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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.

Karen of Brookfield, WI December 20, 2008

Karen of Brookfield WI (12/20/08)
My Toyota Prius has caused me to be stuck numerous times because the traction control doesn't have an off switch. With no power to wheels, deep snow is impossible to free yourself from. Toyota needs to change this to keep this awesome care awesome!

Need tow truck when I could have rocked myself free if I could have turned the traction off!

Michael of Buffalo, NY December 19, 2008

Michael of Buffalo NY (12/19/08)
My 2005 Toyota Prius almost got me killed in a small snowstorm. While stopped at a red light on a very slight uphill climb, I stepped on the gas when the light turned green. NOTHING happened...the wheels would not even spin. I was there for 4 turns of the light, and finally I put the car in reverse, which allowed me to move. I was backing up into ONCOMING traffic ! It was the only way I could move the car...otherwise i would have had to abandon the car at this large intersection.

The traction control feature on this car is likely to get somebody killed, and anyone I spoke with at the dealer, actually multiple dealers, tells me the car is acting properly. I want this feature dis-abled from my car, or I want a Prius that does not have this feature.

Walter of Placerville, CA December 19, 2008

Walter of Placerville CA (12/19/08)
Toyota Prius has traction control that stops the car completely when trying to go up hill, then the ABS does not stop the car going down hill. The emergency brake is more effective!! Toyota will not acknowledge problem

Car is unusable to me. Paid over 26,000 for it.

Troy of Pollock Pines, CA December 18, 2008

Troy of Pollock Pines CA (12/18/08)
The complaints about the Prius traction system in the snow are absolutely true. I live in a small mountain town and we were driving our 06 Prius home when it began to flake lightly. We barely had a quarter inch on the ground, if that, and were going uphill. The Prius just lost all pedal power. We had to push it underneath a tree and wait for a clear road, which luckily was the next day.

Many vehicles have traction control...but the Prius system is awful and should be redesigned for safety. The salesman told us we'd have great snow traction with the traction control system...we only expected average performance. I have driven other two wheel drive cars in snow...there was no danger, no reason for the Prius to lose all power. HOW DOES LOSING ALL POWER HELP TRACTION.

We're getting nervous. We have 80K or so on it already, but the dash lights were strange the other day when we came out of church and it wouldn't start for a few minutes; all has been fine since (though the alarm went off in the middle of the night last night, the factory alarm; the car was surrounded by a foot of snow and no one came near it).

Frankly, considering the purchase price, we're scared. And I won't drive it in any kind of snow whatever, even packed, light conditions a regular two wheel drive car could handle with a little care and slow speeds.

Frederick of Clemson, SC September 13, 2008

Frederick of Clemson SC (09/13/08)
Had to use small spare tire on front left wheel of 2007 Prius when had flat tire while driving. Had two instances of power off to drive wheels while driving with small spare. Seems likely due to very sensitive traction control. First instance occurred when pulling out into traffic and accelerating moderately rapidly, but steadily; power to drive wheels cut off twice while trying to cross two lanes and merge with two lanes. Second instance occured while normally accelerating through a moderate turn to right from a stoplight.

The first instance created a dangerous situation. Fortunately, I could, with difficulty, steer back into a middle turning space between the two, two-lanes of traffic. In the second instance, intermittent control was regained in time to avert a rear-end collision.

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