NHTSA Complaint #11082096 — 2004 TOYOTA PRIUS

MY PRIUS SUDDENLY HAD A 70 TO80% LOSS OF BRAKE POWER. MY PARKING BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE ABS, VCS, THE RED TRIANGLE AND A LOAD BUZZER. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED I COULD HAVE REAR-ENDED OR KILLED SOMEONE. AFTER TURNING MY CAR OFF AND LETTING IT SIT THE LIGHTS STAYED OFF. THIS CONCERNS ME BECAUSE IT COULD LEAD TO A FALSE SENSE THERE'S NOTHING WRONG. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY SEEMED TO KNOW RIGHT AWAY IT WAS THE ABS BRAKE ACTUATOR CODE C1256. I DID SOME DIGGING AND IT SEEMS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND YET IT'S NOT A RECALL ISSUE. I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. MY PRIUS WAS BOUGHT NEW BY MY SENIOR PARENTS, THEY KEPT IT GARAGED AND ONLY HAD 45000. MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT FROM THERE ESTATE. AT THE TIME THE MALFUNCTION AC CURED IT STILL ONLY HAS 72456. MILES ON IT. FOR A PART TO MALFUNCTION WITH SUCH LITTLE MILES TO ME INDICATES A VERY SERIOUS DEFECT. IN MOTION GOING STRAIGHT DRIVING AT 25 MPH RESIDENTIAL STREET.