NHTSA Complaint #10760730 — 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS

THERE ARE 3 ISSUES I AM HAVING WITH THIS PRIUS. THE BRAKES ARE THE FIRST PROBLEM. AS OTHERS HAVE STATED, I TOO HAVE THE SAME LURCHING FORWARD WHEN BRAKING OVER BUMBY OR ROUGH ROADS. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. SECOND, THE SUSPENSION IS CREAKING AND CRUNCHING WHEN MAKING TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS UNDER 20MPH. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE WHEELS ARE TURNED ALL THE WAY RIGHT AND ALL THE WAY LEFT. THIS CRUNCHING NOISE HAPPENS WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, MAKING U-TURNS, COMING TO A STOP ON AN INCLINE, AND BRAKING OVER SPEED BUMPS. I'VE HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THIS FOR THE LAST YEAR WHEN I COME IN FOR SERVICE AND ONE TECH SAYS THEY CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT, ANOTHER TECH SAYS HE HEARS IT BUT CAN'T FIND THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, THE SERVICE MGR. ALSO WENT ON A DRIVE WITH ME AND REPRODUCES THE NOISE CONCERN BUT THE TECHS COULDN'T FIND IT. MOST WERE SUGGESTING NEW FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS-STRUTS, TOWERS, LINKS, ETC. I REPLACED THE TWO FRONT STRUTS AND ALL OF THE EXTRA COMPONENTS-THE NOISE CONCERN IS STILL THERE. I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS. THIRD ISSUE IS THE ICE-MOTOR. WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF, THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD AND MAKES A CREAKING SOUND. IT'S APPEARS THAT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT. THE ENGINE SEEMS LIKE IT IS LOOSE. THE ENGINE ALSO MAKES RATTLING SOUND WHEN CRUISING LIGHTLY AT 15-25 MPH WITH THE ACCELERATOR PRESSED SLIGHTLY. THE SOUND IS COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE, UNDER THE DASHBOARD-GLOVE COMPARTMENT AREA. THIS IS A RATTLE SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. I'VE HAD THIS LOOKED AT AS WELL AND THE DEALER STATES THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE IT. I HAVE RECORDED ALL SOUNDS RELATED TO THESE CONCERNS AND AM TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALER THIS MONTH.