NHTSA Complaint #11377239 — 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME

JUST FIVE MINUTES AFTER I LEFT THE HOUSE, I WAS DRIVING AT 15 MILES MPH ON A CURVED ROAD AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER. THIS INCLUDES BOTH THE ELECTRIC MOTOR AND THE GAS MOTOR. BOTH THE STEERING SYSTEM AND BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME TOO STIFF TO TURN AND THE BRAKES WERE NOT ABLE TO BE PRESSED DOWN NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A LIGHT POLE. NOT ONLY DID THE AUTOMATIC COLLISION PREVENTION SYSTEM FAILED TO WORK, THE AIRBAGS ALSO FAILED TO DEPLOY WITH THE AMOUNT OF IMPACT. THIS HAS CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND SEVERE INJURY TO MY BODY. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A POWER FAILURE. THE FIRST TIME I WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF FOR 5 SECONDS AND TURNED BACKED ON AGAIN. LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MOVING DUE TO THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FAILED TO FIND ANY PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. NOTHING APPEARED ON THE MONITOR NOR THE DASHBOARD, JUST LIKE THE FIRST TIME. I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE TO START FOR 30 MINUTES. I EVEN CAPTURED THIS INCIDENT ON VIDEO THAT NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I'VE PRESSED THE START BUTTON, I COULD NOT GET THE VEHICLE TO POWER UP AGAIN (ENGINE OR BATTERY MODE). JUST LIKE LAST TIME, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ONCE AGAIN FAILED TO FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. AT ALL TIMES, I'VE DONE MY DUE DILIGENCE TO ENSURE THAT THE BATTERY WAS FULLY CHARGED BEFORE I BEGIN DRIVING FOR THE DAY AND WITH ADEQUATE FUEL FOR THE ENGINE MODE. TOYOTA'S NEGLIGENCE AND THE POOR QUALITY OF THE VEHICLE HAVE CAUSED ME AN ALMOST LIFE-THREATENING ACCIDENT.