Toyota Prius Traction

We have a 2006 Prius. The skid alarm goes off when I'm on dry straight, and sometimes, dry curvy pavement. And sometimes, the car puts on the brakes to control the skid. This is very dangerous since there is no skid. If the only the alarm sounded, it would be irritating, but since the computer also tries to correct the skid by applying the brakes, it is dangerous.

I visited three dealers and they recorded the visits. I took it to Berkeley, Placerville, and Carson City. They found no error codes and couldn't reproduce the alarm although I pulled into Placerville with it going off. Of course when one stops, the alarm stops. The false alarms have lasted through a set of new tires, balancing the tires, rotating the tires and all of the obvious fixes. I want it fixed or the skid alarm turned off. The dealers say they can't find how to fix the skid alarm and since it is a safety feature, they won't turn it off.

I drive a 2006 Toyota Prius and the traction control has been driving me mad for four years now. I like my Prius. But the system completely cuts the power if a wheel slips in the slightest, either by turning, climbing small gradients, etc. This happens a lot especially when the road is wet. The red light comes on the dash board. Thank God that I have avoided all accidents so far. I don't know when my luck runs out. Once, I went to make a left turn on a busy street and the traction control kicked in from some very minor slipping, and I was left stranded in the middle of the intersection with traffic coming at me. The drivers in the other cars can't tell that I'm stuck. It just looks like I'm not trying to move. I am planning to sue this Toyota Dealer at Cerritos, CA who doesn't care once they sell you a car. They want to see the money first before they will look at the car.

I might as well jump in. I've owned my 2009 Prius for nearly two years now. It's a great vehicle for the nice part of the year, but it's nearly worthless and potentially deadly when conditions are right for loss of traction. Countless times I have turned right after stopping at an intersection in my neighborhood. If it has rained or snowed, traction is lost as I accelerate and there goes the power. The first few times, as a new owner, I didn't know what was going on and with the car partway into the lane with vehicles approaching from my left at the posted speed of 40mph, it was a miracle that I didn't cause a wreck. Now, I won't even attempt to pull out unless I have half a block or more of space. At this intersection, that can be a considerable wait.

I experienced a new problem just a few days ago. With a late October storm dumping 8-10 inches of snow, I was trying to get home late in the evening. I was following the ruts of earlier vehicles and driving at about 15mph. As I went up a slight grade, about halfway up I realized I was going to have to give the car more power to make it to the top. I eased on the accelerator, one or both wheels broke free, the traction control kicked in and all power was lost. I ended up rolling to a stop with several cars behind me. Luckily, they did not run into me. After everyone had gone on around me, I attempted to get going again. No such luck. The tires slipped each time and power was lost. I eventually had to back down this rise, which was only an elevation change of about 25' in 60 yards and take a side street and a different route home.

This technology may act just as it is supposed to, as Toyota says, but I can guarantee it's going to result in someone's death if it hasn't already. This is an obvious engineering defect. If Toyota is a responsible and caring corporation, they would put out a recall for all Prius vehicles and fix this problem. I wanted a Prius for 4 years before I got one. I'll never own another if this problem isn't resolved and I can't, in good conscience, recommend it to anyone who might be considering buying one.

I appreciate all the positive aspects of the Toyota Prius, mine being a 2008 model. I like my Prius very much. That being said, the traction problem with the Prius is, in my opinion, the worst problem that is prevalent in the vehicle, much worse than the headlight or the gas pedal sticking because it is built into the cars purposely without considering the consequences. I live on Long Island, in NY, which is pretty much a flat piece of real estate. If I pull out of my driveway with snow on the ground, there is the slightest rise, and my Prius can't make it up. It is definitely like Russian Roulette as to when something bad will happen.

I found the same traction problem with my 2009 Prius. The breaks or acceleration stops working when the traction control kicks in. It's very dangerous trying to merge in fast traffic. It also doesn't stop fast on snowy or wet roads. Very dangerous. The dealer tells me this is the way it's designed to work. I will not buy a Prius again. No damage yet--but I'm sure it will happen as the odds are against me.

First, let me state that I love my Prius. I have been driving it for three years and I really just love it. But, two days ago, I was driving in the rain. I went over two sets of railroad tracks with steel between the tracks. As I crossed the tracks, the traffic in front of me was stopping. So I applied the brakes to stop also. In the second it took to cross the tracks, the traction light came on and I had no brakes. I was going about 15 mph when I hit the car in front of me. I had time to look down at my foot to confirm that it was the brakes (just in case). I could not figure out why the car was not stopping. The car in front of me stopped the car.

It's a 2008 Toyota Prius; on February 10, 2010, I hit the road in the Prius started out for Silverthorne CO to do some skiing. On Feb 14, 2010, I was in line, following a bunch of cars entering Keystones Skier parking lot, doing about 10 mph. As I turned into the parking lot, my Prius started to skid a little (the roads were covered in packed snow and very slippery). Cars just ahead and behind were having similar problems, but nothing they could not handle. In my Prius, the traction light came on and I touched the brakes with absolutely no response. The car continued to skid in a straight line, ran over a red traffic cone, and slammed into a 2 foot cube boulder, causing $3200 worth of damage.

All the other cars, behind and ahead, continued through the turn while I alone proceeded in a straight line with no brake or steering control. At 10 mph, I had plenty of time to straighten the wheel and tap the brakes; all to no avail. The car bounced off the boulder. For those of you concerned, I would like you to know that the boulder was unharmed. After bouncing off the boulder, I continued to drive the car into an open parking spot within the parking lot. The two parking lot attendants picked up the various plastic panels lying around the boulder and carried them over to my parking spot. I got out of the car, thanked the parking lot attendants, put the road litter into the Prius trunk.

Two days later, I waited until the rush hour was over and then drove my rental car through the same path and at the same speed (as best as I could determine) as the fateful accident two days previous. The rental car also slid a little but was easy to control and I was able to park the rental car with no problems.

One week after the accident, I got my Prius back looking all innocent, shiny and repaired. Somewhat concerned about its performance in icy conditions, I took it for a test drive in an open parking lot. What I discovered is: In a straight line, the ABS braking system works great and stops the car well; however, if you get the car into a skid such that and the traction control system comes on, the brakes shut off. Also it appears that the drive wheels continue with some power since the car skids farther than if you just put it in neutral and let the car coast to a stop.

The combined operation of ABS braking and Skid Traction control system is dangerous. This test I did is easily repeatable and results seem very consistent. By the way, the floor mats don't seem make a lot of difference in the cars safety, as Toyota suggests. I thought about tying the floor mats to a rope and dragging them behind during the slide; that's about the only way they affect the car's stopping power.

Traction control on the 2008 Toyota Prius does not work well. The Toyota car dealer sold me new tires, but it did not solve the problem. The car has been stuck and required pulling out of the snow. I am afraid to drive the car in the snow. I cannot get the car to move, if the road is slippery, and there is a slight incline.

I have found the information on the Prius traction control system (TCS) very enlightening. I live in the Blue Ridge mountains with an approximate 1,300 foot change in elevation in about 2.5 miles. I have experienced all of the problems described while on very steep slopes. Does anyone know if the continuously variable transmission play a role? No low gear is a problem when descending on icy roads.

I drive a 2004 Toyota Prius and the traction control has been driving me mad for 5 years now. It completely cuts the power if a wheel slips in the slightest, leaving me stalled. Once I went to make a left turn on a busy street, the traction control kicked in from some very minor slipping and I was left stranded in the middle of the intersection with traffic coming at me. Since I can't spin the tires in that situation, the drivers in the other cars can't tell that I'm stuck. It just looks like I'm not trying to move, which provokes a lot of hostility from them. If I could spin the tires a little, it would be obvious to them what was wrong and I bet they'd be more patient and sympathetic (give people the benefit of the doubt while driving, please!).

I've been reading other people's complaints about the same thing and it is a relief to know that I'm not the only person with this problem. On days when it snows, I'm trapped at home while everyone I know, no matter what kind of car they drive, can get where they need to go. Toyota says the traction control functions as it was designed to, but this car was designed for climates where it does not snow and in places like Wisconsin, the programming needs to be different to accommodate normal winter driving conditions.

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius and have experienced loose of traction while brake over rough surfaces with the skid warning light flashing.

I've always been concerned when this occurs. This has never occurred in my Dodge or Ford under the same circumstances. I only hope Toyota looks at the 2008 and 2009 model years and not just at the 2210.

I have a 2007 Toyota Prius that when I run over a bump in the pavement, the anti-skid light come on and the car will not accelerate well. It's like putting the brakes on while I am moving. This could result in a rear end collision or loss of control.

The brakes failed going into exit ramp on slightly slippery road conditions (drizzle slightly dampened highway), causing loss of control of vehicle and about $5K in damages to vehicle (insurance covered it but then raised my rates by $1,500 per year for next three years saying I was the cause of the accident). Please include me in any class action law suits against Toyota Prius 2006 for "faulty brakes". Thanks!

I am responding to the story given about the Toyota Prius that could not go in snow. I just read the post about the Toyota Prius that if it began to spin at all, power completely shuts down to the drive system. This is true, and I do believe the Toyota Prius is acting as designed. Mr. ** points out that if a tire begins to spin, the brakes are applied, or power is shut down so that the tire will not spin, only grip. Therefore, if it does not grip, it will not move. I am here to say with authority that whenever you remove the ability of a car to spin under "any" condition whatsoever, that car limits the driver's ability to control and maneuver the vehicle.

My wife has a 2006 Prius, and I have an older car of identical size and shape. I think even the weight seems to be the same. While she cannot even back the car up on a level surface in snow (not ice, just snow), my old car can drive all around her car, and even up reasonable grades because if I need to spin a little, I can continue momentum. The Prius left my wife stranded on a not-so-slick hill, while all sorts of other cars drove by her. This problem makes the Prius unsafe in bad weather. This is really not an opinion; all sorts of cars drove by her.

To re-state this, it is much safer to spin and be able to use the engines power to continue a slow safe speed in snow and ice than for no tire to ever spin. Spinning would almost never present a safety issue at slow speeds unless both drive tires spun at the same time. This being said, I absolutely love the Prius and think there is no car like it. It is far more dependable and efficient than I expected, and in spite of this obvious design flaw, I would buy it again and again and again. Just make sure you have a truck for bad weather because the Prius will help you walk more.

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius, purchased from the dealer right off the lot. From day one, I have noticed the brakes do not work properly. At first, I thought it was just a terrible car for rain or snow but it was having problems in the slightest rain shower. If I hit a pot hole or bump while slowing down, the brakes release. If the traction control activates, the brakes release. The smallest bump or slight slip from one tire and the brakes stop working.

If I'm turning into a driveway or onto a side street and there's a bump or dip by brakes will release and my car will slide (sometimes into on-coming traffic). Now that I'm aware of the brakes slipping, I've noticed it every day, the roads will be perfectly dry, I have brand new tires, the brake pads just barely checked at the dealer, but if I hit a bump I have no brakes. I noticed if I "pump" the brakes I can get the brake pads to catch the tires again, but often only after I've slid into the other lane.

It's only a matter of time before someone gets rear-ended or the car slides into an on-coming car. The gas tank issue is a problem. It doesn't fill and at some pumps, it won't fill more than two gallons but that I can live with. Having faulty brakes however may very well be the death of me or someone I share the road with.

Finally, I got up the hill and into my garage, with the help of three kind neighbors who came out in the 19 degree, windy, snowy evening to help push my Prius for more than half a block! The TRAC (traction control system) seems to work counter-intuitively in snow by cutting power to the drive wheels of my supposedly front wheel drive car on a snowy incline. I have been able to deal with this sudden loss of traction on flat to gentle inclines, thus far, but the snow defeated me and my car tonight. Is there a way to override this "safety" feature? Thank goodness this happened on a lightly traveled residential street, and that I have caring, friendly neighbors.

Jeez, my 1993 Honda Civic Hatchback had more guts than this car does in snow. I will be talking with my local Toyota dealership. Perhaps some fellow Montanans have figured a way to deal with this feature; from reading other entries here and in Consumer Reports it seems that corporate Toyota doesn't have a response.

Even with a small amount of snow I am unable to "burn" my way through even the smallest amount of snow the way I should be able to in my 2008 Toyota Prius. As soon as the wheels start to spin, engine power automatically cuts off. This is very frustrating. I recently had to completely clear the snow from my driveway just to make it up.

This is a safety hazard. The car won't go over even the smallest snow rut. This could cause accidents when backing up to get momentum to drive over the rut. It causes getting stuck in ridiculously small amounts of snow. This front wheel drive car should go through small amounts of snow easily, it is a major problem. Heart attacks will be caused by people having to get out of the car and clear snow that the car should go right through.

I own a Prius and it is absolutly worthless in the snow! I guess Bill K. is the spokes person for Toyota and defends it's product, but my question is-- has he ever driven in snow and ice conditions? My guess is not. Someone is gonna get killed and Toyota is gonna get sued over it! They need to change something. I'm an experienced driver in the snow and it takes your experience and throws it out the window. It causes you to loose control of your vehicle.

At this point the brakes would not work nor could I steer the car. I hit the right guardrail and rolled my car onto the driver side. The car was totaled. Bodily harm (no hospitalization) and loss of work days. Not to mention, no car.

My 2008 Prius traction control system will cut power to the drive wheels on slippery inclines, forcing me to back down hills or leave me stuck without power in the middle of a highway. The anti-lock brakes will cut off braking to the front wheels in similar conditions. The situation is aggravated by the emergency brake being actuated by a foot-operated pedal which locks-on the emergency brake until it is pushed down again to release it (no capability to vary emergency brake pressure or duration and quickly release). In slippery weather the combinations of these flawed designs are absolutely treacherous and are guaranteed to cause accidents.

Toyota, understandably, is reticent to admit this, as it does not want to accept any liability. This is a short-sighted attitude. Failing to address these well-recognized and documented problems squarely and attempt to make corrections for which, due to the highly complex design they are almost exclusively qualified, will, in time, INCREASE Toyota's liability for the resulting property damage, deaths and injuries.

If I have an accident with my Prius, occurring on a slippery road, I will definitely sue Toyota and have an easy time proving the faults of these equipment designs and combinations.

I was driving my Prius and was approaching a red light. The vehicles in front of me were braking. I was braking as well, but the Prius was not stopping. It started swerving all over the place and the warning light concerning traction lit up. Gratefully I don't tailgate at all or I would have rear ended the person in front of me. At the last moment, the car managed to get traction and barely stopped in time. It was in the middle of the day and the roads were completely dry. I had just purchased the vehicle and hadn't even had the new plates on it yet when this occurred.

Engine cut off in slippery up hill conditions. On the evening of Jan. 29, 2009, our 2005 Toyota Prius cut off while we were attempting to approach our home. Our driveway is approximately a quarter mile long with some inclines and declines. As we maneuvered our vehicle over the icy surface, the wheels started to lose traction then the car cut off... completely. We turned the car back on but were stranded since we were in a low area of the driveway. Whether in forward, or reverse, the car lost traction on ice and automatically cut the motor off.

No immediate damage. We were not physically hurt, and the car seems to be intact. However, if this incident were to happen on a highway, we would have been in danger of getting struck by another vehicle.

The Traction Control on the Prius does not work in snow, ice, or any slippery conditions. The engine cuts off verses allowing the driver to get some traction on any slick incline. This is a design flaw.

I own a 2008 Toyota Prius. It is a fantastic car except for the traction control malfunction that has been pretty well documented all over the web - for example see: http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-modifications/12261-thinking-about-disconnecting-traction-control-4.html

In my case, I live in California and drive mostly in dry terrain on good roads. I have upgraded the tires from the original tires to get a little more grip. Nonetheless, the problem persists. When I commute to work (or go anywhere for that matter) I have to pull out onto Highway 1 from a dead stop. This is a 50 MPH road with out a stop light and lots of traffic. On several occasions I have had the traction control kick in as I was pulling out into traffic, causing my car to slow significantly to the point where I almost do not make it out onto the highway without being hit. This is definitely a design flaw as I am not accelerating at any great pace (not possible in a Prius) and could certainly cause an accident.

My family is also a victim of the Toyota Prius traction control scam. I bought my 2006 Prius in September 2006. When the first snow fell in December 2006, the Prius handled poorly. I complained to the dealership but I was told to see if it happens again. I had minor slips here and there like the acceleration over bumps others refer to. I was driving up a snowy hill and was introduced to the TRAC system when it killed power to the accelerator and tried to adjust wheel balance. I nearly slid into the car behind me.

I reported the problem to Toyota corporate and requested they replace the tires for free. I was told the Prius is operating as it should and there is nothing we can do for you at this time. We're sorry. I refuse to drive the Prius death trap when the roads are slippery or the weather is bad (rainy or snowy). I always drive the Mercedes SUV. It may use more gas but at least I get there alive and with certainty. My advice to anyone considering a Prius: If you live in areas with steep inclines (including your driveway) or that experience snow, DO NOT BUT THIS CAR. IT HANDLES HORRIBLY. Otherwise, it is a great car to have.

Scares the hell out of my wife and I to drive in the winter and is very unreliable in the snow. Toyota does not care about the Prius owners' safety. The bottom line means more.

I have read about the Toyota Prius traction control issues from other owners. I fell that the Prius is not designed nor is it suitable for areas of the United States that experience snow fall in the winter. Not being able to disable the traction control makes it nearly impossible to get out of snow more than a few inches deep. The car is so low to the ground in the front that snow builds up under the car and makes the vehicle immovable. When this situation occurs the traction control all but disables the vehicle.

I have had problems with the rear hatch not lifting up high enough via the hydraulic lifts when the is a slight amount of snow on the hatch that I have hit my head on the latch attached to the hatch. Also the gas mileage on the car is significantly diminished in winter. I am only able to get 28 miles to the gallon at present doing the same traveling as I was in the summer, then I could get 38 miles to the gallon constantly. Some one at Toyota is pulling the wool over our eyes with the estimated gas mileage. I know that the estimates are compiled by the EPA, but Toyota must know that those estimates are way out of line. To say that the next model will have a combined average of 50 miles per gallon is false advertising.

Regarding your last artical on the Toyota Prius TRAC system. I have just only experienced what was reported with my 2007 Prius. The car stopped on a snowy hill during a recent snowfall here Dec 19 2008. Because of the Traction control shuts down engine on slippery surface I hit a curb and may have messed up the alignment or steering.

Despite the great gas mileage of this car I am angry and disappointed with it. If I knew what I know now I would have hesitated to pay the $26K for the car. And kept looking. I live in CT where snow and ice is common where I drive. This just added to the other issues reported on your site. I thought it was the tires and went to see if I needed new tires. The car only had 22k mile on the original tires. Then after some research I found your artical on this.

One other issue that I have not seen reported yet is High EMF emitted under the drivers body when using the car. Many people will not live near High Tension AC wires given the fear and controversy that it causes health issues. The company I work for asks for Integrity and Disclosure for issues like this. One immediate corrective action is to admit to this and give the consumer some heads up. Perhaps appropriate warnings or alerts us to these two facts.

My 2007 Prius is an accident waiting to happen when driving in snow. The traction shuts down when the wheels slip and THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS.

I feel that I should sell it but I just bought it last year and without a job I cannot afford to change cars.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO DISENGAGE THIS SAFETY DEVICE??

No damage but I almost got hit in the side when I tried to enter an intersection and the wheels spun on rainy pav't, engine stopped, and cars were approaching me from both sides. I do NOT need an auto manufacturer telling me I cannot 'peel out'. Peeling out may be req'd to save my life!

I remain a fan of my Toyota Prius, but the Prius traction control system is, without doubt, the worst feature of the Toyota Prius. Many have reported problems going up hill on slick roads, particularly in snow. I have experienced coming to a complete stop and nothing I could do would make the wheels go round. By aggressive way power is diverted away from the wheels is rediculous. However, there is an additional problem with the traction control. On dry days, going down hill, if you hit a bump the traction control removes all connection with the wheels, causing the car to accelerate. This can sometimes be alarming, particularly if you happen to have the engine brake engaged for steep downhills (which happens quite a bit in coastal British Columbia). The engine brake suddenly disengages and you enter a 'freefall' type feeling for 2-3 seconds before it engages again. And this is just for a bump in the road.

During times of snow the car cannot be trusted. I am often worried as to whether I can get up the hill to my house. On one occasion I was not able to, though if it had allowed power to go to the wheels I probably would have been able to power through. I would like to see Toyota fix this problem. It is clearly a computer programing problem and should be fixed.

The traction control sytem on our 2007 Prius caused the engine and brakes to cut out while we were trying to drive up our not-very-steep driveway in the snow causing the car to drift off the driveway into a brick wall. My wife had frequently said that she had trouble driving up any kind of incline when roads were slippery but I mistakenly assumed it was technique not a dangerous flaw in the car design. It was not until the fateful day that I tried to drive up the driveway and crashed that we discovered the cause. She saw the event and noticed that the wheels stopped turning which seemed odd so she looked on-line and saw that, in fact, it is a known -- and dangerous-- design problem with the car. We called the local Toyota dealer where we bought the car who took no responsibility. He said that we should have changed the tires becasue the tires they sell with the car are cheap and designed for milage not traction. He also refused to give us a loaner as it was not their policy.

The front bumper was cracked and needs to be replaced. The wall at the side of the driveway will need to be rebuilt. I had to rent a 4 wheel drive car so I could safely drive to work as it is clear that the Prius is unsafe in wintery conditions.

This week our 2008 Prius tried to kill me twice First, as I was entering my drive way that had ice and snow on it. As I turned off the street, I started to accelerate to climb up the driveway and the harder I applied the accelerator pedal the more the brakes applied and engine slowed until full lock up at which time the car slid uncontrolled backwards down the driveway and into the street into oncoming traffic that just missed hitting me broadside. At first I thought I may have done something wrong. With over 40 years driving professionally in all kinds of road and weather conditions I had never had this happen. That led me to try again this time slower only to have the Prius lock up again.

Then tonight while accelerating up a freeway ramp approaching 45 mph and starting to merge into traffic I had to cross over snow left over from snow plowing and the brakes start to pulse lock and engine rpm dropped off, this while I am trying to get up to the 60 mph speed of the freeway. Instead without any control over the Prius, I start sliding towards a 30 to 40 foot drop off over the side of the road. Only a snow bank kept my wife and I from serious injury or death. Then I find out tonight when I look on the WEB that here it is December 2008 and this Problem has been around for many years and TOYOTA did not bother to tell anyone that this car has a built-in, factory approved safety defect !

Consequences ? Toyota should be mandated to buy back at price paid all Prius models with this defective Trac Control System or at least provide a way to disconnect it before someone really does get killed. With no notice to owners that this is a real problem and safety defect, only the way the system should work, I hope someone will hold this multi-billion dollar corporation's feet to the fire until they fix it.

I bought my Prius new in 2006 and moved straight to Florida with it. No problems until we moved back up north to Connecticut and had our first snowfall today. I couldn't understand why the car seemed to have no traction and no power getting up even the slightest hill with less than an inch of snow cover. . . until I started reading the similar complaints of other Prius owners.

Apparently a complete power shutdown -- which stops the car and driver helplessly in the middle of the road -- in the presence of any loss of traction is a planned response of the vehicle manufacturer. This is extremely dangerous and certainly was not an advertised feature of the car. It is a virtual death trap in snowy weather, as it is impossible to slow down and make a sharp turn into the driveway, let alone drive uphill to get home even in the lightest flurry.

Thankfully I was alone on the road when I was stuck, so nobody came up and hit me from behind. But I don't know how I will be able to use the car through the CT winter with any confidence.

My Toyota Prius has caused me to be stuck numerous times because the traction control doesn't have an off switch. With no power to wheels, deep snow is impossible to free yourself from. Toyota needs to change this to keep this awesome care awesome!

Need tow truck when I could have rocked myself free if I could have turned the traction off!

My 2005 Toyota Prius almost got me killed in a small snowstorm. While stopped at a red light on a very slight uphill climb, I stepped on the gas when the light turned green. NOTHING happened...the wheels would not even spin. I was there for 4 turns of the light, and finally I put the car in reverse, which allowed me to move. I was backing up into ONCOMING traffic ! It was the only way I could move the car...otherwise i would have had to abandon the car at this large intersection.

The traction control feature on this car is likely to get somebody killed, and anyone I spoke with at the dealer, actually multiple dealers, tells me the car is acting properly. I want this feature dis-abled from my car, or I want a Prius that does not have this feature.

Toyota Prius has traction control that stops the car completely when trying to go up hill, then the ABS does not stop the car going down hill. The emergency brake is more effective!! Toyota will not acknowledge problem

Car is unusable to me. Paid over $26,000 for it.

Many vehicles have traction control...but the Prius system is awful and should be redesigned for safety. The salesman told us we'd have great snow traction with the traction control system...we only expected average performance. I have driven other two wheel drive cars in snow...there was no danger, no reason for the Prius to lose all power. HOW DOES LOSING ALL POWER HELP TRACTION.

We're getting nervous. We have 80K or so on it already, but the dash lights were strange the other day when we came out of church and it wouldn't start for a few minutes; all has been fine since (though the alarm went off in the middle of the night last night, the factory alarm; the car was surrounded by a foot of snow and no one came near it).

Frankly, considering the purchase price, we're scared. And I won't drive it in any kind of snow whatever, even packed, light conditions a regular two wheel drive car could handle with a little care and slow speeds.

It is an incredibly helpless feeling to be without power in this situation, and I believe it to be terribly dangerous to myself and others. Last night I was forced to park the Prius on the main road below my house and hike up the hill to the house on foot in the snow and cold. Fortunately, there were no cars behind me last night, but had there been any, there would most definitely have been an accident.

In addition, it is worth noting that I am under the care of a cardiac specialist due to an advanced case of congestive heart failure: I'm not supposed to be exerting myself in the cold, including hiking up a hill late at night....

I've reported this behavior to Lakeshore's Service Manager for several years, and each time have been told that my case is the only one he's ever heard of, in spite of the fact that there are a number of other Prius owners in this community. Each time, he has let the conversation die with that observation rather than expressing concern or any intent to pursue the issue. Until today, when I insisted, he never volunteered to research the problem or do anything else about it, leaving me with the feeling that he thinks there must be something wrong with me (my driving?). Today, under pressure, he suggested that I bring the car in for him to "look at". Since there are no hills anywhere near the dealership for him to test the car's behavior and since past readings of the onboard computer have shown no anomalies, I can't understand how "looking at the car" will accomplish anything but waste everyone's time.

In my frustration, I just now entered "prius engine stops on slippery hills" into Google - and presto! I'm "pleased" (I guess) to discover that I'm not the only one experiencing this difficulty - but I'm dismayed to read that Toyota is aware of the situation and insists that the car was designed to behave in this remarkably unsafe manner and that Toyota seems to have no intention of doing anything about it.

I intend to pursue this matter until I get a far more satisfactory resolution.

Had to use small spare tire on front left wheel of 2007 Prius when had flat tire while driving. Had two instances of power off to drive wheels while driving with small spare. Seems likely due to very sensitive traction control. First instance occurred when pulling out into traffic and accelerating moderately rapidly, but steadily; power to drive wheels cut off twice while trying to cross two lanes and merge with two lanes. Second instance occured while normally accelerating through a moderate turn to right from a stoplight.

The first instance created a dangerous situation. Fortunately, I could, with difficulty, steer back into a middle turning space between the two, two-lanes of traffic. In the second instance, intermittent control was regained in time to avert a rear-end collision.

The traction control system is very dangerous and warrants an immediate recall. When accelerating from a stop (like pulling out into traffic) on a slick roadway, the car will move into traffic, then stop, then move forward another few feet, then stop, and then pull forward again. The car literally 'hops' out into the path of the oncoming cars! I've nearly been hit many times. On steep slick roads, the car will slow down and nearly stop.

I have snow tires with studs on the car during the winter and this does not help the problem. The dealer tells me that this is normal operation. This is the most dangerous vehicle I have ever seen.

A small amount of testing will reveal this dangerous design flaw. This warrants immediate Dept. of Transportation intervention and possibly a class action lawsuit.

I'm afraid to drive the car during the winter and so I can't take advantage of the good gas mileage that I was promised.

I recently purchased a used 2004 Toyota Prius hybrid with 63,000 miles. It looks and runs like new and I like it very much, but it started snowing unexpectedly on the drive today. Two to three inches accumulated on my gravel driveway and dirt road as I live in the mountains of New Mexico.

I needed to leave the house for an errand and to my dismay it would not climb the slight grade out to the main road.The tires would not turn even with my foot to the floor. I took six runs at it before the snow packed enough to just bearly crawl out to the road. Once on the main road it refused to climb the first hill I encountered. I litteraly had to back down the hill against the traffic to the bottom of a blind hill hoping not to get hit.....in only two inches of snow!!!!!

I am in total dismay that a vehicle like this is allowed on American hiways....this car is scary and very dangerous. I commute 30 miles in each direction and is the sole reason I bought such an economicalrunning car. It is 30 miles uphill into the mountains from work and is snowy or muddy for many months of the year. My community is filled with two wheel drive vehicles and they would never have a problem is such conditions.

I have owned two wheel drive vehicles, even front wheel drive cars that would have not even the slightest problem. I also own a fleet of trucks for my business that are two wheel drive and we drive them in the snow all winter...this is a horrible problem and it needs to fixed. This rediculous traction control is uneffective, dangerous and has rendered this vehicle useless to me for days,or weeks at time!

I am having a hard time comprehending how such a massive blunder has gone on unfixed....If I drive home in good weather and it snows at night....I am stranded at my house....and then the grader pushes extra snow into the drive as it does it job. I can't get a little momentum to get out! I firmly believe that Toyota must be forced to fix this issue with a recall...this car is dangerous since the driver has limeted control of the cars actions. I am very discourged and angered that I won't be able to use this during winter and the spring thaw......it is absurd!!!!!! I will buy the best snow tires I can and carychains so I'm not stranded on the road somewhere while little cars with bald tires drive right on by.

On the upside, this car is normally fun to drive, and gets great milage, just can't use it!

The Prius is a very misunderstood car, particularly if you don't read the owner's manual. There are many helpful sites on the web - try Priuschat.com for helpful hints and to find other people with similar problems. From Prius_Technical_Stuff@yahoogroups.com web site, if you have problems driving in the snow:

1. Put on proper tires! (Preferably on four different wheels so that you don't take the chance of ruining them when you switch in the spring/fall.) Either Nokian WR or one of the modern studless snow tires from a first tier tire manufacturer (Michelin, Bridgestone, Nokian, Yokohama are). This is the most important thing you can do.

2. For most on road winter conditions, higher pressure helps more than lower pressure.

3. Be sure to use four snow tires.

4. If you are already stopped sometimes you need to tell the Prius that you really, really want to go. Slowly press the accelerator pedal down until movement happens. If you are not stopped, then light pedal pressure is best. Heavy pressure on the pedal will start the wheels spinning which will cause traction control (TC) to kick in, slowing the vehicle down even more. This is kind of the opposite of an old fashioned car so it requires a bit of practice.

5. There are some situations that no car will traverse, but in general you will be able to go anywhere that a car of similar ground clearance will go if you have the proper tires on. IMHO, the Prius is a fine winter car. It's kept me on the road when cars around me are slipping into the ditch. The vehicle stability control (VSC) is a feature that I wouldn't do without in any future cars. Most of the problems on Consumer Affais could have been avoided with proper owner training by the dealer sales force.

My experience with the Prius gas tank is that when the flashing icon starts, I set my trip odometer to zero and know that I can go another 50 to 75 miles before I need to fill up. Fill up is usually then about 9.5 to 10 gallons. The bladder gas tank helps fight global warming.

2007 Prius. Same stalling problem on slippery surfaces as reported by others. It IS dangerous. I live in upstate New York and travel I-88 between Albany and Binghamton regularly. There are very steep hills on this route. In a recent snow storm, when traffic was going 25 - 30 mph on the interstate (except the semi's going 50), the Prius' engine started backing off when I was trying to go up a very steep hill. I thought it was going to stall in the middle of the interstate. I was white-knuckled for about an hour nursing the acceleration carefully to try to keep from stalling. If it had stalled, I would have been rear-ended. I found out about this problem only after I bought the car. If I had known it was this bad, I never would have bought it living where I do. I also have a VERY steep driveway (20%?). Needless to say, it usually stops about half-way up when it's slippery.

Overzealous (to say the least) traction control on Prius I have gotten stuck on my driveway more times than I care to recall. And that's with studded snow tires. The guys from Toyota may say it doesn't pose a safety problem, but he's full of you-know-what. You effectively lose power when TC takes over: if you are on a hill, you SLIDE uncontrollably. If we didn't have barriers keeping us from falling off the side of our steep driveway, I would have plunged 15 feet over the edge of the driveway more than once. The driveway pitch is indeed steep (15 degree pitch with a curve at its worst). My new trick is to back up the driveway to get home, but even this doesn't work if the car thinks it's too slick. I've gotten stuck at intersections that are steep- and if that's not dangerous, I don't know what is. I do not know what's keeping this ridiculous feature from being recalled. Toyota has no business marketing this vehicle in climates where the ground freezes. I've been told by the dealership that nobody has this problem. One look on the internet yielded lots of hits. If I cannot get the TC turned off, I'll likely get rid of the car. After all, it doesn't approach achieving its advertised fuel economy in town (maybe their standards were tests done in a flat dessert??)

I really like my Toyota Prius except when it is snowing. I was stopped on a slight incline and the traction control system would not let me get going. This was really distressing as a large truck was coming at me and I am sure he was wondering why I wasn't moving. The slush would cause the tires to slip and the control system would not let the tires spin enough to get a grip on the pavement. This could have caused a bad situation. I have been driving for more than 40 years and know how to drive in the snow. Would suggest a switch so that the driver could turn off the system.

Was forced to lose several days of work due to lack of transportation on days with slippery road conditions.

I have to report that I lost control of the 2007 Toyota Prius I was driving with two inches or less of snow on the road. The wheels completely stopped responding to acceleration, forcing me across a road resulting in a minor collision with no injuries, but a ticket for me. I can't believe Toyota can allow this condition to exist without remedy. How about a sensor that allows the gasoline engine to power the car in bad weather?

I had an experience today with a 2007 Toyota Prius that I had rented from Avis. I was excited to be able to rent a Prius for 10 days. Unfortunately, that excitement soon faded. I drove the car to work this morning, and by this afternoon it started to snow. My trip home was on the Garden State parkway, and all seemed fine with the handling in the snow. When I got off the Parkway, I headed home. The street I live on has a small uphill grade, and was snow covered, but not particularly icy.

I stopped for the mail at the end of my driveway, which I do on a regular basis with my normal vehicle. When I went to accelerate to turn up my driveway, the front wheel spun (I was going as slow as the car would let me), and the car went backwards. I applied the brake, and it stopped. I again tried to accelerate, and again there was no forward motion, just the front end completely out of control. The anti-skid feature had been activated in the car, as indicated by an icon on the dashboard.

No matter how slowly I tried to accelerate, the car went backwards, and depressing the gas further, actually stopped the front tires from turning altogether (I guess the car had taken control!!). I then tried to back up, and found that difficult as well. There was not much control, and the cars anti-skid was still lit on the dashboard. To make a long story short, I had to back up numerous times, almost two house lengths back, and still I was not able to get the front wheels to gain any traction because the computer would keep telling the engine to NOT apply power to the front wheels.

I spent almost 1/2 hour trying to go the 50-75 feet forward, and finally was able to barely crawl, and then to gain enough traction to get forward momentum. The rental car only had 18,000 miles on it so the tires should have not been too worn. I also have been living in this location for almost 25 years, and know that there are times when things can be slippery, but this was totally a new experience in a vehicle that I have never experienced in all my years of driving.

I know how to handle slippery roads, but this was a case of a single wheel slipping, and not both wheels, and as I said, it was more snow than ice, and in other vehicles (my wifes) it was no problem at all. I called the rental car company, and tomorrow morning will get a replacement vehicle, assuming that I can get to the rental place without a repeat of this experience. I did a google search and found that I am not the only person who has experienced this problem in a Toyota Prius. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/01/prius_snowbound.html The article describes exactly what happened to me. I'm not sure that the grade on my street was as significant as mentioned in the article. I find this to be unacceptable behavior in a passenger vehicle, and my dreams for the Prius have faded into the dust. Maybe an anti-skid cutoff button would have enabled me to proceed without this problem. Having a vehicle take total control and shut down power to the front wheels in totally unacceptable when trying to go 3-5 mph forward!!

I am a seasoned driver in the snow. I can drive front wheel drives, rear wheel drives and four wheel drives. I am a forester and have been driving in snowing conditions for 28 years, 22 of those years on the job. I just had my first experience driving my Toyota Prius in the snow today. The engine cut out all power anytime the wheels slipped at all. It made controlling the vehicle on an uphill climb almost impossible.

It was very dangerous as you had no control as other vehicles came toward you, and once I lost momentum and could not start again. This was in 2 inches of wet snow on a 6% incline. I finally inched my way home and ended up putting chains on to back into my flat driveway with 2 inches of wet snow. This absolutely is a design flaw in the traction control on the Prius. The car seemed to perform better with tire chains on as I backed in my driveway but I was too afraid to take it back out on the road to test it because I thought I might hit somebody.

This is a very poorly designed traction control system and if anyone denies it I would love to take them for a test drive tomorrow morning, or anytime there is a bit of wet snow on the road. I will be contacting toyota about this. It is just a matter of time before someone is injured, killed or stranded because of the cars performance in the snow. It's too bad because I have really enjoyed the car up until now.

I am the owner of a 2005 Toyota Prius. Minus the traction control system it is a wonderful vehicle. The traction control system (TCS) is flawed by design and should be subject to a mandatory Federal recall. The TCS has left me and my family stranded in front of a oncoming semi-truck closing at 60 plus MPH. The Prius would only inch ahead as the truck now in a panic stop situation loomed upon us. This all due to a small amount of sand on the payment. There have been numerous other problems with the TCS in snowy conditions. Perhaps Toyota would respond to a class action law suit as this situation is extremely dangerous not to mention the added costs of having to have another vehicle to drive should it snow.

I want to be included as one of the people that is very disatisfied with my toyota prius' performance in snow. I have the same problem with lack of traction as the drive train shuts down immediately when there is a slip. This makes it impossible and unsafe to drive in snowy conditions. When I called Toyota in California to complain they told me that I was the first one to voice this complaint. I told them that I found that hard to believe since there are postings all over the internet. They said the problem isn't fixable. This is unacceptable. Please help.

12/1/2007--2 to 3 inch snowfall of wet heavy snow. Driving car into untraveled parking lot@ about 10 - 12 mph. Traction control engaged to keep from spinning tires. As traction control turned ON and OFF repeatedly, car gradually lost all momentum and came to complete stop. Moving throttle pedal had no effect. With car at idle, traction control light would blink ON and OFF and car would shudder in place with no forward movement. Had to back out of parking lot, being very careful to not get out of my tracks I had made going in. This problem was repeated in my own driveway a little later.

I believe this is a major safety hazard and could cause rear end collisions because this car will not go forward or could leave motorists to become stranded in snowy weather. Toyota says traction control can not be turned OFF. Gm cars have a switch to turn their traction control OFF.

The Prius traction control presents a driving experience I can only liken to riding a bicycle in the snow. Traction does not exist in snow, mud,ice and other slippery conditions. Unlike the bicycle, studded tires offer little traction outside of braking.

Drivers have no choice but to back down when the system engages. Picture the car in a fresh snow that engages the traction control essentially stopping forward motion while going up a hill that is passable by any other automobile on the road.(Even two wheel drive pickup trucks notorious for poor traction in the same conditions can travel on public highways with less chance of becoming a hazard) What is the problem?

Toyota has engineered a system that detects wheel slippage and applies braking to the slipping wheel and if both wheels slip the powertrain shuts down. The reasoning must have a purpose but the purpose puts the traveling public at risk.

No other automobile shuts itself down to protect itself.

To overcome this problem, the driver must increase speed to climb in fresh snow or slippery conditions. If entering the highway or coming to an intersection this becomes an all too apparent design flaw. Leaving the highway to climb the home driveway requires the same acceleration sufficient to propel by inertia instead of traction. Put other cars or pedestrians in the mix and the result is predictable.

Does Toyota listen?

The chief mechanic where I bought my Prius reports in Australia and in Japan (home of Toyota) there is an override that disables this feature. Of course to install this override in America would admit to a litigant society that to drive their car in slippery conditions one must depart from the industry standard and press a button.

I have to go get my groceries, they are at a neighbors because the traction control prevented me from climbing my driveway after a snow. This is only November in Vermont.

While driving my Toyota Prius uphill on a gravel road I had to made a sudden stop to avoid striking a deer. I attempted to move forward again after the deer cleared the area. The traction control kicked in and I was unable to move forward. Luckily I was able to place the car in reverse and drive down the hill. Once at the bottom I was able to gain some speed moving forward and finally made it up the hill.

I own a 2005 Prius. Generally I like the car. But it has a life threatening design flaw related to the traction control. On several occations, I have tried to get up slightly slippery hills. Each time the wheel spins a little, the car comes to a complete stop. The number one rule in getting up a slippery hills is, don't stop. On other cars, I do a little controlled wheel spinning if necessary to keep momentum. The Prius traction control makes that impossible. Last year, for example, I was leaving a friends house at night. They live up a dirt road. I drove down an incline, across a wooden bridge around a bend and up a plowed but slippery hill. The car stopped half way up the hill. I was unable to proceed because the car lost it's momentum. I had to back the car back down narrow snow covered dirt road with steep drop offs on both sides in the very dark night around a corner and over a bridge. this occurred 4 times before I was finally able to get enough momentum to get up the hill without Traction control stopping me. I almost slid into a 20 foot deep gully trying to back around the bridge. This system is massively flawed and Toyota apparently has refused to install a traction control override switch. How do you suggest I proceed? should I wait until I have a major accident to pursue the matter? Or is there someway to encourage Toyota to put their customer's safety first? Thanks.

Yes,I really like my Prius, and fully agree with the issue of loss traction and control?I live on a gravel road, and have to park my car in the winter, because of loss of power,traction shuts down, and no way to keep moving when the car shuts down, with or without studded snow tires?

I have to buy a four wheel drive for winter use,even when I bought the Prius they said it was good in snow???

2005 toyota prius--traction control cuts power if the wheels slip even slightly, causing the vehicle to stop moving. It is impossible on snowy roads, and very dangerous when pulling quickly from side streets into traffic (wheel slip increases when wheels are turned; happens easily if roads are wet).

Update to my earlier letter. I did a little more research on Car Talk's website and found a simple definition of and solution to my Prius problem. Apparently, this traction control problem had a long time solution of including an On/Off switch in many vehicles for just the problem I'm experiencing.

Car manufacturers know:

Tom:...there are a few rare circumstances in which you might want the wheels to spin. One is if you're stuck in the snow. If you're stuck in the snow with the traction control on, here's what happens: The wheels will try to turn, they'll get no traction and

they'll stop. So, in a situation like that, the traction control can prevent the wheels from turning at all. No traction, no power to the wheels!

RAY: So by turning off the traction control, you can allow the wheels to spin, and you can try to get out of the snow...

This On/Off switch is all I and others need to fix this problem, unless there's some reason it won't work on a hybrid which I doubt. But Toyota said they did not plan on having such a system avaiable, which was an idea I'd come to myself.

So, my question is whether you can offer any advice on how to proceed, now that I know that the problem is understood and has been for years, and a solution has existed which Toyota has chosen for some unknown reason not to include on the Prius.

In many ways I love my new Prius and regret having to start down this path with Toyota. However, I'm having the same dangerous problems with my 2006 model as described by Christopher and others I've seen on the Internet.

I live in the mountains of Vermont - up steep hills and dirt roads. I consider the slippage problem - with the shutting down of power to the wheels just when you need more (not less) traction - to be a very serious problem and a potentially life threatening design flaw.

After a lengthy call, the line I was given by Toyota Corporate when I called them yesterday was that the system was operating the way it's supposed to, which is what I learned later others have been told. However, it became clear that they were resistant to accepting that operating the way it was supposed to was the problem.

That this system is fundamentally flawed in a way that could put people's lives at risk and poses dangers in environments like mine - where navigating fresh slippery snow and steep inclines are a necessity. Despite my insistence that there must be many other people like me who are experiencing this same problem, Toyota Corporate did not acknowledge this as a widespread problem.

Common sense told me something wasn't right and I needed to press this as far as necessary, including some form of lawsuit, which is not my tendency at all, but I consider this problem to be serious enough to warrant a recall by the company. So after my unpleasant encounter with the corporation, who had lost my initial complaint about this problem filed several months ago to which I never received a follow up - I decided to do some searching on the Internet which is how I came upon your website.

Then I found a number of similar complaints elsewhere and learned that what I thought was the problem - which was the vehicle stabilization control system - was probably not the cause, but rather it was traction control which I hadn't heard about before. It was clear after a short while that enough people are experiencing what I have been that Toyota should have easily been in a position to inform me of this and acknowledged this as an issue, which they didn't. I questioned them regarding whether an override switch was available and learned it wasn't and later saw that this is the solution that others had suggested.

This really leaves me with no option but to get rid of this car somehow unless the traction problem can be disengaged. However, I want to drive a Prius or something like it because of my great concern for the environment and I want to know if the problem exists on all Prius's or just some models. Finally, in one posting I read last night someone suggested that a Prius had to be driven differently. This made some sense to me given a recent experience I had but it was ultimately not convincing.

I did find in a recent snowstorm, as this writer suggested, that I was able to make it up a friends very steep road (just barely) crawling at about 3 or 4 miles per hour at best. (My friend I was visiting has an 05 Prius with the same problem and warned me not to drive my Prius on that day.

He's wanting to take action with me.) At any moment I thought the car would come to a complete stop but to my surprise it actually made it up - although I smelled strange odors and the battery was down to 1 bar, the lowest I've seen it. So I do see that it's possible to drive this car differently, flooring the gas peddle to barely crawl and have it work - but it was so touch and go and had another car been coming (up or down) I wouldn't have been able to move out of the way and probably couldn't have restarted with no momentum from a standstill.

It is completely clear that I am unable to trust my Prius in serious snow conditions and I now choose not to drive it whenever possible in fresh snow, when the traction is most slippery. Yesterday, I was not even able to get the car to move more than a few inches in reverse on my almost entirely flat driveway over just a few inches of fresh, wet snow, even when there was no snow under the car itself.

As a result, the car, which I happen to love in many other respects, is rendered useless in fresh, unplowed snow. My greatest concern is that I would be unable to respond in slippery conditions if someone were sliding out of control and my safety (and those with me) depended upon my being able to get traction DESPITE the slippery conditions in order to move quickly out of the way to avoid a collision. The bottom line is that this design flaw does not allow me as the driver to control my car. It decides for me when my wheels should stop spinning, which is completely inappropriate and ineffective given the driving conditions I face on a daily basis in Vermont for almost half the year.

So far I've managed to avoid serious mishaps, but I consider this such a serious design flaw that it seems it may be worthy of a class action suit and massive recall. I'm writing to find out what my recourse might be as I am not willing to own and drive a vehicle that I feel is unsafe at least in slippery conditions. As I begin going down the path of learning what my rights are and seeing how Toyota will respond to this when pressed, I was hoping you could give me some advice. I called wanting to know who I needed to talk with at the corporation to get this problem resolved and declared my readiness to go as far as I needed to in order to have this problem resolved.

I wanted a number or address for someone with decision making power. I was told I was talking to the right department but felt I wasn't talking with someone with authority to resolve a consumer complaint. It was requested that I bring my Prius to a local dealer to get it checked out as a first step, which I'm doing on Tuesday. However, it's clear to me that this is just going through the motions and that I need to learn what my recourse is and how far I may need to go toward lemon laws, lawsuit, class action, exchanging vehicles, etc. If you can be of help I'd appreciate it very much. Thank you.

I recently purchased a 2007 toyota pruis and have driven it just over 2,000 miles. The traction control has proven to be very troublesome. If a bump in the road on a hill causes a wheel to bounce the traction control cuts all power and brings the car to a standstill. This makes some roads and driveways passable to all other cars impassable to the Prius. This is a defect and can cause the car to become stuck very easily.

I am encountering a similar issue that was described in an article you have written.

However, I encountered the same situation in mud! I had to call AAA to get towed out twice due to the 2006 Toyota Prius TRAC system (traction control). http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/01/prius_snowbound.html Toyota tells me there is no way to disable the 'feature'.

This is unsatisfactory, since I will have the car for many years and I live in a hostile weather environment (New England). They claim that they want to err on the side of safety. But I recommend that they allow the driver to manually disable the feature when parked, and have it re-enabled automatically after reaching a certain speed. That way, both problems are solved.

Can you help???

Cost of a tow for each and every instance. So far, $80. I don't know if damage has resulted to the internal system by me trying to repeatedly 'rock' the car back and forth while in these situations. If that were the case, due to the TRAC system, I may be out even more money in future repairs.

Whenever I drive my Toyota Prius on even a slightly slippery road, the engine stops providing power to the wheels.

This has caused a very dangerous situation for me on several occassions when I am trying to pull out into traffic on wet roads. If the wheels slip, the car just stops right in the way of oncoming traffic and takes several seconds before it will go again. I have also had problems in snow where the car just will not go at more than 2-5 miles per hour on a road where other cars are speeding along at 30 miles per hour with ease.

This is very dangerous. Having the wheels slip when braking is bad, but when accelerating, it is often necessary. The traction control system should not be making this decision or there should be a way to override the system.

Can cause the car to stall in front of on-coming traffic with no way to move the car out of harm's way.

I recently read an article from your website called:Prius Shuts Down in the Snow, Reader Complains By Joe Benton ConsumerAffairs.Com and would like to let you know that I emphatically agree with the Prius driver's information as reported by Joe Benton's article.

I have a Prius and I consider the car dangerous in all conditions because of this power stoppage when the wheel senses any slippage. For instance, it will do the same thing while driving up a graveled driveway or attempting to gain highway speed while in an acceleration lane and driving across a sand or gravel patch. The pedal goes dead and you could get severely hurt by losing acceleration.

Another dangerous possibility is turning off a rural road, where the speed limit is 55mph, onto another road that is dirt or gravel and has an incline. Slowing to make the turn from a clean road to the aforementioned road and accelerating to get out of the way of the car coming along behind me often causes my car to stop dead with it's rear end partially on the main road.

Toyota's statement is ridiculous and I think it is only a matter of time until they are sued and forced to do something about this serious problem.

Toyota Prius electric and gasoline drive systems totally shut down if front wheel or wheels lose traction.

I'm in total agreement with Mr. Christopher of Reston, Va. comments to be found at http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/01/prius_snowbound.html The Prius is totally unsafe in any situation in which the front wheels loose traction which then causes the engine to completely shut down.

This shutdown occurs on any loosely packed (gravel or loose dirt at an intersection) or slippery (ice or packed snow)surface. Toyota attempts to spin this into a safety feature, which is total hype.

This is a most serious flaw in the design of the car and needs to be corrected, sooner rather than later. I'm positive you will find that this concern is shared by many Prius owners who have encountered the identical situation. I hope you will see fit to look into this matter and get a read on how many Prius owners have encountered this problem and agree that it is of serious concern.

car brakes make grinding noises when applied with any pressure and make a squeaking noise as well. dealer says nothing wrong. cleaned brakes which made no difference whatever. second problem is the traction control system. It activates at a drop of the hat even on paved roads.When it activates, vehicle sounds like the undercarriage is being ripped from the auto. so far dealer says this is normal. I can not believe it. Has any one else experienced same issue. Car has 26000 miles and so far can get nothing fixed thru toyota dealers.