Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My car is experiencing what is known onlline as "the big hand syndrom". While driving, the accelerator pedal changes resistance and it feels like someone grabs the car and it dramatically slows. You then have to press harder on the accelerator pedal to maintain speed. Well one day, the car stopped working, no matter how hard I pressed on the pedal it would no accelerate. I was on the highway. I took my car in to the local authorized Toyota dealer and was told that the accelerator pedal was bad and needed to be replaced. We replaced the pedal and experienced the same issues, and replaced the accelerator pedal again. I'm still experiencing the same issuses and the Toyota dealer said theres nothing they can do except keep replacing the pedal cause thats the code it is throwing up. This is a major safety issue for my vehicle as I can and do lose acceleration at any given time. …
Tl contact owns a 2001 Toyota Prius. While driving between 65-70 MPH, the vehicle did not respond when the accelerator pedal was depressed. All of the instrument panel indicators illuminated and the engine suddenly stalled. The vehicle coasted to the side of the road and the engine failed to restart. While the gear shifter was placed in park, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly and crashed into a guardrail. The driver sustained a whiplash and a police report was filed. The vehicle sustained severe damage and was towed to an authorized dealer. The vehicle was repaired for body structure damages. The technician performed diagnostic tests, but was unable to duplicate the failures. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer on five separate occasions for identical failures, but there were no resolutions. The failure mileage was 42,000 and current mileage was 68,000.
The car accelerated without warning at high speed on it's own in a parking lot and rammed itself into the wall deploying airbags. My mother was driving and was sent to the e.r. She was slowly backing up when the car accelerated first in reverse hitting a wall and then switched in drive on it's own with high acceleration running into the opposite wall which deployed the bags. After reading online about these vehicles, the acceleration surging is a common problem.
Dt: vehicle stalled/died, and lost power while driving 5 MPH. Throttle body module failed. There was a NHTSA recall but this involved a chemical in the pruis car battery. L. Yes. Car has broke down several times since. The stalling is still a problem.
At 45mph on dry pavement, clear weather conditions I disengaged cruise control by tapping brakes. So that I could accelerate into traffic. The vehicle pulled hard to the left. I then found myself in a counterclockwise skid across the pavement as I left the pavement I felt the rear of the vehicle drop. Now spinning I bounced off a tree and into a drainage ditch with about 1 and 1/2 foot of mud and water. It was then I noticed that one of the wheels (left rear) had separated from the vehicle and was on the other side of the ditch. It all happened so fast I have no idea of the actual cause. The studs which hold the wheel to the axel shearedoff, ans axle snapped, the undercarrage and supports were tangled. Fhp officer at site indicated it could have been mechanical malfunction of some sort. Because of conditions I contacted Toyota as well as insurance co (progressive). …
Problems started in November 2003. Had oil changed and an hour later all the warning lights came on in the vehicle. Immediately returned to the dealership where it took 2 weeks to replace the fuel pump (37,000 miles). Since then the car has been back to the dealership an additional 9 times to the current date (May 2005) for several different things. The computer has been replaced two times. The engine has been replaced. The injectors cleaned, then a few months later had to be completely replaced. The throttle body has been replaced. I have been driving the car when it would not acelerate and had to pull over in traffic. The first time the dealership said there were no warning lights when the car got to the dealership and they could not recreate the codes or situation so they could not do anything. …
The car suddenly lost power without any warning while driving 65+ MPH on the freeway. The check hybrid warning light came on. The car became dangerously unresponsive, luckily we were near an exit and were able to coast to safety. The hybrid system was expecting information from the accelerator, and when it doesn't receive it, either the gas engine, or the electric engine, or both engines fail to operate. Toyota has service bulletin 2001 Toyota Prius unknown or other service bulletin 117006 action number: 635861 service bulletin number: 117006... Report date: sep 12, 2002 component: unknown or other.... Summary: some vehicles May exhibit a master, hybrid and malfunction indicator warning light on with diagnostic trouble code p1120. …
Driving my 2001 Prius down rt 95 in ct. Suddenly lost power. I was able to drive - electric drive only, no gas power. I made to the exit in wesport and found a Toyota dealership open. The diagnosis, via codes, was failed accelerator pedal. Resetting the computer and restarting the car a few times allowed it to work enough for me to get home. I have still not repaired the accelerator. Lately this problem happens nearly every time I start the car...the engine stalls immediately or loses power down the road. Restarting 2 or 3 times "fixes" the problem most of the time. My research has shown that this problem is common, and called "big hand syndrome" among 1st generation Prius owners, and accelerator pedal repair is the common fix. I believe the 2001-2003 Prius should be included in the Toyota accelerator pedal recall.
(1) normal driving, no abnormalities whatsoever (2) at freeway speed, in busy traffic, without warning: the car lost all motive power (neither gas nor electric working); the hybrid system warning icon displayed on the multi-function display. Luckily, in both instances, we were able to move to the shoulder while decelerating. After coming to a complete stop, we referred to the owner's manual which suggested turning the ignition key completely off and then attempting a restart. In both cases the car started up again and was drivable (although in the first case the warning icon remained displayed for approximately 10 miles). (3) took car to Toyota dealer who verified failure code(s) stored in onboard memory; dealer replaced accelerator pedal/position sensor assembly.
Car rapidly accelerated without my foot on the gas pedal and did not slow down until my foot hit the brake. Brought the vehicle to mcgee Toyota and they replaced the gas pedal. It was a $600.+ repair. Within the year the news reported abnormal acceleration with the Prius line and I quickly contacted Toyota management. They denied my claim saying that these incidences were as a result of floor mats? I reported it to [redacted](ma) representative for consumer protection and have not received a response (this was over two years ago). I recently heard about your agency and decided to file a report.
Acceleration complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2001 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2001 Toyota Prius, 15% of the model year's 165 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Toyota Prius acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2001 Toyota Prius, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Toyota Prius acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.