2006 Toyota Prius acceleration problems

Filed Dec 26, 2024 · Acceleration, Electrical · ID

The light up display for the odometer, fuel gauge, and speedometer does not always light up. When it is not lit, the cruise control and any warning and informative alarms/lights also do not work. This is a well-known issue among owners of these cars, related to the capacitors on the circuit board for the display being defective, and there is extensive documentation of it online. It may also have had a technical service bulletin released for the issue, but I'm not entirely sure. The light goes out intermittently and is not always consistently out. I did mention it to the service personnel when I took it in to get recalls repaired recently, and they didn't seem surprised or unaware of the issue. I did not ask them to diagnose or fix it, as I know I can get it done for a better deal elsewhere.

Filed Jul 17, 2024 · Acceleration, Steering · 77,000 miles · CA · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the steering wheel erroneously steered to the left direction on its own. The contact used force to maneuver the vehicle however the steering wheel independently veered again to the left, right, left, and then back to the right. The vehicle crashed into a curb, and violently accelerated across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic where a van crashed into the vehicle head-on. The air bags deployed upon impact. The contact sustained 11 fractured bones (L1 through L5 lower lumbar, pelvic, pelvis, 11th rib, and sacrum) and received medical attention via trauma center where she remained for over 2 weeks. The other driver of the van sustained unknown injuries but did not receive any known medical attention. A police report was not on file for the incident. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 77,000.

Filed Dec 19, 2017 · Acceleration, Electrical · 88,000 miles · CT

Combination meter stopped working in cold weather. Know problem for toyota and a very dangerous one. They did one repair and warranty extension but vehicles now hitting higher miliage are having issues and it is documented by toyota in a warranty bullentin no. Pol12-05 from toyota

Filed Nov 21, 2017 · Acceleration, Brakes · 65 miles · AZ · crash · 1 injury

My car (06 toyota prius) had hit a pothole while on my way to church on 11/16/17. There was a lot of traffic and though I was far behind the person in front of me, my brake did not stop and my car went under the car in front of me. The vehicle was going maybe 5-10 MPH as we inched up to the light. Lots of traffic, I was double and triple checking to see my foot on the brake and it was but car would not stop, in fact it felt like it revved up.it was terrifying as I saw my car plow into another when there was nothing I could do. I know the 2010 models were recalled for this but it happened to me on my 2006 prius. No recall but a warrant enhancement notification was sent to my relative who had a 2007 but I never received it. It is all about the brakes and the not stopping properly. Toyota also did a weird buy back thing and wanted my car. I think it is because they wanted to hide the problem instead of having a recall. I have never had a company try to buy back my car. Toyota is at fault and I want to make sure no one else is killed or hurt by this. It also shows up in the technical service bulletin but again, not a recall but it needs to be recalled! My car had about 65k on it.

Filed Oct 3, 2017 · Acceleration, Electrical · TX

When vehicle is started no dash lights for fuel gage, speedometer, odometer inoperable due to faulty combination meter. No recall just extended warranty that toyota will not replace.

Filed Aug 26, 2017 · Acceleration, Electrical · 140,000 miles · AK

I believe its a glitch in the car's computer. At unpredictable and intermittent intervals the electronic heads up display does not operate. This leaves me with no speedomoeter, no fuel level indicator, no bright or dim indicator for the headlights, and the cruise control does not work. During the incidents the car also might not respond to the power off button, so it keeps running. This problem might last for a day or two and then it starts to work again.

Filed Mar 16, 2017 · Acceleration, Engine · 85,000 miles · CA

The computerized throttle control on the prius can get you into trouble. A prius will not reverse up a steep driveway. No matter how far you depress the accelerator, the engine will not go above about 1000 RPM, and the car will not move. Now, if based on sound of the engine, you place the transmission in forward without first removing foot from accelerator, the car will rocket forward (and likely crash). It is quite easy to do this, as the engine is stuck at idle, then furiously revving with no change of driver input. Father-in-law, and various pedestrians, were miraculously uninjured, but a very near thing indeed.

Filed May 5, 2016 · Acceleration, Brakes · WA · crash · 1 injury

I was in a 2006 toyota prius car accident on the freeway when the steering wheel started jerking (to the point of no control), the brakes stopped working and the car kept accelerating. Car lost control.*dt*jb car was totaled, two witnesses and a police report. I was sent the emergency room. No responsibility was assumed by toyota, which completed their "inspection" on march 9th, 2012. Then eight months later on november 14, 2012 they come out with two recalls: a steering recall & an engine and engine cooling, hybrid propulsion system recall, probably as part of what they saw happened to me. I was never notified after about these recalls that my car potentially could've been defective from and part of.

Filed Dec 12, 2015 · Acceleration, Brakes · 128,780 miles · SC · crash

While driving 20 m/h vehicle suddenly eccelerated and I hit the guard rail when experiencing unintended acceleratition

Filed Sep 21, 2015 · Acceleration, Brakes · 103,000 miles · CA · crash · 2 injuries

My wife [xxx] had a serious accident in the parking lot of the victorian on main st in santa monica on wednesday september 2. From standstill, her 2006 prius suddenly accelerated to a very high rate on its own and the car's brakes were completely non-responsive. In this relatively confined parking area, after a frightening period of trying to regain control of the vehicle, she made a split-second decision to crash into a tree at a relatively high speed in order to avoid steering the car onto main st. And causing a much more serious accident that would have impacted many people, automobiles and public and private property and possibly resulted in multiple deaths and multiple serious injuries. She sustained a broken foot. Her passenger sustained bruising. Both were taken by ambulance to st. John's hospital. Both airbags deployed. The 2 occupants were wearing seat belts. As a result, and only because of [xxx] quick thinking and potentially sacrificial action, [xxx], her passenger and many other non-suspecting people are alive today. It is apparently well-established that the prius can accelerate in this manner. In this case, the circumstances would appear to be straight forward: a car parked in a parking lot and started suddenly accelerates on it's own and refuses to allow the driver control. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).