WHILE DRIVING DOWN I-25 SOUTH OF DENVER, CO IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AT 75 MPH, THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY SHUT OFF. I SUDDENLY HAD NO ENGINE POWER, POWER BRAKES OR POWER STEERING. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER, BUT CAME CLOSE TO HITTING OR BEING HIT BY SEVERAL VEHICLES. WHEN WE MADE IT TO THE SHOULDER ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES WERE APPEARING ON THE DASH. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT A FEW MINUTES I RESTARTED IT, AND IT DID RUN, THOUGH ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE STILL ON. THERE WAS A DEALERSHIP 9 MILES FROM MY LOCATION, SO I SLOWLY MADE MY TO ARAPAHOE TOYOTA. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND SAID THAT SOMETHING CAUSED THE FUEL TO BE SHUT OFF TO THE ENGINE. THEY DID NOT KNOW WHY, AND COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY SUSPECT IT IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AS I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT DOES NOT WORK INTERMITTENTLY. SINCE THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND HAD NO LOANER CARS, THEY ESSENTIALLY TOLD ME TO COME BACK THE FOLLOWING MONDAY AND HOPE FOR THE BEST IN THE MEANTIME. SINCE I WAS HEADING TO VACATION THIS IS IMPRACTICAL, SO I WAS STUCK DRIVING A CAR I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE. MY NEXT STEP IS I AM TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP IN FORT COLLINS, CO, AND TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT I WANT THE ISSUE RESOLVED, THE BRAKE LIGHT ELECTRICAL ISSUE FIXED, AND BE ASSURED THAT THE CAR IS SAFE. I'VE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE DIE WHILE DRIVING LIKE THAT, LET ALONE ONE WITH ONLY 4580 MILES. I'M APPREHENSIVE ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR 26 MILES IN THE MOUNTAINS TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP, AND SO FAR TOYOTA HAS BEEN NO HELP.
NHTSA ODI 11231792