Today my car shut itself off while at a stoplight and would not restart for about 5 min. Any ideas?

welcome!
maybe a bad inverter pump, how many miles on her?
have you owned her since new?

 

What year is your car? Do you have enough fuel in it?

 

very odd, maybe a loose connection? but that doesn't make any sense either.

 

Double check both battery connections; tight, not loose, orange lever wasn't accidentally bumped when accessing spare tire region.

 

i wonder if the inverter could have overheated

 

I was gonna ask how old the aux battery was but realized your car is just 3 years old.
My (2010 Gen3) refused to start a few months ago with no warning or any symptoms. And it turned out to be a bad aux battery. It was the original (8 years old). Replaced the battery and all was okay.
Mine did not shut down during the traffic but it refused to start after a quick stop. Nothing was happening as you mentioned. I couldn't even turn the electronics on. Then after sitting a few minutes, it powered on and engine started.

3-year-old battery is too new to do this but maybe there is a problem in the charging circuit and 12v battery ran down. It should be easy to check.

 

Im just reading bout a new recall of 2.5 milion prius and auris made between 2010 to 2014 It says hybrid software update needed. Says that instead of moving to a safe position as needed . it may just shut off totally in extreme cases causing a complete shut off of all systems and engine too.

 

There has to be some kind of motive with toyota coming out with a software update again for the prius. The inverter issue must be still pluaging toyota in some way in court so they are covering there rears in case of an accident. I always get the feeling these updates are designed to phase these cars off the road by some kind of phased obsoletes beyound normal wear and tear. If toyota had issues with the third generation why didnt they offer an upgraded inverter or buy back for the next generation. Just my 2 cents.

 

wow, the beat goes on...

 

Strange but 12v would place to start. Recently I replaced on older 12v that stranded me, but when I went back for it the car started. Your 12v is young shoudl be good unless sometime it discharged.

 

Long as deaths are not reported due to inverter failure and the continue to avoid loss of return of investment, they feel entitled not to resolve the issues with the settlement you suggested. If no one is willing to come forward and slap them with a lawsuit then the best we can do as consumers is to not buy their products. Honda Civic Hybrids here I come.

 

The problem is toyota knows they have issues with there product because why so many updates. They are in litigation for it right now. I have a honda hybrid ima product it sucks. Toyota has the best hybrids on the road currently. Most of the other brands have issues with battery managment and control issues with braking and acceleration. The problem honda faced with the ima is that the battery never had a chance to recharge when it went low the ecu blocked charging. Now honda revised to a new system which to my knowledge work on the same tech as the prius.

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