Oh no...runaway Prius!

A new crazy stuck throttle Prius story popped up on CNN today. Here's their story.

He's wearing a Corvette club jacket, so we can assume he's an enthusiast. He couldn't shut the car off or apply the brakes with enough force to stop the car? According to the story, a police officer instructed him on how to use the emergency brake to stop. The pictures suggest the officer may have also used his cruiser to help stop the runaway Prius.

I'm more curious than ever to see how this plays out. What do you think?

I am a little sore over this. I think it may be a hoax. I have a hard time believing that as soon as the car got "to a stop" it did not try to continue on. If the throttle were really stuck and they did not release the application then the throttle should still apply, correct?

I saw this. The "burning brakes" anecdote is pretty suspicious to me for various reasons.

The big parts being that these have regenerative braking systems, and 2) how much power does a Prius REALLY have under WOT?

Yeah. Not much.

Looks like they are next on the recall. Toyota, moving forward.

Corvette club jacket obviously (where's that damned does not equal key) does not equal 'enthusiast.' The officer's lucky the guy didn't yank the brake in a turn and 'lose control.' Seems like everyone is "scared to turn the car off" like it's going to burst into berkeleying flames or something. Whacky.

I read that they used a steep grade and the e-brake and regular brakes to slow to 50. At that point he was able to shut the car off, but it wouldn't shut off above 50. I'l try to find where I read that.

I think regardless of whether the guy is an enthusiast, or a tard that doesn't know what the e-brake does, we should all be able to agree that the accelerator should not stick like that.

I also found it interesting that he got a recall letter in the mail and when he took it to the dealer they told him it didn't apply to his car.

Maybe he was just trying to avoid a ticket for strafing the apexes of what looks to be a lovely canyon road. But in a Prius? He sounds genuinely shaken up in the interview, but maybe he's just concerned that somebody will see through his BS.

Personally, I think there was a interdimensional feedback loop with his snazzy 8-ball valve stem caps. I've been wrong before.

I noticed he wouldn't look directly into the camera. I smell the distinct odor of burning bullE36 M3, er, brakes.

My wife traded-in her Golf last night for a used Prius. I think I need to experiment to find all the different ways to "turn it off" at highway speeds.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-09/toyota-reviewing-u-s-report-of-prius-with-stuck-gas-pedal.html said: Sikes told cable channel CNN the accelerator was stuck and wouldn’t move even when he tried to lift it by hand. The car failed to slow down even after Sikes called 911 and followed instructions to get the car to stop. A California Highway Patrol officer, alerted by emergency dispatchers, caught up to Sikes and, using his public-address system, asked him to apply the emergency brake and brake pedal at the same time. That worked to slow the car to 50 mph. Then Sikes was able to turn off the ignition, he told CNN. The responding officer was quoted on NBC saying he saw Sikes’s brake lights were on and smelled that the pads were being applied.

Is there a sake based drink called the Runaway Prius yet?

As I sit at the corner of Saginaw Hwy and US127 I have succesfully watched three different Prius' be victims of Intended Deceleration.

So 50mph is the magic number that you can turn the ignition off at?

Do these not have a transmission with an N in it someplace?

81gtv6 wrote: Do these not have a transmission with an N in it someplace?

Keep logic out of this!

81gtv6 wrote: Do these not have a transmission with an N in it someplace?

Stop talking comrade!!! Toyota is Satan!!!

93celicaGT2 wrote: So 50mph is the magic number that you can turn the ignition off at?

Duh... its the new 88 mph.

81gtv6 wrote: Do these not have a transmission with an N in it someplace?

It seems to have some sort of swastika:

What the hell is the "B" for?

"Back Up?"
"Bimbo?"
"Banned?"
"Bob Costas?"

In reply to Tom Heath:

Don't you just want to drive one of these and try all the logical ways to shut it down? I like to think (I'm sure others do) that I am smarter than a car and can find more than one way to make a "runaway" car stop.

Maybe this will put a stop to this stupid keyless ignition E36M3! "You mean I actually have to remove the keys from my pocket AND turn an ignition cylinder? Are we cavemen now?"

MCarp22 wrote:

81gtv6 wrote: Do these not have a transmission with an N in it someplace?

It seems to have some sort of swastika:

This belongs somewhere in the Cone church book of revoltations.

They're recalling them http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575111503873150166.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEADNewsCollection

With no mechanical link to the transmission, no mechanical linkto the throttle plate and minimal mechanical link to the brakes how DO you shut one down?

From CARS

In reply to Bobzilla:

I would aim for a body of water. Actually, that might not go so well either. ZAP! goes the passengers!