Car Shows "Ready" But Won't Move

We have a '10 Prius II, 3 weeks old tomorrow. After washing the car today, we pushed the power button and the display showed "ready" but the car wouldn't move. After several attempts it did start, but I'm wondering if anybody else has experienced this problem. There were never any warnings on the instrument cluster - it always showed "ready".

Did you put it in Drive or reverse? Did the display show that it went into gear?
I'm just wondering if you were waiting for the engine to start?

Please excuse my treating you like you know nothing, but for a first time Prius owner this would be an easy mistake to make. (waiting to hear the engine)
Press brake and power button, wait for ready, select gear, release park brake and go.

If there is another problem you need to see your dealer.

You didn't offend me. The car said "ready" but wouldn't move in either drive or reverse. But the instrument panel showed the car was in gear. This was the first time (and last, I hope) that this happened. Didn't know if this could have had anything to do with us washing the car - maybe got something wet - or was just a fluke.

Hey, thanks for helping!

Something similar happened with my new Prius. I think it was due to me putting it in D (or R) without having my foot on the brake.

No probs since!

I hope it doesn't happen again.
Cheers.

Must admit this happened to me as well. I concur that I did not place my foot on the brake yet put it into gear (Neutral). Had me perplexed for a few moments though my wife picked it up pretty quickly.

After washing or sitting in the rain (on other cars and motorcycle), I have had the brakes sieze/rust to the rotors. It took a little blip of the throttle to break it loose and after a few stops it cleaned everything off the disks.

This happened to me just yesterday and then I realized that I hadn't put my foot on the brake when I put it into gear. Retraced that step and all was fine.

With all the buzz about the 2010, the community should surely
expect another noticeable wave of newbie questions and concerns,
many of which won't have all the surrounding fact included.
At least the freshly-minted 3rd-gen owners won't be horrified
by hearing the coolant-storage pump running. Good example: the
first time I was testing an '04 I was playing with the power
modes, and had the car in Neutral while trying to transition
from IG-ON to READY. I must have sat there for 5 whole minutes
going "wtf?" because the salesguy had left me alone with the car
and I couldn't get it to move, while sitting in the middle of the
aisle between all the parked cars at the dealership. I eventually
figured it out.
.
Anyway, us PC old-farts should be prepared to hand out more
kindly advice just like always, which is in fact what's made PC
famous. [Or maybe not so kindly for the trolls that wander in
saying "this car sucks!"...]
.
_H*

Could it be the emergency brake is engaged? (kinda drawing for straws)

Same happened to me - although nowhere in the manuals or on the dashboard was there any indication of the problem. Trying to put it into gear simply resulted in a "ding-ding" sound. (There is lots of info on the dashboard that I don't need.)

I don't think the emergency brake is the OP's problem. I am not yet used to the emergency brake being a foot brake and not a hand brake, and so I've occasionally driven off without disengaging the brake. The car will move even though the brake is on. I got warning of the problem when I put the car into drive; there's then a beeping noise. I didn't see any kind of special warning, which bothers me a little; on the old car, there would be a "brake" light on the dashboard. But, as I say, the brake does not seem to be the problem here. I think the failure to have one's foot on the brake is probably the cause.

Doesn't sound like the OP problem as that would have eventually been noticed, but I engaged the parking brake the other day and this happened to me (in gear, wouldn't move). And some day I'll remember that the little release handle above the parking brake ISN'T the parking brake release

I just went out to my car and I was not able to put the car in "gear" without depressing the brake pedal. Like someone else mentioned, I just got a ding. I think the OP's car had/has a malfunction.

Peter

There IS a "brake" light on the dash over to the right side when you have the emergency/parking break applied.

On page 176 of the Owner's Manual the Alarm table shows the following entry:

Alarm: Interior alarm sounds once

Situation: The driver attempts to shift out of the "P" position with-out pressing the brake pedal.

Correction Procedure: The transmission will not move out of the "P" position. Press the brake pedal before attempting to shift again.

Perhaps the shift indicator on the dash shows D even though the transmission is still in P.

The net is you must press the brake pedal while shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse.

I have had this call a few times.
Always remember... put your foot ON the brake before wanting the car to change gears. That's the problem 99% of the time. The "I forgot..." step!
Di

You are indeed correct. Sorry for my error. The brake light isn't where I'm used to it being, and so I don't always notice when it's on. Thanks for your help.

Now that I think about it, I have had a situtation where I tried to shift to Drive before the car "booted" up completely and the result was it returned to Park and didn't "go anywhere". I didn't really notice that it returned to Park. It probably beep but I have to admit that I am getting a little desensitized to all the beeping. Gads, I can't wait till the dealer reprograms the thing!