NHTSA Complaint #10371790 — 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS

I WAS LEAVING THE AIRPORT AND BEGINNING TO PICK UP SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 30-35 MPH) WHEN I HAD A VERY SCARY INCIDENT WITH MY 2008 PRIUS. IT SUDDENLY FISHTAILED TO THE LEFT, SEVERAL SECONDS LATER FISHTAILED TO THE RIGHT, AND AS IT YET AGAIN BEGAN TO FISHTAIL TO THE LEFT, I JAMMED ON THE BRAKES VERY HARD AND IT CORRECTED. IT WAS TERRIFYING AND FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ONE TO MY RIGHT OR BEHIND ME AND THE TAXI ON MY LEFT MANAGED TO AVOID ME. I KNEW THAT I WOULD NEVER FEEL SAFE IN MY PRIUS AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE TOYOTA REGIONAL MANAGER WHO SAID TO TAKE IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. I THEN SPENT THE NEXT TWO DAYS READING COMPLAINTS POSTED ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE PRIUS. IT IS CHILLING TO READ HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED AND THE PATTERNS THAT EMERGE IN THE REPORTING. I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE SERVICE MANAGER LOOKED OVER THE COMPLAINT THAT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP AND SAID, "I NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE." I TOLD HIM HE ONLY HAD TO GO TO THE INTERNET TO SEE HOW SIMILAR CASES WITH THE PRIUS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED. HE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I FIND THERE. I TRIED MY BEST TO GIVE HIM A THOROUGH EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEM BUT HE DIDN'T SEEM MUCH INTERESTED IN GETTING A FIX ON WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. HE ASKED IF I HAD GONE OVER A BUMP. "NO," I REPLIED, "BUT WHY DO YOU ASK?" HE SAID THAT GOING OVER A BUMP CAN TRIGGER A SENSOR IN THE WHEEL THAT SETS IN MOTION A SERIES OF RESPONSES. "AND GOING OVER A BUMP ISN'T A PROBLEM FOR TOYOTA?", I ASKED. HE DIDN'T RESPOND AND ONLY SAID THAT THEY WILL LOOK THE CAR OVER. FROM READING THE DOCUMENTED REPORTS ON THE INTERNET, I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE FINDINGS WOULD BE. "WE DON'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH YOUR CAR," HE TOLD ME. "BUT YOU DO AGREE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG, DON'T YOU?", I ASKED. HE IMMEDIATELY HUSTLED ME OUT OF THE AREA. I KNEW THAT I COULD NEVER SELL MY CAR TO ANOTHER PERSON IN GOOD FAITH, BUT I SOLD IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AT A BIG LOSS. *TR