2004 Toyota Prius Complaint Log

YAPS (YET ANOTHER PRIUS STALL). I WAS NOT GOING FAST - PROBABLY ABOUT 10-15 MPH. JUST LIKE THE OTHER REPORTS, IT LOST POWER, ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, AND IT COASTED TO A HALT. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT BUT THE ICE WOULD NOT KICK IN SO IT RAN IN ELECTRIC MODE ONLY. AFTER LESS THAN A MILE THE BATTERY WAS ALMOST DRAINED SO I HAD TO PULL OVER AND PARK IT. HAD IT TOWED IN TO THE NEAREST DEALER - TOYOTA OF SEATTLE - WHERE THEY SAID IT WAS A SOFTWARE ISSUE AND THEY'D SEEN IT BEFORE. THEY PERFORMED AN UPGRADE AND RETURNED IT TO ME.

AN ARTICLE IN YESTERDAY'S L.A. TIMES (5/17) DETAILED A PROBLEM WITH THE 2004/05 TOYOTA PRIUS, WHERE IT MENTIONED THAT 13 PRIUS OWNERS REPORTED THAT THEIR VEHICLES STALLED SUDDENLY, OFTEN AT HIGH SPEEDS. ON APRIL 12, 2005, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME. WHILE SLOWING FROM 65 M.P.H. ON I-10 IN WEST L.A. ONTO THE I-405 INTERCHANGE, EASILY ONE OF THE MOST CONGESTED HIGHWAY INTERCHANGES IN THE COUNTRY, MY PRIUS STALLED AND I WAS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO MAKE IT TO THE END OF THE INTERCHANGE WHERE THE SHOULDER BEGAN. HAD IT OCCURED A MERE TWO MINUTES LATER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FAST LANE OF THE 405, TRIGGERING A POTENTIAL DISASTER AND CERTAIN SIGALERT, AS IT OCCURED AT 8:15 A.M.--RUSH HOUR. MY CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 8,700 MILES AND WAS PURCHASED NEW IN AUGUST, 2004. I HAD IT TOWED TO TOYOTA OF SANTA MONICA WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, AND WAS DISMAYED AT THEIR NONCHALANCE. A BRAND NEW CAR SHOULD NOT BREAK DOWN FOR NO REASON, AND IT COULD'VE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. MORE TRO UBLING, THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT'S TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT IT WAS A "COMPUTER GLITCH," AND THAT THEIR REPAIR SERVICE WAS TO "REPROGRAM THE COMPUTER." I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL AND VOCAL SUPPORTER OF THIS HYBRID VEHICLE, PLEASED IN EVERY WAY WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR. NOW WHEN PEOPLE ASK, I GIVE THEM MUCH THE SAME ANSWER, BUT VERBALLY INSERT AN ASTERISK AND TELL THEM ABOUT THE TIME IT BROKE DOWN WITHOUT WARNING, AND HOW I HAVE NO GUARANTEE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. YOU CAN COUNT ME AS THE 14TH OWNER TO REPORT THIS IDENTICAL PROBLEM. AND YOU CAN BE SURE THAT WE ARE ONLY A PERCENTAGE OF THE EVER-GROWING PRIUS OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. I HOPE YOUR FINDINGS AND THE ARTICLE WILL MAKE THEIR WAY TO TOYOTA'S RECEPTIVE AND RESPONSIVE EARS. THANKS.

2004 PRIUS, GAS ENGINE STALLED WHILE EXCELLERATING TO MERGE ONTO FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR, WAS FORCED TO EXIT ON ELECTRIC ENGINE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC DRIVING AT 30MPH. AFTER EXITING FREEWAY AND TURNING CAR OFF IT WOULD NOT RESTART. VEHICLE FINALLY RESTARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE WITH MASTER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. DEALER SAID THE CAR NEEDED TO HAVE SOFTWARE RESET, BUT NEVER GAVE EXPLAINATION OF WHAT CAUSED ORIGINAL PROBLEM. I AM GUESSING AT THE INCIDENT DATE IT WAS MONTH OR SO BACK.

THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD JUST AFTER ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS SEDAN. STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MILES HOUR AND THE ELECTRIC RECHARABLE BATTERY DRAINS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWO TIMES TO ME AND I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO TOYOTA DEAL FOR THIS. THE 1ST APPROXIMATELY JAN -FEB TIME FRAME. DEALER COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. 2ND TIME APPROXIMATELY EARLY APRIL. DEALER SAID HAD TROUBLE CODE IN COMPUTER AND HAVE CORRECTED PROBLEM BUT LET THEM KNOW IF HAPPENS AGAIN OR ANY OTHER PROBLEM. ENGINE LOAD, AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFTS HARD AND CAR ROLLS SLIGHTLY WHEN PUT INTO PARK.

DRIVING MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HOME FROM WORK, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER A FEW MILES FROM MY HOME ON A BUSY THOROUGHFARE. I DRIFTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ALL WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH WERE ON. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT. IT WENT A FEW SECONDS BEFORE DYING AGAIN. THIS CONTINUED SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL I MADE IT HOME. THE INCIDENT CAUSED OTHER CARS TO HAVE TO SLOW DOWN, HONK AND MOVE AROUND ME. I WAS VERY SCARED. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO COME HELP ME BUT HE WAS NOT HOME. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR STARTED AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, AND SAID THEY "RESET THE ENGINE/BATTERY RATIO" SO THE CAR WOULD RELY MORE ON GAS THAN ELECTRICITY , AND THAT I WOULD EXPERIENCE A SLIGHT DECREASE IN MY ENGINE EFFICIENCY. I LATER COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, THAT MY PRIUS HAS HAD NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN AUGUST OF2005. TWICE IT WOULD NOT START IN THE MORNING AND I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT WHAT THE SERVICE PERSON TOLD ME WAS INCORRECT, THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THEY CAN "ADJUST" THE ENGINE/BATTERY RATIO. HE GAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR MY PROBLEMS AND SAID "NO ONE ELSE" HAS HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CARS. I WANT TO RETURN THE CAR FOR A NEW ONE, BUT HE SAYS HE FEELS "CONFIDENT" TOYOTA WILL CORRECT ANY PROBLEMS I AM HAVING. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR IN CASE THIS HAPPENS AGAIN. TOYOTA HAS DONE NOTHING SINCE I HAVE COMPLAINED. I FEEL THEY OWE ME A NEW CAR WHILE THEY FIGURE THIS OUT.

ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE PRIUS HAS HAD A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER TO THE GASOLINE ENGINE, ALL THE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ILLUMINATED AND THE CAR WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL ONLY ON BATTERY POWER FOR A VERY SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE DRAINING THE BATTERY. TWICE THIS HAS OCCURRED AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN AND ATTEMPTING TO PROCEED FORWARD. TWICE IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60-70 MPH. WHEN IT OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR LOST POWER EXCEPT FROM THE BATTERY THAT ALLOWED ONLY 40-42 MPH MAXIMUM SPEED. TWICE THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE FIRST TIME THEY PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE THE SECOND TIME THEY RESET THE COMPUTER. THE LAST TWO TIMES IT HAS HAPPENED I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP THE CAR, DISCONNECT THE 12 VOLT BATTERY WHICH HAS RESET THE SYSTEM AND THE CAR PERFORMS AS EXPECTED. THIS WOULD APPEAR TO BE SOFTWARE BUG THAT REQUIRES FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY TOYOTA. IN ANY CASE, THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE CAUSES AN UNSAFE CONDITION TO OCCUR.

ON 4/7/05 I WAS TRAVELING ON THE NJ PARKWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN FOR NO REASON MY 2004 PRIUS ENGINE STALLED NO GAS TO ENGINE ONLY ELECTRIC POWER THEN THE ELECTRIC POWER SLOWLY IN ABOUT LEST THAN 2 MINUTES WENT TO ZERO AND THEN I HAD TO COAST TO A SAFE SPOT TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER. LUCKILY I WAS ALREADY TRAVELING IN THE SLOW RIGHT LANE, ALTHOUGH AT 5 PM RUSH HOUR ITS STILL GOING 65+ MPH, I COASTED DOWN TO 40 MPH UNTIL I FINALLY CAME TO A SHOULDER IN THE RIGHT LANE. I CHECKED FOR ANYTHING LEAKING NOTHING, AND ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER IT STARTED UP. NOW ALL WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON THE ENGINE WARNING FAILURE LIGHT WHICH SAID TO BRING TO DEALER RIGHT AWAY WAS ON. I BROUGHT TO DEALER THE NEXT DAY A WAS STILL ABLE TO DRIVE IT. THEY EVENTUALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM THEY SAID IT WAS A COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROBLEM. THEY HAD IT FROM 4/8 TO 4/13. IT WAS A VERY SCARY SITUATION LUCKLY I WAS NOT IN THE FAST LANE WERE I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF FAST DRIVING TRAFFIC. I JUST WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS TO PUT ON RECORD JUST INCASE THERE IS A BIGGER PROBLEM WITH OTHER VEHICLES. THE CAR HAS RUN FINE SINCE AND NO PROBLEMS SO FAR. I READ THE STORY FROM VERIZON ONLINE.

I HAD JUST DROPPED MY SON OFF AT SCHOOL WHEN ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH AND MULTI DISPLAY OF MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS ILLUMINATED. AS SOON AS I PULLED THE CAR OUT OF THE SCHOOL DRIVEWAY AND ONTO THE HIGHWAY (SPEED LIMIT 45 MPH), I REALIZED THAT I HAD NO ACCELERATION. I MANAGED TO PULL THE CAR ONTO A SIDE STREET BEFORE IT SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. POLICE HAD TO DIVERT TRAFFIC WHILE AWAITING THE TOW TRUCK. AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN. THE DEALER COULDN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM, AND TRIED REPROGRAMMING THE CAR. SINCE TOYOTA DOESN'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE SHUTDOWN, I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, AND THAT THERE WILL BE AN ACCIDENT NEXT TIME.

OMG, OMG ITS SO FRESH IN MY MIND!. I WAS TERRIFIED. MY DAUGHTER(OLDEST) WAS IN A TERRIBLE CAR ACCIDENT AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL(MARY WASHINGTON IN VA.) I WAS AT WORK AND GOT THE HORRIFIC CALL ABOUT 1745HRS (RUSH HOUR). I JUMPED IN MY CAR(2004-PRIUS) I I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW I FELT. AS I ENTERED THE HOV LANES FROM DC TO VA, MY CAR STARTED PAUSING..I'VE FELT THIS BEFORE, SO I HIT THE INFO BUTTON AND SEE MY BATTERY TOOK OVER AND IS ON 4 LINES! I THEN SEE THE ALERT LIGHTS ILLUMINATE ON MY DASH! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING?, NOT NOW!..I IMMEDIATELY HIT MY HORN AND AVOID GETTING SLAMMED INTO BY VEHICLES BEHIND ME. I SLOWLY CREEP ON MY LAST BATTERY LINE ONTO THE RIGHTHAND SHOULDER. MY PRIUS DIED. I CALLED TOYOTAS' (RAP>ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM) AND A TOW TRUCK WAS SENT. I BROKE DOWN IN DC AND (TOYOTAS' RAP) ONLY TAKES ME 50MILES FROM THE BREAKDOWN. I LIVE 62 MILES AWAY! THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! I WAS TOWED TO SPRINGFIELD TOYOTAN AND IT WAS CLOSED! (IT IS NOW 2130HRS! AND I'M STILL NOT AT THE HOSPITAL AND I'M IN TEARS!) THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WAS NICE ENOUGH TO TELL ME TO CALL MY INSURANCE CO. I DID AND THEY SENT ANOTHER TOW TRUCK TO PICK ME UP. IT IS NOW 2230HRS! I STILL DON'T KNOW THE STATUS OF MY DAUGHTER! THE TOW TRUCK BRINGS ME TO FREDERICKSBURG BUT TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP, IT SEEMS THE ADDRESS WAS WRONG. WE FIGURED OUT THAT TOYOTA POHANKA WAS DOWN THE STREET AND THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER WAS CONSIDERATE ENOUGH TO BRING ME THERE. I HAD TO DROP OFF THE VEHICLE AND LUCKY I HAD SOMEONE PICK ME UP TO BRING ME HOME. TOYOTA POHANKA OF FREDERICKSBURG CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THEY FOUND ERROR CODE P3191 REFERRED TO THE TSB AND REPROGRAMMED THE ENGINE ECM PER INSTRUCTIONS.

DT: THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AND REMAINED ON FOR ABOUT A DAY. OTHER LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS WELL BUT THE CONSUMER CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONES. THE CONSUMER MADE IT TO HIS DESTINATION WHERE HE STAYED 2 HOURS, AND UPON LEAVING THE ENGINE STARTED IMMEDIATELY. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER BUT THEY OFFERED NO DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER DID NOT REPROGRAM THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT. *AK *NM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE ENTERING AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY DURING TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT INTENTION. SHE SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE FLOOR-MAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. HOWEVER WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED SHE NOTICED THAT THE FLOOR-MAT DID NOT INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

DT: ALL OF THE LIGHTS COME ON AND THE CAR STALLS IN MID-TRAVEL. *TT

MASTER INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUNINATED, INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART.

MY TOYOTA PRIUS STALLED WHILE MOVING AT ABOUT 35-40 MPH IN CITY TRAFFIC IN CHANDLER, ARIZONA. THE EMERGENCY LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE QUIT. I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS IT COASTED, THEN WE PUSHED IT INTO A PARKING LOT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TEMPE TOYOTA (NOW POWER TOYOTA) AND THEY RE-PROGRAMMED THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER, AND I HAVEN'T HAD A PROBLEM SINCE.

DT: HOW LONG AND AT WHAT SPEED WAS THE CONSUMER DRIVING BEFORE THE VEHICLE LOST POWER? HE WAS DRIVING FOR ABOUT 25 MINUTES AND 35 MPH AND THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. B. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE LOST POWER?/DECELERATED AND WAS GOING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN OFF A HIGHWAY AGAIN THE LIGHTS SIGNALED WARNING ,BUT CAR WAS STILL RUNNING. CALLED TOYOTA TO SEE WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ANSWER AS TO WHAT THOSE SIGNALS WERE. TOYOTA TOLD TO CONTINUE DRIVING AND VEHICLE LOST POWER. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE? IF SO, HOW LONG AND AT WHAT SPEED? WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING, HAD TO BE TOWED. CALLED TOYOTA ABOUT THE LIGHTS NOT APPEARING. WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA TO CONTINUE DRIVING, AND VEHICLE LOST POWER. *AK

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS DIED AT 65 MPH ON I-395 CARPOOL LANES. MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS FLASHED ON. WAS ABLE TO COAST IT OVER AND RESTART FOR A MILE OR TWO WHEN IT COMPLETELY DIED AGAIN. WAS TOWED TO SPRINGFIELD VA TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WERE IT WAS SERVICED. ERROR CODES C2318 (LOW VOLTAGE ERROR - POWER SUPPLY MALFUNCTION), BATTERY CODE 8442 WERE REPORTED. ALSO, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, FOUND CODE P3791/ENGINE WON'T START. REPROGRAMMED ECU DP0199. CARS SHUTTING DOWN IN HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC IS A CRASH WAITING TO HAPPEN. WE'RE NOT CONVINCED THAT RE-SETTING THE ENGINE CODE IS ENOUGH TO FIX THE PROBLEM. HAS THE ORIGINAL SOFTWARE PROBLEM BEEN LOCATED AND FIXED? DEALERSHIP COULDN'T GIVE US THAT ANSWER.*AK

DT: VEHICLE STALLED /DIED. AND LOST POWER DUE TO THROTTLE FAILURE. *AK

DT: WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH SUDDENLY CAR DIED. NO POWER WHATSOEVER. HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD COMPUTER NEEDED UPDATING. THIS WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. DID CALL TOYOTA, AND CONFIRMED THAT THE REPAIR HAD BEEN DONE. NO PROBLEMS SINCE COMPUTER WAS UPDATED. *AK

COMPUTER SHUT DOWN IN THE TOYOTA PRIUS CAUSING CAR TO STOP IN A MATTER OF MINUTES ON TWO OCCATIONS.

DT:.HOW LONG AND AT WHAT SPEED WAS THE CONSUMER DRIVING BEFORE THE VEHICLE LOST POWER? HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 10 MINUTES ON COMMUTING HOME WAS DRIVING AT LEAST 50-60 MPH. B.WAS THE CONSUMER ACCELERATING, DECELERATING, OR DRIVING AT A STEADY- STATE WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER?DRIVING AT A STEADY STATE. C. VEHICLE LOST POWER, WAS THE DRIVER ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE? IF SO, HOW LONG AND AT WHAT SPEED?NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING, COULD NOT RESTART VEHICLE. DID ANY WARNING LIGHTS APPEAR BEFORE AND/OR AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED? AN ODD BEEP AND THEN SOME SYMBOLS ILLUMINATED ON CONTROL PANEL BUT CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT SYMBOL, THINKS IT MAKE HAVE BEEN A CAR WITH AN X THROUGH IT. REFERRED TO OWNERS MANUAL. CALLED FOR HELP. . CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP JUST SECONDS AFTER THE BEEP AND WARNING LIGHTS. F WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE. G. NO RESTART WHATSOEVER. H. WAS THE VEHICLE TOWED? YES TO A DEALER. I.WHAT DID THE DEALER SAY WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE? DIAGNOSIS CODE DID NOT HAVE AVAILABLE, BUT WAS AWARE OF SERVICE BULLETIN PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE. QUESTIONED WHY THERE HAD NOT BEEN A RECALL. J. DID THE DEALER REPROGRAM THE ECU (ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT) OR ANY SOFTWARE? YES-THE ECU. K.DID HAVE RECALL ON NAVIGATION SOFTWARE UPDATE PRIOR TO THIS EPISODE. L. HAS THE VEHICLE HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE THE REPAIR? NO BUT FEARFUL IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN. *AK

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 2004 PRIUS ON I35W AT 55 MPH WHEN SEVERAL RED WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR CHIMED. WE WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE INTERSTATE AND LEFT THE CAR RUNNING WHILE WE CONSULTED THE OWNER'S MANUAL, THEN CALLED THE DEALER. WE STARTED TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THE CAR'S POWER DIMINISHED NOTICEABLY AT EACH RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. IT FINALLY STALLED ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE PARKING LOT WHERE WE HAD INITIALLY PAUSED. THE CAR WAS BLOCKING A BUS ROUTE/HIGHWAY EXIT/SURFACE STREET CONNECTOR AT THAT POINT. A BUS DRIVER AND PASSENGER HAD TO PUSH THE CAR TO A SAFER LOCATION, OUT OF THE BUS' WAY! THE IGNITION LOCKED AND THE FOB COULDN'T BE REMOVED UNTIL AT LEAST 30 MINUTES PASSED. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO SAID IT WAS "A SOFTWARE GLITCH" AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT IT, AS THEY HAD TO REPROGRAM IT. NO PARTS WERE REPLACED.

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON DRY PAVEMENT AT 35 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER PULLED OFF TO THE MEDIAN. THERE WERE LIGHTS FLASHING IN DASHBOARD, THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE WARNING CODES INCLUDED DO NOT DRIVE, AND NO BRAKES, ETC. JUST BEFORE STALLING, THE WARNING CODES CAME ON, INCLUDING NO BRAKES, DO NOT DRIVE, ALL HAZARDS, THE EXPLANATION POINTED TO A TRIANGLE AND ALL PRECAUTIONARY SAFETY WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A MEDIAN THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE CAR, IT WAS TOTALLY DEAD. AFTER THE LIGHTS CAME ON, NO ACCELERATION, THERE WAS NO ENGINE SOUND TO THE OWNER'S KNOWLEDGE. THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS LOSS OF POWER STEERING AS FAR AS THE OWNER KNEW, IT WAS NOT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET TO THE MEDIAN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE OWNER TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE TWICE. AT THIS POINT, THE OWNER DIDN'T KNOW IF THE LIGHTS STAYED ON, BUT THE HAZARDS LIGHTS WERE WORKING AS SHE LEFT TO GO CALL FOR HELP. AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE VEHICLE WAS JUMPED TO GET IT OFF THE TOW TRUCK. THIS OCCURRED ABOUT 45 MINUTES. THE DEALER STATED THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THIS SEEMED TO BE A NEW OCCURRENCE TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK *SC *JB

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS ENGINE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. ***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *TS THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TOWING EXPENSE. *SC

I OWN A 2004 PRIUS AND ALSO EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE SYSTEM SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO. THE ENTIRE GAS ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ELECTRIC MOTOR REMAINED OPERATIONAL AND ALLOWED ME TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A PARKING LOT SAFELY. THE DEALER (CABE TOYOTA - LONG BEACH, CA) GAVE ME A BRIEF AND UNSATISFACTORY EXPLAINATION..BRUSHING THIS OFF AS A MINOR PROBLEM SIMILAR TO A COMPUTER NEEDING TO BE RESTARTED. I ASSUME THEY UPGRADED MY SYSTEM BUT STILL FEAR A RECURRENCE IN A LESS CONVENIENT LOCATION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS. VEHICLE VIN = [XXX]

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS (PURCHASED DEC. 2003). APPROXIMATELY 10 MARCH 2005 I WAS DRIVING AT CITY SPEEDS (<40 MPH) WHEN THE GASOLINE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO PROCEED ABOUT A MILE ON THE ELECTRIC ENGINE UNTIL THE BATTERY BECAME DRAINED. I CALLED FOR A TOW UNDER WARRANTY SERVICE. WHILE WAITING, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE GASOLINE ENGINE AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, BUT HAD THE CAR TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INVESTIGATION OF THE FAILURE AND REPAIR. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS OF INVESTIGATION, THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM AND TOYOTA HAD NOT ISSUED ANY SERVICE BULLETINS DEALING WITH SUCH A PROBLEM. AS RECENTLY AS LAST WEEK, WHEN I HAD THE CAR SERVICED, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY SIMILAR REPORTS AND TOYOTA HAD NOT ISSUED ANY SERVICE BULLETINS. I GAVE THEM A COPY OF AN ARTICLE FROM A RECENT WALL STREET JOURNAL DETAILS REPORTS OF THESE PROBLEMS AROUND THE COUNTRY. I HAVE NO FURTHER PROBLEMS OF A SIMILAR NATURE, BUT I AM SOMEWHAT APPREHENSIVE OF RECURRENCE. OTHERWISE THE CAR IS WONDERFUL. I GET ~50MPG IN THE SUMMER AND IT HANDLES WELL.

PRIUS STALLED WHILE DRIVING, ALL LIGHTS CAME ON DEALER RESTARTED COMPUTER I HAVE READ ABOUT MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS COMPLAINT

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH NAVIGATION SYSTEM PROBLEMS CUSTOMER STATES THAT NOW THE AC AND DEFROSTER DOES NOT WORK AND THE DEALERSHIP FIXED IT THANK YOU TO THE DEALERSHIP NOTE**NAR**CC THE CONSUMER STATED FROM TIME TO TIME THE RADIO WOULD TURN OFF AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE TURNED BACK ON MANUALLY. THEN THE DISPLAY BEGAN TO ACT ERRATICALLY . THE AUDIO OFF WOULD APPEAR ON THE SCREEN AND THE RADIO WAS STILL PLAYING . THE CLIMATE CONTROL BECAME UNRESPONSIVE AND THE SCREEN DISPLAYED CHECK THE CONNECTION OF THE AIR CONDITION . WHEN THE CONSUMER PRESSED ANY OF THE BUTTONS ON THE DISPLAY, THEY WOULD NOT FUNCTION OR WOULD TAKE SECONDS TO COME UP AND USUALLY ONLY THE PERFORMANCE SCREEN OR THE RADIO SCREEN WOULD SHOW UP. THE PROBLEM WITH THE AIR CONDITION AND DEFROSTER WERE RELATED TO THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THERE WAS A FAULTY DESIGN WITH THE MODEL YEAR. *JB

ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55-60 MPH. GAS POWER QUIT AND CONSUMED ALL ELECTRIC POWER AND CAR STOPPED. COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO GO INTO ANY GEAR -- STUCK IN PARK. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO DEALER.

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. DEALER STATED THE VEHICLE'S SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. *AK THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. *BF *NM

MY1994 TOYOTA PRIUS SUDDENLY STALLED AS I WAS DRIVING. I HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A PROGRAMMING ERROR IN ONE OF THE COMPUTER CHIPS.

MY 2004 PRIUS LOST POWER WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 65-70 MILES PER HOUR ON 2/21/05. I HAD ELECTRIC POWER FOR A FEW MINUTES SO THAT I COULD PULL OFF AT AN EXIT. ALL THE WARNING/CAUTION LIGHTS CAME ON. THE KERN TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN WINCHESTER VA HAD MY CAR TOWED IN. THEY KEPT THE CAR OVERNIGHT. THEY SAID THAT THEY REPROGRAMMED MY COMPUTER AND THE CAR WAS FINE. THEY OFFERED NO OTHER EXPLANATION OR POSSIBLE FUTURE CONCERNS. I REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA MANAGEMENT THIS MORNING AND HAVE A CONFIRMATION # IF NEEDED. I JUST SAW THE ARTICLES WHERE THEY NOTED 33 OTHER INCIDENTS LIKE MINE.

I HAVE HAD 3 'STALLS' OF MY 2004 PRIUS WHICH I DRIVE 150 MILES A DAY AND IT HAS 48K MILES ON IT. ALL OF THE ENGINE STALLS HAVE BEEN AT LOW SPEED (UNDER 20 MPH) AND HAVE BEEN PRECEEDED BY A RED WARNING TRIANGLE LIGHT AND THE SCREEN DISPLAYING SOMETHING LIKE 'CRITICAL PROBLEM'. ON ONE INCIDENT I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND MANAGED TO USE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR TO GET ME TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE THE ENGINE/MOTOR STOPPED WITH NO POWER. WHEN I TURNED THE POWER ON/OFF SEVERAL TIMES THE ENGINE WOULD START BUT THERE WAS NO POWER. I DID NOTICE THAT ON ALL THREE STALLS MY GAS GAUGE WAS LOW (ONE OR TWO BARS) BUT I HAVE RUN THE CAR FOR THIRTY MILES AFTER THE LAST BAR STARTED TO FLASH SO IT'S HARD TO TELL IF THERE IS A CONNECTION. I DID REPORT THIS TO THE DEALER BUT THEY HAD NO INFORMATION ON IT AND THE CAR RESET EACH TIME AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME.

1) MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS AND THE CAR HAD A WARNING LIGHT TURN ON ON DISPLAY, WENT TO "LIMP" MODE (SLOW) AND SUDDENLY STOPPED AFTER 1/2 MILE. 2) CAR COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED, NO POWER. 3) TOYOTA TOWED CAR TO SHOP AND REPLACED ECU CONTROLLER IN AREA OF FUEL TANK, ECU RELAY AND ENTIRE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY. PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN.

IN THE 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS THERE IS A BUTTON ON BOTH BACK SEATS BY THE HEADRESTS THAT UNLATCHES THE SEATBACK. MY FOUR YEAR OLD CAN EASILY PUSH DOWN THIS BUTTON WITH ONE FINGER, AND MY CONCERN IS THAT A CHILD (OR OTHERS) COULD UNLATCH THE SEAT WITHOUT THE DRIVER KNOWING. SHOULD THE CAR CRASH OR STOP SUDDENLY THE SEAT COULD COME DOWN, POSSIBLY WITH A PASSENGER IN IT. I TOLD THE CAR DEALER AND A TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE REP ABOUT MY CONCERN. I WAS TOLD THE BUTTON IS NOT DESIGNED THAT WAY, BUT WHEN I CONTACTED A SECOND DEALERSHIP THEIR 2004 PRIUS DID THE SAME AS THE CAR I TESTED. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DESIGNED SO THAT YOU HAD TO CONTINUE TO HOLD DOWN THE BUTTON IN ORDER TO PULL THE SEATBACK FORWARD. THIS IS NOT THE CASE IN REALITY. THE BUTTON NEEDS TO BE CHILDPROOFED EITHER BY MOVING IT SO IT IS NOT EASILY SEEN AND REACHED BY A CHILD, PROVIDING A COVER, OR ADDING A LIGHT ON THE DASH SO THE DRIVER IS AWARE OF THE SEAT BEING UNLATCHED. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS ALSO DESIGNED SO THAT THE SEAT COULD NOT BE UNLATCHED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. ALSO NOT TRUE. I WAS THE FIRST TO NOTICE THIS UNSAFE FEATURE, AND WE WERE IN MOTION WHEN I UNLATCHED MY SEAT.*AK

HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. LESS THAN 40,000 MILES ON THE CAR. WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND IT SUDDENLY DIED FOR NO REASON. TOYOTA DEALER SAID IT WAS A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION AND COULD NOT GUARENTEE IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS AS IT IS A NEW CAR I PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR

I HAVE A 2004 PRIUS THAT STALLED ON THE FREEWAY THIS FEBRUARY FOR NO REASON. WHEN WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THE MECHANICS SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA WHY IT HAPPENED, BUT THAT THEY "RESET THE COMPUTER" AND IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN IT SUDDENLY STALLED AND THE ELECTRIC ENGINE POWER DROPPED TO ZERO. I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE TO MOVE AND NEEDED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE.

THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WAS VERY DIFFICULT. AFTER DRIVING FOR TWO BLOCKS, THE DASH LIGHT HAD COME ON AND THE STEERING HAD BECOME EASIER. THE GENERAL WARNING SYMBOL HAD COME ON, WHICH MEANT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE BRAKE LIGHT HAD BEEN CONTINUOUSLY ON. WHEN THE EMERGENCY BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT BEHAVE AS IF IT WERE ACTIVATED. THE IGNITION RELAY WAS REPLACED PER WARNING LIGHT. *AK *JB

THE CAR STALLED WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LITE. WARNINGS LIGHTS ON INCLUDED: VSC,ENGINE WARNING LITE. CAR RESTARTED AND WENT ABOUT 500 FT. GOING ABOUT 35 MPH AND STALLED AGAIN. COASTED TO BERM, CALLED DEALER, WHO SAID IT WAS DRIVEABLE TO DEALERSHIP. STARTED OUT ON I295, WENT UP TO 48 MPH AND ENGINE STOPPED. COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER KEPT CAR OVER A WK, SAID SINCE BATTERY WAS DEAD, CHIP HAD NO INFO. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND RETURNED IT TO ME.

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE VEHICLE IS A HYBRID. SHE STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 60 MPH VEHICLE STALLED, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR HER TO BRAKE OR ACCELERATE. THE DEALER TOLD HER THAT IT WAS A SOFTWARE GLITCH, AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS. TOYOTA STATED THAT THEY CONTACTED EVERYONE. HOWEVER THEY DID NOT NOTIFY EVERYONE BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT NOTIFIED. ALSO, THEY DID NOT NOTIFY SOME OF HER FRIENDS, AND THEY DISREGARDED HER TELEPHONE CALLS.*AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH ON A ROAD COVERED WITH THREE INCHES OF SNOW. THE VEHICLE BEGAN BEGAN TO SKID. THE SKID CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING ACTIVATION OF THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT WAS A MANUFACTURER DESIGN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

PE05029 2 TIMES THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED FOR NO REASON AT ALL. DASHBOARD LIT UP ENTIRELY. BOTH TIMES THE CAR RESTARTED. EACH TIME, FEWER LIGHTS CAME ON. BROUGHT CAR IN 2X- 1ST TIME, DID NOTHING. 2ND TIME, SUPPOSEDLY UPGRADED PROGRAM. WHEN 1ST HEARD ABOUT YOUR INVESTIGATION, CONTACTED TOYOTA TO SEE IF WE WERE PART OF THE 33-- WE BELIEVE IT IS BEING UNDER-REPORTED. CONTACT NAME: DIANE ROMANCHICK AND PAUL EMBREE.

DT: ENGINE SHUTS DOWN AND WILL NOT START, ALSO BATTERY DIES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, AND THEN THE ENGINE DIES. CALLER HAD TO PUSH CAR OFF THE ROAD. DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG THE FIRST TIME, AND THE OTHER TIMES THEY REPLACED A FLOOR HARNESS THAT WENT TO BATTERY, AN AMPLIFIER, THE ORIGINAL BATTERY. CALLER READ ARTICLE ON HIS VEHICLE ABOUT SAME PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER SAID THE AMPLIFIER FIXED THE PROBLEM.

THE FUEL INDICATOR MALFUNCTIONS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. IT STARTS TO SHOW EMPTY GAS TANK WHEN IT IS 1/2 FULL. THIS PROBLEM GOES AWAY WHEN TEMPORATURE RISES. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND TELLS US THAT THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO BAD GAS TANK DESIGN. THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM FOR OVER ONE YEAR AND TOYOTA IS NOT WILLING TO FIX THIS ISSUE.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE TIRES ARE SHOULDERING ON VEHICLE. THE EDGES OF THE TIRE ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE ARE WEARING OUT. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED IN JANUARY 2005 BY TOYOTA. NOW ,IN DECEMBER 2005, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. HE SPOKE TO TOYOTA, AND THEY SAID THEY DID NOT WARRANTY TIRES, AND HE SHOULD BE IN CONTACT WITH GOODYEAR. HOWEVER, GOODYEAR CLAIMED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ENGINEERING OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

I OWN A 2004 PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROX. 60 MPH ON HWY 110 IN LOS ANGELES, THE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. LESS THAN 5 SECONDS LATER, THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. IT EVEN CEASED TO COAST DESPITE THE FACT THAT I WAS ON A SIGNIFICANT DOWN HILL GRADE. IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXIT THE FREEWAY, I NAVIGATED THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT, WHERE IT STALLED COMPLETELY IN THE RIGHT LANE, BLOCKING MOVING TRAFFIC. THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL (CHP) QUICKLY CAME (THEY WERE IN THE AREA AND ARRIVED WITHOUT BEING CALLED) AND PUSHED THE VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY. AFTER WAITING ABOUT 20 MINUTES, THE CAR RESTARTED AND I DROVE FOR ABOUT 10 MILES ON SURFACE STREETS. THE NEXT MORNING, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ONE MILE TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF TOYOTA OF HOLLYWOOD, WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, SAID IT WAS DUE TO A "SOFTWARE GLITCH" AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE "REPROGRAMMED." THEY COMPLETED THIS WORK IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE BUMPER WHICH HAD BEEN DAMAGED BY CHP IN THE PROCESS OF PUSHING THE VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY. THEIR SERVICE WAS EXCELLENT AND I HAVE NOT HAD SUBSEQUENT FAILURES. NEVERTHELESS, IT WAS A SERIOUS MALFUNCTION AND SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED.

WHILE TRAVELING 25 MPH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO STRIKE ANOTHER VEHICLE . UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. ALSO, DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT TIGHTENED SO MUCH THAT CONSUMER COULD NOT BREATH. AFTER FINALLY RELEASING THE SEAT BELT CONSUMER COULD BREATH.*AK

OUR 2004 PRIUS STALLED REPEATEDLY ON A DRIVE FROM HOLLAND, MICH., TO ST. LOUIS, MO, ON DEC. 26/27, 2004. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, IT WAS AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF HIGHWAY DRIVING, WHEN ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WENT ON AND THE ENGINE DIED. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST OFF THE HIGHWAY. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (IT WAS HE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS AND A SUNDAY, SO HELP WAS NOT READILY AVAILABLE), WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND RETURN TO HOLLAND. THE NEXT DAY, WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. WE RESUMED DRIVING AND AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, THE SAME THING HAPPENED. WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WAITED A BIT, AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. WE REPEATED THIS SEVERAL TIMES, DRIVE, STALL, RESTART, DRIVE, UNTIL WE GOT TO A DEALER IN CHICAGO, WHO DECLARED THAT OUR TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT BUT WE MIGHT AS WELL DRIVE BACK TO ST. LOUIS SINCE IT WOULD TAKE THEM A WEEK TO GET A NEW ONE ANYWAY. SO WE DROVE, STALLED, RESTARTED, AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL WE GOT JUST SOUTH OF SPRINGFIELD, ILL., WHERE THE CAR STALLED FOR GOOD. AFTER AN UNCOMFORTABLE HOUR SPENT ON THE SIDE OF INTERSTATE 55 WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK ON A FREEZING COLD NIGHT, WE FINALLY WERE TAKEN BACK TO ST. LOUIS, WHERE THE DEALER PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION.

2004 PRIUS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35-45 MPH WHEN WARNING LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD WENT ON. CAR DIED WITHIN SECONDS IN MIDDLE OF BUSY STREET AND WOULD NOT RESTART, HAD TO TOW TO DEALER. DEALER CLAIMED THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS BUT SAID "IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN"