NHTSA Complaint #10136239 — 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS

DT: TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF WIFE'S 2004 PRIUS ON SEPTEMBER 2 IN FINE WEATHER ONE IN SAN JOSE. THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED SUDDEN AND SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER WHILE MERGING INTO THE INTERSTATE. LOSS OF GAS/ENGINE POWER WITH FAILURE OF THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION WITH ENGINE TO START, RESULTED IN ONLY ELECTRIC MOTOR PROPULSION AND BREAKDOWN ON THE HIGHWAY AS THE BATTERY QUICKLY WENT TO SINGLE PINK BAR LEVEL WITHIN A 1/2 MILES. MULTIPLE MIL LAMPS LIT UP AND STAYED ON. BEGAN TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM A STOP SPEED OF 30 OR 40 MPH AND SLOWLY ACCELERATED INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC. SHE HAD TO PULL OFF TO THE (UGH) BREAKDOWN LANE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH ALL OF ITS DEBRIS, ETC. THE DEALER COMPLETED THE REPAIR, SAN JOSE INVOICE NUMBER TOCS190787 DTD 9/2/05 APPLIED EG047-04 ON CAR. THE DEALER REPAIRS SEEMED TO HAVE FIXED THE CAR. CONTACTED A TOYOTA PRIUS ADVISOR WITH THREE CONCERNS: IF THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS CHARACTERISTIC THAT WOULD PREVENT THE ROADWAY FAILURE THEN WHY WAS IT NOT EXECUTED DURING PRIOR SERVICES 3-9-05, 5-26-05 & 6-09-05 AT THIS SAME DEALER. WHAT LED ONE TO BELIEVE THAT THE CAR WAS NOT RELIABLE AFTER THIS REPAIR. THE CONSUMER, AN ACCOMPLISHED ENGINEER, A KNEW ABOUT SOFTWARE BUGS. A SOFTWARE BUG DID NOT IMPAIR OPERATION UNTIL THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS WAS REACHED. THE CONSUMER ASSUMED THAT ALL PRIUS HAD THIS POTENTIAL BUG THAT CONTAMINATED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU). ECU. *AK