NHTSA Complaint #10124109 — 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS

I AM ESTIMATING THE DATES - I TOOK MY 2004 PRIUS TO THE DEALER ON OCTOBER 12, AS IT WAS NOT DRIVING RIGHT SINCE I HAD DONE A "HARD BRAKE" THE WEEK BEFORE. THE SERVICE DEPT WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING AMISS. THEN, WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THAT FRIDAY, MY CAR INDICATED THAT I NEEDED TO STOP THE CAR IMMEDIATELY (VIA THE RED TRIANGLE ETC. LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD). I WAS TRAVELLING AT ABOUT 45 MILES PER HOUR AT THE TIME. I COASTED INTO A LEFT TURN LANE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE TURN INTO THE PARKING LOT AS THE CAR HAD SHUT DOWN. I WAS PUSHED INTO THE PARKING LOT. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALER (LARRY MILLER TOYOTA ON W. BELL ROAD). I WAS TOLD THE ECU WAS REPROGRAMMED AND THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT WAS NOT SENT TO OWNERS, BUT DIRECTED DEALERS TO DO THE FIX ONLY WHEN THERE WAS A CAR WITH THE FAILURE. MY CAR HAS EXHIBITED THE RED TRIANGLE ONE OTHER TIME, 4/15/05 I BELIEVE, IT WAS TOWED AGAIN, TO BELL ROAD TOYOTA. THE ANSWER SEEMS TO BE "IF THERE IS NO CODE ON THE COMPUTER THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG, WE CANNOT FIX IT, SINCE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM IS."