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Prius Stalls in Snow; Owners Steamed

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

February 16, 2007

Toyota Prius • General Complaints • Availability • Battery • Fuel Gauge • Insurance Costs • Service Delays • Tires • Transmission • Happy Hybrid Owners --- Test Drive • Three Lead Feet Meet Little Fuel Sipper --- News • 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

Toyota is fond of describing the Prius hybrid as the car of the future and many Prius owners are as forgiving of problems with their little cars as newly-minted grandparents are of their offsprings' foibles.

That may be changing however. Aging Priuses are bringing with them problems many owners are finding hard to forgive.

Richard has a 2001 Prius in Palm Desert, California, that now has 103,000 miles on it.

"The car has died on the freeway four times," he told us. "The second time the dealer had the car for 53 days waiting for parts."

"The car is extremely hard on tires. Just can't keep them balanced. The heat inverter has gone out twice. The service representative said these cars just don't do well in the desert. The gas tank has been replaced. Also the steering column. The main computer has been replaced as well as a smaller one," Richard told ConsumerAffairs.com.

Worst of all?

"The mileage has not been what they (Toyota) advertised," he wrote. "I only use this car to drive short trips around town because I just can't trust it on the freeway."

Trust is becoming an illusive quality for a growing number of Prius owners forced to deal with snowy weather and slippery or unstable road conditions.

A Northern Virginia Prius owner first reported the hybrid's traction problem.

"When my car is on any kind of slick surface that causes one of the front wheels to slip, all power to the drive system is stopped," Christopher wrote from Reston, Virginia.

Now two other Prius owners have confirmed the traction problem, despite Toyota's denials.

Alex told us from Blowing Rock, North Carolina that the "electric and gasoline drive systems totally shut down if front wheel or wheels lose traction. I'm in total agreement with (Christopher's) comments," he wrote.

"The Prius is totally unsafe in any situation in which the front wheels lose traction which then causes the engine to completely shut down," Alex told us.

Alex said that "the shutdown occurs on any loosely packed (gravel or loose dirt at an intersection) or slippery (ice or packed snow)surface."

"Toyota attempts to spin this into a safety feature is total hype," Alex told us.

A Toyota spokesperson had previously explained to ConsumerAffairs.com that the condition Alex and others experienced was a result of the traction control system in the Toyota attempting to provide vehicle stability.

Toyota spokesman Bill Kwon agreed that the traction control system in the Prius could impact performance in snowy conditions but insisted that was not a safety problem.

"Prius has TRAC (traction control) as standard equipment," he said. "The purpose of traction control is to help prevent wheel spin and minimize slippage of the drive wheels by applying brakes and/or reducing engine power."

Alex is not buying any of the Toyota explanation.

"This is a most serious flaw in the design of the car and needs to be corrected, sooner rather than later. I'm positive you will find that this concern is shared by many Prius owners who have encountered the identical situation," he wrote.

Serge in Goode, Virginia is another Prius owner who has encountered that identical situation.

"I have a Prius and I consider the car dangerous in all conditions because of this power stoppage when the wheel senses any slippage," Serge told us.

"For instance," he continued, "It will do the same thing while driving up a graveled driveway or attempting to gain highway speed while in an acceleration lane and driving across a sand or gravel patch. The pedal goes dead and you could get severely hurt by losing acceleration."

"Toyota's statement is ridiculous and I think it is only a matter of time until they are sued and forced to do something about this serious problem," he wrote.

Finally, Anthony in Salinas, California wrote that he has encountered difficulty keeping his Prius aimed in the proper direction on wet roads.

"In driving rain I suddenly lost all control and all power in my Prius, the auto drifted into a left skid, turning 180 degrees on the highway then completing a 360 spin on the opposing traffic shoulder about 200 feet from the start. Has this loss of directional control and braking been reported"?

While Anthony's problem did not occur in the snow, clearly seems to be a problem with the traction system in his Prius suggesting a more sophisticated traction control system might stabilize the little hybrid before it spins out of control.

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