NHTSA Complaint #10318894 — 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS

PREVIOUS TO THE ACCIDENT AT THE 5,000 MILE CHECK UP I HAD REPORTED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER THAT THE CAR WOULD SOMETIMES JUMP FORWARD WHEN THE ENGINE TRANSITIONED FROM ELECTRIC TO GAS MODE. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. ON FEBRUARY 4TH AT 1035 I WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION BEHIND A LARGE VAN. THE CAR WAS IN THE ELECTRIC MODE WHEN THE GAS MODE KICKED IN AND THE ENGINE RACED UP AND THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD STRIKING THE VAN IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE THE VAN, THE FRONT OF MY CAR WAS DAMAGED. I CALLED THE POLICE. THE VAN DRIVER HAD A DISABLED PASSENGER AND LEFT AS THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO HIS VEHICLE. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND I EXPLAINED THAT MY CAR HAD FOR SOME REASON LUNGED FORWARD STRIKING THE OTHER VEHICLE. SINCE NO ONE WAS INJURED HE WASN'T REQUIRED TO TAKE A STATEMENT FROM ME THE NEXT DAY FEBRUARY 5TH I TOOK MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR MY 10,000 MILE CHECK UP AND AGAIN EXPLAINED ABOUT THE CAR LUNGING FORWARD DURING THE TRANSITION FROM ELECTRIC TO GAS MODE. NO ACTION TAKEN OTHER THAN ASSURING ME THAT THIS NORMAL. ON MARCH 4TH WHILE SITTING AT ANOTHER INTERSECTION THE CAR AGAIN LUNGED FORWARD FOR ABOUT 6 FEET BEFORE THE FULL DEPRESSION OF THE BRAKE CAUSED THE ENGINE RPM TO COME DOWN AND THE CAR TO STOP. AT THIS TIME I CALLED AND SPOKE TO THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND HE SAID TO BRING THE VEHICLE OUT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WOULD RUN A FULL SET OF TESTS. ON MARCH 10 I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY KEPT THE VEHICLE OVERNIGHT AND RETURNED TO ME THE NEXT DAY MARCH 11, 2010. ACCORDING TO THE MAINTENANCE CHIEF THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE TESTS THAT INDICATED ANY PROBLEMS. UNSATISFACTORY ANSWERS EACH TIME I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE PROBLEM, NOW MY CAR IS DAMAGED AND TOYOTA SAYS EVERYTHING IS FINE, I THINK NOT. *TR