NHTSA Complaint #10125683 — 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS, PURCHASED NEW IN OCT 2004. I WAS DRIVING ON I-57 IN ILLINOIS AT 65 MPH. TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS 91F. LOW FUEL WARNING SIGNAL BEGAN TO FLASH. SINCE I PLANNED TO GAS UP ABOUT 25 MILES AWAY, I CONTINUED DRIVING. SHOULD HAVE HAD APPROXIMATELY 2 GALLONS OF FUEL LEFT. ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER AT 65 MPH, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING. THE "RED TRIANGLE OF DEATH" AND THE YELLOW "CHECK ENGINE" WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. REALIZED THAT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVE SYSTEM WAS STILL WORKING. NOTICED THAT I WAS APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM AN EXIT. SLOWED TO ABOUT 45 MPH AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE USING THE PRIUS' BATTERIES AND ELECTRIC MOTORS. PULLED INTO A SHELL STATION AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. BEGAN TO REFUEL. AFTER ABOUT 4 GALLONS, THE PUMP CLICKED OFF. TRIED AGAIN - IT CLICKED OFF. TRIED AGAIN AND WAS ABLE TO REFUEL NORMALLY. IN ALL, I ADDED 9.767 GALLONS. IF THE CAR HAS 11.9 GALLON TANK, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 2.1 GALLONS LEFT WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. UPON RESTART, SAME ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON, BUT WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THEY WENT OFF. DIGITAL FUEL GAUGE INCREASED, ONE BLOCK AT A TIME, UNTIL IT INDICATED FULL. CAR SEEMED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. RESUMED 65 MPH. CAR HAS CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY SINCE. THE SHUTTING OFF OF THE ENGINE WAS ABRUPT AND WOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY PROBLEM HAD SOMEONE BEEN FOLLOWING ME TOO CLOSELY, OR IF I HAD NEEDED FULL POWER TO AVOID TRAFFIC OR AN OBSTACLE. HAD READ ABOUT THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER PRIUS OWNERS AND THAT SOME HAD REPORTED NOT BEING ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR. FOR THAT REASON, I CHOSE NOT TO PULL OFF ON THE SHOULDER AND STOP THE CAR (FOR FEAR THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART IT), AND WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE WITH THE ELECTRIC MOTORS TO A NEARBY EXIT. HAVE NOT YET TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED. HAVE NOT HAD ANY PARTS REPLACED OR SOFTWARE UPGRADED. WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE OR SERVICE INFORMATION YOU MAY KNOW OF.