NHTSA Complaint #11302378 — 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS

OUR DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS TO WORK IN THE DARK IN RUSH HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY, DRIVING STRAIGHT, AT HIGHWAY SPEED, IN LOS ANGELES, AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INSTANTLY BLACKED OUT, WITH THE CAR COMPLETELY DEAD AND HALTED. IT COULD NOT EVEN BE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL! THE CAR STOPPED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. SHE CALLED 911, AND A WRECKER WAS DISPATCHED TO LIFT THE CAR OFF THE FREEWAY. THANKFULLY SHE WAS NOT INJURED OR KILLED! I THEN RESEARCHED THE LIKELY CAUSE AND DIAGNOSED IT EXACTLY. IT WAS THE "HYBRID WATER PUMP" ALSO KNOWN AS THE "INVERTER PUMP," PART #G9020-47031. THAT PART WAS RECALLED IN 2012, NHTSA RECALL # 12V536000. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NEARBY TOYOTA DEALER, NORTH HOLLYWOOD TOYOTA, TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THAT DEALER LOOKED UP THE VEHICLE'S RECORDS AND SAID THE RECALL HAD BEEN PERFORMED IN 2013. WAS IT REALLY? IF SO, THEN A RECALLED PART THAT CAUSES A COMPLETE, INSTANT BLACKOUT ON A PRIUS ALREADY FAILED AGAIN. THE RECEIPT FOR THE REPAIR IS ATTACHED, INCLUDING THE NHTSA RECALLED PART #. THE REPAIR COST $699.09 + TAX, AND CAUSED AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS INSTANT STOPPAGE OF THE VEHICLE ON A JAM-PACKED HIGHWAY. I E-MAILED TOYOTA USA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO APPEAL THE SITUATION, AND THEY SENT ME A REPLY AND ASKED THAT I CALL THEM. ON THE CALL, THEY CLAIMED THERE IS NO RECOURSE FOR ME TO PURSUE. I'M A 51 YEAR OLD U.S. ARMY OFFICER VETERAN AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED OR KNOWN OF ANYTHING THIS SUSPICIOUS AND DANGEROUS IN THE AUTOMOBILE SPACE. THANK YOU, [XXX] REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *CC *TR