NHTSA Complaint #11144121 — 2009 TOYOTA PRIUS

COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF PRIUS AUTOMOBILE WITH NO WARNING WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. ROLLED TO A STOP IN SAFE AREA. NOTHING WORKED EXCEPT EMERGENCY BLINKERS. NO INSTRUMENTATION OR WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED. THE CAR WAS LOCKED IN FWD PARK AND COULD NOT BE TOWED BY FLATBED TOW TRUCK AS THERE IS NO OVERRIDE. LIFT TOW TRUCK WAS USED TO GET TO DEALER. DIAGNOSED AS MELTED HYBRID INVERTOR PUMP. DEALER REPLACED PUMP AND FUSE FOR A $641.47 COST TO ME. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY/FREEWAY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER. THE COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WITHOUT WARNING AT FREEWAY SPEED COULD VERY EASILY ENDED UP AS A MULTIPLE CAR PILE UP. JUST THE THOUGHT OF CROSSING MULTIPLE LANES IN TRAFFIC WITH NO POWER, JUST ROLLING, MAKES ME THINK IT'S TIME TO GET RID OF THIS CAR.