NHTSA complaint: 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS — STRUCTURE:BODY
WHILE INCHING SLOWLY INTO A PARKING SPOT, VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT FULL SPEED TO JUMP OVER THE PARKING BARRIER. WHEELS WERE TURNED SLIGHTLY TO RIGHT, SO CAR VEERED RIGHT AND STOPPED AS IT HIGH-CENTERED ON THE BARRIER, JUST BEHIND FRONT WHEELS. NO INJURIES- DRIVER & CHILD IN BACK WERE BUCKLED. WITNESSED BY MANY PEDESTRIANS WHO RAN TO ASSIST. ONE WITNESS SAID THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN HER PRIUS, BUT TOYOTA WAS USELESS TO HELP. IN MONTHS SINCE THE INCIDENT, TOYOTA HAS BEEN TERRIBLE AT RESPONDING IN ANY HELPFUL WAY. THE BLACK BOX RECORDER SHOWS NOTHING, OF COURSE, SINCE IT WAS A SLOW IMPACT WITHOUT AIRBAG DEPLOY. MOST INTERESTINGLY, THE NHTSA HAS NO INFO OF THIS INCIDENT, WHICH I'M REPORTING TODAY ONLY BECAUSE I NOTICED IN THE OWNER MANUAL ON REAR PAGE, SMALL PRINT, SOME INFO ABOUT REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS FOR U.S. OWNERS... BUT AT LEAST 20 TOYOTA PERSONNEL, INSURANCE ADJUSTORS, REPAIR FACILITIES AND SALES TEAM MEMBERS NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT SUCH A REPORT. HENCE MY ASSUMPTION THAT MOST OF THESE INCIDENTS ARE NOT REPORTED TO GOV'T UNLESS FATALITIES OCCUR. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation