Bulletins

BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TSB-0172-0906/11/200910050739Toyota: available to correct the intermittent condition of the combination meter, there is an updated ecu meter combination, to prevent the lost/failure of illumination in cold weather. rev 1 8/3/11 and rev 2 10/10/12. model 2004-200902/06/2013
0040604/28/200610019992Automatic headlight leveling system warning light on or flashing. *tt05/19/2006
052210/01/200510017678Special service campaign (ssc) - 50p to reprogram the ecm system which may cause some or all of the warning lights to illuminate: master, hybrid system, engine, vehicle stability control, and brake. *tt11/18/2005
510906/10/200510015599Diagnostics for the hybrid control system. repair manual correction. 00400-rm113-0u1. *tt07/29/2005
4499B03/20/2005500310015563'05 prius repair manual correction for the engine control system (sfi system) (1nz-fxe). 00400-rm113-0u2. *tt 00400-rm113-0u1. *tt07/28/2005
449806/13/200510015505Repair manual correction. introduction - repair instructions. diagnostics - sfi system. 00400-rm113-0u1. *tt07/26/2005
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY
SB-0306-08 REV 203/23/201110037588Ready05/26/2011
SB-0306-08 REV 203/23/201110037588Toyota: malfunction light is on with two internal trouble codes. it is a problem with the transaxle assembly. 2004-2008 prius. *rm05/26/2011
TSB-0166-0905/28/200910030354Toyota: some vehicles may exhibit a m.i.l. on condition with one of more of the following diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs): p0ac0; p0a1f; p0a7f; p0afa (hybrid battery pack/system). improvements have been made to the hv ecu and battery ecu ha09/23/2009
0010110/09/20030090010004424Maintenance for hv and auxiliary batteries at port and dealers. revised. *tt12/09/2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING
TSB-0172-0906/11/200910050739Toyota: available to correct the intermittent condition of the combination meter, there is an updated ecu meter combination, to prevent the lost/failure of illumination in cold weather. rev 1 8/3/11 and rev 2 10/10/12. model 2004-200902/06/2013
TSB-0042-1105/23/201110039067Toyota: 2004-2009 prius. the airbag light is on with two possible trouble codes stored. there is a problem with a wire harness. *rm07/07/2011
TSB-0042-1105/23/201110039067Ready07/07/2011

Investigations

NHTSA IDManufacturerDate openDate closeSubjectRecall campaign
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
RQ10003TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION02/16/2010UNINTENDED ACCELERATION
 On september 26, 2007, toyota filed a defect information report and notified nhtsa that some of its model year (my) 2007 and 2008 lexus e350 and toyota camry vehicles could experience unintended and uncontrolled acceleration due to interference between the optional all weather floor mat offered on those vehicles and the vehicles' accelerator pedal.this decision was influenced by an office of defects investigation (odi) engineering analysis.this recall was designated 07e082.two years later, on october 5, 2009, toyota filed a defect information report and notified nhtsa that a number of its my 2004-2009 lexus and toyota vehicles may also experience unintended and uncontrolled acceleration due to interference between the accelerator pedal and the driver's floor mat.this recall was designated 09v388.several months later, on january 27, 2010, toyota filed an amended, or supplemental, defect information report and expanded the population of vehicles to include additional my 2008-2010 toyota and lexus vehicles.since this expansiontook place in a different calendar year, this recall was designated 10v023.separately on january 21, 2010, toyota filed a defect information report and notified nhtsa that certain toyota vehicles and certain pontiac vibe vehicles contained a safety defect in the accelerator pedal assembly that may cause the accelerator pedal to become harder to depress, slower to return, or in the worse case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position.nhtsa designated this recall 10v017.in total, the four recalls cover over 7.6 million toyota and lexus vehicles as well as the pontiac vibe product made by new united motor manufacturing, inc., a venture of toyota and general motors corporation.nhtsa requires additional information from toyota to more fully understand and evaluate, among other things, whether the scope of the recalls identified above (makes, models and model years) is sufficiently broad.the agency is seeking to determine whether toyota viewed the underlying defects too narrowly as interference between the accelerator pedal and the driver

Consumer Complaints

Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
01/01/2013235000
 The multi information display no longer shows the vehicle speed and other specs such as fuel gauge, warning lights, and such. the vehicle sometimes couldn't turn off, and it would require me to press and hold the power button for more than 5 seconds in order to turn off the vehicle. driving is quite dangerous as i not even sure if the car is even ready or not, and what gear (d, n, r) it is in. toyota is charging me 400 for the repair even though the service bulliten stated that this is cause the the manufacturer defect on the circuit board. my sister who owns a 2006 toyota prius (16x,xxx) did receive the notice of recall for the multi information display, but i didn't any notice at all. this repair should be covered by toyota. this is outrageous!
03/08/2013650001
 Dashboard information suddenly turns blank -- no fuel level, speed, etc. , but headlights work (although no indicator on instrument panel) as well as turn signals, air-conditioning, and radio. i drove straight to the dealer thinking that it was probably a fuse. the service department reports that although they have rarely seen this, it's a problem with a component behind the power switch. the part is in short supply and may take as long as four weeks to arrive. they said it would be covered under warranty and the dealer will be paying for the cost of a rental car in the interim. the service from the dealer is superior and...i love my prius.. *tr
01/01/2013235000
 The multi information display no longer shows the vehicle speed and other specs such as fuel gauge, warning lights, and such. the vehicle sometimes couldn't turn off, and it would require me to press and hold the power button for more than 5 seconds in order to turn off the vehicle. driving is quite dangerous as i not even sure if the car is even ready or not, and what gear (d, n, r) it is in. toyota is charging me 400 for the repair even though the service bulliten stated that this is cause the the manufacturer defect on the circuit board. my sister who owns a 2006 toyota prius (16x,xxx) did receive the notice of recall for the multi information display, but i didn't any notice at all. this repair should be covered by toyota. this is outrageous!
03/08/201365000
 Dashboard information suddenly turns blank -- no fuel level, speed, etc. , but headlights work (although no indicator on instrument panel) as well as turn signals, air-conditioning, and radio. i drove straight to the dealer thinking that it was probably a fuse. the service department reports that although they have rarely seen this, it's a problem with a component behind the power switch. the part is in short supply and may take as long as four weeks to arrive. they said it would be covered under warranty and the dealer will be paying for the cost of a rental car in the interim. the service from the dealer is superior and...i love my prius..
01/01/2013235000
 The multi information display no longer shows the vehicle speed and other specs such as fuel gauge, warning lights, and such. the vehicle sometimes couldn't turn off, and it would require me to press and hold the power button for more than 5 seconds in order to turn off the vehicle. driving is quite dangerous as i not even sure if the car is even ready or not, and what gear (d, n, r) it is in. toyota is charging me 400 for the repair even though the service bulliten stated that this is cause the the manufacturer defect on the circuit board. my sister who owns a 2006 toyota prius (16x,xxx) did receive the notice of recall for the multi information display, but i didn't any notice at all. this repair should be covered by toyota. this is outrageous!
03/08/201365000
 Dashboard information suddenly turns blank -- no fuel level, speed, etc. , but headlights work (although no indicator on instrument panel) as well as turn signals, air-conditioning, and radio. i drove straight to the dealer thinking that it was probably a fuse. the service department reports that although they have rarely seen this, it's a problem with a component behind the power switch. the part is in short supply and may take as long as four weeks to arrive. they said it would be covered under warranty and the dealer will be paying for the cost of a rental car in the interim. the service from the dealer is superior and...i love my prius..
01/02/20121150001
 The driver side headlight intermittently goes on and off without warning. this began over a year ago, but we cannot name the specific time. we initially thought it was just a light bulb, however, we learned that it can be reactivated by briefly turning the headlight switch off and on. this is a safety hazard if driving at night. it can happen several times during one trip or not at all. we have taken it to a few toyota dealers and they have indicated that it could cost 400-800+ to repair the problem, which we believe to be excessive so for now we are tolerating the problem. *tr
01/02/2012115000
 The driver side headlight intermittently goes on and off without warning. this began over a year ago, but we cannot name the specific time. we initially thought it was just a light bulb, however, we learned that it can be reactivated by briefly turning the headlight switch off and on. this is a safety hazard if driving at night. it can happen several times during one trip or not at all. we have taken it to a few toyota dealers and they have indicated that it could cost 400-800+ to repair the problem, which we believe to be excessive so for now we are tolerating the problem.
01/03/20131010001
 Front right headlight is intermittently going out. i can get it to go back on if i turn switch off and back on but it may fail again within 10 or 80 minutes. replaced bulb, but still have problem. dealer said it was the bulb but replacing it has not fixed the issue. *tr
01/03/2013101000
 Front right headlight is intermittently going out. i can get it to go back on if i turn switch off and back on but it may fail again within 10 or 80 minutes. replaced bulb, but still have problem. dealer said it was the bulb but replacing it has not fixed the issue.
02/01/20131
 I started up the car this morning, put it into reverse, and a second or two later, it shifted itself into neutral. the shift lever felt like there was more resistance to it than usual. this happened several times and also happened when i tried to put the car into drive. after about 15 minutes of turning the car on and off and trying to shift several times, the car finally stayed in gear. the problem is the same as described in this thread: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/62-prius-forum/343977-08-prius-wont-stay-gear.html, with the only difference being that it was a rather cold day (0 degrees f) while most of the posts in the thread mention the problem occurring on a hot day. while the malfunction on my car was problematic but not life-threatening, i am concerned that the car could shift itself into neutral while i am driving (as described by several posters in the above thread), which would be a dangerous situation. *tr
02/01/2013
 I started up the car this morning, put it into reverse, and a second or two later, it shifted itself into neutral. the shift lever felt like there was more resistance to it than usual. this happened several times and also happened when i tried to put the car into drive. after about 15 minutes of turning the car on and off and trying to shift several times, the car finally stayed in gear. the problem is the same as described in this thread: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/62-prius-forum/343977-08-prius-wont-stay-gear.html, with the only difference being that it was a rather cold day (0 degrees f) while most of the posts in the thread mention the problem occurring on a hot day. while the malfunction on my car was problematic but not life-threatening, i am concerned that the car could shift itself into neutral while i am driving (as described by several posters in the above thread), which would be a dangerous situation.
10/12/20111350001
 Since about the fall of last year or so, we've been noticing that the headlights have been going off intermittently. the right went out and then came back on. then another time the left went out and came back on. i've read about this occurring on many other prius' and that there was a class action suit? anyway, i need to figure out how to get this fixed as it is a serious safety issue. *tr
10/12/2011135000
 Since about the fall of last year or so, we've been noticing that the headlights have been going off intermittently. the right went out and then came back on. then another time the left went out and came back on. i've read about this occurring on many other prius' and that there was a class action suit? anyway, i need to figure out how to get this fixed as it is a serious safety issue.
11/01/2011780004
 The headlamps repeatedly burn out, which repair people have said indicates an underlying electrical problem. i now have to replace one of the headlamps for the fourth time in just over a year. *tr
11/01/201178000
 The headlamps repeatedly burn out, which repair people have said indicates an underlying electrical problem. i now have to replace one of the headlamps for the fourth time in just over a year.
09/01/201256000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. in order to start the vehicle, the emergency brake had to be engaged. the contact also stated that the headlights failed intermittently but would function normally after attempting to activated them several times. in addition while driving at various speeds, the transmission would erroneously shift into neutral and all of the contact
09/01/201256000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that she experienced difficulty while trying to start the vehicle. in order to start the vehicle, the emergency brake had to be applied. the contact also stated that the headlights failed intermittently but would function normally after being activated then deactivated several times. the contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission would erroneously shift into neutral and all attempts to shift back into drive failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 56,000. the current mileage was approximately 57,000. mh
09/01/201256000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the she was unable to start her vehicle, she would then have to apply the emergency brakes and then restart the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and they were unable to diagnose the failure. in addition, the headlights would go out intermittently without any warning. after switching them off and on again then they would function as normal. also, while driving at various speeds the vehicle slipped out of gear and went into neutral. the contact tried to place the vehicle back into drive, but it would not hold. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 56,000. the current mileage was approximately 57,000. tb
12/10/20121497091
 Outside temperature approx 32 degrees f. gear shifter on dashboard would not electrically seal-in or stay in position after going into reverse, the first time. backed car out of driveway and shifted into drive, it immediately went back into neutral position and would not stay in drive - electrically. the only way to keep the car in gear was to physically hold the gear shifter into desired position. physically held shifter in drive position and pulled back into driveway. once in driveway, tested shifter and found it would not go into any gear and stay. after work, temperature was 60 degrees f and shifter then functioned properly. drove to toyota dealer and left car. they stated a technical bulletin was issued by toyota on this item as described. ticket # 490621; part number 33560-47023 lever assy. shift, was replaced. part cost 164.93 and labor was 416.14 for a subtotal of 581.07 plus tax of 34.33 for grand total of 615.40 usd. this is obviously a cold weather and age related issue. plus, this is not the first toyota electrical system design flaw issue i've encountered, but the first related to drivability and possible safety issue. *tr
12/10/2012149709
 Outside temperature approx 32 degrees f. gear shifter on dashboard would not electrically seal-in or stay in position after going into reverse, the first time. backed car out of driveway and shifted into drive, it immediately went back into neutral position and would not stay in drive - electrically. the only way to keep the car in gear was to physically hold the gear shifter into desired position. physically held shifter in drive position and pulled back into driveway. once in driveway, tested shifter and found it would not go into any gear and stay. after work, temperature was 60 degrees f and shifter then functioned properly. drove to toyota dealer and left car. they stated a technical bulletin was issued by toyota on this item as described. ticket # 490621; part number 33560-47023 lever assy. shift, was replaced. part cost 164.93 and labor was 416.14 for a subtotal of 581.07 plus tax of 34.33 for grand total of 615.40 usd. this is obviously a cold weather and age related issue. plus, this is not the first toyota electrical system design flaw issue i've encountered, but the first related to drivability and possible safety issue.
09/27/20121
 Headlights (one or both) will randomly turn off while driving. turning the switch off and back on will turn them back on. *tr
09/27/2012
 Headlights (one or both) will randomly turn off while driving. turning the switch off and back on will turn them back on.
11/09/20121159951
 My 22-year-old son had a scary incident in which our 2005 prius stalled spontaneously on the bronx river parkway (valhalla, ny) with several dashboard warnings lighting up. the hybrid shifted to battery mode in traffic. luckily he was able to get off highway. car was towed to dealer. we're very concerned because the car never had problems and because, on an internet search, we see the failure was precisely like the one described in nhtsa report that resulted in a toyota action to service many cars in 2005: http://j.mp/nhtsaprius05problem. *tr
11/09/2012115995
 My 22-year-old son had a scary incident in which our 2005 prius stalled spontaneously on the bronx river parkway (valhalla, ny) with several dashboard warnings lighting up. the hybrid shifted to battery mode in traffic. luckily he was able to get off highway. car was towed to dealer. we're very concerned because the car never had problems and because, on an internet search, we see the failure was precisely like the one described in nhtsa report that resulted in a toyota action to service many cars in 2005: http://j.mp/nhtsaprius05problem
09/25/20121390001
 I am sure that you won't believe this is true. on oct 25th 2012, i got home and turned off the car after work. i took the bag contained the key and left in the family room which is about 40 feet away from garage. after the dinner, i went to garage to throw trash. i smelled gas and heard music and car engine was on. suddenly, it reminds me, in the morning when i turn off the car and left, the car started by itself and all electronic system was re-set. i specifically paid attention to turning off the car and locking the door in the evening because of what happened in the morning. the car was turned on by itself again and had been running in the garage for more than 2.5 hrs based on the clock re-set information. i could not turn it off and the car showed error message that the key was not in the car. of course, since the key was in the family room at that time. i brought the key in the car and still could not turn it off. i tried to insert the key and still no luck. i called aaa and they sent a technician and a toll truck to my house. he could not turn off either initially and eventually turned it off after move the wheel, step on breaks really hard and shook the car. i sent the car to toyota dealer right away. the service center could not identify any issue and toyota refuse to acknowledge there is anything wrong with the car. i was scared and also glad that i went garage to throw garbage today. otherwise, i don't know what is going to happen! we have furnace with igniter light on in the garage. the house can be on fire with a reason no one will expect and believe! the carbon monoxide could filled the garage and emerge in the house! i called in the customer care center (case # [xxx]) and they told me there is anything they can do about it. what is really upset me is that toyota does not even acknowledge there is anything wrong with the car! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
01/20/2012500003
 While driving on the highway at 70 mph, the following symptoms occurred on my 2005 toyota prius: (1) car would not accelerate, (2) engine light came on, (3) problem light came on, (4) battery went red, (5) car stalled and would not accelerate/drive any further. after turning off the car and restarting it, i was able to drive it back and the battery recharged itself to green. after taking it to the dealership and having this problem fixed, the exact same situation happened two more times, again 6 months later and then 2 weeks after that. the second time i was driving again on the highway at 70 mph, the third time i was driving at night at 40 mph. *tr
01/20/201250000
 While driving on the highway at 70 mph, the following symptoms occurred on my 2005 toyota prius: (1) car would not accelerate, (2) engine light came on, (3) problem light came on, (4) battery went red, (5) car stalled and would not accelerate/drive any further. after turning off the car and restarting it, i was able to drive it back and the battery recharged itself to green. after taking it to the dealership and having this problem fixed, the exact same situation happened two more times, again 6 months later and then 2 weeks after that. the second time i was driving again on the highway at 70 mph, the third time i was driving at night at 40 mph.
09/01/20121630001
 My prius dash keeps going black, the car won't shut off . also had it in park engine revved and started to drive away. i jumped in and it wouldn't shut off i had to rip the key out. the rear taillights go out all the time. the doors and hatch locks won't unlock half the time. i had a new battery put in but it still happens. *tr
09/01/2012163000
 My prius dash keeps going black, the car won't shut off . also had it in park engine reved and started to drive away. i jumped in and it wouldn't shut off i had to rip the key out. the rear taillights go out all the time. the doors and hatch locks won't unlock half the time. i had a new battery put in but it still happens.
03/27/201261000
 The hid headlights fail and turn-off without warning. this leads to dangerous driving conditions especially at night. this is related to a hid headlight leveling sensor failure. toyota reports this issue in their technical service bulletin number el004-06, dated 28th april 2006. toyota recognizes the problem in the oem part and is providing replacement only on failed parts under 36months, 36,000 miles warranty. however, my vehicle experienced this safety issue past the warranty period and hence is not replaced by toyota. nevertheless, toyota has generated a customer program to replace this defective module in 2006-2009 models even if not under the warranty. my 2005 model experiences the exact same problem but toyota will not cover this safety issue. furthermore, the 2006-2009 models are covered under the class action lawsuit for the exact same problem as my 2005; however my 2005 model is not covered. please do the needful to include 2005 model prius (with hid headlights) in the safety issues addressed in 2006-2009 models. thank you.
05/26/2011103000
 I rolled slowly (<1 mph) uphill to the parking slot (l.a. code, 2%grade down away from buildings) up to the parking cement stop, and was ready to shut it down. the engine started to race, about to go over the cement stop when i put my foot on the brake. the car continued over the cement stop. i pushed harder on the brake and the car started to drive over the sidewalk. then the car drove through the plate glass of the studio and then came to a stop inside. i put the car into neutral and tried to turn the car 'off'. the car's engine was still on after several tries to turn it off and i had my foot off the brake and on the floor. then the car took a turn to the left and drove through the wall (my foot was still on the floor). i got out of the car without taking it out of neutral and it was still on. i took the key with me to the middle of the room (i used the keyless ignition) so the car should have chimed because; the passenger side door was open, i was out of the car, and the car was still left on. however, the car did not chime (indicating it did not detect i was 12 feet away). my teacher came up to the shattered glass window of the studio at the same time the security officer for the mini mall a few minutes after i got out of the car. i was looking for my insurance card in my purse when the three of us witnessed the car rev again and the wall began to shatter with plaster and wooden studs falling around the car with no one driving (the car was in neutral). because of the movement of the car, without a driver and in the wall, the security guard tried to get people out of the building. the towing company could not 'pull' the vehicle out of the wall with their tow truck for more then 20 minutes so, i gave my car key to the police officer and he gave it to the towing company. the man from the towing company drove the car out of the wall and out of the studio.
05/01/201160000
 The right, passenger headlight goes out and by turning the headlight switch off and back on, the headlight comes back on. it will go off again and i will have to perform the same procedure to get it to come on again. this happens repeatedly during any given trip.
12/02/2011100500
 We were driving on the highway at night and suddenly, without warning, the engine stalled completely, the car died, and all of the warning lights came on, including a red triangle, check engine, brake, and some others. the prius lost power and i had to turn on the hazard lights and coast to the shoulder. we called the aaa towing service and 911 (as the shoulder was very narrow and we could not get out of the car). the officer and the tow truck driver checked for all possible driver errors, including gas, but did not find anything out of the ordinary (the gas gauge showed 5/8 full). the car was towed to the toyota dealership in sunnyvale who are working to determine the cause. this was a very dangerous situation as we were driving on a highway, with a child in the car, at highway speeds at night and the car suddenly died. it has left us shaken and we will be contacting toyota to see if they have a fix for this.
10/25/201142500
 I was driving on the highway when my vehicle's check engine light came on. shortly after i saw a large amount of smoke coming from the engine. i pulled over and shut off the car. car smelled like burned plastic and smoke. i was worried that the car could catch on fire or blow up! i had the car towed to my nearest toyota dealership.toyota claimed that the three way coolant control valve had failed and the steam came from a ruptured line in the coolant system. the job cost me $422.32. i didn't mind paying the service but after careful research into the problem with the 3-way control valve on the prius i had learned that this is a wide spread problem.apparently the valve tends to stick causing no flow of the coolant fluid. i feel toyota should fix this problem before someone gets hurt either by getting burned from a ruptured line or the car catches on fire.
10/12/201144200
 Headlamp would go out at random intervals. always came on when first switched on but would go off while driving. would reproducibly come back on when the switched was flipped to off and back on again. would then go off again at later time. no way to tell whether operational while driving.
10/01/201060000
 2005 toyota prius with hid headlights which has self leveling feature. have noticed for a while the headlights are shining low, can't see sufficiently ahead of car. headlights can not be manually adjusted. found online several reports indicating the control module that sends the leveling message to control the headlights which is mounted on the driver side rear axle fails when water enters the device and corrodes the unit. poor contruction of this unit lead to water infiltration and has resulted in a dangerous situation due to the poor headlight performance. toyota has been contacted and they have not answered if a recall is warrented even though apparently the malfuncioning unit has been redesigned to stop water infiltration nor will they provide the necessary repair without charging for it.
10/09/2011150000
 I was driving with my two children on the 405 north freeway just south of the 10 freeway at 9pm in my toyota prius 2005. i had issues with one of the headlights already. it would flicker and then turn off without warning. last sunday, however, both headlights failed, including all interior lights, as i was speeding down on of the busiest freeways in the country at nighttime. it was pretty terrifying.
08/25/201164500
 When starting the vehicle up, no speedohmeter display is illuminated. the display for the vehicle enviromental controls (miles per gallon/energy use) still works. along with the speedohmeter display, the rear hatchback door does not work. i tried to adjust the inside light display to see if the light level was turned off. this was not problem. i turned the light adjustment knob in both directions, and still no speedohmeter display. upon trying to turn off the engine, it will not turn off. i was able to shut the vehicle off by disconnecting the car battery in the passenger side rear hatch back area. note that because the rear hatch back door does not work, all the vehicle parts which leads to the rear battery has to be taken out from the rear seat of the vehicle. one particular time i disconnected the car battery on the black portion of the battery,and the vehicle did not shut off. i brought the vehicle to the toyota dealership several times, and because this problem happens intermittently. toyota was unable to duplicate it. however, one day when it was not working, i brought it in to them. they later claimed that it was a cold start problem to the computer that is responsible for the speedohmeter display (besides other things, rear hatch back door, cruise control, etc.). toyota claimed they found the problem on the internet, and it was not a recalled part. this particular part (computer) normally happens only in the states that are very cold.
10/09/2011150000
 I was driving with my two children on the 405 north freeway just south of the 10 freeway at 9pm in my toyota prius 2005. i had issues with one of the headlights already. it would flicker and then turn off without warning. last sunday, however, both headlights failed, including all interior lights, as i was speeding down on of the busiest freeways in the country at nighttime. it was pretty terrifying.
08/25/201164500
 When starting the vehicle up, no speedohmeter display is illuminated. the display for the vehicle enviromental controls (miles per gallon/energy use) still works. along with the speedohmeter display, the rear hatchback door does not work. i tried to adjust the inside light display to see if the light level was turned off. this was not problem. i turned the light adjustment knob in both directions, and still no speedohmeter display. upon trying to turn off the engine, it will not turn off. i was able to shut the vehicle off by disconnecting the car battery in the passenger side rear hatch back area. note that because the rear hatch back door does not work, all the vehicle parts which leads to the rear battery has to be taken out from the rear seat of the vehicle. one particular time i disconnected the car battery on the black portion of the battery,and the vehicle did not shut off. i brought the vehicle to the toyota dealership several times, and because this problem happens intermittently. toyota was unable to duplicate it. however, one day when it was not working, i brought it in to them. they later claimed that it was a cold start problem to the computer that is responsible for the speedohmeter display (besides other things, rear hatch back door, cruise control, etc.). toyota claimed they found the problem on the internet, and it was not a recalled part. this particular part (computer) normally happens only in the states that are very cold.
10/09/2011150000
 I was driving with my two children on the 405 north freeway just south of the 10 freeway at 9pm in my toyota prius 2005. i had issues with one of the headlights already. it would flicker and then turn off without warning. last sunday, however, both headlights failed, including all interior lights, as i was speeding down on of the busiest freeways in the country at nighttime. it was pretty terrifying.
08/25/201164500
 When starting the vehicle up, no speedohmeter display is illuminated. the display for the vehicle enviromental controls (miles per gallon/energy use) still works. along with the speedohmeter display, the rear hatchback door does not work. i tried to adjust the inside light display to see if the light level was turned off. this was not problem. i turned the light adjustment knob in both directions, and still no speedohmeter display. upon trying to turn off the engine, it will not turn off. i was able to shut the vehicle off by disconnecting the car battery in the passenger side rear hatch back area. note that because the rear hatch back door does not work, all the vehicle parts which leads to the rear battery has to be taken out from the rear seat of the vehicle. one particular time i disconnected the car battery on the black portion of the battery,and the vehicle did not shut off. i brought the vehicle to the toyota dealership several times, and because this problem happens intermittently. toyota was unable to duplicate it. however, one day when it was not working, i brought it in to them. they later claimed that it was a cold start problem to the computer that is responsible for the speedohmeter display (besides other things, rear hatch back door, cruise control, etc.). toyota claimed they found the problem on the internet, and it was not a recalled part. this particular part (computer) normally happens only in the states that are very cold.
07/27/2011100000
 Gauge cluster on my 2005 toyota prius is completely dead. i cannot see any information such as speed, temp, fuel, etc. also, the car does not turn off when i push the on/off button. dealer says that it will cost $1000 to diagnose and fix. i am very concerned, as this is a safety issue!
06/01/2010
 Passenger front hid headlight was intermidiately operational for a short period of time. eventually it would not come back on. toyota dealer quoted $350+ for part and $150+ for labor, per headlight. according to other prius owners and internet articles, this issue is apparent to be a manufacturer defect; but toyota refuses to admit in order to prevent a recall. unwilling to paid for toyota's mistakes, the vehicle was driven with only one headlight for some time. until recently stopped by police and issued a traffic violation warning. for safety reasons and to prevent future violations , replaced the burnt hid bulb ($50+ from amazon.com) personally (followed proper procedures). a week later, that same bulb went out. more evident indicating the issue is not with the bulb; but with the electrical system and toyota is not willing to paid for their own mistakes. shame on toyota!!!
06/25/2011111860
 Driving north on i75 at approximately 65 mph. the gas gauge had 3 bars illuminated. the vsc warning light and the red triangle with the exclamation point came on. i lost the ability to accelerate and the car suddenly went dead. luckily i was able to make to relative safety on the side to interstate. the car was towed to a dealer who said the car ran out gas! they also said that the fuel register unit was operating as designed. how was that possible? the charge? over $1200! according to toyota corporate and the dealership, repeated unsuccessful attempts to start the car will, by design, cause irreparable damage to the ecu code id box which can cost $1200 - $1800 to replace. this design is apparently in the name of anti-theft protection. (why not just immobilize the car instead of partial self-destruction?) even given the high extent and documented history of gas gauge display malfunctions and many other related electrical problems, toyota corporate would offer no financial assistance, no reimbursement of any portion of the repair. this is the second time the car has lost all power in the middle of heavy traffic. that time, 08/09/10, the water pump failed. subsequent to that, i received a recall notice to replace the water pump.
11/08/200514
 Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that whenever the radio was in activation, it would not transmit a clear reception. the radio defect occurred on the purchase date of the vehicle and continued over the years. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they were unable to provide a remedy for the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 14.
11/08/200514
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated whenever the radio was in activation it would not transmit a clear reception. the radio defect occurred on the purchase date of the vehicle and continued over the years. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they were unable to provide a remedy for the problem. the failure mileage was approximately 14.
03/27/2011119000
 Note: the date above does not reflect first date of occurance. this is the event date that led to toyota admitting something is wrong with the car. please read narrative: on three occasions the car has died while being parked at work and at home. on one occasion the car died in my garage. after the vehicle was jumped it seemed fine. no lights were left on nor were any electrical devices plugged into the accessories. when it started up the car stated that the parking brake was not properly engaged and the vehicle needed to be moved to a level surface. it was in my driveway. another time the car did the same thing, dying at work in the airport employee parking lot. the car required being jump started and again it gave the same message. a co-worker stated that they had heard the car alarm go off at one point about an hour prior to shift change. both times the vehicle was checked and the report was
02/05/201125000
 My toyota prius 2005 model had repeated and total failures when the 12 volpt sli battery was low, or in cold weather. the desigtgtn logic is very bad: when the sli battery fails, the back doors and trunk could not be unlocked, so i could not get my jumper cables out since all electrical controls failed. the car could not be towed from behind when parked, not to damage the synergy drive (apparently). i was told to buy a trickle charger since the sli battery died a few times while the prius was garaged for more than a week. the toyota sli battery is specialized, small and the contacts are too small to grab with normal jumper cables. there are too many single point failures initiated by a discharged battery. when my remote key battery died, i was totally locked out of the car. mechanical backup options are needed for all these electrical and electronic controls.
01/04/201178000
 The passenger side headlight would sometimes go out and then come back on after turning the car off/on. eventually both of the headlights had this problem along with them turning pink in color and back to white while driving. i took the prius into the dealership and since i purchased the extended warranty of 100,000 miles the hid electronic control units (ecus) will be replaced free of charge but the hid light bulbs are costing $350 to replace. i see that toyota has extended the warranty of the light bulbs to a five year/50,000 for the 2006-2009 prius starting feb 9th 2011, tomorrow. the mechanics say these bulbs should last over a 100,000 miles but the ecus are making them go bad early. i had a wonderful conversation with toyota extra care representative about this problem. he basically told me anything that anything that breaks that is not covered by warranty (headlights) because an item that is under extended warranty(ecu), is not covered. and then he went on to explain this by talking about what came first, chicken or the egg. i was hoping to get into more in-depth evolution discussion with him, but i ran out of time and patience. i still love our prius, 78000 miles.
02/05/201125000
 My toyota prius 2005 model had repeated and total failures when the 12 volpt sli battery was low, or in cold weather. the desigtgtn logic is very bad: when the sli battery fails, the back doors and trunk could not be unlocked, so i could not get my jumper cables out since all electrical controls failed. the car could not be towed from behind when parked, not to damage the synergy drive (apparently). i was told to buy a trickle charger since the sli battery died a few times while the prius was garaged for more than a week. the toyota sli battery is specialized, small and the contacts are too small to grab with normal jumper cables. there are too many single point failures initiated by a discharged battery. when my remote key battery died, i was totally locked out of the car. mechanical backup options are needed for all these electrical and electronic controls.
01/04/201178000
 The passenger side headlight would sometimes go out and then come back on after turning the car off/on. eventually both of the headlights had this problem along with them turning pink in color and back to white while driving. i took the prius into the dealership and since i purchased the extended warranty of 100,000 miles the hid electronic control units (ecus) will be replaced free of charge but the hid light bulbs are costing $350 to replace. i see that toyota has extended the warranty of the light bulbs to a five year/50,000 for the 2006-2009 prius starting feb 9th 2011, tomorrow. the mechanics say these bulbs should last over a 100,000 miles but the ecus are making them go bad early. i had a wonderful conversation with toyota extra care representative about this problem. he basically told me anything that anything that breaks that is not covered by warranty (headlights) because an item that is under extended warranty(ecu), is not covered. and then he went on to explain this by talking about what came first, chicken or the egg. i was hoping to get into more in-depth evolution discussion with him, but i ran out of time and patience. i still love our prius, 78000 miles.
02/05/201125000
 My toyota prius 2005 model had repeated and total failures when the 12 volpt sli battery was low, or in cold weather. the desigtgtn logic is very bad: when the sli battery fails, the back doors and trunk could not be unlocked, so i could not get my jumper cables out since all electrical controls failed. the car could not be towed from behind when parked, not to damage the synergy drive (apparently). i was told to buy a trickle charger since the sli battery died a few times while the prius was garaged for more than a week. the toyota sli battery is specialized, small and the contacts are too small to grab with normal jumper cables. there are too many single point failures initiated by a discharged battery. when my remote key battery died, i was totally locked out of the car. mechanical backup options are needed for all these electrical and electronic controls.
01/04/201178000
 The passenger side headlight would sometimes go out and then come back on after turning the car off/on. eventually both of the headlights had this problem along with them turning pink in color and back to white while driving. i took the prius into the dealership and since i purchased the extended warranty of 100,000 miles the hid electronic control units (ecus) will be replaced free of charge but the hid light bulbs are costing $350 to replace. i see that toyota has extended the warranty of the light bulbs to a five year/50,000 for the 2006-2009 prius starting feb 9th 2011, tomorrow. the mechanics say these bulbs should last over a 100,000 miles but the ecus are making them go bad early. i had a wonderful conversation with toyota extra care representative about this problem. he basically told me anything that anything that breaks that is not covered by warranty (headlights) because an item that is under extended warranty(ecu), is not covered. and then he went on to explain this by talking about what came first, chicken or the egg. i was hoping to get into more in-depth evolution discussion with him, but i ran out of time and patience. i still love our prius, 78000 miles.
01/31/2011116002
 We were traveling along a familiar country road on a warm sunny day. when we arrived at a rural store there was only one other customer there. i slowly eased into the designated parking area which was situated about 17 inches above the lawn below. i was probably traveling less than one mile an hour. when i braked, the car accelerated and propelled itself over the blocks and railroad ties that are found in front of parking spaces, and we literally flew about 7 feet out and down onto the grass stopping just a few feet from a tree and a fence. while in the air, all i had time to do was put my foot down hard on the brake because there was not enough time to turn off the engine during the 5 seconds this was happening. our first reaction was that i might have hit the accelerator instead of the brake, and though i found this inconceivable because i had never done anything like that before and because the two pedals are so different, i could not consider another explanation. however, as time passed, we came to the realization that this could not been the case because even if i had pressed the accelerator by mistake i would have had to have floored it to get that kind of acceleration in such a short distance, and even mistaking it for the brake i wouldn't have floored the brake because i was only about 18 inches from where i was to stop. even under normal circumstances, the prius just does not have this immediate kind of acceleration we experienced. i cannot help but think about this event occurring as i stopped at a crosswalk. this is a dangerous automobile that i loved driving for 5 years, and now i will not drive again.
12/10/201076063
 Tl- the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact noticed that all the warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. the contact pulled over and turned the vehilce off. when attempting to restart the vehicle, he noticed that the vehicle would not restart. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they performed a diagnostic test which concluded that there was moisture intrusion in trans axel and removed the trans axel and water. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance and stated that they could not provide him with a reimbursement. the current mileages were 78,270 and the failure mileages were 76,063. bw
11/08/2010
 We are have a problem with our 2005 toyota prius. the headlights (one or both) goes out without warning. the is a known safty problem with headlihgts on the prius. toyota will not issure a recall because they have not been irected to by the govermnet.
10/08/2010120573
 2005 toyota prius stalled on an overpass with no shoulders. the transmission became stuck in park, and the vehicle could not be pushed since the front wheels were locked up. the car was eventually towed, and it had to be dragged onto the flatbed wrecker since the front wheels would not roll. the problem was determined to be a failed pump for cooling the inverter. the pump failed such that it blew a fuse that also controlled the transmission shifter, preventing the car from being put into neutral so that it could be pushed out of traffic lanes. this is a very unsafe failure mode.
10/26/2010108000
 2005 toyota prius, repeated healight failure. i have been issued three police summonses for headlight failure and have only owned this vehicle for two years. i replaced both headlights three weeks ago and the passenger headlight is out again
10/17/2010150000
 My 2005 prius' right headlight (hid) turns off. after turning the lights off and back on, it lights up again. it's very strange because if the bulb was dead, it wouldn't come back on. just recently, someone made me aware of the issue. but, who knows how long it has been going on. there is no pattern or unique incident that causes the bulb to turn off and on. it happens multiple times on trip between 2-4 miles (sometimes more than 2 or 3 times on a short trip). since i became aware of the issue, i don't take the car on long trips. my local mechanic said dead bulbs don't turn on and off, they just stay off. sometimes my bulb will stay on for 10-20 minutes, then go out. doesn't sound broken to me. the mechanic told me the ballast could have a problem, but that costs several thousand dollars to fix (not to mention replacing one bulb is like 200 dollars)..
10/16/201096000
 We purchased a toyota 2005 prius in august of this year. it had 92000 miles on it but was in exceptional condition. just this week october 15 the passenger side headlight started blinking and one day later went out.
10/17/2010150000
 My 2005 prius' right headlight (hid) turns off. after turning the lights off and back on, it lights up again. it's very strange because if the bulb was dead, it wouldn't come back on. just recently, someone made me aware of the issue. but, who knows how long it has been going on. there is no pattern or unique incident that causes the bulb to turn off and on. it happens multiple times on trip between 2-4 miles (sometimes more than 2 or 3 times on a short trip). since i became aware of the issue, i don't take the car on long trips. my local mechanic said dead bulbs don't turn on and off, they just stay off. sometimes my bulb will stay on for 10-20 minutes, then go out. doesn't sound broken to me. the mechanic told me the ballast could have a problem, but that costs several thousand dollars to fix (not to mention replacing one bulb is like 200 dollars)..
10/16/201096000
 We purchased a toyota 2005 prius in august of this year. it had 92000 miles on it but was in exceptional condition. just this week october 15 the passenger side headlight started blinking and one day later went out.
08/25/201036530
 I pulled into a parking place.
06/07/200615000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while driving at approximately 20 mph, the contact applied the brake pedal and the vehicle began to skidd with the illumination of the skidd control warning light. the contact was able to gain control. the failure would occur during braking in low gear; traveling uneven roads or gravel. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 15,000. the vin was unavailable. js
01/01/19011
 2005 toyota prius. consumer states vehicle loss steering, brakes, cruise control on the highway, when applying brake at a full stop vibration is felt *tgw the power steering, brake and abs light illuminated. the consumer stated he noticed when the problem occurred, he was using his bluetooth headset. *jb
05/13/20101429621
 I drove a 2005 toyota prius vin#[xxx] until 5/13/2010. at around 10am i was driving on the hwy in the lft lane. with cruise control on going 75mph. i had a gps on and navigating. and i had my blue tooth earpiece on. then all at the same time my blue tooth shut down. my gps shut down. and every warning lite came up in the car. even the display that usually shows how the hybrid systems works was blinking problem!! problem!! so i let off the gas and started to move to the rt side of the road. thats when i realized that i had no power steering. there was an exit coming up so i let the car slow down to about 50mph. as i started to exit i put my ft on the brakes. thats when i noticed that the pedal was very stiff and vibrating. i was coming to a blind intersection and i had the red lite. so i pushed on my brakes. instantly i could hear screaching tires. so i looked in my side mirror. and to my suprise im looking at a large amount of smoke coming from me! my rear tires had locked up and my front tires werent doing anything. so i started fishtail back and forth like i had my ebrake on. i put all my wt on the pedal cause the intersection was really getting close. and without power steering it was very hard to keep the car from crashing. i came to a stop just before the light. then drove my car to the nearest dealer at in berkeley ca at 10mph. i told them everything. even about my blue tooth and garmin. they got me a rental car then 4day later they said if i give them $2000 for a part and $1000 in labor it might fix it but there not sure cause they never saw this problem before. and they werent going to pay for my rental cause the part was out of warrenty after 36000miles. i have had every svc done at toyota. and if theres a computer pt that toyota knows can brake easily. which they do. thats why its only warrenty to 36000miles. it shouldnt result in the loss of your brakes and power steering. very dangerous!! i could of died. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *tr
01/01/2008
 I had been pulled over on several occations for faulty tail lights. this has been ongoing sence i bought the car. then my children told me of the front head lights going out for no reason. i did not believe them till the went out on me. after taking it to several toyota dealers and said that there is nothing wrong, on 09/10/2009 i filed a complaint with a monica from the nhtsa in dc. i have yet to hear anything to this date and i am afraid of a serious crash when the lights go out without knowing why. i also have a check light that has been on sence before my warranty went out and no one wants to correct the problum. i hate this car, it scares me and there are other issues and i have to date only recieved one recall and that is on the mats.
04/02/201069186
 2005 prius no problems except water pump until now. 69,000 miles. went to start the care and while in neutral idleing the brake pedal pumped up and down and the ps light came on. the red triangle danger message came on. i did not drive it but toyota told me to tow it in. they say the computer is shot and needs a new skid control ecu. i was not in an accident
09/10/2009150000
 My 2005 prius headlights are brand new and the lights go on and off. i went to the dealer and he told me that they could not detect whether it is the hib headlights or the ecu to gives it power. they told me that it will cost me a thousand dollars to get both done. the lights go off in the middle of driving and present a hazard in darkness and inclimate weather.
02/28/2010136488
 My 2005 toyota prius have left and right hid headlight problems. the passenger side headlight goes out intermittently, then both headlights goes out with no warning. this is an expensive problem, there are major safety concerns linked to the sudden loss of headlights. there should be a saftey recall on all toyota prius headlight assembly. the headlights and the electronics cost more than $1,000 to replace.
03/24/2005618001
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while the contact was driving approximately 20 mph the brake light, anti-lock brake system and stability control warning light indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the failure occurred one time. an authorized dealer and manufacturer were notified; and the contact was displeased with the lack of response. the failure and current mileages were 61,800. updated 05/10/10 *bf the consumer stated toyota has taken care of the problem free of charge. updated 05/12/10.*jb
04/01/200633703
 I have reviewed my service records and it is quite clear that i have had problems with the electrical system in my car since april 2006 @ 3,370 miles. this was also the same time it began to accelerate from a stopped position for the first time, when i noticed that the braking system began to feel different, when the car began slipping on perfectly dry roads, and when my steering wheel would lock up. i find it difficult to believe that the failure of my brakes and my intermittent acceleration issues are not somehow related to the cars computer system and not mechanical issues. i have filed complaints with toyota for these issues (cases # 200807100210, 200811030088). i experienced my first braking issue on 27-jun-2008 (25,133 miles). while i was able to bring the car to a stop eventually, the slowing of my car was a very gradual process requiring heavy pressure on the brake with minimal braking response. i went to the toyota dealership. the dtc code at the time was c1247 with code 179 stored, there was no brake assist. the dealership reset the memory and reinitialized the linear solenoid valve and calibration. the brakes were reported to have returned to normal. on 09-jul-2008 (25,551 miles), i returned to the dealership because my brakes failed again. this time my brake failure resulted in a car accident (the person i hit stated at the time of the accident he had whiplash but he never contacted me afterwards). toyota replaced the skid control ecu and rechecked operation reassuring me once again that the brakes had returned to normal. on 03-nov-2008 (29,575 miles) as i was driving over 65 on a major highway my brakes again failed (dtc c1247, code 179). toyota case #08300402. at this point the repair shop replaced the brake stroke sensor. i am concerned because my car had an acceleration issue on 13-feb-2010 and i find it to be slipping again on dry roads. similar problems to those i had before my brakes failed. please help. updated ivoq 04/02/10 updated 04/08/10.*jb
03/12/201010360
 Driving at night and the head lamps on toyota pruis malfunctioned; not aware that they were off. i was on a dark winding road, heavy rain showers. was alerted by another motorist that my lights were off. got out of car, tapped the dome, one came on... i was able to drive home. happened unexpectly, no warning. very concern with my safety. they could have been an accident. checked with other pruis owners. found out, it's a widespread issue with the pruis. toyota is aware of the problem and needs to address it before someone gets seriously hurt or killed. overall the car is fine but this headlamp issue needs to be addressed from a safety perspective. there are no deaths /injury in my case but prevention is the key. thank you.
10/06/200993000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the vehicle was parked all day until the driver pushed the power button and there was no power in the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealership for diagnostic and testing. it took the dealer two weeks to perform a diagnostic test on the vehicle. the technical support team had to replace the power e.c.u. the contact was concerned that the vehicle would continue to lose power. the failure mileage was approximately 93,000. the current mileage was approximately 98,000 miles.
06/15/2009400001
 The problem is engine surging when i am braking. the regenerative brakes seem to send power to the motor that the computer does not handle properly and the engine surges, making it difficult for me to slow the car down to make turns or to stop. the car feels out of control. this problem seems to be random. i have contacted the toyota dealer several times about the problem over the years since i purchased the car in january of 2005. they said they had received no other complaints of a similar problem. it happens more frequently in the summer than in the winter. i talked to the service manager at my toyota dealer last month and he again said that there were no other complaints of a similar problem and that it might be the fault of the ethanol in the gasoline. i think it is a problem of the electronics and that the shield protecting the electronics is not capable of protecting against electro-magnetic problems in the area or in my car. *tr
03/01/2009330001
 In march of '09 i drove my car to a local shopping center. when i returned to my car 10 minutes or so later, i tried to start the engine by pushing on the start button. the entire dashboard display lighted up, including all of the warning lights, but the car wouldn't start and i wasn't able to turn to turn off. i am not sure if the engine actually came on. i also wasn't able to put the car in gear.. at some point, all the display lights, including the gear shift box, started flashing.. after trying for about 5 minutes, i called my toyota i10 dealer in indio, ca who said he had never heard of this happening. while talking to him i kept pushing buttons and finally, i was able to turn the car off and then back on and everything worked from that point on. i was not told by the toyota technician to bring the car in and i didn't. the second time it happened on 4/3/09 the same problem happened again. the car was parked in my garage and when i went to start the car, all of the above happened again, but i believe i was able to turn off the ignition. i called aaa, they jumped my 12v battery , and i immediately drove the car to my toyota dealer. they recharged the battery and said that the battery tested high after the recharging. that battery did not have to replaced until 10/22/09. i have another complaint which may or my not be connected to this complaint,. on approximately 1/6/10 while driving my car the lights displaying my speed and fuel gauge went out. i thought it might be a blown fuse so had that checked. the fuse had not been blown. i continued to drive the car for about another week or so before calling to make an appointment with my toyota dealer for the next day. on that day, 1/20/10 i called i drive my car to do several errands, one of which was quite near the area when i first had the trouble with the car starting. in this case, as i was leaving the area, my display lights came on and i have not had any trouble with them since. *tr
02/13/2010400001
 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 the entire gear shift mechanism replaced, which costs ~$700. i'm nervous that if i don't get it replaced, the gears could jump while driving and cause a safety hazard. *tr
01/25/20101823671
 My 2005 toyota prius has a problem with the headlights going out,it started in december 2009 and as of today they go out about every 5-10 minutes ... i called toyotas customer service and they implied there was no wide spread problem with the headlights on the 2005 prius ... i have an associated press article in front of me that says (the prius is a highly computerized car and has had many problems in the past ... in 2005 toyota repaired 75,000 prius that had a software problem that caused the car to stall and the prius also has had problems with the headlights going out since 2001 ) is there a fix that they would not tell me about ... thanks. *tr
01/04/20101600001
 In my 2005 toyota prius, one or both of the headlights spontaneously go out while driving. if you turn them off using the switch and then turn them on, the re-illuminate so the bulbs are not burned out. *tr
09/17/20091
 I own a 2005 toyota prius, and the headlights have both gone out. they are supposed to last 10 years. for a while, when i turned off the headlights and turned them back on, they would work. however, they do go out when i am on the road quite often. i have been quoted by the dealership that replacing a single lightbulb will cost over $400 including parts and labor. this is a safety issue because i drive to work in the early in the morning and late at night, and my headlights do not function reliably. i have heard this complaint from other prius owners, who are otherwise happy with their vehicles. for a lightbulb that is supposed to last 10 years, this is definitely a faulty and dangerous part issue. *tr
05/11/200919300106/18/2005
 Fire and total loss of 2005 toyota prius, 19,300 miles after returning from work, the vehicle was parked as usual with engine power cut in the owner's driveway. a few minutes later, smoke was noticed inside the car with flames showing from underneath the vehicle. the fire department extinguished the fire about 10 minutes after it was first noticed. the main damage is in the rear left (driver's side) of the vehicle, with the cargo compartment completely destroyed, tire completely melted, all plastic in the area melted, door blackened, the rear bench destroyed, the ceiling carpet destroyed and big heat marks on the roof of the car. the vehicle was not modified as a plug-in hybrid which have been reported in at least one incident of fire. the external temperature was moderate, around 70-75 degrees. *tr updated 06/05/09*jb
02/27/2009621
 On 2/27/09, my 2005 toyota prius' brakes completely failed. i was going downhill in an highly transited urban road (rte 123 in va, close to tysons corner). thankfully i was only going about 40mph when the light changed to red. the 2 vehicles in front of me stopped. i pressed the brake pedal and my car accelerated initially, and then nothing. brakes are meant to work. always. i kept pumping the pedal hoping to engage the breaks, but they did not engage. what stopped me was the rear of a bmw x5. thankfully i was the only injured party, and my injuries are mostly muscular. i could have died or i could have killed someone. in january, i had taking my car to the dealer because all the alert lights on the dash would sporadically go off. they kept the car for a week and claimed that the secondary battery needed to be replaced. i got my vehicle back and on 2/23/09 the issue restarted. i was due to take my car back to the dealer the day of the accident. i called a lawyer to see if i had a case, and was told no. i am still researching the issue because someone should be held accountable and future tragedies should be avoided. if anyone has started a class action suit, please do let me know as i would like to join you. *tr
12/27/2008940001
 On three separate occasions my headlamps have gone out. each time it has been the right or left side. the fourth time. the lights came on using the hi-beam only. numerous incidents have taken place. this is the second time my wife has been pulled over for this. i have replaced these myself. however, this last time it is not the bulb. it is the electrical system. according to the forum. costs have been from $300 - 2k. some dealerships assume some responsibility and others don't. this is a safety and expense issue. driving home is very difficult at night and using the hi-beam is blinding to on coming traffic and against the law in most circumstances. *tr
11/22/20081200001
 Left headlight keeps going out in prius. turn off then back on to reset both headlights went out one night and almost caused a wreck it reset once i turned it off and back on. *tr
10/01/200613000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. for the past two years, the vehicle has emitted an odor inside the passenger compartment, which sticks to the contact's clothing and hair. the odor has been recognized by toyota as an odor that originates from the rear battery which is found under the back seat. the odor is triggered by extreme heat and while pulling heavy loads. the contact lives in arizona so the vehicle is subjected to extreme heat. toyota stated that the odor was non-toxic and that there was no current remedy for the defect. the contact believes that the chemical may be toxic and feels uncomfortable driving the vehicle. the failure mileage was 13,000 and current mileage was 45,000.
07/14/2008800001
 I own a 2005 toyota prius. i purchased it in march 2005. last week, my multifunctional display (mfd) ceased to operate correctly. the mfd initialized to the mpg screen but had unusual colors. i attempted to change the display screen by selecting the audio, climate, display, and info buttons but to no avail. the screen would go blank and then show the ?prius hybrid? initializing screen and then return to the mpg screen. as i was nearing my 80k service, i contacted my dealer and reported the problem. they diagnosed the mfd as being unserviceable that next saturday. the service representative made the comment that it was common for the mfd to go bad. to replace the mfd with a new one, it is $4,000.00 plus installation. that is 19% of the cost of the vehicle when it was brand new! i began researching and found that toyota had issued a technical service bulletin on 10 january 2005 title: multi-display functions are inoperative; tsb# el002-05 which identified issues with the mfd. also in browsing the web specifically www.priuschat.com and http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/prius-2g/ and saw that i was not the only one with this problem. one electronically gifted person disassembled his mfd and diagnosed the problem as improper soldering on the circuit card (see http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/mfd/compare.html ). it seems that toyota corporation was aware of the problem and were not disclosing it hoping that the faulty mfd?s would not be discovered until the vehicles exceeded the 3 year 36,000 warranty. i know i am outside the mileage warranty, however, i am just passed the 3 year window. i purchased and use my car as a commuter vehicle driving almost 100 miles per day. as a maintenance officer in the us army, i know there are components that are mileage dependent (engines, transmissions, differentials) but this is not one of them. electrical components are built to last the majority of vehicles life, not just until the warranty expires. *tr
08/10/2007330001
 Five no starting concerns after two years of ownership. *tr
02/10/200858203107/29/2005
 2005 toyota prius right hid headlamp flickers and sometimes turns off while driving. dealer will not cover extensive repair cost. from internet information this seems to be a very common problem that could be very dangerous if both headlights quit simultaneously. *tr
10/01/200740000204/01/2005
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. while being serviced at the dealer, they noticed that the headlights were distorted. the plating on the internal part of the headlights were overheating. there is no way to release this heat and the contact is concerned that a possible fire may occur. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they did not want to be responsible because it was no longer under warranty. the failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage was 41,000. updated 01-14-08. *kb updated 12/12/07. *jb
11/09/2006203/28/2005
 Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph under normal road conditions, the vehicle stalled. there were no warnings prior to the failure. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who was not able to identify the problem. updated 12/18/2006 -*nm
02/21/20066500107/01/2005
 Dt*: the contact stated the console showed whether the vehicle was running on engine power or electrical power. since purchase the vehicle has not operated on electrical power at low speeds. the dealership determined there is nothing wrong with the vehicle.
09/15/20054216104/16/2005
 My 2005 prius had engine failure while traveling at high speed on the highway. i pulled over and had to get the car towed, and the computer reset. i soon after learned of a recall, and now i am told that my car does not qualify for the recall. i think it is unsafe, and i want the computer problem remedied. *jb
01/22/200613170108/12/2005
 While driving on the freeway at speeds up to 65 mph pulled off and went through a small town. after coming to a stop light started to press the gas pedal to accelerate and the red triangle with an exclamation mark lit up on the dashboard, and then the small car with exclamation mark came on the lcd screen. the car didn't stall nor loose power, but i pulled over to check and see what the owner's manual said. it stated to contact the dealer. had the car towed. tried to power off and on twice but the icons still remained, and on the lcd stated a problem existed. also, it seemed t when i powering on/off the engine did not kick in as usual. however, i am not sure , if i left the car powered on long enough because it usually took 20-30 seconds before engine kicked in.*ak
10/13/2005108/23/2005
 I have a 2005 toyota prius. i got my car 8-23-2005 and on 10-13-2005 i was hit on the passenger side while making a left hand turn. the intersections was just after a traffic circle, signs was missing, it was raining, dusk and the person who hit me did not have her lights on and was driving too fast for conditions. my car stopped, and could not be restarted. it was towed. i called my insurance company and was sent to a repair facility. after several days they got my car, but because it would not start, towed it to a toyota shop. it sat there for 10 days, until i called, then it was sent back to the repair shop. it took 6 more weeks for the car to be repaired. one delay was in getting the seat-belt, which was supposed to come with the seat, but did not. it had to be shipped from japan (i was told). after the repair was done, 9 weeks after the accident, the car would not start. it was towed to another toyota dealership. two weeks later, i am told that a wiring harness was the problem. this has to be shipped from japan, and the expected date of arrival is 1-11-2006. meanwhile, i have not had my car for nearly 3 months. my insurance paid for 30 days of a rental car (i waited a week to get the rental car), then i paid for another 4 weeks. i have notified toyota 2 times about this situation. i have called the dealership, where i have a special customer convenience card. this card only seems to be good for purchases, and not for actual assistance. i think prius owners need to know that their cars can only be repaired at a few locations, and most dealerships can not repair them properly. additionally, i think the car has a significant blinds pot, as i am frequently surprised by other cars suddenly appearing. *jb
11/03/200510334109/15/2005
 After toyota's recalling 75,000 prius in u.s., i took my 2005 prius into torrance toyota(310-325-75000) to have the softwareglitchrepaired. michael gallagher(service advisor) told me there is additional glitches and now my car is inoperable and he has been ask
10/31/20053000110/10/2005
 Toyota prius; driving on interstate 287 in new jersey when the engine cut out and would not restart. *nm
07/29/2005105071
 2005 toyota prius stalling at 35-40 mph.*mr the vehicle would not restart and was towed to a repair facility. the consumer was told that the problem was due to bad programming at the factory. the computer wa reset per tsb eg047-04. *nm
09/12/20055010104/15/2005
 While stopped at a stop light, i got a red triangle with ! inside that came on. the vehicle engine stopped and the car was put automatically in park. i could not restart the car and had to have it towed. the accessories still worked, just no engine. *nm
06/15/2005160002010/01/2004
 Dt: vehicle stalled/died and lost power. this happened on 08.15/2005. *ak *mr
08/26/20057000203/31/2005
 1 )stall on 5/26/05 @1:30 pm at a speed of 35 mph + - without warning. after few mints i able to start & got the engine , & restarted & also re started ac & got gogoing. same day @ 4:30 pm ac was shut off without warning and screen was completely blank @ speed of 62 mph + -, pulled of to shoulder turned off ing. 2) same thing on 8/31/05 11:30 am @ speed of 55 mph first ac went & with in less than a mile engine went completely, did not start in first few minutes, after waiting 10 or so minutes engine started & ac started. drove to the dealer for check up , was given hard time by service rep, will not take in without appointment & refused to provide any assistance or a loner car. when i told him you want me to get killed out in traffic he replied nothing i can do to help you i am doing my job what i am told i asked want see manager he replied he is on vacation no one is taking his place i was very upset & angry with his reply & attitude in the end he added go get a lawyer i left the service department with appointment on 9/2/05 3:pm and then.......................! went to see sales person & she was very humble & help full , she set me up with loner- rental car at no charge & i left my car prius 2005 with dealer ship for full check up. as of now car is @ dealership. bhatia ps: blue team service rep. *nm
08/24/200523898107/31/2004
 2004 toyota prius with 23915 miles on it. driving to work west on i-90 during rush hour engine stopped dead. i-90 is 8 lanes of traffic in spokane, wa. had to have car towed to dealer for repairs. problem was a failure in the electronic control unit. ecu had to be re-programed. cause found by dealer: found code p3191 & poaof codes. found tbs #eg047-04. according to the service advisor, toyota issued a technical bulletin covering this problem but stated there were too few failures to warant a recall. being on an interstate during rush hour with traffic doing 70+ mph and having an engine failure could create a life threating situation very quickly. the last thing i asked the service advisor is if this will happen again? his response, it shouldn't. that's reassuring.
07/16/2005503106/14/2005
 New vehicle had master fault, check engine and other warning lights at odo reading 50, repaired faulted again. replacement parts include cam sensors, computer boards, wiring harness and now master computer board. *nm
01/01/19011
 Consumer's toyota prius lost power suddenly while driving on the interstate.*mr *nm
01/03/200530012/13/2004
 Dt: the vehicle intermittently stalled and decelerated while driving 35 mph due to computer failure. *ak the vehicle stalled while on the highway. the service engine soon light had come on before and remained on after the vehicle failed. *sc
06/01/20051000104/02/2005
 Dt: the contact stated while driving 65 mph vehicle stalled and lost power.
06/30/2005012/30/2004
 The prius shut down, stopped using gasoline power, while i was in the passing lane and traveling 70 miles per hour in moderate traffic on interstate 40 in nashville, tn. the red triangle, check engine, vsc and a few other warning signals illuminated. i managed to avoid being rear-ended , pulled to the side of the road using battery power, shut the battery power off, and consulted the owner's manual. approximately 10-15 minutes prior, the add fuel light illuminated and the fuel indicator displayed a single bar. having driven the vehicle for the past 8300 miles, my wife informed me that we had about 2 gallons of gas, and could easily travel another fifty miles. the temperature was near 90 degrees. i started the vehicle and chose to drive it off the interstate. we traveled 2.5 miles and coasted to the side of the road as the battery depleted. i managed to slowly drive the vehicle to a gas station and refueled. the fuel tank could only accommodate 8.1 gallons of fuel; it holds 11.7. once refueled, the warning signals disappeared after 30 seconds, and we drove home. my wife took the car to the dealer, joe heitz toyota in clarksville, tn, the next day for an evaluation. the mechanic said that the computer indicated that the vehicle ran out of fuel. since there obviously was fuel in the tank, i pressed the service manager for answers. by the end of the day and after consulting with prius technical folks in california, the service manager said that the fuel bladder may have collapsed over the sending module thereby signaling the car's computer that it was out of gas, which caused it to shut down. he said toyota is looking into the problem and provided a lame solution; refuel the vehicle before it gets too low. this is an unacceptable answer and i implore the nhtsa to investigate this potentially deadly anomaly. it is only a matter of time before someone is in a fatal accident because the vehicle shuts down while traveling at interstate speeds.
05/11/2005104/25/2005
 Dt: while driving at approximately 68 mph the vehicle began to loose speed. the consumer was able to pull the vehicle off to the side of the road and park. no warning light illuminated indicating there was a problem. the consumer had been driving for about an hour at 68 mph when the vehicle began to lose power. after the vehicle sat for about 1 1/2 minutes the vehicle operated as if nothing had happened. *ak the consumer heard one beep, then the vehicle lost all power. the consumer pressed the accelerator but it did not respond. the service dealer could not find a problem. *sc *jb
05/07/20051368503/27/2005
 Dt: consumer was driving about 45 minutes / 65 mph when vehicle lost power/stalled. all warning lights were on. consumer was able to restart vehicle after it stalled by letting it sit for a while. vehicle had a history of accelerating and stalling. *ak *nm
06/07/20056000110/26/2004
 Dt: consumer's vehicle stalled while driving on the interstate, and put his life at risk. the car would not restart. consumer bought an extended warranty from toyota, and they had no record of that when calling them. *ak prior to the incident vehicle's consumer computer indicated that the vehicle was low on gas by a flashing green light, and the computer was indicating that the vehicle was getting its power from both the gas and electric engines. the vehicle's computer system did not recognize any commands. prior incidents the car dieseled at stop lights sometimes for minute and consumer got 28mpg in the city, where the gas engine seemed to be running even on downhill stretches and when stopped.*sb *nm
04/13/20050
 I did not have a failure, but i had an experience that i think would be helpful to you and toyota. my experience was accidently hitting my right knee lightly upward against the lever that is used to put the car in drive, park, referse and battery. i was traveling on the highway and was shifting my weight slightly to get more comfortable after i had been driving several hours. within a few minutes, looking at the dashboard, i noticed the car was in the b mode which i guess is called battery. i shifted back into drive with no problem. however my thinking is that if someone did what i did (in the way of accidently tapping the shift lever with their knee) and did not notice that the car had shifted to battery, after driving for some time (x hours or minutes) the batteries that drive the electric motor/engine would run down to the point where the car would stop running and could not be restarted because the batteries were so run down. also the engine would not start again because the batteries running the electric motor were not assisting in the drive of the car as designed. i noticed a note on a web site this evening that indicated the car would not run when the batteries were below a 20% charge. if this is correct, it would fit in with my theory. the shift lever needs to be harder to move so that accidental changes such as i experienced would be prevented. if this is too expensive, maybe a cheaper way to fix tghe problem would be for an alarm light or audible signal to go on when the battery propulsion had been going on too long unassisted by the gasoline motor. maybe i'm all wet, but i thought it wouldn't hurt to let you know my thoughts.
04/23/200535111/30/2004
 Was driving home (approx 35 mph) when master warning light and vehicle stability control system warning light came on. vehicle would not run on gasoline power and battery quicky ran down so car was not driveable. vehicle had to be towed to dealership. dealership advised it was a computer problem
05/12/200519700111/20/2004
 Our prius hybrid car engine suddenly stopped while driving on the interstate. we could not get it started and had to be towed to a toyota dealer to have our car reprogramed.
03/29/20059000111/30/2004
 While driving my 2005 toyota prius at about 40 mphin left lane on route 158 in kitty hawk, nc, the accelaratorl quit working, but neither engine quit. was able to let car go into shopping center lot (this was dangerous situation and my 8 year old grandaughter was in the car). electirc engine provided the power with out accelerator assistance. had car towed to elixabeth city toyota dealer. mechanic took two days to find a wasy to get accelerator working. he said thatin conjuntion with toyota corporate engineersover telephone he ran tests and many errors showed up not related to the accelerator. the problems sounded to me like it was in the computer's system. mechanic was eventually told to shut down all computers and re-boot them one by one. i asked him about the cause and he said none was discovered. car has not repeasted problem, but i remain concerned. related this problem to my purcahse dealer (lustine toyota in woodbridge va) assistant service manager. i was told they could not do anything unlesss the problem occurred again - this is not reassuring. and i aapeared to know more about the problem that they did or was willing to admit. i even gave them a copy of an artilce (the japan times - 5/16/2005) that i found on the web referred to a wall street journal article about the problem. it said tha ttoyota corp had sent letters to prius owners telling them to take thier cars in for a software upgrade computer. no letter wa sever sent to me! and dealer did not react to letter.
05/01/20054000303/01/2005
 Dt: the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. he states that while driving every warning light in the vehicle began to flash, then the car died. he turned the vehicle on again and it done the same thing. after this the vehicle would not start. he called toyota ,they sent someone with gas because the add fuel light was flashing, and they put gas in the vehicle. it still would not start. towed to toyota dealership, they looked at the car and could not get it to start. someone kept pressing buttons and got the car to start, then, it started every time. the next time while driving with a full tank of gas it went from three quarters tank to gas down to empty instantly. he immediately pulled into a gas station to get gas and the maintenance light was flashing. he called toyota back, and they would tow him to the nearest toyota dealership. instead he drove the vehicle home. dealership said they did checked the fuel lines and it should be fine. toyota denied all problems with the cars, the individual who towed consumer's vehicle told him that they had several people with this same problem. he decided to trade in the vehicle because he did not feel safe. it had several electrical problems such as, high beams came on by themselves, and door locks would not open occasionally. these incidents occurred on may 1, 2005 ,and he traded the vehicle in on may 16, 2005 . it was in the shop three times.*ak
05/07/20052550310/22/2004
 Car was being driven on multi-lane city arterial in moderate traffic. to try to quickly avoid an obstructing vehicle ahead, driver rapidly depressed accelerator pedal to fullest extent while steering. car then immediately, and without warning, lost all engine power and rolled to a stop. two general warning lights on dashboard illuminated. repeatedly depressing accelerator pedal produced no motion or other result. after engaging emergency flashers, only way to regain engine power was to shut off ignition, which required engaging parking circuit and depressing power on/off button, then after shutdown procedure was complete, again pressing power on/off button and waiting for hybrid system to energize. warning lights again came on but car now responded to accelerator and driver was able to move to parking lane. this was the third time in the eight months of owning this new car that such a sudden shutdown occurred. after the first two times in late november-early december 2004, car had been taken to dealer for service and was returned to owners reported as fixed by replacing faulty accelerator sensor.
05/12/200515000110/15/2004
 While car was going about 25 mph, it went from drive to park. it stopped abruptly. could not get car back in drive except momentarily. the car's electric system cycled on and off on a 16 to 20 second period. that is, it would be on and in park and then shut off momentarily every 18 seconds. it continuted doing this for about 10 minutes when i stopped monoriting it. i had the car towed to a toyota dealer. when it was examined about 2 hours after the incident, it worked fine and there was no computer feedback on the problem. they didn't know what happened or what to do. they said to bring it back when the problem happened again. this could be a life threatening glitch if it occured at freeway speeds in traffic. i believe toyota should put all cars that this has happened to on the sidelines until they find out what the problem is and then come up with a fix. because of the real possibility of injuries, nhtsa should start an investigation and start pushing toyota to take this seriously.
03/26/20054400210/08/2004
 On march 26,2005, i was driving home from temple. suddenly, my car lose power. all panel lights lighted up. i pushed the gas paddle, but the engine would not respond. i turned off the power then turned back on, but i can only shift to neutral. all panel lights stay on. i use my insurance to call a tow truck to tow my car to wonderie toyota. the service department told me that they reprogramed the computer. the car works after reprogram and they could not find anything wrong with it. on april 6,2005 in the morning, i turn on the power. all the panel lights stay on and i can't shift. i can only shift to neutral. after about 15 minutes, i got off the car and open the car hood. i can't see anything. i removed my hand which holding the hood so the hood drop hard on to the car. i went back in the car. the car start could run again. i don't know if the hood drop hard on the car has anything to do with it or not. i took my car back to wonderie toyota, the service representive did not want to take my car in. i told him that i won't take my car back without checking. i read the comments on the receipt after i pick up my car. the mechanic did not know what was wrong with my car. he did not do anyhting.
05/14/2005110/01/2004
 Dt consumer states while driving his vehicle, it completely stalled in traffic. the check engine light along with a few other lights on the dash illuminated while the vehicle was stalling. *tt *eh
04/19/20056000110/19/2004
 I was driving my 2005 toyota prius at about 45 mph when the vehicle went dead. the battery charge indicator went to zero, the engine warning light came on, the master warning light came on, the vehicle stability control warning light came on. i pulled to the side of the road. at first the vehicle would not shut off. after several attempts the vehicle shut down. i restarted the vehicle, and with the engine service light on was able to get it first home, then to a toyota dealer. the dealer said the vehicle needed an upgrade to its software and reprogrammed the ecu. ( at no charge to me as the vehicle is still under warranty). if an upgrade was available and required, i feel i should have been notified so that i and my wife were not put at risk. *nm
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY
07/26/200990000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius hybrid. while parked in the garage, the vehicle exploded and burned. the battery could be the possible cause of the explosion. the fire burned the garage and another vehicle that was parked in the garage. both a fire and a police report were filed. report number 0907135396 was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that they would call the contact back. the current and failure mileages were 90,000.
08/13/200511120111/18/2004
 2005 toyota prius, new nov. 2004, current mileage 11,100 miles, incident aug. 13, 2005, 9:10 pm. driving for 30 minutes at a steady rate of 45 mph on rte. 78, 11/12 tank of gas, no air conditioning or radio on. auto hestitated. dashboard symbols indicated problem: brake failure, check engine, hybrid system failure. another symbol was on computer screen - car with line drawn vertically through it. battery usage indicator was disappearing. this all occured within minute or less. pulled into a noco gasoline station. put car in park but couldn't get the power off that kept the dashboard lights, headlights, air conditioning, horn on. couldn't restart my car. i could only put my car into nuetral or park. auto towed to the closed toyota dealership. dashboard lights remained on. unable to start the car or to lock the door manually or with the keyless system. sunday, checked the carand the dashboard lights were off but i still couldn't start the car or lock the doors. monday, explained my problem to service manager. this is what was done: new battery installed. no reprogramming of the ecu because the computer memory was gone due to this failure. manager did not seem to understand what i meant about reprogramming the computer although said received all service bulletins from toyota. asked for a copy of the work order for my records but he said he had to still figure out hours and so would send me a copy at a later date. . he explained the replaced battery communicated with the hybrid system and was sure this was the cause of the power failure. i had hoped the ecu would have been reprogramed. it wasn't. special service campaigns 40a or 40 d are unknown to me. my vehicle has shown no problems during the last five days. can i get my computer reprogrammed? is it necessary? recall going to be issued? i'm not safe!
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION
12/17/200930000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated the vehicle does not go into ready mode to start the engine. this has happen twice and all the the symbols illuminate on the instrument panel. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they cannot duplicate the failure. the manufacturer had not been called. the failure mileage was 30,000.
05/01/20062384515
 The 2005 prius we own will not start at scattered times (after driving for some time and then stopping and turning the engine off). the screen on the dashboard panel lights up partially and not always the same on repeated tries. other strange electrical events occur such as the automatic windows going down when the car is turned off after trying to start it unsuccessfully. the car will start at some time - up to 20 minutes after letting car sit. these events are similar to those that occurred in days prior to the march 29,2005 when the car stalled at 45 mph on a highway in the outer banks of north carolinas and was serviced with what became a recall later for prius's. the most recent problems occurred on march 17th and may 1, 2006. we have taken the car to lustine toyota in woodbridge, va and they have tested the car and say that everything checks out ok and their is no service bulletin from toyota. they are looking at the car again today. we are concerned that the problem could continue and place us in a dangerous situation either from another stalling incident or leaving us in a dangerous place with a car that will not start. *nm
01/11/20057213209/28/2004
 1) i received a notice from toyota about a navigation system software update. the car was brought to the dealership where the update was performed. 2)after leaving the dealership, in less than 2 miles, the car engine stalled as i was depressing the accelerator. i pulled to the side of the road. 3) my car has the smartkey system, so at the time, the key was not inserted. after inserting the key, i was able to restart the car. this occurred again afew days later, and the car was restarted only after inserting the kay.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE
02/15/200755000910/19/2004
 We have two 2005 toyota priuses which have exhibited identical stalling and shifting problems. the hybrid system will stall or not operate and will not allow us to shift the vehicle into gear periodically. one toyota dealer says we need to replace the transaxle, and another was not sure and said there best guess was to refresh the ecu and hybrid control module software , however after doing extensive research online believe it to be a combination of a software glitch attributed to a leak in waterproofing a gasket near an ecu. the problem was brought to the dealers attention almost a year ago while the vehicles were still under warranty. all they did was simply flash or refresh the memory and did not actually resolve the problem. the prius' hybrid-related components, including the hybrid control module are covered for 8 years/100,000 miles. we also mentioned to the dealer the unusual and excessive tire wear on both vehicles, some of the tires had no tread and were already bald after only 12,000 miles. i am wondering if this could be related to the steering or traction control issues prevalent with this model. *tr
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING
07/15/200635000105/21/2005
 Our 2005 prius shut down on 07/15/06 while my wife was trying to get home that evening. she was 200 miles from the nearest toyota dealer. the car needed to be towed from alamosa to pueblo. a complete car shutdown is a very serious safety hazard especially if you are a woman in a desolate road at night. the car has less than 35,000 miles. toyota failed to completely reimburse all my cost. my wife had to stay in a motel that night and i incurred the cost of getting her home and then driving from denver again to retrieve the car. along with the safety issue and toyatas' refusal to reimburse all my costs, has left me totally appalled with toyota. the mass airflow sensor i am being told is the cause of the vehicle shut down. *nm
09/28/20051
 Appears to be a temporary engine stall at 68 miles per hour in carpool lane, warning light came on but disappeared right away and the car was fine again. but lots of car vibrations and jolting felt at the time. *jb

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