NHTSA Complaint #10304708 — 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

I OWN A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS. SINCE PURCHASING IT IN AUGUST, I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF ODD, COMPLETELY REPRODUCIBLE BRAKING BEHAVIOR. I HAVE NOT REPORTED THE COMPLAINT UNTIL NOW BECAUSE I ASSUMED IT WAS SOMETHING NORMAL WITHIN THE OPERATION OF THE PRIUS, BUT WITH THE REPORT IN THE NEW YORK TIMES THAT JAPAN IS INVESTIGATING THE PRIUS BRAKING SYSTEM, I THOUGHT I SHOULD FILE A REPORT. I LIVE NEAR TRAIN TRACKS THAT HAVE A GRADE CROSSING IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLOCK. THE CROSSING ITSELF IS IN ANN ARBOR, MI, ON W. WILLIAM ST. BETWEEN S. ASHLEY ST AND S. 1ST ST. WHEN DRIVING WESTBOUND ON WILLIAM ST, ONE TRAVELS DOWNHILL AND ENCOUNTERS THE GRADE CROSSING NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL, ABOUT 20-30 FEET BEFORE AN INTERSECTION. EVERY TIME I CROSS THE TRAIN TRACKS AT THIS GRADE CROSSING--REGARDLESS OF WEATHER CONDITIONS--I NOTICE AN ALARMING LOSS OF BRAKING POWER THAT OCCURS EXCLUSIVELY WHEN CROSSING THE TRAIN TRACKS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THIS WAS NORMAL, THAT PERHAPS THE CAR WAS JUST SLIPPING, BUT NOW IT SEEMS AS IF THIS REPRESENTS THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION IN JAPAN. THE PROBLEM IS 100% REPRODUCIBLE. TYPICAL TRAVEL SPEEDS ARE 15-30 MILES PER HOUR. THE BRAKING ACTION IS ONLY INTERRUPTED WHILE TRAVELING OVER THE BUMPY SURFACE OF THE RAIL TRACKS, AND THEN BRAKING ACTION IS RESTORED. HOWEVER, IF THERE ARE CARS QUEUED UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AT THE INTERSECTION, IT OFTEN LEADS TO SHORT BRAKING TIMES AND HAS CAUSED CONCERN REGARDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAKES. I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO MY DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE PROBLEM, NOR HAD ANY SERVICE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE REGARDING THE PROBLEM. AGAIN, I BELIEVED THIS TO BE MORE OF A DESIGN ISSUE THAN A PERFORMANCE PROBLEM, BUT IT IS ALARMING, NONETHELESS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK KEEPING AMERICA'S CARS SAFE. *TR