Toyota Prius Speeds Out of Control on SoCal FWY

Yes, it does.

 

The second floor mat that was on top was also out of a Lexus RX350...not the same model they were driving.

 

One thing I was thinking about this morning was pedal interference. Debris in the footwell could plausibly both depress the accelerator and prevent the brake pedal from being fully depressed (perhaps preventing brake override?). Driver did say he tried to lift the pedal, but as we know from the Lexus in the heat of the moment you can miss what appear to be obvious things.

This fits most of what was observed by both the driver and witnesses, and IMO is much more likely than the simultaneous failures that would be necessary to explain it otherwise..

 

I don't think 2008 models have V AT.

What puzzles me is that if the guy was going 94mph and people were passing him "left and right," what does that mean?

 

The good news is that we can all speed now and blame the car!

 

Re: TV Tease - CHP stops runaway Prius

If this guy could dial 911 on his phone while managing his runaway Prius maby he just needs a new app. for his phone "STOP MY PRIUS".

 

Re: TV Tease - CHP stops runaway Prius

I don't believe a word of that guys story. First of all the prius' engine cannot overpower the brakes. Second, as all of you have already mentioned, why didn't he shift into N or shut off the engine by holding the power button. The guys obviously looking to make a quick buck.

I find it highly suspicious that the gen2 prius has been out for 5 revisions and yet only now do these so called stuck accelerator reports surface.

 

Re: TV Tease - CHP stops runaway Prius

It was a 2008.

 

Re: When will Toyota get it right?

spoken like a true hippie

 

Richard Heene Syndrome?

 

Re: When will Toyota get it right?

Outlawing stupid drivers will take care of much of Dianne Whitmire's problems.

 

Re: When will Toyota get it right?

...and road congestion.

Tom

 

Re: When will Toyota get it right?

I know we are all entitled to our opinions. But many of them on the forum are so knee-jerk without a bit of personal insight.

Hope no one is on jury duty today...

I'll await more information and facts on this one before hanging the driver or Toyota.

 

Needs to get sorted out. Soon!

Unintended Acceleration: Police chase down runaway Prius [updated + video]

 

“The vehicles did not touch until after they came to a stop,” Pennings said.

That's a lot different from using the cop car to stop the Prius as reported by the press at first.

I smell a great big giant hoax.

 

Call me a skeptic, but the driver's story sounds fishy to me. There are too many anomalies in it.

He says he depressed the accelerator pedal and it got stuck, but not by the floor mat. OK, then what was holding the pedal in position against his attempt to return it to idle by hand? Don't these cars have the Denso pedal without the internal fingers that were causing problems over time? AFAIK, there is no electronic part inside the pedal that would hold it in position against pressure. So it must have been an internal mechanical fault. Possible, but unlikely. And it should still be in the partially-depressed position for the investigators to see.

He says he was going upward of 90 mph but he didn't want to put it in neutral because cars were passing him left and right and he didn't want to be rear-ended. Cars passing him left and right at 90? Hard to believe.

He says the CHP trooper saw the brake lining flying off the car. Again, not likely, but if it did, he would then have next-to-no braking at all when the brake pad metal contacted the brake disc. But then he says that when he added the parking brake the car began to slow. Doesn't the parking brake act on the same rear brake linings that the hydraulic brake system that he was already using does? So the parking brake should have no additional effect.

I may be wrong, but at first look his story is not believable to me.

 

Maybe now Toyota will offer zero financing on Priuses, as they should have all along.

 

The report on my news station was that the CHP pulled up to the side of the Prius and told the driver to activate BOTH the hydraulic brake pedal AND the parking brake at the same time. That stopped/freed the accelerator. They didn't "get in front".

This whole thing is a conspiracy against Toyota by the UAW, and Government Motors. Notice that all the problems are in cars assembled in U.S. plants or due to U.S. sourced parts assemblies. For years I've made it a rule to NOT buy any car built in North America; I only buy those built in Germany or Japan.

 

I believe the driver has a 2006 Prius and the dynamic cruise control wasn't available until the 2010 model.