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Toyota Prius Traction

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Toyota Prius • General Complaints • Acceleration • Availability • Battery • Fuel Gauge • Headlight • Insurance Costs • Service Delays • Tires • Transmission • Traction --- • Happy Hybrid Owners --- Test Drive • Three Lead Feet Meet Little Fuel Sipper --- News • U.S. Prius Sales Drop 45 Percent • Prius Tops Consumer Reports Best New-Car Value List • Toyota Parks Plans For New Prius Plant • Prius Vandalism On the Rise in California • Toyota Plans Prius Plant in Mississippi • Solar Panels to Power Prius Air Conditioning • Unexpected Problems Confront Prius Owners • NHTSA to Hear 'Silent Killer' Complaints • Reports of Prius Price Gouging Rise with Gas Prices • Prius, Porsche Models Top Most-Satisfied Lists • Should You Buy a Second-Hand Prius? • Winter Weather Warning for Prius Drivers • Prius Again Tops Owner Satisfaction Survey • Prius Helps Toyota Knock Off Ford for #2 Spot • Toyota Recalls Floor Mats, NHTSA Warns Prius Owners • Feds Probe Prius Runaway Acceleration • Prius Owners Report More Unintended Acceleration Incidents • Runaway Acceleration Plagues Prians • Toyota Delays Third-Generation Prius • Sales Top 1 Million but Some Owners Find Prius Doesn't Age Well • Prius Owners Losing Ground in Traction Battle • Prius Traction Control Complaints on the Rise • Prius Stalls in Snow; Owners Steamed • Prius Shuts Down in the Snow, Reader Complains • Prius Supplies Increase as Sales Slow • Prius Discounts Popping Up in Showrooms • EPA Finds Prius #1 in Gas Mileage • Prius Owners Question Mileage Claims • Prius Tops Consumer Satisfaction Survey • Hybrids Don't Always Deliver the Expected Fuel Economy

Many consumers tell us they like their Prius just fine, if only it would go in snow. Ironically, it seems that the traction control is to blame.

David of Port Jervis, NY August 29, 2009

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.

Tracy of Aurora, CO April 28, 2009

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.

Camilo of Purcellville, VA January 29, 2009

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.

Darla of Purcellville, VA January 29, 2009

Blaine of Macedonia, OH January 15, 2009

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.

Michael of Grand Rapids, MI January 12, 2009

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.

Richard of Roxbury, CT January 4, 2009

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.

Jon-Eric of Boxford, MA January 3, 2009

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!

Richard of Garibaldi Highlands, BC December 27, 2008

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.

Mitchell of Bellingham, WA December 23, 2008

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.

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