2009 Toyota Prius Engine Problems

Breaking system failure do to ASB Actuator, breaks are locking and vehicle is engine braking.

NHTSA ID

11652330

Incident

Feb 11, 2025

The engine light went on while driving on the highway. We immediately pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the nearest dealership. The dealership informed us that both the Brake Actuator (Toyota part TO44500-47141) and water pump (Toyota par TOG9020-47031) had failed. The car was no longer save to drive.

NHTSA ID

11618991

Incident

Sep 21, 2024

My 2009 Toyota Prius abruptly lost power while driving. The electrical system turned off and the vehicle stalled while going 50 mph on a 2-lane parkway. While I was able to put my hazard lights on and steer the vehicle, I had no other control and was at a high risk of a crash. There's no emergency lane and few areas wide enough to pull over on the parkway. I was forced to coast the vehicle until I could pull off the parkway onto a patch of grass off the busy road. There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms of the problems prior to failure. I had plenty of gasoline in the tank, so it wasn't due to a lack of fuel. The car would not start after pulling over and I had to get towed. After researching the issue, it sounds very similar to the safety recall involving certain 2013-2015 Model Year Prius and 2014 – 2017 Model Year Prius v in the United States, the press release for which was published on June 24 2020: https://tinyurl.com/4mrnz9nr Furthermore, the Los Angeles Times wrote an article on April 23 2018 about a similar issue, referring to a recall in 2014 which was intended to fix overheating problems in the 2010-204 Prius inverter. Those recall documents suggest that Toyota has been tracking this issue with the inverter since 2011. https://tinyurl.com/afwvt2sc A sudden power loss is generally considered a serious safety defect. I could have gotten into a serious car accident today and injured myself or other drivers. The 2009 Toyota Prius model had a recall issued on recall date: 11/14/2012 under NHTSA Campaign ID: 12V536000, referring to a "short circuit between coil wires and a possible open fuse, creating a stall-like condition of the hybrid system while the vehicle is being driven. This may increase the risk of a vehicle crash." At this time, I don't believe Toyota has conducted due diligence into ensuring the safety of the 2009 Toyota Prius model. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer or insurance reps.

NHTSA ID

11421092

Incident

Jun 15, 2021

WE HAVE A 2009 PRIUS WHICH STALLED ON THE FREEWAY AS MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING IT YESTERDAY (10/16/2020). LUCKILY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A BUSY AUSTIN FREEWAY, MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER IT TO THE SHOULDER AND CALL AAA TO TOW THE CAR TO THE SERVICE STATION. ON INSPECTION, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE REASON FOR THE STALL WAS THE FAILURE OF THE INVERTER DRIVE PUMP ALONG WITH THE 12V BATTERY ON BOARD. THIS CAR WAS PART OF THE RECALL FOR THE INVERTER DRIVE PUMP AND THAT WAS REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER IN 2013 FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE. ON THE OCT 16TH, 2020, THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS - NO ENGINE CHECK LIGHT AND NOT EVEN THE 'MAINTENANCE REQUIRED' LIGHT - THE CAR TURNED ON JUST FINE, MY HUSBAND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT 5 MILES TO THE FREEWAY, GET ON THE FREEWAY AT 60 MPH AND DRIVE A FEW MILES ON IT BEFORE LOSING ALL POWER IN THE CAR. THE SERVICE TECH INFORMS US THAT THE INVERTER PUMP CAN BREAK DOWN DUE TO JUST REGULAR DRIVING - BUT THERE WAS ZERO INDICATION THAT THIS UNIT, WHICH APPARENTLY IS CRUCIAL TO THE CAR WHILE BEING DRIVEN, WAS IN ANY DANGER OF IMMINENT FAILURE. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS PART IS EXAMINED OR SERVICED AS PART OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE, BUT NO WARNINGS WERE RAISED WHEN THIS CAR WAS LAST SERVICED, AT AN AUTHORIZED TOYOTA SERVICE STATION IN DEC OF 2019.

NHTSA ID

11365178

Incident

Oct 16, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INCREASED TO HIGH AND COOLANT NEEDED TO BE ADDED TO THE VEHICLE. ALL OF THE INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE ILLUMINATED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,759.

NHTSA ID

11164244

Incident

Dec 31, 2018

Mileage

151,759 mi

MY CAR RECENTLY HAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE OBDII SCANNER SHOW THE FAULT CODE P1121 WHICH IS A FAILED THREE-WAY COOLANT CONTROL VALVE. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) ON THIS PROBLEM: EG001-08 M.I.L. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 2ND GENERATION TOYOTA PRIUS.

NHTSA ID

11160900

Incident

Dec 10, 2018

Mileage

101,645 mi

COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF PRIUS AUTOMOBILE WITH NO WARNING WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. ROLLED TO A STOP IN SAFE AREA. NOTHING WORKED EXCEPT EMERGENCY BLINKERS. NO INSTRUMENTATION OR WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED. THE CAR WAS LOCKED IN FWD PARK AND COULD NOT BE TOWED BY FLATBED TOW TRUCK AS THERE IS NO OVERRIDE. LIFT TOW TRUCK WAS USED TO GET TO DEALER. DIAGNOSED AS MELTED HYBRID INVERTOR PUMP. DEALER REPLACED PUMP AND FUSE FOR A $641.47 COST TO ME. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY/FREEWAY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. THE COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WITHOUT WARNING AT FREEWAY SPEED COULD VERY EASILY ENDED UP AS A MULTIPLE CAR PILE UP. JUST THE THOUGHT OF CROSSING MULTIPLE LANES IN TRAFFIC WITH NO POWER, JUST ROLLING, MAKES ME THINK IT'S TIME TO GET RID OF THIS CAR.

NHTSA ID

11144121

Incident

Oct 6, 2018

Mileage

88,604 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A WARNING INDICATOR FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL REGARDING THE BRAKE SYSTEM WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND A LEAK UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SALINAS TOYOTA (700 AUTO CENTER CIR, SALINAS, CA 93907, (831) 444-0700) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL BRAKE FLUID LEAK; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY CAMPAIGN. THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THE OBT2 SENSOR DID NOT SHOW THE SPECIFIC DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) TO RECEIVE THE BRAKE ACTUATOR REPLACEMENT COVERED BY THE CAMPAIGN. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO HONOR THE WARRANTY CAMPAIGN FOR DTC NUMBER: C1240. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000. *TT CONSUMER STATED SMOKE STARTED COMING UNDER THE HOOD. NOTICED FLUID DRIPPING FROM ENGINE ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE. DEALER DETERMINED IT WAS NOT AN OIL LEAK BUT EMPTY BRAKE RESERVOIR. UPDATED 11/27/18*JB

NHTSA ID

11130560

Incident

Sep 15, 2018

Mileage

115,000 mi

I KEEP GETTING THE CODE P 1121. I HAVE REPLACED MY ENGINE COOLANT VALVE SENSOR UNIT THREE TIMES AND EVERY SINGLE TIME AFTER DRIVING FOR A WEEK THE CHICKENS AND LIGHT COMES ON AND IT THROWS THE CODE AGAIN. I AM CURRENTLY AT THE POINT WHERE THERE IS EITHER NO HEAT OR IT TAKES AT LEAST HALF HOUR OR MORE TO BLOW HOT AIR. IF IT BLOWS HOT AIR IT ONLY CAN BE ON A LOW FAN SETTING. I HAVE USED TWO DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS. BUT UNFORTUNATELY EVERY TIME I REPLACED IT SAME PROBLEM OCCURS. I HAVE REPORTED THIS IN THE PAST AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. BUT IT IS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE. AND I KNOW THERE IS A RECALL ON VEHICLE YEARS PRIOR TO MINE.

NHTSA ID

11065294

Incident

Jan 25, 2018

Mileage

80,000 mi

MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS 100,700 MILES ON IT. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR IT'S LAST OIL CHANGE I WAS INFORMED THAT ONLY A LITTLE OVER A QUART OF OIL DRAINED FROM THE ENGINE. I HAVE RELIGIOUSLY CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES. AFTER REPLACING THE ENGINE OIL IT STILL LOOKED DIRTY. THE ENGINE IS BURNING OIL. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE CAUSED BY A PISTON DESIGN FLAW AND DOES NOT HAVE A CHEAP SOLUTION OTHER THAN ADDING OIL AT EACH GAS FILL UP. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE MAY STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING, PARTICULARLY IF TRAVELING ON A LONG TRIP AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ON A LONG TRIP.

NHTSA ID

11064449

Incident

Jan 23, 2018

Mileage

100,700 mi

ONCE MY CAR GOT PAST 100,000 MILES, THE NON-SPECIFIC WARNING LIGHT STARTED COMING ON AND THE WORD "PROBLEM!" WOULD COME ON THE SCREEN. MANUAL SAYS TO ASK DEALER WHAT THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM IS. CERTIFIED TOYOTA DEALER KEPT SAYING THEY DON'T KNOW. TURNS OUT AFTER MY OWN PERSISTENCE THAT THE PROBLEM IS HEAVY OIL CONSUMPTION. NOT BURNING; NOT LEAKING. JUST HIGH CONSUMPTION. TAKE CAR FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND IT SEEMS TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT KEEPS PRESSING ME TO GET A NEW ENGINE, RATHER THAN OFFERING ANY INTERMEDIATE SOLUTIONS. COULD HAVE TOLD ME THOUSANDS OF MILES AGO TO AT LEAST KEEP ADDING OIL, BUT THEY NEVER BOTHERED. I NOW KNOW AFTER ABOUT A YEAR THAT I HAVE TO START ADDING A LOT OF OIL JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE OIL IS CHANGED AND FILLED. IF I WAIT UNTIL REGULAR MAINTENANCE INTERVAL, ALL OIL WILL BE GONE. ENGINE WOULD HAVE BROKEN DOWN IF I DIDN'T PERSIST IN FIGURING OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. WENT THROUGH 3 REGULAR SERVICE APPOINTMENTS BEFORE I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON MY OWN. PROBLEM WAS AT ITS WORST WHEN BRAKING, BUT LIGHT CAME ON AT OTHER TIMES AS WELL. I HAVE YESTERDAY'S DATE HERE ON THE COMPLAINT, BUT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ABOUT A YEAR.

NHTSA ID

11019789

Incident

Aug 24, 2017

Mileage

130,000 mi

EMGINE COOLANT SENSOR IS MESSED UP. THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR 2004 TO 2007 OR 8 BY TOYOTA. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE AND THE SAME PARTS USED UP TO 2009 BUT THEY WILL NOT COVER IT EVEN THOUGH IT'S A KNOWN ISSUE BY TOYOTA

NHTSA ID

11004980

Incident

Jul 11, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ENGINE STARTED TO REV AND VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER WAITING A MOVEMENT BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

NHTSA ID

10809981

Incident

Dec 14, 2015

Mileage

65,000 mi

THE 2009 PRIUS ENGINE HAS A DEFECT IN THE SEALS ALLOWING OIL TO SEEP INTO THE ENGINE AND BE BURNED. THIS CAUSES THE MOTOR TO USE EXTENSIVELY MORE OIL THAN NEEDED. CAUSING POSSIBLE NEAR FAILURE. IT MUST BE CRITICALLY MAINTAINED OR THE ENGINE WILL RUN DRY AND DESTROY ITSELF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10714262

Incident

May 1, 2015

Mileage

130,000 mi

WATER PUMP FAILURE. 76,000 MILES IS PREMATURE FOR A WATERPUMP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10683504

Incident

Jul 7, 2014

Mileage

75,985 mi

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, CODE P1121, COOLANT RECOVERY TANK FLOW CONTROL VALVE BAD. THERE IS A SERVICE CAMPAIGN ON THIS FOR 2007 PRIUS AND THE PROBLEM IS SUPPOSED TO BE SOLVE FOR 2009 PRIUS. ALSO THIS IS PART OF THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM, AS THE PURPOSE OF COOLANT RECOVERY TANK IS THE WARM UP ENGINE SOONER TO PASS EMISSION TEST. CALLED TOYOTA DEALER, NOT COVERED BY EMISSION WARRANTY. THIS IS A KNOWN AND VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND TOYOTA IS DRAGGING ITS LEG ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10660307

Incident

Nov 1, 2014

Mileage

50,000 mi

TOYOTA DEALER RECEIPT: CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON - COOLANT CONTROL VALVE STUCK... REPLACED COOLANT CONTROL VALVE COST/$589.97 INCLUDING 450.00 LABOR + ENGINE WATER PUMP LEAKING COOLANT REPLACED ENGINE WATER PUMP/ ENGINE DRIVE BELT COST/$557.98 INCLUDING $430.00 LABOR MILEAGE!!! 41, 632 MILES 2009 PRIUS TOTAL COST $1173.41. CUSTOMER COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA MOTOR CORP AND RESPONSE WAS...NO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE -36,000 MILE WARRANTY HAS PASSED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10653660

Incident

Oct 1, 2014

Mileage

41,632 mi

WHEN MY 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS REACHED APPROXIMATELY 65,000 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE ERROR CODE WAS P1121, INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE COOLANT CONTROL VALVE. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, AND THEIR CHARGE FOR REPLACING THE PART WAS $400. THE MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VALVE SAID IT WAS NOT CLOSING SECURELY. HE SAID MAKING THE REPAIR WOULD NOT IMPROVE THE CAR'S PERFORMANCE OR AFFECT ITS VALUE, AND THEREFORE HE DID NOT RECOMMEND MAKING THE REPAIR. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE REALIZED THAT OPTING OUT OF THIS REPAIR DOES AFFECT THE CAR'S SAFETY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON. EVEN IF I MANUALLY TURN IT OFF, IT COMES RIGHT BACK ON, SO IT IS UNLIKELY THAT I WILL BE AWARE IF OTHER MECHANICAL ISSUES EVER ARISE. MY MOTHER DRIVES A 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS WHICH JUST HIT 65,000 MILES, AND HER CAR PRODUCED THE EXACT SAME ERROR CODE. IT IS STATISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE THAT TWO CARS OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL, ONLY A YEAR APART IN AGE, IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD, WOULD PRODUCE IDENTICAL ERROR CODES AFTER REACHING ROUGHLY THE SAME MILEAGE FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN DEFECTIVE MANUFACTURING. I BELIEVE THIS ERROR CODE IS THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING ERROR THAT TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS THROUGH A SAFETY RECALL. TOYOTA'S OWN MECHANIC ADMITTED THAT THE REPAIR IS FINANCIALLY IMPRACTICAL FOR CUSTOMERS, YET IF THE REPAIR IS NOT MADE, DRIVERS ARE LEFT WITHOUT A FUNCTIONAL CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10595823

Incident

Nov 14, 2013

Mileage

65,000 mi

2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO HYBRID ELECTRIC WATER PUMP RECALL NOTICE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED TWO WEEKS AFTER THE HYBRID WATER PUMP WAS FIXED, A RED TRIANGLE LAMP APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. THE CONSUMER WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS CHARGED 4202/16 FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND INFORMED HIM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WENT TO HIS PERSONAL MECHANIC, WHERE THE HYBRID ELECTRIC PUMP WAS REPLACED AND THE CODES WERE CLEARED.

NHTSA ID

10550221

Incident

Nov 4, 2013

IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID ONCOMING CALVES ON A COUNTY DIRT ROAD DRIVER INADVERTANTLY PULLED STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AND HIT A TREE AT ROAD SIDE. TREE IS TWELVE INCHED FROM ROAD SURFACE. BEFORE SEAT BELT RESTRAINED DRIVER, DRIVER'S FORWARD MOMENTUM BROKE THE STEERING WHEEL. DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED. WENT TO LOCAL HOSPITAL ER. SHERIFF INVESTIGATED. WITH THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. IT DID NOT. PHOTOS TAKEN. YOUR ORGANIZATION IS BEING NOTIFIED AS WE FEEL THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. WE WILL ALSO CONTACT TOYOTA. THANK YOU. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10501231

Incident

Mar 4, 2013

Mileage

81,000 mi

THE VEHICLE STALLED OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING, FOUR TIMES IN ABOUT A MILE - INCLUDING ONCE ON A VERY BUSY ROAD WITH NO SHOULDER. THE ELECTRICAL ERROR BOARD LIT UP, THE TRANSMISSION REVERTED TO NEUTRAL OR PARK AND I COULD NOT PUT THE CAR BACK INTO DRIVE. AFTER I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND THEN TURNED IT BACK ON, IT WENT INTO DRIVE BUT ONLY FOR A SHORT WHILE BEFORE LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING AND IT STALLED AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10473270

Incident

Aug 31, 2012

Mileage

35,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT IT STALLED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPLACED THE SHORT ENGINE BLOCK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PISTON ROD WAS BENT DUE TO BAD FUEL IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,800 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,500.

NHTSA ID

10374981

Incident

Nov 5, 2010

Mileage

19,800 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON EIGHT DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND AND SPEED UP. AT TIMES, IT WOULD EVENTUALLY INCREASE IN SPEED AND THEN IMMEDIATELY STALL THEREAFTER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 17,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000.

NHTSA ID

10322309

Incident

Jan 12, 2010

Mileage

17,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE PRIOR TO THE RECENT FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 20,000.

NHTSA ID

10318386

Incident

Jan 10, 2010

Mileage

20,000 mi

I PURCHASED A NEW 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID (GAS/ELECTRIC) ON MARCH 31, 2009. THE CAR WORKED GREAT, BUT WITH ONLY 490 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, I DID A ROUTINE SHUT DOWN OF THE CAR ON MAY 20, 2009 WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE. DURING THIS EVENT, I SHUT THE CAR OFF USING THE PROCEDURE TAUGHT TO ME BY THE DEALERSHIP SALESMAN, WHICH WAS THE SAME PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THE USER MANUAL. HOWEVER, AT THIS SHUT DOWN, A VERY DRAMATIC POWER SURGE WENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM, JOLTING THE ENGINES IN THEIR MOTOR MOUNTS (I HEARD AN EXTREMELY LOUD SQUEAL WHEN THE ENGINES, BOTH GAS AND ELECTRIC, JOLTED TO A STOP, WHICH I ASSUME WAS THE MOTOR MOUNTS TAKING THE FORCE OF THE POWER SURGE), AND MOVING THE CAR VIOLENTLY FORWARD STOPPING WITH THE TRANSMISSION LOCK AND BRAKE WHICH I HAD SET). THIS WAS A VERY UNPLEASANT AND UN-NATURAL EVENT. FOLLOWING THIS EVENT, THE CAR DID START AND OPERATE THROUGH ITS FUNCTIONS, BUT THE DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. WHAT HAD BEEN A SMOOTH OPERATING SYNERGY DRIVE SYSTEM WAS NOW SLIGHTLY GRABBY BOTH IN ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION, AND I EXPERIENCED HARD 'CLUNK' SHIFTS WHEN DRIVING. APPROXIMATELY EVERY 15TH GAS ENGINE SHUT DOWN, THE GAS ENGINE WOULD 'DIESEL' AND HAVE A DISTURBING LONG CYCLING SHUT DOWN VIBRATING AND JOLTING THE CAR IN AN ALARMING FASHION WHICH IS NOT SAFE. ON JUNE 2, 2009, I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO MY TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WAS TOLD THE CAR "CAN'T DO THAT" AND WAS TOLD THE COMPUTER SHOWED NOTHING WRONG. ON JULY 8, 2009, I WENT TO ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THEY SAID THE CAR WAS ROUGH, AND TRIED TO RE-SEAT THE ENGINES IN THE MOUNTS, WHICH TEMPORARILY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM UNTIL A MAJOR GAS ENGINE JOLTING SHUT DOWN OCCURRED AGAIN. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN ON 24 SEPTEMBER, 2009, AND ASKED TO HAVE THE ENGINE MOUNTS REPLACED. THEY TRIED TO RESEAT THE ENGINES AGAIN, WITH NO SUCCESS, AND THE RANDOM JOLTING GAS SHUTDOWNS ON THE HYBRID SYSTEM CONTINUE, WHICH ARE A SAFETY HAZARD DURING OPERATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10297382

Incident

May 20, 2009

Mileage

490 mi