2016 Toyota Prius V

I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL TOYOTA VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS - A TERCEL, A RAV4, A TACOMA AND A PRIUS V. RECENTLY I WAS HIT WITH A $1680 + REPAIR TO MY 2016 PRIUS V DUE TO 'RODENT DAMAGE' TO MY WIRING. THIS INCLUDED DAMAGE TO 3 OUT 4 BRAKE LINES, AN O2 SENSOR LINE, A FUEL LINE SENSOR AND POSSIBLY A FUEL PUMP WIRING HARNESS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AT 60MPH. I WAS DRIVING ON 1 WORKING BRAKE LINE!! MY CAR WAS IN THE TOYOTA SHOP FOR 3 DAYS. I'VE READ THAT TOYOTA DENIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR USING WIRING THAT ATTRACTS RODENT CHEWING. I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO TAKE THIS LOSS OF USE AND DAMAGE TO MY AUTO INSURANCE POLICY AND AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT I WILL FACE THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE IN THE FUTURE WITH MORE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS LIKE AN ACCIDENT. THIS POSSIBILITY MAKES THE OWNERSHIP OF A MY PRIUS FINANCIALLY AND PRACTICALLY UNTENABLE!!! I CAN'T DEPEND ON MY PRIUS TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE ME TO MY WORK OR AND ANY OTHER DESTINATION SAFELY IF THE DESIGN OF THIS VEHICLE MAKES THE WIRING ACCESSIBLE TO RODENTS. I CAN'T KILL EVERY RODENT THAT MAY ENCOUNTER MY CAR IN EVERY LOCATION I PARK OR DRIVE MY CAR!! SINCE THIS HAS HAPPENED NOT ONLY TO ME BUT ALSO OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT TOYOTA IS DOING TO PREVENT AND/OR CORRECT THIS PROBLEM? I'M HAVING TO PAY FOR INSTALLING NEW WIRING, WHICH UNLESS THE TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER DOING THE REPAIR DOES SOMETHING TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN, THE WIRING WILL STILL BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME DESTRUCTION DUE TO TOYOTA'S BAD DESIGN AND/OR INFERIOR MATERIALS THAT PERMIT RODENT DAMAGE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA PRIUS V. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V085000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. AVONDALE TOYOTA (10005 PAPAGO FWY, AVONDALE, AZ 85323) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED AND TOWED TO A BODY SHOP WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 37,000.

WHILE PARKING MY VEHICLE AND SLOWING DOWN TO ENTER A PARKING SPACE, I EASED OFF THE BRAKE TO PULL INTO THE SPACE WHEN I HEARD THE ENGINE REV LOUDLY AND THEN THE CAR ACCELERATED AND CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO PUMP THE BRAKES, RELEASE THE BRAKES WITHOUT TOUCHING ANY PEDAL AND ALSO TRYING TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AT ALL. I WAS AFRAID FOR MY LIFE AND TRIED EVERYTHING TO AVOID OTHER VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS AS THE CAR ACCELERATED GREATLY. I STEERED THE CAR TO TRY AND AVOID A SLIGHT EMBANKMENT AND CURVE BUT WITH THE RAPID SPEED OF THE CAR, IT BECAME HARD TO MANEUVER THE CAR. THE VEHICLE JUMPED THE CURB STRIKING A TREE AND THEN A CONCRETE POST. THE CAR CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE AFTER IMPACT. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS.

A STONE STRIKE CAUSED A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. REPLACED IT AND SOON AFTER WE HAD SOME HAIL WHICH PITTED THE NEW WINDSHIELD AS WELL AS CAUSED A HUGE CRACK. ANOTHER PEBBLE STRIKE CAUSED ANOTHER IMMEDIATE LONG CRACK. ALL THESE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING. THERE HAVE BEEN A TOTAL OF MORE THAN 4 CRACKS ON THIS VEHICLE WHICH WE HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF 12 MONTHS. WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF PROBLEM BEFORE.

WHILE DRIVING CITY STREETS AT A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 55,ON SUNDAY 4/2/17, MY WINDSHIELD MUST HAVE BEEN HIT BY A SMALL STONE. I DID NOT NOTICE WHEN IT HAPPENED. ON MONDAY, 4/3/16, I NOTICED A SMALL MARK ON THE WINDSHIELD WHICH I MISTOOK FOR A BUG. I LATER NOTICED A SMALL LINE COMING FROM THE "BUG" WHICH I MISTOOK FOR FLUID. BY TUESDAY, 4/4/17, THERE WERE "LINES" IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AND I REALIZED THAT I HAD A CRACKED WINDSHIELD. BY WEDNESDAY, THE CRACK WAS 16" IN LENGTH. I TOOK MY CAR TO TOYOTA SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE UNDER WARRANTY; THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS CAUSED BY "IMPACT". THE CAR HAS 8400 MILES ON IT. MY CONCERN IS WITH THE QUALITY OF THAT WINDSHIELD. IF A SMALL PEBBLE CAN CAUSE THAT MUCH DAMAGE, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS AN INFERIOR PRODUCT. I HAVE DRIVEN FOR 49 YRS IN DIFFERENT CLIMATES, THROUGH BLIZZARDS, HAILSTORMS, AND HAD FLYING DEBRIS HIT MY WINDSHIELDS. I HAVE HAD FENDER BENDERS AND BEEN REAR-ENDED. NEVER HAVE I HAD A BROKEN WINDSHIELD. A WINDSHIELD THAT IS THIS DELICATE IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT SEEMS TO ME, THAT IN THIS WORLD OF PROFIT-DRIVEN CHOICES, THAT THE WINDSHIELDS ARE BEING MADE CHEAPER, AND THEREFORE LESS EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF PROTECTION. I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF IT WERE MORE THAN A PEBBLE THAT FLEW AT MY CAR. IN CA, IT IS ILLEGAL TO DRIVE WITH A CRACKED WINDSHIELD. SO NOW I AM IN THE PREDICAMENT OF GETTING THIS FIXED IMMEDIATELY. HANDILY FOR TOYOTA, THEY WON'T REPLACE IT GRATIS, SO IT IS A NICE $1,300.00 REPAIR JOB FOR THEM. THEY PLEASANTLY ADVISED ME THAT MY INSURANCE WOULD COVER THE $800.00 OVERAGE OF MY $500 DEDUCTIBLE. WITH THE ISSUE AT HAND BEING MY SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW, I HAVE LITTLE CHOICE. CHEAP WINDSHIELDS MUST CREATE A REGULAR BASE OF REPAIR WORK FOR ALL THE AUTOMAKERS WHO USE THIS PARTICULAR AUTO GLASS. THIS SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED IN TERMS OF VEHICLE SAFETY.