NHTSA Complaint #11019789 — 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS

ONCE MY CAR GOT PAST 100,000 MILES, THE NON-SPECIFIC WARNING LIGHT STARTED COMING ON AND THE WORD "PROBLEM!" WOULD COME ON THE SCREEN. MANUAL SAYS TO ASK DEALER WHAT THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM IS. CERTIFIED TOYOTA DEALER KEPT SAYING THEY DON'T KNOW. TURNS OUT AFTER MY OWN PERSISTENCE THAT THE PROBLEM IS HEAVY OIL CONSUMPTION. NOT BURNING; NOT LEAKING. JUST HIGH CONSUMPTION. TAKE CAR FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND IT SEEMS TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT KEEPS PRESSING ME TO GET A NEW ENGINE, RATHER THAN OFFERING ANY INTERMEDIATE SOLUTIONS. COULD HAVE TOLD ME THOUSANDS OF MILES AGO TO AT LEAST KEEP ADDING OIL, BUT THEY NEVER BOTHERED. I NOW KNOW AFTER ABOUT A YEAR THAT I HAVE TO START ADDING A LOT OF OIL JUST A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE OIL IS CHANGED AND FILLED. IF I WAIT UNTIL REGULAR MAINTENANCE INTERVAL, ALL OIL WILL BE GONE. ENGINE WOULD HAVE BROKEN DOWN IF I DIDN'T PERSIST IN FIGURING OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. WENT THROUGH 3 REGULAR SERVICE APPOINTMENTS BEFORE I REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON MY OWN. PROBLEM WAS AT ITS WORST WHEN BRAKING, BUT LIGHT CAME ON AT OTHER TIMES AS WELL. I HAVE YESTERDAY'S DATE HERE ON THE COMPLAINT, BUT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ABOUT A YEAR.