Putting car in Drive, but goes to reverse

Nope but from another at Shift to "reverse" but car went to "drive" instead | PriusChat.

Your two cases are the only two I can ever recall.

 

There have been some people who have modified their Prius by installing an aftermarket "Push Button" DNRB " assembly in place of The Prius "shifter".

It's not really an answer but such an assembly would rule out it being an action of the shifter mechanism.

My understanding has always been that you can use the Prius shifter in this manner, that is shift it to whatever drive action you want Drive, Neutral, Reverse...and then simply release the knob and the knob is designed to go back to it's mechanical center position.

If for some reason yours is returning to it's center position but in doing so sometimes triggering reverse, I'd say it's NOT operator error and something wrong with your shifter. You should be able to put it in drive and then just release the knob.

Dangerous, keep paying attention and keep trying with the dealership. They might not be able to duplicate it now, but I suspect it is the type of problem that will only get worse. And it is the type of problem that MUST be fixed.

Good Luck.

 

Document the complaint with the dealer on the service ticket now so they have a record at your next complaint.

 

I have this problem frequently. I asked about it at my 15,000 mile service but they wanted me to be able to reproduce it reliably and I can't. I happens many times a week and only when I am starting from park, not shifting from reverse to drive. I think this is a dangerous problem. Thank goodness the beep lets me know before I back into someone. I would have thought that if I wasn't shifting it hard enough into drive, it would stay in neutral, not go into reverse. NO - I am not accidentally shifting into reverse several times a week. I had this car for 9 months before the problem started.

 

Unfortunately it can't be documented as a problem until you can reproduce it at the dealership. This is first I've heard of this and Toyota has done extensive testing to be sure something like this doesn't happen when they were designing the shift lever. I recommend going back to the dealer and ask for a service tech to sit with you in car until you can reproduce the problem. My initial guess is if you can't reproduce it at the dealer, then some other 'influence' is the cause of the problem.

Another observation - very few posts from the two having this particular problem, but I'm going say the "t" word yet. But it's difficult to believe this is a real problem when there have no other documented problems - unless someone can enlighten me?

 

In a city parking situation, where I was manipulating quickly the fndb lever, my lightning fast slide to drive (from reverse) wasn't recognized and I smacked the car behind. Pist me off: I should not have to wait that profound 1.5 secs for the electrics to recognize the command. I think, however, this is a different complaint from the ones above. I just find it necessary to comment that in so intelligent a car there is this unnecessary glitch.

 

I've also have the same problem. Go from park to drive and car goes into reverse. The opposite also happen when shifting from park to reverse it goes into drive.. Have 79,000 miles and cannot duplicate at dealer..Can now in shop for D.C./Converter replacement.. Waiting for parts

 

This N to wrong has happened to me several times but it was ALWAYS MY ERROR.

The reason it doesn't happen for me when going from R to F or F to R is because I can't make the error as the shift lever makes me aware by its feel I am going the wrong way and I unconsciously go the other way.

I've learned to glance down at the shift display when exiting P. After all, the shift in either direction from N occurs when I'm not going to be in a hurry.

 

These reports have Audi 5000 wrong pedal 'unintended acceleration' written all over them.

 

Cases like that its often decided to have the service manager or one of the other service people take the car home for a few days and drive it themselves. However long you think it will take for it to happen. Even if you have to rent a car for a few days it should be worth the trouble to sort this out.