Sometimes when I start the car, then shift to reverse, it says I must "start in park"

If you are pressing the brake pedal while pressing the power button, then this is an issue.

 

If you have the door still open it will tell you "please shift to park"

 

When i start the car I put foot on brake, it stays on brake and I press Power. I then IMMEDIATELY put it into either R or D and hold it there. Immediately I mean as soon I've pressed power and before the car is ready. As soon as it decides it's ready it then goes into the gear I'm already holding the shifter into. If yours doesn't do this it's an error. I've never, ever seen your message and have done my impatient approach many times.

 

When you say everything comes on, do you mean dash says 'Ready' ? Foot on brake, push button once.

you can get dash to come on by pushing power button twice with foot off brake, that is accessory mode.

If you are getting into Ready mode and you shift into reverse, foot on brake, get that message always, that's not right.

 

I beg your pardon. In order to start the vehicle, one MUST have one's foot on the brake while pressing the START button.

 

I think what stream meant is if you're in the habit of pressing both at the same time you might be hitting the power button before the brake registers.

 

Was the "READY" indicator on? Make sure you've depressed the brake pedal firmly first and then push the start button, right after the "READY" indicator should come up and beep along with all the other instruments, release the parking brake (If applied) and then you should be able to shift. On my Camry Hybrid, I thought I started the car and tried to shift prematurely, not pressing on the brake first before noticing the READY indicator wasn't on, and a message on the MID Saying to "Shift to Park & Depress Brake to start" as I was in a hurry.

On the Prius if the electronics are on, but engine isn't on, and you try to shift to R or D a message "Shift to P When Starting" shows up.

 

You shouldn't hold the shifter in gear! When you shift the selector to D or R let go of the gear selector so it can return to its proper position.

 

My wife gets this in hers occasionally, and I do think it is some combination of the sequence of the process and her impatience of shifting into park before the car is ready. I've never had it happen in mine.

 

Yup, happened to me a few time. I thought my Prius was having electrical/mechanical problems already .... close the door and all was good.

 

Funny thing ... this happened to me today

The one thing I did differently is hit the power button with the door open (into acc mode first to turn on the radio)

Then I closed the door and depressed the brake to get into ready mode, it gave me this message.

I haven't repeated this to see if it does it again.