2013 Toyota Prius

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55~60MPH, AND SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING TROUBLE LIGHT INDICATOR CAME ON. I NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL WAS A BIT HARDER TO TURN( LEFT OR RIGHT). I SLOWED DOWN AND TOOK THE FIRST EXIT, REDUCING SPEED TO 30~35MPH. AT THE STOP SIGN, ALL INDICATORS LIGHT CAME ON AND I COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL (LEFT OR RIGHT). I WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE OUT OF THE STOP SIGN, BUT THEN I FELT A "THUGH" IN THE ENGINE, AND NOTICE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY BRAKING POWER FOR A FEW SECOND. SO I PULLED OVER, I TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND TURNED ON AGAIN, I IMMEDIATELY DROVE INTO A PARKING LOT AFTER THE STOP SIGN, THE CAR JUST DIED; I COULDN'T BRAKE, NO STEERING, NO GAS POWER, NOTHING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THIS WAS THE 2ND INCIDENCE WITHIN 3 WEEKS. THE FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED WITH SIMILAR SEQUENCE OF FAILURE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE AUXILIARY BATTERY DIED, AND REPLACED IT FREE OF CHARGE ( CAR WAS 24,250 MILES AT THAT TIME). THIS SECOND TIME, I HOPE TOYOTA CAN FIND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I DON'T THINK THE NEW AUXILIARY BATTERY DIED AGAIN. IT'S ONLY BEEN 3 WEEKS SINCE TOYOTA INSTALLED THE BATTERY. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY RISK. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR NOW. I THINK I WILL NEED TO SELL THE CAR. *TR

THE RENTED 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH ONE PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER, PULLED INTO A DIAGONAL PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF A STRIP MALL STORE. TRAVELING AT MAYBE 5 MPH TO PARK, THE CAR'S BRAKE PEDAL GAVE WAY AND HIT THE FLOOR FLAT, PROVIDING NO BRAKING AT ALL. THE CAR KEPT ROLLING TOWARD THE CORNER OF THE BRICK BUILDING. THE CAR THEN SUDDENLY SURGED AHEAD, SMASHING INTO THE CORNER OF THE ENTRY TO THE BRICK BUILDING AT SUCH A SUDDEN FORCE THAT THE DOORS TO THE BUILDING WERE WEDGED SHUT. AFTER EMERGENCY VEHICLE TOOK THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER TO THE HOSPITAL, THE POLICEMAN ON THE JOB, AS WELL AS THE WRECKER SERVICE THAT CAME TO EXTRACT THE VEHICLE, COULD NOT MOVE THE CAR BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BRAKES, AS STATED IN THE POLICE REPORT. THE WRECKER DRIVER COULD NOT LOAD THE VEHICLE TO TOW USING THE CAR'S POWER BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BRAKES. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, BUT THE CONDITION OF THE CORNER SHOWS DAMAGE THAT A VEHICLE MOVING FASTER THAN 5 MPH WOULD INCUR. THE POLICEMAN CAME TO THE HOSPITAL TO INFORM THE DRIVER THAT THERE INDEED WERE NO BRAKES ON THE CAR AND THE DRIVER WAS NOT AT FAULT - THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING AND ACCELERATION SYSTEMS HAD FAILED. *TR

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE RESUMED TO 40 MPH ONCE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AGAIN. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. A CRASH OCCURRED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS A DELAY IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

TODAY, APRIL 11, 2014 AROUND 6PM PST, MY DAD COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF YOUR TOYOTA PRIUS 2013 FAILED AT BREAKING AND MALFUNCTIONED AND ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. I AM VERY VERY CONCERNED AND ANGRY ABOUT THIS. YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND. MY FATHER ALMOST GOT KILLED BY TOYOTA. BECAUSE YOU FAILED AT MAKING SURE THAT THE SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE ANY ISSUE. MY FATHER TODAY WAS PARKING THE CAR AFTER THE DROPPING MY MOTHER OFF AT WORK AND COMING BACK HOME. HE WAS PARKING THE CAR AT THE USUAL PARKING SPOT IN FRONT OF OUR HOME. HE PRESSED THE BREAKS AS HE NORMALLY DOES WHEN CAR WAS TRAVELING LESS THAN 5MPH. BUT INSTEAD OF PRIUS STOPPING, IT ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. WE HAVE THICK PLANTS IN FRONT OF OUR HOME AND THIS STOPPED THE CAR. BUT THE MALFUNCTIONED CAR GOT A LONG SCRATCH ON THE BUMPER AND WE MOST LOST MY FATHER TO THIS TRAGIC INCIDENT. WE THANK GOD THAT NO ONE GOT KILLED BUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THIS COULD HAVE ENDED WITH SOMEONE DEAD. MURDERED. WE TRUSTED TOYOTA. AS A CONSUMER, WE RELY ON THE MANUFACTURER TO LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES AND MAKE SURE SAME THING DOES NOT HAPPEN. BUT YOU FAILED US. WE BOUGHT YOUR PRIUS BELIEVING IN THE INTEGRITY OF TOYOTA AND TRUSTING THAT THE ABRUPT ACCELERATION THAT CAUSED DEATH AND INJURED PEOPLE WERE RESOLVED. YOU RECALLED AND FIXED THIS ISSUE FOR YOUR PREVIOUS VEHICLES. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. WE ARE GENUINELY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY. WE CONTACTED THE DEALER BUT BECAUSE IT IS OUTSIDE OF THEIR BUSINESS HOUR, THEY WERE UNREACHABLE. WE ARE TOO SCARED EVEN THINKING OF DRIVING THIS CAR BACK TO THE DEALER. WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS ON THE ROAD? WHAT IF WE CAUSE A DEATH OF A PERSON, A CHILD ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER? I AM TERRIFIED. WE ARE VERY SHAKEN UP BY THIS EXPERIENCE. I WANT ANSWERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SUPPORT LINE, I CALLED THE DEALER... NO ONE WAS THERE TO HELP ME. *JS

WHILE THE CAR WAS GOING DOWN THE RAMP TO THE PARKING BASEMENT, THE BRAKE IN OUR PRIUS DIDN'T FUNCTION EVEN THOUGH THE DRIVER SLAMMED ON IT AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO PICKED UP ACCELERATION. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED EITHER, AMAZINGLY. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND MISSED THE WALL/CONCRETE PILLAR, BUT THE DRIVER HIT A PARKED CAR AND THAT'S WHAT STOPPED THE PRIUS FROM MOVING FURTHER. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. THE STEERING BEGAN TO VEER BACK AND FORTH. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE DUE TO AN UNEVEN ROAD. I SWITCHED LANES AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. IT BECAME VERY APPARENT THAT IT WAS NOT DUE TO AN UNEVEN ROAD. AS I BEGAN TO APPLY THE BRAKES DUE TO A TRAFFIC JAM, THE BRAKES WERE WEAK AND HAD TO EVENTUALLY SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO STOP ON TIME. I HAVE TO BEGIN APPLYING THE BRAKES AT ABOUT 50 YDS FROM A STOP SIGN TRAVELING AT 45 MPH IN ORDER TO STOP ON TIME. *TR

2013 PRIUS C TWO, BOUGHT BRAND NEW WITH 15 MILES ON IT 5 WEEKS AGO. A FEW TIMES WHEN DRIVING, I NOTICED THE BRAKES SEEMED WEAK, LIKE THEY WEREN'T STOPPING THE CAR VERY WELL EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. MY DRIVING IS MOSTLY IN TOWN ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS, SO I'M RARELY GOING OVER 35 MPH. EVEN SO, I'D HAVE TO REALLY MASH THE PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE CAR TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, OTHERWISE IT WOULD KEEP MOVING FORWARD. SEVERAL TIMES I ENDED UP ABOUT 5-10 FEET PAST THE LINE, STICKING THE FRONT BUMPER INTO CROSS TRAFFIC. LUCKILY NO ONE HIT ME. I CHALKED IT UP TO THE QUIRKS OF A DIFFERENT CAR THAN THE ONE I WAS USED TO, AND FIGURED IF IT KEPT HAPPENING I'D TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. ON MONDAY, MY WIFE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD. AFTER A FEW HUNDRED FEET, HE SUDDENLY SLAMMED ON HIS BRAKES. SHE SAID HER BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, AND THE PRIUS DIDN'T SLOW DOWN AT ALL. SHE HIT HIM GOING ABOUT 25 MPH AND TOTALED THE PRIUS. SHE'S AN EXCELLENT DRIVER AND I'VE BEEN WITH HER BEFORE WHEN SHE'S HAD TO PANIC-STOP. SHE'S NEVER DRIVEN A CAR WITHOUT ABS, SO SHE IS USED TO PUSHING THE PEDAL HARD AND KEEPING HER FOOT ON IT. SHE WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO "PUMP" THE PEDAL. SHE SWEARS THE PEDAL JUST WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR DIDN'T SLOW DOWN AT ALL. THANKFULLY, SHE'S OKAY AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ABNORMALLY, TRAVELED OVER A SIDEWALK AND THEN OVER THE STEPS OF THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER HOWEVER, THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATION FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,500. UPDATED 01/08/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER WENT FAR BEYOND, WHAT THEY HAD TO DO, TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS TAKEN CARE OF. HOWEVER, TOYOTA CORPORATION WAS LESS THAN HELPFUL. UPDATE 01/09/13

I OWN A NEW 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS V-5. WHILE ON THE FREEWAY TAKING AN INTERCHANGE. I HAD CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 65 MPH, DISENGAGING IT AS I APPROACHED THE INTERCHANGE THAT SLOWS TO 35 MPH DUE TO THE CURVE. I WAS COASTING WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY BRAKE, INTERNAL WARNING LIGHT FLASHING, ALARM BEEPING AND SEAT BELT LOCKED UP. I WAS ALONE IN THE CAR (THANK GOD) WITH NO CARS BEHIND ME OR IN FRONT OF ME. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY WINDY DAY AND WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT IT IS POSSIBLE SOMETHING BLEW IN FRONT OF THE SENSOR. THAT IN ITSELF IS ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE. CAN I NOT DRIVE MY CAR ON A WINDY, RAINY OR SNOWY DAY, IN FEAR OF THE PRE COLLISION SYSTEM MISINTERPRETING WHAT IS IN FRONT OF THE SENSOR? I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ONLY TO BE TOLD TODAY THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND THAT I AM MORE THAN WELCOME TO TAKE A DRIVE WITH THEIR TECHNICIAN TO SEE IF I CAN REPLICATE WHAT HAD OCCURRED. I INQUIRED IF THE EDR HAD RECORDED THE EVENT AND THEY TOLD ME NO. IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE EDR? SHOULDN'T IT HAVE RECORDED SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM (PCS) WOULD ACT AS IF IT WERE TRYING TO PREPARE FOR IMPACT IF THERE WAS NOTHING IF FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I COULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED OR LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR