Does your Prius shudder?

Mine doesn't shudder, but with 600 miles on it I now notice the ICE turning on or off more than the silky smooth trasition when the car was new a month ago.

 

Mine does not shutter.. smooth as glass all modes.

 

I often feel a minor bump on my 2010 when the engine starts up (similar to driving over a small bump on the road, or maybe a transmission shifting gears in a normal car), but so far after about 3500 miles there's not even a hint of a shudder for either the start-up or the shut-down cycles.

I remember renting a previous generation Prius (maybe a 2008?) last year with about 35,000 miles on it that did have a pronounced shudder that was a bit annoying, so I think I would notice it in the 2010 if it existed.

 

Yeah, it's definitely noticable on my GenIII Prius both when the ICE turns on and off. Definitely not as bad as a normal car turning on/off but it's somewhat annoying since the Prius does it a lot more often.

 

There's definitely a noticeable transition between the engine running and not running. Sometimes it's more obvious than other times. I figured it was probably normal. Afterall, it may be an efficient ICE, but it's still an ICE.

 

I've had my car for three months and about 2300 miles--I feel nothing when the ICE comes on and off--completely smooth transition. When I first start the car, I do feel it come on initially, and I understand that's to help it warm up. But after that, there's no indication of whether or not the engine is on.

 

Yep, definite shudder, not as pronounced as in a Gen II though, but still there. Nature of the beast, I believe

 

I generally have to look at the display to know if the engine is on or off

 

I went from an '08 Highlander Hybrid where shudder was putting it mildly to the Prius, which by comparison is smooth as glass. But after 12 weeks, I am noticing the transitions more than when I first got the vehicle.

 

My 2008 did have a noticable shudder on starting and stopping of the motor ... my 2010 is smooth as silk .... there is definately a much less noticeable transition on the new car. We noticed the difference almost immediately, because of the difference in feel from the 2008.

We just finished a 3500 mile trip through several western states ... crossing the Rockies both ways ... smooth as glass ... no shudders at all ... and 80+ MPH for hours at a time is a piece of cake.

 

Very slight on shutdown when stopped but yes it is noticeable, someone not familiar with the car might not notice at all. I also feel it restart when I am driving, at least sometimes. In fact if you have good hearing you can hear it restart.

 

The "shudder" you feel is going to be more pronounced the "colder" the engine. The first time the ICE turns off after a cold start is the most likely one to provide a noticeable shudder. The ICE needs to stop in an optimal position for restart, and it is a bit more difficult, it appears, for the ICE to reach that spot when the engine is cold.

The longer you drive (per excursion) and the more miles you put on the car (per drive and overall), the less noticeable the shudder. Ambient temps also had an effect in the Gen2, and I am expecting the same in the Gen3.

I will say that the ICE on/off transition is much more difficult to determine in the Gen3 than in the Gen2, all things being equal.

 

Sometimes. Not often. Doesn't seem to be a concern.

 

Not a concern at all, I'd miss it if it didn't do it. I like it, I also like all those inverter and motor/genertor noises. If it quit doing those things I would think something was broken.

 

I have about 2K miles now and the "shudder" has been getting more pronounced (over that last 1K). The first 1K it was very smooth. Of course it has been getting colder up here so I suspect that might have something to do with it. I wonder what it is going to be like at -10 or -20 below! I can't even imagine taking my baby out in that cold of weather.

 

Roger that. :tea:

 

Three weeks, 1300 miles, 100 degree daytime temps, and no noticable shudder is felt.
Also, I can barely hear it, but my hearing is low frequency only.

Except when using significant power (when the ICE can be heard easily), it is tough to tell if the ICE is running or not. The only real indication is that the display shows the little red "moving" arrows.

But the red arrows are almost too dim to see, much dimmer than the white arrows. Is that normal? Seems like a design flaw. Is there a way to make them more visible? Thanks.

 

Ditto. The only times I can notice the shudder is upon first starting the ICE and when it first shuts off after a cold start. I can't detect it at all once the engine is warmed up.

However, I do shudder noticeably at some of the posts on this forum.

 

A little over 3200 miles here and I listened, and felt, very carefully this morning when out and about. Smooth as glass, don't feel a thing. I'm aware of the ICE shutting down but no 'shudder'.