NHTSA Complaint #10585814 — 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS

ON 09/01/10, WE TOOK OUR 2008 PRIUS IN BECAUSE THERE WERE TWO TIMES THE CAR DIDN'T STOP WHEN WE USED THE BRAKES. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER, THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. IT WAS SCARY AND I FEARED AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THEY WORKED ON THE CAR, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE FLOOR MATS THAT INTERFERED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME BECAUSE I HAD TO PUT MY FOOT UNDER THE PEDAL TO RAISE IT UP SINCE IT WAS STUCK. I WAS ANGRY THEY COMPLETELY IGNORED THE FACT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN AND ACTED AS THOUGH THE PROBLEM WAS HANDLED. ON 03/31/12, W. MANCHESTER/HINDRY, BEFORE 2:00 P.M., IT HAD DRIZZLED, I STOPPED AT A LIGHT, DROVE AHEAD AND AT A FORK IN THE ROAD I TAPPED MY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN ON A CURVE. INSTEAD, THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND. THE CAR KEPT GAINING SPEED! I WAS AT LEAST 3 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND OTHER CAR, PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP BUT THE CAR ACCELERATED NO MATTER HOW HARD I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES. IT WAS TERRIFYING! I REALIZED I WAS GOING TO CRASH AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO PREVENT IT. I REAR ENDED THE MERCEDES, THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. I HAD 2 BOXES OF BOOKS IN THE TRUNK THAT HIT THE BACK OF MY SEAT AND KNOCKED DOWN THE REAR SEATS FROM THE IMPACT. THE CAR WAS TOWED. DAMAGES: $5,988.79. MEDICAL: $25,000. NEXT MONTH, A CRACKED PUMP WAS DISCOVERED AT FIREWALL, DUE TO THE ACCIDENT. THE BLACK BOX SHOWED IMPACT WAS AT 35 MPH, (35-27) MPH, 0.02 SEC. INJURIES: CONCUSSION, WHIPLASH, BACK SPASMS, DOUBLE-CRUSH INJURY, PTSD, DEPRESSION, MIGRAINES. I COULDN'T DRIVE OR START PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR 4 MOS., UNTIL 07/27/12. MY THERAPIST WORKED ALOT TO RELAX MY MUSCLES, I HAD TRACTION, BOUGHT A TRACTION DEVICE $400. AND 6 MOS. OF CHIROPRACTIC FOR MUSCLE SPASMS. 12/08/12, I HAD A NERVE-TEST, IT WAS ABNORMAL FOR A DOUBLE-CRUSH INJURY. PRESCRIBED XANAX FOR PTSD, ANXIETY. *TR