NHTSA Complaint #10488713 — 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS

IF THE PRIUS ENGINE DOES NOT START IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE COMPUTER TELLS IT TO, THE COMPUTER STOPS TRYING TO START IT AND LEAVES YOU WITH ONLY THE BATTERY POWER...VERY DANGEROUS WHEN THIS HAPPENS IN FAST TRAFFIC OR ON AN ON-RAMP. IT CAN BE RESTARTED IF ONE PULLS OFF THE ROAD AND SHUTS OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTS IT. AFTER NUMEROUS INCIDENTS AND ATTEMPTS TO DETERMINE THE REASON FOR THE OCCASIONAL NON-STARTS, IT TURNED OUT THAT THE AIR INTAKE FLAP IN THE ENGINE CAN GET DIRTY AND STICK, WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO SOMETIMES TAKE SEVERAL TRIES TO RESTART. (THIS WAS INITIALLY MISDIAGNOSED AS A COMPUTER PROBLEM, HOWEVER THAT WAS NOT THE CAUSE.) BESIDES MAKING THE FLAP CLEANING PART OF MAINTENANCE, THE COMPUTER SHOULD ALSO BE FIXED SO THAT IT WILL ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, SINCE THINGS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO NOT START ON THE FIRST TRY (SUCH AS SLOSHING FROM LOW GAS.) I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM ON NEWER PRIUSES, HOWEVER AS MORE OF THEM HAVE HIGH MILEAGE, THIS CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE MORE OF A PROBLEM. *TR