NHTSA Complaint #10316370 — 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS

WE OWN A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. ON 02/18/2010 IT LOST POWER ON THE ROAD, MAJOR MALFUNCTION LIGHTS CAME ON, AMONG OTHERS, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER IN CARLSBAD, CA. AFTER DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, THEY SAID THE COMPUTER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED IT STARTED TRANSMITTING NEW PROBLEM CODES, NAMELY, POA94, POA78, PO279, AND PO555, WHICH MEANT THAT THE TRANSAXLE HAD FAILED, AND COMPUTER CODES SHOW THAT THE INVERTER COULD FAIL ALSO. TOTAL REPAIR COST: $5,594.00 SO FAR. IF THE INVERTER FAILS, IT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF $9,843.00 TO REPAIR. I DON'T SEE WHO WOULD PAY THIS EXORBITANT AMOUNT, LET ALONE BEING ABLE TO AFFORD IT. THE SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 09/15/2008. THE PRIUS HAD LOST POWER AND WE TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER. THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTICS TEST, TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY FOR 9 MILES, IT RAN O.K. AND NO COMPUTER TROUBLE CODES WERE FOUND AT THE TIME. THIS SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS A PRELUDE TO THE VEHICLE FAILURE WERE ARE EXPERIENCING TODAY, AND WE ARE SUSPECTING IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM. AS IT STANDS NOW, THE PRIUS IS SITTING AT THE TOYOTA DEALER. THEY HAD REMOVED THE NEW COMPUTER IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE IS TOTALED. IN SHORT, THE PRIUS WAS FINE ONE DAY AND TOTALED THE NEXT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *TR