NHTSA Complaint #10460127 — 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS

ON APRIL 3 2012 WE DROVE OUR 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP SIGN IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. WHILE WE WERE STOPPED, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. MY WIFE, WHO AS DRIVING LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK THAT HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. WHILE STARING AT HER FOOT SQUARELY ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD AGAIN ABOUT 3 FEET. THE CAR THEN SURGED FORWARD AGAIN ABOUT ONE FOOT BEFORE STOPPING. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CROSSING TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS OR ANY OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS. NO COLLISION OCCURRED AND NO ONE WAS HURT. WE CALLED TOYOTA CARE IMMEDIATELY AND THEY PROMPTLY PICKED UP THE CAR AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER LATER CALLED US AND INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND THAT NO PROBLEM COULD BE FOUND. WE DISPUTED THAT WE WERE UNWILLING TO TAKE THE CAR BACK UNTIL A PROBLEM WAS FOUND AND THEY TOLD US THAT THEY HAD DONE EVERYTHING THEY COULD DO AND EVEN HAD DRIVEN THE CAR 10 MILES WITH NO INCIDENT. I INFORMED THEM THAT WE HAD DRIVEN THE CAR NEARLY 10,000 MILES AND IT HAPPENED ONCE. ONCE IS TOO MANY TIMES. THE DEALER TOLD US WE HAD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK. WE ASKED FOR A WRITTEN STATEMENT GUARANTEEING THE SAFETY OF THE CAR AND THAT THE ISSUE WOULD NOT OCCUR. THEY SAID THEY COULD OFFER NO WRITTEN STATEMENT, SO WE REFUSED TO TAKE THE CAR BACK WHAT FOLLOWED WAS ESSENTIALLY THE DEALER PASSING THE BUCK TO TOYOTA CORPORATE WHO BASICALLY TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND THAT IF WE STILL HAD A PROBLEM WE COULD GO TO ARBITRATION. TOYOTA CORPORATE WAS NEITHER REASSURING NOR HELPFUL. WE ARE NOW IN ARBITRATION WITH TOYOTA. WE HAVE OUR ARBITRATION HEARING TODAY. IT HAS NOW BEEN NEARLY TWO MONTHS SINCE WE HAVE HAD THE CAR, YET WE ARE STILL PAYING THE LEASE AND INSURANCE. WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR MONEY, WE ONLY WANT ASSURANCE AND SAFETY FOR OUR FAMILY. *TR