2001 Toyota Prius

A READER OF THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIB WHEELS SECTION RESPONDED TO AN ARTICLE REGARDING UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION FROM ELECTRONIC THROTTLES AND THE EDITOR FORWARDED THE LETTER TO NHTSA.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR WHILE PARKING IN A DIAGONAL PARKING SPACE THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY ACROSS A SIDEWALK AND HIT AN ELECTRIC BOX. THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS PARKING. THAT TIME NOT ACCIDENT OCCURRED. *BF *NM

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR LOST POWER AND WOULD START UP AGAIN, BUT WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING. CAR WAS TOWED IN AND THE DEALER PUT A NEW ENGINE ECU- (COMPUTER). THIS TOOK A MONTH, AS THE COMPUTER HAD TO BE MADE IN JAPAN. A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, THE NEW COMPUTER HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO NOT START UP. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOUR TIMES THIS MONTH, EACH TIME THE CAR IS RETURNED TO ME AND WILL NOT START THE NEXT DAY.

THE VEHICLE FISH TAILED WHEN DRIVING ON A WINDY DAY OR WHEN AN 18 WHEELER PASSES OR IF A SUDDEN LANE CHANGE IS MADE. THIS STARTED OCCURRING ONLY WHEN SPEED WAS AT 55 MPH, BUT HAS PROGRESSED. CURRENTLY, IT'S OCCURRING AT 50 MPH AND SLOWER. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES, THE CONTROL BUSHING, AND THE REAR STRUTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

GAS MOTOR FAILED TO CONTINUE OPERATING WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD TWICE. ONCE IN AUGUST,2003,AGAIN MARCH,2004.VEHICLE LOST POWER BOTH TIMES-CREATED A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE I CCOULD NOT MAINTAIN SPEED ON ROADS WHERE SPEED LIMITS WERE 40 AND 50 MPH.THERE WAS TRAFFIC AROUND THE VEHICLE IN BOTH INSTANCES. ON SECOND INCIDENT-NARROWLY AVOIDED A COLLISION FROM THE REAR.OTHER VEHICLE SWERVED TO AVOID MY VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED DEFECTIVE COMPUTER IN 2003 AND DEFECTIVE ACCELERATOR SENSOR UNIT 2004.*AK

EXCESSIVE FRONT TIRE WEAR, SAID BY TOYOTA TO BE "INHERENT IN A HYBRID VEHICLE" BUT NOT ADVERTISED TO PURCHASERS ANYWHERE IN THEIR SALES BROCHURES OR WARRANTY PACKET, IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ANYONE EXPECTING TIRES TO LAST MORE THAN 12,000 MILES. TOYOTA BLAMES THE TIRE MANUFACTURER; BRIDGESTONE BLAMES TOYOTA. TOYOTA ALSO REFUSES TO SPECIFY WHETHER THE 2004 MODEL, WHICH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER TIRES, WILL BE ANY BETTER. THEY SIMPLY WON'T ADMIT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. *JB

THE 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS A FAULTY ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE 8-YEAR HYBRID SYSTEM WARRANTY. NOT ONLY ARE THERE SAFETY ISSUES WITH THIS PROBLEM (E.G. SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION THAT COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS, INCORRECT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR AND THE HYBRID SYSTEM, ETC.) BUT THERE IS A LACK ON TOYOTA'S PART TO ADMIT THAT THE ACCELERATOR IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR FAILS, IT CAUSES THE "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" LIGHT TO APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD AND CAN MAKE THE CAR DANGEROUSLY UNRESPONSIVE (ESPECIALLY ON THE FREEWAY). THE HYBRID SYSTEM IS 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. EVEN THOUGH TWO TOYOTA DEALERS (STEVENS CREEK TOYOTA AND CAPITOL TOYOTA) AGREE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, BOTH CLAIM THAT THIS REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE 8-YEAR HYBRID SYSTEM WARRANTY. HOWEVER, IF THIS ACCELERATOR PROBLEM IS NOT DIRECTLY RELATED, THEN WHY DOES THE WARNING LIGHT COME ON WHEN THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR FAILS? ALSO, WHY DID THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED THE $654.52 REPAIR TELL ME THAT THE COMPLETE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY PART HAD JUST BEEN RECENTLY REVISED BY TOYOTA? (I MIGHT ADD THAT AN INDEPENDENT ELECTRICAL ENGINEER ANALYZED THE PART AND CONCLUDED THAT THE ACCELERATOR HAS AN MTBF OF 1500 HOURS. HE CONCLUDED THAT EVERY PRIUS OWNER WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THIS SAME HAZARDOUS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR!!) I HAVE SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE FROM OTHER PRIUS OWNERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR INVESTIGATION TEAM. IN MY OPINION, THESE PROBLEMS ARE SERIOUS ENOUGH TO MERIT CONSIDERATION FOR EITHER A RECALL OR A REVISION OF TOYOTA'S "HYBRID SYSTEM" WARRANTY POLICIES. I APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN PROVIDE ME IN THIS MATTER AND I HOPE THAT TOGETHER WE CAN PREVENT NEEDLESS DEATHS FROM THIS UNSAFE ACCELERATOR. *AK

THIS IS THE 3RD SET OF TIRES I HAVE HAD TO PUT ON THE CAR DUE TO UNEVEN WEAR. I ONLY HAVE 48000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE TIRES WEAR AS THOUGH THEY ARE UNDER INFLATED, BUT I AM CAREFUL TO BE SURE THAT I AM FOLLOWING THE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATION FOR TIRE INFLATION. SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY TIRE USEABLE ON THIS CAR, I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA'S RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM. SINCE TOYOTA PROBABLY GAVE THE SPECS TO BRIDGESTONE TO MANUFACTURE THE TIRE, IT IS TOYOTA'S RESPONSIBILITY TO ASSURE THAT THE TIRE WAS DESIGNED TO BE TO HAVE A NORMAL TREAD LIFE AS WELL AS HELP THE CAR FUNCTION EFFICIENTLY. IT IS REALLY TOUGH TO HAVE TO PAY $80.00 A TIRE AND HAVE IT ONLY LAST 25000 MILES. YES I HAVE HAD THE DEALER SERVICING THE CAR AND ROTATING THE TIRES AND THE ALIGNMENT IS FINE. THE PROBLEM IS THE TIRE THAT TOYOTA REQUIRES TO BE USED ON THE PRIUS.