Video – Toyota Prius Driver Needed Help From Police To Stop His Car

Published on March 10th, 2010

Posted by Gasparrini in Technology, Video

Yikes!

87 users responded in " Video – Toyota Prius Driver Needed Help From Police To Stop His Car "

Subscribe to this post comment rss or trackback url

# 1 Hmeyers said, on March 10th, 2010 at 12:10 am

What is wrong with putting the car into neutral?

The driver had the problem for 10 minutes, certainly this was an option.

# 2 BenClement said, on March 10th, 2010 at 12:24 am

What about switching off the ignition? just hold the button in for 8 seconds.

just press the Park button and it will go into neutral. No muss no fuss. The parking pawl is only engaged if the the park button is pressed when the speed is less than 7 mph. If pressed at over 6 mph the Prius will go into neutral and stay in neutral regardless of speed.

# 3 Alex said, on March 10th, 2010 at 12:43 am

Planted story.
He had time to call 911 but was unable to do anything described in the comments above.

BTW, did he a get a ticket for talking on the phone while driving?

# 4 Rawb said, on March 10th, 2010 at 12:56 am

More info

# 5 madtruckman said, on March 10th, 2010 at 1:13 am

this video didnt tell the whole story, and your guys’ comments show that. other articles about this story ive read say that the guy did try to put the car in neutral and it continued to accelerate. second, he was doing 95mph on the freeway out of control when he made is call. quick, your car is accelerating out of control, your brakes are burnt up, and nothing stops the car. what would you do?? quickly, you’re doing 95!!…the only way he could stop it was the policeman pulled up beside him and told him over loudspeaker to engage the e-brake. that got him down around 50mph or so, which then the policeman got in front of the car and slowed it to a stop. these prius’s obviously are dangerous and dangerous to others. i cannot believe that toyota has not told drivers NOT to drive them until this issue is resolved. i pray no one gets killed over one of the monster cars. and heck, the greenies said the hummers were the big problem!!! heheheheh….

# 6 fromundacheese said, on March 10th, 2010 at 1:45 am

This is a huge pile of Bravo-Sierra.

# 7 Lou said, on March 10th, 2010 at 1:49 am

This guy should be banished from the roads permanently, for that driving display.

# 8 *wingz* said, on March 10th, 2010 at 1:59 am

mmmmm – Toyota have created a huge problem for themselves and for the dead drivers and passengers. A simple override on the chip that said – if the driver hits the brakes then stop applying power from either electrics or petrol engine would solve this problem even for ordinary drivers.

# 9 KasiorMC said, on March 10th, 2010 at 2:21 am

the cop didn’t actually stop his car…
he told him to use the f*ing emergency brake.

http://jalopnik.com/5489244/runaway-toyota-prius-driver-had-to-be-told-to-use-emergency-brake

-come on, how stupid do you have to be to not know what a thing called brake (emergency – how conveniently named!) is for braking.

having said that… yes, i’m european. i drive stick. a corrola.

# 10 Filmateleven said, on March 10th, 2010 at 3:51 am

Soiled pants were found at the scene..

# 11 bobbo, the angular separation in perspective is all that matters said, on March 10th, 2010 at 4:33 am

I wish I had an emergency brake. All my Toyota comes with is a parking brake.

Its probably a weird electronic ((soundwash where are you when your fetish is relevant?)) harmonic like a freak killer wave. All the different waves in the air combined to issue the circuits in the accelerator a balls to the wall command.

We’ll see more of this as the technology of our society complicates.

# 12 shizzaq said, on March 10th, 2010 at 4:44 am

this story sounds like it has a lot of holes.

# 13 RTaylor said, on March 10th, 2010 at 4:47 am

I’m a cynical SOB. I can see some people staging lawsuits, or simply trying to get out a car loan.

# 14 jescott418 said, on March 10th, 2010 at 4:50 am

Why he managed to take the time to call 911 but could not hold down the start button for three seconds to kill the engine is why people die in auto emergencies like this. Killing the engine would have been the best and safest way to stop the car. Why the CHP did not think of that right away is beyond me. Now, as far as Toyota, I have owned several and currently have two. Why only a few are having this problem is a huge question I am sure everyone wants to solve. But when you inspect a car and find nothing? What is any manufacture to do??

# 15 Olo Baggins of Bywater said, on March 10th, 2010 at 5:11 am

jescott, just so you don’t feel left out here’s a Toyota simulator.

# 16 Awake said, on March 10th, 2010 at 5:12 am

Options according to official Toyota guidelines ( http://huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/09/toyotas-tips-what-to-do-i_n_492569.html ):

a) Press brake pedal hard with both feet. Press hard.

If that does not work

b) Put car in neutral

If that does not work

c) Turn off car by holding down your igniton button for 3 seconds. Be prepared to lose steering and brakes.

==========

The guy tried (a) and (b), but refused to try (c) because it sounds outright stooopid to lose steering and brakes when doing 90 MPH, while steering around traffic.

The trooper states that he saw the brake lights come on repeatedly, and could smell overheated brakes when he caught up.

The guy applied the parking brake full force, which slowed him down to about 55 MPH, at which time the trooper pulled up in front of him and helped him stop with his car (the Prius eventually stalled abd rolled to a stop)

============

Some interesting issues.

a) The computer in Toyotas is currently programmed to give priority to the accelerator over the brakes. Yes, the computer decides how hard the brakes will apply, regardless of how hard you push. They are changing that in future models. (DUH!)

b) The computer in Toyotas will not allow you to shift into neutral if the accelerator is past a certain point to avoid damaging the engine by over-revving. They are officially changing that ‘policy’

c) If your vehicle is in gear, and you are moving above a few MPH, the computer will avoid turning off the engine to protect you from losing steering and brakes. Many cars do not even have a key, they just have a ‘press to start/stop button. The button is under control of the computer. If you have a ‘real’ key, the only way to override the computer is to physically remove the key, which LOCKS your steering wheel into it’s current position. Assuming you can even override the key removal lockout when the car is moving… what kingd of idiot would lock the steering wheel hard, knowing that there will be virtually no brakes available at the same time.

Add all these issues together and you have runaway cars with nothing you can do about it. The car will go as fast as possible because the computer says so, and will override all your attempts to make it do differently.

The Toyota design team seems to have been heavily influenced by the movie Christine!
( http://youtube.com/watch?v=wNS5WBRBkoQ )

# 17 clancys_daddy said, on March 10th, 2010 at 5:13 am

Just my two cents, but i believe the man made the comment that he was concerned that shutting off the vehicle may have led to the loss of steering creating a larger problem an no control.

# 18 admfubar said, on March 10th, 2010 at 5:15 am

in related news Toyota has changed its name to Banzai Motors.

# 19 Dallas said, on March 10th, 2010 at 5:20 am

This is all BS and an attempted scam on Toyota.

It was a matter of time before someone enacted some stunt to draw publicity or scam money from Toyota.

# 20 Olo Baggins of Bywater said, on March 10th, 2010 at 5:24 am

Awake…this is why I’m not an early-adopter.

# 21 Tim said, on March 10th, 2010 at 5:25 am

I agree with #3, I call Bullshit! In an ABC News story the driver said he reached down to pull up the accelerator pedal with his hand while the car was doing 80-90MPH

#8 is correct, I only saw it once, but there is video of the driver slowing the car down without any assistance of the police car. The pictures make it look like the police car slowed the Prius down.

My car won’t stop, so who do I call? 911. Maybe they know how to stop a Prius with acceleration problems.

What has happened to the real “investigative” reporters? The ones with the common sense to say, this is BULLSHIT!

# 22 pilgrim said, on March 10th, 2010 at 5:47 am

Has anyone else in the world had this problem or is it just in the US, where the Government and the Unions control the car companies that are trying to get Toymotor’s market share. This guy is either the new Balloon Boy or it’s government scam. It’s a Trap

# 23 Olo Baggins of Bywater said, on March 10th, 2010 at 6:01 am

Hey pilgrim, I think you’re onto something. It’s a plot by GM to drive domestic auto purchases. That, or Toyota contracted programming out to the same folks used by Sony and HP.

FWIW, Steve Wozniak was recently complaining about his Prius and some repeatable cruise control madness.

# 24 Olo Baggins of Bywater said, on March 10th, 2010 at 6:05 am

Here’s a better article about Woz and this recent runaway Prius.

# 25 The0ne said, on March 10th, 2010 at 6:31 am

News report is a bit off as #4 explained it correctly. #1 and #2 are expecting way too much from your average driver to apply common sense such as using the e-brake. Seriously, it’s too much to ask for.

Personally, I think this is a scam myself. I live here, in San Diego; and as I’ve mentioned many times before I see AT LEAST

# 26 bac said, on March 10th, 2010 at 6:33 am

I will assume it is the gas engine of this Prius that was racing out of control. Wouldn’t you still have steering if the gas engine quit because the electric part could still be functional?

As with pilgrim, I haven’t heard of these problems happening elsewhere in the world. If Toyotas in the rest of the world have not shown this problem then it might be just Toyotas manufactured in the US.

# 27 The0ne said, on March 10th, 2010 at 6:34 am

O.o holy cow, wtf just happened there…the comment submitted itself without me doing anything!

…AT LEAST one Prius driver going 90MPH or more, according to my speedometer. How do I know, I speed up to see how fast they are going then slow back down.

So with this fool saying his car is accelerating and he can’t brake…at 95MPH, I call that total BS. Don’t believe me, rent one and test it yourself. If you don’t/can’t go over 95MPH I’ll fcking pay you $1000.

# 28 nick the rat said, on March 10th, 2010 at 6:47 am

hmmm, where did this happen? he must have been doing 90 for a good 5 minutes min…. no traffic? no other cars hit? he is like keanu reeves in speed!

# 29 Killer Duck said, on March 10th, 2010 at 6:56 am

Has anyone checked with the SEC to see if he has a huge short position or a lot of puts in TM?

# 30 Father said, on March 10th, 2010 at 7:32 am

Awake, I do not accept your explaination, any of it. Do you have official Toyota reports to back up your claim?

Modern engines can not over-rev, the spark will be interrupted after red line. Don’t believe me, try it (I have).

# 31 Tenaya said, on March 10th, 2010 at 7:54 am

NHTSA should mandate the installation of one of these on the dash of every Toyota:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andyi/172023975

# 32 Mr Anderson said, on March 10th, 2010 at 8:17 am

Maybe it’s a Kamikaze virus under the hood?

# 33 Reverse Engineer said, on March 10th, 2010 at 8:30 am

“The brakes were definitely down to hardly any material” Neibert told reporters Tuesday.

I’d like to see a good close-up picture of those brake pads and rotors.

# 34 Father said, on March 10th, 2010 at 8:45 am

It is my experience that brakes will catch on fire before wearing signifcantly, in this situation. I’ve seen this happen on an x-GF’s car and semitrucks.

# 35 TerryLoveUK said, on March 10th, 2010 at 8:51 am

What I’m wondering, (and maybe it’s a question for No Agenda), is why are all the cases I hear of in the US? I’m not seeing anything in the UK press about cases in the UK or Europe.

Is it a US verion only problem or, (put’s on my No Agenda tin-foil hat) a scam in (and by) the US on Toyota?

# 36 arpie said, on March 10th, 2010 at 9:02 am

# 16 Awake said:
c) Turn off car by holding down your igniton button for 3 seconds. Be prepared to lose steering and brakes.

Here’s the verbatim text from HIS LINK:

“_ If you’re unable to put the vehicle in neutral, turn off the engine. This will cut off power assist to the steering wheel and brakes, but as long as the key is in the ignition, you will still be able to steer and brake. If you have an engine start/stop button, press it firmly for three seconds to turn the engine off. Do not tap it. If you have a conventional key ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position. Do not remove the key from the ignition.”

It clearly says: “no power assist” but you still have steering and brakes. Why the hell do you specifically, misleadingly, say “Be prepared to lose steering and brakes” when that’s obviously not true, as per the source you quoted yourself. What is your agenda here?

My comment: Smells to me like this is either (a) an idiot that should lose his license, along with all other idiots that think that driving is an entitlement and not a privilege (like the woman in FL shaving while draving), (b) a plant by GM or other special interests to give Toyota more trouble or (c) someone who wants to get out of a car loan. Fishy, fishy…

P.S. BTW, cars come with a little thing called a “manual” for a reason, people should, you know… read it.

# 37 Guyver said, on March 10th, 2010 at 9:04 am

Off topic, but related to hybrids and electric cars: http://tinyurl.com/yfxefnv

# 38 Rudy said, on March 10th, 2010 at 9:04 am

“A CHP officer pulled up alongside Sikes and was able to help the driver eventually slow to 50 mph before shifting into neutral, which Toyota says you can do by holding the gear shift in “N” for 2 seconds. He then shut the car down. Toyota advises drivers to hold down the “power” button for 3 seconds to kill the engine.”- from the Woz article.

# 39 Lowfreq said, on March 10th, 2010 at 9:13 am

‘Some interesting issues.

I’m not buying this BS at all. The computer will not control any aspects of the brakes. Only the ABS system. Brakes will remain mechanical just for this type of emergency\reason. There’s no way DOT, NHTSB, or the auto insurance industry in this country or any other would allow such a thing on the highway.

‘b) The computer in Toyotas will not allow you to shift into neutral if the accelerator is past a certain point to avoid damaging the engine by over-revving. They are officially changing that ‘policy’’

This is also BS. Over revving is controlled by killing the ignition temporarily, cutting fuel deliver to the injectors, or both. Never by selecting neutral. Again, the governing boards of auto safety would never allow this on the road.

‘c) If your vehicle is in gear, and you are moving above a few MPH, the computer will avoid turning off the engine to protect you from losing steering and brakes. Many cars do not even have a key, they just have a ‘press to start/stop button. The button is under control of the computer. If you have a ‘real’ key, the only way to override the computer is to physically remove the key, which LOCKS your steering wheel into it’s current position. Assuming you can even override the key removal lockout when the car is moving… what kingd of idiot would lock the steering wheel hard, knowing that there will be virtually no brakes available at the same time.’

Shutting off the motor is rarely a smart idea. Considering the brakes can easily stop the vehicle on their own if they are in good shape, of course. The biggest piece of safety equipment you can have in a car is a cool headed driver. Honestly, Toyota and alike have been making drive by wire vehicles for eons in Japan and Europe and for almost 10 years in the US. And we hear issues now? Shit happens for sure but ONLY from Toyota?

# 40 MAOM7 said, on March 10th, 2010 at 9:18 am

Dude needs to lose his license for being stupid. They should replace it with a bus pass.

He was told MULTIPLE times by law enforcement and the police dispatcher to put the car in neutral and he “failed to respond.” Yet he supposedly leaned down in that tiny tin can and pulled up on the accelerator?

Dweeb. Sorry. No sympathy. This is basic stuff you learn in driver’s ed. He apparently missed class that day.

# 41 The0ne said, on March 10th, 2010 at 9:29 am

I’m broke too so I think I’ll devise a way to sue Toyota myself

# 42 Alex said, on March 10th, 2010 at 10:05 am

Could that be just another publicity stunt, like that stupid story of a boy in the baloon…

Now everybody with a Toyota is allowed to have some fun on the road.
When stopped by a police:
-Oh, sorry officer my accelerator got stuck…

That specific car should be properly inspected.

# 43 Brian said, on March 10th, 2010 at 10:22 am

The Prius can go up to 95 MPH???

# 44 Nobody said, on March 10th, 2010 at 10:55 am

Audi (accelerate under demonic influence) – big publicity following TV special reports, lots of law suits, NHTSA couldn’t find anything and it only happened in the USA

Toyota – big publicity following TV special reports, lots of law suits, but NHTSA couldn’t find anything and it only happened in the USA.

Am I spotting a pattern here?

# 45 Skeptic of the AOBCCS said, on March 10th, 2010 at 11:19 am

I love all the conspiracy theories. Very entertaining.

I’m impressed that so many of you know exactly what happened… more so than the guy driving, or the police. It’s like you have a fact tree, and you can just reach up and pick some.

I wonder what it’s like trying to steer a car doing 95 mph, trying not to hit other cars doing 60, that aren’t aware you are out of control, while trying to listen to blowhorn instructions and a 911 operator, while you fumble with the electronics of unusual technology to try various suggestions and guesses to stop your car before you kill someone or yourself.

I give the guy kudos for getting out alive without killing anyone in the process.

# 46 Skeptic of the AOBCCS said, on March 10th, 2010 at 11:25 am

http://bit.ly/Bloomberg_Braking_Story

“Complaints of defects aren’t limited to Toyota vehicles, and the entire U.S. auto industry should be examined, Senator Daniel Inouye, a Hawaii Democrat, said at the hearing.

“It is not a Toyota problem,” Inouye said. “It is an industry problem. If it is an industry problem, we should hear from the industry, not just Toyota.”

Toyota’s 2,600 reports of unintended acceleration in the past decade are second to Ford Motor Co.’s 3,526, according to Transportation Department data. “

# 47 Zybch said, on March 10th, 2010 at 11:32 am

#38 The prius has regenerative brakes. Basically they charge up the battery using the car’s kinetic energy when you brake, this is why the prius gets better mileage if you drive like an old lady start-stop-start-stop.

The handbrake might be mechanical but the regular one sure isn’t.

Regardless, I think this whole thing is total bullshit. The prius has been around for many years now and yet its only in the past 6-9 months that any of this has been occurring, and ONLY in the US. Other countries have the prius too, and there are many more outside the US than in it, and yet none of the non-us ones have this issue.

Its a scam, pure and simple. But to what end, NoAgenda puts forward an interesting theory, and this guy could very well be a stooge for the US auto industry.

# 48 ECA said, on March 10th, 2010 at 11:32 am

1. READ THE MANUAL..

I have an interesting thought..
If these are Computer controlled breaks..
Will radio signals create a problem.

Also, I would like you to consider a SMEAR CAMPAIGN..

# 49 Skeptic of the AOBCCS said, on March 10th, 2010 at 11:57 am

#46, Zybch… Bull.

The acceleration problems have been around since 2000 US when they were first imported. Problems are worldwide…. Japan just won’t reveal how many complaints they have gotten at head office.

Just like in AGW… you really don’t have a clue of the facts.

# 50 Misanthropic Scott said, on March 10th, 2010 at 12:53 pm

For the many of us like HMeyers who actually know about neutral, I bet this is a really good time to buy a prius. Too bad I’m a bit short on cash at the moment … and still have my 18 year old/134K mile camry running just fine. I can’t quite bring myself to cough up the cash or waste a perfectly good car, a bigger toll on the environment than any environmental good from the extra 20 MPG.

# 51 John said, on March 10th, 2010 at 1:17 pm

This is all a scam, seriously people wake up. Chevy is releasing an electric/hybrid (ugly car) vehicle soon and what better way then scare everyone of these prius cars then do stunts like this. Now this probably was also a guy who wanted to live his california dream and cash in millions with this stunt, having not only a recorded 911 message but police intervention PLUS news coverage. These cars come installed with a cutoff system for when the breaks are applied AND you can put it in neutral. Just watch and learn. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiSQeaeWxGU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II_03lbr-Jw&feature=related

# 52 John said, on March 10th, 2010 at 1:24 pm

It’s faked, he drove lightly on the breaks while pressing the gas pedal down. He’s just in it for money, welcome to American! To prove this guys full of crap just check out these youtubes.
Add youtube to the begining of .com link –>
.com/watch?v=II_03lbr-Jw&feature=related

# 53 petee said, on March 10th, 2010 at 1:27 pm

Saw another video that included a LOT of footage of the guy – he really liked being on TV – including the 911 call. In the call he claims that he didn’t want to try putting it in neutral because he didn’t “know about these cars” and that he thought it might flip the car. I didn’t want to put it in neutral because I thought it might flip the car???? Did he get the Batmobile edition Prius? This guy’s a fake. (I think I saw that he’s a lawyer… Hmm…)

# 54 KasiorMC said, on March 10th, 2010 at 1:46 pm

#41, Alex

i had exactly the same thought. that guy obviously wanted to get some attention. why else would he get a prius?! it’s expensive, slow and has a poor mileage if you compare it with a diesel.

as a site-note: why does the us use that misleading and ass-backward mileage system? mpg tels you less about fuel economy than a simple gallons(liters)/distance(f.e. 100mi)

i won’t even mention the imperial system itself…

# 55 KarmaBaby said, on March 10th, 2010 at 1:54 pm

Maybe cars should have black boxes in them now? I, too suspect a scam but am trying not to judge the guy yet. If I ran Toyota, I’d consider the boxes for all new cars after this is all over, just to combat the scammers.

# 56 Zybch said, on March 10th, 2010 at 2:28 pm

#48 I meant that there had been no incidents that anyone paid any attention to since this recent scam began in the middle of last year. I should have been clearer, but I mistakenly gave readers like yourself too much credit.

There was an antilock issue in japan, but NOT the same uncontrolled acceleration thing as has been seen in the US. That problem appears limited the US and I can’t find anything about prius owners in other countries experiencing the problem.
“Toyota’s handling of the quality lapses, which emerged in the U.S. last year, has received widespread media attention in its home market but loyalty to Toyota remains relatively strong because the other defects behind the recalls – sticky gas pedals and faulty floor mats – have not affected any models sold in Japan.”
- http://tinyurl.com/nydaily

Again, I gave readers like yourself too much credit.

# 57 Zybch said, on March 10th, 2010 at 2:31 pm

#53 The prius does have a black box. Apparently they’ve been going through them for a while now and kneejerk twits in the US are complaining because they aren’t doing it fast enough. I’d kind of want them to take as long as needed to do a proper job rather than the american way of doing it quickly in slipshod fashion and miss important data.

# 58 omnicbex said, on March 10th, 2010 at 2:49 pm

Convenient;
Massive Toyota PR nightmare less than a year after the govt acquisition of GM.

Very Convenient;
Acceleration problems in a previously unaffected vehicle model with no apparent attempt to cut power to the engine or go into neutral during class action lawsuits during tough economic times when anyone would want to ca$h in.

Inconvenient;
Being a Toyota exec right now given the above.

# 59 KMFIX said, on March 10th, 2010 at 3:03 pm

it’s so great to hear opinions from so many amateur experts here… Where’s the Kool-Aid?

# 60 Skeptic of the AOBCCS said, on March 10th, 2010 at 3:17 pm

Zybch: “The prius has been around for many years now and yet its only in the past 6-9 months that any of this has been occurring, and ONLY in the US.”

Skeptic: “The acceleration problems have been around since 2000 US when they were first imported. Problems are worldwide…. Japan just won’t reveal how many complaints they have gotten at head office.”

Zybch: “I meant that there had been no incidents that anyone paid any attention to since this recent scam began in the middle of last year.”

Skeptic: What is clear, is that you changed your answer completely as to try and not look stupid.

A total of 1.25 million Prius have been sold world wide. Over 1 million of those were sold in North America. Almost all the rest were sold in Japan. So how many out of control Priuses do you expect to find in other countries? Hmmm?

# 61 Skeptic of the AOBCCS said, on March 10th, 2010 at 3:25 pm

petee, and others who suggested to put the car in neutral…

You are going 95 MPH, your Prius is stuck at full throttle due to an electronic malfunction… floored…. and you put that sucker in neutral….

What do you think is going to happen?

# 62 Guyver said, on March 10th, 2010 at 3:46 pm

Fuel-injection System That Delivers 64 Miles Per Gallon: http://tinyurl.com/ybql4s8

# 63 Father said, on March 10th, 2010 at 4:28 pm

For the youngens, Audi oweners claimed to have the same problem in the 1980s. Is it a user issue? I don’t think Audi could ever find anything wrong with their cars.

# 64 ray said, on March 10th, 2010 at 4:34 pm

I guess people are so busy pushing the brake pedal, that they forget there’s also a manual hand brake?

# 65 Awake said, on March 10th, 2010 at 4:49 pm

How many “deniers” are just grumpy Toyota owners pissed that their resale value is going down the toilet.

Cars these days are rolling computers. Have you ever had a computer lockup so bad that even holding down the power button for 30 seconds wouldn’t shut it off, and you had to yank the power cord out of the wall to reboot it? Sound vaguely familiar? In this case, a jammed accelerator pedal makes the computer go nuts, and nothing works right.

Wait for it… a massive recall to reprogram or outright replace all ECU computers in most Toyotas.

Next Toyota recall was announced today… more Toyota Tundra nationwide because “corrosion could lead to spare tires falling from the vehicle’s underside, as well as excessive corrosion affecting brake lines and fuel tank straps.”

# 66 Steve S said, on March 10th, 2010 at 4:53 pm

Skeptic of the AOBCCS said,
“You are going 95 MPH, your Prius is stuck at full throttle due to an electronic malfunction… floored…. and you put that sucker in neutral….
What do you think is going to happen?”
.
What I would expect to happen is that the engine would rev up until it reaches the preset limit RPM (and stay at that RPM) and the car would not be accelerating anymore. You should still have power brakes and power steering and now the brakes should be much more effective.
I don’t know what the Toyota engineers designed it to do under these conditions but this is what *should* happen.

# 67 Father said, on March 10th, 2010 at 5:53 pm

Awake, I don’t think you have any credibility on this issue.

And for the record, my next car will be a Toyota or Lexus (if I still have a job in 2 years).

# 68 Awake said, on March 10th, 2010 at 6:10 pm

#65 -

Not having much credibility on this website is almost a source of pride. Do you really want most people that hang around here to agree with you? I would actually feel terrible if Pedro ever agrees with me… I would feel like such a loser.

# 69 Hmeyers said, on March 10th, 2010 at 6:52 pm

I don’t believe any of this bullshit, mostly because the guy is a geezer.

Maybe his social security check doesn’t cover his bills and needs to file a lawsuit to pay for his senior home, either way this whole story smells.

Any competent driver could have handled the situation, therefore this man is incompetent by default.

# 70 JJ said, on March 10th, 2010 at 7:38 pm

Sounds like BS to me too! Can anyone find the other drivers that were driving down that road at the same time. What the guy was doing, if anyone saw him reach down to the pedal ( I would imagine that you would not be able to see him, and how did he get around I don’t know, the steering wheel? If the brake lights were on if he looked scarred or determined. Find the other drivers and get their story!

# 71 zzzzzz said, on March 10th, 2010 at 7:51 pm

Install Kill Switch.

If you have a car with Drive By Wire please install kill switch. Any car with Drive by wire can have this problem, ANY, just toyota currently, there be more to come.

Before Transmissions shifter are linked directly to transmission to bleed off pressure and disengage any solenoids. Now computer does that.

# 72 Rex said, on March 10th, 2010 at 8:14 pm

A new angle on the story, the guy owed a lot of money.

http://www.10news.com/news/22804088/detail.html

# 73 Skeptic of the AOBCCS said, on March 10th, 2010 at 8:41 pm

#64, Steve S., It’s what should happen… but I wouldn’t trust the maximum rpm limiter when the acceleration circuit is malfunctioning (same circuit? who knows?). Too risky. An exploding engine at 95 mph would most likely result in a fatality.

# 74 chris said, on March 10th, 2010 at 9:18 pm

#69 Attempt explaining to somebody trapped behind the wheel of an out of control car that “Instant Kill!” is a good idea.

# 75 deowll said, on March 10th, 2010 at 9:44 pm

I think the Woz said all you had to do was pat the gas peddle which isn’t something most of us would think to do with a car trying to go faster than we want to go.

# 76 misterhappy said, on March 10th, 2010 at 9:54 pm

# 16, can you cite your source on the three “interesting issues” at the end of your post? Frankly, I think they’re bogus and they need to called out. Much like the guy in the story.

# 77 amodedoma said, on March 11th, 2010 at 3:28 am

Engineering’s most important precept – the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupid. I don’t see the advantages of electronic control over so many systems. Sure a modern fighter jet’s got fly by wire as do commercial airliners, but they get A LOT more maintenance than a domestic vehicle. They also have backup and error checking systems, this degree of sophistication is obviously unsafe without them. On the other hand a lot of testing and experience has already been had on the simpler mechanical systems. Between you and your carb you don’t need but a few levers, springs, pulleys and cable, you want to put a sensor on that, go ahead, but it better be unobtrusive.

# 78 Gopher said, on March 11th, 2010 at 3:29 am

#67 Or some young punk with no job looking for a way to bleed the system more. “You go down to the social security office and apply for your disability benefits, I’ll go down and pick up our free food stamps, then we will meet up at the unemployment office and pick up our extended benefits, then travel over to the social service office and check on our free health benefits, and then finally we will meet up at the capitol building and protest on this rotten stinking society”

# 79 Ed said, on March 11th, 2010 at 7:05 am

Those of you who don’t own a Prius, don’t know what you are talking about. I own two. A 2006 and a 2010. I know the 2010 has been recalled (got my notice yesterday) but try braking a 2010, while hitting a pot hole. KNOW WHAT? The brakes cut out completely, and the car lurches ahead. Just for a second, but it does. If the computer can do it for a second, it can interfere with the brakes longer.
The gear shift is COMPLETELY electronic. No linkage. If the computer is ignoring those inputs, no luck with neutral. Same for the power switch.
Yes if your car stalls, you can still steer. But show me a modern car that doesn’t lock the wheel when you switch it off. Remember there is no multi-position switch with a key, where you can switch off the car, but leave the wheel unlocked. One button, the car is either on or off. Period.
I will agree with the emergency brake, but given how warn brake pads were afterwords (as described in accounts), I am not sure how much that might have helped.
Is this a scam, possibly yes. But don’t say things like “why not just put it in neutral”, cause he claims he tried.
Do I love the Prius, YES. If I knew in November, what I know now, would I have bought the second one. NO, not at least until this was all resolved.

# 80 ubiquitous talking head said, on March 11th, 2010 at 8:35 am

uh. exploding engine? hehe. you’ve been reading too many comic books, dude. overrevving engines fail internally and just stop running, they don’t “explode”. Maybe you’re thinking of dragster engines, which sometimes have exploding clutches because they rev to 10,000 rpm or more during the few seconds of their intended lifespan.

From the articles I read, the guy never claimed to have tried putting it in neutral; in fact he specifically said that he did NOT try that because he was afraid it would “make the car flip.” hahahhaha. seriously. Not even my grandmother would be that ignorant.

I think the guy is changing his story now that he has come under national scrutiny.

# 81 Skeptic of the AOBCCS said, on March 11th, 2010 at 11:09 am

re#78, “uh. exploding engine? hehe. you’ve been reading too many comic books, dude. overrevving engines fail internally and just stop running, they don’t “explode”.

That’s the term usually used when an engine destroys itself by flying apart (internally or otherwise) due to mechanical failure. I’ve seen firsthand what can happen to a VW Bug’s engine when it was over revved. There was a serious dent under the hood where a piston struck it, dude.

Regardless of the extremeness of the failure, are you suggesting that when that happens you would just coast to a stop? Nothing seizes up? Steering guaranteed not to be affected? You wont lose control and hit another car? I wouldn’t take that chance on the safety of others on the road.

# 82 Steve S said, on March 11th, 2010 at 11:37 am

Skeptic of the AOBCCS said,
“Regardless of the extremeness of the failure, are you suggesting that when that happens you would just coast to a stop? Nothing seizes up? Steering guaranteed not to be affected? You wont lose control and hit another car? I wouldn’t take that chance on the safety of others on the road.”
.
Given the circumstances, if nothing else worked to slow down the car, I would much rather take the minuscule chance that shifting into neutral *might* slightly reduce my control of the car than to continue swerving around obstacles at high speed. The difference in risk is easily better than 1000:1.

# 83 Skeptic of the AOBCCS said, on March 11th, 2010 at 1:14 pm

Re: Steve S, #80, “Officer Todd Neibert told Sikes to try and put the vehicle in neutral and try to shut it off. Sikes shook his head in response which Neibert took to indicate that that was not successful.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35769069/ns/local_news-san_diego_ca/

So it appears he did try after all and it wouldn’t disengage.

As for the your less that 1000:1 nothing happening, you would have to look into all the Prius reported incidents, separate all those who tried to get it into neutral at high speed and succeeded, and see if successfully getting the thing in neutral caused a lockup and subsequent crash or if the driver remained in control. Do you have that data? Otherwise, your 1000:1 claim of risk is simply meaningless.

# 84 Sister Mary Hand Grenade of Quiet Reflection said, on March 11th, 2010 at 5:28 pm

It’s a fake folks! Don’t be so fucking gullible!!

http://5z8.info/asian-brides_x7d9j_mydick

# 85 sargasso said, on March 11th, 2010 at 8:55 pm

Prius owners are watching this, and producing vast amounts of ruminant green house gas.

# 86 Chris said, on March 12th, 2010 at 5:13 pm

This is all a scam. Toyota did this on purpose so GM can get back on its feet. Why else do you think it happen. Toyota never had problems before this and all of a sudden they do right as there number 1 compeditor GM cloese plants and loses money. It was all Planned. Come on get smart people.

# 87 Maggie said, on March 14th, 2010 at 8:57 am

I think this guy clearly wanted to drive recklessly and have a reason to sue Toyota. As they told him his car wasn’t in the recall. And if there is no recall on it…….. and it doesn’t have the faulty parts, how can anything go wrong….. If they examine the car and nothing is broken, missing or stuck, how on earth did it go speeding out of control…. for 10 minutes and this guy clearly wasn’t smart enough to put the darn thing in neutral. unless he just wants money and an excuse to drive like crazy, maybe get in the news, too. He’s just attention crazy.

Leave Your Reply Below...

Comment Moderation is Active, so if your comment doesn't
show up immediately, please don't submit it again.

Special Deals 4U

25% off eHarmony subscription with code EHTECH
12-percent discount forever with code TECH
10-percent discount and free month using TECH10
10-percent or 30 dollars off weekly car rental!
Get 10-percent discount on car rental!
Get 10% off rental cars!
Get 10% off Dollar rentals!
Discounts on domain names!