NHTSA Complaint #10765186 — 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS

OUR DAUGHTER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO SCHOOL. SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN OFF. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM WAS A PART CALLED THE COMBINATION METER. HE ADVISED THAT THE PART WAS RECALLED AND WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY TOYOTA. HE PROVIDED ME WITH A PHONE NUMBER FOR THE TOYOTA CORPORATIONS RECALL DEPARTMENT. I TELEPHONED TOYOTA AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT I WAS MISINFORMED BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR AND THAT THE PART WAS NOT RECALLED, BUT THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED ON THE PART IN 2012. I ASKED WHY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED AND WAS TOLD BECAUSE IT WASN'T A SAFET MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE IF THIS PART FAILS. BY SURFING THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS BY OTHERS REGARDING THE SAME PROBLEM. IF MY DAUGHTER WOULD HAVE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE HOME, PARKED THE VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE AS SHE USUALLY DOES. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT HAVE TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE IS A HYBRID AND WHEN THE BATTERY POWER WAS DEPLETED, THE GASOLINE ENGINE WOULD HAVE KICKED ON. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A DANGER, DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING TO ANY OCCUPANTS WITHIN THE HOUSE. ADDITIONALLY, IF THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM NO LONGER WORKS WHEN THIS PART FAILS, THE BRAKING DISTANCE INCREASES IN AN EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATION. WHEN THIS PART FAILS THE DASH GOES COMPLETELY BLACK, THE DRIVER IS UNAWARE THAT THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM IS NO LONGER WORKING. THE DRIVER IS ALSO UNABLE TO SEE THE SPEEDOMETER OR ANY OTHER GAUGES IN THE DASH. DUE TO RECENT DEATHS, DUE TO CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING CAUSED BY VEHICLES NOT TURNING OFF. I FEEL THAT TOYOTA IS NEGLIGENT FOR NOT TAKING MY CONCERNS MORE SERIOUSLY. TOYOTA IS AWARE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PART, THEY ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY IN 2012.