NHTSA Complaint #10160423 — 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS

ON JUNE 6, 2006 I TOOK OUR 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN LOSING POWER WHILE DRIVING. THE PRIUS MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT IT WAS "NORMAL" AND THAT THERE WAS "NOTHING WRONG." I RESPONDED THAT I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. ON JUNE 15, 2006 ON THE WAY INTO WORK, THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER AT A RELATIVELY SAFE SPOT. HAD IT STALLED IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC OR IN A DIFFERENT LANE, WE COULD HAVE DIED THERE. THE SCREEN SHOWED "MAIN BATTERY FAILURE," AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN TESTED IT AND THE ONLY CODE SHOWN WAS AN "ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY PEDAL." NEITHER I NOR THE TECHNICIAN FELT THAT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM; THE TECHNICIAN FELT THAT THE PROBLEM IS IN THE INVERTER--THE PART THAT CYCLES POWER BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN GAS AND ELECTRIC. HOWEVER, TOYOTA REGIONAL REFUSED TO REPLACE THE INVERTER, SAYING "WE ARE NOT JUST GOING TO THROW PARTS AT THE PROBLEM TRYING TO SOLVE IT." I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY PEDAL AT MY EXPENSE, EVEN THOUGH THAT WILL LIKELY NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE TOYOTA "WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE UNLESS YOU DO." THIS TYPE OF POWERING DOWN AND STOPPING IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA PRIUS CARS, MORE SO WITH 2004-05 (FOR WHICH AN NHTSA INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN OPENED), BUT ALSO WITH 2001-03. THERE WERE FEWER OF THE 2001-03 CARS ON THE ROAD, SO THE NUMBER OF REPORTED INSTANCES IS LESS, BUT THE INTERNET CONTAINS MANY COMPLAINTS FROM TOYOTA PRIUS OWNERS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. AS PRIUS CARS AGE, THIS SAFETY DEFECT WILL BECOME INCREASING APPARENT AND HAZARDOUS. *JB