Safety Recalls & (Major) Maintenance

Vehicle On-Board Diagnostic Special Service Campaign (SSC 40D) Received & serviced June 2004

“On certain 2004 Model Year Toyota Prius vehicles, the Hybrid Vehicle Electronic Control Unit (HV ECU) and Battery Electronic Control Unit (Battery ECU) may not conform to some portions of the diagnostic tool communications standard due to a programming error. If a repair facility’s On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) scantool is used to diagnose a condition where the hybrid system warning light and/or master warning light is illuminated, the OBD scantool may not recognize the system fault.”

Brake Light Switch Safety Recall Notice (SSC 40L) Received & serviced January 2005

“Certain 2004 Model Year Toyota Prius vehicles may have been equipped with an improperly designed brake light switch. A silicon oxide build-up occurs on the contacts inside the brake light switch which can make it inoperable. If the switch is inoperable, the brake lights will not illuminate and thus can increase the possibility of an accident to occur.”

Display Lockup Occurred December 2005; serviced January 2006

In late December 2005, on a sunny 40°F day, while driving locally on an errand, the following error message popped up on the multi-information display (MID) screen: “Check the connection of your air connection.” I got to my destination. Turned off the car; turned it back on. Same error message. I tried some other things (checked air cabin filter, jiggled wires, etc.) before eventually driving home, and then searching for the error message on the Internet. Keywords: Prius “Check the connection of your air connection” display.

At www.cartalk.com, Michelle Vadeboncoeur posted this part of the relevant Toyota Technical Service Bulletin (US TSB EL002-05):

Some customers may experience various malfunctions occurring in the multi-display. Some examples are:

“Audio off” is shown on audio screen while the audio system is playing.

Climate control is not responsive and may say “Check connection of the air conditioner.”

Map, Destination buttons are inoperative and may display “External system not connected.”

When pressing any button on the multi-display, the system takes 5 to 10 seconds to respond to the user’s input.

Outside air temperature not displayed.

Another malfunction occurred the next day as I was driving to the Toyota dealership for them to check the car: I turned on cruise control and the radio shut off. That was probably coincidence because until the MID was replaced, the radio would turn off intermittently regardless of what I did. Vadeboncoeur lists these other possible malfunctions:

“...no charge on the battery icon, no arrow flows on the Energy Monitor, a ‘stuck’ Consumption screen showing many consecutive 100MPG (or 0 l/100km) segments even with the engine running at idle...”

It took about two weeks for the dealership to get the replacement MID. In the meantime, I drove the car, living with inaccessible touchscreen controls, error messages, weird energy monitor and consumption screens (when I could access them), and intermittent temperature, fan, and radio settings.

Note: The car was still drivable, still safe to drive, and the controls on the steering wheel still worked.

Buyer Beware: This unit is not part of the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) warranty; it’s only covered by the basic 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. Again, let me quote from Vadeboncoeur’s posting on www.cartalk.com (MFD = multi-function display; the MID):

I have seen a few people post on the Prius-2G yahoogroup and on priusonline.com that they went past 36,000 miles, no extended warranty, and had to replace the MFD. New MFD is about US$3000. Many of these people politely argued with their dealer (and even escalated to the Toyota Customer Assistance toll-free number) that this is not a part that is mileage dependent, and is known to fail, so they should have some help in replacing it. Typically they’ll then get charged the price of the replacement MFD through the TSB (a refurbished unit, about US$450), and may or may not get free labor, instead of the brand new price with labor.

At another website (I forget where now), there was this comment:

The console is not part of the HSD system, just as the tires or the air conditioning or the radio are not It is a display and is not necessary for the HSD system to function. If they are giving you any console replacement, it is purely a good will gesture on Toyota’s part. The HSD is the battery electronics and the synergism of the ICE and the MG1 and MG2.

Another link for postings regarding “Toyota Prius Software Problems.”

2004 Through Early 2006 Prius Steering Intermediate Shaft Replacement Safety Recall Notice (SSC 60C) Received June 30, 2006; serviced: July 19, 2006

“In certain 2004 through early 2006 model year Prius vehicles, due to insufficient strength, a portion of the Steering Shaft Assembly may become loose or may develop a crack under certain operating conditions, such as when the wheel is turned forcefully to the locked position at low speed or the tire contacts roadside curbs while driving. If this condition has occurred on your vehicle, in some cases due to the components becoming loose and possibly rattling, an abnormal noise may be heard from the area of the Steering Shaft Assembly. The Steering Shaft Assembly consists of the Intermediate Shaft and Sliding Yoke which connects the steering wheel to the steering gear box. If this condition has occurred on your vehicle, in the worst case, you may lose vehicle steering control, thus increasing the possibility of a crash.”