2006 Toyota Prius Traction Control Problems

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS LOSES ALL TRACTION WHEN ENCOUNTERING CONDITIONS WHERE ONLY ONE WHEEL LOSES TRACTION. THIS FAILURE OCCURS ON ROADS WITH SAND ON THEM. MOST COMMONLY IT OCCURS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN RIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION, FROM THE RIGHT OR TURN LANE. WHEN TO ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED, THE CAR STARTS TO MOVE, USUALLY A LITTLE WAY INTO THE INTERSECTION, AND THEN STALLS BECAUSE THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL STARTS TO SLIP IN THE SAND ALONG THE CURB. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS WHEN EXECUTING A "RIGHT ON RED" TURN. THE CAR HAS MOVED PART WAY INTO THE INTERSECTION AND IS STALLED BY THE LACK OF ANY TRACTION. TOYOTA CALLS THIS "TRACTION CONTROL". I DON'T THINK THIS IS AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION. IT'S REALLY COMPUTER CONTROLLED TRACTION LOSS. THE OCCURRENCE REPORTED IS ONLY THE LATEST. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS. COMPLAINTS TO TOYOTA HAVE BEEN FRUITLESS, BECAUSE THEY SAY THE SYSTEM IS OPERATING WITHIN DESIGN LIMITS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENT OVER-REVVING OF ENGINE COMPONENTS AND STRESSING THEM. *TR

I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 PRIUS, THAT WHILE TRAVELING OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE OR POTHOLE, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WILL COME ON, ON THE DASH, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY, IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR IS UNCONTROLLABLE. ITS A SIMILAR FEELING AS DRIVING ON A SNOW COVERED SURFACE. NOT SURE IF ITS JUST A FLAW IN THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (MAY INCLUDE A BRAKING ISSUE AS WELL). I DID CONTACT MY LOCAL DEALER, WHO WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS ISSUE, YET IF YOU WERE TO DO A SEARCH ONLINE, YOU WILL SEE THAT OTHER PRIUS OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS AS WELL. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAVE HAD 3 ACCIDENT CLAIMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT. ( AND NOT ONE CLAIM IN THE 12 YEARS I'VE BEEN WITH STATE FARM PRIOR TO THIS). ONE OF THE ACCIDENTS THE TRACTION CONTROL SLIPPED AND I PUT IT IN A DITCH. I'VE CONTACTED TOYOTA MULTIPLE TIMES REGARDING THE HEADLIGHTS JUST GOING OUT WHILE DRIVING. YOU HAVE TO STOP THE CAR AND TURN IT OFF AND ON AGAIN TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS TO WORK. NOW, AT 85,000 MILES I HAD NEW BRAKES PLACED. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON THE MECHANIC HOOKED IT TO THE COMPUTER AND NOTHING KICKED OUT. HE RESET IT AND WARNED ME ABOUT IT. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE THE OVERRIDE TO TURN THE ABS BACK ON DUE A "SAFETY" MECHANISM INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE THAT ONLY ALLOWS A DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS "COMPLETELY SAFE TO DRIVE". SO, I DROVE IT THE NEXT DAY. A CAR PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME, I HIT THE BRAKES AND SPUN A 180 INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY, NOBODY WAS HURT! IT IS NOW SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY UNTIL I CAN GET AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP TO TURN THE "SAFETY MECHANISM" BACK ON. PLEASE, PLEASE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED GET TOYOTA TO BUY-BACK AND DESTROY THESE VEHICLES. THEY ARE A DEATH TRAP! *TR

THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ON THE TOYOTA PRIUS (2006) IMPROPERLY ENGAGES WHEN THE DRIVER ATTEMPTS TO QUICKLY ACCELERATE AND THERE IS SOME SAND OR GRAVEL UNDER THE FRONT TIRES. THERE IS OFTEN AN ACCUMULATION OF SANDY MATERIAL AT MANY INTERSECTIONS, PARTICULARLY ON SIDE STREETS THAT ENTER A HIGHWAY SERVICE ROAD. AT THESE INTERSECTIONS, IT IS NECESSARY TO QUICKLY ACCELERATE TO ENTER THE ROADWAY AT THE SPEED OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGES DUE TO THE CONDITIONS MENTIONED ABOVE, THE TRACTION SYSTEM ATTEMPTS TO STOP THE WHEELS BRIEFLY IN ORDER TO BREAK THE TIRES FROM SLIPPAGE. HOWEVER, IN A HYBRID VEHICLE, THIS PULSING OF THE DRIVE SYSTEM ONLY ENCOURAGES FURTHER SLIPPAGE AND THE TRACTION SYSTEM CONTINUES TO INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGE WITHOUT ANY WAY TO OVERRIDE THE SYSTEM. THE DANGER IS THAT WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING THE VEHICLE HAS BEGUN TO ENTER THE ROADWAY INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC BUT IS FAILING TO ACCELERATE, CREATING AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE CONDITION WHERE A COLLISION IS POSSIBLE. I HAVE NOT PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED A COLLISION YET, BUT HAVE NEARLY BEEN INVOLVED IN ONE. *TR

TOYOTA PRIUS TRACTION CONTROL IN THE MODEL INCLUDING 2006 HAS A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING DESIGN FLAW. IT SHUTS DOWN ALL POWER TO THE WHEELS WHEN IT DETECTS SLIPPAGE, ESPECIALLY IN FRESH SNOW. IF SOMEONE WERE COMING AT YOU ON A SNOW COVERED ROAD, YOU'RE AT RISK OF HAVING ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR AND BEING PARALYZED IN THE MIDDLE OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A SITTING ON A SLIPPERY ROAD. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO THE TOYOTA CORPORATE PROVED FUTILE. THEIR CORPORATE LINE WAS THAT THE SYSTEM WAS OPERATING THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THEY WERE RESISTANT TO ACCEPTING THAT "OPERATING THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO" WAS THE PROBLEM. THE PRIUS HAS APPARENTLY BEEN REDESIGNED ON THE 2010 MODEL WITH A TRACTION CONTROL OVERRIDE SWITCH DUE TO NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS LIKE MINE AND FROM MECHANICS WHO I SPOKE WITH THAT WORK AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS. NONETHELESS, THERE IS NO WARNING GIVEN TO CONSUMERS WHO PURCHASE THIS CAR AND I HAVE SEEN REPORTS OF ACCIDENTS THAT RESULT OF TRACTION CONTROL SHUTTING DOWN ALL POWER AT THE PRECISE MOMENT WHEN YOU NEED THE ABILITY TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF AN ONCOMING CAR TO AVOID A COLLISION. IT SEEMS THAT TOYOTA IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT A COSTLY RECALL THAN ABOUT PASSENGER SAFETY. MY REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET THE CORPORATION TO RESPOND TO MY COMPLAINTS AND ACT RESPONSIBLY TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM HAVE PROVED FUTILE. AT LEAST IT SEEMS THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT WITH THE IMMORALITY AND UNWILLINGNESS TO ACT RESPONSIBLY THAT PLAGUES SO MANY CORPORATIONS AFRAID OF LOSING MONEY, THEY CONTINUE TO PUT LIVES AT RISK. *TR