2001 Toyota Prius Other / unspecified Problems

THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE DRIVING 65+ MPH ON THE FREEWAY. THE CHECK HYBRID WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR BECAME DANGEROUSLY UNRESPONSIVE, LUCKILY WE WERE NEAR AN EXIT AND WERE ABLE TO COAST TO SAFETY. THE HYBRID SYSTEM WAS EXPECTING INFORMATION FROM THE ACCELERATOR, AND WHEN IT DOESN'T RECEIVE IT, EITHER THE GAS ENGINE, OR THE ELECTRIC ENGINE, OR BOTH ENGINES FAIL TO OPERATE. TOYOTA HAS SERVICE BULLETIN 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS UNKNOWN OR OTHER SERVICE BULLETIN 117006 ACTION NUMBER: 635861 SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 117006... REPORT DATE: SEP 12, 2002 COMPONENT: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.... SUMMARY: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A MASTER, HYBRID AND MALFUNCTION INDICATOR WARNING LIGHT ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1120. ,,, P1120 TOYOTA DESCRIPTION ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR IS MOUNTED ON THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT HAS THE 2 SENSORS TO DETECTS THE ACCELERATOR POSITION AND A MALFUNCTION OF THE ACCELERATOR POSITION. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR IS CONNECTED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BY THE ACCELERATOR WIRE. THE ECM JUDGES THE CURRENT OPENING ANGLE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM THESE SENSOR SIGNAL INPUTS AND IT CONTROLS THE THROTTLE MOTOR BASED ON THESE SIGNALS. IF THE THE P1120 CODE IS STORED, THE ECM SHUTS DOWN THE POWER FOR THE THROTTLE MOTOR AND THE MAGNETIC CLUTCH, AND THE THROTTLE VALVE IS FULLY CLOSED BY THE RETURN SPRING. HOWEVER, THE OPENING ANGLE OF THE THROTTLE VALVE CAN BE CONTROLLED BY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THROUGH THE THROTTLE CABLE. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR ASSEMBLY IS PROBABLY AT FAULT, WHICH IS A HIGH COST ITEM $300 DOLLARS OR MORE WHICH TOYOTA WOULD BALK AT REPLACING IN A RECALL. THIS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, BUT I DON'T RECALL THE DATE.....UPDATED 08/24/15 *BF

NHTSA ID

10726901

Incident

Jun 19, 2015

Mileage

159,700 mi

I HAVE STARTED HAVING AN INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING ISSUE. AS I AM DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL BEGINS TO SHAKE AND I RECEIVE AN ERROR MESSAGE THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM. THEN THE ERROR CLEARS AND SAYS THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS INTERMITTENT AND SOMETIMES LASTS LONGER. I KNOW IN THE PAST THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE POWER STEERING UNIT IN THE PAST. I BELIEVE THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE RECALL SERVICE DONE, BUT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT IF THE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED WHY MY VEHICLE IS HAVING THIS ISSUE WITH MY PRIUS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10678640

Incident

Jan 12, 2015

Mileage

230,000 mi

PRIUS, 2001 BOTH REAR AXLE HUB ASSEMBLIES REPLACED AFTER BEARING FAILURES WITH UNDER 90K MILES ON MY CAR, OWNED NEW SINCE JUNE 2001. THERE ARE NOT OPTIONS TO REPLACE THE FAILED BEARINGS, JUST THE COMPLETE REAR HUB ASSEMBLY THAT INCLUDES THE ATTACHED ABS SENSOR. FAILED ASSEMBLIES HAVE BEEN RETAINED AND ARE AVAILABLE. I AM NOW CONCERNED ABOUT MY 2002 PRIUS, AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10405799

Incident

Jun 8, 2011

Mileage

80,431 mi

REPEATED INCIDENTS OF STALLING OF THE GASOLINE ENGINE. BATTERY CONTINUES TO FUEL VEHICLE AT LOW SPEED. WILL RESTART AFTER SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF. CONTINUES TO DO THIS AT ANY AND ALL SPEEDS. HAVE HAD VEHICLE GAS TANK BLADDER REPLACED AT OUR EXPENSE (OVER 600.00) COMPUTERS REPLACED (MULTIPLE) ON RECALLS. NOT ONLY A NUISANCE BUT VERY DANGEROUS. DEALER HAS GIVEN NO HELP IN FINDING THE CAUSE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10172651

Incident

Nov 4, 2006

ON TWO OCCASIONS, ONE WHEN MY CAR (2001 TOYOTA PRIUS) HAD 71,000 MILES AND ONE AT 80,000, A SPOKE ON A WHEEL CRACKED, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE WHEEL. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, AN INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECT IN THE WHEEL. BOTH SAID THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE WHEELS. THE TOYOTA OFFICE THAT HANDLES THESE MATTERS CONTENDS THAT THE WHEEL WAS DAMAGED WHILE DRIVING (BASED ON THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS ASSESSMENT) ON BOTH OCCASIONS. HOWEVER, THE TIRE DEALERSHIPS SAID THERE IS NO DAMAGE THAT CAN WARRANT SUCH AN ASSESSMENT. FOR MYSELF AND OTHER PRIUS OWNERS, I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS OTHER WHEELS BEGIN TO CRACK.

NHTSA ID

10163126

Incident

Jul 19, 2005

Mileage

81,400 mi

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY 2001 PEIUS FOR THE PAST YEAR WITH THE ENGINE STOPING AT FREEWAY AND LOCAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY CAR HAS NOW SET AT STANGER TOYOTA IN ST. GEORGE FOR THE PAST MONTH WITH NO CURE FOR THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS INSTALLED A NEW INVERTER, TRACED ALL WIRING, RESET CODES AND STILL WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM OF THE CAR QUITING OR GOING INTO STELTH MODE. THE CAR IS NO LONGER RELIABLE ON TRIPS OVER ONE HOUR. THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED IN HIGH AND LOW TEMP. CONDITIONS. MY DEALERSHIP SAYS THEIR IS NOTHING LEFT FOR THEM TO DO AND I WILL JUST HAVE TO KEEP DRIVING THE CAR AND BRINGING IT BACK TO RESET THE WARNING LIGHTS. THIS IS NUTS! TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THIS CAR AT ONCE, IT IS UNSAFE, UNREALIABLE AND A DISGRACE TO OWN. I HAVE BEEN A TOYOTA OWNER FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS AND HAVE ALWAYS "LOVED MY TOYOTAS" BUT THE PRIUS IS A NIGHTMARE, AND I HOPE THE NHTS WILL INVESTIGATE THIS ON GOING MATTER WITH THE PRIUS AND PUSH TOYOTA FOR A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ONCE AND FOR ALL.

NHTSA ID

10126948

Incident

May 1, 2005

Mileage

70,000 mi

EXTREME TIRE BLOW OUT(ONLY SHREDS LEFT)HESITATION RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER IN TRAFFIC/GAS PEDAL SENSOR?*AK

NHTSA ID

10030856

Incident

Aug 3, 2003

Mileage

35,974 mi

AT 45MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT, CLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS I DISENGAGED CRUISE CONTROL BY TAPPING BRAKES. SO THAT I COULD ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT. I THEN FOUND MYSELF IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE SKID ACROSS THE PAVEMENT AS I LEFT THE PAVEMENT I FELT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE DROP. NOW SPINNING I BOUNCED OFF A TREE AND INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH WITH ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 FOOT OF MUD AND WATER. IT WAS THEN I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE WHEELS (LEFT REAR) HAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DITCH. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST I HAVE NO IDEA OF THE ACTUAL CAUSE. THE STUDS WHICH HOLD THE WHEEL TO THE AXEL SHEAREDOFF, ANS AXLE SNAPPED, THE UNDERCARRAGE AND SUPPORTS WERE TANGLED. FHP OFFICER AT SITE INDICATED IT COULD HAVE BEEN MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OF SOME SORT. BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS I CONTACTED TOYOTA AS WELL AS INSURANCE CO (PROGRESSIVE). NO ONE HAS YET EVALUATED THE CAUSE. TOYOTAS FIRST COMMENT WAS "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM AN INVESTIGATION" MY ANSWERWAS " TO PREVENT A SIMILAR EVENT IN THE FUTURE". AS I RELATED THE EVENT TO EVERY ONE I ALSO NOTED THAT THE STEERING DIDNOT LET ME CORRECT THE SKID. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY HELD IN LIMBO BY INSURANCE AND TOYOTA. WHILE I AM WALKING. ALL SAFETY EQUIPMENT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY.*AK

NHTSA ID

750847

Incident

Aug 12, 2001