NHTSA Complaint #10564732 — 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN DECEMBER OF 2013, WITH TWO DIFFERENT DRIVERS, THE BRAKES ON OUR 2011 MODEL YEAR PRIUS (PURCHASED NEW IN FEBRUARY 2012), FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE FIRST TIME OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING (WITH ONE OF MY TEENAGERS IN THE CAR WITH ME), AND THE SECOND TIME OCCURRED WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR ALONE. IN BOTH INSTANCE WE PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND AT ALL. ALTHOUGH IT IS WINTER, THE ROADS WERE CLEAR, AND THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL WHEN THE BRAKES WERE PRESSED / APPLIED. INTERESTINGLY, AFTER 30 - 60 SECONDS, THE BRAKE FUNCTION RESTORED ITSELF. SINCE DECEMBER THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE SHOP AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR. THE SHOP HAS BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. ADDITIONALLY, THE SHOP INDICATED THEY CONTACTED TOYOTA MECHANICS AND SERVICE SUPPORT STAFF TO HELP IDENTIFY AND FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT TOYOTA CLAIMED THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM OR ANYTHING LIKE IT. MOREOVER, TOYOTA REFUSES TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS OR CHANGE ANY PARTS (EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY). YET, THIS PAST WEDNESDAY (FEBRUARY 12, 2014), TOYOTA ANNOUNCED A RECALL ON RAV4'S AND OTHER MODELS FOR A SOFTWARE PROBLEM THAT CAUSES THE ANTI-BRAKES TO INTERMITTENTLY TURN OFF. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TROUBLING, GIVEN TOYOTA'S CLAIM THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO FIX. FURTHER, TOYOTA ANNOUNCED A RECALL ON THE PRIUS ITSELF, FOR A SOFTWARE PROBLEM THAT MIGHT CAUSE THE CAR TO TURN OFF COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING. CLEARLY, TOYOTA HAS A PROBLEM WITH ITS SOFTWARE IN A NUMBER OF VEHICLES. AT THIS POINT, ALL I HAVE RECEIVED IS CORPORATE DOUBLE TALK, AND I URGE THE NHTSA TO PURSUE THIS MATTER AS VIGOROUSLY AS POSSIBLE. *TR