2005 TOYOTA PRIUS Power Trainautomatic Transmission Problems

I HAVE AN UNRESOLVED SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. THIS HAPPENED TO ME ON THE FIRST DAY THAT I DROVE MY THEN-BRAND NEW CAR. I STILL REMEMBER THIS DANGEROUS EVENT VERY CLEARLY. I CAN EASILY REPLICATE THE PROBLEM FOR YOU. I WAS ABOUT TO BACK MY PRIUS OUT OF ITS DIAGONAL PARKING SPACE ON A BUSY MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN EL CAJON, CA. IT WAS DAYTIME. VEHICLES WERE PARKED ON EITHER SIDE OF ME, WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM SEEING WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS TRAFFIC APPROACHING. I CAREFULLY BACKED OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE UNTIL I COULD SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS TRAFFIC APPROACHING. I SAW THAT THERE WAS AND IT WAS APPROACHING QUICKLY, SO WITH THE INTENTION OF STOPPING MY CAR'S BACKWARDS MOVEMENT AND, INSTEAD, GOING FORWARD INTO MY PARKING SPACE, I HIT THE BRAKES AND QUICKLY MOVED THE GEARSHIFT LEVER OVER TO THE LEFT AND...

GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR STICKS IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. A FEW YEARS AGO, THE ONLY SYMPTOM WAS CLICKING NOISE WHEN LEVER WAS ACTUATED, BUT NOW IT DOES NOT RETURN TO A NEUTRAL POSITION WHEN YOU LET GO. HAPPENS EVERY TIME. CONSEQUENTIALLY, UNLESS YOU CONSCIOUSLY RETURN THE LEVER TO CENTRAL POSITION, PRESSING PARK DOES NOT TAKE THE CAR OUT OF GEAR. IF INATTENTIVE OR A UNFAMILIAR DRIVER OPERATES CAR, IT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE. I HAVE BEEN TRYING SINCE NOVEMBER 2 TO CONVINCE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THEY SHOULD REPAIR, IS NOT A NORMAL WEAR ITEM, AND BEGAN EVEN BEFORE MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. NO LUCK. DEALER HAS OFFERED A 15% DISCOUNT FROM A $575 REPAIR AND HAS ALREADY CHARGED ME $45 TO "DIAGNOSE". *TR

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. IT HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR HAD ANY DAMAGE. FOR THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, I'VE BEEN NOTICING A PROBLEM WITH THE GEAR SHIFTER. USUALLY IN COLD WEATHER (BELOW ABOUT 40 DEGREES F), THE GEAR SHIFTER DOES NOT CHANGE GEARS. FOR EXAMPLE, I'LL PUT IT IN DRIVE, RELEASE THE GEAR SHIFT, AND IT IMMEDIATELY REVERTS TO NEUTRAL. SAME THING HAPPENS WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE. TO GO ANYWHERE, I HAVE TO HOLD THE GEAR SHIFT IN THE GEAR I NEED. SOMETIMES, IF I HOLD IT IN DRIVE FOR ABOUT A MINUTE, IT FINALLY STAYS IN DRIVE WHEN I RELEASE IT. SO FAR IT HASN'T JUMPED GEARS WHILE DRIVING - ONLY WHEN I FIRST TURN THE CAR ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TODAY AND HE SAID HE'S SEEN SEVERAL CARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, AND SAID I HAVE TO GET...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT ROLLED DOWN-HILL. SHE ATTEMPTED TO RE-ENTER THE VEHICLE TO STOP IT, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. CONSEQUENTLY, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A POLE. SHE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR KNEE INJURIES AND LACERATIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,810. UPDATED 1/5/10 *CN UPDATED 01/06/10*JB

I HAVE AN EARLY 2005 PRIUS WHICH HAS "STALLED" I.E. LOST AL ENGINE POWER ON TWO OCCASIONS. I BELIEVE THE "STALLING" IS INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED INTO THE SOFTWARE TO PROTECT THE TRANSMISSION. I THINK A DESIGN DECISION INTENDED TO PROTECT THE CAR IS PUTTING MY LIFE AT RISK. MY EARLY 2005 PRIUS HAS "STALLED" TWICE: ONCE ON THE FREEWAY AT 80 MPH WHEN I HAD TO JAM ON THE BRAKES (SOMEONE CUT ME OFF) AND AGAIN ON SURFACE STREETS AT 30 MPH WHEN I FLOORED IT TO ACCELERATE SUDDENLY. IN EACH CASE THE TRANSMISSION'S INTERNAL COMPONENTS WOULD BE UNDER TREMENDOUS STRAIN UNLESS IT DISENGAGED. IN EACH CASE ALL LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, INDICATORS STAYED ON, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR CONTINUED COASTING (AS IF PUT IN NEUTRAL), AND THE CAR WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO THE THROTTLE AND THE GEAR SHIFT. (IN NEITHER CASE DID I HIT THE GEAR SHIFT NOR POWER...

THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 2 WEEKS AND HAD AN EPISODE WHERE THE ENGINE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED IT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A MOMENTARY EVENT TO SHIFT IT INCORRECTLY FROM THE BRAKING MODE. WHEN THE CONSUMER FIRST ATTEMPTED TO PUT IT IN REVERSE, IT WOULDN'T TAKE THEN, AND IT WOULD NOT TAKE INTO THE PROPER DRIVE MODE EITHER. THE ENGINE HAD STALLED, AND WOULD NOT GO INTO DRIVE. THE CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE, AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT. THE CONSUMER HAD NOT EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS SINCE THEN. THE CONSUMER CALLED AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO TOYOTA. *AK GASOLINE ENGINE ON HYBRID VEHICLE FAILED TO KICK IN OR STALLED. *SC *JB