Toyota Prius Speeds Out of Control on SoCal FWY

Gents, many of the comments are cynical and cavalier. Any report of ua -must- be examined thoroughly by experts and toyota itself. To speculate solves nothing.

 

I think this guy is the latest incarnation of Balloon Boy

 

The investigation must be 100% transparent. No stunts where the car is taken to a sealed Toyota facility and then 'examined' behind closed doors. Toyota can start by releasing all the details of their data logging function so that an independent third party (and not someone who testified that second hand smoke was not hazardous) can make an objective assessment of what the data logs show.

 

Also, please note that the brake override DID NOT WORK!

PS The override works fine every time on my 07 Prius.

 

So... the guy has the time and presence of mind to get his phone, dial 9-1-1, and talk to the CHP, wait for them to arrive, and then stop his car for him? Wouldn't it have been easier to push and hold the POWER button for 3 seconds?

Pretty fishy story to me...

 

The problem with that theory is that in order to collect the plaintiff would have to be "damaged" in some way. He didn't crash and there are no injuries. I suppose he could try to claim he has "psychological trauma" due to the incident. Or maybe he wants a new car - that one is apparently "damaged," either by Toyota or his own actions in trying to stop it. But why would he want another example of such a death trap? Or maybe he just had no clue that he wouldn't be able to collect anything. He's definitely getting his 15 minutes of fame, though.

 

Wow, I really hope you experimented in a deserted highway with no other cars around you.

Do not forget that highway speeds are LETHAL and hardly the place to be accidentally (no pun intended) meeting minds with the car. It's just a darn automobile.

 

Maybe that's ALL he wants???

I find it funny in reports I've read he says he checked the floor mat, then actually pulled the pedal and it wouldn't move. Then he also stated that he couldn't talk on the phone and drive at the same time.
SO, he can reach down to the pedal (ya, right...I can't and I'm not even close to the size this guy is) and still drive, but can't talk on the phone and drive....

 

no one has ever complained about their toyotas before the recalls. now everyone seems to have issues about their toyotas, regardless of models, after the recalls. steering problem, floor mats, brakes, gas pedal stuck.. even AFTER the repair.. etc. all of a sudden toyota has done EVERYTHING wrong. so wrong the repaired gas pedals cant even fix the problem. Wth?

 

That is what is so huge about this whole thing. Before this mess toyota always got the benefit of the doubt with people because they were the 'perfect' car company, now they are hypersensitive to problems with Toyotas. What a difference 60 days makes.

 

Re: When will Toyota get it right?

I completely agree. If anyone was going to pull a hoax like this, now is the perfect time. The guy could have been angry at Toyota for denying his request for "recall service", so he may have had a motive to pull off a stunt like this and get media attention. Remember the guy whose kid recently left planet Earth in a big helium balloon, only to be ratted out by his kid that it was all a hoax? Wish for media attention granted, along with orange coveralls.

I'm not saying that this guy definitely perpetrated a hoax, I'm just saying it's very possible. I'm sure the federal investigators won't overlook this possibility.

 

This is total rubbish. The press have really let themselves down on their general reporting on Toyota, especially the US press. I now really do think there is a conspiracy against Toyota from US interests. This story is now mainstream in the European news channels citing US news channels.
If Toyota can disprove this attention seeking no brainer, it would go along way to discredit other inaccurate reporting from Jan to now.

 

Assuming, of course, that the driver's story is true. We can't discount the possibility that he is confused or lying.

Remember, many innocent people have been convicted on eyewitness accounts. People have a hard time remembering things when they are under stress. If this driver's story is true, he was under a *lot* of stress, and may have confused his actions.

Tom

 

my 2010 prius is dirty.


where do i return it to get my money back and how much can i sue for? :crazy:

 

Re: TV Tease - CHP stops runaway Prius

AMEN!!!!:cheer2:

 

Actually, when I picked up my Prius the salesman DID discuss the various means of dealing with bad things happening. He discussed powering off, shifting to neutral, and standing on the breaks.

 

If I took my Prius to my dealer and he told me to come back when I got a notice from Toyota I wouldn't be happy. And it's only 10 miles to my dealer. This guy drove about 90 miles each way to his dealer without scheduling an appt for recall work. That would really make me mad...

 

Another one, or a mistaken pedal. No way to know.

"A woman smashed into a stone wall this morning because of a stuck accelerator on a Toyota Prius, Harrison police said."

Another Prius speeds out of control, N.Y. police say | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

 

I repeat. The people in Cali seem to be afflicted by living under a dark cloud. Here on the E Coast I and my family have driven 9 Toyota's over the last 20 yrs for at least a million miles...700,000 myself...and never experienced any of these issue - ever.

As a result I trust first and foremost in my own experiences. There is nothing there, and I have the seat time and experienceon the roads to prove it. This particlular story stinks like it was a set up. I'm thinking that the LA Times staged it with an actor.