NHTSA Complaint #10558365 — 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS

UNNECESSARY MINOR INJURY PRODUCING DESIGN MY PRIUS, WHICH I LIKE, HAS SEVERAL TIMES GIVEN ME A MINOR BRUISE THAT LASTS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE FRONT PASSENGER DOORS, AT THE BOTTOM CORNERS, END IN A SHARP RIGHT ANGLE. IN CONTRAST, MANY OTHER CAR DOORS HAVE A SLIGHTLY ROUNDED BOTTOM CORNER WHICH HAVE NEVER INJURED ME. AS I AM WALKING AROUND THE PRIUS, LOADING AND UNLOADING FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SHARP CORNER SEEMS TO CATCH MY SHIN AND BRUISE IT. I AM IN MY 70'S AND GUESS THAT THESE MINOR INJURIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAPPEN WITH CHILDREN AND SENIORS. IF THIS WAS A NEEDED ELEMENT OF DESIGN, THEN I WOULD NOT CALL THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION. HOWEVER IT SEEMS TO BE PRIMARILY POOR ERGONOMICS ON THE PART OF THE DESIGNER. IF THE INJURY POTENTIAL OF SHARP CORNERS WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF CAR MANUFACTURERS, PERHAPS, WHEN DESIGNS ARE CHANGED, THE SAFER CORNER COULD BE INCORPORATED AT ESSENTIALLY NO COST AND NUMBERS OF FUTURE MINOR INJURIES COULD BE AVOIDED. *TR