NHTSA Complaint #10310211 — 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS

I LIVE ON A DIRT ROAD 2 MILES LONG WITH 1 MILE UPHILL. I BOUGHT MY NEW 2009 PRIUS ON MARCH 10TH 2009 AND ON MARCH 12TH COULD NOT DRIVE OUT. GOING UP THE HILL WHEN EVER THE DRIVE WHEEL SLIPPED THE TRACTION CONTROL WOULD BRAKE THE WHEEL UNTIL, WITH MANY BRIEF BRAKING, THE PRIUS CAME TO A STOP. I WAS UNABLE TO GO FORWARD AND HAD TO BACK DOWN THE HILL TILL I COULD FIND A PLACE TO TURN AROUND. THIS CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAD THE CAR TOWED OUT AND TOYOTA CHECKED IT AND SAID ALL SYSTEMS WERE WORKING PROPERLY. I ASKED FOR AN OFF SWITCH AND THEY SAID IMPOSSIBLE. WHEN I CAME HOME THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AND WAS TOWED OUT AND AGAIN TOYOTA REFUSED TO DEAL WITH IT. I WENT TO ARBITRATION AND PRESENTED MY INFORMATION ALONG WITH ARTICLES I FOUND ON THE CONSUMER AFFAIRS WEBSITE ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM AFFECTING PEOPLE ALL OVER THE NATION, SOME WITH BAD RESULTS, ESPECIALLY ON ICE, STRANDING THEM, IN INTERSECTIONS. TOYOTA SAID THIS WAS NOT COVERED IN THE WARRANTY SO ALL MY INFORMATION AND MY CASE WERE TOTALLY DISREGARDED. THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM OR ADD AN OFF SWITCH. I ALSO CALLED THE MANUFACTURES OF ALL OTHER HYBRID OR ELECTRIC CARS WITH TRACTION CONTROL AND THEY EITHER HAVE AN OFF SWITCH OR OFFER ONE JUST FOR THIS REASON. I WAS LUCKY THAT MY ROAD ASSOCIATION SPENT $16,000 ON THE ROAD SHORTLY AFTER THIS HAPPENED BUT AS THE ROAD IS DETERIORATING AND THERE WONT BE ENOUGH MONEY FOR SEVERAL YEARS I MAY BE STUCK AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. EVERY OTHER CAR CAN GET UP THE ROAD, EVEN AT ITS WORST, INCLUDING A 2003 PRIUS WITHOUT TRACTION CONTROL. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ON ANOTHER DIRT ROAD BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT THRU THE USE OF ROPES AND ROCKS AND A SHOVEL. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP AS I DON'T WANT TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO FOLLOW THROUGH . THANK YOU *TR