2010 Toyota Prius Transmission Problems

EXITING FROM A PARKING GARAGE. AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE PAY LINE, I HEADED DOWN THE EXIT RAMP TOWARD THE STREET. THE VEHICLE REFUSED TO ACCELERATE AS I PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR. . IT DID VERY SLOWLY ACCELERATE TO 11 MPH AND THEN STARTED TO DECELERATE. I STOPPED THE CAR ON THE RAMP, TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED IT. AFTER THAT, EVERYTHING WAS FINE, AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. . IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE I WAS TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HAZARDOUS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10405723

Incident

Jun 8, 2011

Mileage

3,000 mi

ON THE DAY PRIOR TO THE EVENT, THE WEATHER WAS AROUND 55 DEGREES AND MISTY WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN. OUR 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS IV WAS PARKED DURING MOST OF THE DAY. WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 35 IN TEXAS GOING 70 MPH, ALL OF A SUDDEN 4 DIFFERENT WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH ALONG WITH THE LARGE RECTANGULAR WARNING MESSAGE SAYING "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM". THE VEHICLE LOST POWER TO THE WHEELS, THE ACCELERATOR DID NOT WORK EVEN THOUGH THE GASOLINE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, THE VEHICLE COASTED TO THE SHOULDER WHERE IT WAS IMMOBILE AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE ODOMETER READING WAS ~3,500 MILES. THE DTC CODE WAS DTC P0A3F "DRIVE MOTOR A POSITION SENSOR CIRCUIT". THE DEALER INITIALLY REPLACED THE ENTIRE INVERTER ASSEMBLY, WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEN THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE TRANSAXLE FOR THE VEHICLE. THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT HAVE EITHER OF THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED, ALTHOUGH I AM SURE TOYOTA DOES HAVE THE PARTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10389844

Incident

Feb 20, 2011

Mileage

3,500 mi

I HAVE A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS VERSION 3. WHEN I PUSH THE DASH BUTTON TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE CAR SOMETIMES WILL ROLL 1-2 INCHES FORWARD BEFORE ENGAGING IN PARK. THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON 01/04/2011, BUT STATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL BECAUSE WHEN ENGAGING THE VEHICLE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE RIGHT POSITION FOR GO RIGHT INTO PARK VS. NEEDING TO MOVE A LITTLE BIT SO IT ENGAGES PROPERLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10374675

Incident

Jan 4, 2011

Mileage

11,500 mi

2010 PRIUS II, PURCHASED LATE JULY 2009. IN NOVEMBER OF 2009 THE CAR REFUSED TO STAY IN D WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PULL OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. AFTER TURNING THE SYSTEM OFF AND SITTING FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN THAT AFTERNOON. A FEW DAYS AGO MY WIFE WAS PREPARING TO CROSS A 4-LANE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR "POPPED" INTO N FROM THE D POSITION. AFTER SEVERAL "REBOOTS" THE VEHICLE WOULD STILL NOT STAY IN D. THEN MY WIFE HELD THE JOYSTICK IN THE D POSITION AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT BACK TO OUR HOUSE (ABOUT 1 MILE). AN HOUR LATER THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10329499

Incident

May 7, 2010

Mileage

8,000 mi

PURCHASED 2010 PRIUS ON AUG LL,09. HAVE RETURNED TO DEALER 5 TIMES, BEGINNING ON SEPT.29, 09, TO REPORT SAME PROBLEM...WHICH IS THAT AT RANDOM TIMES WHEN I SHIFT FROM "P" TO EITHER "D" OR "R", THE VEHICLE LUNGES AND WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKE, IT IS LIKE HITTING A BRICK WALL. THIS PROCESS IS REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES IN SEQUENCE...LUNGE, BRAKE, LUNGE, BRAKE..THEN IT CORRECTS ITSELF AND DRIVES NORMALLY. I CANNOT PREDICT WHEN THIS WILL OCCUR, SOMETIMES IT IS WEEKS AND HUNDREDS OF MILES BETWEEN OCCURRENCES; SOMETIMES ONLY A FEW MILES AND HOURS BETWEEN INCIDENTS. THE DEALER ALWAYS SAYS THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, THEREFORE NO DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIR. I HAVE REPORTED TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SER. AND WAS ASSIGNED A CASE #. HAVE HAD ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH TCS REP TO REPORT THIS AND SEVERAL OTHER PROBLEMS, I.E. VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES..."KEY DETECTED IN VEHICLE" WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD... ETC. AM ALWAYS TOLD "SCAN SHOWS NO PROBLEMS". I THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH ELECTRONICS. UNSAFE, FRIGHTENING. LATEST INCIDENT ON 3/05/10. DEALER INSTALLED SOFTWARE FIX FOR BRAKE RECALL ON 2/10/10. AT TIMES MUST REPEATEDLY MOVE GEAR SHIFT LEVER BEFORE IT RESPONDS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10319305

Incident

Mar 5, 2010

Mileage

800 mi

SEEMS TO NOT ALWAYS "CATCH" WHEN I PUT IT IN "PARK." HAD ONE INCIDENT IN WHICH CAR ROLLED AS I GOT OUT OF IT AND I BELIEVE I DID INDEED PUSH THE "PARK" BUTTON. HAVE HAD SEVERAL OTHER INCIDENTS IN WHICH I KNOW I PUSHED THE "PARK" BUTTON AND THE CAR BEGAN TO ROLL UNTIL I PUSHED THE BUTTON AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10316375

Incident

Aug 20, 2009

Mileage

1,000 mi

I BROUGHT MY 2010 PRIUS IN ON 2/5/10 FOR THE SERVICE WORK RELATING TO THE RECENT RECALL. TODAY, THE PROBLEM RECURRED; HOWEVER, THIS TIME, MY CAR SLIPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING (BUT NOT BRAKING) AS I WAS TURNING WEST ONTO CONGRESS FROM NORTHBOUND COLUMBUS. THE ROAD SURFACE THERE IS UNEVEN. PREVIOUSLY, THIS SITUATION OCCURRED ONLY WHILE BRAKING ON AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE. THIS TIME, I PUT ON BRAKES PRIOR TO ENTERING THE TURN; I WAS NOT BRAKING AT THE TIME THE CAR SLIPPED. THE CAR DID NOT SURGE, BUT I DID FEEL MOMENTARILY LIKE I HAD LOST CONTROL OF IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10311425

Incident

Feb 16, 2010

Mileage

8,000 mi

I BROUGHT MY 2010 PRIUS IN ON 2/5/10 FOR THE SERVICE WORK RELATING TO THE RECENT RECALL. ON THE WAY HOME, THE PROBLEM RECURRED; HOWEVER, THIS TIME, MY CAR SLIPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING (BUT NOT BRAKING) ON ILLINOIS EAST OF MICHIGAN, WHERE THERE IS A METAL PLATE ON THE ROAD. PREVIOUSLY, THIS SITUATION OCCURRED ONLY WHILE BRAKING ON AN EVEN ROAD SURFACE. THIS TIME, I WAS NOT BRAKING. THE CAR DID NOT SURGE, BUT I DID FEEL MOMENTARILY LIKE I HAD LOST CONTROL OF IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10311423

Incident

Feb 5, 2010

Mileage

8,000 mi

MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS DOES NOT ALWAYS RECOGNIZE THE KEY AND WILL NOT OPEN DOORS AND NOT START THE VEHICLE. THE GEAR SHIFT JUMPS OUT OF GEAR GOING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND VICE VERSA. THE HEATER DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY NEWLY PURCHASED VEHICLE. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10310375

Incident

Oct 15, 2009

Mileage

150 mi

I HAVE A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS, V MODEL, DELIVERED IN OCTOBER 2009. THE INCIDENT IS AFTER PARKING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THEN RESTARTING, AND PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE... UPON BACKING OUT THE CAR WILL SURGE AND I HAVE TO PRESS THE BRAKE HARD TO STOP THE CAR, AT WHICH TIME THE CAR ATTEMPTS TO SPEED UP AND I HAVE TO MAINTAIN HARD PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO THE CAR ABOUT 4 TIMES STARTING IN NOVEMBER 2009. *TW

NHTSA ID

10307307

Incident

Nov 10, 2009

Mileage

500 mi

I HAVE A NEW 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS, PURCHASED 15 JAN. 2010. I HAVE SINCE PUT 3,292 MILES ON THE VEHICLE ON A TRIP FROM WASHINGTON TO CALIFORNIA AND BACK, DURING WHICH CONDITIONS FROM MOUNTAINS, SNOW AND ICE, AND DRY FREEWAY CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED. THE RANDOM PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN USING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO DISCONNECT THE CRUISE CONTROL TO SLOW DOWN. THE PROBLEM IS MOST PRONOUNCED WHEN THE POWER APPLIED TO THE VEHICLE IS INCREASING TO MAINTAIN SELECTED CRUISE CONTROL SPEED. WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED IN THESE SITUATIONS, THE VEHICLE TRIES TO ACCELERATE FOR A SECOND OR SO, GIVING THE DRIVER THE FEELING OF NOT BEING IN CONTROL. THE PROBLEM IS MOST PRONOUNCED WHEN CLIMBING A STEEP (6% TO 8%) GRADE. IN THOSE CASES (2 TO 3 TIMES) THE POWER SURGE WAS PRONOUNCED AND SEEMED TO LAST FOR 2 TO 3 SECONDS WITH THE SMELL OF BURNING BRAKES AFTER THE ACCELERATION ENDED. ON THE FREEWAY, WHILE THE PROBLEM IS LESS SEVERE, THE DRIVER IS LEFT WITH AN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION IF COMING UP ON A SLOWER MOVING VEHICLE AS YOUR VEHICLE CONTINUES TO GAIN ON THE VEHICLE AHEAD EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE TRYING TO SLOW DOWN. THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED OVER A PERIOD OF THREE WEEKS, SO THE DATE BELOW IS NOT ACCURATE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10306611

Incident

Jan 31, 2010

Mileage

2,500 mi

I WAS DRIVING 2010 PRIUS TYPE III ON DOWNHILL. BECAUSE IT WAS DOWNHILL, I RELEASED GAS AND PREPARED TO PUSH BRAKE. THE ROAD WAS SLIGHTLY TURNED TO RIGHT SIDE AND THE SURFACE WAS A LITTLE BUMPY. WHEN THE CAR PASSED THE BUMPY SURFACE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT PUSH GAS. AS THE RESULT, I PUSHED THE BRAKE AND FORTUNATELY THE CAR STOPPED. HOWEVER, I DEFINITELY FELT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AT HIGH SPEED(I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH IT WAS ACCELERATED). *TR

NHTSA ID

10304734

Incident

Feb 3, 2010

Mileage

1,087 mi

SUDDEN ACCELERATION LOSS OF BRAKING WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPY ROAD AT SLOW SPEED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. NO ACCIDENT RESULTED. HAVING READ REPORTS OF THIS IN THE NEWS, I WANTED TO REPORT IT AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10304560

Incident

Dec 15, 2009

Mileage

4,000 mi

MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS SEEMS TO HAVE BRIEF PERIODS OF ACCELERATION WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND AM JUST PUTTING IT ON THE BRAKE. I HAVE TO BRAKE HARD TO KEEP IT FROM LURCHING FORWARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10304518

Incident

Nov 9, 2009

Mileage

9,600 mi

I AM ALSO AN OWNER OF A 2010 PRIUS. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS CAR SINCE AUGUST 2010. WHEN YOU GO OVER A BUMP WHEN BRAKING THERE IS A SUDDEN BURST OF ACCELERATION. IT ABSOLUTELY HAPPENS AND IS REPRODUCIBLE. I GO OVER THE SAME BUMP EVERY DAY ON MY COMMUTE HOME, AND THIS HAPPENS REPEATEDLY. IT HAS NEVER CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT IS A DEFECT AND IS DISCONCERTING. GIVEN THE OTHER ACCELERATION PROBLEMS TOYOTAS HAVE EXPERIENCED, THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10304411

Incident

Feb 2, 2010

I HAVE A 2010 PRIUS AND SAW AN ARTICLE ABOUT THERE BEING POSSIBLE BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THE MODEL. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM PROBABLY ABOUT 6 TIMES SINCE I GOT THE CAR LAST JULY AND, WHEN I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES WHEN THEY RAN THE DIAGNOSTIC. WHEN IT HAPPENS, I'M IN THE PROCESS OF BRAKING, AND THERE'S A "PUSH", ALMOST LIKE THE BRAKES DIDN'T "TAKE", FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF STEERING FOR A SECOND OR TWO. IT'S ALSO HAPPENED TO MY HUSBAND ONE TIME. THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY RHYME OR REASON AS TO WHEN IT HAPPENS (WET ROAD VS. DRY ROAD, TURNING OR GOING STRAIGHT, FLAT OR HILL). I ORIGINALLY ASSOCIATED THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES BECAUSE I ALSO HAVE THE "SLIDING" ICON COME ON THE DASHBOARD WHEN I'M COMPLETELY STOPPED AND LEAN FORWARD IN MY SEATBELT. HOWEVER, I'M NOW WONDERING IF IT'S NOT THE BRAKES, BUT THE TRANSMISSION, SINCE IT SORT OF FEELS LIKE IT'S NOT DOWNSHIFTING WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO, OR IT SHIFTS BACK INTO A HIGHER GEAR FOR A SECOND WHILE BRAKING. I CAME TO THIS CONCLUSION AFTER WAITING IN THE CAR WHILE IT WAS RUNNING. WITH THE CAR ON, EMERGENCY BRAKE ON, BUT NOT IN PARK, THERE WAS A DEFINITE "JOLT" WHEN THE GAS ENGINE WOULD TURN ON AND THEN OFF AGAIN A FEW MINUTES LATER. ALTHOUGH THERE HASN'T BEEN A CRASH YET, THERE WERE TWO TIMES WHEN IT CAME REALLY CLOSE TO THAT, AS I WAS TURNING AND ALMOST HIT THE CARS ON THE SIDE STREET THAT WERE IN THE LEFT TURN LANE WAITING TO TURN ONTO THE STREET I HAD BEEN TRAVELING ON. *TR

NHTSA ID

10304118

Incident

Jan 24, 2010

Mileage

10,000 mi

WHILE BRAKING AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 25 MPH, WHEELS HIT A POTHOLE AND THE CAR SEEMED TO ACCELERATE AND LURCH FORWARD FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND BEFORE BRAKING RESUMED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10302100

Incident

Jan 23, 2010

Mileage

15,300 mi