2015 Toyota Prius

I ENTERED MY PARKED, STATIONARY PRIUS, PRESSED MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, DISENGAGED THE PARKING BRAKE AND PRESSED THE ON/OFF BUTTON TO TURN THE CAR ON. MY FOOT REMAINED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY RACED AND THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AT HIGH SPEED. I STOMPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR KEPT MOVING. THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE WAS LOUD ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE IN NEARBY HOUSES HEARD IT. MY CAR WOULD NOT SLOW WITH MY EFFORTS TO BRAKE. I TRIED TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND PARK BUT THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN. IT RACED ACROSS THE STREET AND PLOWED DIRECTLY INTO A NEIGHBOR'S STONE WALL. MY CAR BECAME WEDGED BETWEEN THE WALL AND A LARGE TREE. I HAD TO EXIT THE VEHICLE FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE AS THE DRIVER'S DOOR WAS PRESSED AGAINST THE TREE. AFTER THE COLLISION, INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE NON-FUNCTIONING EVEN WHEN THE DOOR WAS PROPPED OPEN. THE CAR WOULD HAVE CRASHED THROUGH THE HOUSE IF IT HAD NOT BEEN STOPPED BY THE WALL AND TREE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN THE VEHICLE'S GEAR SHIFTER PARK POSITION BUTTON WAS ACTIVATED, THE ENGINE WAS TURNED ON, AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNOCCUPIED, IT ACCELERATED FORWARD ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A ROCK. THE AIR BAGS HAD NOT DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,459.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MPH AND APPROACHING THE DRIVEWAY, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A GATE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS RE-APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE TRAVELED 20 FEET BEFORE IT STOPPED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

I WAS INCHING INTO A GROCERY STORE PARKING SPOT IN MY NEW, PERFECTLY MAINTAINED 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS WHEN I EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. MY VEHICLE SHOT FORWARD AND IN A SECOND HAD CRASHED OVER A CEMENT CURB, THROUGH A FLOWER BED, AND WAS STOPPED - DESPITE MY DESPERATELY JAMMING THE BRAKE - ONLY BY SMASHING INTO A BRICK WALL. THE SUSPENSION AND STEERING ON THE CAR IS NOW SEVERELY DAMAGED, AND THE CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN. I AM HORRIFIED: I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AND WORSE, HIT/HURT ANOTHER PERSON (OR AT THE VERY LEAST SEVERELY DAMAGED PROPERTY). WHAT IF I HAD CHOSEN A PARKING SPOT IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF CHILDREN?!! THEY CLOUD HAVE BEEN KILLED! THE CAR IS NOW AT A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER WAITING FOR TOYOTA CORPORATE TO "DECIDE" IF A CAR ACCELERATING INTO A BRICK WALL OF ITS ACCORD IS A "DESIGN FLAW" THAT IT WILL PAY TO FIX. I BELIEVE THAT WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED IS THAT THE COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS THE THROTTLE/ACCELERATION EXPERIENCED A SOFTWARE BUG WHICH THREW THE CAR FORWARD. IN FACT, TOYOTA WAS FORCED PAY OUT OVER ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN FINES LAST YEAR (2014) BY THE US GOVERNMENT FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE - BUT APPARENTLY IT DIDN'T FIX ITS 2015 LINE B/F LETTING IT GO TO MARKET. I PURCHASED THE TOYOTA PRIUS BECAUSE IT WAS RECEIVED TOP SAFETY AND RELIABILITY RATINGS. ONLY NOW DO I LEARN TOYOTA HAS A HISTORY OF HIDING UNINTENDED ACCELERATION BUGS IN ITS CAR DESIGNS FOR YEARS - AND BLAMING OWNERS FOR ITS RECKLESSLY UNSAFE AND THEREBY UNETHICAL AUTO DESIGNS (NO, THIS WASN'T CAUSED BY A STUCK FLOOR MAT). I AM FURIOUS. NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO BE BLAMED FOR VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER DUE TO MANUFACTURER NEGLIGENCE. EVEN IF TOYOTA CLAIMS TO HAVE FIXED MY PRIUS, ITS WORD CLEARLY MEANS NOTHING AND I DO NOT TRUST THE COMPANY. I WILL BE GETTING RID OF THE CAR ASAP AND SEARCHING FOR A SAFER MODEL.

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