NHTSA Complaint #10402449 — 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS

I WAS DRIVING MY 6-MONTH OLD 2009 PRIUS ONE SUMMER DAY ON A DRY, PAVED, SLIGHTLY DOWNWARD INCLINE WHEN THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM OCCURRED. AS I APPROACHED A TRAFFIC CIRCLE AT ABOUT 5 MPH AND THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES, MY CAR JUMPED FORWARD FOR ABOUT A SECOND AND A GOLD LIGHT ON THE DASH WAS BRIEFLY VISIBLE THROUGH MY PERIPHERAL VISION. BECAUSE I WAS FAMILIAR WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS, I THINK THAT I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THOUGH I MAY HAVE REFLEXIVELY RELEASED IT IN MY STARTLE. AT ANY RATE THE CAR STOPPED A FEW FEET LATER. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO COLLISION, LARGELY DUE, I BELIEVE, TO MY HABIT OF COASTING TO A STOP WHEN PRACTICAL. HOWEVER, THIS WAS A BIT UNNERVING, AND ALSO SINCE IT WAS DURING THE PERIOD OF CONCERN ABOUT TOYOTA PRIUS' UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, I MADE A POINT OF REPORTING IT TO MY CAR DEALER. I COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHICH DASH LIGHT HAD FLASHED FOR A SECOND. THE DEALER'S RESPONSE WAS THAT THERE WAS PROBABLY AN UNEVEN SURFACE ON THE ROAD THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. SURE ENOUGH, THERE HAD BEEN BOTH A SHALLOW POTHOLE AND A BIT OF GRAVEL WHERE THE STOPPING PROBLEM OCCURRED. HOWEVER, I TAKE ISSUE WITH TOYOTA'S BLAMING ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM WHEN CLEARLY THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CAR CANNOT RESPOND APPROPRIATELY EVEN DURING VERY SLOW SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM HASN'T RECURRED BECAUSE I AVOIDED THE POTHOLE AFTERWARD AND NEVER HAVE TO STOP ON A DIME, POTHOLE OR NO. I HAVE HAD CARS WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEMS (ABS) AND NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM WITH THEM. THEREFORE, IMO TOYOTA NEEDS TO IMPROVE THE ABS OR THE (THEN NEW) STABILITY CONTROL FEATURE ON PRIUSES, BOTH OF WHICH MY CAR HAS. IN ALL OF THE HYPE ABOUT TOYOTA CARS' SUSTAINED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION, I DO NOT REMEMBER THAT THIS OTHER EVENT THAT I HAVE DESCRIBED WAS ALSO BEING ADDRESSED. HOW COME? WHERE ARE NHTSA, NASA, AND TOYOTA ON THIS? *TR