NHTSA Complaint #10433135 — 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

I GENTLY DRIVE MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS IN ECO MODE TO MAXIMIZE FUEL ECONOMY. EVERY WEEKDAY, SINCE JANUARY 2011, I SLOW ON A CERTAIN ROAD TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. THE ROAD HAS A MANHOLE COVER RECESSED ABOUT 1 INCH INTO THE ROAD ALONG THE PATH OF MY PASSENGER SIDE TIRES. EVERY TIME I DRIVE OVER THIS MANHOLE COVER THE PRIUS COMPLETELY LOSES ABILITY TO BRAKE FOR ABOUT 1/2 SECOND, THEN BRAKING IS REESTABLISHED. THERE ARE OTHER SMALL BUMPS I DRIVE OVER AT OTHER PLACES WHICH HAVE THE SAME RESULTS TO THE PRIUS BRAKING SYSTEM. YESTERDAY (26 OCT 2011) SOMETHING DIFFERENT BUT POSSIBLY ASSOCIATED HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP. THIS TIME I WAS ACCELERATING AFTER HAVING MADE A RIGHT TURN FROM A COMPLETE STOP. WHILE STILL ACCELERATING AFTER THE TURN I SIGNALED LEFT AND PROCEEDED TO MERGE INTO THE LEFT HAND LANE. AS THE PRIUS RIGHT FRONT TIRE DROVE OVER THE REFLECTIVE LANE MARKER IMBEDDED IN THE ROAD SURFACE (THE MARKER STICKS OUT ABOUT 1/2 INCH FROM ROAD SURFACE) THE PRIUS WENT OUT OF CONTROL. THE CAR SUDDENLY AND SEVERELY PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT AND RAPIDLY SLOWED, I STRUGGLED AGAINST THE CARS ACTIONS TO AVOID HITTING THE RAISED CENTER MEDIAN. MY FIRST THOUGH WAS THAT I MUST HAVE HAD A COMPLETE AND INSTANTANEOUS BLOW OUT ON THE FRONT LEFT TIRE. MY REACTION WAS TO IMMEDIATELY REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR. THEN AS I WAS FURTHER ASSESSING MY OPTIONS AND THE SURROUNDING TRAFFIC THE PRIUS REGAINED CONTROL AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AS IF NOTHING HAD EVER HAPPENED. AS THE PRIUS REINSTATED CONTROL I HEARD A BEEP COME FROM THE DASHBOARD, HOWEVER I WAS NOT QUICK ENOUGH TO NOTICE IF ANY WARNING LIGHTS HAD ENGAGED DURING THE INCIDENT. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE DISPLAYS EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. I ALSO CHECK THE CAR EXTERNALLY AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. ALL INCIDENTS ARE ON HIGH QUALITY ROAD SURFACES WITH DRY PAVEMENT. DEALER INDICATES NO RECALLS. *TR