NHTSA Complaint #11363736 — 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS

2007 PRIUS 144K MILES WHEN PROBLEM 1ST OCCURRED. CAR SERVICED REGULARLY - OIL CHANGED EVERY 3500 MILES. MASTER WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON RANDOMLY WHEN TURNING OR GOING UP/DOWN HILL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS RUN REPEATEDLY (AT TOYOTA AND AT LOCAL MECHANIC) NOTHING EVER FOUND. 12/2016 BROUGHT CAR TO TOYOTA SERVICE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING INITIALLY. 2+ HOURS LATER TOLD OIL IS VERY LOW WHICH MADE NO SENSE; NO OIL SPOT IN GARAGE, CAR PASSED INSPECTION AND WASN'T DUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE . WAS TOLD THE 'OIL WARNING INDICATOR' WAS LIT DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE OIL WARNING LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. EVER. (OIL INDICATOR SHOULD COME ON WHEN CAR IS STARTED AND REMAIN ON -BRIEFLY IF THE OIL IS LOW. IT DOES NOT.) TOLD TECH THAT ONLY THE MASTER LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES. NEVER GIVEN AN EXPLANATION. PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. MASTER INDICATOR ONLY COMES ON WHEN THERE IS ALMOST NO OIL. LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED I ADDED 4 QTS. OF OIL, DROVE 687 MILES AND HAD TO ADD ANOTHER 4 QTS. AT THIS POINT I HAVE TO CHECK THE OIL EVERY TIME I GET INTO THE CAR.