my 2010 is broken down

Many products follow a "bathtub curve" when you graph failures versus time; failures start out at a high rate as parts succumb to infant mortality - things that passed the manufacturer's inspection and/or testing, but are bound to fail prematurely. After some amount of time, these failures disappear, and you get a steady, low rate of random failures. Then, after more time passes, wear starts taking a toll on components, and failures increase again. The high-low-high nature of this curve looks similar to what you'd get if you sliced a bathtub in half.

So really, you'd be best off by loaning the car to a trusted friend for a year or so to let him get all these odd issues out of the way first.

 

Gah, I can't imagine how you didn't strangle someone by the end of your ordeal. What horrible luck!

Not to drift too far off topic - but can you elaborate at all on the "pulsing" effect you referred to? I got my Gen3 about 2 months ago, and after 8000 km, and just this weekend, 3 times while accelerating while turning after a stop sign I've felt a very noticible shudder/pulse/stutter (about 5Hz) around 20-30 km/h.

I also follow your mantra with buying new and not worrying about anything. My previous car was a diesel smart, and let me tell you, failure anxiety is high at the nearly 300 000 km it has on it. I never knew what was going to blow apart next on that thing and leave me stranded!

-Iain

 

Geez, what a nightmare.

I'm going to go out on a limb here but I'm guessing you're probably not the person that Toyota had in mind in their television commercials for a potential customer to "Ask someone who drives one...".

 

Have you reported your problem to the Office of Defect Investigation in the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration? They are responsible to investigate such problems. You may not be the only one that owns a 2010 Prius that had a similar issue.

 

Man, what a story! Not the same at all, but reminds me of the time I witnessed a hit & run. A woman t-boned a small pickup truck and caused it to spin-out and crash into a low wall at a mini mall. I followed and caught up to the woman who had her window rolled down and asked her to pull over; I had her license number and would be reporting her to the police. She could care less. I went back to the accident scene, was waiting to turn left to give the victims the license info and was rear-ended. The idiots that hit me ALSO took off. (Van Nuys CA)
Now that was a fun day. L.A.P.D. took a report, and said I was the 4th case of hit & run 3 hours into their shift.
Wonderful environment to drive in ain't it?

 

Man, what a terrible experience. Most likely its an electrical glitch, and they will never find anything wrong...and it may never happen again.

What is really troubling is the tow service. When the tow company came, was it AAA? I called Lexus roadside one time for a flat years ago, and it was AAA who showed up, not anyone who worked for Lexus or Toyota.

Makes you want to just call AAA. The times I have used AAA for tows I have been beyond wowed by the service and the speed. They always ask if the vehicle is in a safe place, and if its not then they put you ahead of the line...

 

Yeah shit, if thats the best Toyota can do...just call AAA. I used them about 4 months ago when the Prius' inverter coolant pump failed and they were there within 15 minutes because the car was on the side of a public road.

 

AAA in my area isn't the actual towing company. They partner with other towing companies that come out. That said, they've always been quick in getting someone to me the few times I've ever had to actually use them. Even when I needed a jump for my old pick-up they were there within 15 minutes, polite, and got it running. Even out of state once in an old taurus with 100k+ miles, they showed up in late November in less than 20 minutes. Always been pleased with them.

 

Wow, what a drama. Last time I heard of this much trouble with anything being parked it was called The Hindenberg.

Hope it all works out.

 

I thought I heard someone else have a "similar" issue and the quickest way to resolve it was to unhook the 12v battery, wait a minute, and hook it back up (thus essentially "rebooting" the car.)

Anyone?

-Sam

 

That is the most annoying/disconcerting aspect of these things. I've never had this with Toyota, but have with a VW. Again and again and again. Always electrical, and always makes you feel like you're driving on borrowed time.

Hopefully it is just "one of those things" that will never happen again. It is odd that the bump seemed to 'fix' it, if only temporarily--maybe there was some moisture in the system or loose wires? Kind of the equivalent of smacking the side of the TV, only a lot less satisfying. If it does recur, keep good notes. Good luck to ya.
~T

 

I think, the e-parking steel pin, which is deployed when you hit the "P" button (the part of PSD and it is motorized) has been stuck in the drivetrain. The pushing of the car back and forward can release it. It probably happen when you were hitted by other car. I would expect some DTC code in the car memory.