2001 Toyota Prius Engine

IF THE PRIUS ENGINE DOES NOT START IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE COMPUTER TELLS IT TO, THE COMPUTER STOPS TRYING TO START IT AND LEAVES YOU WITH ONLY THE BATTERY POWER...VERY DANGEROUS WHEN THIS HAPPENS IN FAST TRAFFIC OR ON AN ON-RAMP. IT CAN BE RESTARTED IF ONE PULLS OFF THE ROAD AND SHUTS OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTS IT. AFTER NUMEROUS INCIDENTS AND ATTEMPTS TO DETERMINE THE REASON FOR THE OCCASIONAL NON-STARTS, IT TURNED OUT THAT THE AIR INTAKE FLAP IN THE ENGINE CAN GET DIRTY AND STICK, WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO SOMETIMES TAKE SEVERAL TRIES TO RESTART. (THIS WAS INITIALLY MISDIAGNOSED AS A COMPUTER PROBLEM, HOWEVER THAT WAS NOT THE CAUSE.) BESIDES MAKING THE FLAP CLEANING PART OF MAINTENANCE, THE COMPUTER SHOULD ALSO BE FIXED SO THAT IT WILL ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, SINCE THINGS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO NOT START ON THE FIRST TRY (SUCH AS SLOSHING FROM LOW GAS.) I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM ON NEWER PRIUSES, HOWEVER AS MORE OF THEM HAVE HIGH MILEAGE, THIS CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE MORE OF A PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE "HYBRID" (EXCLAMATION MARK) WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IMMEDIATELY, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE IDENTICAL FAILURES OCCURRED ON TWENTY SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE ENGINE STARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000. THE CONTACT NO LONGER OWNED THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 4/5/10 *CN THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE SOLD THE VEHICLE. UPDATD 06/14/10.*JB

MY 2001 PRIUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN STALLING (AT LEAST 30 TIMES), USUALLY UPON STARTUP, (AND ESPECIALLY IN HOT WEATHER WHEN AC IS ON AT STARTUP) BUT ON 4 OCCASIONS, STALLS OCCURRED DURING CRITICAL DRIVING IN DANGEROUS AREAS RESULTING IN TOTAL POWER LOSS AND NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES. I INFORMED TOYOTA PRESIDENT WATANABE, AND THEY RECALLED FOR THE "CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR", TO FIX THE STALLING PROBLEM, BUT IT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T FIX SITUATION BECAUSE CAR IS STILL STALLING. DEALER IS BEYOND IGNORANT AND CLUELESS AND NO LONGER WORTH TALKING TO, AS THEY ARE AS INFORMED AS A ROCK ON A CLIFF. I AM WONDERING IF DEALER EVEN PERFORMED THE RECALL FIX PROPERLY. WOULD LIKE A TRUSTWORTHY TOYOTA TECHNICIAN FROM JAPAN'S TMC (A JAPANESE PERSON) TO PERSONALLY INSPECT MY CAR.

I OWN A 2001 PRIUS SINCE MARCH OF 2006. IT RAN FINE FOR ONE YEAR, BUT AFTER THAT ALL I HAD WAS PROBLEMS.TRANSMISSION EXHAUST SYSTEM AND COMPUTER BOARD ALL OF THIS HAPPENED ONE AFTER ANOTHER TOTAL COST OVER $10,000. TOYOTA DID NOT WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.*AK

MY FRIEND WAS DRIVING MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS ON THE HIGHWAY, GOING 65 MPH. I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. A WARNING SYMBOL WITH THE TRIANGLE/EXCLAMATION MARK APPEARED ON MY SCREEN. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY DIED. WE TRIED TO GET OFF OF THE ROAD. MACK TRUCKS WERE SWERVING INTO THE EXIT LANES TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. <P> WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF ONTO THE SHOULDER. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR ME, MY PASSENGERS AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAY. <P> YOUR AGENCY HAS INVESTIGATED THIS EXACT PROBLEM, WHICH LED TO A RECALL BY TOYOTA. TOYOTA BLAMED THE PROBLEM ON A "SOFTWARE GLITCH." THE PROBLEM IS GOES MUCH DEEPER THAN A ''SOFTWARE GLITCH'' -'' IT REMAINS UNRESOLVED. I HAD MY CAR SERVICED FOR THIS ''SOFTWARE GLITCH'' RECALL (ENGINE'S COMPUTER (ECM) REPLACED AND CIRCUIT OPEN RELAY CHECKED), BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. THE ENGINE STILL CUTS OUT AT HIGH SPEEDS. MY CAR HAS HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM BEFORE AND AFTER GETTING IT SERVICED BASED ON THE RECALL ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THIS LIFE AND DEATH DEFECT NEEDS A BETTER SOLUTION THAN SIMPLY ATTRIBUTING IT TO A "SOFTWARE GLITCH." *JB

ENGINE STALLING OCCURRING RANDOMLY WHILE CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEED BETWEEN APPROX. 54 TO 64 MPH CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN ON THE FREEWAY. THIS PROBLEM IS POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS BECAUSE ENGINE STALLS AT FREEWAY SPEED WHICH COULD RESULT IN REAR END CRASH FROM ON-COMING VEHICLES TRAVELING BEHIND AT FREEWAY SPEEDS --- FURTHERMORE THE VEHICLE MUST BE STOPPED AT THE FREEWAY EDGE TO BE RESTARTED BEFORE PROBLEM IS CORRECTED. RESTARTING VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY CORRECTS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE MADE A MANDATORY RECALL ITEM. [PRIUS SCANNER SHOWS DTC CODE P1120 FOR ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY PROBLEM AND THERE IS A MANUFACTURER TSB CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM (TSB EG018-02)]. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR REPLACED PURSUANT TO THE RECENT RECALL NOTICE AND THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR HAD BEEN LEAKING OIL PRIOR TO REPLACEMENT. ALSO DRIVERS REAR AXLE HUB BEARING FAILED PREMATURELY AND WAS RECENTLY REPLACED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED WHICH OCCURRED WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DURING THE INCIDENT, ALL DASH PANEL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE ENGINE DID NOT STALL OUT COMPLETELY AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS STALLED TWICE AT HIGH SPEEDS (~75 MPH) WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. IN BOTH INCIDENCES IT WAS ONLY DUE TO GOOD DRIVING AND TO LUCK THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF OR TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE CONTACTED MY DEALER AND IN BOTH CASES THEY LOOKED AT THE ENGINE AND CLAIMED THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEM THE PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLES. I WAS TO BRING THE CAR BACK IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN. *JB

ENGINE INTERMITTENT STALLING. ENGINE RUNS ROUGH AND GIVES CODE "171 LEAN MISSFIRE" DEALER ATTEMPS TO FIX THE PROBLEM INVOLVE ADDING FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER AND RESETTING THE CODE. UP TILL TODAY STALLS HAVE BEEN EITHER AT 55 TO 65 FOR SHORT PERIOD OF TIME APROX. 2 SECONDS. TODAY VEHICLE LIMPED HOME ABOUT 5 MILES. SAME CODE DISPLAYED. "!" ALSO DISPLAYED ON DASH AND TROUBLE CODE 171. AFTER THREE ON OFF CYCLE ON THE KEY "!" WAS NO LONGER DISPLAYED. CAR RUNS AGAIN.

MY 2001 PRIUS HAS BEEN IN FOR CPU REPLACEMENTS 4 TIMES AND A ENGINE REBUILD @ 69000 MILES FOR THE PROBLEM THIS SITE MENTIONED IN THE NEWS ABOUT THE 04-05 PRIUS STALLING. THEY SAID IT WAS LOW COMPRESSION ON THE LAST SERVICE CALL. WELL THE PROBLEM IS BACK!! EVEN AFTER A REBUILD. SO NOW WHAT? OH AND WHAT IS WORST IS THAT I HAVE TO TAKE A PHOTO OF THE PROBLEM LIGHTS BECAUSE WHEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENS IT PRODUCES NO CODES?!?! SO THEY CHARGED ME $75 AND DID NOTHING ONCE. NICE SERVICE. WHERE I TAKE MY PRIUS: FOX TOYOTA-SCION 415 TAUNTON AVENUE EAST PROVIDENCE, RI 02914 PHONE (401) 438-0350 , FAX (401) 434-4574

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR LOST POWER AND WOULD START UP AGAIN, BUT WOULD NOT STAY RUNNING. CAR WAS TOWED IN AND THE DEALER PUT A NEW ENGINE ECU- (COMPUTER). THIS TOOK A MONTH, AS THE COMPUTER HAD TO BE MADE IN JAPAN. A YEAR AND A HALF LATER, THE NEW COMPUTER HAS BEEN REPLACED AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO NOT START UP. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOUR TIMES THIS MONTH, EACH TIME THE CAR IS RETURNED TO ME AND WILL NOT START THE NEXT DAY.

MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS INTERMITTANTLY STALLED, FORCING ME TO PULL OVER, TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTART. THIS APPEARS TO HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED, AND HAS HAPPENED 20-30 TIMES OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO. THEY DID A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAJOR SERVICING BUT THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR OVER THE WINTER BUT HAS SINCE RESURFACED WITH WARMER WEATHER. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT NHTSA JUST ANNOUNCED WAS BEING INVESTIGATED IN 2004,2005 PRIUS MODELS.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH OARD. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

TWICE NOW I HAVE HAD WARNING LIGHTS APPEAR ON MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS SCREEN. THE FIRST TIME WAS THREE WEEKS AGO WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY IN HOT WEATHER. I PULLED OVER AS I WAS LOSING POWER. THE GAS ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN ON. I WAS ON BATTERY POWER ONLY. I LIMPED TO AN EXIT AND PARKED THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER. HE FIXED A STEERING RECALL PART AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM. HE COULD FIND NO ERROR CODES. I DROVE OFF. YESTERDAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. I PULLED OVER, WAITED TWENTY MINUTES AND STARTED THE CAR AGAIN. THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE THEN OFF AND THE POWER WAS NOW NORMAL. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO MY HOME DEALER. HE TESTED IT AND TODAY TOLD ME THAT HE COULD FIND NOTHING. HE SAID THAT IF HE COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM IN THE SHOP, THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD AS THE LOSS OF POWER PARTICULARLY DURING AN ACCELERATION ONTO A FREEWAY COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. MY FAMILY WILL NOW NOT DRIVE THE CAR ON A FREEWAY.*AK