2017 Toyota Prius

WHILE I AM SLOWING TO A STOP, A WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INDICATING THAT I AM PRESSING THE BRAKE AND THE ACCELERATOR AT THE SAME TIME. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE. THE CAR DOES TRY TO MOVE FORWARD BUT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE OVERCOMES THAT ISSUE. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES (NOT EVERY TIME) BUT FORTUNATELY NO ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED. THIS HAS ALSO NEVER HAPPENED WHEN I AM DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND NEED TO BRAKE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V579000 (ENGINE). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. TOYOTA CERTIFIED AT CAPITAL PLAZA (6100 ANNAPOLIS RD, LANDOVER, MD 20784, (301) 772-6900) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

UNDER CERTAIN DAYTIME CONDITIONS THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY BECOMES TEMPORARILY UNREADABLE DUE TO PUPILLARY DELAY ADJUSTING TO UNILLUMINATED DASHBOARD DISPLAY OF SPEEDOMETER.THE DASHBOARD, BY DESIGN, IS NOT ILLUMINATED DURING DAYLIGHT. BECAUSE OF THIS, UNDER BRIGHT SUNNY CONDITIONS, WHEN THE DRIVER GLANCES AT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAY, HIS EYES CANNOT IMMEDIATELY ADJUST TO READ THE VEHICLE WITHOUT TAKING HIS EYES OFF THE ROAD AHEAD TO KNOW HIS SPEED.

THE INVOLVED VEHICLES WERE DESIGNED TO ENTER A FAILSAFE DRIVING MODE IN RESPONSE TO CERTAIN HYBRID SYSTEM FAULTS. TOYOTA HAS FOUND THAT IN RARE SITUATIONS, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT ENTER A FAILSAFE DRIVING MODE AS INTENDED. IF THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE COULD LOSE POWER AND STALL. WHILE POWER STEERING AND BRAKING WOULD REMAIN OPERATIONAL, A VEHICLE STALL WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHER SPEEDS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

WE WERE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL GOING NORTH. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, THE CAR IN FRONT OF US STARTED TO GO AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN, OUR CAR WENT INTO RAPID ACCELERATION. WE COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. IT CRASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. WE TRIED JAMMING ON THE BREAKS AND TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, BUT COULD NOT GET CONTROL. BECAUSE WE WERE HEADING UPHILL, THE CAR FINALLY CAME TO A STOP. WE WERE ON A CITY STREET AT A STOP SIGNAL.

UNABLE TO FILL GAS TANK. VAPOR-CONTAINMENT VALVE ENGAGES DURING REFUELLING, CAUSING FUEL TO SPILL TO GROUND AND UNABLE TO FILL MORE THAT ONE-HALF GALLON OF FUEL. SEE ALSO: HTTPS://PRIUSCHAT.COM/THREADS/INTERESTING-FUEL-ISSUE-2016-THREE-TOURING-OVERFLOWING.173660/ (SEARCH FOR "OVERFLOW" - YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM)

CAR WAS ON 2 LANE BLACKTOP IN 40 MPH ZONE DRIVING APX 35 MPH, A FEMALE, RESPONSIBLE OWNER/DRIVER AGE 79 WAS DRIVING WHEN SUDDENLY,WITHOUT ANY WARNING,COMES TO NEAR HALT IN ROAD AND PULLS/HARD TO RIGHT HAND SIDE OF SHOULDER OFF THE ROAD. DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL OVER DIRECTION OR SPEED BEFORE FINALLY ABLE TO STOP CAR ON TOP OF DITCH. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET CAR TO STALL/STOP ENGINE BEFORE REACHING DITCH AND POSSIBLY A TURNOVER. DRIVER HAD NEVER BEEN SO FEARFUL IN HER LIFE,HAD SHE BEEN UNABLE TO STOP CAR IT WOULD HAVE DRIVEN HER OVER.REPORTED SITUATION TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT;T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH CAR SENDING DRIVER BACK OUT ON ROAD WITH CAR, THIS IS VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. THANKFUL SHE WAS ON SMALL COUNTRY IOAD AND NOT ON BUSY HWY OR THIS CAR WOULD HAVE "PULLED/LEAD" HER INTO OTHER TRAFFIC, OR WORSE, A SIDEWALK FULL OF PEOPLE AND OR CHILDREN. SHE HAD NO CONTROL OF CAR FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE A FULL MINUTE OR MORE

THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL IN THIS VEHICLE HAS SEVERAL OPERATIONAL ISSUES (PROGRAMMING BUGS OR DEFECTS) WHICH ARE POTENTIALLY EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS. PERHAPS THE MOST POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR OF THE SYSTEM IS AS FOLLOWS: - WHEN USING ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATES AND APPLIES BRAKING FORCE TO STAY A SET DISTANCE (ONE OF THREE DISTANCES) FROM THE NEAREST PRECEDING VEHICLE. - WHEN THE NEAREST PRECEDING VEHICLE CHANGES LANES, THE SYSTEM CAN BECOME CONFUSED, DISPLAY "NO PRECEDING VEHICLE" AND DISENGAGE. - THIS BEHAVIOR CAN BE DANGEROUS OR LIFE-THREATENING IN SOME CASES, WHICH I'VE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES: WHAT HAPPENED: - HIGHWAY DRIVING AT 65MPH, USING ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AND FOLLOWING ANOTHER VEHICLE. - WE APPROACH AN AREA OF CONGESTION OR STOPPED VEHICLES (A TRAFFIC JAM). - THE PRECEDING VEHICLE BEGINS QUICK DECELERATION IN ORDER TO AVOID REAR-ENDING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. - MY ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL ALSO APPLIES STRONG BRAKING TO MAINTAIN ITS PROGRAMMED DISTANCE - THE PRECEDING VEHICLE CHANGES LANES OUT OF MY LANE - MY ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL DISPLAYS "NO PRECEDING VEHICLE" AND DISENGAGES, WHICH MEANS THAT IT STOPS BRAKING - MY CAR IS NOW FLYING INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, GIVING ME ONLY A MOMENT TO REACT AND APPLY BRAKING. INSTEAD OF DISENGAGING DURING BRAKING, THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SHOULD CONTINUE BRAKING DOWN TO A SPEED OF 25MPH, WHICH IS THE MAXIMUM SPEED THAT TOYOTA'S SAFETY STOP OPERATES AT TO BRING A CAR TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CURRENT BEHAVIOR OF THE SYSTEM HAS LED TO SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS IN MY HIGHWAY DRIVING, AND IS UNDOUBTEDLY A DANGER TO ANYONE ELSE WHO USES A TOYOTA ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL OF THIS MODEL ON THE HIGHWAY. I REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO TOYOTA LAST YEAR AND THEY SEEM UNINTERESTED IN FIXING IT, REFUSING EVEN TO CONVEY MY REPORT TO THEIR DEVELOPERS IN JAPAN.