Nightmare at 10,000 miles on TRD ORP Hybrid?

[rforsander]

Yesterday, as I was leaving the office, my keyless entry would not work. So I used the mechanical key within the fob to open the door. The car is completely dead. No lights, no power to any accessories or anything. My coworker jumped my car successfully. I let it run for 15 minutes or so before going back inside to thank my coworker for the jump. When I go back outside, the car is again completely dead. After jumping the vehicle for a second time - I was met with every malfunction light available on the dash (Check Engine Light, Drive-Start Control Malfunction, System Malfunction, Secondary Collision Brake System Malfunction, etc). But the car was running.

The dealership is only 2 miles from my work so I drove it to the dealership and left it with them. Car drove completely fine, felt normal, hybrid battery was charging and discharging as expected. Almost certainly unrelated - but I did have my 10k Toyota Cares service last week at the same dealership. In hindsight, I should have had it towed but I was VERY FRUSTRATED and not thinking clearly in the moment.

Does anyone have any insight into what could be going on? I am optimistic that something is wrong with the 12v battery and it will be a quick fix. We have an 8 day, 3000 mile road trip planned for the holidays and this isn't exactly instilling confidence.

Sponsored

 

[chasedstream641]

sounds like a battery issue/connection issue to me. i wouldnt be too worried

 

[Stigma]

Agreed, battery connection issue will generally pop lots of seemingly unrelated error codes. They probably disconnected a battery connection during the service and it's loose.

 

[kekecarioca]

Hopefully it's just a faulty battery or bad connection. Keep us posted.

 

[Biff]

How did you jump it??

 

[rforsander]

How did you jump it??

I followed the procedure outlined in the owner's manual. There is a positive terminal in the passenger side fuse box.

 

[CO/ZA]

Are the 12v battery terminals secure?

 

[watchbuzz]

IMHO there’s really one thing to diagnose first: why the 12V battery died.

Everything you’re describing is completely consistent with a weak or failed 12V on a modern Toyota. Keyless entry not working, total electrical death, needing a jump, and then getting a cascade of warning lights are classic symptoms. On hybrids especially, a low 12V can trigger every warning imaginable even though the car drives and charges normally once running.
If the car had died while driving, I’d be more concerned about a charging system issue. But dying while parked, briefly recovering after a jump, then going dead again strongly points to the 12V itself. Also, 15 minutes of running often isn’t enough to meaningfully recharge a deeply discharged or failing battery.

It’s also worth noting that a dead 12V on a newer car isn’t unusual and doesn’t necessarily indicate a bigger problem. Batteries can be weakened by long periods sitting on dealer lots, lots of short trips, parasitic draw from always-on electronics, or simply a marginal battery from the factory. Hybrids are especially susceptible since the 12V isn’t constantly charged like on a traditional ICE vehicle.

Things to check:
Measure the 12V battery voltage at rest and while running
Inspect for loose connections or rodent damage
See whether a full charge or replacement resolves it

If it does turn out to be the 12V, replacement is usually straightforward and shouldn’t impact confidence for a long road trip once confirmed. All of the above is probably overkill since your dealer will take care of it... And, sorry you are dealing with an issue on a new car.

Sponsored