2001 Toyota Prius

AUXILIARY BATTERY ON TOYOTA PRIUS 2001 AND TOYOTA PRIUS 2004 FAIL IF THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEN AT LEAST EVERY 7-10 DAYS. THIS PREVENTS THE CAR FROM STARTING. WE PURCHASED A 2001 PRIUS USED MARCH 2004, AND A NEW 2004 PRIUS IN JUNE 2004. THE AUXILIARY BATTERY FAILED ON THE 2001 PRIUS TWICE, AND WE REPLACED IT ONCE. RECENTLY THE DEALER SERVICE REP TOLD US THAT IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT THE BATTERY WILL NOT HOLD A CHARGE UNLESS DRIVEN EVERY 7-10 DAYS, AND SHOULD BE "DISCONNECTED" IF PARKED FOR "PROLONGED TIME." THIS IS POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM FOR CAR NOT STARTING, SUCH AS IF RETURNING ON PLANE AFTER 2-3 WEEK VACATION AND NOT BEING ABLE TO START THE CAR, RISK FOR VULNERABILITY AWAITING JUMP START. TOYOTA'S ONLY RESPONSE IS "WELL, IT'S A HYBRID." THEY SAY THE "HUNDREDS OF COMPUTERS IN THE CAR DRAIN THE BATTERY WHEN PARKED." THEY COULD HAVE DESIGNED IN SOME AUTOMATIC OR SIMPLE SWITCH TO ADDRESS THIS. THEY ALSO COULD NOTIFY THE POTENTIAL CUSTOMER OF THIS DESIGN FLAW. THEY DID NOT INFORM US, OR ANY OF THE OTHER PRIUS OWNERS WE HAVE RECENTLY DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH. THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR 2001 MODEL MAKES NO MENTION OF IT. IN THE 2004 MANUAL, THERE IS A BRIEF MENTION OF NEED TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY IF PARKED FOR "PROLONGED TIME" BUT DOES NOT DEFINE THAT. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE BEEN HAPPY WITH OTHER FEATURES OF THE PRIUS AND OTHER TOYOT AS WE OWNED IN THE PAST, WE CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SERIOUS AND RISKY DESIGN FLAW. FURTHERMORE, WE CONSIDER TOYOTA'S SALES PEOPLE AND SALES BROCHURES FAILURE TO NOTIFY US OF THIS PROBLEM TO BE A SIGNIFICANT BREACH OF GOODWILL AND RESPECT FOR CUSTOMER SAFETY AND SATISFACTION. *AK

ON JUNE 6, 2006 I TOOK OUR 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN LOSING POWER WHILE DRIVING. THE PRIUS MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT IT WAS "NORMAL" AND THAT THERE WAS "NOTHING WRONG." I RESPONDED THAT I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. ON JUNE 15, 2006 ON THE WAY INTO WORK, THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER AT A RELATIVELY SAFE SPOT. HAD IT STALLED IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC OR IN A DIFFERENT LANE, WE COULD HAVE DIED THERE. THE SCREEN SHOWED "MAIN BATTERY FAILURE," AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN TESTED IT AND THE ONLY CODE SHOWN WAS AN "ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY PEDAL." NEITHER I NOR THE TECHNICIAN FELT THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM; THE TECHNICIAN FELT THAT THE PROBLEM IS IN THE INVERTER--THE PART THAT CYCLES POWER BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN GAS AND ELECTRIC. HOWEVER, TOYOTA REGIONAL REFUSED TO REPLACE THE INVERTER, SAYING "WE ARE NOT JUST GOING TO THROW PARTS AT THE PROBLEM TRYING TO SOLVE IT." I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY PEDAL AT MY EXPENSE, EVEN THOUGH THAT WILL LIKELY NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE TOYOTA "WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE UNLESS YOU DO." THIS TYPE OF POWERING DOWN AND STOPPING IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA PRIUS CARS, MORE SO WITH 2004-05 (FOR WHICH AN NHTSA INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN OPENED), BUT ALSO WITH 2001-03. THERE WERE FEWER OF THE 2001-03 CARS ON THE ROAD, SO THE NUMBER OF REPORTED INSTANCES IS LESS, BUT THE INTERNET CONTAINS MANY COMPLAINTS FROM TOYOTA PRIUS OWNERS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. AS PRIUS CARS AGE, THIS SAFETY DEFECT WILL BECOME INCREASING APPARENT AND HAZARDOUS. *JB

I OWN A 2001 PRIUS PURCHASED JULY OF 2001 MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD A NEAR STALL SO MANY TIMES WE HAVE LOST COUNT. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN THE FIRST WEEK OF PURCHASE 2001 AND WE HAVE HAD THE CAR CHECKED AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM SINCE THEY CAN NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM. I GUESS WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY OUR PRIUS DOES NOT STALL COMPLETELY JUST SLOWS TO 15-37 MILES PER THEN WE HAVE TO STOP AND WAIT FOR THE LIGHTS TO CLEAR. IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING ALMOST DAILY. THE LAST TIME WE TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE AND HAD THEM CHECK TO FIND THE PROBLEM THEY DID NOT INFORM US THAT THERE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM ALL ALONG. WE LOVE THE CAR AS FAR AS MILEAGE AND ENJOY DRIVING THE PRIUS. WE HAVE ALWAYS SPOKEN HIGHLY OF THE TOYOTA CORPORATION BUT WE ARE GETTING RATHER ANNOYED THEY CANNOT FIX OUR PROBLEM OR THE PROBLEMS OF OTHER PRUIS OWNERS. WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF TOYOTA HAS SENT OUT A WARNING TO ALL OWNERS. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN NOTIFIED OF ANY PROBLEMS AND WE HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR FIVE YEARS. WE HAD ONE RECALL THE BATTERIES WERE REDONE, BUT NO STALL WARNINGS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME PETER KALOUS. *NM

DT*: THE CONSUMER STATED THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION PE05029 CONCERNING THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE INVESTIGATION, BUT WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN DUE TO THE VIN. THE VEHICLE STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEED, OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED, AND ULTIMATELY STALLED OUT. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. *JB

THE FOLLOWING HAS HAPPENED ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, 3 TIMES I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES FROM HOME AT SPEEDS OF 65 TO 70 MILES PER HOUR. ON THESE OCCASIONS THE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS HAVE COME ON AND THE GASOLINE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRIC MOTOR WILL CONTINUE OPERATING IN A LIMITED CAPACITY, SO I CAN STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WILL START WORKING AGAIN WHEN I TRY TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT NOT FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, THIS HAS BEEN VERY FRIGHTENING, AS I AM USUALLY ALONE IN THE CAR. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED I HAD TO WAIT APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT DUSK BEFORE THE CAR STARTED AGAIN. I HAD CALLED SEVERAL TOW TRUCKS, BUT THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT COME FOR ANOTHER 45 MINUTES TO 2 HOURS AS THEY WERE THAT BUSY. I HAVE HAD MY CAR INTO THE TOYOTA SHOP EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENED AND THEY KEEP TELLING ME NOTHING IS WRONG. WELL, SOMETHING IS WRONG...I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM THE ONLY PERSON HAVING THIS TROUBLE. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO MAKE THEM FIX THIS PROBLEM. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED AND IN GOOD FAITH, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF GAS PRICES. BUT NOW I GUESS I KNOW WHY IT WAS TRADED IN AFTER ONLY 2 YEARS. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS OCTOBER 10TH, 2005. *JB

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY 2001 PEIUS FOR THE PAST YEAR WITH THE ENGINE STOPING AT FREEWAY AND LOCAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY CAR HAS NOW SET AT STANGER TOYOTA IN ST. GEORGE FOR THE PAST MONTH WITH NO CURE FOR THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS INSTALLED A NEW INVERTER, TRACED ALL WIRING, RESET CODES AND STILL WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM OF THE CAR QUITING OR GOING INTO STELTH MODE. THE CAR IS NO LONGER RELIABLE ON TRIPS OVER ONE HOUR. THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED IN HIGH AND LOW TEMP. CONDITIONS. MY DEALERSHIP SAYS THEIR IS NOTHING LEFT FOR THEM TO DO AND I WILL JUST HAVE TO KEEP DRIVING THE CAR AND BRINGING IT BACK TO RESET THE WARNING LIGHTS. THIS IS NUTS! TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THIS CAR AT ONCE, IT IS UNSAFE, UNREALIABLE AND A DISGRACE TO OWN. I HAVE BEEN A TOYOTA OWNER FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS AND HAVE ALWAYS "LOVED MY TOYOTAS" BUT THE PRIUS IS A NIGHTMARE, AND I HOPE THE NHTS WILL INVESTIGATE THIS ON GOING MATTER WITH THE PRIUS AND PUSH TOYOTA FOR A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL.

DT: WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND WOULD NOT RESTART. ALL 3 TIMES THAT THIS HAPPENED CONSUMER WAS ON THE FREEWAY. CONSUMER OWNED THE CAR FOR 1 YEAR BEFORE IT STARTED STALLING, AND IT HAS STALLED TWO MORE TIMES SINCE THEN. EACH TIME THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA, AND EACH THEY TIME THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS.*AK *SB *NM

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. ON 05/12/05 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH ON THE 405 FREEWAY. THE CAR SUDDENLY HESITATED, THEN LOST MOST OF ITS POWER AND THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I RESTARTED IT. THE LIGHTS STAYED ON, BUT IT DROVE OK. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER. THEY RESET THE WARNING LIGHTS AND TOLD ME THE GAS PEDAL SENSOR WAS BAD. I DID NOT GET IT REPLACED. CAR HAS RUN OK SINCE THEN. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURENCE. IT ALSO HAPPENED ABOUT ONE AND A HALF YEARS AGO. SIMULAR SYMTOMS. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY RESET THE WARNING SYSTEM. NO OTHER WORK WAS DONE OR PERFORMED. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. VERY HAZARDOUS. CAR JUST STUMBLES AND LOSES MOST OF ITS POWER. A SECOND MAJOR DEFECT WAS THE FRONT END, WHICH STARTED TO HAVE STEERING PROBLEMS TOYOTA REPLACED ENTIRE FRONT END UNDER WARRENTEE.