NHTSA Complaint #10310789 — 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS

MY WIFE HAS A 2007 PRIUS, ON WHICH WE RUN DUNLOP GRASPICS SNOW TIRES, 185/65R15, IN THE WINTER, ON ALL 4 CORNERS. WE HAVE RUN THE GRASPICS ON A DODGE CARAVAN, FORD MUSTANG, AND ACURA RSX, WITH GOOD RESULTS, ON SNOWY / ICY ROADS. ANYWAY, WE WERE IN CANADA, DECEMBER 6, 2008, BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY, TEMP ABOUT 6 DEG. F. ROADS IN THE CITY HAD 1 - 2 INCHES OF SNOW, WITH ENOUGH SALT TO MAKE A NICE GREASY MIXTURE, (TOO COLD TO MELT THE SNOW). I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN BEFORE MAKING A LEFT TURN. FROM FULL STOP, AND THERE WERE SOME ON COMING CARS BUT A DISTANCE AWAY, I GENTLY STEPPED ON THE GAS TO MAKE THE TURN - NOTHING - OKAY THE TRAFFIC A LITTLE CLOSER, BUT STILL A LONG WAYS AWAY. I GIVE IT A LITTLE MORE GAS, AND MAYBE WE ARE MOVING. FINALLY IT IS CREEPING ACROSS, AND WE COMPLETE THE LEFT TURN WITH NO BENT SHEET METAL. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, AND WITH NO ONE ELSE IN THE PRIUS, I DID SOME EXPERIMENTING. THE TRACTION CONTROL APPEARS TO WORK TOO WELL. IT SEEMS TO ALLOW NO SLIPPAGE, AND THERE IS NO FEELING OF FORWARD PROGRESS, OR THAT THE TIRES ARE EVEN TRYING. I DID FIND SOME SIMILAR COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET. I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY ARE SO CONCERNED ABOUT DAMAGE TO THE PRIUS DRIVETRAIN THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW NO SLIPPAGE. THE PERSON ON THE PHONE AT TOYOTA SAID THAT IF THE TIRES SPUN AND THEN GOT TRACTION, THERE MAY BE DAMAGE RESULTING IN A $6000 REPAIR BILL. I SAID, %$#@ THE $6000; I HAD 4 PEOPLE IN A CAR THAT WAS VERY DANGEROUS AT SNOWY INTERSECTIONS. I ASKED TO TALK TO SOME ONE ELSE AND GOT NO DIFFERENT ANSWER, EXCEPT THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED SIMILAR CALLS, AND THE ONLY ADVICE WAS TO USE SNOW TIRES. NO DEATHS OR INJURIES. NO FIRE NO CRASH. NOT REPORTED TO POLICE. *TR