Has Toyota fixed traction control issue older Prius had?

Our 2011 Prius is not good on slippery winter roads. When the wheels start to slip, the Traction Control shuts off power to the wheels. So you can't pull the car up a slippery hill as you normally would: allowing some slippage but still making  progress. All progress just stops. If I'm stopped on a slippery hill, it may be impossible to move forward at all. Wheel immediately start to slip, and power to wheels shuts off. I need to back down the hill and get a running start.


At those times, I feel like I'm on Ice Road Truckers, driving in Alaska in winter.


Still, we are considering a newer Prius. Has Toyota fixed or mitigated this issue? I've tried researching it, and some places say later models are better, but I'm not finding the full story. I'm hoping someone here really knows and can give me the straight dope.

2021-01-10T03:28:45Z

Well, be surprised. There is no switch on the 2011. 2015 models were first to have one. You have to go into maintenance mode with a funky sequence. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSiohPj-ESc for how to do it, comments, and similar complaints. Nothing wrong with the car either. Toyota designed it that way and insisted it was the way it was supposed to be, so they wouldn't have to fix this dangerous condition.

Anonymous2021-01-10T04:03:12Z

Get a car with a real AWD system and your problem is gone.  The Prius is NOT designed for heavy snow conditions or off-roading.  A Subaru might be a better choice for your localion.

A Hunch2021-01-09T20:49:16Z

Your issue is something wrong with your specific car. 
If you read the forums about the issue, it can be related to many things from bad battery to transmission problems....

But obviously, Toyota would have recalled the car long ago if it couldn't drive up hills in the rain.
-- that would be quite a problem in Smug Cities like Seattle, Portland, and SF.