2010 Prius level IV fails Inverter at 78k under warranty

Yikes...good luck.

 

Welcome to PC Are you the original owner? Did you get the recall done for the inverter problem? Someone else here just had a similar problem with a failed inverter and it took a couple of weeks to get a replacement.

 

I haven't done my recall yet on my 2010. I've been reading all kinds of people having lost power after the recall. Such a hard decisions........more power and risk breaking down......or less power.

Actually my main concern is really the inverter in the car may already be weakened. I don't Toyota to reprogram the car and leave me with a weakened inverter that can fail later. I much rather it break and I get a new one.

 

Hope you're not in the middle of nowhere if it happens!

 

I feel for you. This literally just happened to me and at almost the exact same number of miles - 78,650. Took Toyota about two weeks from diagnosis to installing a new inverter. Best of luck!

 

Sorry to hear about your failure. The good news is that the inverter is covered under warranty.

I just had the Boost Converter Software Update completed about 2 weeks ago. I have the very same 78,000 miles on my car. The Recall included testing the Inverter modules and mine passed. But I just question how close to the Pass/Fail line it may have been.

Time will tell if the Recall will prevent future inverter failures.

 

I did the recall and have had no change in power.

 

If you hypermile or drive mostly in ECO mode you probably will not notice any loss of power. If you have the need to accelerate quickly, for an interstate ramp or pass a vehicle at highway speed for example, you will probably notice a difference.

 

I neither hypermile nor drive in ECO. After about a thousand miles doing ECO, I decided it was driving me nuts, and so I went to normal mode. (I've never been in power mode.) My only effort to improve gas mileage is that I try not to drive above 65 mph on expressways, but I am not a "pulse-and-glide" person. I do not notice any change in what happens when I accelerate on a ramp to highway speed nor when I pass another car. My guess is that a substantial number of other drivers are more aggressive with the car than I am. I notice I drive the Prius at lower speeds than my old Camry, but I am not sure why this is so.

 

I also drive slower than my 12 year old Camry. Once you sit down in prius, the mind perspective is changed. You adjust your driving habits according to its car. The Prius dictates how you should drive and you do it accordingly.

 

My 2010 Prius had the firmware recall done a couple of months ago and now at 72,300 miles, the 'check hybrid system' notice displays along with yellow triangle indicator. Power and EV mode fail to operate and vehicle only operates on the gas engine with extremely sluggish power.
I replaced the OEM original 12vdc auxiliary battery with an Optima sealed battery (O' Reillys - formerly Kragen)which was a drop in - no drama install, however, the 'check hybrid system' problem remained.

I slowly drove the vehicle to my local Toyota dealer today and was advised the 'inverter' has failed. Dealer stated the Toyota logistics system is stressed right now to meet replacement inverter demand with no clear indication when a replacement part will be available. At least the local dealer is working to get a replacement loaner vehicle authorized by Toyota West.

Seems to be a link between the firmware update and the inverter failing.