NHTSA Complaint #10512218 — 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

FIRST INCIDENT: APRIL 15, 2013 I LOST MY BRAKES WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM MY NIGHT SHIFT WORK AS A REGISTERED NURSE. I WAS AT AN INTERSECTION TWO BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE WHEN I FELT THE BRAKE WAS FAILING. IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT I WAS DRIVING SLOW TO MAKE A TURN WHEN I FELT THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING. I WAS ABLE TO STEER IT TO A PARKING LOT NEARBY BY USING THE FOOT BRAKE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, I HEARD SQUEAKING NOISES FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS WHENEVER I STEP ON THE BRAKES. I WAS RELIEVED THAT I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. ACTION AFTER THE 1ST INCIDENT: APRIL 24, 2010. WE TOWED THE CAR TO DCH TOYOTA FREEHOLD, AND IT TOOK ABOUT 5 DAYS TO REPAIR THE BRAKES SO THEY GAVE US A LOANER CAR WHICH WE TRULY APPRECIATE. BUT WHEN WE PICKED UP THE CAR, THE BRAKES WERE FIXED BUT THE SQUEAKING NOISE IS STILL PRESENT, AND OUR WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED. WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY TO INFORM THEM ABOUT THE SQUEAKING NOISE AND TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CRACKED WINDSHIELD. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT THEIR TECHNICIANS TESTED MY CAR AND DEEMED IT SAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT THEY WOULD NEVER RELEASE MY CAR UNLESS THEY KNOW IT IS SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD. SECOND INCIDENT: APRIL 29, 2013, I LOST THE BRAKES AGAIN WHILE I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AROUND 7:00 PM. I REALLY GOT VERY SCARED BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH TRAFFIC AT THAT TIME. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND PARK MY CAR SLOWLY TO THE CURB WITHOUT HITTING ANYBODY ELSE BY USING THE FOOT BREAK. ACTION AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT: SAME NIGHT, WE TOWED THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR, AND AFTER A WEEK OF WAITING, THEY FINALLY CAME BACK TO US SPECIFYING THAT THE WHOLE MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE PAD ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND WILL COST MORE THAN 4K FOR PARTS ALONE. CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT ASSIST US, SINCE WE EXCEEDED THE WARRANTY PERIOD. *TR