Q: When the electric power steering system warning comes on, the car immediately loses gas and slows to a halt.... why does it do th

Hi there. Are there any other lights illuminated? When the EPS light does come on, the electric steering system has detected a fault and can cause the vehicle to proceed into what may seem like a limp mode; we wouldn’t want a steering problem at high speeds, right? There are several things that could cause this: failed or overheated steering motor, low hybrid battery charge, wiring harness faults, internal circuitry faults. Due to this being a hybrid and involves the possibility of a high voltage accident, please do not attempt to diagnose the system yourself; a hybrid certified technician should be acquired to perform an inspection to avoid an accidental high voltage shock and avoid replacing unnecessary parts. Toyota did issue a recall last year on several of these models and you may need to have this checked via the NHTSA at (https://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle-Owners/Check-For-Recalls/CheckForRecalls); these are government mandated recalls. Toyota has another classification of recalls that are not government mandated called "special service campaigns" and these may not be listed at the site quoted; these you may need to check with the local Toyota dealer. In the meantime, Your Mechanic has hybrid certified technicians that can assist you with an EPS light inspection; be sure to state that the EPS light is illuminated.