NHTSA complaint: 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAVE FOUND THE BRAKES TO BE UNDEPENDABLE IN SITUATIONS OF UNEVEN PAVEMENT OR ANYTHING BUT PERFECT ROAD CONDITIONS. AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CAR CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD AS IF THE BRAKES WERE NEVER APPLIED. THIS CONTINUES FOR SEVERAL SECONDS CAUSING A DANGEROUS DELAY IN PERFORMANCE OF THE BRAKES. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES THIS WINTER, AND IS UNFORTUNATELY NOT PREDICTABLE. ONE INSTANCE LED TO MY CAR SLAMMING INTO AN SNOW AND ICE BANK DAMAGING THE LOWER FRONT PART OF THE CAR. ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE DRIVEN WOULD HAVE STOPPED LONG BEFORE HAVING CONTACT WITH THE BANK, AS THE PAVEMENT WAS DRY YET UNEVEN. ANOTHER ISSUE I HAVE HAD IS UNRELIABLE ACCELERATION, AGAIN A HESITATION OF SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS PUSHED THAT IS DANGEROUS AS WELL MAKING PERFORMANCE UNPREDICTABLE. BOTH THESE SITUATIONS LEAVES ME UNCERTAIN OF WHAT KIND OF PERFORMANCE I CAN EXPECT FORM BOTH THE BRAKES AND ACCELERATOR AT ANY GIVEN TIME. SINCE I DRIVE MY DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL EACH DAY, I AM NERVOUS EVERY TIME I GET INTO THE CAR AND CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY DAUGHTER AND THE OTHER STUDENTS. I ALSO REGULARLY WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FEARFUL ABOUT DRIVING MY PRIUS TO SCHOOL AND WORK THE FOLLOWING DAY. SO FAR I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE SITUATION AS TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS ARE SO SWAMPED BY OTHER RECALL APPOINTMENTS THAT IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT FOR ANYTHING BUT A RECALL. SO FAR TOYOTA HAS NOT C
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation