NHTSA Complaint #10307018 — 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS

TOYOTA PRIUS LOSS OF ELECTICAL POWER, LOSS OF STEERING RESULTING IN CRASH IN MAY 2009 WHILE DRIVING IN A RESIDENTAL NEIGHBORHOOD AT LOW SPEEDS, PRIUS LOST ALL POWER RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING AND LOSS OF BRAKES RESULTING IN CRASH INTO A HIGH CURB. I HAD PRIUS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND FILED COMPLAINT WITH DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS WITH MAIN CALIFORNIA COMPLAINT CENTER. THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD TAKE THEM 4 MONTHS TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINT. THEY RECOMMENDED MY STORING CAR AT DEALERSHIP FOR FOUR MONTHS IF I WANTED AN INVESTIGATION. THEY WOULD NOT INVESTIGATE OTHERWISE. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN AND THAT THE POWER LOSS MUST OF RESULTED AFTER THE CRASH. THEY SAID THAT TOYOTA HAD NO SAFETY COMPLAINTS ABOUT POWER LOSS OR STEERING OR BRAKE LOSS. I WENT ON LINE AND FOUND SAME YEAR MODEL RECALL IN AUSTRALIA. THEY TOLD ME THE PRODUCTS WERE DISSIMILAR AND NOT A CAUSE FOR CONCERN. I DISAGREED. MY ROUTINE MECHANIC AT MERCHANTS TIRE AND AUTO COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I REPAIRED THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND SOLD THE CAR SINCE TOYOTA ASSURED ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. TOYOTA CORPORATION'S METHODOLOGY OF INVESTIGATION APPEARS TO BE DESIGNED TO STIFLE ANY MEANINGFUL DETERMINATION OF BASELINE SAFETY FAULT. THE REQUIREMENT TO STORE A CAR FOR MONTHS AT OWNERS EXPENSE AND FOR DRIVER TO HAVE NO ACCESS FOR TRANSPORTATION WOULD APPEAR TO DISCOURAGE ANY MEANINGFUL INVESTIGATION OF SAFETY CONCERN. GIVEN THE CURRENT FINDING OF BRAKE AND OTHER SAFETY DEFECTS IN TOYOTA PRODUCTS, I AM CONCERNED THAT THE POWER LOSS MAY HAVE BEEN UNDER-REPORTED BECAUSE OF THEIR UNETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICES. I REPORT IT TO HELP YOU DETERMINE IF THERE IS A PATTERN OF POWER LOSS, LOSS OF STEERING AND LOSS OF BRAKING IN THE PRIUS. *CN