NHTSA Complaint #10294088 — 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

UNEXPECTED TOTAL LOSS OF PROPULSION AFTER DRIVING ON WET ROAD CONDITIONS AT APPROX 35 MPH. . 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH ENHANCED STABILITY CONTROL. NO RESPONSE FROM GAS PEDAL. NEEDED TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND RESTART VEHICLE TO OBTAIN POWER. LIGHTS AND DASH DISPLAY REMAINED ON BUT VEHICLE HAD NO POWER TO MOVE. HAD TO COAST SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET AVOIDING TRAFFIC TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND "RESTARTING" VEHICLE. ESC/TRAC SQUIGGLY SYMBOL APPEARED ON DASH MOMENTARILY. ON OTHER OCCASIONS I HAVE NOTICED WHEN STOPPING ON LOOSE SURFACE MATERIALS OR STOPPING WHEN DRIVING OVER UNEVEN PAVEMENT THAT THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY LURCHES FORWARD IN A MOST UNPREDICTABLE AND UNNATURAL WAY ALMOST AS IF THERE WERE NO BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE MOMENTARILY ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE. THE FIRST CONDITION COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR ON A BUSY FREEWAY SINCE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RETURNED TO THE OPERATOR UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY STOPPED AND THEN SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED. MY SENSE IS THAT THE ENHANCED STABILITY CONTROL AND TRAC SYSTEM IS OVERLY RESPONSIVE TO ROAD CONDITIONS AND IS SLOW OR INHIBITS THE RETURN OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE TO THE OPERATOR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER. THEY REPORT NO ERROR CODES OR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ON THE ISSUE. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN. MY CONFIDENCE IN THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SEVERELY DAMAGED. I CAN'T IMAGINE THE DANGER OF LOSS OF PROPULSION WHEN DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED ON A HIGH TRAFFIC/SPEED HIGHWAY. *TR