2015 Toyota Prius V

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020, DRIVING ON QUIET RESIDENTIAL STREET, INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP WITH MESSAGE "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE. PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY". BEFORE WE COULD FIND A SPOT AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WOULDN'T TURN BACK ON, BLOCKING TRAFFIC. VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER. ENGINE TURNED ON AT DEALERSHIP. DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH CAR. SENT US HOME SAYING CAR WAS FINE. NOVEMBER 24, 2020 RECEIVED NOTICE FROM TOYOTA ABOUT CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR FAILURE OF "INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE (IPM) LOCATED INSIDE THE INVERTER ASSEMBLY OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM". CONDITION DESCRIBED AS "HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING" SHOWING ON INSTRUMENT PANEL AND VEHICLE GOING INTO "FAIL-SAFE DRIVING MODE". CALLED PHONE NUMBER ON THE NOTICE AND WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WE HAD WITH THE CAR WAS THE CONDITION DESCRIBED IN NOTICE, BUT NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL IT FAILS AGAIN AND THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ARE POSITIVE. IF THEY KNOW THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM, AND IT ALREADY HAPPENED ONCE IN OUR CAR, THEY SHOULD REPLACE THE FAULTY PARTS, NOT WAIT FOR US TO GET INTO A WRECK ON THE FREEWAY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS V HYBRID. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY BETWEEN 5-10 MPH. THE SPEED INCREASED TO 20 MPH AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A FENCE. THE CONTACT APPLIED SIGNIFICANT PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL DURING THE FAILURE, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR SORENESS FROM THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND DEEMED DESTROYED. STEVE LANDERS TOYOTA (10825 COLONEL GLENN ROAD, LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72204) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIATELY 59,100. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

PRIUS V3 LUNGING BACKWARDS 1/21/2016 ON THURSDAY 1/21/2016, I WAS PARKED IN A BIG LOT AND AFTER MY APPOINTMENT, GOT IN THE CAR AND TURNED IT ON. BUT RATHER THAN PULL BACKWARDS OUT OF THE SPOT, I DECIDED TO FIRST MAKE A CALL USING BLUETOOTH. THE CALL TOOK ABOUT 10 MINUTES. I THEN HUNG UP, RELEASED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND MOVED THE STICK SHIFT INTO REVERSE WITH MY FOOT, OF COURSE, ON THE REGULAR BRAKE. AS I RELEASED THAT BRAKE, THE CAR LUNGED HARD ABOUT 10 FEET BACKWARD ACROSS THE PARKING LOT "DRIVE", INTO WHERE OTHER CARS COULD HAVE BEEN PARKED BUT LUCKILY WEREN'T. I AUTOMATICALLY AND IMMEDIATELY PUT MY FOOT BACK ON THE BRAKE WHICH STOPPED THE CAR. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS BEWILDERED AND SCARED BY WHAT HAD HAPPENED, COUNTING MYSELF VERY LUCKY THERE WAS NO OTHER CAR PARKED BEHIND ME. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE ENGINE'S LUNGE, I JUST KNOW THAT I HAVE DRIVEN TOYOTA PRIUS CARS FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, LOVE THEM, AND NEVER HAD ANY DRIVING ISSUES. IN RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM ONLINE, I SAW THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE CAR'S POWER TRAIN, SINCE SIMILAR LUNGES WERE DESCRIBED IN CARS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.