NHTSA Complaint #10485076 — 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS

A COMBINATION OF 2 ISSUES. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR HAS BEEN STICKING IN THE D POSITION INSTEAD OF AUTOMATICALLY RETURNING TO THE N POSITION AS IT SHOULD. IT IS DOCUMENTED BY OTHER PRIUS OWNERS THAT THE DUST COVER INSIDE THE SHIFTER CAN BEGIN TO WARP OVER TIME CAUSING THIS STICKING. HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/GEAR-SHIFTER-STICKS.38199/ I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST A NUISANCE ISSUE UNTIL LAST MONTH AND ON ONE OTHER OCCASION WHERE THE SHIFTER STUCK IN THE D POSITION AND I HADN'T NOTICED AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR INTO "PARK" BY PRESSING THE SEPARATE P BUTTON THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. IT IS NOW APPARENT THAT THIS IS RELATED TO THE SHIFTER STICKING IN THE D POSITION AND PREVENTING THE CAR FROM GOING INTO PARK. THERE IS ONE REPORT OF A NEAR INCIDENT OF THE CAR DRIVING AWAY WHEN THE DRIVER DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE CAR FAILED TO GO INTO PARK WHICH IS A CLEAR SAFETY PROBLEM: HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/2004-PARK-BUTTON-INTERMITTENT-FAILURE.118257/. *TR