NHTSA Complaint #11281616 — 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

MY 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS WAS IMPECCABLY MAINTAINED BY DESERT TOYOTA OF TUCSON, ALL SERVICE RECORDS KEPT. OIL WAS CHANGED EVERY 5,000 MILES RATHER THAN THE DEALER-RECOMMENDED 10,000. THIS WAS MY 4TH TOYOTA AND I EXPECTED IT, LIKE MY OTHER TOYOTAS, TO HAVE NO SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS FOR YEARS. BUT SUDDENLY IN 2017, WHEN THE ENGINE TURNED OVER 107,000 MILES (THUS MAKING IT OUT OF WARRANTY), I HAPPENED TO CHECK THE OIL (SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES BEFORE THE NEXT SERVICE WAS DUE) AND FOUND IT NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE DIPSTICK. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT I CHECKED IT BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO ADD OIL AND SAVE THE ENGINE. THE CAR PERFORMED AS BEFORE, BUT CONTINUED TO BURN ABOUT A QUART OF MOTOR OIL EVERY 1000 TO 1500 MILES. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF EITHER SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST, OR OIL STAINS UNDERNEATH THE CAR. MY SERVICE PERSON AT DESERT MERELY SHRUGGED AND SAID THIS KIND OF THING HAPPENED OCCASIONALLY, OFFERED NO REMEDY OR CONTACT WITH THE TOYOTA REP. I BEGAN TO SEARCH THE INTERNET, FINDING THAT THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF 2010 TOYOTA PRIUSES WITH THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE KEPT THE CAR ON THE ROAD BUT AM AWAITING A REIMBURSED REMEDY FROM TOYOTA, POSSIBLY THROUGH A CLASS ACTION SUIT. THIS OIL LEAKAGE POSES INCALCULABLE SAFETY RISKS TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN POLLUTION AND UNPREDICTABLE OCCURRENCES. TOYOTA OWNERS DO NOT EXPECT A $5000 ENGINE REPAIR ON A $25,000 CAR WITHIN 7 YEARS OF PURCHASE, NOR SHOULD THEY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A TOYOTA DEFECT WHICH CONVENIENTLY OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS JUST OUT OF ENGJINE WARRANTY.