2013 Toyota Prius

I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH RODENTS GETTING INTO MY CAR. I FEAR THAT THEY ARE CHEWING ON ELECTRICAL WIRING AND THERE IS POSSIBLE DISTRACTION TO THE DRIVER. WHEN I WAS DRIVING (CAR WAS MOVING) A MOUSE CRAWLED UP ON MY SHOULDER. THESE PROBLEMS APPEAR TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL TOYOTA AND COULD CAUSE A DISTRACTION TO THE DRIVER AND A DRIVING ISSUE WITH WIRING.

RECURRING "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" ISSUE = JOV SOFTWARE UPDATE FAILEDTHIS IS MY 2ND COMPLAINT (11298645)RE. THE NON-SAFETY OF MY PRIUS. DEC 2019, THE JOV SOFTWARE UPDATE FAILED. I WAS LUCKY TO BE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT AS OTHERWISE I WOULDN'T BE HERE WRITING TO YOU. MY CAR STOPPED WORKING ENTIRELY & ABRUPTLY. I DROVE IT ONLY FOR 1.2 MILES THAT DAY. IT DIDN'T GO INTO A FAIL-SAFE DRIVING MODE & DIDN'T GO INTO NEUTRAL EITHER. THEY'RE 3 WITNESSES. IT GOT TOWED TO TOYOTA HOLLYWOOD WHO ACCUSED THE CAR'S POWER LOSS ON THE REGULAR BATTERY. THE BAD OVERHEATED INVERTER CAUSED IT & DRAINED THE BATTERY SURELY. TOYOTA'S EXECUTIVE OFFICE SEND OUT A FTS INSPECTION WHO DROVE THE CAR ALSO TO RECREATE THE DTC CODE W/ TESTS & THEREAFTER SAID IT'S SAFE TO DRIVE. FALSE ASSESSMENT. THE HYBRID WARNING MSG APPEARS AGAIN ON JANUARY 16. I DROVE IT ONLY FOR 1.6 MI THAT DAY. I STARTED MY CAR, THE WARNING MSG REMAINED ON DISPLAY UNTIL I DROVE IT HOME FOR 1.6MI GOING 15MI/HR. THE PUBLIC KNOWS: "THE INVERTERS HAVE BEEN OVERHEATING, CAUSING THE SOFTWARE THAT CONTROLS THE VEHICLES TO SHUT DOWN THE POWER OR PUT THE VEHICLE INTO WHAT IS KNOWN AS A LIMP-HOME MODE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO ALLOW DRIVERS TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY." NOW, TOYOTA CULVER CITY HAS MY CAR SINCE JAN 18; THEY COULD ONLY SEE A "LOW VOLTAGE BATTERY" ISSUE & AREN'T SURE. ?TOYOTA HAS FOUND THAT IN RARE SITUATIONS, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT ENTER A FAIL-SAFE DRIVING MODE AS INTENDED,? THE STATEMENT SAID. ?IF THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE COULD LOSE POWER AND STALL. WHILE POWER STEERING AND BRAKING WOULD REMAIN OPERATIONAL, A VEHICLE STALL WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH." WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THE LARGEST AUTO MANUFACTURES IN THE WORLD TO REPLACE MY INVERTER? A CRASH. I HOPE NOT. THANK YOU FOR ASSURING SAFENESS ON THE ROAD. SINCERELY, [XXX] REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY PRIUS 2013 MODEL IN A PARKING LOT ON 12/24/2019 WHEN ITABRUPTLY (WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING MESSAGES) SHUT DOWN WITH THIS MESSAGE: "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM STOP THE VEHICLE IN A SAFE PLACE." MY CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AN INCH, DIDN'T GO INTO LIMP MODE AND DIDN'T GO INTO NEUTRAL EITHER.MY PRIUS HAD A 2ND RECALL SOFTWARE UPDATE IN 2019 AND ITWAS SUPPOSE TO PREVENT MY CAR FROM SHUTTING DOWNCOMPLETELYAND SHOULD HAVE GONE INTO FAIL-SAFE DRIVING MODE BUT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN AND THE SOFTWARE UPDATE SEEMS TO BE JUST A BANDAID. IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP WHO DIDN'T LOOK AT IT FOR 2 DAYS DUE TO THE HOLIDAYS AND THE BAD INVERTER DRAINED THE NORMAL BATTERY AND THE HYBRID WARNING CODE WITH IT. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT REPLACE THE INVERTER AS THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE DTC CODE WHICH I BELIEVE DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR NOT WANTING TO ENSURE SAFETY AFTER I HAD 3 WITNESSES INCLUDING MYSELF,SEEING THE HYBRID SYSTEM INVERTER FAILURE AS WELL. WHERE IS THE ORIGINAL DTC CODE? IT SHOULD NOT EVAPORATE AFTER A BAD INVERTER DRAINS THE BATTERY AND I HAVE THE HYBRID WARNING MESSAGE ON VIDEO BUT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP ANDMANUFACTURER THAT IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT.AND THEY DID NOT OFFER TO CHECK THEINVERTER ORTHE IGBT TO ENSURE ITSSAFENESS. INSTEAD, I WAS ASKED TO PICK UP MY CAR AFTER THEY FIXED A 'BATTERY CELL' ISSUE THAT WAS NEVER THE PROBLEM UNTIL IT WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP. I PICKED UP MY CAR TODAY STILL WITH A BAD INVERTER,AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AND I HOPE IT WON'T BE ON A FREEWAY.*DT*JB

FROM DAY #1 THESE ISSUES WERE PRESENT ON 2013 PRIUS FIVE: LKA SUDDENLY STOPS CAR OVER MINOR CAR MOVEMENTS AHEAD,MAJOR KNOCKING SOUNDS FROM ENGINE ON COLD STARTS, BRAKE PEDAL HITS FLOOR AND SUDDENLY LOCKS UP! I NOW HAVE 20K AND HARDLY DRIVE IT NOW TRIPS SKID ICON?, BLUETOOTH IS ERRATIC, CRUISE CONTROL SHUTS OFF OR WON'T TURN ON WHEN ITS WET OUT, DRIZZLES OR RAINS! IS MY TOYOTA MY MOTHER WARNING ME NOT TO DRIVE IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC, AVOID RAIN OR SNOW, NOT TO USE ELECTRONICS OR LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE DRIVING AND IF I USE THE TECH IN THIS 36K PRIUS FIVE ITS CAUSING ME TO DRIVE LIKE A 90 YR OLD WITH BAD EYES AND EVEN POORER JUDGEMENT! IT'S A WONDER WHY SOME PEOPLE HATE PRIUS DRIVERS..! THE 12V BATTERY DIES EVERY FEW DAYS SO I MUST KEEP IT PLUGGED IN. I EVEN WRAP MY FOB IN FOIL AT HOME AND KEEP IT AS FAR FROM CAR AS POSSIBLE TO NOT WAKE UP THE CAR IF I WALK BY A WINDOW CLOSE TO ITS PARKED TO AVOID POWER DRAIN. TOYOTA TELLS DEALER EVERYTHING IS OKAY? ....IN WHAT WORLD WOULD ANYONE PAY TO HAVE A CAR LIKE THIS AND TELL CUSTOMERS ITS OKAY?? I HAVE TO DRIVE AND OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE IN DANGER! MY SON IS NOW GETTING READY TO DRIVE AND I CAN'T IMAGINE HIM FIGHTING THE CONTROLS THAT TOYOTA BUILT IN TO KEEP HIM SAFE! I USED TO MANAGE A PORSCHE DEALERSHIP AND RACED ON MANY TRACKS AND CAN DRIVE FAIRLY WELL AND DON'T LIKE TO COMPLAIN BUT AFTER MY RECENT ISSUE AND RESEARCH FOUND A LOT OF COMMON PROBLEMS WITH OTHERS SO I CHIMED IN..

WHILE DRIVING ON RTE. 24 SOUTH IN MASSACHUSETTS (AROUND BROCKTON/BRIDGEWATER/ TAUNTON, MA) THE CAUTION LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING (TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION). I PULLED OVER AT THE NEAREST REST STOP TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY OBSERVABLE PROBLEM, BUT I COULD NOT DETECT ANYTHING SPECIFIC. I GOT BACK ON THE HIGHWAY; AND THE LIGHT CONTINUED BEEPING INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN ABOUT A MILE LATER I FELT A SHIFT IN THE TRANSMISSION AND SUDDENLY I WAS IN NEUTRAL, QUICKLY DECELERATING FROM 65 MPH. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY, AT WHICH POINT A NEW MESSAGE WAS ON MY DASH TELLING ME TO PULL OVER, THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY HYBRID SYSTEM! WE (THE TOW TRUCK GUY AND I) NOTICED OIL UNDER THE CAR AND CONFIRMED IT WAS CLEAN OIL, AND I SAW ANOTHER SPOT IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I GOT HOME. I HAVE SURMISED THAT WHEN I GOT MY OIL CHANGED LAST WEEK, SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO CAUSE THE LEAK, WHICH IS IN FACT THE CASE AND NOW MY ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED (THE REPAIR SHOP HAS OWNED THE ERROR AND IS PAYING FOR THIS). HOWEVER MY CONCERN THAT I WISH TO REGISTER IS THAT THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL ME NOT TO DRIVE IT, NOT JUST A CAUTION LIGHT THAT COULD HAVE MEANT ANYTHING. I COULD HAVE HAD A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. AND WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH I BOUGHT THE CAR, NO ONE CALLED ME BACK (I TRIED THREE TIMES AND WAS DISCONNECTED ONCE) BRAINTREE TOYOTA. (781) 848-9300 THIS SEEMS LIKE A DEFECT THAT NEEDS LOOKING AT. BEING THROWN INTO NEUTRAL GOING 65 MILES PER HOUR AS A RESPONSE TO AN ENGINE LEAKING OIL IS NOT OK. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING NOT TO DRIVE.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT IN THE MORNING ON THE HIGHWAY I HEARD A HUGE POP THINKING MAYBE MY TIRE BLEW OUT WHEN I WENT TO LOOK MY SUNROOF HAD A HUGE CRACK AND MY TIRES WERE ALL FINE. IT WASN'T A WINDY DAY BUT I DROVE A LITTLE SLOWER TO WORK NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO. 20 MINUTES LATER ARRIVING LATER THE GLASS SHATTERED LEAVING A WHOLE IN MY SUNROOF. LUCKILY THE INSIDE SLIDING CAP TO THE SUNROOF WAS CLOSED. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID SOMETHING MUST HAVE HIT IT BUT WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO GET FIXED AT AN AUTO COLLISION THEY SAID IT EXPLODED. FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT EXPLODED TO ME WITH THE GLASS POINTING UP.

I WAS IN LOS ANGELES PICKING UP MY TWO FRIENDS ON WHITLEY AVENUE, THIS STREET IS ON A BIT OF AN INCLINE. I WAS DRIVING MY TOYOTA PRIUS AND PRESSED THE "PARK" BUTTON. INSTEAD OF PARKING, THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS AND WENT INTO NEUTRAL. THE GEAR SHIRT IS SEPARATE FROM THE PARK BUTTON SO I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT I DID NOT PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. I ATTEMPTED TO PRESS THE POWER BUTTON ON "PARK" BUTTON ON THE CAR. I EVEN TRIED TO CHAGE THE GEAR SHIFT TO "D" (FOR DRIVE) REPEATEDLY. NOTHING I TRIED AT THE TIME WAS WORKING AND WHITLEY AVENUE INTERSECTS A VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC STREET, FRANKLIN AVENUE SO I NEEDED TO STOP THE CAR BEFORE IT WENT INTO THIS STREET. I TURNED MY WHEEL TO HIT MY CARE AGAINST CURB SO THAT IT WOULD STOP ROLLING. THIS RESULTED IN MY CAR CAUSING A DOMINO EFFECT AND HITTING A SECOND CAR, WHICH HIT ANOTHER CAR, WHICH HIT ANOTHER CAR. IN TOTAL MY CAR AND THREE OTHER CARS WERE AFFECTED BY THIS IMPACT. MY TRUNK COMPLETELY SHATTERED AND THE STUFF FROM IT FLEW INTO THE CAR THAT I HIT DIRECTLY HIT (THIS TRUNK ALSO COMPLETELY SHATTERED). THE TRUNK OF THE THIRD CAR ALSO COMPLETELY SHATTERED. MY CAR IS NOW TOTALED AND I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER THE ACCIDENT I WAS SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE IN THE AREA AND ANOTHER LADY INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD SEEN ANOTHER PRIUS ROLL UNCONTROLLABLY DOWN THAT HILL AS WELL.