1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Toyota Prius Speeds Out of Control on SoCal FWY

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by PazPrius, Mar 8, 2010.

  1. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    4,281
    59
    0
    Location:
    "Somewhere in Flyover Country"
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    The post you quoted was a toyota speaker to toyota suppliers. Does it sound contrite to you? What internal conversations with toyota employees have you been privy to other than what toyota wants you to be privy to.

    I do appreciate your opinion and will try to be more objective in the future.
     
  2. sdond

    sdond New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2010
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    Mpls mn
    Model:
    IV
    Speaking of Audi:
    My 2007 audi had a sudden acceleration while braking this winter while i was wearing my snowboots at the wheel.
    Fortunately for Audi it did not make the news.
     
  3. djasonw

    djasonw Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2004
    952
    116
    0
    Location:
    Coconut Creek, FL
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    This is UNBELIEVABLE.... I just learned that the driver of the Prius on the San Diego Freeway is related to the woman who found a piece of a finger in Wendy's chili. We all know where SHE is now. Doing nine years!!! Perhaps this schmuck is not too far behind.
     
  4. DeadPhish

    DeadPhish Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2005
    2,010
    353
    0
    Location:
    Outer Banks of NC.. Retired to play golf and poker
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Seriously?
     
  5. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2005
    4,281
    59
    0
    Location:
    "Somewhere in Flyover Country"
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    yes and he is the balloon boy's grandfather. ;)
     
  6. carz89

    carz89 I study nuclear science...

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2008
    444
    47
    0
    Location:
    San Diego
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Based on everything I've learned about Mr. Sikes, you had me going for three seconds!
     
  7. someToast

    someToast Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2009
    15
    3
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Out of prison, for nearly a year.
     
    1 person likes this.
  8. djasonw

    djasonw Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2004
    952
    116
    0
    Location:
    Coconut Creek, FL
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    My humor and writing style can sound too serious at times. I apologize if anyone took me seriously. The point I am trying to make is that this guy is full of sh*t!!!! If Toyota was smart they'd attempt to refute his claim of his Prius being out of control. I think Toyota should hire the BEST PR firm for damage control.

    One good thing has come out of this at least for me. Usually when driving in NYC driver's rarely give way to anyone. Now when someone sees me in their rear view mirror (the Prius is easily recognizable) they seem to move left/right quite quickly!!!!
     
  9. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2007
    7,512
    1,188
    0
    Location:
    Carmichael, CA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius

    lol.
     
  10. jonathanrhys

    jonathanrhys New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2010
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    I
    Also i doubt about this news and i do not believe it.
     
  11. a1a1a1

    a1a1a1 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2010
    144
    3
    0
    Location:
    So Cal
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I disagree. They come clean when they take ownership of their problems, specifically admit fault, quit debating about problems (this also legitimizes the problems), and propose specific and believable fixes. They have done none of this yet. Taking control of a situation is the only way to create results.
     
  12. apriusfan

    apriusfan New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2007
    6,050
    205
    0
    Location:
    S.F. Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Toyota sure has not done that.
     
  13. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,075
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    This misses the crux of the issue. If there is no real problem, there is nothing to fix. Even if there is a clear problem, and Toyota fixes it, people will still step on the wrong pedal and do other stupid things. Every crash will look like a Toyota failure. Anything Toyota doesn't do will look like a cover-up.

    Now that public has this image securely planted in their collective minds, it won't be easy for Toyota to shake it. Perhaps Toyota could have got out in front of this at the beginning, but that option is long gone. Every option is now bad, but some are worse than others.

    Toyota will survive this, and life will go on, but it will do some damage.

    Tom
     
  14. robbyr2

    robbyr2 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2008
    1,198
    149
    0
    Location:
    Commerce City, CO
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Mr. Kane's company had an answer- a brake throttle override. Too bad that isn't an answer any longer.
     
  15. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,075
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    All Prius already have brake throttle override. It is a standard feature.

    Tom
     
  16. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    20,174
    8,353
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    Survive? ... not according to malorn . . . Toyota is DOOMED ... DOOMED! he'll tell ya . . .

    :p

    .
     
  17. Barcelona Red

    Barcelona Red OM dream mobile sea glass

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2008
    79
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Jose,California
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    In the 1980s my parents owned 3 Audis. then they had that certain problem and Audis were nowhere to be found. I doubt this could happen to Toyota, they are too dominant,still.
     
  18. priushippie

    priushippie New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2009
    330
    41
    0
    Location:
    Pennsyltucky
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Sikes (siko) simply held the brakes on just enough to heat them up and cause the smell of brakes. One foot on the brakes lightly and one foot on the gas pedal just enough to go about 90. If he had really pushed on the brakes and brake assist worked he would have been able to stop other wise he would have really cooked the brakes into flames and huge clouds of smoke! I hope they throw him jail. A floored Prius is capable of speeds in excess of 110mph. He obviously kept the gas pedal back a little to make this all look like a floored vehicle but not to the point of him being really in jeopardy of crashing. He obviously was angry about the whole recall thing and hoped to cash in or get rid of his car. :eek:
     
    1 person likes this.
  19. pdhenry

    pdhenry It's HEEERE!

    Joined:
    May 26, 2008
    406
    15
    0
    Location:
    PA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    I assert that I was able to keep one hand on the wheel and put the other hand down to grab the accelerator, while maintaining eye contact on the road ahead. I'm neither skinny nor an agile teenager. This is in response to the people who calimed there was NFW anyone would be able to reach down to where their right foot was while they were seated in the driving position.

    If I thought my life depended on it I could certainly do it while driving down a busy freeway.

    What have you tried doing?
     
  20. robbyr2

    robbyr2 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2008
    1,198
    149
    0
    Location:
    Commerce City, CO
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Yes, but when Mr. Sikes put both feet on the brake with his butt off the seat, the override didn't happen. At least that's what he said he did.