Prius Sudden Acceleration

[Wilhelm_D]

Interesting:

http://www.ireport.com/blogs/ireport-blo...-story?hpt=Sbin

"The story of a "runaway" Toyota Prius on a Southern California interstate Monday has since raised a lot of controversy. The driver in question, Jim Sikes, told his story to CNN's Ted Rowlands. He said he was unable to stop the car as it went over 90 mph and called 911 for help."

"iReport car reviewer romanmica has been especially interested in this story. He often shares videos of the many test drives he takes, and his honest opinions on each car and how it handles on CNN iReport, but this time it was a little different. Using an "unscientific test", romanmica wanted to see how easy it was to stop a runaway Prius (needless to say, don’t try this at home). Check out the video above."

"I tested the car on a very seldom-used road and of course made sure that the car would stop in a safe distance," romanmica told me. "I wanted to show in a very straightforward manner that while the technology may be somewhat new and different, the way you stop the car is very much the same" as a traditional car."

 

[Bluestream]

CNN just reported that the whole incident with the Prius was staged. I suspected that when the guy started to show up on all the news shows. Also, if your gas pedal stuck down to the floor and your car was a run-away on a freeway, who would call 911? Do you think the girl on the phone would know anything about cars?

Looking to get a $$$ settlement from Toyota...

 

[Newtonville]

Every driver should be tested on where and what N is. That's all you need to use, plus normal braking, in these cases. People should be required to practice using N, before they are permitted to drive. If N is broken, kill the engine with the switch. If that is broken too, call 911 and CNN and head for some bushes, you just made the national news, and are going to be rich off Toyoata.

 

[tomcat27]

I agree totally that people panic and dont think to shut off the engine. why would they? its not a normal practice in driving. while you can still shift a car in neutral, some cars wont let you shut them off right away: the "push button" start cars - you must hold the button in for X seconds to shut the engine off. I dont understand why "push button start" is so cool.... trying to mimick Formula 1 cars?!?!?!?

 

[Captain_Klink]

If all else fails, just shift the tranny in reverse.
the car will come to a very abrupt stop, and if it doesn't, your braking will work. I don't like shifting to neutral, because the engine will self destruct, and i would rather buy a new tranny than a new engine.

it will make one (censored) of a pathetic noise, which will be painful to listen to, but you will live to tell another tale.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: tomcat27
I dont understand why "push button start" is so cool.... trying to mimick Formula 1 cars?!?!?!?


Easy there, my 49 Ford had push button start and I liked that car.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: tomcat27
... I don't understand why "push button start" is so cool...

Reportedly, this "push-button" start feature is widely embraced by new car buyers. Yes... "cool" sells. In our market-driven economy, that is all-important. So it looks like all of us are stuck with this feature.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: Wilhelm_D
Interesting:

http://www.ireport.com/blogs/ireport-blo...-story?hpt=Sbin

Yup. Edmunds did something similar last week:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1816014

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: tomcat27
I dont understand why "push button start" is so cool.... trying to mimick Formula 1 cars?!?!?!?


Yes, it's cool to have a red button start such as the one in Honda S2000. But the key is still needed to turn to the start position and push the red button to start the engine. To turn the engine off, the key is used just like any other car with starting key.

 

[Jonny Z]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
I dont understand why "push button start" is so cool.... trying to mimick Formula 1 cars?!?!?!?


Yes, it's cool to have a red button start such as the one in Honda S2000. But the key is still needed to turn to the start position and push the red button to start the engine. To turn the engine off, the key is used just like any other car with starting key.


Why? Then I need to touch two things to fire up the engine. Gimmick.

 

[Jonny Z]

I don't know. Positioning a car, which is rumored, to catch on fire when rear-ended, in front of a car, which is rumored, to have unintended acceleration issues, is not exactly smart.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Jonny Z
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
I dont understand why "push button start" is so cool.... trying to mimick Formula 1 cars?!?!?!?


Yes, it's cool to have a red button start such as the one in Honda S2000. But the key is still needed to turn to the start position and push the red button to start the engine. To turn the engine off, the key is used just like any other car with starting key.


Why? Then I need to touch two things to fire up the engine. Gimmick.


Gimmick to some but cool to others. If you go to S2000 forum(s), you'll see that most owners like the start button.

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: Captain_Klink
I don't like shifting to neutral, because the engine will self destruct


The engine in most vehicles made in the last 20 years is rev limited by the PCM, so it won't self-destruct.

 

[GeaugaFletcher]

Yup. You'd be far better off redlining a healthy engine for 20 minutes than slamming the transmission into reverse.

Even if the shutdown "procedure" (hold button for three seconds) isn't obvious, it's an owner's responsibility to know how to operate his own car.

 

[racer12306]

I know from personal experience that when you shift a Prius to neutral at WOT it will return to idle.

 

[SuperBusa]

Has anyone else noticed that all these Toyota runaway acceleration cases all seem to happen on the wide open road so the guy driving can call 911 and chat for 5 minutes or claim they fought the car for 5 minutes and 10 miles trying to get it to stop?

How come there aren't dozens of cases of runaway car incidents in town or in rush hour traffic?