Car in accessory mode, won't go into gear

Hi. new to the forums and appreciate any input.

I have a 2012 Prius V that I bought new. Currently has 85,000 miles on it. So far have just needed routine maintenance - tires, oil changes, did have the struts replaced recently.

Current situation: drove it normally Saturday - ran errands, went to Home Depot, picked up my kid, etc. Parked in driveway as usual. Next day got in the car with the dogs and a kid and the car won't get out of accessory mode. I changed the fob batteries, tried charging the fob next to the power button, nothing.

Had AAA come out and try to jump the 12v battery and nothing, from access in the hood and the back.

Basically, all the lights on the dash are on - all the warning lights - and the radio comes on, the fan comes on, the windows go up and down - accessory mode. The car does not go into gear. You can put it in neutral or park. The battery indicator on the dash is low and when I checked it out via the MFD it showed two purple bars.as well.

I have to have it towed to the dealer, I think. My sense is that it is the hybrid battery gone bad, with no warning. The brake lights come on when you step on the brakes.

Is there anything else it could realistically be?

Thanks, folks.

 

Update - I did see there is an inverter recall that I never knew about. So that's a possibility.

I guess I'm thinking if it's the hybrid battery gone bad, that's sort of good news, as that should still be covered under warranty.

 

Thanks for the replies! I did not notice any additional warning other than the fact the dash is lit up like a tree...ALL the lights are on. So it's not just normal accessory mode, it's accessory mode on steroids.

Would be great if it's the inverter - that feels like the least worst of all the possibilities (though a brake switch sounds good too.)

Have a dealer "appointment" at 11:50 tomorrow so will call for a tow after I get my kids off to school. Already texted my boss early this morning (so he wouldn't think it's was a Tuesday after a holiday weekend hangover to let him know.

I will let you all know what the diagnosis is when I hear it.

 

...in the waiting room...

 

I did not notice any message in any box and I was paying attention to everything. (I couldn't not!)

OK, dealer says diagnosis is IPM transmitter and ECU. Both are covered under the "upgraded" warranty which I guess means that Toyota added these parts to the main 100K or 150K warranty at some point during my ownership. Front desk lady was all, this is not a recall and I was all, I've done the research and please for to call someone else over here kthnxbye. I was there for a few hours and got zero work done (hello price is right, hello background footsteps, click click) BUT it is ALL going to be covered at no cost to me whatsoever, except for the inconvenience. And I got a free loaner - it's a 2017 RAV with a sunroof. I had no idea I liked that trim level. But the gas mileage sucks (as a prius owner, I can say that).

I'm hoping I get my car back at the end of this week. But the size capacity of the RAV is comparable to the V, which is good, because I'm constantly hauling crap around and have a bunch of house projects going on.

I will let you all know what the next step of this unfortunate journey is. Thank you for the input!

 

Oh, and they said these parts are definitely related to the inverter (is IPM inverter? I didn't ask.)

 

Update: picked up the car today, got three miles down the road and the check engine light came on. Brought it back and they ran the diagnostics and said bad ignition coil. So that I'll have to pay for because whatcha gonna do? Never had the engine light come on before and it sure seemed coincidental, but, there it is.

So the warranty repairs would have cost me three grand but they were totally covered, and now I'll pay $228 for the ignition coil. Back in the loaner RAV and hoping to pick it up on my way home from work today.

I still like the sunroof, but am spoiled by the prius gas mpg. I read they discontinued the V this year but am not sure what they're replacing it with. I'll need to pass a car on to my son in the next few years but can't go back to a non-hybrid car. But sure would love AWD! Hopefully they'll figure it out before I have to buy something.