NHTSA Complaint #11309040 — 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY 95 SOUTH, ALMOST TO DELAWARE, AT NIGHT IN THE RAIN, AFTER 4 HOURS ON THE ROAD, EVERYTHING STOPPED WORKING. I COULDN'T ACCELERATE, I HAD NO BRAKES, AND EVENTUALLY EVEN MY LIGHTS WENT OUT. THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS OUT. I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, AND DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY, AND TO A GAS STATION. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER COULDN'T EVEN JUMP THE BATTERY ENOUGH TO GET THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING IT UP ON THE FLATBED TO TOW IT HOME. I COULDN'T EVEN LOCK THE DOORS. I HAD A NEW KEY MADE AT THE DEALERSHIP ON 10/17/19 AND I WAS USING THAT KEY FOR HOURS DRIVING TO CT AND A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I WAS HALF WAY HOME WHEN EVERYTHING IN THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. I WAS TOWED TO MY HOME IN MD BECAUSE I NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO UNPACK MY CAR AND COMPUTER BEFORE TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN THE SECOND TOW CAME THE NEXT DAY, I HANDED HIM THE KEY BY THE FRONT DOOR, WHICH WAS MY OLD KEY, AND HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR IN NEUTRAL RIGHT AWAY, AND AT THE DEALERSHIP THE CAR WORKED JUST FINE. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS THE NEW KEY. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THAT "THE IMMOBILIZER ECU HAS AN INTERMITTENT OPEN CIRCUIT FAILURE, CAUSING THE KEY TO BE SEEN AS UNAUTHORIZED AND STALL THE ENGINE." FROM JIM COLEMAN TOYOTA. APPARENTLY THERE IS A PART OF THE COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT SHUTS OFF ALL SYSTEMS IF IT DETECTS AN "UNAUTHORIZED" KEY--I.E. IF IT BELIEVES THE CAR IS BEING STOLEN. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROGRAM IN THIS CAR. I HAD BEEN USING THAT NEW KEY FOR SEVERAL DAYS, AND HAD NO PROBLEM, BUT FOR IT TO DECIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AFTER HOURS ON THE ROAD THAT THE KEY WAS A FAKE, I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR I COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE ELSE. I WOULD MUCH PREFER THAT MY CAR BE STOLLEN THAN THAT SOMEONE MIGHT GET KILLED BUT SHUTTING OFF EVERYTHING WHILE IT WAS ON THE ROAD.