[boogiee90]

hAhA this event just opened up door for bad drivers!!!!!!!

people will now blame their cars for their STUPIDITY...

OOOPSS i got in an accident...."its the car's fault"

[jt335i]

With the accelerator getting stuck, why is it so hard to quickly think that all one has to do is just put it neutral?
If it's not in gear, the engine will keep revving, but the car won't accelerate and they can use the brakes to stop.

[Eights-n-Aces]

Originally Posted by rhodesman

...So i think turning the car off while moving is out of the question.

From Toyota Website:
What if you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving?
Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but Toyota recommends taking the following actions:

• If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist.

• Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.

• If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.

o If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.

[rhodesman]

Originally Posted by Eights-n-Aces

From Toyota Website:
What if you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving?
Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but Toyota recommends taking the following actions...

I think the question here is what do you do when in a panicked situation. I usually have a level enough head even in a crisis situation to think my way though the options, but I know my wife would not have the same reaction. Same goes for reading something vs. doing it. In a panicked situation all that matters is muscle memory, nothing else. My intent is to teach that to my wife so she know what to do. I can tell her "hold the power button for three seconds" but maybe she holds it for two and nothing happens but because adrenaline is pumping through her, she thinks it was 5 seconds.

Also considering Toyota knew about these issues and just "hoped" no one would notice, I tend to take what they say with a grain of salt. I want to test these solutions out for myself before I commit to it being the right way of doing it.

I'll report back with my findings. FYI, Carmax has seriously 4 pages of Toyotas for sale for one location near me. I wonder if Toyota will survive this problem.

[Oulixes]

Originally Posted by Takashi

You have to take into account the kind of people who buys Toyotas (and Lexus). Most Toyota and Lexus buyers will fit in one or more categories:
1. A to B drivers - individuals who just want to get from A to B.
2. Tree huggers - People who are over-obsessed about fuel economy.
3. Road blockers - drivers who never goes 1% above speed limit in fear of crashing.
4. Young and Restless - Usually observed in Lexus IS-F drivers.

Believe it or not, most Toyota drivers will know how to operate a car and basic vehicle maintenance such as filling up and washing windows. They don't know (and don't care) about vehicle performance and what to do in emergency situations. That is why you ge a bunch of bo-hos who complain about their car keeps on accelerating and don't know what to do.

+1, Toyota has cultivated specific sets of buyers, and the present situation can be understood in the context of their own marketing.

[immiketoo]

I think he just wanted a police escort.

[Eights-n-Aces]

You're right about reacting during an emergency. When learning to fly we had BOLD FACE maneuvers for emergency situations (stalls, loss of power, spins, etc...). You had to memorize each bold face and be able to recite all of them at 100% accuracy before you were allowed in the cockpit. This is despite the fact that a book with the bold face procedures was strapped to your leg.

My advice: Keep it simple, practice, practice, practice and test.

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION
1. PRESS BRAKE FIRMLY-DO NOT PUMP BRAKES
2. SHIFT VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL-IGNORE ENGINE
3. MOVE VEHICLE TOWARDS SHOULDER OF ROAD
4. PRESS AND HOLD START/STOP BUTTON UNTIL ENGINE STOPS
5. BE PREPARED FOR HARDER THAN NORMAL STEERING
6. BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER OR SIDE OF ROAD

[Robert]

The man should be ticketed for front tint. Owner modified his car, specifically the tint that caused the eventual failure of throttle system. Case closed, warranty denied. Oh wait what am I saying.

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by Robert

The man should be ticketed for front tint. Owner modified his car, specifically the tint that caused the eventual failure of throttle system. Case closed, warranty denied. Oh wait what am I saying.

dude it's a toyota, not a bimmer

[Robert]

Originally Posted by HoustonScott

First I don't believe a Prius can do 90mph. The driver said he tried to shift to neutral and turn the car off. So much for that. Toyota has a ECU problem and they has better get on it fast or Toyota may go under. I don't know how they can continue to sale cars in the US until they identify the problem and are 100% certain of the fix.

HS

Oh it can do 90. Dont ask me how I find out.

Originally Posted by E46M54325Ci

dude it's a toyota, not a bimmer

lol, I glad someone got the joke.

[cotmfk]

Finally saw the video. Whether or not this guy is scamming, he brought the issue right back to the forefront on a national level when it seemed to be fading a bit.

[Chris.S]

The Toyota recall prevent Darwinism...

If you don't understand how to stop a car that has it's throttle stuck, you don't deserve to drive.

[Jeff@TopGearSolutions]

Originally Posted by noro

Wait wait... he had time to make a phone call, but apparently not enough brains to drop the car into neutral? Or even overpower it with the brake?

None of this makes sense to me... but then again, every time I see a Prius on a highway it is usually traveling in the fast lane at 45 MPH so you can't expect these "environmentally conscious people" to have common sense.

You cant really drop a prius into neutral, you ever see those things in real life, you push a little lever to electronically choose for Park Reverse and Drive.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/searc...ei=utf-8&x=wrt

If the DBW is malfunctioning, im assuming "selecting" neutral wont work either.

But then again, just hit the BRAKES!!!

[Outlaw 06]

Since the U.S. government now owns GM and Chrysler, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to find out that our congress (and a multitude of other federal bureaucracies) were overhyping this whole thing just to win back market share from Toyota…

[JIM E92]

I drove this model year Prius for almost two months. The transmission will certainly go into neutral when accelerating. There is no confusion about it either...simply move the lever up...that's all. It's not confusing like the ES400. If the driver said that he tried to move it to neutral with no success I would question the honesty of his entire statement.

[mogarbage]

looking for a payout. simple as that
another balloon boy, this time in a quality japanese company caught up in the american man's schemes

[chazzz]

What if GM/Ford asked James Sikes to drive Prius with a defective gas pedal, to make Toyota look bad?

He also gets paid for driving it, and he somehow get the CHP's and media's attention.

[eclivia]

This might be good for me, Hopefully the price of toyota and lexus drop 50 percent and i will buy myself a DD and lexus ISF!!!

[HoustonScott]

Most of these posts assume one thing, that the car should and would react like you would think if you would have just done (take you pick). That's the problem the cars ECU is connected to all those systems, brake, excelerator, transmission, electric motor, gas engine, ignition, and all those censors, and doesn't act or react to normal inputs by the driver. That's the problem.....and why it must be electric or electronic.

HS

[Eights-n-Aces]

Originally Posted by HoustonScott

Most of these posts assume one thing, that the car should and would react like you would think if you would have just done (take you pick). That's the problem the cars ECU is connected to all those systems, brake, excelerator, transmission, electric motor, gas engine, ignition, and all those censors, and doesn't act or react to normal inputs by the driver. That's the problem.....and why it must be electric or electronic.

BS...

While I agree that the issue is probably electronic, your assumption that other functions of the car were might not have been acting normally is false.

When asked whether he tried to shift the car into neutral his reponse was "No, I was keeping both hands on the wheel in an attempt to control the car." Yet, his first reaction was to reach down with his right hand and pull the gas pedal up. His second reaction was to dial 911 and tell them his car wouldn't slow down.

He could have: (1) hit the brakes, (2) shift into neutral or (3) turned the car off. Any of these would have solved the problem.

Instead, he (1) panicked, (2) tried the pull the gas pedal up with his right hand, (3) dial the phone. I'm surprised he didn't stick his foot out the door and stop it that way.

BTW: Its "ACCELERATOR", not excelerator - and - SENSORS not censors

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by Eights-n-Aces

BS...

While I agree that the issue is probably electronic, your assumption that other functions of the car were might not have been acting normally is false.

When asked whether he tried to shift the car into neutral his reponse was "No, I was keeping both hands on the wheel in an attempt to control the car." Yet, his first reaction was to reach down with his right hand and pull the gas pedal up. His second reaction was to dial 911 and tell them his car wouldn't slow down.

He could have: (1) hit the brakes, (2) shift into neutral or (3) turned the car off. Any of these would have solved the problem.

Instead, he (1) panicked, (2) tried the pull the gas pedal up with his right hand, (3) dial the phone. I'm surprised he didn't stick his foot out the door and stop it that way.

BTW: Its "ACCELERATOR", not excelerator - and - SENSORS not censors

You are spot on. The problem I have is the guy is 61 years old; he should have enough driving experience to know better than to panic. I'm sure he's driven enough Detroit iron (not a dis) in his youth to be able to steer and brake a car with no power assist. I just laugh when his thought process, as his car is apparently speeding away uncontrollably, to call 911 on his cell phone. What I find funny is the whole stuck accelerator bit; it’s an electric throttle, there is no cable between the pedal and intake system. Sticking throttles are from the era of cabled gas pedals.

[Fugly M3]

while he may have experience driving for 40 some odd years, in my experience Prius drivers are among the WORST on the roads. I could easily see most of them panicking and doing all sorts of crazy stuff