PriusChat Legend Makes the Chicago News

Nice work, Wayne! Wayne and his wife gave me a ride to the airport at the PriusChat meetup in Chicago when Danny got his first Prius. Top-notch guy! The news channel got in touch with a good one!

 

What I would like to know is how a local got my name and cell phone number from this site? I've checked my profile and my name is not listed anywhere. My phone number is also not listed. I got a call yesterday requesting an interview about my Prius. They said they heard about me from Prius Chat forum. Is that possible?

 

Hi Steve , you posted your name/number on the site a while back. I'll avoid reposting your # in case you want to remove it, but it's already out there.

http://priuschat.com/forums/local-p...organize-tampa-bay-prius-club.html#post678633

 

Well, now I know.

Thanks,

Steve

 

Way to represent PC Wayne. I'm curious though. Did they edit out anything that you said that you feel should have been in the interview?

 

I don't entirely agree with what Wayne had to say. It is NOT simply a matter of Prius owners getting used to the effect. It's a defect in the car and needs to be fixed. If that were NOT the case, Toyota would not have been applying the new software remedy since January on cars currently in production.

A VERY important component to any car is making certain the driver is confident and in control of the vehicle. If a car manufacturer creates a car that puts the driver in a "oh CRAP- I don't have brakes" mode even for a fraction of a second, then it's time to redesign/retool/reengineer it so that NEVER happens...especially with critical systems like brakes. People do funny things when they are put into panic mode- a car should NEVER do that to a driver- it should always instill confidence and a feeling of control.

I'm all for people setting the record straight- but I feel this report does NOT do the current situation justice anymore than the reports on the other side are blowing the situation out of proportion. It's good for balance, but I feel it's not as unbiased as it could be.

 

nice wayne

your getting world famous in chicago

i dont agree
because of th HYPE and complaint toyota desided to make some changes.
not needed but just to prevent complaints and to do what other car makers dont do is spent money on stuff not needed but just to make the customer more happy.

the problem is just because all of the media attention this simple thing that would other wise not get any attantion is now blow up.

 

efusco,

I agree with your statement about Toyota not handling this situation months ago with a TSB...hindsight being 20/20 and all that!

However, I suspect it's just a matter of time before more accidents are attributed to this- so it IS not just an improvement to customer experience while driving the car. From what I've read there are at least two accidents now that may be linked. In fact, here's what the AP is now reporting:

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tells The Associated Press that it's received 124 reports from consumers involving the momentary loss of braking while traveling over uneven road surfaces and potholes. The reports include four crashes."

I do believe that those accidents will be avoidable...if Wayne, you or I were driving the car when it happens. However, we won't be. Someone else with less experience or more prone to doing the wrong thing in panic situations will be...and I do believe accidents will happen due to users doing the wrong thing when it happens.

I don't think Toyota deserves the hysteria over it. But, they really need to move quickly on the matter. If the software fix has been applied to cars on the assembly line for a month now, why does my dealer not know a thing about when it will be available for me? Toyota should have had that remedy available for premanufactured cars as soon as they did for ones still on the assembly line. A timely TSB would have saved a lot of bad PR. The bad PR will eventually cost them more than the fix will.

 

to me it seems this "problem" is also a fact in the gen2 prius
some people complainted about it but nothing happend.
now with the gas pedal hype with a few toyota cars this some "problem" on the gen3 like with the gen 2 is blownup.
or maybe this also needed to be "fixed" on the gen2?
or is this gen3 "problem"not the same like with the gen2 prius?

 

Of course Jeff, most of my answers to questions were edited. I think one of the most important points not included was that the Gen II had the same issue. I stated it's only because of the gas-pedal hysteria that the government is focusing on all Toyotas AND with the shift in demographics of 2010 buyers, who have very little knowledge of HSD, who complain at anything that doesn't feel the same as their old car.
I also said that dealers should take every new owner and give them some hands on instruction for the nuances of driving with the HSD equipped cars/SUV's. I've talked with new owners who didn't know the engine shuts down when you take your foot off the gas pedal! That education should include the transition from regen to friction brakes, whether at 7MPH or on a traction control induced kick-out.

I think I said if you feel you've lost braking, just push the pedal and you have brakes. The HSD system has the brakes fully ready and primed for hydraulic use the second the regen kicks out. There is never a time you don't have brakes. I tried to make that emphatic in my answers, but it doen't always make great TV.

Wayne

 

Thanks Wayne ~
I'll be posting a colateral point later today after the chores are done. Thanks for being a great PC ambasador.

.