NHTSA Complaint #10584549 — 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS

THE SKID "PLATE" - AN EXTREMELY THIN PIECE OF MOLDED PLASTIC ATTACHED BY A COUPLE OF LAG SCREWS - CAME LOOSE ON THE FREEWAY, ROLLED UP UNDER THE CAR AND OUT INTO THE ADJACENT LANE. THE FRONT (MOLDED PLASTIC OF COURSE) BUMPER OF CAR WAS SHATTERED. OTHER DRIVERS IN THE FAST LANE HAD TO AVOID THE SKID PLATE WHICH CAME FLYING OUT FROM UNDER MY CAR. THE CLEARANCE OF THIS CAR'S SKID PLATE (WITH AN "L" SHAPED EXTENSION DOWN TOWARDS THE GROUND) IS PROBABLY NO MORE THAN 6 INCHES, MEANING THAT IT WILL NOT CLEAR THE COMMON PARKING LOT CURB. THIS LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SKID PLATE COMING LOOSE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM THAT IS GOING TO RESULT IN SOMEONE GETTING HURT, EITHER THROUGH LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE (IT MISSED MY FRONT TIRES AND THEREFORE DIDN'T AFFECT MY STEERING BUT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL). I DID NOT OWN THIS CAR, BUT NOW IT IS APPARENTLY GOING TO COST ME $1200 TO FIX THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE THIS DESIGN FLAW. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO TASK FOR PUTTING SOMETHING THIS UNSAFE INTO THE MARKET. *TR