NHTSA Complaint #11405865 — 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS

I INHERITED A 2010 TOYOTA PRIUS 3RD GENERATION WHEN MY MOTHER PASSED A FEW YEARS AGO. I'VE SINCE HAD SEVERAL UNNECESSARY AND COSTLY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR AS WELL AS DEALERSHIP'S OUTLOOK, TREATMENT, AND INDIFFERENCE TO THE DANGER THAT THEIR CUSTOMERS FACE--AS MANY ALREADY HAVE. THE FOLLOWING ARE SITUATIONS THAT I'M EXPERIENCING NOW. FIRST, I WAS RECENTLY LEAVING THE PHARMACY WHEN ALL OF MY WARNING LIGHTS (ABS, BRAKE, TRACTION ) SUDDENLY CAME ON AND MY BRAKES FAILED AS I WAS HEADING HOME. I'M A SINGLE MOTHER OF A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD AND I HAD TO GET HOME TO HER. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE FROM MY HOME AND I WAS NEARLY IN 3 ACCIDENTS THAT COULD'VE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. THANKFULLY THE ROAD WAS DRY, CLEAR, AND WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC. WE HAVE BEEN HOMEBOUND FOR WEEKS, WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION FOR DOCTORS, FOOD, ETC. OUR VEHICLE IS OUR ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, AND WE MUST GET TO DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS, ETC. SECOND, THE CAR HAS INEXPLICABLY STALLED TWICE. THIRD, I'M CONSTANTLY HAVING TO REPLACE LIGHTS, AND HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE FOR LIGHTS NOT WORKING. FINALLY, AN AIRBAG HAS BEEN RECALLED AND ONCE I CAN AFFORD IT I'LL GET THAT FIXED AS WELL. I SPOKE WITH MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS, AND AFTER EXPLAINING THE PROBLEMS, I WAS INFORMED (SEVERAL TIMES AS I WAS REPEATEDLY TRANSFERRED) THAT I HAD TO PAY AN INSPECTION FEE THAT ALSO CHANGED WITH EACH PERSON. FINALLY, I WAS TOLD I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR THERE FOR DAYS AND THAT I WAS GOING TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THE CAR. I'M UNABLE TO PAY THAT MUCH MONEY--AND THE AMOUNT KEPT CHANGING AS WELL. I HAVE RESEARCHED THESE PROBLEMS AND NOW UNDERSTAND THE METHODOLOGY AND INTIMIDATION USED ON POOR PEOPLE SUCH AS MYSELF. TOYOTA SHOULD BE ASHAMED. FIX THESE PROBLEMS THAT WILL ENDANGER AND POSSIBLY KILL YOUR CUSTOMERS FOR NOTHING MORE THAN THEIR OWN INCOMPETENCE AND GREED.