOWED NEUTRAL); ABLE TO DRIVE VEHICLE NO MORE THAN 5-10 MPH. PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY LESS THAN 1/2 MILE. TURNED IT OFF AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART RIGHT AWAY. DROVE FOR ANOTHER MINUTE AND THEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN SO SHE PULLED OVER, TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, AND RESTARTED IT RIGHT AWAY. DID NOT HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS THAT DAY. JULY 23, 2005: ON THE FREEWAY GOING TO HAVE THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT BY DEALER. SHE WAS ACCELERATING FROM 45 TO 65 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DECREASE SPEED. SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (BELIEVES IT GOT DOWN TO NO MORE THAN 20 MPH). SHE STEPPED ON BRAKE AND RESTARTED. NOT SURE IF THE VEHICLE FULLY CUT OFF. BROUGHT TO THE DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE WHAT HAPPENED OR FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. DEALER CALLED TOYOTA TO SEE IF THIS HAPPENED BEFORE AND THEY SAID IT DID NOT. DEALER DID NOT DO ANY WORK ON IT. AUGUST 21, 2005: BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE WITHOUT ENGAGING BRAKE, VEHICLE STALLED/ CUT OFF.

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE CONTACT STATED THE PEDAL HIT A STOP BEFORE LOCKING THE WHEELS TO BRAKE. THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT THE VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DID CHECK BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL, BUT S IT WAS A NORMAL BRAKING PROCEDURE WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN HE PRESSED THE BRAKES,THERE WAS A MINIMUM BRAKING CAPABILITY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER HIT A VEHICLE THAT WAS IN FRONT OF HIS VEHICLE BECAUSE HE COULD NOT STOP IT. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE, AND DID FEEL THIS WAS A PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH THE DEALERSHIP STATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM.*AK