ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 AT ABOUT 8:10 A.M., I WAS DRIVING ON HOLCOMBE IN HOUSTON. THERE WAS TRAFFIC. AT ONE POINT, I NEEDED TO STOP FROM A FAIRLY LOW SPEED (PERHAPS 10 MPH), AS THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HAD STOPPED FOR A LIGHT. I BRAKE USING THE FLOOR PEDAL. BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AT ALL; IT WAS AS THOUGH I HAD NOT EVEN TOUCHED THE BRAKE. THE CAR DIDN'T HESITATE OR DIE; IT JUST CONTINUED MOVING UNTIL IT HIT THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED AND NEITHER THE DRIVER OF THE CAR I HIT NOR I HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN INJURED. BUT HAD THIS HAPPENED AT A HIGHER SPEED THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN QUITE DIFFERENT. MY PRIUS HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SEVERAL SAFETY RECALLS, ALL OF WHICH I'VE HAD PERFORMED. AND ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE CAR HAD PASSED ITS ANNUAL STATE SAFETY INSPECTION. FROM THIS AND BECAUSE IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AT ALL WHEN I BRAKED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THIS ACCIDENT WAS A FUNCTION OF A BRAKE DEFECT IN THE PRIUS, PERHAPS A SHORT SOMEWHERE IN THE SYSTEM. *TR
2013
ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR'S DASH LIT UP AND THE CAR'S ENGINE DIED AND THEN RESTARTED. THE FUEL QUANTITY DISPLAYED, DECREASED BY THREE BARS BEFORE RETURNING TO IT'S NORMAL--ACCURATE--LEVEL. THE CAR THEN DROVE NORMALLY AND ALLOWED ME TO GET IT INTO THE DRIVEWAY. *TR
