2004 Toyota Prius Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE HYBRID SYSTEM, STABILITY CONTROL, CHECK ENGINE, AND SRS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT TOYOTA MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW HYBRID COOLANT PUMP AND WATER PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,772.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE GARAGE, THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DOOR, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000. UPDATED 10/27/17*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER STATED APPARENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS POWERED OFF INCORRECTLY. THE ENGINE WAS PERIODICALLY SWITCHING FROM GAS TO BATTERY. *JS

EVERY TIME I GET AN OIL CHANGE I MAKE SURE THAT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF OIL GETS PUT IN THE ENGINE. I USUALLY GET AN OIL CHANGE EVERY 3000 MILES REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE OIL MANUFACTURERS RECOMMEND WHICH IS USUALLY 5-7 THOUSANDS MILES. FOR THE PAST YEAR I STARTED NOTICING (USUALLY BY THE OIL SERVICE TECH) THAT MORE AND MORE I'M RUNNING LOW ON OIL. IT STARTED OUT WITH A HALF TO ONE QUART OF OIL MISSING BETWEEN OIL CHANGES TO NOW 2-3 QUARTS MISSING BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. I UNDERSTAND THAT MY 2004 PRIUS IS APPROACHING 200K MILES BUT I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN GREAT CARE OF MY CAR AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN I'M HAVING TO TOP OFF THE OIL EVERY WEEK. THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO OIL LEAK AND I DON'T SEE ANY WHITE OR BLACK SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST. I'M PRETTY DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I HAVE JUST RECENTLY HAD TO REPLACE MY HYBRID BATTERY ($2800) AND IF THE ENGINE IS GOING TO NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL THAN I MIND AS WELL JUST JUNK IT AS IT WON'T BE WORTH IT AT THAT POINT.

COOLANT CONTROL VALVE IS FAILING ON MANY PRIUS'S WHICH WERE MADE BETWEEN 2004 TO 2009

WARNING TRIANGLE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE TRAVELING. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED HYBRID WATER PUMP MALFUNCTION; HE NOTED A RECALL, SO I TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER. DEALER CHARGES $130 TO PLUG INTO DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM, FINDS SAME PROBLEM; WANTS $750 TO REPLACE. PUMP WAS REPLACED @ 30,000 MILES AGO UNDER AON RECALL. MULTIPLE REPORTS ON WEB ABOUT THE SAME REPLACEMENT PART FAILING AFTER SHORT TIME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HOT AND COLD AIR WAS BEING EMITTED FROM THE VENTILATION SYSTEM WHEN NEITHER THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT NOR THE HEATER WAS ACTIVATED. ADDITIONALLY, THE WRENCH WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE WATER PUMP FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE WATER PUMP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V536000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED PER THE RECALL HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED ONE YEAR LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS LATER CONTACTED AND ADVISED HIM THAT THE DEALER COULD HAVE PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE WATER PUMP WITH A DEFECTIVE ONE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 185,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 194,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 63 MILES PER HOUR, I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES WHEN MY ENGINE CUT OUT, ALL THE LIGHTS ON MY DASH TURNED ON INCLUDING THE CHECK ENGINE AND RED TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT. I DRIFTED TO THE SHOULDER AND POWERED THE CAR OFF. I TRIED TO START IT 2 MORE TIMES, BOTH TIMES THE ENGINE DID NOT START AND THE RED TRIANGLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. I WAITED LONGER AND TRIED TO POWER UP THE ENGINE AGAIN, IT STARTED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 DAYS LATER (THEY COULD NOT SEE ME SOONER), RAN THE CODES AND IT ONLY CAME UP WITH THE CODE POAOF, WHICH MEANS THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT START. THEY HAD NO EXPLANATION OF WHAT HAPPENED AND DID NOT SEEM TO SHARE MY CONCERN THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. THE DID RECALL WORK FOR ME AND SENT ME HOME. *TR

FAILURE OF INVERTER COOLANT PUMP OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM OCCURRING AT MANY DIFFERENT MILEAGE INTERVALS FOR OTHER OWNERS. IMMEDIATE SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER AND SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. CRUISE CONTROL AND A/C WENT OFFLINE. REQUIRES REPLACEMENT WHICH IN THIS INSTANCE WAS $605.00. *TR

DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT ON THE 405 FREEWAY AT APPROX. 65MPH, SUDDENLY ALL THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, INCLUDING THE MIL SYMBOL, ALONG WITH A WARNING SYMBOL ON THE NAVIGATION SCREEN. I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY AND PARKED AT THE CURB. AFTER CHECKING THE OWNERS MANUAL, I SLOWLY DROVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME ON SURFACE STREETS. THE NEXT MORNING (MONDAY) I DROVE MY CAR TO MILLER TOYOTA IN CULVER CITY. THE PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS WAS FAILURE OF THE INVERTER COOLANT PUMP, WHICH WAS REPLACED UNDER THE TERMS OF MY TOYOTA PLATINUM EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) COVERING THIS VERY PART, ON JANUARY 26, 2007, INDICATING THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS FAILURE-PRONE PART, AND THAT AN "IMPROVED" REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY WAS NOW AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. IN ADDITION, REPLACEMENT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THEIR 5-YEAR/60,000 MILE TOYOTA POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER, ON MAY 15, 2010, WHILE DRIVING MY FATHER'S 2004 PRIUS TO HAVE NEW TIRES INSTALLED, THE SAME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS OCCURRED. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DEALER, SANTA MONICA TOYOTA, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME FAILURE CODE, P0A93 (INVERTER COOLING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE). ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 34,242 MILES ON IT, IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, AS THE TIME LIMIT OF 60 MONTHS HAD EXPIRED. NO AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION WITH THE DEALER OR TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER COULD CONVINCE THEM THAT THIS PART SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM, AND AS SUCH BE COVERED UNDER THEIR 7-YEAR/100,000 HYBRID WARRANTY (DESPITE IT BEING NAMED THE HYBRID INVERTER COOLANT PUMP). ON-LINE PRIUS-RELATED CHAT ROOMS ARE FULL OF IDENTICAL SITUATIONS INVOLVING THIS PART. CLEARLY, TOYOTA KNOWS THIS PART IS PRONE TO PREMATURE FAILURE, BUT CONTINUES TO TREAT IT AS A "SECRET WARRANTY" ITEM IN ORDER TO AVOID HAVING TO ISSUE A FORMAL RECALL. *TR

WE OWN A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. ON 02/18/2010 IT LOST POWER ON THE ROAD, MAJOR MALFUNCTION LIGHTS CAME ON, AMONG OTHERS, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER IN CARLSBAD, CA. AFTER DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, THEY SAID THE COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED IT STARTED TRANSMITTING NEW PROBLEM CODES, NAMELY, POA94, POA78, PO279, AND PO555, WHICH MEANT THAT THE TRANSAXLE HAD FAILED, AND COMPUTER CODES SHOW THAT THE INVERTER COULD FAIL ALSO. TOTAL REPAIR COST: $5,594.00 SO FAR. IF THE INVERTER FAILS, IT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF $9,843.00 TO REPAIR. I DON'T SEE WHO WOULD PAY THIS EXORBITANT AMOUNT, LET ALONE BEING ABLE TO AFFORD IT. THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 09/15/2008. THE PRIUS HAD LOST POWER AND WE TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTICS TEST, TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY FOR 9 MILES, IT RAN O.K. AND NO COMPUTER TROUBLE CODES WERE FOUND AT THE TIME. THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS A PRELUDE TO THE VEHICLE FAILURE WERE ARE EXPERIENCING TODAY, AND WE ARE SUSPECTING IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM. AS IT STANDS NOW, THE PRIUS IS SITTING AT THE TOYOTA DEALER. THEY HAD REMOVED THE NEW COMPUTER IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS TOTALED. IN SHORT, THE PRIUS WAS FINE ONE DAY AND TOTALED THE NEXT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR

ON 23 JAN 2010, WHILE DRIVING I-85N IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THE CAR STALLED AT 70MPH. AN AUDIBLE ALERT SOUNDED, THE CAR JERKED AND THREE WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF. I COASTED THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER AND SHUT THE CAR DOWN. I RESTARTED THE CAR -- THE WARNING LIGHTS CLEARED -- AND CONTINUED DRIVING. ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER, STILL IN THE MOUNTAINS, THE SAME THINGS OCCURRED (STALL WHILE DRIVING 70MPH ON THE INTERSTATE.) WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR A YELLOW "!" WARNING REMAINED ON. I CONTINUED THE TRIP TO VIRGINIA WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. THE WARNING LIGHT WENT OUT. ON 5 FEB 2010, WHILE DRIVING ON I-95S IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THE CAR STALLED, WARNING LIGHTS AND AUDIBLE ALARM SOUNDED. UPON RESTART THE "!" STAYED ON. THIS HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES; ONCE ON I-95 AND ONCE ON I-20. THE LAST TWO TIMES THE RED TRIANGLE WARNING LIGHT STAYED ON ALSO. ON 6 FEB 2010, I TOOK THE CAR TO TOYOTA CENTER IN COLUMBIA SC. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THE WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ($384) BECAUSE AIR GOT INTO THE SYSTEM. I ASKED IF THAT WAS WHY I COULD HEAR "SLOSHING" FROM THE ENGINE WHEN DRIVING; HE SAID YES. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS CONFUSED SINCE THE COOLANT RECOVERY TANK NEVER WENT BELOW THE LOW LINE. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT AIR IN THE SYSTEM WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THE PRIUS AND THAT I SHOULD KEEP THE COOLANT LEVEL HIGHER THAN MARKED. ALSO THAT DRIVING IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS -- BOTH THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE AND THE ANGLE OF ASCENT AND DESCENT -- IS PROBABLY WHAT TRIGGERED THE PROBLEM. PRIOR TO BOTH TRIPS, THE CAR WAS CHECKED BY A MECHANIC. FLUID LEVELS WERE CLEAR AND ADEQUATE. I AM NOW IN THE FLATLANDS OF TEXAS, AND I CAN ONCE AGAIN HEAR THE SLOSHING SOUND COMING FROM MY ENGINE. BEYOND THE EXPENSE I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY STALLING. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR IN RUSH HOUR IN A CROWDED CITY I'M NOT SURE THE CAR WOULD BE SAFELY NAVIGABLE TO THE SHOULDER. *TR

2004 PRIUS: AFTER DRIVING AT 10MPH ON GRAVEL ROAD WITH POTHOLES AND THEN TURNING ON TO SMOOTH PAVED ROAD ENGINE SPEED AND SPEEDOMETER STARTED TO VARY WILDLY WITH SPEEDOMETER GOING UP TO 45MPH DOWN AND BACK UP AGAIN FOR A 5 MINUTE PERIOD WHILE DRIVING ON THE PAVED ROAD AT ABOUT 30MPH. THIS CONTINUED BUT CAR ITSELF DID NOT ACCELERATE ABNORMALLY DESPITE CHANGE IN ENGINE SPEED AND WILD SPEEDOMETER. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON I-57 NORTH. WHILE DRIVING THE GASOLINE ENGINE STOPPED FUNCTIONING, TRIGGERING SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS. I PULLED THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND MANAGED TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY ON BATTERY POWER. THERE WAS A RECALL IN 2005 FOR A SIMILAR CONDITION. MY PRIUS HAD THE RECALL WORK PERFORMED IN OCTOBER 2005 FOR THE SOFTWARE PROBLEM. THE TOYOTA DEALER IS UNABLE TO FIND ANY REASON FOR THE PROBLEM AND CAN NOT REPLICATE THE ENGINE FAILURE. AS A RESULT, THEY WILL NOT PERFORM ANY FURTHER INVESTIGATION OR MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE A CASE PENDING WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE, BUT DO NOT EXPECT ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE FROM THEM. I AM ALSO BEING CHARGED LABOR FOR THE DEALER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO FIRE OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, BUT IF I HAD NOT BEEN IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE, I VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. SUDDENLY LOOSING POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IS UNACCEPTABLE. IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, I WILL BE RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO THEM. *TR

THIS HAPPENED TO ME AND COST OVER $700 TO FIX: FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP. HYBRID VEHICLE HAS 2ND COOLANT LOOP FOR HIGH VOLTAGE INVERTER/CONVERTER. FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP ALLOWS INVERTER COOLANT TEMPERATURE TO RISE WELL ABOVE NOMINAL. AT A CERTAIN TRIGGER POINT HYBRID CONTROL ECU SETS A TROUBLE CODE THAT IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGES OPERATION OF INVERTER/CONVERTER (AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DISENGAGES CRUISE CONTROL AND A/C, WHICH RUNS OF ALTERNATING CURRENT PRODUCED BY INVERTER). IMMEDIATE IMPACT IS A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE DRIVE POWER AS INVERTER/CONVERTER SUPPLIES TO ELECTRICITY TO MOTOR GENERATOR 2 (MG2) WHICH IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO DRIVE WHEELS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED MOTIVE FORCE TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEEDS (ICE ALONE IS INSUFFICIENT). ALSO INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT LOOP PROVIDES COOLING FOR MG2 & MG1. CONTINUED OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITH FAILED INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MAIN ELECTRIC DRIVE MG2 AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER. PUMP FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF INTERMITTENT PUMP OPERATION/NON-OPERATION PRIOR TO FINAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE SEEMS TO BE THE RESULT OF EITHER A DEFECTIVE INVERTER/CONVERTER PUMP ASS'Y OR ONE INSUFFICIENTLY ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND CONTINUOUS OPERATION IN SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT. PUMP FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 160,000 MILES, ALTHOUGH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO OCCUR IN OTHER INSTANCES AS EARLY AS 32,000 MILES. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND DISENGAGEMENT OF CRUISE CONTROL AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD CAUSE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OR TO BE UNABLE TO SAFELY STEER TO A SAFE BREAKDOWN LANE. *TR

2004 PRIUS STALLED WHILE DRIVING. TOWED TO DEALER WHO FOUND NO PROBLEM. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS STALLING. AFTER SPEAKING W/ THE TOYOTA CONSUMER HELPLINE, I'VE LEARNED THAT THE COULD PUT A PROGRAM IN THE COMPUTER THAT GIVES YOU ENOUGH TIME TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE YOU STALL. I RESPONDED THAT THERE ISN'T ALWAYS A SHOULDER TO PULLOVER TO. I STARTED GETTING WARNING LIGHTS AT 6,500 MI. I NOW HAVE 36,880 MI. IN THE BEGINNING, THE LIGHTS WERE JUST A JOKE OR A NUISANCE WHEN I HAD TO BRING IT IN TO THE DEALER. ON NOV 11, I STALLED ALONG W/ WARNING LIGHTS. YOU CAN PULL OVER AND SHUT IT OFF,WAIT A MINUTE, RESTART AND DRIVE HOME WITH WARNING LIGHTS, BUT THEY GO OUT WHEN YOU START UP TO GO TO DEALER. I BROUGHT IT TO THEM ANYWAY, BUT AFTER THEY LOOKED AT THE CODES I WAS TOLD IT WAS SOFT CODES AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO FURTHER. IN DEC, I GOT THE WARNING LIGHTS, BUT NO STALL. I DROVE TO WORK AND BACK AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN I STARTED UP TO GO TO DEALER . FEB 25 6:30 PM IN THE MERGE LANE OF THE I-10,WHERE THERE ISN'T A SHOULDER AND CARS ARE COMING 40 TO 50 MPH INTO THE LANE TO EXIT. HOW I DIDN'T GET REAR-ENDED, I CAN'T EXPLAIN. TURNED KEY OFF, RESTARTED AND DROVE HOME. LIGHTS WENT OUT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO DRIVE TO DEALER SUNDAY NIGHT FOR THEM TO CHECK OUT MON AM. I'M TRYING A NEW DEALER THURSDAY AND I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CONSUMER LINE FOR ASSISTANCE. I NOT SURE HOW FAR ANYONE CAN FIX THIS ISSUE. THE SERVICE DEPT HAS UPDATED THE COMPUTER AND HAS GIVEN ME A NEW COMPUTER, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER WHEN I INFORM THEM THAT THIS IS GETTING DANGEROUS, NOW. *TR

PRIUS STALLED WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC FROM A STOP LIGHT. ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD WERE ILLUMINATED INCLUDING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. ONLY ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEMS WAS OPERATIONAL. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. UPON RESTART, ONLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 MILES AWAY. STORED ERROR CODE P0A7A WAS IDENTIFIED - BULLETIN EG029-05. "FALSE M.I.L. "ON" CONDITION. AN UPDATED CONTROL ECU WAS INSTALLED, COVERED BY WARRANTY. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO THE DEALER EACH TIME WHERE THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED.

FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP. HYBRID VEHICLE HAS 2ND COOLANT LOOP FOR HIGH VOLTAGE INVERTER/CONVERTER. FAILURE OF INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP ALLOWS INVERTER COOLANT TEMPERATURE TO RISE WELL ABOVE NOMINAL. AT A CERTAIN TRIGGER POINT HYBRID CONTROL ECU SETS A TROUBLE CODE THAT IMMEDIATELY DISENGAGES OPERATION OF INVERTER/CONVERTER (AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DISENGAGES CRUISE CONTROL AND A/C, WHICH RUNS OF ALTERNATING CURRENT PRODUCED BY INVERTER). IMMEDIATE IMPACT IS A SUDDEN LOSS OF VEHICLE DRIVE POWER AS INVERTER/CONVERTER SUPPLIES TO ELECTRICITY TO MOTOR GENERATOR 2 (MG2) WHICH IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO DRIVE WHEELS AND SUPPLIES NEEDED MOTIVE FORCE TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEEDS (ICE ALONE IS INSUFFICIENT). ALSO INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT LOOP PROVIDES COOLING FOR MG2 & MG1. CONTINUED OPERATION OF VEHICLE WITH FAILED INVERTER/CONVERTER COOLANT PUMP COULD RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MAIN ELECTRIC DRIVE MG2 AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER. PUMP FAILURE OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF INTERMITTENT PUMP OPERATION/NON-OPERATION PRIOR TO FINAL FAILURE. THE FAILURE SEEMS TO BE THE RESULT OF EITHER A DEFECTIVE INVERTER/CONVERTER PUMP ASS'Y OR ONE INSUFFICIENTLY ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND CONTINUOUS OPERATION IN SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT. PUMP FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 160,000 MILES, ALTHOUGH HAS BEEN KNOWN TO OCCUR IN OTHER INSTANCES AS EARLY AS 32,000 MILES. SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND DISENGAGEMENT OF CRUISE CONTROL AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD CAUSE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OR TO BE UNABLE TO SAFELY STEER TO A SAFE BREAKDOWN LANE. *TR

MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2004 VIN [XXX] ENGINE SUDDENLY STALLED ON THE FREEWAY. I STILL CAN'T RESTART THE ENGINE. AS OF 10/17/05 DEALER STILL CAN'T FIND THE REASON. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)