Prius Unintended Acceleration Problems Surface

[Drew Dowdell]

Link to Automotive Digest article

1. Some Prius owners report problems of unintended acceleration

2. NHTSA is aware of complaints and monitoring situation

3. Toyota officials not responding to media inquiries

Significant Points

1. Owner of slightly damaged 2007 Prius says dealer will not take vehicle in trade

2. Prius reportedly accelerated while owner was pulling into garage

3. Owners report problems at stoplights as well as freeways

4. Some say problem seems to go away after vehicle is turned off, turned on

Says

"I was pulling into my garage. Suddenly my Toyota Prius accelerated out of control and drove into the wall of the garage damaging my nerves, the car and the wall." -- Janet, Texas Prius owner commenting to ConsumerAffairs.com

"They say it can't even be traded in." -- Janet

"I was almost stopped for a red light, my foot was on the brake (NOT on gas), the car was surging forward being held back by brakes. I quickly checked for anything under the accelerator including the floor mat, foot on the gas, or any other cause. All were negative." -- Dan, California Prius owner

"I called Toyota and talked to a sales person and explained this dangerous experience. He confirmed that he was familiar with the problem and also experienced this himself when driving one of the earlier models of the Prius." -- Karen, California Prius owner

[Drew Dowdell]

Additional link to Consumer Affairs

The Toyota Product Communications office has not responded to several requests from ConsumerAffairs.Com to discuss the issue of unintended acceleration in the Prius.

Prius owners in the meantime continue to encounter incidents of unintended acceleration with the hybrid and the Japanese automaker seems unable to remedy the problem.

“I was pulling into my garage. Suddenly my Toyota Prius accelerated out of control and drove into the wall of the garage damaging my nerves, the car and the wall,” she told ConsumerAffairs.com.

Janet's husband thought his wife was the cause of the accident.

“My husband, thinking it was user error put the car in reverse and it accelerated again out of control,” she said.

Sorry, that doesn't happen twice like that with two different drivers without there being some defect.

Janet has reported the unintended acceleration problem to Toyota with no response.

Edited September 18, 2007 by Oldsmoboi

[Drew Dowdell]

On August 22, Dan in San Dimas, California reported a similar Prius problem.

“I was almost stopped for a red light, my foot was on the brake (NOT on gas), the car was surging forward being held back by brakes. I quickly checked for anything under the accelerator including the floor mat, foot on the gas, or any other cause. All were negative.”

Karen in Los Gatos, California has a 2007 Prius she has driven since December of 2006.

“After driving the car approximately 1,000 miles, Toyota Prius hybrid had an uninitiated full-throttle acceleration while driving on an expressway,” she told ConsumerAffairs.Com.

“Startled, I slammed on the brakes. The accelerator fought my braking as I pulled over and turned off the car, shocked and taking a deep breath,” Karen wrote us.

[Intrepidation]

This is the problem withe electronics controlling everything. it's probably computer error of some kind that Toyota could easily fix if they'd admit there was a problem.

[EMan]

The longer Toyota turns away from the problem the bigger it will get. Why aren't they trying to address this issue? It seems like they just think it will go away by it self.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Yet again...

No major media exposure... Hmmm...

[Oracle of Delphi]

Be funny to watch that on a Youtube video.

[CARBIZ]

I thought this was a problem with earlier production units and it was fixed.

It has recurred again?

[K.C.]

Tundras block's cracking, FJ's body's cracking, Honda Civics with wheels falling off, and now Priuses accelerating without notice. The apocalypse is upon us!

X2 to what FOG said.

[Drew Dowdell]

Email links to your local media outlets.

[loki]

only question about the interior... how easy would it be to hit the cruise on and the accelerate button if you're not paying attention?

[Drew Dowdell]

only question about the interior... how easy would it be to hit the cruise on and the accelerate button if you're not paying attention?

here are some follow up questions.... Does cruise work in reverse? Does cruise work with the brakes on? Does cruise work at speeds under 25mph?

There are cases where Pruises accelerated unintentionally under these circumstances.

[mustang84]

Looks like another sludging-style fiasco is on hand. Toyota will ignore the problem until voices become loud enough.

[toesuf94]

Tundras block's cracking, FJ's body's cracking, Honda Civics with wheels falling off, and now Priuses accelerating without notice. The apocalypse is upon us!

X2 to what FOG said.

Tundra's BLOCKS ARE CRACKING? I have only heard of the camshafts...is this true? And as far I am concerned, a Prius' accellerating is unintentional!

[GXT]

Before blasting the evil Toyota any further, I would encourage you to read this:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-0...eleration_x.htm

[Drew Dowdell]

Before blasting the evil Toyota any further, I would encourage you to read this:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-0...eleration_x.htm

The issue isn't the fact that the Prius might have an unintended acceleration problem. The problem is Toyota's response to the complaints and questions from the media.

If a Prius crashes into a tree in the forest due to a manufacturer defect, does Toyota even care?

[PurdueGuy]

I HAS THE SOLUTION!

(any homestarrunner fans?)

Design the car's computer to record both vehicle speed, and what controls are in use. Granted, it's not an instant solution, but it would be a very useful "black box" type of device that could be useful in many court cases, as well as figuring out these types of problems. If the computer says the car speed increased, and the brake was being depressed, and the gas pedal was not, then BOOM, you know there is a problem. If it says the car speed increased and the gas pedal was being pressed, and the driver swears they were pushing the brake, then the situation is a sensor-check away from strong evidence that the driver is an idiot.

I wonder how much of this info is already recorded... anyone know?

[Intrepidation]

You know...this probably doesn't help fuel economy...

[ocnblu]

Interesting. I knew the Prius had a problem with intended acceleration. Kinda cool to read it also has a problem with the unintended kind.

[Lamar]

First the Lexus Camry, now this?

Toyota is the new old Audi.

[bepperb]

My prius accelerated uncontrolably on the freeway? I'm laughing out loud. It's jerks like this (blaming user error on the car) that are going to get the NTSA to mandate black boxes in all our cars.

Sure it's fun to laugh at incompetent prius drivers, it won't be so funny when your insurance company won't pay out because it can see you were driving five over.

[Drew Dowdell]

but it accelerated unintentially... both forward and in reverse... in a garage.

[MyerShift]

Toyota is the new old Audi.

Not fair.

The Audi unintended acceleration fiasco was a farce. It nearly destroyed Audi in the U.S. market.

[Sixty8panther]

First the Lexus Camry, now this?

Toyota is the new old Audi.

That's a real insult...... to Audi.

[Lamar]

Not fair.

The Audi unintended acceleration fiasco was a farce. It nearly destroyed Audi in the U.S. market.

I actually remember it happening about 12 years ago. This lady was under the car trying to start it with a screwdriver, and when she did, the car rolled over her and dragged her about 15 feet. It took a team of guys, my father included, to lift the car off of her.

[Intrepidation]

I actually remember it happening about 12 years ago. This lady was under the car trying to start it with a screwdriver, and when she did, the car rolled over her and dragged her about 15 feet. It took a team of guys, my father included, to lift the car off of her.

Why was she under the car trying to start it with a screwdriver?

[Newbiewar]

when toyota touts about listening to consumers, customers are groaning for a vehicle with more acceloration... toyota must have received a misunderstanding of what the consumer actually craved...

Toyota, Moving Forward, Without your concent...

japan Inc, taking over the world, without your concent

[pow]

I actually remember it happening about 12 years ago. This lady was under the car trying to start it with a screwdriver, and when she did, the car rolled over her and dragged her about 15 feet. It took a team of guys, my father included, to lift the car off of her.

That happens to all cars without shift-lock when you start it in gear...

[Lamar]

Why was she under the car trying to start it with a screwdriver?

A sucky starter/ignition?

At the time, my dad told me that Audis were known to have such problems, especially old ones.

[Lamar]

That happens to all cars without shift-lock when you start it in gear...

I've never been able to start a car in gear, accidentally or on purpose.

For the record, to all, I'm not bashing Audi with my comments. It's just that I was reminded of that incident by this news about Toyota.

[CARBIZ]

I've never been able to start a car in gear, accidentally or on purpose.

For the record, to all, I'm not bashing Audi with my comments. It's just that I was reminded of that incident by this news about Toyota.

For the record, Toyota is the LAST with innovations that other manufacturers jump on. I was hit by a stupid woman in a '01 Corolla who tried to start her POS while it was in gear. She pinned me between her car and another. After I finished limping around, swearing every word under the sun, I berated her for driving a Toyota in the first place: the Cavalier for years had the clutch lock out on the starter.

So, if it is a mechanical flaw that is causing this problem (and not the fact that the average IQ of a Toyota driver is somewhere between a canal horse and an eggplant), it is probably for lack of a $5 switch.

[PrimeGTP]

I can confirm that as recently as 2003/2004 not all cars with manual transmissions have had clutch lock-outs. My friend test drove a Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V that was one of the those MYs. He was not familiar with manuals, and started the car before the sales rep could tell him not to. The car was in first gear. Needless to say my friend almost ended up paying for two wrecked cars, the Sentra and the Altima that was parked in front of it. THAT was scary.

[cletus8269]

For the record, Toyota is the LAST with innovations that other manufacturers jump on. I was hit by a stupid woman in a '01 Corolla who tried to start her POS while it was in gear. She pinned me between her car and another. After I finished limping around, swearing every word under the sun, I berated her for driving a Toyota in the first place: the Cavalier for years had the clutch lock out on the starter.

So, if it is a mechanical flaw that is causing this problem (and not the fact that the average IQ of a Toyota driver is somewhere between a canal horse and an eggplant), it is probably for lack of a $5 switch.

didnt they make it law around 96 or so that all cars couldnt start in gear, only park and neutral, and you had to press the brake in to shift from park? seems like there were a bunch of kids getting ran over by running cars and whatnot in driveways.

[Flybrian]

Definitely not the gear-shift interlock deal. Chrysler didn't start doing that in many of their vehicles until literally a few years ago.

[gm4life]

No suprise Toyota's suck!

[Newbiewar]

No suprise Toyota's suck!

isnt that an understatement

at least they fixed that acceloration problem i always had... or lack there of, and in place of the vehicles accelorating when you want, they accelorate when you dont want... such a good fix

[ejobrien]

To bad nobody else is gonna hear about this very significant problem with toyota. Why is it that toyota can make all there problems disapear?

[K.C.]

To bad nobody else is gonna hear about this very significant problem with toyota. Why is it that toyota can make all there problems disapear?

It's especially going to be too bad if one of Prius' driver's does not know about this, and their car accelerates unexpectedly and kills or injures someone. If that happened to me, or someone in my family, I would be all over the media proclaiming Toyota's recall practices and the problems with their "miracle Prius".

[deftonesfan867]

Be funny to watch that on a Youtube video.

Complete with Benny Hill music :AH-HA_wink:

[Coffeeman]

Before blasting the evil Toyota any further, I would encourage you to read this:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-0...eleration_x.htm

I have a friend who she said to me that she would never step on gas when she wanted to break. One day when we just finished shopping in a supermarket and about to leave, she mistakenly hit the gas at the stop sign....at that moment, I saw my life in slow motion. I told her that she need to be very careful while driving. Anything could happen. By the way....she was driving her beloved 06 Toyota Camery.

Edited September 26, 2007 by Coffeeman

[Lamar]

So, let's see...

We got the Prius and Camry/ES350 accelerating unintentionally, and Tundra that can't emergency-brake in an emergency.

These are supposedly volume vehicles, but yet each could present a catastrophe if this issue keeps popping up. Although I don't wish this on anybody, one crash will be all it takes for a media circus... at least, I would hope. There's enough documentation to show that it wouldn't be an isolated issue.

ETA: I finally get upgraded past "Stock."

Edited September 26, 2007 by Lamar