NHTSA Complaint #10305711 — 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS

MY TOYOTA PRIUS 2005 HAS THE SAME BRAKING ISSUE AS DESCRIBED IN THE MEDIA TODAY FOR THE 2010 MODEL. IN ADDITION, THE SKID CONTROL CAUSES A SUDDEN POWER LOSS DURING ACCELERATION IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS TO THE PROBLEMS DESCRIBED WITH BRAKING FAILURES IN THE 2010 MODEL (POTHOLES, EVEN SMALL BUMPS IN THE ROAD, RAPID ACCELERATION AROUND CURVES, IN ADDITION TO WHEN THERE IS ICE ON THE ROAD) THAT REPORTEDLY HAS BEEN FIXED. ALTHOUGH THE COMPLETE POWER LOSS LASTS LESS THAN A SECOND RECOVERY OF POWER IS SLOW ENOUGH TO HAVE STRANDED ME IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAITING FOR ACCELERATION IN A NUMBER SITUATIONS WHERE THERE WAS NO RISK ASSOCIATED WITH LOSS OF TRACTION. I CONTACTED TOYOTA SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND TRIED FILED A COMPLAINT (I WAS REALLY PERSISTENT), BUT THEY REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS A DESIGN FLAW SAYING ONLY THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. WHEN I POINTED OUT THAT THE VEHICLE, AS DESIGNED, WAS DANGEROUS, THEY ONLY REITERATED THAT IT WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND REFUSED TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION. IT FELT TO ME THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT ADMITTING THE PROBLEM COULD AVALANCHE INTO A PROBLEM SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY HAVE NOW. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A RECURRING AND PERSISTENT ISSUE THAT HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR (FOUR PLUS YEARS). *TR