my prius not reliable any more

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brucefern @ May 28 2007, 05:04 PM) [snapback]451133[/snapback]</div>

If I were you, I would file a complaint on NHTSA.gov.
Toyota would listen when many report the same problem.
2005- models used to have a recall like that. However, I am surprised that a 2006 could also
shut down like that. I hope you get that resolved permanently.

 

The dealer may have to reprogram the computers. I had a similar problem with my 2004, loss of power meant that the car would shift itself to N.

 

I'm glad you are ok, sounds like a stressful incident... I've never heard of that happening before in any Prius, especially an '06.....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brucefern @ May 28 2007, 05:04 PM) [snapback]451133[/snapback]</div>

If this is the first time you have had an incident with your Prius, then how can you say the car is not reliable. Any new car can have its unique problems. If this happens again, then I would be more inclined to say it is unrelibale.

 

Bruce,

If this happened to me in any car I would be more than a little upset. My first thought when I read that you had a full tank of gas - did you just fill up the tank and you perhaps got a bad tank of gas? Was the fill up at your regular station or were you out of town for the holiday and filled up at a place you have never used before?

Were you able to get the car started again? Before you blame the problem on the car itself would a bad tank of gas cause the problem you described?

Springtime

 

need more details... what happened next? did it start up again? if so how many tries did it take? dash lights? codes from the dealership?

 

If you heard a beep and then "no power", could you have accidentally put the car in Park? If you do that while driving, the car does beep at you and then goes into neutral. Or, could you (or your clothing) have knocked the joystick into into reverse while you were changing the A/C setting? Same thing...beep and into neutral. You don't say if you happened to look at the dash to see what "gear" you were in, but it's completely understandable if you were a *bit* to busy to look at it. You were in a very scary situation, and you have my sympathy. I hope your dealer can pull any codes that might be helpful in determining the cause of your situation.

Galaxee, would a code result from hitting P or R while driving and forcing the car into neutral?

 

I bet the dealer will say there's nothing wrong with the car. B) Been there!

 

I bet the dealer will say there's nothing wrong with the car. B)

 

Please let us know what you find out.

My car beeped at me yesterday. I was travelling in a straight line, had plenty of gas, nothing plugged in, changing nothing....

Had just hit a small bump. Very small.

What was that all about? (The only time it has beeped at me before was when it thought I took a corner too fast and VSC came on for about a second.)

What's this beeping stuff?

Thanks!

 

Bruce, right now you're excited about the incident.

But please try to keep things in perspective. This wasn't an aircraft engine failure while on instruments.

Cars die on the freeway all the time, and you don't hear about death and destruction. You wouldn't have been killed as long as you stayed on your side of the freeway.

Unfortunately, I suspect there were no codes stored, so the dealer will find no problem. If it happens again, then you'll have an opportunity to determine what conditions cause the failure.

I must agree with gupchurch: One time is not a pattern.

Galaxee, if the 12v battery were to have loose terminals, couldn't that cause a complete shutdown of the systems?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ May 28 2007, 06:22 PM) [snapback]451256[/snapback]</div>

:lol:
Talk about over-reaction. Are you sure you took your meds today?? When I read the title of your post, I figured a wheel fell off or the car caught fire. I'll lay odds there's nothing wrong with your car...you probably inadvertently shifted it into park or nuetral.

 

Bruce, it's understandable that you couldn't remember details about the displays. You did the right thing---getting out of people's way. That goal was more important than reading the dash.

(In flying, we were taught to Aviate, Navigate, and Communicate in that order. Fly the plane first and foremost.)

The error codes we're talking about must be read by the dealer with an instrument called a ScanGauge.

Do you recall if you hit a bump or slippery patch just before the power failure? The VSC and AntiSkid systems will cut engine power. If they don't have a few seconds to restore power, then you could experience a longer term loss. (You have to get your foot off the pedal for the system to let go.) Is it possible you got onto the gas immediately and perhaps the system wouldn't clear the condition?

You would have seen the yellow light on the dash.

When you say you just completed the 10K service, how long before?

 

you should sell that car now how much ?

 

the 12v only matters when the car is being started. once it's running, loose connections don't do anything to it.

 

I completely agree with Rick, lets get a little bit of perspective here. You didn't "almost die", your car broke down. Cars have been breaking down on highways since cars began. My mother tells a story about how her power steering went out on her old Ford LTD when she was 8 months pregnant with me. She didn't "almost die" and niether did I. I had a blowout one time at 70MPH on the highway in a Ford Explorer. I didn't "almost die" and thats MUCH more dangerous than a loss of power situation. You simply flip on the hazard flashers and pull over, which you did.

Now, thats not saying this isn't a serious situation, but as Rick says its not like you lost both engines on a 737 or something. Be reasonable, you'll get a lot farther when dealing with Toyota.

Now, onto questions. You say you are running "Shell V-Power". V-Power is their premium fuel, 93 octane. The Prius is not designed to run on premium fuel. I doubt that had anything to do with your issue, but in the very least its a complete waste of money.

It sounds to me like the car went into neutral somehow...