What 359 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

THE RENTED 2013 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH ONE PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER, PULLED INTO A DIAGONAL PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF A STRIP MALL STORE. TRAVELING AT MAYBE 5 MPH TO PARK, THE CAR'S BRAKE PEDAL GAVE WAY AND HIT THE FLOOR FLAT, PROVIDING NO BRAKING AT ALL. THE CAR KEPT ROLLING TOWARD THE CORNER OF THE BRICK BUILDING. THE CAR THEN SUDDENLY SURGED AHEAD, SMASHING INTO THE CORNER OF THE ENTRY TO THE BRICK BUILDING AT SUCH A SUDDEN FORCE THAT THE DOORS TO THE BUILDING WERE WEDGED SHUT. AFTER EMERGENCY VEHICLE TOOK THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER TO THE HOSPITAL, THE POLICEMAN ON THE JOB, AS WELL AS THE WRECKER SERVICE THAT CAME TO EXTRACT THE VEHICLE, COULD NOT MOVE THE CAR BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BRAKES, AS STATED IN THE POLICE REPORT. THE WRECKER DRIVER COULD NOT LOAD THE VEHICLE TO TOW USING THE CAR'S POWER BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BRAKES. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, BUT THE CONDITION OF THE CORNER SHOWS DAMAGE THAT A VEHICLE MOVING FASTER THAN 5 MPH WOULD INCUR. THE POLICEMAN CAME TO THE HOSPITAL TO INFORM THE DRIVER THAT THERE INDEED WERE NO BRAKES ON THE CAR AND THE DRIVER WAS NOT AT FAULT - THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING AND ACCELERATION SYSTEMS HAD FAILED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10629088

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

NHTSA ODI 10582818