2017 Toyota Prius

TOPIC: 2017 PRIUS WINDSHIELD CRACKED. I HAVE 2017 PRIUS PURCHASED NEW ABOUT A MONTH AGO WITH 1500 MILES DRIVEN. 2 DAYS AGO, WHEN I PUMPED GAS, I NOTICED A SMALL CRACK IN UPPER RIGHT HAND SIDE ALONG THE EDGE. I DON'T REMEMBER GETTING HIT BY AN OBJECT WHILE DRIVING. YESTERDAY THE CRACKS GOTTEN LONGER. CHECKED THICKNESS BETWEEN MY FINGER, IT LOOKS THE SAME AS THAT OF A DRINKING GLASS. A QUICK SEARCH ON INTERNET REVEALED THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH 2016 OR NEWER MODEL. CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I HAVE OWED OTHER VEHICLES MADE BY TOYOTA AND HONDA THAT WERE HIT WITH FLYING OBJECT WITH NO PROBLEM. EVEN WITH CRACK, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE SPIRALED OUT THAT FAST AND LARGE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO SEE IF IT IS DESIGN MISTAKE IN PURSUE OF WEIGHT REDUCTION. THANK YOU.

TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME 2017 LANE DEPARTURE WARNING WITH STEERING ASSIST. THIS STEERING ASSIST FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK AS IT DOES IN ANY OTHER TOYOTA MODEL. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH TOYOTA ENGINEERING AND MET WITH A TOYOTA TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE AND THEY ADMIT THAT THE STEERING ASSIST FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK AS IT DOES IN ANY OTHER TOYOTA MODEL. AS YOU WILL SEE FROM MY ATTACHED DOCUMENT THIS FUNCTION REALLY DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS A REGULATED SAFETY FEATURE OR NOT BUT IT WAS SUGGESTED BY A TOYOTA EMPLOYEE THAT I MAKE THE NHTSA AWARE OF THIS FAILURE AS IT COULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT. I HAVE DRIVEN AT LEAST 5 PRIUS PRIME ADVANCED AND ALL HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN THAT THE STEERING ASSIST FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK IN ANY OF THEM EVEN THOUGH IT IS ADVERTISED AND SOLD TO THE CONSUMER AS A INTEGRAL PART OF THE TOYOTA SAFETY SUITE THAT IS ON ALL TOYOTA VEHICLES. THIS STEERING ASSIST FUNCTION DOES WORK ON ALL OF THE OTHER TOYOTA MODELS AS ADVERTISED AND AS A CONSUMER WOULD EXPECT. PLEASE REVIEW MY ATTACHED DOCUMENT THAT DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM AND MY ATTEMPTS TO GET TOYOTA TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THE STOCK ANSWER I HAVE RECEIVED FROM MOST TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVES IS THAT THE STEERING ASSIST "WORKS AS IT IS ENGINEERED TO DO" MY STOCK ANSWER TO THIS IS WHY DOES IT FUNCTION DIFFERENTLY THAN EVERY OTHER VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH THE TOYOTA SAFETY SUITE. I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED A COHERENT REPLY TO THAT QUESTION.

MY COMPLAINT HAS TO DO WITH A DESIGN "FEATURE" OF MY NEW VEHICLE. HAVING OWNED IT LESS THAN A WEEK, NO RELATED INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED. HOWEVER, I SEE AN UNNECESSARY RISK DUE TO THIS DESIGN. MY NEW CAR, A 2017 PRIUS 4 TOURING, COMES WITH NO SPARE TIRE. THERE ARE THREE PRIUS MODELS LIKE THAT, EVEN FOR THE 2018 MODEL YEAR. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THE RELATED SAFETY ASPECTS OF THAT TOYOTA DECISION? IN THE WESTERN US, ESPECIALLY, THERE ARE MANY PAVED ROADS WITH LITTLE OR NO TRAFFIC AND SPOTTY, IF ANY, CELL PHONE SERVICE. TYPICALLY, THEY ARE IN DESERT AREAS, SCORCHING IN THE SUMMER, FRIGID IN WINTER, WITH TOWNS FAR APART. IF A DRIVER OF A CAR LIKE MINE HAS A TIRE BLOWOUT IN SUCH A REMOTE AREA, HE/SHE IS LITERALLY STRANDED. THE SUPPLIED TIRE REPAIR KIT WILL NOT HELP IN CASE OF A BLOWOUT. AVERAGE OWNERS WILL NOT EVEN KNOW THEY ARE WITHOUT A SPARE TIRE UNTIL THEY NEED ONE. MORE THAN AN INCONVENIENCE, THIS COULD BE FATAL TO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS IN EXTREME HEAT OR COLD. THE DRIVER'S ONLY HOPE IS THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE WILL HAPPEN ALONG TO HELP. A RISK LIKE THAT DOES NOT JUSTIFY A MANUFACTURER'S CUTTING COSTS TO BOOST PROFITS. IMHO, THE NHTSA SHOULD TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS: 1 - ANY CAR SOLD NEW WITHOUT A USABLE SPARE SHOULD BE RECALLED AND RETROFITTED. 2 - MANUFACTURERS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SELL CARS IN THE USA WITHOUT A USABLE SPARE. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO VOICE MY OPINION. I HOPE YOU WILL AGREE THAT ABSENCE OF A SPARE TIRE IS AN UNNECESSARY RISK.

1) THE EVENT OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 4, 2017. 2) 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH APPROXIMATELY 19,980 MILES. 3) THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVED ON SCHEDULE AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. 4) AT THE PRIOR INSPECTION NO DAMAGE OR ABNORMAL WEAR WAS REPORTED. 5) FROM THE TIME OF THE 15,000 MILE INSPECTION NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE TIRE. 6) AT NO TIME DID THE TIRE PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, DID THE TIRE INFLATION WARNING ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATE. 7) WHILE TRAVELING ON A STATE HIGHWAY (SIMILAR TO A INTERSTATE) WHICH IS IN VERY GOOD AND SMOOTH CONDITION, DRY AT THE TIME, FREE OF DEBRIS, STRAIGHT AT THE LOCATION OF THE INCIDENT, AT APPROXIMATELY THE POST SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH. WITH VIRTUALLY NO WARNING THE LEFT FRONT TIRE FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY WITH ENTIRE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE TREAD SEPARATING FROM THE SIDEWALL STRUCTURE. THE CAR REMAINED UNDER CONTROL AND I WAS ABLE TO DECELERATE WHILE TRAVELING STRAIGHT AHEAD AND REMAINING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF MY LANE, TO A SPEED WHERE I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE TRAFFIC LANE AND CAME TO STOP ON THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. 8) OTHER THAN TOTAL FAILURE OF THE TIRE, NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS SUSTAINED AND NO INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT OR OTHER PARTIES OCCURRED. 9) I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FAILED TIRE WHILE STILL MOUNTED TO THE WHEEL, INCLUDING THE TREAD OF THE TIRE AND THE OUTER SIDE, WHICH IS THE LOCATION OF THE FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT ROLLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT STRUCK A POLICE VEHICLE. THE OFFICER GAVE THE CONTACT A WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN INTERMITTENTLY. THE LOCAL DEALER (ELMORE TOYOTA, 15300 BEACH BLVD, WESTMINISTER, CA, 92683) INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V741000 (SERVICE BRAKES), AND RECOMMENDED HE SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED DUE TO THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1709193209. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE A DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.

JUST BOUGHT MY 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS NOT OVER 4 MONTHS AND MY WINDSHIELD HAVE 1 LARGE CRACKED AND A TINNY CHIPPED ON IT. AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY CRACKED WHEN A TINY ROCK HIT THE UPPER RIGHT SIDE I COULD SEE THE CRACK GETTING LONGER UNTIL IT NEARLY REACHED THE MIDDLE. I AM VERY WORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE WINDSHIELD BY THE 2017 TOYOTA PRIUS.

A SMALL PEBBLE HIT MY WINDSHIELD BELOW THE INSPECTION STICKER. WITHIN SECONDS A CRACK STARTING DEVELOPING. WITHIN TWO MINUTES IT REACHED ALMOST HALFWAY ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT FRAGILE AND VULNERABLE PRIUS WINDSHIELDS. I BELIEVE TOYOTA NEEDS TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT, REPAIR MY WINDSHIELD AND PERFORM ANY NECESSARY RE-CALIBRATION. I HAVE UPLOADED TWO PICTURES.