NHTSA Complaint #11297298 — 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

SLOWLY (3-5MPH) MOVING TOWARD EXIT RAMP FROM HOSPITAL PARKING LOT. TRIED TO BRAKE BEFORE TURNING RIGHT ONTO RAMP, BUT SERVICE BRAKE DIDN'T RESPOND -- FELT LIKE I WAS JUST POUNDING THE FLOOR. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO COAST. I TURNED IT ONTO EXIT RAMP. DURING COAST DOWN RAMP THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY SHOWED "LOW BRAKE POWER" OR "BRAKE POWER LOW". VEHICLE SPEED REMAINED RELATIVELY CONSTANT. I SHIFTED INTO R (REVERSE), THINK THAT NO HARM WOULD COME TO TRANSMISSION AT THAT SPEED, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED; COAST REMAINED CONSTANT. LUCKILY NO VEHICLES WERE IN FRONT OF MINE AND NONE WERE COMING ON RT 25 BRIGHTON AVE WESTBOUND IN PORTLAND ME, SO I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE COASTING VEHICLE TO A SLOW STOP ALONG THE ROAD'S EDGE (BUT STILL HALFWAY INTO THE TRAVEL LANE). THEN THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE HAD BEEN TURNED OFF (NOT BY ME). A CITY BUS CAME ALONG ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER; IF IT HAD COME BY ONE MINUTE BEFORE THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION WITH MY VEHICLE. AFTER WAITING TO RECOVER FROM THE SHOCK OF THAT EVENT, I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND TESTED THE BRAKES, AND THEY SEEMED NORMAL AND THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL LIGHTS ON MESSAGES ON THE VEHICLE DISPLAYS. I TRIED DRIVING IT CAREFULLY, AND IT SEEMED NORMAL, SO I DROVE IT OFF BRIGHTON AVE AND ULTIMATELY GOT IT HOME IN BUXTON WITHOUT ANY MORE ADVERSE EVENTS. TODAY I LOOKED AT THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR AND IT WAS NORMAL (1/4 INCH BELOW MAX). I'M HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT ON MARCH 1, 2018 AND WILL NOT DRIVE IT AGAIN UNTIL THEY TELL ME IT HAS BEEN FIXED.