NHTSA Complaint #11398158 — 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, OUR BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED ON OUR TOYOTA PRIUS WHILE DRIVING ON A SIDE ROAD AFTER MONTHS OF CONTINUING WEAKNESS IN THE BRAKE PEDAL AND "LURCHING" WHEN BRAKING OVER POTHOLES. THE BRAKE SYSTEM LOST HYDRAULIC PRESSURE. UPON INSPECTION BY AN ASE-CERTIFIE MECHANIC, THEY DETERMINED THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY HAD LIKELY FAILED, BUT RECOMMENDED SENDING TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY CONFIRMED THE VEHICLE WAS UNFIT TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS SENT TO A TOYOTA DEALER. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE BREAK BOOSTER ASSEMBLY/ACTUATOR HAD FAILED. THE DEALER ADVISED THE BRAKE BOOSTER HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN UNDER A TOYOTA "CUSTOMER SERVICE CAMPAIGN," BUT THAT THE "WARRANTY" CAMPAIGN HAD EXPIRED. HOWEVER, HE ADVISED TOYOTA BRAND ENGAGEMENT CENTER HAS OFTEN ASSISTED CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY'RE JUST OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD. WHEN CONTACTING TOYOTA, THEY STATED THIS VEHICLE WAS NEVER UNDER RECALL AND WAS NOT ELIGIBLE, BUT THEN SAID THEY SENT INFORMATION ON A TOYOTA SAFETY CAMPAIGN. UPON RESEARCH, WE CONTINUED TO CONFIRM THAT THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TIED TO RECALL D0H FROM JULY 2013. WE'VE ALSO REVIEWED OUR VEHICLE HISTORY, AND THE BRAKE PUMP ASSEMBLY WAS NEVER REPLACED DESPITE BEING INSPECTED CONSISTENTLY BY TOYOTA DEALERS SINCE 2013 AND UNDER RECALL. TOYOTA HAS DECLINED TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT FOR THE BRAKE PUMP ASSEMBLY. THE COST OF REPAIR IS NEARLY THE SAME AS THE CURRENT VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA BRAND ENGAGEMENT CENTER HAS DECLINED TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION IN WRITING, WOULD NOT PROVIDE A NAME, AND OTHERWISE ACTED COMPLETELY SKETCHY - FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD - ANY TIME WE TRIED TO CLARIFY THE REPAIR WAS CLEARLY TIED TO THE JUNE 2013 RECALL. WE WERE VERY, VERY FORTUNATE THE BRAKES FAILED ON A SIDE STREET NEAR OUR HOME, NOT ON A HIGHWAY OR OTHER HIGH-RISK AREA. WE WOULD LIKE TOYOTA TO HONOR THE RECALL, EXTEND IT FOR OTHER CUSTOMERS, AND COVER THE COST OF REPAIR.