Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Recalls/TSBs, Safety, Toyota
Toyota Prius may have a mind of its own
Toyota's petrol-electric hybrid is one of the most complex cars on the road today, combining an electric motor, a four-cylinder internal combustion engine and a myriad of electronic sensors and computer software to keep the whole show running seamlessly. It's not hard to fathom that some of the cars could have bugs residing within, and according to accounts from select owners, these bugs are down right dangerous.
Stories of cars accelerating by themselves are not unheard of. One Prius owner with only 600 miles on the clock told ConsumerAffiars of his car experiencing "uncontrollable acceleration," and another reported that after hitting a large bump in the road, traction control flared up before the brakes cut and the car started to lunge forward.
When questioned, Toyota service technicians dismissed the claims as either driver error or a problem with the floor mats jamming the accelerator pedal. Try telling that to the handful of drivers who've been taken for a ride in a Prius with a mind of its own.
[Source: The Truth About Cars]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Rambo 6:11PM (8/14/2007)
That a good thing because its drivers don't!!!!!!!!!!!
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Don 7:15PM (8/14/2007)
Sounds like the old Audi 5000 flap...which was totally unfounded.
Driver error indeed.
Rambo 7:37PM (8/14/2007)
As a mechanic, I would tend to agree with you on that point. Most drivers are clueless especially import drivers with the Prius at the top of that 'heap'.
vectorbug 6:13PM (8/14/2007)
Its weird how the Prius is starting to really look aged.
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Drewboy 6:22PM (8/14/2007)
Recently I've been thinking that too. Its funny, because it wasn't released that long ago at all.
BartMack 6:13PM (8/14/2007)
I, Prius lol. Yeah, floor mats, r-i-g-h-t.........
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Louis 6:35PM (8/14/2007)
Uh...trust me, it is possible that the floor mate jamed the throttle. It has happened to me personally.
letstakeawalk 8:19PM (8/14/2007)
Seriously, why would a Prius driver need floormats? They only add unecessary weight, and a true eco-minded person would surely not mind a little dirt on the carpet (which shouldn't be there either, petrochemical product!).
willem 6:13PM (8/14/2007)
Ha ha! Toy's reality distortion field is collapsing under its own sheer weight. The truth's out.
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Greek Boy 6:16PM (8/14/2007)
The Pious sucks....PERIOD.
And what is so complex about an 4-cyl motor that combines with an electric motor - electronically. Think dual input and single output.
Compare that to a Ford super duty clean Diesel that uses complex fuel rails and Piezo injectors and all the complex catalyst and after-treatment that is needed to make it clean and quiet. Then channel that through a transmission and transfer case for a 4X4, while also making it strong enough to tow half the planet in weight.
I am sorry, a unibodied car with struts does not impress me.
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lotuspeople 6:22PM (8/14/2007)
I dont even really care about Toyota but I honestly believe that Autoblog has stooped really low by posting this article. It all add's up to hype and hoopla just like the Audi uncontrolled acceleration of the 80's. And the only people that enjoy garbage journalism like this is the Toyo haters. But that is a very small part of the Auto enthusiastic crowd. We all know that competing auto companies hype every non event to make it sensational. Why Autoblog cant you go higher. Your like a cheap beer -dime a dozen.
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Aetius 6:28PM (8/14/2007)
I don't see why Autoblog can't post a story like this. Do you want to censor news in order to protect Toyota's reputation? No one censored any bad-news coming out of the GM news for years.
BirdmanSTX 12:49AM (8/15/2007)
Then don't read the blog anymore. No one forces you to visit the site.
Greek Boy 6:31PM (8/14/2007)
I see nothing wrong with the article, although the title is a bit sensationalistic...as if everyone does not do that either.
Negative Toyota news has always been given page 5 treatment instead of headlines. There is a bias, contrary to what you choose to think.
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Benjamin 7:35PM (8/14/2007)
Well, keep in mind that they built their reputation on quality and reliability. When you do that, you make yourself that much more of a target when errors happen. That's the nature of the world today and it will not ever change.
will 9:38AM (8/15/2007)
I have a pirus let me tell a true story, I stated my prius one morning and let it run in my driveway i went back in my house to grab my lunch that I forgot. I returned to my driveway to find my car was not where I left it. I looked down the street to see if someone was driving it away but no. I looked down my driveway to see it 100 ft down the driveway smashed into my other car in my carport and into the car port, not to mention it pushed the bigger chevy 3 to 4ft back with tire skid marks plus pushed a cement parking stop bach 4ft that was pinned down. prius, other car & carport total damage $12,000 Insurance adjuster & tow truck driver , bodyman all said that that car drove at a high rate of speed to do that damage. Car was in park and also had to go up hill to go down the driveway so I know that this car not only drove it self but also put itself in drive. I can can prove it because nobody saw it happen. Nobody was hurt so .warning to everybody out there BEWARE!!
Trolpetrol 9:18PM (8/14/2007)
Will I'm a little curious as to how you started this car and left it there. By it's very design it will not let you do that. The engine stops the minute you come to a stop if the battery need not charging. You can't start and leave this car as you would a non Hybrid vehicle. I have to call BS on your story. Nice try though.
AMcA 12:06AM (8/15/2007)
NO, when you "start" it, you just enable the electric motor.
That's probably why the owner thought nothing of walking away from it when it had been "started," because it didn't really seem to be running.
And with the thing enabled, it sure would be able to act on its own, given the complexity of how it all fits together. Remember: it doesn't take a terribly complex system before you start getting very complex behaviors.
John Neff 12:00PM (8/15/2007)
Actually, from what I've heard from owners, when you start a Prius, the engine usually comes on to warm up so it can be at the ready, and of course if there was an element of the HVAC system turned on then it would also be on. I don't find it hard to believe at all that the IC engine was running right after he turned it on.
Evan Brom 6:34PM (8/14/2007)
"uncontrollable acceleration"? I could see if the car had a viper engine or LS3 but its a dinky 4cly and few KW eletric motor. It may accelerate when not requested but uncontrollable, I doubt that.
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