How to Bypass Traction Control in the 2007 Prius

Traction control helps transfer power between wheels to help drivers maintain control of the vehicle.

The 2007 Toyota Prius comes with a traction control system to help vehicle handling in poor road conditions. However, people have complained about the way the Prius traction control works, and they would like to be able to disable traction control, even for a few minutes. Toyota does not offer a switch to disable traction control, but a manual process will temporarily disable it.

Instructions

1. Press the power button two times without pressing the brake pedal. This sets the ignition to "On."

2. Press the gas pedal two times fully with full top to bottom pressings. Make sure the Prius is in park for this step.

3. Apply the parking brake if it is not already set, and put the transmission in neutral.

4. Press the gas pedal two times fully with full top to bottom pressings.

5. Place the transmission back in park and press the gas pedal two more times fully with full top to bottom pressings. "!Car!" will be displayed in the upper left corner of the Prius LCD screen.

6. Press the brake pad and hold it while pressing the power button to start the Prius. The traction control will be disabled until the next time the Prius is started normally.

References

• Cars Direct: How to Disable Prius Traction Control
• Consumer Affairs: Prius Traction Control Complaints on the Rise

Resources

• 2007 Toyota Prius Owner's Manual