NHTSA Complaint #11376449 — 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS V

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020, DRIVING ON QUIET RESIDENTIAL STREET, INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP WITH MESSAGE "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE. PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY". BEFORE WE COULD FIND A SPOT AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND WOULDN'T TURN BACK ON, BLOCKING TRAFFIC. VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER. ENGINE TURNED ON AT DEALERSHIP. DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH CAR. SENT US HOME SAYING CAR WAS FINE. NOVEMBER 24, 2020 RECEIVED NOTICE FROM TOYOTA ABOUT CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR FAILURE OF "INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE (IPM) LOCATED INSIDE THE INVERTER ASSEMBLY OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM". CONDITION DESCRIBED AS "HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING" SHOWING ON INSTRUMENT PANEL AND VEHICLE GOING INTO "FAIL-SAFE DRIVING MODE". CALLED PHONE NUMBER ON THE NOTICE AND WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WE HAD WITH THE CAR WAS THE CONDITION DESCRIBED IN NOTICE, BUT NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL IT FAILS AGAIN AND THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ARE POSITIVE. IF THEY KNOW THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM, AND IT ALREADY HAPPENED ONCE IN OUR CAR, THEY SHOULD REPLACE THE FAULTY PARTS, NOT WAIT FOR US TO GET INTO A WRECK ON THE FREEWAY.