2005 Toyota Prius Other Problems

Your car accelerated on its own while driving in heavy traffic, and when you pressed the brake pedal, it didn't respond and continued driving at around 20 mph. You were able to navigate through traffic safely, but this unintended acceleration with brake failure could have caused a serious crash. A mechanic needs to inspect your braking system and accelerator controls to identify what caused this.

2 RECALLS NOT COMPLETED

THE ODOMETER STOPPED WORKING ONE (1) MILE SHORT OF 300,000. TOYOTA TOLD ME THAT FOR THAT YEAR AND MODEL CAR, THE ODOMETER WAS MADE TO REACH 299,999 ONLY. THEY CAN REPLACE IT WITH NEW, THAT WILL START AT 0 MILE, BUT I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THIS IS UNFAIR. THEY SOLD ME A CAR THAT ONLY REACHES 299,999 AND IF I ANY TO SEE THE ODOMETER REACH A HIGHER NUMBER, I MUST PAY FOR IT.

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2005 PRIUS WHICH EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT PRIUS COMBINATION METER FAILURE. THIS IS A RECOGNIZED DESIGN PROBLEM, HOWEVER, TOYOTA CHOSE TO IGNORE THE SAFETY RAMIFICATIONS AND CATEGORIZED IT AS AN ISSUE COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY. TOYOTA WOULD NOT HONOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPONENT UNLESS YOU COULD DEMONSTRATE THE PART FAILURE. THEY ALSO INCLUDED A TIME LIMIT ON WHEN THIS PART WOULD BE REPLACED. THIS FAILURE RESULTS IN ALL CRITICAL VEHICLE TELEMETRY (SPEED, BLANK ENGAGEMENT, ENGINE FAILURES, GAS LEVEL, ETC) FROM NOT BEING DISPLAYED.

EVERY TIME I'D TRY TO SHIFT MY CAR INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE, IT WOULD SHIFT BACK INTO NEUTRAL ON ITS OWN, MAKING DRIVING IMPOSSIBLE.

TOYOTA HAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH BRAKE ACTUATOR FAILURE. THERE WAS NO NOTICE SENT TO LET OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES KNOW THAT THEIR VEHICLE COULD BE SUBJECT TO THESE FAILURES. MY VEHICLE'S INSTRUMENT PANEL REVEALED THIS ISSUE WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM CHURCH. VEHICLE STILL OPERATIONAL, BUT COULD LOSE THE ABILITY TO APPLY BRAKES AT ANY TIME.

THE DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER STOPS AT 299,999 KM OR MILES AND WON'T ROLL OVER TO 300,000 KM OR MILES WHY WON'T IT ROLL OVER TO 300,000 MILES I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT MANY OTHERS ARE AFFECT IT, SUCH AS THE MATRIX AND COROLLAS.

CAR WILL NOT START, I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY, IT IS NOT A BATTERY ISSUE. IF YOU SLAM THE CAR DOOR, OR HOOD OF CAR, THE CAR MAY START. THE HORN WILL WORK, WITCH INDICATES IT IS NOT THE BATTERY. MAY SOMETIMES START WITH A JUMP START. THIS USUALLY IS WHILE THE CAR IS NOT IN MOTION.

1. SUMMER, 2011, @ 35,000 MI CAR WAS PARKED @ BOTTOM OF MY STEEP DRIVEWAY, A FEW FEET BACK FROM A RR TIE PINNED TO GROUND BY 3 REBAR IN FRONT OF CAR TO BLOCK WHEELS. I INTENDED TO BACK UP DRIVEWAY, WITH GEAR IN REVERSE, BUT WHEN I RELEASED BRAKE, CAR CATAPULTED FORWARD WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT BENT REBAR @ RIGHT ANGLES, LIFTED RR TIE UP IN THE AIR & OVER ON ONE EDGE, & THE CAR JUMPED UP ON TOP OF IT, WHERE IT STUCK. I SAW THAT THE GEAR SHIFT HAD SLIPPED OUT OF (REVERSE) GEAR INTO NEUTRAL. CALLED AAA ROAD SERVICE TO LIFT CAR OFF. NO OTHER DAMAGE. 2. MAY 21, 2015, @ 50,000 MI. BACKING UP MY 82' LONG STEEP DRIVEWAY, I WAS TOO CLOSE TO TREE ON RIGHT 3/4 OF THE WAY UP, SO I TURNED THE WHEELS SLIGHTLY LEFT TO BACK ARC AWAY FROM IT, BUT STILL TOO CLOSE. I INTENDED TO RETURN TO BOTTOM OF DRIVEWAY TO START OVER & ADJUST ANGLE OF CAR AS DONE 100S OF TIMES. WITH BRAKE STILL DEPRESSED, I SHIFTED GEAR FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE. AS I LIFTED BRAKE, BEFORE MY FOOT COULD MOVE TOWARDS THE ACCELERATOR, SUDDENLY CAR SHOT OFF LIKE A ROCKET DOWN STEEP SLOPE TO LEFT, THROUGH 2 WOOD FENCES, OVER DRIVEWAY NEXT DOOR, INTO SWIMMING POOL FULL OF WATER - WHICH SLOWED CAR TO A STOP & SANK WITH ME IN IT. GEAR SHIFT HAD SLIPPED OUT OF (DRIVE) GEAR INTO NEUTRAL. CALLED 911. CAR TOTALLED. MIRACULOUSLY NO OTHER DAMAGE TO ANYONE ASIDE FROM MY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE. NOTE: GEAR SHIFT WAS THE TINY KNOB ON DASHBOARD TYPE, TO MOVE WITH FINGER TIPS IN VERY SMALL RADIUS. I NEVER HAD THE PROBLEM ON THAT STEEP DRIVE W ANY OTHER CARS. I CAN REFER YOU TO PHOTO OF CAR IN SWIMMING POOL IN LOCAL NEWS PAPER; IT IDENTIFIES ADDRESS SO NOT INCLUDED HERE. I SEE IN RESEARCH ONLINE THAT OTHER OWNERS FROM AT LEAST 2004 TO 2008 COMPLAINED TO YOU ABOUT THIS SAME GEAR SLIPPAGE INTO NEUTRAL PROBLEM. WHY WEREN'T WE WARNED? ( I WAS OBLIGED TO GIVE TODAY'S DATE AS THE DATE OF INCIDENCE BY THE SITE).

WE WERE DRIVING JUST NORTH OF COOS BAY, OREGON WHEN A BIG TRUCK WITH THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER [XXX] CARRYING A TRAILER WITH THE LICENSE PLATE [XXX] CLIPPED THE BACK DRIVER'S SIDE OF OUR CAR WHILE WE WERE FORCED TO CHANGE LANES BECAUSE OF THE LANE ENDING. I HAD MY BLINKER ON FOR A LONG TIME AND WE WERE AHEAD OF HIM UNTIL HE SPED UP AND CLIPPED US. HE THEN SPED UP AND CUT US OFF AND DROVE AWAY VERY QUICKLY. IT WAS RAINING AND WE WERE ON THE 101 IN OREGON AND HE WAS GOING AT LEAST 80 MPH BECAUSE WE WERE GOING AROUND 65 AND HE WAS PULLING AWAY FAST. SINCE IT WAS A SINGLE LANE HIGHWAY WE STAYED BEHIND HIM LONG ENOUGH TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO PULL OVER, BUT THE SECOND HE GOT THE CHANCE, HE CHANGED LANES AND CUT OTHERS OFF IN ORDER TO GET AWAY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE CAR WAS INITIALLY SWERVING (AS IF IN A BAD WHEEL ALIGNMENT). THEN IT TOOK A SHARP RIGHT TURN AND JUMPED OFF OF THE FREEWAY. DESPITE MY ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL IT AND KEEP IT ON FREEWAY, DUE TO THE SPEED AND MOMENTUM, IT DROVE OFF THE SLOPE TO THE RIGHT OF THE ROAD, ROLLED OVER AND EVENTUALLY LANDED RIGHT SIDE UP. INITIALLY I THOUGHT IT COULD BE A BLOWN UP TIRE.. BUT THAT DID NOT SEEM TO BE THE CASE.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, THOUSANDS OF PRIUS OWNERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR RADIO RECEPTION TO TOYOTA TO NO AVAIL (I HAVE WRITTEN THE CEO 2-3 TIMES ALREADY AND HAD PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE AS WELL AS AN EXCHANGE OF EMAILS) ONLY TO BE TOLD TO CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP - WHICH HAS NO WAY OF ASSISTING WITH THIS PROBLEM). POKING AROUND ON THE INTERNET, IT SEEMS TO BE A "GROUNDING" PROBLEM - WHICH HAS NOW BEEN FIXED I UNDERSTAND IN SUBSEQUENT MODELS. THIS POINTS TO THE FACT THEY KNEW IT WAS A PROBLEM. I CONTEND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO HEAR YOUR RADIO IN CASE OF EMERGENCY - ESPECIALLY IN A RURAL AREA SUCH AS OURS (OLYMPIC PENINSULA) WHERE HEARING EMERGENCY WARNINGS WHILE DRIVING COULD BE CONSIDERED LIFE AND DEATH IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. AS YOU WILL SEE IN THIS WEBSITE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT: HTTP://WWW.SOULTEK.COM/BLOG/2005/11/TOYOTA-PRIUS-HYBRID-CAR-RADIO-PROBLEMS.HTML FOR MORE INFO.

WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR OUR TOYOTA PRIUS. I WROTE THEM A LETTER ASKING THEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO ONLY THE MECHANICAL MODIFICATIONS THEY DESCRIBED AND NOT ANY WORK WITH THE COMPUTER OR ELECTRONICS. THEIR RESPONSE WAS TO ASSIGN A SUBORDINATE TO CALL ME BACK AND SIMPLY READ MY LETTER BACK TO ME. I WANT THE COURTESY OF A WRITTEN REPLY TO THE POINTS I MADE IN MY LETTER BEFORE WE LEAVE OUR CAR IN THEIR HANDS. THE CALIFORNIA DEPT. OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS BUREAU OF AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR PUT ME ON HOLD FOR 20 MINUTES AND THEN TOLD ME TO CONTACT YOU. THE CAR IS REGISTERED IN MY WIFE'S NAME. *TR UPDATED 01/31/11

2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER WRITES TO EXPRESS DISCONTENT REGARDING THE DEALERSHIP AND THE HANDLING OF RECALL REPAIRS. *TGW

MY 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS HAS A PROBLEM WHEN I HIT A BUMP WHEN I AM APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE BRAKES MOMENTARLY STOP FUNTIONING. I NEVER THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT IT THINKING I HIT A SLICK SPOT. I WAS TALKING TO ANOTHR 2005 PRIUS OWNER TODAY WHO TOLD ME HE HAD THIS PROBLEM, AND THAT IT IS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH THE NEWER PRIUS. I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW IT IS HAPPENING WITH THE 2005 MODEL AS WELL.

CONTINUATION TO INCIDENT# 10310144, THE PROBLEM SHOWED UP AT THE DEALER'S SERVICE BAY. THE SERVICE TECHNICAL PEOPLE SAW THAT BUT STILL WANTED A SEPARATE DIAGNOSTIC FEE OF $57 TO TELL ME THE REAL ISSUE. I AM SURE THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE. *TR

DURING A DRIVE ON US224 IN OHIO, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING MY 2005 TOYOTA ON CRUISE CONTROL. AFTER PASSING A VEHICLE, HE ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BY BRAKING BUT THE CAR WAS STILL TRYING TO ACCELERATE. IT TOOK FOUR ITERATIONS OF PUSHING ON THE BRAKE TO FINALLY MAKE THE CAR SLOW DOWN. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AND STOP. DURING THE INCIDENT, WE COULD FEEL THE PULL OF ACCELERATION EVEN WHEN HE WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE. IF HE LET OFF OF THE BRAKE THE CAR WOULD BEGIN ACCELERATING AGAIN. WE DID HAVE AN AFTERMARKET FLOOR MAT ON THE DRIVER SIDE, HOWEVER IT IS A VERY HEAVY, THICK MAT THAT DOES NOT MOVE. WE ARE 100% CONVINCED THAT THE FLOOR MAT WAS NOT ON TOP OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DURING THIS INCIDENT (AS PROVEN BY THE CAR FINALLY SLOWING DOWN AND STOPPING WITH OUT THE FLOOR MAT BEING ADJUSTED).

CAR SEIZING UP IN 2005 PRIUS WHEN I GO OVER LARGE BUMPS IN THE ROAD-- HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM CONTINUOUSLY OVER PAST 2 1/2 YEARS SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN MAY 2007 WITH 19,000 MILES. I HAVE SEEN REPORTS THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE 2010 PRIUS AND A VERY LARGE RECALL IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM IN MY 2005.

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN I HIT A BUMP AND TRY TO SLOW DOWN, THE CAR JUMPS FORWARD. WHEN I HIT THE BRAKES THE CAR ACCELERATES. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL OF THE TIME BUT IS INTERMITTENT. I HAVE TRIED TO COMPLAIN TO TOYOTA BUT CANNOT GET THROUGH. *TW

2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. SIMILAR "BRAKING" PROBLEM AS IS IN NEWS FOR 2010 PRIUS. AFTER GOING OVER A (EVEN A SMALL) BUMP, CAR ALMOST LURCHES FORWARD; GLAD I WASN'T NEAR ANOTHER CAR, OR MIGHT HAVE HIT IT. HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES WHEN GOING OVER SMALL BUMPS TOOK TO DEALER-DID NOT FIND ANYTHING. SEEMS LIKE MORE OF AN ACCELERATION. DRIVETRAIN PROBLEM. SECOND POSSIBLE PRIUS ISSUE: A FEW TIMES WHEN I PUSHED DOWN ACCELERATOR TO ENTER HIGHWAY FROM FULL STOP, NOTHING FOR A SECOND-A DELAY THAT COULD BE LETHAL. SEEMS AS BAD AS NADER'S CORVAIR-BASED "UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED". WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER PRIUS. *TW

WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THE PROBLEM WITH BRAKING ON ROUGH PAVEMENT IS NOT LIMITED TO THE 2010 PRIUS. WE HAVE SUFFERED WITH THIS PROBLEM ON OUR 2005 PRIUS SINCE THE BEGINNING *TW

WE HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE BRAKING PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN NOTED WITH THE 2010 MODELS - THE BRAKES SEEM TO PAUSE, ESPECIALLY WHEN STOPPING ON ROUGH OR SLIPPERY PAVEMENT. WE HAD NOT REPORTED THIS EARLIER, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WAS JUST AN ILLUSION RESULTING FROM THE HYBRID SYSTEM. NOW THAT THE RECALL IS IN FULL EFFECT, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE SAME DEFECT THAT IS BEING REPORTED. THIS HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT ITEM SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2005. AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. *TW

THE CAR SUDDENLY AND MOMENTARILY ACCELERATES WHEN COMING OUT OF A DIP OR POTHOLE, OR OVER A SPEED BUMP. MOMENTARILY SOUNDS UNIMPORTANT BUT ONE SPEED BUMP WAS AHEAD OF A CROSSWALK AT THE ZOO, WITH MANY PEOPLE CROSSING. IT HAS ALSO ACCELERATED FOR LONGER PERIODS (30 SECONDS) ON THE HIGHWAY. I DID NOT REPORT THIS TO TOYOTA BECAUSE MY IN-LAWS PRIUS DID THE SAME THING, ONLY THEY ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT AND WHEN THEY REPORTED IT TO TOYOTA, THEY WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THEIR CAR. THEY ENDED UP SELLING IT OUT OF FEAR. THE MOMENTARY ACCELERATIONS HAPPEN FREQUENTLY. THE LONGER ACCELERATION HAS HAPPENED TWICE, ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. *TR

ACCELERATOR ON 2005 PRIUS STUCK

IN 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS, EVEN SLIGHT WHEEL SLIPPAGE ENGAGES THE VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM AND CUTS POWER TO THE WHEELS. WHEN IT IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY INTO TRAFFIC, ACCELERATION CUTS OFF COMPLETELY AND LEAVES ONE IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. EVEN IF I BACK OFF THE ACCELERATOR IT TAKES SEVERAL MOMENTS FOR THE VSC TO CUT OUT BEFORE ACCELERATION CAN RESUME. THE VSC CANNOT BE TURNED OFF AS IT CAN IN MOST OTHER CARS. IT IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN ENTERING A HIGHLY TRAVELED HIGHWAY FROM A SIDE STREET AND I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY. TOYOTA PROVIDES NO WARNING RE: THIS DANGEROUS FEATURE. I BELIEVE IT CAUSES ACCIDENTS.*JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS NO ALARM TO ALERT HIM THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ON. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *JB UPDATED 07/03/06. *JB