NHTSA Complaint #10339395 — 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS

I DRIVE A 2008 PRIUS. WHEN BRAKING AND DRIVING OVER A POT-HOLE, BUMP, OR OTHER ROAD WORK THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGES, AND THE BRAKES RELEASE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME (>1 SECOND) CAUSING THE CAR TO COAST DURING THIS TIME. I DRIVE ON BUSY CITY STREETS AND ON HIGHWAYS WITH STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, AND THIS UNCONTROLLED BRAKE RELEASE REPRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE DRIVEN VEHICLES WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES BEFORE, AND THIS KIND OF BRAKING RELEASE IS MUCH LONGER AND RESULTS IN A MUCH GREATER LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL THAN IN OTHER VEHICLES I HAVE DRIVEN. IN A SPECIFIC RECENT INCIDENT, I HIT A CAR IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF ME. IN THE INCIDENT, I WAS DRIVING OVER BUMPY PAVEMENT AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED ABRUPTLY. AS I TRIED TO BRAKE SHARPLY TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT, THE BRAKING RELEASED BECAUSE THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES ENGAGED, AND INSTEAD OF STOPPING SAFELY, I HIT THE CAR. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND DAMAGE WAS MINOR, THE INCIDENT (AND THE REGULARITY WITH WHICH THE BRAKES RELEASE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS) SEEMS TO ME TO REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM FOR THE VEHICLE. *TR