Posted on 03/12/2010 9:14:38 AM PST by Chet 99
The man who became the face of the Toyota gas pedal scandal this week has a troubled financial past that is leading some to question whether he was wholly truthful in his story.
On Monday, James Sikes called 911 to report that he was behind the wheel of an out-of-control Toyota Prius going 94 mph on a freeway near San Diego. Twenty-three minutes later, a California Highway Patrol officer helped guide him to a stop, a rescue that was captured on videotape.
Since then, it's been learned that:
— Sikes filed for bankruptcy in San Diego in 2008. According to documents, he was more than $700,000 in debt and roughly five months behind in payments on his Prius;
— In 2001, Sikes filed a police report with the Merced County Sheriff's Department for $58,000 in stolen property, including jewelry, a digital video camera and equipment and $24,000 in cash;
— Sikes has hired a law firm, though it has indicated he has no plans to sue Toyota;
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
He supposedly tried the emergency brake? Yeah, I’m going to pull that doing 70 mph on the highway in a FWD car.
I’m not assuming that this guy’s story is legit. But for people in general, if you have a hands-free phone that you can just push buttons on quickly (don’t even have to get all three digits in the same hand-off-the-wheel moment) that may be a lot easier than shifting gears.
I’m just saying that shifting gears while trying to maintain control of a speeding car is probably harder in real life than it sounds. And I’m not saying one shouldn’t try to shift the gear, but I can see where depending on the circumstances, it maight take a while.
Mr. Sikes’ story is certainly suspicious, especially given the amazing “coincidence” that he had just taken the car into a Toyota dealership and been told the car wasn’t part of the recall. He may well have just bought himself several years of free lodging in prison (at taxpayer expense, naturally).
early on several of us were suspicious - seems he had the wherewithal to make a cell phone call, and wait for the cops to arrive, yet couldn’t shift to neutral.
come to think of it, I wonder just how many of these ‘runaway’ cars are just being used for purposes of insurance, lawsuit bait?
I'm in the same camp. I've owned Toyotas all my adult life (since 1977). Every one of them have been excellent, reliable and they Just. Won't. Die. We're currently still driving a 1996 Camry and a 1991 Camry wagon.
I admit we do not have any of the later models that have been recalled...
I agree. I think the problem is very real (though not necessarily in this particular case), but serious attention to it seems to have been suppressed for quite a long time, until it became politically useful to shine a spotlight on it.
I own two Priuses, a 2005 with 140k miles and a 2008 with 50K miles. These are good cars. I have not had the first problem with either of them. After hearing of this guy’s claimed acceleration problem, I took my 2008 model (same model and even color as this guy’s) and took it to 80 mph (it is NOT hard to do, amazingly) keeping the gas on, I moved my right hand about three inches and pushed the electronic transmission to the left and it went right into neutral and began slowing down.
IT AIN’T HARD TO DO.
It seems likely that this one was, but others clearly weren't. The California Highway Patrol officer who was killed along with 3 members of his family, wasn't faking.
People with money problems don’t lawyer-up for no reason.
I’m late to this party so this point has likely already been made but how can anyone drive at a consistent 90+ mph for over 20 minutes in San Diego?
And if anyone has a link to the 911 call it would be appreciated. Thanks.
Same here. First two cars were a Ford and Plymouth. They fell apart. Got my first Toyota in 1980 and I’ve stuck with them—partly because, as you say, they just don’t die!
I don’t think he put it into neutral.
Most of us who grew up with a manual transmission are accustomed to down-shifting being a part of slowing down.
Where are the transmissions on a Prius or sundry front wheel drive cars?
It seem very strange that after the government gets into the car business, the top selling company suddenly has all of these safety issues. The timing is not by coincidence IMO.
—
Steve Wozniak said his Prius has taken off on him more than once and ya don’t see him suing.
I been driving Toyotas for a long time,, never had one recaled yet, but it could happen. It happens to ever auto mfr.
Coincidence? Oh yeah.
Now that I don’t know but you do have the drive train that runs from the transmission to the rear axle.
Front wheel drive(not AWD). FWD, back wheels do not drive.
You can cut a car in half behind driver’s seat and drive it around with no rear wheels. Check You tube.
A 911 infomercial for the bamster .
A bitbull ate his brake pedal, gear shift lever, ignition key, and god knows what else?
Oh, that is just so silly. How do you think, for example, people with manual transmission cars have been able to drive at 120+ mph speeds, shifting gears all the time, on the Autobahn each and every day for the last 50+ years? Newton's first law of motion ring a bell?
There’s a big difference between controlling a car at a high speed which the driver has chosen as being appropriate for the road and traffic, and controlling a car which has chosen its own high speed that’s much higher than the driver would have chosen for the circumstances. And then consider that many people have never driven a manual transmission, and wouldn’t have good coordination for steering and shifting gears at the same time, while the car is speeding and needing to be swerved to avoid hitting vehicles in front of it.
Now I don’t think that’s what happened in this case. I heard the tape of the guy’s 911 call, and even without the other info that’s been coming out about the forensic examination and testing of the car, I’m 100% sure he was faking. He was absurdly calm throughout the call and didn’t sound as if he had any sense of urgency at all.
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