NHTSA Complaint #10502447 — 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS

MY CAR HAD HESITATION ISSUES SINCE SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT IT. IT WOULD BOG DOWN, AND ALMOST DIE IN TRAFFIC. I WOULD LOSE SPEED ON THE HWY/ROAD & NEARLY GET HIT. PREVIOUSLY, THE DEALER REPLACED THE GAS TANK BECAUSE ITS "BLADDER" WAS BAD @ 54,057 MILES ON 08/05/2011. THE FACTORY SPLIT THE COST ON THIS REPAIR (WHICH APPEARS TO OCCUR MORE THAN THEY ARE ADMITTING). THE PERFORMANCE IMPROVED FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN FUNNY NOISES COMING FROM MY VEHICLE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT POWER ON AT TIMES. OTHER TIMES, IT WOULD FREEZE OR POWER OFF. THE MAINTENANCE WARNING LIGHTS WOULD COME ON AND THEN TURN OFF. INFREQUENTLY, AIR WOULD COME THROUGH THE BACKSEAT VENTS LIKE IT IS SUPPOSED TO. FREQUENTLY, I WOULD SMELL UNUSUAL SMELLS AFTER STOPPING MY CAR. MY CAR ATE UP THE INSIDE OF A NEW SET OF TIRES VERY QUICKLY DESPITE BEING PROPERLY ALIGNED. THE HVAC BLOWER MOTOR WAS CUTTING ON AND OFF AT TIMES AND MAKING FUNNY NOISES. MANY TIMES WHEN IT WOULD CUT OFF, I COULD OPEN AND SLAM THE HOOD AND THE HVAC BLOWER MOTOR WOULD ENGAGE, AS IF THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN IT. WHEN THE HVAC BLOWER MOTOR QUIT ALTOGETHER, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE MOWER HAD GONE OUT. THERE WAS AN ACTUAL PROBLEM WITH THE HV ELECTRIC WATER PUMP AS WELL AS A FACTORY RECALL. INTERESTINGLY, THE DEALER DISCOVERED TAT THE ENGINE MOTOR WATER PUMP WAS ALSO LEAKING. WHAT A COINCIDENCE! NOW THAT ALL OF THESE COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, MY CAR APPEARS TO WORK NORMAL AGAIN LIKE IT HAS NOT WORKED SINCE I FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR. *TR