Sorry, I’m educated in a science field, own a company that maintains complex mechanical flying machines and am currently looking for an electric vehicle to purchase. I bought the low mileage, dealer maintained 2002 Prius in 2006 at a really reduced price and I don’t hesitate to have my cars maintained by professionals (it’s professional courtesy, I don’t work on my cars, they don’t work on their planes).
It was an unusual occurrence and the reason I reached down and restarted the car (after consulting the owner’s manual) the first time it happened is because the manual says if you run a Prius out of gas it throws all kinds of warnings that don’t reset until you have started the car several times after putting gas in it.
It was just curiosity and I do admit if it had melted down into a little puddle or burst into flames I would have been embarrassed and very sorry to have destroyed a perfectly fine vehicle.
I promise if it happens again this winter I will immediately take it in and have it put on a diagnostic machine and if not I will tell them of the problem at the next regularly scheduled maintenance interval.