YIKES: Experienced unexplained acceleration, already had brakes reprogrammed

In the OP's post he says he has filed twice in his lifetime. The first time he was correct and it was a real problem that toyota addressed. It seems the OP is old enough to file without asking permission. Before the SMART teams toyota would have just ignored the poster if the dealer could not reproduce it right away. I wonder if they will investigate today.

I am glad he shared the information.

 

2010 Prius,
I'm an ex-Pa type (1974-84).

Let me be obnoxious and ask about cruise control: You say you confirmed it was not "engaged". Was it on at all, waiting to be engaged (i.e., the green "set" light was off, but cruise control was on)? Remember that it would disengage when you braked, so you would see it as disengaged immediately afterward.
If it was on, the accidentally engaged cruise remains a live theory.

"No icons"--I'm not at all sure that I see the "slippery car" icon every time it turns on, if I am looking at the road when I go over a slippery spot. Do you think you would have noticed it had it come on?
If you think you might have missed the icon, then loss of traction is a live theory.

 

I brought my2010 Prius V w/AT package in May 2009. So far I had no problems with the Prius. I have not taken it in for the brakes reprogramming yet. I have no problems with the brakes. I will have the brakes check when I take the Prius in for maintenance. If it is not broken, why fix it.

 

It's just silly to assume Toyota will do something about a problem if and only if it's reported to NHTSA. I believe the fix would've eventually been released as a simple TSB if Toyota wasn't forced to do a recall. After all, the blurry A/C display and rear brake squeal weren't reported to NHTSA yet Toyota released TSBs for them. All it takes is enough customers making enough noise about a particular problem, no matter how minor (as in the case of blurry A/C display), whether to Toyota or the dealers.

 

I'd think an engineering manager would be curious enough to fault-isolate than go three days between posting, but if you're simply busy I understand.

If you live in an area with no road imperfections or never brake over potholes, you'll never notice it's "broken."

 

Immediately complain to the NTSA, take your cars back and buy something else. The electronics are infected with ghosts and they can not be exercised. Don't get "Siked", trade in now!!! But wait, theres more, act now and you can waste more fuel, no extra charge, honest.

 

now that we have more info on OP, definitely interested in any concrete findings on your situation. keep us posted.

 

Do you really think the OP should have been a good little boy and not reported what he considered safety issues? Also please don't put words in my mouth.

 

That is similar to Woz thought when he had his cruise control anomaly. I've been impressed with how strong the acceleration can be. Any possibility it might have been 23 mph or higher?

The minimum cruise control speed is 23 mph and if it was remembering an earlier, much higher speed, well it does like to 'take off.' Full red-bars on the HSI power indicator.

Perhaps, you might try to recreate the problem:

• highway cruise control setting
• reduce speed to something like 23-25 mph
• in a turn, hit "resume" (turn adds a lateral G force that would vector add to give a stronger acceleration force than a straight-line acceleration)

Just a thought . . . no need to wait for a rainy day.

Excellent! We speak the same language.

Former GE? I spent 13 years in GE Space Division but mostly in the DC area, not King of Prussia, and ended up in Huntsville AL.

Bob Wilson

 

Surprisingly, no one rebutted my earlier post.

Try this, step by step.
1. Go out to your priui (all of you should try it)
2. Sit in it, turn it on
3. Remove your feet off the pedals and rest them flat on the floor about 2-4 inches from the pedal area. (consistent with someone not applying brake or accel)
4. Turn the steering wheel "right" about a quarter turn.

WHAT HITS YOUR RIGHT KNEE???

I expect some thanks for this!
Now recall your complaint to the NTSA. Do the right thing.
"Don't get Siked"

 

You do not feel the least bit responsible for letting the cruise control stick hit your leg? A lot of these PC'ers have been driving these cars for years without having this problem.

 

I don't get any impression that the OP isn't feeling the least bit repsonsible for accidentally engaging the cruise control this way. I've read the complaint from others too iirc. I won't speak for him but I would like to see the cruise control stalk moved to a stationary position--like below the wiper stalk. I would also like to see the on/off button on the tip moved to the dash somewhere and that if it is set to 'on' it stays that way. Having to turn it on every time I start the car up is a waste.

There was a news clip on CNN demonstrating how to safely stop a Toyota when an unscheduled acceleration happens. The demo focussed on first putting the gear shift into Neutral and then turning off the engine. Lastly they mentioned applying the brakes--totally wrong and totally weird if you ask me and just like the news media to make a snafu out of it once again. You _always_ apply brakes first and really only if they fail, which as near as I can tell they haven't once failed, do you immediately go through the alternatives of going to neutral and stopping the engine.

I mention the above here because the OP reacted correctly applying the brakes first and not second-guessing what to do which is exactly what leads to panic.

I'm not at all convinced that people use to driving Prius-like cars should be able to jump into a conventional car and drive off or the other way around--use to a conventional car and jumping into a Prius and driving off--without any instruction and familiarization.

 

DON'T recall your NHTSA complaint of unscheduled acceleration. Instead amend it if you think you accidentally engaged the CC. Let them decide if its a safety issue or not. Regardless, what you experienced is valid.

 

If the cruise control stalk was moved the the rear view, there would be those who accidentally hit it while putting on lip stick or blow drying hair or shaving. At some point we all have to take responsibility for our own learning curve and not blame others "Toyota" for our short falls.

As an aside, the gloves are off, From now on, this room will have to deal with my alter ego "Hector" he is not as friendly as Victor. And yes, I just referred to myself in the second and third person!!

 

I definitely agree with this.

 

Did you have the cruise control on? Could you reproduce the event?

 

Was it a right or left curve?

Bob Wilson