Sudden Loss of Power or Limp Mode

[Ron]

This happened yesterday 7/15.
3 weeks after purchase. 900 Miles.

While driving out of my neighborhood and accelerating on to the main road there was a sudden loss of power....felt like the gears disengaged. I can hear the ICE increase RPM as I stepped on the gas but the car was not moving like it should. I had some power; enough to get me to the side of the road and park. These errors popped up on the dash:
1. Drive-Start Control Malfunction Visit Your Dealer
2. Hybrid System Malfunction Visit Your Dealer
3. System Malfunction Visit Your Dealer

I had the LC towed to the dealership courtesy of Toyota Roadside.

Some Backstory:
Purchasing dealership is 50 miles from my local and service dealership.
June 21: Purchased the LC....no issues...loving life.
June 29: The purchasing dealership installed Stargard GPS.
July 1-8: Multi-media screen would randomly not turn on.....gettin worried.
July 9: Service Dept could not replicate the issue and advised I return when the error is in progress.
July 15: Sudden loss of power and the LC on a tow truck.....not happy.

Got the LC Back today and she's running fine. No errors. Service Dept advised they did not see error codes on the dash or in the OBD Scan! They could not replicate the issue and advised Stargard be removed in order to perform a pure diagnosis. The computer reset for some reason and we don't know why. I suspect it's Stargard but none of the diagnostics were conclusive. Stargard GPS is one of those dealer installed upgrades that comes with the price of the car...but it's non-OEM.

The cause of the problems remains undetermined which means I'm still at risk of losing power while driving. This is a high risk malfunction; it's a major safety concern and I'll admit I'm scared of driving my car.

I'm gonna have Stargard GPS removed ASAP and monitor the car for 1000 miles and update progress here.

Sucks to have to go through this but that's the Beta Tester Life we chose.

07/29/2024 Update: Stargard GPS module removed on 7/18 (Odo 940ish). As of today (Odo 1,353) No issues.

 

[Werlyb23]

Damn well this isn’t the news we wanted to hear….i hope it all goes well
Please keep us posted!

 

[EOD Guy]

Did you try shutting the vehicle completely off and sit for 5 mins or so and try and restart, to let the computers reset. I know this doesn't solve any problems but may keep you from being stranded.

 

[Ron]

Toyota roadside had me do that. I shut off the car and left it for a good 10 minutes. It still had the errors. I think it did reset during the time it took to tow the car to the dealership. The dealership said they never saw the errors on the dash.

 

[EOD Guy]

I wouldn't be surprised if a tech cleared the codes and declared "couldn't replicate the fault, bring it back if it happens again".

 

[Skidaddl]

Perhaps not a related issue, but my 2007 Tundra, which I've owned since new, has had a recurring problem where I'd start it and put it in gear, the engine would die altogether, then wouldn't start back up. It was pretty scary the odd time because I'd be out in the middle of the wilderness fly fishing, alone, and just jumping into the truck just before dark to head home. But taking the key out, waiting about 10 minutes, although sometimes up to a half hour, and all would be good. No residual effect noticeable in driving at all.

It was happening very occasionally - maybe once every 4 or 5 months, and was never diagnosable, but I figured maybe it had something to do with the engine immobilizer (a legal requirement in Canada - not sure about the US).

However at one point maybe 6 or 7 years ago, it was becoming increasingly common. Like a couple times a week! So I figured maybe my ignition key (with the immobilizer chip in it) was causing the issue. I swapped over to the backup key, and it's only happened maybe 3 or 4 times since. Clearly some sort of intelligence glitch.

 

[EOD Guy]

Perhaps not a related issue, but my 2007 Tundra, which I've owned since new, has had a recurring problem where I'd start it and put it in gear, the engine would die altogether, then wouldn't start back up. It was pretty scary the odd time because I'd be out in the middle of the wilderness fly fishing, alone, and just jumping into the truck just before dark to head home. But taking the key out, waiting about 10 minutes, although sometimes up to a half hour, and all would be good. No residual effect noticeable in driving at all.

It was happening very occasionally - maybe once every 4 or 5 months, and was never diagnosable, but I figured maybe it had something to do with the engine immobilizer (a legal requirement in Canada - not sure about the US).

However at one point maybe 6 or 7 years ago, it was becoming increasingly common. Like a couple times a week! So I figured maybe my ignition key (with the immobilizer chip in it) was causing the issue. I swapped over to the backup key, and it's only happened maybe 3 or 4 times since. Clearly some sort of intelligence glitch.

My Taco did that once, Replaced the battery and cleaned the terminals and it has never done it again. I'd suggest checking battery connections, pos cable connection in the power distribution/fuse block. Toyotas are sensitive about voltage.

 

[Skidaddl]

My Taco did that once, Replaced the battery and cleaned the terminals and it has never done it again. I'd suggest checking battery connections, pos cable connection in the power distribution/fuse block. Toyotas are sensitive about voltage.

I've got 560,000 km on that truck. And I live where it gets to -40 in the winter. I've completely changed out the battery and cleaned the cables, etc. at least 5 times. This started happening within the first year of owning the vehicle. I've just come to live with it, knowing it's just an occasional inconvenience.

 

[FarooqMCSE]

Hi all, update on my LC with premium package in meteor shower. Spoke with the manger of dealership. Today, Monday, July 22nd, my Landy was towed on a flatbed to Hi Desert dealership, 52 miles from my home. They took hours but no ETA or time frame was given. I did get a courtesy car, Highlander Platinum and drove it back home. Tow truck driver said that either alternator is not charging the battery or battery made by Yuasa is not holding the charge. 3 error messages are flashing on my 12.3 inch screen.

 

[ultane]

View attachment 5033
This happened yesterday 7/15.
3 weeks after purchase. 900 Miles.

While driving out of my neighborhood and accelerating on to the main road there was a sudden loss of power....felt like the gears disengaged. I can hear the ICE increase RPM as I stepped on the gas but the car was not moving like it should. I had some power; enough to get me to the side of the road and park. These errors popped up on the dash:
1. Drive-Start Control Malfunction Visit Your Dealer
2. Hybrid System Malfunction Visit Your Dealer
3. System Malfunction Visit Your Dealer

I had the LC towed to the dealership courtesy of Toyota Roadside.

Some Backstory:
Purchasing dealership is 50 miles from my local and service dealership.
June 21: Purchased the LC....no issues...loving life.
June 29: The purchasing dealership installed Stargard GPS.
July 1-8: Multi-media screen would randomly not turn on.....gettin worried.
July 9: Service Dept could not replicate the issue and advised I return when the error is in progress.
July 15: Sudden loss of power and the LC on a tow truck.....not happy.

Got the LC Back today and she's running fine. No errors. Service Dept advised they did not see error codes on the dash or in the OBD Scan! They could not replicate the issue and advised Stargard be removed in order to perform a pure diagnosis. The computer reset for some reason and we don't know why. I suspect it's Stargard but none of the diagnostics were conclusive. Stargard GPS is one of those dealer installed upgrades that comes with the price of the car...but it's non-OEM.

The cause of the problems remains undetermined which means I'm still at risk of losing power while driving. This is a high risk malfunction; it's a major safety concern and I'll admit I'm scared of driving my car.

I'm gonna have Stargard GPS removed ASAP and monitor the car for 1000 miles and update progress here.

Sucks to have to go through this but that's the Beta Tester Life we chose.

Have you any updates on your chariot?

 

[ultane]

Hi all, update on my LC with premium package in meteor shower. Spoke with the manger of dealership. Today, Monday, July 22nd, my Landy was towed on a flatbed to Hi Desert dealership, 52 miles from my home. They took hours but no ETA or time frame was given. I did get a courtesy car, Highlander Platinum and drove it back home. Tow truck driver said that either alternator is not charging the battery or battery made by Yuasa is not holding the charge. 3 error messages are flashing on my 12.3 inch screen.

Are you even the OP for this thread?

 

[Ron]

Update: Stargard GPS module removed on 7/18 (Odo 940ish). As of today (Odo 1,353) No issues.

 

[sflandcruiserowner]

We are currently experiencing this right now, but the car is still driving while flashing all those same error messages. The drive still feels the same. We’re concerned but will monitor. Not sure if it’s related to us trying to start the car from the app.

We’ve had the car for 2-3 weeks now, mileage should be under 300.

 

[ultane]

We are currently experiencing this right now, but the car is still driving while flashing all those same error messages. The drive still feels the same. We’re concerned but will monitor. Not sure if it’s related to us trying to start the car from the app.

We’ve had the car for 2-3 weeks now, mileage should be under 300.

Welcome to the forum.

I hate that you are having this problem. Please keep us posted as to its resolution.

 

[MudNGuts]

I picked up my LC (LC trim w/o premium package) yesterday and got the same error message today after less than 200 miles. It's running fine and I love it but I plan to get it down to the dealership (50 miles away) ASAP. I considered taking it to my local mechanic to get the codes read and reset but it's probably better to go to the dealer so there'll be history of the problem in Toyota's system.

Oh well...life on the bleeding edge, right?

 

[MudNGuts]

I picked up my LC (LC trim w/o premium package) yesterday and got the same error message today after less than 200 miles. It's running fine and I love it but I plan to get it down to the dealership (50 miles away) ASAP. I considered taking it to my local mechanic to get the codes read and reset but it's probably better to go to the dealer so there'll be history of the problem in Toyota's system.

Oh well...life on the bleeding edge, right?

Miraculously, the "Hybrid System Failure" / "Drive/Start System Failure" messages disappeared overnight and everybody's happy again. I still plan to take it to my local dealer for a quick checkup.

 

[Ron]

We are currently experiencing this right now, but the car is still driving while flashing all those same error messages. The drive still feels the same. We’re concerned but will monitor. Not sure if it’s related to us trying to start the car from the app.

We’ve had the car for 2-3 weeks now, mileage should be under 300.

Oh wow, you're brave to keep driving. Did you take it to the dealership? Did the codes clear on their own?

 

[Ron]

UPDATE: The issue with the infotainment screen not turning on happened again on 8/1. I took it to the dealership and they kept it for 2.5 days. They couldn't figure it out. Happened again on 8/4 but I didn't have time to visit the dealership again. At first I thought the Stargard was the cause, clearly it's not as the problem persists. The issue with the hybrid malfunction has not returned so I'm thankful for that.

I'm noticing my battery level never goes beyond 50%. My daily drive is typically 20-30 minutes max mostly freeway.
How are y'alls charging performance? Do we ever get to see a fully charged battery?

 

[sflandcruiserowner]

We took it to a nearby dealership today, but the service guys were done for the day. We shall see what they say and how long they take to fix it.

We haven’t looked at the battery charge nor really played with the car yet. Hopefully, if all goes well, we will get a chance this weekend to explore all the functions in the car.

 

[sflandcruiserowner]

UPDATE: Oh my goodness. It was our gas cap. The dealership that sold us the vehicle filled up the car and left the gas cap on the little door!! Thankfully, we encountered a very thorough and kind service manager at our local Toyota dealership who did not charge us the $235.

The error code was an evap issue.