NHTSA Complaint #10596239 — 2008 TOYOTA PRIUS

ON THIS DATE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE 5 NEAR LOS ANGELES MY PRIUS MADE A LOUD NOISE AND STARTED SHUTTING DOWN AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE FAR LEFT LANE. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN AND THE VSC ICON AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ICON BECAME VISIBLE, HOWEVER THE ODOMETER WAS BLANK AND I COULD NOT TELL WHAT SPEED I WAS TRAVELING, THE CAR WAS COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. ONCE I MANAGED TO GET TO THE FAR RIGHT SHOULDER THE CAR MADE A STOP. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY A BIG RIG WHICH HAD TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT SIDE IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING MY CAR. IT WASN'T UNTIL THEN THAT I NOTICED THE RED ENGINE LIGHT ICON DISPLAYED ON THE CONTROL PANEL NOT THE ODOMETER. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS WARNING LIGHT BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE OWNER'S MANUAL IT CLEARLY STATED THAT ONCE THIS LIGHT APPEARS YOU NEED TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE OR IT WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED THIS SIGN AND IT APPEARED AFTER THE FACT. THE CAR HAD NO ENGINE OIL, WHICH WAS RIDICULOUS SINCE I HAD NOT NOTICED ANY LEAKS AND I TAKE MY CAR IN EVERY 2 MONTHS TO THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THE DEALER HAD NO EXPLANATION OTHER THAN IT DID NOT HAVE ANY LEAKS AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO VERIFY WHEN THE RED ENGINE OIL CAME ON. THIS HAPPENED ON 5/30/14, MY LAST VISIT TO THE DEALER WAS ON 4/12/14 AND AT THE TIME THEY DID NOT DETECT ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE OIL LEAKING. THIS CLEARLY MAKES NO SENSE AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. TOYOTA OWNERS SHOULD BE VERY CAUTIOUS AS THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED THE SENSOR SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A WARNING PRIOR TO THE CAR SHUTTING DOWN. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED MANY FATALITIES BEING IN A HEAVILY POPULATED HIGHWAY. *TR