New owner/starting question

Sounds like the emergency brake is engaged.....With the brake light on try pushing the emergency brake all the way then release it.

PS Make sure you are pressing the regular brake and not the emergency brake when you start the car.

 

I think you are confusing the purpose of the rectangular "Park" button.

--TO start the car...
1. Step on the brake pedal (normal brakes)
2. Push Power button. (look for ready light)
3. Release Emergency brake (far left pedal)
4. Put car into gear.

The rectangular "Park" button does not need to be touched. The way I read your post, I think you may be confusing that button as something to do with the parking (emergency) brake, and it is not. The Park button locks the transmission, like "P" on a conventional automatic transmission. What's neat is that if you are shutting the car down, Park will engage automatically when you turn the car off. SO you don't even need to touch it then either. About the only time you'd need to touch the Park button it is whenyou want to park and leave the car on for some reason. Then push the Park button to take the car out of gear so it won't creap and move.

 

Make sure the emergency brake pedal comes all the way up...if it does then refer to page 117 in the owner's manual and contact your dealer and read page 119. It could also be low brake fluid level...check your fluid level before using the car again. There was some post on either this site or the other prius website, www.priusonline.com about the emergency brake not fully disenaging causing the red brake light to stay on.


PS Let me know by email what the problem turns out to be...