NHTSA Complaint #10325843 — 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS

ON MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010, IN THE MORNING, ON A RAINY DAY IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH WHEN THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME SLOWED. I WAS DRIVING OVER RAILROAD TRACKS WITH STEEL PLATES BETWEEN THE TRACKS IN MY 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS. I BRAKED BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP. I HAD TIME TO ACTUALLY LOOK DOWN AT MY FEET TO CONFIRM THAT IT WAS DEFINITELY THE BRAKES THAT I WAS APPLYING MAJOR PRESSURE TO. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE LIGHT WAS ON INDICATING THAT THE CAR DID NOT HAVE TRACTION. I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH WERE, "I HAD NO BRAKES, I'M SO SORRY, BUT I HAD NO BRAKES." THE INITIAL ESTIMATE FOR MY CAR IS OVER $6,000, I HAVE NOT HEARD WHAT THE ESTIMATE IS FOR THE OTHER CAR. I DID EVERYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE, THE CAR FAILED ME. *TR