2014 Toyota Prius: engine stalls while driving

Filed May 18, 2024 · Engine · ME

2014 Toyota Prius: While driving at high speed the engine stalled unexpectedly, steering and braking were not effected. Was able to safely coast to a stop in the breakdown lane and after a few minutes, restart the engine and proceed driving. Another event occurred on the entrance ramp onto an interstate highway. I was able to pull over safely and the car restarted after a short delay. This seems to be a very dangerous condition. Toyota dealer service said they could not determine the cause and they know of no recall. I found online a reference to the federal safety agency Recall # 20V369000 that referred to "unexpected hybrid power system shut down." That is what happened to me.

Filed May 2, 2023 · Brakes, Electrical · FL

Good Evening, I'm writing to request a callback in regards to my 2014 Toyota Prius which is subject to a recall. "The involved vehicles were designed to enter a failsafe driving mode in response to certain hybrid system faults. Toyota has found that in rare situations, the vehicle may not enter a failsafe driving mode as intended. 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." I recently just moved back to South Florida, I was living in NJ for a few years and had the Inverter malfunction earlier this February, 2023, forcing the car to enter the fail safe mode described giving me the warning to "Check Hybrid System, Stop the Vehicle in a Safe Place". The car was at Toyota Universe, Little Falls, NJ for about 45 days, since this was going to take the complete replacing of the inverter and an update of some sort of software. After receiving the car back around March 17th, I moved back to Florida about 2 weeks later. This evening around 5:30 returning from work, the car stalled again while I was driving surrounded by dense traffic, wouldn't accelerate with all lights flashing. Thankfully I was able to pull over slowly into a parking lot after which my steering wheel locked, and my car was no longer able to be put into Drive or Reverse. Car was only able to shift into Neutral and Park. This was the most terrifying experience of my life had something worse happen in the middle of traffic. I have dropped off my car to the dealership parking lot and will be checking it in first thing in the morning. I'd like to ascertain what I should expect from Toyota Manufacturing should this issue be unfixable? I am more than happy to let them attempt fixing it, but I also need to live a normal life and don't feel the need to be responsible for a manufacturing defect putting my life in jeopardy every time I go drive.

Filed Mar 13, 2021 · Fuel system · 105,000 miles · CA

Hybird system malfunction. Car lost power and stalled where we cannot shift. That happened after driving the car home and later tried to start it in our driveway.

Filed Jul 26, 2019 · Engine · 63,000 miles · VT

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 toyota prius. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled on the road. The contact was able to veer to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was later towed to white river toyota (303 sykes mountain ave, white river junction, vt 05001, (802) 299-2800) to be diagnosed, but the failure could not be duplicated. The mechanic also stated that if they could not duplicate the failure, then there was no failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a case number. The failure mileage was 63,000.

Filed Feb 14, 2019 · Engine · 124,491 miles · CA

I was driving suddenly I started to lose power within few second the car stalled and got an hybrid error and the car went in safe mode the car doesn't go in d only n or p, also the dashboard lighting goes on and off and smoking so I towed the car to larry h miller toyota corona ca, the manage dustin said this is recall issue and we need to update the software two days later the service agent mrs lorena said we found coolant in the oil and our service tech thinks I have blown head gasket but talking with toyota manufacturer is covered and I can get rental car too but I need to authorise $2040 year down because toyota wants to know what cause the head gasket to failed but mrs lorena assured me 'I 100% covered and I will not have to pay' so I agreed two days later dustin the service manager called and said I need to come to dealer shop he wants to show me something so I had to call the base (air force) and get half day off when I got there my car was disassembled except I could see the pistons and the block toyota tech had rulers and fillers gage and showing me that my block is warped about 0.008 inch and I need a new engine around $11,000 or used about $8,200 or I can take my car as is without paying anything I told I cannot affords it so I towed the car home, prior to becoming an engineer I was machinest so I sent the head to machine shop for examination the cylinder head was flat and has no crack or sign of failure and made of aluminium if the block is warped the head should be warped too and the tech measurements was incorrect because after cleaning the block surface from gasket debris was flat too so I called the dealer about my finding I was told dustin is in vacation and coming back on 2/12/2019 today is 2/14/2019 and he is not returning my call I took the car running but doesn't go to drive for recall now I have disassembled car. This is 2nd time hybrid issues.

Filed Oct 7, 2018 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · CA

Car was in motion in a residential area, moving at a low speed, under 25mph. While in an undulating portion of the road, during entry and exit from a dip and slight turn in the road, the engine stalled for a brief moment, for no more than a second or so the accelerator was non-responsive, causing me to force a stop by using the brake, after which time the motor re-engaged as normal. Unknown cause, happened once in my experience with the car and never again. Car has been driven by my daughter for the last 3+ years, she has not reported a recurrence of the problem.

Filed Jul 9, 2018 · 172,000 miles · CA

We are driving home in the 55 south with my family I had fourth month old and 2 year old and my wife all of sudden the car was stalled in the carpool lane.it was scary part me what can do.I need to react fast.we where thankful that we pulled out safely.the next day I went to the dealership to inspection and they take a while to check so I left my car for two days.and they said that five different codes and I'm gonna pay 3k just too take it apart and plus labor and parts.I tell my story what happened they want me too pay.the was well maintained and that day all the lights where on the dashboard.I called the toyota headquarters on costa mesa.but they said my warranty where expired. So cannot helped me. But for family safety I just wanted to say if just fixed the defects on the car or just recalled.I still had the car and able to drive.I filled this today because I happen again.

Filed Apr 17, 2018 · Acceleration, Fuel system · 53,400 miles · CA

Pulling into a parking stall almost stopped. My car suddenly accelerated and jumped the curb.

Filed Apr 3, 2018 · Steering, Transmission · 130,000 miles · FL

Vehicle stall . Show 'check hybrid system ' stop the vehicle in a safe place' dealer said probably inverter ipm failed.

Filed May 3, 2017 · Acceleration, Brakes · 60,000 miles · CA · crash

Vehicle increased acceleration while making a right-hand turn and braking, into a covered parking stall. Vehicle did not stop under breaking until front end went over cement parking bumper.

Filed Feb 16, 2016 · Brakes · 1,100 miles · FL · crash

When car stalls ...there are no brakes..happened to me 4 times. Hit objects 3 times to stop.

Filed Apr 12, 2014 · Engine · 8,858 miles · CA

While driving on the freeway at highway speeds a series of yellow triangles suddenly flashed on the dashboard along with some beeps. The engine then stalled and the gas pedal no longer responded to any inputs. Due to a combination of sheer luck and driver presence of mind the car was steered to the shoulder of the highway where it came to a halt. The experience of trying to control a car with a stalled engine and safely steer it to the shoulder in heavy traffic was terrifying to say the least. The car was taken straight to the dealer where it was left for service. After diagnosis a couple of days later the dealer called back and said that the engine control module had failed which is why the engine had stalled. The car is still with the dealer since the part is not available and needs to be shipped from toyota. The dealer claimed that this was such a rare occurrence that they did not have the parts available. They also claimed that they did not know anyone else for whom this had happened. Maybe so but this was an incident that could have been fatal. The fact that nobody got killed is just plain luck.