NHTSA Complaint #10254348 — 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS

TODAY, I WENT TO WORK DRIVING MY PRIUS (2008 WITH 11000 MILES) WITHOUT ANY DASH BOARD LIGHTS. THE DASHBOARD UNDER THE WINDSHIELD IS A REFLECTIVE TYPE WITH A WHOLE ARRAY OF OPERATING INDICATING LIGHTS ACROSS TO THE PASSENGERS SIDE. ONLY THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT WORKED FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT WORK. I TRIED VARIOUS POWER ON/OFF BRAKE ON/OFF COMBINATIONS TO GET THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WORKING. I PRESSED THE POWER BUTTON WITH OR WITHOUT THE BRAKES ENGAGED DURING STARTUP. THE ENGINE STILL RAN AND THE HEADLIGHTS, TURN INDICATORS, BRAKE LIGHTS, RADIO AND FUEL CONSUMPTION GAUGE WORKED. I HAD NO IDEA OF MY DRIVING SPEED OTHER THAN WHAT OTHER CAR SPEED AROUND ME WERE DOING. I HAD TO DRIVE UNDER THE RISK OF BRAKING THE LAW AS WELL AS THE DISTRACTING NO LIGHTING. THEN A WORSE PROBLEM DEVELOPED. I COULD NOT TURN THE SHUT CAR OFF AND I COULD NOT LOCK IT AFTER I GOT OUT. IT GAVE ME THE USUAL BEEP THAT IT WAS STILL RUNNING. I TRIED PRESSING THE POWER BUTTON NUMEROUS TIMES. I TRIED LOCKING THE CAR WITH THE MECHANICAL KEY AND IT ELECTRONICALLY KEPT OPENING. I TRIED VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF BRAKING WHILE SITTING, WALKING A GREATER DISTANCE FROM THE CAR, USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND SLAMMING ON THE DASHBOARD HOPING IT WAS A LOOSE WIRE. NOTHING WORKED. THE CAR IS SITTING IN THE PARKING LOT RIGHT NOW STILL RUNNING WITHOUT A KEY. I COULD NOT LOCK IT. AS I WALKED AWAY, I PRESSED THE ELECTRONIC KEY NUMEROUS TIMES. THE LITTLE RED LIGHT INDICATED IT WAS WORKING. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO. L WAS LATE FOR WORK AND I START AT 6 AM. THE DEALER, (TOYOTA HEARTLAND OF BREMERTON), DOESN'T OPEN UNTIL 7:00 AM AND ITS 6:25 AM. I MANUALLY TURNED OFF THE DISPLAY AND RADIO SO THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF LIGHTING WAS SHOWING. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE CAR IS STILL IN THE PARKING LOT RUNNING AND EASY TO STEAL. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT POWER DOWN NOR WOULD THE CAR LOCK. THE DASHBOARD (BELOW THE WINDSHIELD) NOT LIGHTING WAS SAME PROBLEM I HAD A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. *TR