NHTSA Complaint #11286553 — 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS

WHILE DRIVING ON RTE. 24 SOUTH IN MASSACHUSETTS (AROUND BROCKTON/BRIDGEWATER/ TAUNTON, MA) THE CAUTION LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING (TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION). I PULLED OVER AT THE NEAREST REST STOP TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY OBSERVABLE PROBLEM, BUT I COULD NOT DETECT ANYTHING SPECIFIC. I GOT BACK ON THE HIGHWAY; AND THE LIGHT CONTINUED BEEPING INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN ABOUT A MILE LATER I FELT A SHIFT IN THE TRANSMISSION AND SUDDENLY I WAS IN NEUTRAL, QUICKLY DECELERATING FROM 65 MPH. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY, AT WHICH POINT A NEW MESSAGE WAS ON MY DASH TELLING ME TO PULL OVER, THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY HYBRID SYSTEM! WE (THE TOW TRUCK GUY AND I) NOTICED OIL UNDER THE CAR AND CONFIRMED IT WAS CLEAN OIL, AND I SAW ANOTHER SPOT IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I GOT HOME. I HAVE SURMISED THAT WHEN I GOT MY OIL CHANGED LAST WEEK, SOMETHING MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO CAUSE THE LEAK, WHICH IS IN FACT THE CASE AND NOW MY ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED (THE REPAIR SHOP HAS OWNED THE ERROR AND IS PAYING FOR THIS). HOWEVER MY CONCERN THAT I WISH TO REGISTER IS THAT THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL ME NOT TO DRIVE IT, NOT JUST A CAUTION LIGHT THAT COULD HAVE MEANT ANYTHING. I COULD HAVE HAD A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. AND WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH I BOUGHT THE CAR, NO ONE CALLED ME BACK (I TRIED THREE TIMES AND WAS DISCONNECTED ONCE) BRAINTREE TOYOTA. (781) 848-9300 THIS SEEMS LIKE A DEFECT THAT NEEDS LOOKING AT. BEING THROWN INTO NEUTRAL GOING 65 MILES PER HOUR AS A RESPONSE TO AN ENGINE LEAKING OIL IS NOT OK. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING NOT TO DRIVE.