Problems with 2005 Toyota Prius ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

At around 10pm this friday night i was driving home on the country road 3 miles from my house. it is a 2 lane road with no street lamps. i was traveling at 50mph and coming around a gentle curve when all of a sudden every light in the car went out...headlights, taillights, dashboard, hazards, even the navigation system display. a month ago i had my car in for its safety inspection and 150k mileage service and was told the car was "fine" but i've had intermittent issues with the hid lamp on the driver side going out. when this happens if i cycle the light switch off then back on again it fixes the issue. when all my lights went out on friday, i was only able to avoid driving off the road and getting in an accident because it was a road i am very familiar with and knew where the turn was coming up. i was able to slow my car to a stop. after sitting in the dark a minute (the engine was still running just fine) i was worried a car might come down the road behind me and not see me and hit me. i then decided to try cycling the light switch off and on because that had worked for the headlamp issue. i cycled it once but the lights remained off, but after the second time i cycled the light switch all the lights in the car came back on and i was able to drive home. i took the car to toyota of warrenton and told them what happened. they "ran a diagnostic" and checked the vehicle but said they couldn't duplicate the issue and then sent me home. i am now afraid to drive my car at night in case this happens again. *tr

Sudden warning light indicating headlight leveling failure. occurs intermittently under various circumstances. consequences: headlights either aimed too high blinding oncoming drivers or slanted downward making car impossible to drive at night. part has not been replaced and car is not driven at night. old part still available. there was a technical service bulletin in early 2006 indicating that the headlight leveling sensor was not watertight and prone to failure due to water entering the system and corroding the electrical contacts. toyota improved the integrity of the unit and sold it using the same part number with the added suffix "g". while toyota will cover the replacement cost of the sensor under the 3 yr/36,000 mile warranty there is no coverage for vehicles out of warranty. a recall was never issued. again, this is only a problem that occurs with the hid headlight system in the earlier generation ii prius (2004 - 2005). service bulletin:00406 nhtsa item number:10019992 my car is out of warranty and i was unaware that there was a problem with the system when it could have been remedied while the car was under warranty. mileage at failure 72,000. this is a safety issue and a recall should be issued ! cost of part $370.00 + tax. labor is another 210.00 + tax. *tr

Passenger front hid headlight was intermediately 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!!! *tr

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 ...

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

Driving at night and the head lamps on toyota prius 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 unexpectedly, no warning. very concern with my safety. they could have been an accident. checked with other prius owners. found out, it's a widespread issue with the prius. 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. *tr

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.

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

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

The odometer on toyota prius 2005 stop working. for prius model, it is called the combination meter. this is because this meter is working in conjunction w/ the start/stop button and on board computer to put the car in drive/neutral/reversed or park. *tr

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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 ...

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

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

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

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

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

I had been pulled over on several occassions for faulty tail lights. this has been ongoing since 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 since before my warranty went out and no one wants to correct the problem. i hate this car, it scares me and there are other issues and i have to date only received one recall and that is on the mats. *tr

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

Five no starting concerns after two years of ownership. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that the automatic headlight leveling system warning light illuminates intermittently and remains on at random intervals. the failure was noticed while driving 55 mph, but occurs each time the vehicle is driven. he spoke with toyota and they stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and the contact would be responsible for the repair. the current mileage was 50,000 and failure mileage was 43,000. updated 10/31/07. *jb

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

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

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.

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

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

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle stalled on two separate occasions. the first time it occurred was on april 7th while driving at a steady speed of 25mph. the second time it occurred was on april 21st while driving at a steady speed of 5-15 mph. all the warning lights illuminated and the vehicle was pulled over. once pulled over, the vehicle would not go back into the drive position. afterwards, it stalled and would not restart. the stalling occurred 3-5 minutes after it was pulled over. the vehicle was towed to the dealership both times. the first time the dealer replaced the entire transmission. the second time the dealer replaced the inverter. on april 23rd while driving the dash board lights became inoperable including the speedometer, and the gear indicator. the contact alerted the dealership by phone who explained the problem was likely the circuit board and it was okay to continue driving the vehicle. afterwards, the vehicle began to blow out hot and cold air and the dealership was alerted again which explained it was okay to continue driving. shortly after it began to rain, the wipers were turned on, and the dash lights became inoperable once again. the vehicle is scheduled for inspection on monday may 8th.

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

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.

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota prius. the contact stated that whenever the radio was in use, 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. updated 05/26/11

After toyota's recalling 75,000 prius in u.s., i took my 2005 prius into torrance toyota(310-325-75000) to have the software"glitch"repaired. michael gallagher(service advisor) told me there is additional glitches and now my car is inoperable and he has been ask

Toyota prius; driving on interstate 287 in new jersey when the engine cut out and would not restart. *nm

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 ...

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

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

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.