Posted on 03/09/2010 8:02:35 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Runaway Toyota Prius reached 90 mph - police Tue Mar 9, 2010 3:46pm GMT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The driver of a 2008 Toyota Prius said his car uncontrollably accelerated to over 90 miles per hour on a San Diego County freeway before a California Highway Patrol officer helped him stop the car, police said.
The driver, 61-year-old James Sikes, was not injured in the Monday incident, which is another claim of unintended acceleration that has caused the greatest image crisis for Toyota Motor Corp in its history.
The incident occurred in the same county where an off-duty California Highway Patrol trooper and three family members were killed last August in an incident that brought the issue to national attention and led to the first major recall over unintended acceleration.
Sikes said he had received a recall notice to take his car into a Toyota dealership, but when he did, he was told that his car was not on recall lists, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The automaker has not recalled the 2008 Prius.
On Monday afternoon, Sikes overtook another car on Interstate 8 near San Diego, and then the Prius accelerated beyond his control, the highway patrol said.
For the next 20 minutes, Sikes sped 30 miles along the freeway, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at uk.reuters.com ...
I have not given that a try and hope I never have to, however I understand the Prius doesn’t use a key so that wouldn’t apply in any case.
LoL. Cue Twilight Zone theme.
Just a question: has there been any of these incidents been on city streets as opposed to highways?
Have had one incident on I-95 while on Cruise control where the vehicle going 60 started to gain on its own, I hit the brake and took it out of C-C. Never happened again. Still have it 97 Chevy Crew Cab Dually 36,000 miles.
Only my opinion, Cruise control Micro-chip over heat. Similar to 1975-80s Ford/Lincoln/T Bird problem with Chips placed too close to a heat source.
There's guy in one of my accounting classes who sells Toyotas. He was late last night because he delivered 3 new Toyotas to buyers yesterday. He said all this coverage has helped their business.
There are three types of Prius drivers; the Greenies, the Thekkies and the Cheapies.. Im the ladder, I absolutely love my 53 to 58 MPG. With Obozo wanting $ 7.00 per gallon gasoline, Im ready for it.
“There are three types of Prius drivers; the Greenies, the Thekkies and the Cheapies.. Im the ladder, I absolutely love my 53 to 58 MPG. With Obozo wanting $ 7.00 per gallon gasoline, Im ready for it.”
At least get a bumper sticker that says “My other car is a HORSE”. Then you could drive with dignity.
“My other car” is a Dodge Ram 2500 long bed Diesel pickup truck, when I hit the accelerator I spew black smoke half way across the county, and still get 20 MPG.
Needs to have the tires loaded with a small charge of high energy explosives so you can blow all four off using an in-cabin voice command. Like: "Eject!" (don't say it by accident).
How do you tell when a salesman is lying?...
There are HUGE discounts at our local Toyota dealer.
“Though naturally in cars SINCE YOU CAN ALWAYS PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, such a level of failsafe systems as you find in aircraft are not nearly as necessary.”
Umm...are you sure Toyota’s computer controlled transmission will ALWAYS allow you to put it in neutral?
Power steering and power brakes have their own fail-safe backup - push harder! They do not disconnect you completely from the steering and brakes.
Yep. I had an Austin Healey with the same set up.
Seriously, you have to wonder if that Onstar stop-stolen-vehicle jazz would stop one of them.
Their assessment? The braking system of ANY car is sufficiently more capable at halting a car at full throttle, even a car with more than 500 hp.
Teh Conspiracy!!!!....
I don’t think the Prius uses the key in the standard way. One of those electronic keys - just have it nearby, press the button on the dash and go... But pressing the button and holding is suppose to shut it off.
Or the Suzuki Samuri rollovers that were engineered by deflating tires and manipulating other criteria to force it to happen.
Fly by wire is not the point - the driver in this case (using the term rather liberally) didn’t even TRY to put it in neutral, claiming he was worried it would cause the car to flip over...
And the electronic transmissions WILL put the vehicle in neutral, even with a wide-open throttle.
YOu CAN throw a auto tranny in park, even at speed, without damage (assuming it isn’t already damaged). There is a special pawl that will make a ton of noise, but will not damage the vehicle’s tranny.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/how_to_deal_with_unintended_acceleration-tech_dept
90+ mph in a Prius?!! Did this guy have a pit crew? ;)
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