2011 Toyota Prius Fuel system Problems

I was driving my car at over 70 mph on a highway, no check engine, no issues, just had oil changed when check hybrid system alert came on with check engine light. I started to change lanes to get to shoulder when my car just died, completely. It died in the middle of the highway merging with another major road, so I was stuck between 2 lanes of 70mph traffic on either side. The time to react to the sudden warning to my car dying was less than 2 minutes. I quickly called 911 to ask for help and was told someone had already reported my breakdown as well because my car had died in a horribly dangerous area. I was very lucky that a state trooper came quickly and blocked off my car until it could be towed for repair. I was told that I need a new Hybrid Battery. The fact that I had no signs of failure before complete shut down makes for a very dangerous driving situation and makes me second guess ever buying a Prius again.

NHTSA ID

11711067

Incident

Jan 12, 2026

Hybrid system shut down. DC power converter shutting down. Car shut down on me in middle of road almost caused a crash. There was a recall in 2018 but I never received a notice and now as of 2023 there are no active recalls.

NHTSA ID

11531034

Incident

Jun 27, 2023

WHILE DRIVING DOWN CITY STREET AT APPROX. 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER AND HAD TO BE EMERGENCY STEERED WITHOUT POWER STEERING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, NARROWLY AVOIDING A CRASH. THE DASHBOARD SHOWED "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM"; VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. *TR

NHTSA ID

11324344

Incident

May 8, 2020

Mileage

115,000 mi

AFTER RECEIVING THE COMPUTER UPDATE MY FUEL MILEAGE HAS DROPPED 10 MILES. THE OTHER PROBLEM IN THE RATE OF TIRE WEAR AND PULL. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AN ALIGNMENT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT WAS PULLING THEY TOLD ME THEY DID THE ALIGNMENT. AFTER I GOT MY CAR BACK IT WAS STILL PULLING I QUESTIONED THEM AND THEY SAID THAT WAS NORMAL. THE LAST THING IS I GOT NEW TIRES PUT ON THE CAR AND HAD TO REPLACE THEM 10 MONTHS LATER BECAUSE THERE WAS ABOUT 15 PERCENT TREAD LIFE LEFT. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED PROPERLY.

NHTSA ID

11303039

Incident

Dec 24, 2018

Mileage

130,000 mi

I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A VERY BUSY LOS ANGELES INTERSECTION AND DURING NEEDED ACCELERATION TO TURN, THE PRIUS LOST POWER FOR A FULL SECOND AND THEN POWER CAME BACK SLOWLY AND I BARELY MADE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, A T BONE COLLISION WAS IMMINENT, AND I MISSED GETTING HIT BY INCHES. ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED AND I WAS FRAZZLED. THE HYBRID BATTERY WAS 2/3 RDS FULL AT THE TIME. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER INSTANCES WHERE THE CAR LOST POWER FOR BRIEF MOMENTS WHEN THE HYBRID BATTERY WAS LOW AND DIDNT THINK ANYTHING OF IT AT THE TIME. THE MPG HAS REMAINED BELOW 40 AND AFTER HYBRID FAILURE, AROUND 26. ALSO, I HAD A GEN 2 PRIUS AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WENT BAD AROUND 150,000. CALIFORNIA PUNISHES CONSUMERS BY NOT ALLOWING AFTER MARKET CATS AND FORCES THEM TO BUY OEM AT AN EXTREME MARK UP. WITHOUT A PROPER CAT, YOU CANT HAVE CAL SMOG APPROVAL, NO APPROVAL, NO REGISTRATION. TOTAL WASTE OF RESOURCE WHEN THE ACTUAL COST OF REPLACEMENT OF THE CAT IS AROUND $2K AT THE DEALER. IF I LIVED IN AZ, AFTER MARKET IS $475. AT THAT POINT A CAR OF THAT AGE AND MILAGE IS WORTH AROUND $2-3K. BATTERY AND CAT REPLACEMENT COSTS SHOULD NOT ECLIPSE THE VALUE OF THE CAR. STILL DOESN'T MENTION THE REST OF THE MECHANICAL AND SAFTEY APPARATUS . IF AN ENGINE WORKS HALF TIME ON A HYBRID, WHY DOES THE CAT BURN OUT SO SOOOON? THE SCAM IS BAKED INTO THE VEHICLE AND OUR GOVT SUPPORTS IT. FIX CARB!

NHTSA ID

11269305

Incident

Sep 8, 2019

Mileage

158,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT CA FREEWAY SPEED (65MPH) THE CAR GOES LIMP. THE ACCELERATOR FAILS TO WORK AND EVEN FLOORING THE VEHICLE MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. AT THIS POINT THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE DECREASES AND I HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY PULL TO THE SHOULDER. THE "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" ALERT SHOWS ON THE DASH AND ALSO ELECTRIC POWER STEERING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST YEAR AND I HAVE TAKEN IT TO SEVERAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS WITH NO RESOLVE. I HAVE SPENT A TOTAL OF $4500 WITHOUT TOYOTA OF VALLEJO OR THE NOW BANKRUPT TOYOTA OF FAIRFIELD SOLVING THE ISSUE. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING ISSUE AND HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WITH CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. SHOW IN VIDEO: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=CA5HJRSNFSG

NHTSA ID

11242826

Incident

Jun 18, 2019

Mileage

151,000 mi

TOYOTA AFTER 2 MONTHS HAS NOT RESOLVED THIS ISSUE/RECALL. SINCE THAT I HAVE TO STOP TO SHARE MY CAR ON TURO AND I'LL HAVE A LOST OF INCOME. I'M ASKING FOR A COMPENSATION

NHTSA ID

11156577

Incident

Oct 7, 2018

Mileage

115,000 mi

IN MOTION WHILE ACCELERATING PAST A SLOWER CAR. HEARD AND FELT A PRONOUNCED THUMP AND LOST ENGINE POWER ON BUSY LOCAL THOROUGHFARE. MOVED TO A TURN LANE AND STOPPED. MULTIPLE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" ON LED DISPLAY. POWER OFF CAR, AND BACK ON TWICE AND GOT THE SAME ERROR ON DISPLAY. FOUND THAT CAR COULD MOVE ON EV POWER AND I GOT IT INTO A SAFER LOCATION AT AN ADJACENT PARKING LOT. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY. AS A DRIVER THIS WAS DISCONCERTING AS I COULD NOT CLEARLY DETERMINE IF THE CAR WAS AT ALL DRIVEABLE. IF A DRIVER WERE TO STOP IMMEDIATELY IN THE SAME SITUATION THEY WOULD BE ON THE ROADWAY. IF I HAD NOT PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AFTER POWERING ON THE CAR AGAIN I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN I COULD MOVE THE CAR TO A SAFER LOCATION. DISPLAY SHOULD READ "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE" THEN "LIMITED EV POWER AVAILABLE" THEN "MOVE TO SAFE AREA IF NECESSARY" CAUSE: HYBRID INVERTER FAILURE. REPAIRED BY TOYOTA UNDER 2014 EOE AND NEW 10/2018 RECALL J0A

NHTSA ID

11141949

Incident

Oct 18, 2018

Mileage

113,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A FRACTURE IN THE FUEL TANK THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS A GLOBAL RECALL (TOYOTA/AUSTRALIA: FUEL SUCTION PLATE), BUT WAS NOT YET A RECALL IN THE UNITED STATES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA ID

10906450

Incident

Sep 12, 2016

Mileage

58,000 mi

MY CAR HESITATES TO STOP OR SLOW DOWN WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE, SLICK SURFACE, METAL ROAD COVER OR A MANHOLE. INSTEAD OF SLOWING/STOPPING, THE CAR SEEMS TO EJECT FORWARD. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR AND DROVE WITH A SERVICE TECH AND HE SAID IN OVER 20 YEARS OF HIS EXPERIENCE, HE'S NEVER SEEN THIS. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT THIS CAR (AND TECHNOLOGY WITH REGENERATIVE BRAKING) IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD, BUT HE DIDN'T SEEM TO BUY MY COMPLAINT, NOR WERE WE ABLE TO REPRODUCE THIS ISSUE WHEN I DROVE WITH A TECHNICIAN AROUND THE BLOCK. THERE ARE SEVERAL ONLINE DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE : HTTP://MONEY.CNN.COM/2010/02/04/AUTOS/PRIUS_TIMELINE/?WPMP_SWITCHER=MOBILE HTTP://WWW.EETIMES.COM/AUTHOR.ASP?SECTION_ID=30&DOC_ID=1284377. *TR

NHTSA ID

10573372

Incident

May 17, 2012

Mileage

15,000 mi

ON APRIL 3 2012 WE DROVE OUR 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP SIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. WHILE WE WERE STOPPED, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. MY WIFE, WHO AS DRIVING LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK THAT HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. WHILE STARING AT HER FOOT SQUARELY ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD AGAIN ABOUT 3 FEET. THE CAR THEN SURGED FORWARD AGAIN ABOUT ONE FOOT BEFORE STOPPING. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CROSSING TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS OR ANY OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS. NO COLLISION OCCURRED AND NO ONE WAS HURT. WE CALLED TOYOTA CARE IMMEDIATELY AND THEY PROMPTLY PICKED UP THE CAR AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER LATER CALLED US AND INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND THAT NO PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND. WE DISPUTED THAT WE WERE UNWILLING TO TAKE THE CAR BACK UNTIL A PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND THEY TOLD US THAT THEY HAD DONE EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO AND EVEN HAD DRIVEN THE CAR 10 MILES WITH NO INCIDENT. I INFORMED THEM THAT WE HAD DRIVEN THE CAR NEARLY 10,000 MILES AND IT HAPPENED ONCE. ONCE IS TOO MANY TIMES. THE DEALER TOLD US WE HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK. WE ASKED FOR A WRITTEN STATEMENT GUARANTEEING THE SAFETY OF THE CAR AND THAT THE ISSUE WOULD NOT OCCUR. THEY SAID THEY COULD OFFER NO WRITTEN STATEMENT, SO WE REFUSED TO TAKE THE CAR BACK WHAT FOLLOWED WAS ESSENTIALLY THE DEALER PASSING THE BUCK TO TOYOTA CORPORATE WHO BASICALLY TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT IF WE STILL HAD A PROBLEM WE COULD GO TO ARBITRATION. TOYOTA CORPORATE WAS NEITHER REASSURING NOR HELPFUL. WE ARE NOW IN ARBITRATION WITH TOYOTA. WE HAVE OUR ARBITRATION HEARING TODAY. IT HAS NOW BEEN NEARLY TWO MONTHS SINCE WE HAVE HAD THE CAR, YET WE ARE STILL PAYING THE LEASE AND INSURANCE. WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR MONEY, WE ONLY WANT ASSURANCE AND SAFETY FOR OUR FAMILY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10460127

Incident

Apr 3, 2012

Mileage

9,040 mi