# 2002 Toyota Prius- Car won't start

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-prius-car-wont-start/32345>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [June 24, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-prius-car-wont-start/32345 "2009-06-24T21:20:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![occhas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@occhas](https://community.cartalk.com/u/occhas)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-prius-car-wont-start/32345/1 "2009-06-24T21:20:11Z")

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Yesterday, our Prius would not start up. When we turned the ignition on the display lights illuminated like they should, but when we cranked it absolutely nothing.  
  
  
  
 Today we tried to jump start the battery with a portable jumper, but still nothing. Then we tried to jump it with another car…still nothing. The display lights did not even come on. Needless to say, we can’t even get the car into neutral.  
  
  
  
 So our car is stranded down the street…and we are wondering if you might have an idea or two about some troubleshooting we can do.  
  
  
  
 We are thinking about replacing the 12v battery ( I found one at a dealership for about $139.00).  
  
  
  
 Any suggestions would be most appreciated.  
  
  
  
 Thank you,  
  
  
  
 Charles

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-prius-car-wont-start/32345/2 "2009-06-24T22:00:42Z")

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The symptoms you describe in your first paragraph sound like a dead, or near-dead, battery. The fact that the display lights no longer come on worries me. You didn’t reverse the polarity when you tried to jump-start from another car, did you?

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**Author:** ![occhas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/51bf81/32.png) [@occhas](https://community.cartalk.com/u/occhas)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-prius-car-wont-start/32345/3 "2009-06-24T22:33:34Z")

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No we did not reverse the polarity. Their was no juice even before we applied the jumpers.

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**Author:** ![Christina\_Rothfus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@Christina\_Rothfus](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Christina_Rothfus)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 8:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-prius-car-wont-start/32345/4 "2019-03-16T08:51:00Z")

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to get your Prius in neutral with no power or key theres a button (of sorts) on the lower left side of your steering wheel press the that in and you have will be able to change gears🖤

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**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 1:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-prius-car-wont-start/32345/5 "2019-03-16T13:22:40Z")

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10yr old thread? argh

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**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\
**Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 1:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-toyota-prius-car-wont-start/32345/6 "2019-03-16T13:33:49Z")

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I would hope the person who started this 10 years ago has gotten the vehicle started by now.