2004 Toyota Prius power train problems

“SHIFTER STICKING IN DRIVE POSITION AS OPPOSED TO RETURNING TO ITS HOME POSITION. WHEN THIS SHIFTER STICKS, THE PARK BUTTON BECOMES DISABLED AND VEHICLE REMAINS IN DRIVE EVEN THOUGH PARK BUTTON IS ENGAGED”

“VEHICLE SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL AND/OR WILL NOT REVERT BACK TO DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE PROBLEM IS MOST PREVALENT WHEN WEATHER GETS EXTREMELY HOT (99 DEGREES +). THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO GET MOVING WAS TO PHYSICALLY HOLD MY SHIFTER IN DRIVE POSITION; THE SECOND I LET IT GO, THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY REVERTED BACK TO NEUTRAL. I HAD MY VEHICLE OVER TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE TECHNICIAN AT THAT TIME DID ACKNOWLEDGE THIS WAS STRANGE AND WITNESSED THE PROBLEM ON SITE. AFTER DIAGNOSING THE VEHICLE, HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG; I WAS TOLD TO LEAVE THE CAR WITH THE DEALERSHIP FOR A FEW DAYS TO TRY TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM; NO OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION WAS OFFERED. I FELT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN UNFAIR EXPENSE TO RENT A CAR FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME WHILE TOYOTA DIAGNOSED MY VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS; THAT SAID, I DID NOT RETURN TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP FOR THIS SPECIFIC MATTER. GIVEN THAT THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR ONLY IN EXTREME HOT WEATHER, YOU WOULD HAVE TO REPLICATE THE SAME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS TO DIAGNOSE IT. MOREOVER, GIVEN THE SPONTANEITY OF THIS ISSUE IT COULD TAKE A VERY LONG TIME TO DIAGNOSE IT. THIS IS TRULY A SAFETY CONCERN…”

“THE BASIC PROBLEM: THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR STICKS IN DRIVE OR "B" (ENGINE BRAKING MODE). IF THE DRIVER STOPS THE VEHICLE, WITH THE BRAKE DEPRESSED, AND THEN PRESSES THE PARK BUTTON TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE REMAINS IN DRIVE MODE. THE VEHICLE WILL MOVE AS SOON AS THE DRIVER LIFTS THEIR FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL, EVEN THOUGH THE DRIVER BELIEVES THEY HAVE ENGAGED THE PARK MODE. THE DRIVER HAS TO PLACE THE NORMALLY SPRING-ACTIVATED GEARSHIFT LEVER INTO THE HOME POSITION BEFORE THE CAR WILL SHIFT INTO PARK. DANGER TO THE DRIVER AND OTHERS WHO DRIVE THE CAR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AS THE DRIVER GETS VERY USED TO BEING ABLE TO PLACE THE CAR INTO PARK BY PRESSING THE PARK BUTTON. OTHERS WHO DRIVE THE CAR, LIKE PARKING ATTENDANTS OR FRIENDS, WILL NOT SUSPECT A PROBLEM. THE FAILURE OF THE PARK MECHANISM WHEN THIS HAPPENS IS GOING TO CAUSE ACCIDENTS. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE. THE TOYOTA DEALER'S TECHNICIAN SAYS IT IS A BROKEN SPRING IN THE GEARSHIFT MECHANISM, BUT WANTS ME TO PAY FOR IT. TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER CARE CENTER SAYS THEY WILL NOT FIX THIS DESIGN FLAW BECAUSE OF THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE, UNLESS I PAY FOR THE $565.00 GEARSHIFT MODULE. ALTHOUGH THE…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER COULD NOT BE SHIFTED INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000. *TR”

“CAR SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL UPON SHIFTING TO DRIVE OR REVERSE WHEN STARTING CAR (O MPH) CAR SHIFTS BACK TO NEUTRAL WHEN DRIVING (25 MPH) PROB. SEEMS RELATED TO COLD AMBIENT TEMPERATURE. *TR”

“A COMBINATION OF 2 ISSUES. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR HAS BEEN STICKING IN THE D POSITION INSTEAD OF AUTOMATICALLY RETURNING TO THE N POSITION AS IT SHOULD. IT IS DOCUMENTED BY OTHER PRIUS OWNERS THAT THE DUST COVER INSIDE THE SHIFTER CAN BEGIN TO WARP OVER TIME CAUSING THIS STICKING. HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/GEAR-SHIFTER-STICKS.38199/ I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST A NUISANCE ISSUE UNTIL LAST MONTH AND ON ONE OTHER OCCASION WHERE THE SHIFTER STUCK IN THE D POSITION AND I HADN'T NOTICED AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR INTO "PARK" BY PRESSING THE SEPARATE P BUTTON THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. IT IS NOW APPARENT THAT THIS IS RELATED TO THE SHIFTER STICKING IN THE D POSITION AND PREVENTING THE CAR FROM GOING INTO PARK. THERE IS ONE REPORT OF A NEAR INCIDENT OF THE CAR DRIVING AWAY WHEN THE DRIVER DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE CAR FAILED TO GO INTO PARK WHICH IS A CLEAR SAFETY PROBLEM: HTTP://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/2004-PARK-BUTTON-INTERMITTENT-FAILURE.118257/. *TR”