2001 Toyota Prius Powertrain & Transmission Problems

THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE DRIVING 65+ MPH ON THE FREEWAY. THE CHECK HYBRID WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR BECAME DANGEROUSLY UNRESPONSIVE, LUCKILY WE WERE NEAR AN EXIT AND WERE ABLE TO COAST TO SAFETY. THE HYBRID SYSTEM WAS EXPECTING INFORMATION FROM THE ACCELERATOR, AND WHEN IT DOESN'T RECEIVE IT, EITHER THE GAS ENGINE, OR THE ELECTRIC ENGINE, OR BOTH ENGINES FAIL TO OPERATE. TOYOTA HAS SERVICE BULLETIN 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS UNKNOWN OR OTHER SERVICE BULLETIN 117006 ACTION NUMBER: 635861 SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 117006... REPORT DATE: SEP 12, 2002 COMPONENT: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.... SUMMARY: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A MASTER, HYBRID AND MALFUNCTION INDICATOR WARNING LIGHT ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1120. ,,, P1120 TOYOTA DESCRIPTION ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR IS MOUNTED ON THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT HAS THE 2 SENSORS TO DETECTS THE ACCELERATOR POSITION AND A MALFUNCTION OF THE ACCELERATOR POSITION. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR IS CONNECTED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BY THE ACCELERATOR WIRE. THE ECM JUDGES THE CURRENT OPENING ANGLE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM THESE SENSOR SIGNAL INPUTS AND IT CONTROLS THE THROTTLE MOTOR BASED ON THESE SIGNALS. IF THE THE P1120 CODE IS STORED, THE ECM SHUTS DOWN THE POWER FOR THE THROTTLE MOTOR AND THE MAGNETIC CLUTCH, AND THE THROTTLE VALVE IS FULLY CLOSED BY THE RETURN SPRING. HOWEVER, THE OPENING ANGLE OF THE THROTTLE VALVE CAN BE CONTROLLED BY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THROUGH THE THROTTLE CABLE. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR ASSEMBLY IS PROBABLY AT FAULT, WHICH IS A HIGH COST ITEM $300 DOLLARS OR MORE WHICH TOYOTA WOULD BALK AT REPLACING IN A RECALL. THIS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, BUT I DON'T RECALL THE DATE.....UPDATED 08/24/15 *BF

POTENTIAL FOR FATAL INJURY DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL BECAUSE OF FAULTY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR AXLE HUB BEARING FAILURE WITH SEPARATION OF WHEEL FROM VEHICLE AT 137,758 MILES (SUCH BEARINGS SHOULD HAVE EFFECTIVE LIFE, OR MTBF, OF GREATER THAN 300,000 MILES) -- INTERMITTENT NOISE BEGAN IN 2003 AND CONTINUED TO GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE CULMINATING IN 80-100 DECIBEL SOUND LEVEL IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT -- INSPECTION OF VEHICLE INDICATED REAR AXLE HUB BEARING GRINDING NOISE ON DRIVERS SIDE REAR AXLE HUB -- REPLACED REAR AXLE HUB ASSEMBLY ON AUGUST 17, 2006 AND NOISE IS NOW COMPLETELY GONE -- THE REMOVED HUB IS NEARLY AT A COMPLETE FAILURE POINT WITH SEVERE GRINDING IN ITS SEALED BEARING -- I HAVE RETAINED REMOVED HUB AND CAN SHIP TO NHTSA OR NTSB FOR INSPECTION -- PLEASE ADVISE AT FSCORPIO@SBCGLOBAL.NET OR 209-937-0644 (OFFICE DAY PHONE). *NM

MY WIFE'S 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH 108K MILES STOPPED BEING ABLE TO BE DRIVEN WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING IT HOME. IT STOPPED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND MORE WARNING LIGHTS THAN I'D EVER SEEN CAME ON. IT WOULD NOT DRIVE MORE THAN A FEW MPH AND WOULD SHAKE AND RUN ROUGHLY. IT HAD TO BE TOWED APPROX 81 MILES TO A TOYOTA DEALER NEAR OUR HOME. THEY TOLD US THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $7000 INCLUDING LABOR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A SOMEWHAT COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS (PRIUSCHAT.COM). ALSO, THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL REFERENCES TO TOYOTA COVERING PART OR MOST OF THE BILL, EVEN ON VEHICLES NOT UNDER WARRANTY. IF THAT'S NOT ADMITTING A DEFECT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. *TR

AT 45MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT, CLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS I DISENGAGED CRUISE CONTROL BY TAPPING BRAKES. SO THAT I COULD ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT. I THEN FOUND MYSELF IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE SKID ACROSS THE PAVEMENT AS I LEFT THE PAVEMENT I FELT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE DROP. NOW SPINNING I BOUNCED OFF A TREE AND INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH WITH ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 FOOT OF MUD AND WATER. IT WAS THEN I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE WHEELS (LEFT REAR) HAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DITCH. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST I HAVE NO IDEA OF THE ACTUAL CAUSE. THE STUDS WHICH HOLD THE WHEEL TO THE AXEL SHEAREDOFF, ANS AXLE SNAPPED, THE UNDERCARRAGE AND SUPPORTS WERE TANGLED. FHP OFFICER AT SITE INDICATED IT COULD HAVE BEEN MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OF SOME SORT. BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS I CONTACTED TOYOTA AS WELL AS INSURANCE CO (PROGRESSIVE). NO ONE HAS YET EVALUATED THE CAUSE. TOYOTAS FIRST COMMENT WAS "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM AN INVESTIGATION" MY ANSWERWAS " TO PREVENT A SIMILAR EVENT IN THE FUTURE". AS I RELATED THE EVENT TO EVERY ONE I ALSO NOTED THAT THE STEERING DIDNOT LET ME CORRECT THE SKID. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY HELD IN LIMBO BY INSURANCE AND TOYOTA. WHILE I AM WALKING. ALL SAFETY EQUIPMENT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY.*AK