NHTSA Complaint #10134013 — 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS

NOTHING SPECIAL OR EXTRAORDINARY LED UP TO THIS FAILURE. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT ABOUT 7:00AM. THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS ABOUT 70 DEGREES AND THE CAR IS KEPT IN A GARAGE EVERY EVENING. IN THE MIDDLE OF ACCELERATION (I WAS GOING ABOUT 25MPH), THE CAR STALLED AND THE "RED TRIANGLE OF DEATH" CAME UP ON THE DASH, ALONG WITH SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS. THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM ALSO PROVIDED THE WORD "PROBLEM" AND A LITTLE, RED CAR SYMBOL WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX UNDER BATTERY POWER ONLY. I THEN SHUT THE CAR OFF, WAITED A FEW SECONDS, AND THEN STARTED IT AGAIN. THE ENGINE DID KICK BACK IN AFTER THIS, BUT THE WARNING SYMBOL (LITTLE, RED CAR) ON THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM DIDN'T GO AWAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD TO "RECALIBRATE THE ENGINE COMPUTER." THE CAR IS NOW RUNNING AS NORMAL. THE CAR IS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. MY WORRY WITH THIS IS WHAT IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ACROSS KANSAS, WHILE 80 MILES AWAY FROM ANYONE TO HELP YOU? THE BATTERY POWER SURELY WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH TO GET YOU TO SAFETY. THIS IS A PROBLEM INHERENT IN THE SOFTWARE OF THE ENGINE COMPUTER AND IT SHOULD BE FIXED FOR ALL OWNERS.