Toyota prius UA- official report

[Nick R]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/08/california.runaway.prius/index.html?hpt=T1

Uh oh.

"Toyota has dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the report and offer assistance," the statement said."

Mhm. Sure.

 

[demarpaint]

Assistance in possibly shifting blame?

 

[KrisZ]

This driver is a moron and his license should be taken away. He says he tried "everything" and that brakes didn't work, yet when the police officer instructed him to use brakes along with an emergency brake, they worked

Also, he had time to call 911, while the car was speeding out of control, i call B.S.

 

[Rickey]

(Caution automotive sarcasm ahead)

Just another confused driver...

Nothing to see here.....

Nothing at all, Keep moving forward.

No !! Not that fast !! Slow down !!
Hide the floor mats in the trunk, turn the ignition off, and brake hard while shifting to neutral.

(Sarcasm off)

Isn't it strange how he could not get his car stopped yet he could dial his cell phone.

Something very strange indeed going on here.

Me thinks the car was refusing his commands and/or he freaked.

But if he freaked HOW did he have the presence of mind to dial the cops?
The burned brakes tell me that something happened, as in not faked.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/03/0...ontrol-highway/

I truly suspect that the ECM's on these vehicles is going berserk.

And I mean this in the same manner as any other computer that malfunctions, refusing commands, blindly locked in various tasks etc.

 

[VNTS]

"This driver is a moron "

How do you know that??

I guess everyone has nothing better to do that create Fake incidents in their Toyotas for publicity,
But Toyota is deploying the spin doctors to deflect criticism on this kamakazee incident too.


Originally Posted By: KrisZ
This driver is a moron and his license should be taken away. He says he tried "everything" and that brakes didn't work, yet when the police officer instructed him to use brakes along with an emergency brake, they worked

Also, he had time to call 911, while the car was speeding out of control, i call B.S.

 

[Jeepster_nut]

Get out the tin foil hats on this message board... Why would he fake this? What does he have to gain?

 

[jazeo]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
This driver is a moron and his license should be taken away. He says he tried "everything" and that brakes didn't work, yet when the police officer instructed him to use brakes along with an emergency brake, they worked

Also, he had time to call 911, while the car was speeding out of control, i call B.S.


I agree it's [censored], but he's not a moron, just a very smart con artist. One of the many that will be trying to cash in. I just feel badly for the ones that lost their life or were injured due to an actual malfunction.

 

[jazeo]

Originally Posted By: Jeepster_nut
Get out the tin foil hats on this message board... Why would he fake this? What does he have to gain?


PLEASE!!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Jeepster_nut]

How is he going to gain money? he didnt get hurt, noone died. Oh he can use the mental trama excuse but he wont get anything. But your right, this is all make believe and Toyota has nothing wrong with their throttles.

 

[jazeo]

Originally Posted By: Jeepster_nut
How is he going to gain money? he didnt get hurt, noone died. Oh he can use the mental trama excuse but he wont get anything. But your right, this is all make believe and Toyota has nothing wrong with their throttles.


Are you sure? I would guess no less than 5 law firms have already called him telling him otherwise!

Also show me where I have ever said "this is all make believe and Toyota has nothing wrong with their throttles"

 

[Jeepster_nut]

Do you know this guy? Have you ever met him or know him personally? To automatically assume this guy is out for money or is making this whole story up is being shortsided. What ever happen to having an objective opinion? Assuming every runaway story is a money stunt can only make me believe that you don't fully accept that Toyota has a major problem on their hands.
I see you own two Toyotas, I can only hope this doesn't happen to you and that you receive fair opinions from people if it were to happen.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: jazeo
I would guess


And that's the problem. There are a lot of armchair quarterbacks guessing and spreading rumors rather than presenting actual facts.

A guess is pretty meaningless.

 

[opus1]

bbbbb-but how could the guy be a moron? He was smart enough to buy a Toyota instead of some domestic piece of excrement.

[/sarcasm]

 

[c502cid]

LOL Opus. Better yet, he bought a Pious! Hey speaking of the Pious, where is our resident Pious homer?

 

[Len_A]

Originally Posted By: opus1
bbbbb-but how could the guy be a moron? He was smart enough to buy a Toyota instead of some domestic piece of excrement.

[/sarcasm]
ROFLMAO!! Good one!

 

[VNTS]

LOL +1

He was saving the planet too, wasnt he ,when he bought his PWius.


Originally Posted By: opus1
bbbbb-but how could the guy be a moron? He was smart enough to buy a Toyota instead of some domestic piece of excrement.

[/sarcasm]

 

[Schmoe]

Moron? No. Maybe not the most intelligent person we've ever known, but so what? He said he won't ever drive that car again and since it's a 08 model, chances are he's making payments. He probably has a backup plan or car. Now, my question would be, why didn't you try and throw it in neutral? Exactly how did you try and turn off the ignition that surprisedly worked when the cop pulled up next to you? I know this would be a hard thing to do, if even possible with todays computer intervention, but could you have thrown it into park???? I know, I know, at that speed it seems foolish, but if your really scared for your life, wouldn't you try just about anything? Wonder if the dude was just speeding and didn't want to get a ticket. But, all in all, that thing hit 94 mph? Didn't think they could travel that fast.

 

[cchase]

Why didn't the police just instruct him to shift it into neutral as soon as he called saying it was out of control? This is another wildcard I don't understand.

It certainly seems suspicious that he was calm enough to call and request assistance but not to try more than just stomping on the brake pedal.

But, as was noted above, no one knows the guy or what happened. Anything else is speculation.

 

[KrisZ]

Lets look at the following from the article, especially the bolded parts:

Quote:
I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car, and it just did something kind of funny ... and it just stuck there," he said at a news conference outside a Highway Patrol office. "As I was going, I was trying the brakes ... and it just kept speeding up."

Sikes said he called 911 for help, and dispatchers talked him through instructions on how he might be able to stop the car. But nothing worked.

At one point, Sikes said he reached down to try to pull the accelerator up, but it "stayed right where it was."

Alerted by emergency dispatchers, a California Highway Patrol officer was able to catch up to Sikes' Prius and used the patrol car's public address system to instruct Sikes to apply the brakes and the emergency brake at the same time.

The tactic worked, and the car slowed to about 50 mph. Sikes said he was able to shut off the car, and it rolled to a stop. The responding officer, Todd Neibert, positioned his patrol car in front of the Prius as a precaution to prevent it from moving again.


So, let’s analyze:
1. The guy tries "everything" including brakes and they don't work.
2. He then calls 911, they help him through the emergency, and again nothing works
3. He claims that he tried to lift the gas pedal, but it wouldn't move.
4. Police officer catches up to him and tells him through PA to apply brakes and emergency brake, so now the brakes started working again.
5. He slows down to about 50mph and shuts the car off. So I guess it was impossible at 90?


Unlike the case of the officer that died with his family members, where it looked like the driver was in a “tunnel vision” and did not try anything else but braking and hitting the start button. This guy claims to try everything from braking, to calling 911 to pulling the accelerator pedal.

So, just by judging from the stry alone, either he is a moron or he’s trying to have a case for a law suit, I can see another "possessed car" story soon.


I am not saying that Toyota doesn't have a problem, the do and a big one, but this story doesn't add up, I guess the investigation will tell us more.

 

[USA1]

Originally Posted By: opus1
bbbbb-but how could the guy be a moron? He was smart enough to buy a Toyota instead of some domestic piece of excrement.

[/sarcasm]


Is that what the Toyota commercial made you feel, smart?