2001 Toyota Prius Transmission Problems

While driving on the freeway at 65+ mph, your car suddenly lost all power without warning and the check hybrid warning light came on, making it dangerously unresponsive. The problem is caused by a faulty accelerator pedal position sensor that tells the hybrid system how much throttle you're requesting—when this sensor fails, both the gas and electric engines shut down. The fix involves replacing the accelerator pedal position sensor assembly.

MY WIFE'S 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH 108K MILES STOPPED BEING ABLE TO BE DRIVEN WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING IT HOME. IT STOPPED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND MORE WARNING LIGHTS THAN I'D EVER SEEN CAME ON. IT WOULD NOT DRIVE MORE THAN A FEW MPH AND WOULD SHAKE AND RUN ROUGHLY. IT HAD TO BE TOWED APPROX 81 MILES TO A TOYOTA DEALER NEAR OUR HOME. THEY TOLD US THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $7000 INCLUDING LABOR. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THIS IS A SOMEWHAT COMMON PROBLEM WITH OTHER OWNERS (PRIUSCHAT.COM). ALSO, THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL REFERENCES TO TOYOTA COVERING PART OR MOST OF THE BILL, EVEN ON VEHICLES NOT UNDER WARRANTY. IF THAT'S NOT ADMITTING A DEFECT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. *TR

POTENTIAL FOR FATAL INJURY DUE TO LOSS OF CONTROL BECAUSE OF FAULTY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR AXLE HUB BEARING FAILURE WITH SEPARATION OF WHEEL FROM VEHICLE AT 137,758 MILES (SUCH BEARINGS SHOULD HAVE EFFECTIVE LIFE, OR MTBF, OF GREATER THAN 300,000 MILES) -- INTERMITTENT NOISE BEGAN IN 2003 AND CONTINUED TO GET PROGRESSIVELY WORSE CULMINATING IN 80-100 DECIBEL SOUND LEVEL IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT -- INSPECTION OF VEHICLE INDICATED REAR AXLE HUB BEARING GRINDING NOISE ON DRIVERS SIDE REAR AXLE HUB -- REPLACED REAR AXLE HUB ASSEMBLY ON AUGUST 17, 2006 AND NOISE IS NOW COMPLETELY GONE -- THE REMOVED HUB IS NEARLY AT A COMPLETE FAILURE POINT WITH SEVERE GRINDING IN ITS SEALED BEARING -- I HAVE RETAINED REMOVED HUB AND CAN SHIP TO NHTSA OR NTSB FOR INSPECTION -- PLEASE ADVISE AT FSCORPIO@SBCGLOBAL.NET OR 209-937-0644 (OFFICE DAY PHONE). *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATES VEHICLE HAD A DEFECTIVE CLUTCH. THE CLUTCH HAS REPEATEDLY MALFUNCTIONED. HE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE CLUTCH TWICE WITHIN THREE YEARS. ALSO, CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. NO FURTHER CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME. *AK

AT 45MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT, CLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS I DISENGAGED CRUISE CONTROL BY TAPPING BRAKES. SO THAT I COULD ACCELERATE INTO TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT. I THEN FOUND MYSELF IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE SKID ACROSS THE PAVEMENT AS I LEFT THE PAVEMENT I FELT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE DROP. NOW SPINNING I BOUNCED OFF A TREE AND INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH WITH ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 FOOT OF MUD AND WATER. IT WAS THEN I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE WHEELS (LEFT REAR) HAD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DITCH. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST I HAVE NO IDEA OF THE ACTUAL CAUSE. THE STUDS WHICH HOLD THE WHEEL TO THE AXEL SHEAREDOFF, ANS AXLE SNAPPED, THE UNDERCARRAGE AND SUPPORTS WERE TANGLED. FHP OFFICER AT SITE INDICATED IT COULD HAVE BEEN MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OF SOME SORT. BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS I CONTACTED TOYOTA AS WELL AS INSURANCE CO (PROGRESSIVE). NO ONE HAS YET EVALUATED THE CAUSE. TOYOTAS FIRST COMMENT WAS "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM AN INVESTIGATION" MY ANSWERWAS " TO PREVENT A SIMILAR EVENT IN THE FUTURE". AS I RELATED THE EVENT TO EVERY ONE I ALSO NOTED THAT THE STEERING DIDNOT LET ME CORRECT THE SKID. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY HELD IN LIMBO BY INSURANCE AND TOYOTA. WHILE I AM WALKING. ALL SAFETY EQUIPMENT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY.*AK