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Toyota Prius Traction

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Toyota Prius • General Complaints • Acceleration • Availability • Battery • Fuel Gauge • Headlight • Insurance Costs • Service Delays • Tires • Transmission • Traction --- • Happy Hybrid Owners --- Test Drive • Three Lead Feet Meet Little Fuel Sipper --- News • Toyota Ready to Expand Safety Recall Beyond Floor Mats • U.S. Prius Sales Drop 45 Percent • Prius Tops Consumer Reports Best New-Car Value List • Toyota Parks Plans For New Prius Plant • Prius Vandalism On the Rise in California • Toyota Plans Prius Plant in Mississippi • Solar Panels to Power Prius Air Conditioning • Unexpected Problems Confront Prius Owners • NHTSA to Hear 'Silent Killer' Complaints • Reports of Prius Price Gouging Rise with Gas Prices • Prius, Porsche Models Top Most-Satisfied Lists • Should You Buy a Second-Hand Prius? • Winter Weather Warning for Prius Drivers • Prius Again Tops Owner Satisfaction Survey • Prius Helps Toyota Knock Off Ford for #2 Spot • Toyota Recalls Floor Mats, NHTSA Warns Prius Owners • Feds Probe Prius Runaway Acceleration • Prius Owners Report More Unintended Acceleration Incidents • Runaway Acceleration Plagues Prians • Toyota Delays Third-Generation Prius • Sales Top 1 Million but Some Owners Find Prius Doesn't Age Well • Prius Owners Losing Ground in Traction Battle • Prius Traction Control Complaints on the Rise • Prius Stalls in Snow; Owners Steamed • Prius Shuts Down in the Snow, Reader Complains • Prius Supplies Increase as Sales Slow • Prius Discounts Popping Up in Showrooms • EPA Finds Prius #1 in Gas Mileage • Prius Owners Question Mileage Claims • Prius Tops Consumer Satisfaction Survey • Hybrids Don't Always Deliver the Expected Fuel Economy

Many consumers tell us they like their Prius just fine, if only it would go in snow. Ironically, it seems that the traction control is to blame.

Richard of Roxbury, CT January 4, 2009

Richard of Roxbury CT (01/04/09)
Regarding your last artical on the Toyota Prius TRAC system. I have just only experienced what was reported with my 2007 Prius. The car stopped on a snowy hill during a recent snowfall here Dec 19 2008. Because of the Traction control shuts down engine on slippery surface I hit a curb and may have messed up the alignment or steering.

Despite the great gas mileage of this car I am angry and disappointed with it. If I knew what I know now I would have hesitated to pay the 26K for the car. And kept looking. I live in CT where snow and ice is common where I drive. This just added to the other issues reported on your site. I thought it was the tires and went to see if I needed new tires. The car only had 22k mile on the original tires. Then after some research I found your artical on this.

One other issue that I have not seen reported yet is High EMF emitted under the drivers body when using the car. Many people will not live near High Tension AC wires given the fear and controversy that it causes health issues. The company I work for asks for Integrity and Disclosure for issues like this. One immediate corrective action is to admit to this and give the consumer some heads up. Perhaps appropriate warnings or alerts us to these two facts.

Jon-Eric of Boxford, MA January 3, 2009

Jon-Eric of Boxford MA (01/03/09)
My 2007 Prius is an accident waiting to happen when driving in snow. The traction shuts down when the wheels slip and THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I feel that I should sell it but I just bought it last year and without a job I cannot afford to change cars.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO DISENGAGE THIS SAFETY DEVICE??

No damage but I almost got hit in the side when I tried to enter an intersection and the wheels spun on rainy pav't, engine stopped, and cars were approaching me from both sides. I do NOT need an auto manufacturer telling me I cannot 'peel out'. Peeling out may be req'd to save my life!

Richard of Garibaldi Highlands, BC December 27, 2008

Richard of Garibaldi Highlands BC (12/27/08)
I remain a fan of my Toyota Prius, but the Prius traction control system is, without doubt, the worst feature of the Toyota Prius. Many have reported problems going up hill on slick roads, particularly in snow. I have experienced coming to a complete stop and nothing I could do would make the wheels go round. By aggressive way power is diverted away from the wheels is rediculous. However, there is an additional problem with the traction control. On dry days, going down hill, if you hit a bump the traction control removes all connection with the wheels, causing the car to accelerate. This can sometimes be alarming, particularly if you happen to have the engine brake engaged for steep downhills (which happens quite a bit in coastal British Columbia). The engine brake suddenly disengages and you enter a 'freefall' type feeling for 2-3 seconds before it engages again. And this is just for a bump in the road.

During times of snow the car cannot be trusted. I am often worried as to whether I can get up the hill to my house. On one occasion I was not able to, though if it had allowed power to go to the wheels I probably would have been able to power through. I would like to see Toyota fix this problem. It is clearly a computer programing problem and should be fixed.

Mitchell of Bellingham, WA December 23, 2008

Mitchell of Bellingham WA (12/23/08)
The traction control sytem on our 2007 Prius caused the engine and brakes to cut out while we were trying to drive up our not-very-steep driveway in the snow causing the car to drift off the driveway into a brick wall. My wife had frequently said that she had trouble driving up any kind of incline when roads were slippery but I mistakenly assumed it was technique not a dangerous flaw in the car design. It was not until the fateful day that I tried to drive up the driveway and crashed that we discovered the cause. She saw the event and noticed that the wheels stopped turning which seemed odd so she looked on-line and saw that, in fact, it is a known -- and dangerous-- design problem with the car. We called the local Toyota dealer where we bought the car who took no responsibility. He said that we should have changed the tires becasue the tires they sell with the car are cheap and designed for milage not traction. He also refused to give us a loaner as it was not their policy.

The front bumper was cracked and needs to be replaced. The wall at the side of the driveway will need to be rebuilt. I had to rent a 4 wheel drive car so I could safely drive to work as it is clear that the Prius is unsafe in wintery conditions.

Raphael of Stamford, CT December 20, 2008

Raphael of Stamford CT (12/20/08)
I bought my Prius new in 2006 and moved straight to Florida with it. No problems until we moved back up north to Connecticut and had our first snowfall today. I couldn't understand why the car seemed to have no traction and no power getting up even the slightest hill with less than an inch of snow cover. . . until I started reading the similar complaints of other Prius owners.

Apparently a complete power shutdown -- which stops the car and driver helplessly in the middle of the road -- in the presence of any loss of traction is a planned response of the vehicle manufacturer. This is extremely dangerous and certainly was not an advertised feature of the car. It is a virtual death trap in snowy weather, as it is impossible to slow down and make a sharp turn into the driveway, let alone drive uphill to get home even in the lightest flurry.

Thankfully I was alone on the road when I was stuck, so nobody came up and hit me from behind. But I don't know how I will be able to use the car through the CT winter with any confidence.

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