2004 Toyota Prius Speed Control & Cruise Problems

I need your help to get Toyota to fix 2 items: -ABS Accumulator: I understand Toyota at one time had a recall on the ‘ABS Accumulator’, that may have expired. At that time, I did not have any issue, nor was I aware of the recall. Now the ‘ABS Accumulator’ has gone out and is really hurting the braking. I had to get new brakes & they get locked because of the ABS malfunction. It is an expensive item – more than the cost of the car. I intend to keep the car for a long time, if Toyota can help me get the ABS Accumulator fixed? -MFD: The Multi-Functional Display (MFD) in the middle of the dashboard, has gone blank. It used to just partially blank out before, but now the whole screen is blank all the time, making it very hazardous to drive. Obviously, there is nothing I have done & it is a manufacturing defect, because it should last the life of the car. Please have Toyota fix the 2 problems (ABS & MFD). All requests to Toyota have gone unfulfilled. Your help is needed & will be greatly appreciated.

THIS OCCURRED TO ME YESTERDAY WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH IN 94 F HEAT ON I-76 E JUST BEFORE THE 676 / 76 SPLIT. I WAS TRAVELING IN THE FAR LEFT LANE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER. LOOKING AT THE DASH I NOTICED THE SHIFTER HAD MOVED ITSELF INTO N (NEUTRAL), IT WOULD NOT MOVE BACK INTO DRIVE. I APPLIED MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND BEGAN FORCED MY WAY RIGHTWARD ACROSS THREE LANES TO THE SHOULDER, SPEED RAPIDLY DECREASING AND SEEMINGLY MORE SLUGGISHLY THAN A NORMAL COAST. I THINK THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS AUTOMATICALLY BEING APPLIED OR I WAS FIGHTING A BRAKING SYSTEM. ONE LANE FROM THE SHOULDER, A UPS TRUCK WAS HEADED FOR ME FROM BEHIND. LUCKILY, HE WAS ABLE TO SWERVE INTO THE SHOULDER AND PASS ME THERE AS HE COULD NOT MOVE LEFT INTO OTHER TRAFFIC. WE ONLY NARROWLY AVOIDED A COLLISION WITH ME OR THE ELEVATED BARRIER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD ONLY 10 MPH LEFT AND NO ABILITY TO REDIRECT MY VEHICLE. ONCE ON THE SIDE OF THE EXPRESSWAY, I WAS ABLE TO GOOGLE THIS WELL-KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. I LET THE VEHICLE COOL OFF, TURNED OFF THE AIR CONDITIONING, THOUGH DIDN'T WANT TO RISK TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF. I WAS CONCERNED I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NIGHTFALL TO GET BACK INTO TRAFFIC (STILL FLOWING AROUND 60 MPH AND A VERY NARROW SHOULDER) LUCKILY DURING A SMALL TRAFFIC BACKUP UP THE ROAD I WAS ABLE TO RE-ENTER TRAFFIC AT A MODEST SPEED. I CROSSED MY FINGERS AS THE REST OF MY COMMUTE (ANOTHER 2 MILES OR SO) WAS 95% HIGHWAY DRIVING. LUCKILY THE CAR HELD OUT FOR ME TO GET HOME.

WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY IN TRAFFIC, AFTER A PARTICULARLY ROUGH TRANSMISSION SHIFT, THE LARGE RED EXCLAMATION MARK WARNING INSIDE A TRIANGLE LIT UP ON THE DASHBOARD, ALONG WITH THE YELLOW "CHECK ENGINE" AND "VSC" (VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL) WARNINGS. THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER TO A SAFE LOCATION AND STOPPED. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND ON A FEW TIMES AND THE WARNINGS CONTINUED. ON THE FOURTH OR FIFTH TURN-ON, THE PROBLEM CLEARED ITSELF AND HAS NOT RECURRED. THIS IS THE SECOND ELECTRONIC GLITCH THAT HAS OCCURRED ON THIS VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE FIRST WAS REPORTED AS ODI ID NUMBER 10407518. BOTH TIMES, THE PROBLEMS, WHICH HAD DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS, CORRECTED THEMSELVES AFTER TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND ON A FEW TIMES. SINCE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM IN THE FIRST CASE, THE DEALER HAS NOT YET BEEN INFORMED IN THIS CASE. IT HAS BEEN EXCEEDINGLY FORTUNATE THAT BOTH OF THESE ELECTRONIC GLITCHES, NEITHER OF WHICH WERE RELATED TO FLOORMATS BY THE WAY, WERE NOT OF THE SUDDEN-UNWANTED-ACCELERATION VARIETY. THE RANDOMNESS OF BOTH THE TIMING AND THE SYMPTOMS OF THESE ELECTRONIC GLITCHES SUGGEST THAT SUDDEN UNWANTED ACCELERATION COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN THE RESULT. *TR

WHILE HEADING UP MY DRIVEWAY IN MY 2004 PRIUS, THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE, I THREW IT INTO REVERSE AND TURNED BACK TOWARD MY GARAGE WHERE IT CRASHED THRU THE WALL. *TR

THE AUTOMOBILE WAS STOPPED AT A INTERSECTION AND THE PAVEMENT WAS WET FROM A LIGHT RAIN. I APPLIED NORMAL PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR AND FELT THE CAR MOVE FORWARD AS EXPECTED. THEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, I FELT THE TIRES SLIP DUE TO A LOST OF TRACTION WITH THE WET PAVEMENT. AT THAT POINT THE ANTI-SKID/TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED AND STOPPED ALL POWER TO THE WHEELS. THIS LEFT ME PART WAY INTO THE INTERSECTION AND NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR EVEN TO THE FLOOR RESULTED IN NO CHANGE, NO MOTOR OR ENGINE POWER. THIS HAS OCCURRED THREE TIME IN SIMILAR CONDITIONS, WITH MIXED RESULTS. TWICE THE PROBLEM COULD OF LEAD TO AN MAJOR ACCIDENT. IN SUMMARY THIS PROBLEM DISABLE THE DRIVE TRAIN IN A UNPREDICTABLE MANNER THAT TAKES THE DRIVER OUT OF THE PROCESS. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED SOMEONE ELSE DROVE HER VEHICLE AND HE EXPERIENCED SLUGGISH ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE. A MESSAGE FLASHED QUICKLY, BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO READ IT. *JB

1) EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE: POST-"90L CAMPAIGN" RECALL MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS, VEHICLE DRIVING AT ~15 MPH ON A FLAT CLEAR ROAD. 2) THE FAILURE: UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OBSERVED. ACCELERATED, WITHOUT ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED, TO ~27 MPH. BRAKES SUCCESSFULLY APPLIED. RELEASE OF BRAKE RESUMED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. "RODE THE BRAKE TO DELIVER VEHICLE TO SAFE PARKING LOCATION. CONSEQUENCE: UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CONTROLLABLE BY BRAKING. 3) NOTHING HAS YET BEEN DONE TO CORRECT FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN OR MOVED SINCE FAILURE, SINCE DEEMED UNSAFE TO DRIVE BY OWNER PENDING ANY USEFUL RESPONSE TO NOTIFICATION OF THIS INCIDENT BY TOYOTA INC. (NO USEFUL RESPONSE AS OF YET.) THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE CONSUMERS CONCERN. UPDATED 08/30/10 UPDATE IVOQ 09/01/10*JB *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL REPEATED PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE ISSUE WAS NOT A BIG DEAL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 102,595.

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, MY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AS I WAS MERGING TO MY LEFT. AS I WAS MERGING I FELT THE CAR ACCELERATE AND THE DECREASE IN PRESSURE AGAINST MY FOOT AS THE PEDAL DEPRESSED ON IT'S OWN. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR AFTER FORCEFULLY STEPPING ON THE BRAKES TWICE, AT WHICH TIME THE GAS PEDAL CAME BACK UP.

I WAS TURNING MY 2004 PRIUS INTO A PARKING GARAGE AT BETWEEN 2-5 MILES AN HOUR, APPLIED THE BRAKES AS I WAS GOING IN OVER A SMALL LIP/BUMP IN THE PAVEMENT, AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO SWERVE AND REAPPLY THE BRAKES IN TIME TO AVOID HITTING AN ONCOMING EXITING CAR. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND I ALMOST HIT THE OTHER DRIVER. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. THERE HAS BEEN A COUPLE SIMILAR INCIDENCES WHERE I WAS BRAKING WHILE COMING UP TO A STOP, HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE IN THE ROAD AND THE BRAKES FELT LIKE THEY STOPPED WORKING FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THEN SEEMED TO HAVE RESUMED. IT IS A STRANGE SENSATION WHEN YOU ARE EXPECTING A STOP. THE CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP EVERY 5,000 MILES SINCE IT WAS NEW AND WILL BE DUE AGAIN IN ABOUT 2 WEEKS. *TR

2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER STATES ACCELERATION PROBLEMS *TGW WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONSUMER SWERVED INTO THE NEXT LANE TO AVOID HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. THE MOTOR REVVED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL. THEN THE MOTOR RETURNED TO NORMAL AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL AND THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY TOYOTA. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRUIS . THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING HE ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN BY APPLYING THE BRAKE, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN . THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DOES NOT WANT TO PICK THE VEHICLE UP DUE TO THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52000. UPDATED 03/04/10 *BF UPDATED 07/23/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASED AND THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO MOVE FORWARD WHILE THE CONTACT'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND HE WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DATE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 103,690.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. HE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION TWICE ON JANUARY 16, 2008 AND MARCH 6, 2008. WHILE HE WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 100 MPH. HE CONTINUOUSLY APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, BECAUSE THE FLOOR MAT WAS TRAPPED UNDER THE GAS PEDAL. THE DEALER REPLACED AND SECURED THE FLOOR MAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. HE HAS NOT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,154 MILES AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. ON OCTOBER 19, 2009, THE CAR ACCELERATED BY ITSELF TO 65 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE, SLOW DOWN THE CAR AND PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD THE CAR TOLLED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT "DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM." THEY TOLD ME TO TAKE THE FLOOR MAT OUT. IN THE MEANTIME, THEY CHARGED ME $1400 TO REPLACE A WATER PUMP AND PERFORM OTHER MAINTENANCE SERVICES. THE RECENT ACCELERATION RECALL BY TOYOTA DOES NOT INCLUDE MY CAR ALTHOUGH I HAD THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. WHEN I CALLED THE COMPANY TO INQUIRE THE REASON FOR THIS, THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS MODEL WAS MADE IN JAPAN WITH A DIFFERENT PART MANUFACTURE, THUS IT IS NOT UNDER THE ACCELERATION RECALL, JUST THE FLOOR MAT RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 80 MPH BEFORE THE PEDAL RELEASED.THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. NO REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE FLOOR MAT BECAME STUCK INSIDE THE ACCELERATOR PAD. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND THE CONTACT PRESSED A BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWO TIMES AFTER RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED FOR RECALL 09V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,767. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 71,734.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE 605 FREEWAY IN THE CARPOOL LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES PER HOUR WHEN WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE AND MASTER HYBRID WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I HAD TO CROSS FOUR LANES OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC TO PULL TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AS THE CAR LOST POWER. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER SINCE IT WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY EXPERIENCE. FORTUNATELY, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAS NARROWLY AVOIDED. THE DEALER ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO A SHORT. THE HYBRID VEHICLE CONTROL COMPUTER WAS REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT PART NUMBER IS 89981-47270. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN HE APPLIED PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AT 50 MPH IN THE DARK, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATED, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. CONSEQUENTLY THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. HE SUSTAINED INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62000. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 12 MPH SHE WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE DAMAGING THE BRAKE LINE WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACTS VEHICLE TO CONTUNIALLY MOVE AFTER THE CRASH. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT HAD TO ENGAGE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP DUE TO THE DAMAGED BRAKE LINE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE NOT AVAILABLE.