NHTSA Complaint #10305835 — 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS

APPLYING LIGHT TO MODERATE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKING PEDAL OF MY 2009 PRIUS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY GOING OVER A POTHOLE AT LOW TO MODERATE SPEED (SUCH AS IN TRAFFIC) CAUSES THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO RELEASE AND THE CAR WILL FAIL TO STOP. REMOVING PRESSURE FROM THE PEDAL AND REAPPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL USUALLY REGAINS BRAKING FUNCTION BUT CAUSES A FEW SECONDS OF LOST BRAKING. THIS IS EASILY REPEATABLE AND FREQUENTLY OCCURS IN THE SAME SPOTS ON A DAILY COMMUTE FOR THE PAST YEAR I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR. ON TWO OCCASIONS SOON AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR IN OCTOBER 2008 I WAS STILL UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS BRAKING "QUIRK" AND REAR ENDED TWO SEPARATE CARS ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO BOTH BUMPERS OF THE VEHICLES. BOTH OCCASIONS WERE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC TRAVELING UNDER 10 MILES PER HOUR, ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE WITH UNWITTINGLY HITTING A POTHOLE AT THE SAME MOMENT.*TR