I bought a 2022 Prius AWD XLE after having a 2005 Gen 2 Prius (which I adored and hated to give up.) I'm constantly annoyed by so many things and I'm hoping some people can help in either telling me that certain things can be programmed off, or that I should take it back to the dealer. I'm listing my biggest concerns: 1) I am very sensitive to sound. When I am at a stop light, there is a low fan noise that is driving me bonkers! If I put the car in park, the noise goes away. It seems to be coming from the front of the car. I often put the car in park when stopped just to get rid of the noise. Any suggestions about what this is and if I can make it stop? 2) Is there a way to turn off the whirring noise when driving at speeds under 25mph? Is that supposed to be a safety feature? I do a lot of city driving, so the whirring is on, then off, then on, then off (you get the picture.) 3) Do other people have a vibration from the gas pedal when going between 35-45 mph? It doesn't happen all the time which is why I think the service may not take it seriously. I've tried ECO, normal, and power drive and it's the same in all three modes.
Items 1 and 2 are related. That is the NHTSA-directed pedestrian notification system in operation. There are several threads discussing this, including this one. Item 3 could be a tire out of balance somewhere.
congrats and welcome! how many miles on your car? 1) i think you will need to have this diagnosed in person, but you can try ecording the sound on your phone and posting it here for others to listen to. 2) the whirring sound is a required safety feature. the volume may or may not be adjustable. toyota began installing it in 2012, but it has changed over the years, so mine won't be applicable to yours. it is called VPNS 'vehicle proximity notification system' it should be in your manual, along with directions to adjust volume if possible, and whether you can do it, or dealer. watch 3) this may depend on what the engine is doing at those speeds, but it does not sound normal
Because the gas pedal isn't connected to the engine or anything (it's just an electronic input to the HV control ECU, a game controller, more or less), there isn't anything special it would mean if the pedal vibrates ... other than that the car overall happens to be vibrating, at some frequency that you're mostly feeling through that foot. It's also not, like, a fancy game controller with haptic feedback.
Do the “foam over speaker” mod that’s discussed on this Forum. Wrap the small plastic speaker hidden behind the front grill with foam. Then wrap the foam with plastic bag, and black duct tape to keep moisture out of the foam & will hide the mod. This is the best method to greatly reduce the reverse & forward noise you’re experiencing
