Ruling supports plaintiffs re Prius brakes

Call 'em Priuses, Prii, or whatever you will (try Glitch-mobiles), but a class action lawsuit alleging defective brakes will proceed.  The judge denied Toyota's request for a dismissal, and rightly so.

This lawsuit over Prius brakes stems from complaints galore, and alleges that Toyota knew about a defect years before the cars were recalled.  Based on my experience, the allegations ring true.  Even though the Internet is loaded with complaints of sudden engine failures in MR2 Spyders, Toyota refuses to acknowledge a defect, maintaining that the failures "could be caused by a number of things, such as not changing the oil at proper intervals."  When I tried to discuss the postings from two major car clubs, Toyota's "customer loyalty" guy "didn't want to hear about all that."  And NHTSA refuses to get involved because - thanks to lobbying efforts, no doubt - sudden engine failures such as those involving the MR2 Spyders are not considered a safety issue.  Of course, this all goes hand in hand with blamin' the customer (sound familiar?), who winds up on the short side when it comes to having any practical recourse.   

Like the lawsuit over Prius headlights, Toyota will probably settle this Prius brake case long before risking a jury decision.  A jury is likely to look at the number of complaints, exercise a little common sense, and hand down a hefty tab for punitive damages. 

What kind of company treats its customers in such a manner?  And what kind of government lets 'em get away with it?