Stuck In Neutral!

[Disappointed]

I have just had a very frightening experience. Just as I was leaving the main A38 the car ground to a halt and the N sign remained on the dash board not selecting any of the manoeuvres I tried. I had been traveling for only 15 mins at approx 60 mph. As I had my 2 year old granddaughter with me and a husband at home only having come home from hospital a few days earlier I was petrified with cars speeding up behind us on one of the hottest days of the year. Has any one else experienced this and found a solution. After about 30 mins the car decided to select the E mode and move on. I have now lost all confidence in the car which is a 60 plate and only 35,000 on the clock. Yours hopefully, disappointed.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Welcome to Toyota Owners Club.

The Multi Mode Transmission is not a true automatic - rather a manual gearbox with an electronically controlled clutch - and they can be expensive to repair. Similar transmissions from other manufacturers are equally expensive to repair.

As your car is a late 2010 model, it should still have some of the five year/100,000 miles new car warranty remaining. Explain to your Toyota dealer what happened, and get the car booked in for investigation.

[Disappointed]

I took my car to Toyota who have repaired it within the warranty. I have been told that a sensor within the clutch was replaced. Here's hoping to the end of the problem. Never the less I shall be selling as I have lost confidence with this type of transmission.

[Uncle Buck]

Glad it's been repaired, but I share your concern with this type of transmission. I almost bought a DSG-equipped VW until I found out how much hesitation they display when you're trying to pull away onto a busy road. I thought it was appalling to be honest & they are also very expensive to repair. Manual gearbox for me please !

[Wiz201]

Glad it's been repaired, but I share your concern with this type of transmission. I almost bought a DSG-equipped VW until I found out how much hesitation they display when you're trying to pull away onto a busy road. I thought it was appalling to be honest & they are also very expensive to repair. Manual gearbox for me please !

DSGs are really good, I had a hire car polo with the auto gear box and it was fine. I'm hoping my 2014 aygo multi mode will be fine and get me through next three years of motoring.

[FROSTYBALLS]

There have been instances of DSG equipped Polos having similar problems to the OP's Auris, due to software issues. VW also have had massive problems with DSG transmissions in China, Australia, Malaysia, Russia and a couple of other countries. In China and Russia the DSG transmission warranty has been extended to five years, and in Australia the transmission has been subject to official recalls.

New Polo due in 2015.

[lindy_park]

The same thing happened to me a fews years ago and it was a computer cliche. the garage reprogramme the computer in my car and I havent had any bother since. Touch wood it stays that way

[Wiz201]

mine has a funny glitch where if I'm going from N to E or R it beeps and it wants me to go back to N. I just have to let it be for a couple of seconds before it decides its fine. I know its a computer glitch and nothing to do with the engine.

[fmole]

I have just had the same problem this week with my 2008 Auris multimodal, which has 35,000 miles on it. Happened when stationary in traffic, just couldn't get it out of neutral. It did eventually allow 'E' to be selected, by the time the rescue van arrived. Then drove it home with the rescue van behind me, and it happened twice more, both times when slowing down to stationary. It got stuck for about 2-3 minutes the second and third time. Prior to this it used to sometimes get stuck in low gears, when driven in E, so I think it's a development of the problem. I'm worried that it's going to be hard to trust the car even after it's been repaired. Has anyone experienced reoccurrence of the problem after the repairs, or have the repairs by Toyota worked for you? The rescue service guy told me he comes out to multimodal transmission cars a lot, which have this problem.

[FROSTYBALLS]

The automated manual gearboxes do tend to be more problematical than a true automatic. Look at post number 7 of this topic.

[Disappointed]

Hi, sorry to hear about your problem today. It's very worrying and annoying. Since my repairs where a sensor was replaced on the clutch it has been fine. I hope you get it repaired and no payment due as it appears it is a fault with the design.

[Darksta]

Exactly the same thing happened to me on my way to work yesterday, twice. Couldn't select any gear at all (E, M, R,) with the dreaded flashing 'N' and that was in London's busy road work traffic =(

Had to switch off the engine for about 30 secs and start her back up and she was fine until a mile later same thing happened again.

Strangely enough, she was fine on the way home back from work.

[Darksta]

UPDATE:

It happened once again today so it seems to only happen during the day in hot weather with stop and go traffic. Also it'll only happen during pulling off from stand still. The drive back home from work is fine during the night so my guess is the problem has to do with overheating.

Anybody have a rough estimate on the cost of repair?

[Sunny7]

I have had this happen to me twice in the last few months in my 07 Auris MMT.. each time crawling along in bumper to bumper traffic.. although the first time it happened just after I bought the car in 2011, it did it on a dual carriageway just after I turned into a road off a roundabout... I had not been idling in that instance. It was under extended warranty then and had a few other adjustments to be made (major ) to the transmission and since then has not repeated that until these last two incidents...both times it was completely frustrating as I blocked rush hour traffic and the first time it lasted about 15 minutes and would not move out of neutral to be restarted and I had to be pushed off the road. The second time it started up again after several minutes but I received a few annoying beeps from other road users as well as some unpleasant and unwanted rude gestures. I was close to tears by the time I got the car started again. Any ideas please as to the cause and the cost? 

[lindy_park]

This happened to me a number of years ago. Paid for a diagnostic test. The computer was updated and I have never had a problem since.

[Lmd]

Hi, I m having the same problem ,can some tell me how much does it cost for the diagnosis  test plz ?