2013 Toyota Prius

DASHBOARD LIGHTS CONTINUALLY TO LOSE ITS DISPLAY LIGHTING. DASHBOARD GOES DARK AND CAN REMAIN THAT WAY FOR MANY MILES. DEALERSHIP SAYS DASHBOARD LIGHTS WORK AS DESIGNED. THIS WILL HAPPEN WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AND DURING THE DAY. DRIVING UNDER A SHADED AREA (SUCH AS UNDER AN OVER PASS OR A SIGN) THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WILL GO OUT COMPLETELY DARK AND SOMETIMES RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER RETURNING TO THE SUN LIGHT AREA. RECENTLY THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS DID NOT RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER GOING UNDER A SHADE SIGN (DURING THE DAY) AND I CONTINUED TO DRIVE FOR OVER 5 MILES. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON RETURNED THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS TO NORMAL OR ADJUSTING THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WITH THE SWITCH WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP HAS LOOKED AT THIS ISSUE OVER 3 TIMES AND HAS INDICATED THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS WORK THE SAME AS OTHER 2013 PRIUS. I CAN PROVIDE A VIDEO SHOWING THE DASH BOARD LIGHTS GOING COMPLETE DARK. *TR

THE SKID "PLATE" - AN EXTREMELY THIN PIECE OF MOLDED PLASTIC ATTACHED BY A COUPLE OF LAG SCREWS - CAME LOOSE ON THE FREEWAY, ROLLED UP UNDER THE CAR AND OUT INTO THE ADJACENT LANE. THE FRONT (MOLDED PLASTIC OF COURSE) BUMPER OF CAR WAS SHATTERED. OTHER DRIVERS IN THE FAST LANE HAD TO AVOID THE SKID PLATE WHICH CAME FLYING OUT FROM UNDER MY CAR. THE CLEARANCE OF THIS CAR'S SKID PLATE (WITH AN "L" SHAPED EXTENSION DOWN TOWARDS THE GROUND) IS PROBABLY NO MORE THAN 6 INCHES, MEANING THAT IT WILL NOT CLEAR THE COMMON PARKING LOT CURB. THIS LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE SKID PLATE COMING LOOSE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN PROBLEM THAT IS GOING TO RESULT IN SOMEONE GETTING HURT, EITHER THROUGH LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE (IT MISSED MY FRONT TIRES AND THEREFORE DIDN'T AFFECT MY STEERING BUT IT COULD HAVE CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL). I DID NOT OWN THIS CAR, BUT NOW IT IS APPARENTLY GOING TO COST ME $1200 TO FIX THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE THIS DESIGN FLAW. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO TASK FOR PUTTING SOMETHING THIS UNSAFE INTO THE MARKET. *TR

COLLISION: A COLLISION NEVER OCCURRED WITH ANY OBJECT, BASED ON THE PHYSICAL LOCATION, WHERE THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST. I ENCLOSE THREE (3) PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING THE CONDITION OF THE CAR, THE TWO RIGHT TIRES BLOWN OUT, AND THE CAR HAVING GROUND TO A HALTFROM THE WEIGHT OF VEHICLE AS IT SHARPLY VEERED RIGHT INTO (NOT ONTO) THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER OF 101. I LOST CONTROL AFTER HEARING A BANG,BUT NO AIRBAG DEPLOYED, FURTHER PROVING THERE WAS NO COLLISION. LOCATION: THE OFFICER REPORTED THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT BEING AT THE INTERSECTION OF 101 AND 18TH STREET (WHERE THERE ALSO IS AN OVERPASS): HOWEVER, AFTER COMPARING MY PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE UNIQUE GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES IN THE PHOTOS TO GOOGLE MAPS, I WAS ABLE TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THE CRASH SITE ABOUT 15-20 METERS PAST THE 22ND STREET PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS, WHERE THE HIGHWAY GRADE IS UPHILL CURVING LEFT; & SIGNS SAY TO REDUCE SPEED TO FROM 55 TO 50 MPH APPROACHING THE TOP OF POTRERO HILL, NEAR SF GENERAL HOSPITAL. THERE IS NO GUARD RAIL OR SIGN POSTS TO HIT; ONLY A SOFT SHOULDER (BORDERED BY SHRUBBERY) EXISTS WHERE I CAME TO A HALT: THERE WAS NOTHING (NO OBJECTS) TO COLLIDE WITH. (SEE ATTACHED) ROAD CONDITION: VERY NARROW SHOULDER: MAYBE 5 FEET. PEBBLES ROCKS AND DIRT MAKE UP THE SHOULDER, AND SLIGHTLY AFFECTED THE CAR'S DIRECTION,BUT PRIMARILY CAUSED DAMAGE, PULLING OFF THE READ BUMPER, SCRATCHING THE BODY THROUGHOUT, AND CAUSING THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL TO COLLAPSE LIKE A BEER CAN, AFTER THE FRONT RIGHT, THEN THE REAR RIGHT TIRE BLEW OUT. I ATTEMPTED TO PUSH THE CAR, AT MY OWN RISK FROM THE RIGHT LANE, BUT IT FELT AS IF ALL FOUR BRAKES HAD SEIZED, SO I COULD NOT BUDGE THE VEHICLE SO MUCH AS 1/10TH OF A MILLIMETER, WITH ALL MY WEIGHT AND STRENGTH. *TR

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

I HAD A REAR TIRE BLOW OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING. AND IT APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT. I DID HAVE TO DRIVE OFF ROAD TO SAFELY AVOID RISKY SITUATION. THE TOYOTA DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE UP WITH YOKOHAMA. I BOUGHT THE CAR ONLY IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR AND BARLEY HAS ANY MILES ON IT. THE DEALERSHIP COMPLETELY UNHELPFUL. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT AND SAFETY HAZARD! *TR

WHEN I TURN ON THE LOW BEAM OF THE HEADLIGHTS THERE IS A DARK SHADOW ON THE UPPER HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD THAT DIMINISHES VISIBILITY. I ASKED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT IT AT FREEMAN TOYOTA IN SANTA ROSA WHERE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN AUGUST OF 20123 AND WAS TOLD NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO FIX IT. IT'S A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD WHICH I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME REMEDY. THANK YOU. *TR

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