NHTSA Complaint #10124673 — 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS

DT: TOYOTA PRIUS GAS ENGINE STALLED 3 TIMES, TWICE WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND ON RAMP. 1) MAY 13 2004 STALLED IN BUSY INTERSECTION GOING ABOUT 40 MPH, ELECTRICAL ENGINE STILL WORKED, SO SPEED DROPPED TO 20 MPH, AND CONSUMER STOPPED ON THE SIDE. ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA, AND THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG EXCEPT DIRTY GAS. THEY RESET WARNING LIGHTS, AND TOLD IT WAS SAFE. 2) JUNE 1, 2004, WHILE MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY GOING UP THE RAMP AT ABOUT 50 MPH CAR JERKED AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 25 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. CAR BEHIND M HAD TO GO ONTO SHOULDER TO AVOID REAR ENDING CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AGAIN . WHEN CHECKING ENGINE DISPLAY ONLY ELECTRICAL POWER WAS WORKING AGAIN. GAS ENGINE HAD STALLED, CAUSING THE IMMEDIATE DECREASE IN SPEED, WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS SO CAR BEHIND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. TOWED TO TOYOTA. THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG AGAIN EXCEPT DIRTY GAS. CONSUMER CHANGED GAS STATIONS AND USED THEIR RECOMMENDED ONES SINCE THE LAST INCIDENT. CONSUMER REFUSED TO TAKE THE CAR BACK . HAD TWO TODDLERS WHO WERE IN THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENTS. GMC DEALER SENT A PATCH WHICH WA SSUPPOSE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT PATCH DID,T WORK. PROBLEM RECURRED.*AK