2015 Toyota Prius

I WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THE CAR WHILE IT WAS PARALLEL PARKED. I PRESSED THE PUSH TO START BUTTON TO TURN ON THE BATTERY SO I COULD CHARGE MY PHONE. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE DRIVER SEAT. THE CAR TURNED COMPLETELY ON WHEN I REACHED OVER TO PRESS THE BUTTON. NOT ONLY DID THE ENGINE START, BUT WITHOUT ANYONE PRESSING ON THE BREAKS THE CAR RELEASED ITSELF FROM BEING PARKED. THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS INTO THE CAR PARKED BEHIND ME. I HAVE NO EXPLANATION ABOUT HOW THIS HAPPENED. I HAVE BEEN READING INTO IT AND APPARENTLY IT'S A DEFECT OF THE 2015 AND OLDER MODELS. WHEN THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACK I ALSO STARTED PRESSING BOTH THE PARK AND PUSH TO START BUTTONS TO TURN IT OFF AGAIN. I'VE NEVER FELT SO UNSAFE IN A VEHICLE AND GOES TO CONFIRM THAT PARK AND PUSH TO START SHOULD NOT BE BUTTONS!!! IT MAKES THE VEHICLE MUCH MORE DANGEROUS NOT BEING ABLE TO OVERRIDE THOSE COMMANDS WHEN IT CHOOSES TO GO ON ITS OWN.

RANDOM ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS STARTED HAPPENING. BLUETOOTH WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO ANSWER INCOMING PHONE. I COULD NOT CALL OUT. UNABLE TO CHANGE RADIO STATION, TURN ON/OFF RADIO. UNABLE TO TURN ON CD, OR EJECT DISK. THEN RADIO WILL START WORKING AND AM ABLE TO USE BLUETOOTH IF I DIAL FROM MY CELL PHONE. ALL WITHIN A WEEK. LAST NIGHT ,I DROVE IN SILENCE. NO RADIO, CD, BLUETOOTH. HAVE MAINTENANCE APPT. TUES., AND STATED PROBLEMS W/ ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. DIDN'T MATTER IF CAR WAS MOVING OR STOPPED.

CAR WAS STATIONARY IN DRIVEWAY CAR WOULD NOT START AND MASTER WARNING LIGHT WAS ON IN ADDITION TO A WARNING SAYING "SHIFT MALFUNCTION. WHEN PARKING, PARK IN FLAT PLACE AND APPLY PARKING BRAKE SECURELY" A BUZZER WAS SOUNDING. THIS INDICATES A SHIFT CONTROL SYSTEM ERROR. THE CAR WOULD NOT START. NOTIFIED DEALER AND THE CAR WAS TOWED. NO ERROR CODES WERE FOUND. THE CAR STARTED FOR THE DEALER.

WITHIN A 6 DAY PERIOD, THE MAIN 12 VOLT BATTERY DIED AND THE CAR WHICH WAS ONLY 3 WEEKS OLD WOULD NOT START. ALSO THE CABLE USED TO CHARGE THE HYBRID BATTERY TRIPS THE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN MY HOUSE EACH TIME EVEN THOUGH IT IS A GROUND FAULT OUTLET AND A 20 AMP BREAKER. I HAD TO CALL OUT A TOW TRUCK TO JUMPSTART THE BATTERY BOTH TIMES. CAR WAS PARKED AND DIRECTIONS WERE FOLLOWED EXACTLY FOR CHARGING IT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND WAS TOLD I SHOULD HAVE A DEDICATED LINE TO CHARGE THE CAR, EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T TOLD THIS BY THE SALESMAN. THE ELECTRIC SERVICE IN MY GARAGE IN BRAND NEW. THIS IS RIDICULOUS TO GO TO THIS EXPENSE AND NOT BE TOLD IN ADVANCE, AND TO HAVE A NEW BATTERY NEED CHARGING. IT HAD TO BE CHARGED BEFORE I COULD EVEN TEST DRIVE THE CAR BUT THAT DID NOT MATTER. I WAS TOLD I COULD NOT GET A NEW BATTERY AS IT TESTED "GOOD".

THE NAVIGATION AND AUDIO SCREENS ARE MOSTLY UNREADABLE IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT. IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO SEE THE SCREENS IN THESE CONDITIONS SOME OPERATORS MAY BE DISTRACTED FROM THE ROADWAY IN ORDER TO READ THE SCREEN INFORMATION. THESE DISTRACTIONS MAY INCLUDE MOVING HEADS AWAY FROM THE WHEEL AREA IN ORDER TO GET A BETTER VIEW OF THE SCREEN OR ATTEMPTING TO HOLD OBJECTS ABOVE THE SCREEN IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THE GLARE FROM THE SUNLIGHT. COMPLAINANT HAS OWNED PREVIOUS MODELS OF TOYOTA PRIUS WHICH DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM.

I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE WHERE MY FRONT WAS UP AGAINST A BUILDING WITH A CAR ON EITHER SIDE OF ME. I REVERSED FOR ABOUT 25' WHERE A TELEPHONE POLE MANDATED THAT I MAKE A K-TURN TO GET OUT. AS I SWITCHED FROM REVERSE TO FORWARD, I SAW A SPARK AS THE CAR JET-PROPELLED FORWARD. I TRIED TO BREAK MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT THE CAR ACCELERATED THE 25' INTO THE WALL. ALL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, AND FLUID GUSHED OUT OF THE FRONT END. THE CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. I WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY THAT I MUST HAVE ACCIDENTALLY ACCELERATED INSTEAD OF REPEATEDLY BREAKING. I AM GRATEFUL THAT I HIT A WALL INSTEAD OF PEOPLE. SOMEONE COULD EASILY HAVE DIED HAD I HAD SWITCHED FROM REVERSE GEAR TO FORWARD IN LESS CONFINED LOCATION. THE ENTIRE ACCIDENT LASTED 2 SECONDS, WITH NO OPPORTUNITY TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BREAK OR GO INTO NEUTRAL. PS: I AM A HAPPILY MARRIED DOCTOR WITH BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, AND NOT AT ALL SUICIDAL. THIS THREE MONTH OLD 2015 PRIUS 3 FAILED BEFORE THE FIRST OIL CHANGE. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS.

A BRAND NEW:2015 ONLY DRIVEN FOR TWO DAYS, WENT OUT OF CONTROL AFTER COMPLETING RIGHT TURN. DRIVER STOPPED AT RED LIGHT. TURNED RIGHT WHILE ACCELERATING WITH FULL CONTROL OF VEHICLE. COMPLETED RIGHT TURN WHILE ACCELERATING TO ATTAIN HIGHWAY SPEED IN 45 MPH ZONE. UPON COMPLETION OF TURN DRIVER TURNED STEERING WHEEL LESS THAN 2 INCHES TO DRIVERS RIGHT TO CONTINUE BEARING ON STRAIT COURSE DOWN HIGHWAY. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER STEERING WHEEL SHUDDERED, AND STEERING WHEEL ROTATED HARD TO THE RIGHT FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE A 110 PLUS DEGREE ROTATION. THE PRIUS OUT OF CONTROL VEERED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT AND SMASHED INTO CURB. DRIVER INJURED BACK, HAND, AND FOOT. ...UPDATED 03-11-15 *BF