Toyota Prius Accelerates in Cali.

[Whelan]

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure...sues/I read closer on a few articles, it appears based on Jalopnik.com that there is some scrutiny because the office had to tell the guy what to do to get the car to stop. Basically the guy panicked. Although I found in this mornings WSJ while on the train to work a very intriguing clue.The driver states "I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny...it jumped and just stuck there."CASE SOLVED!!!He pushed the gas pedal on a Prius expecting to pass somebody, isn't that going against the green car credo!

[ColonelPanic]

The Prius seems to be a complicated car to deal with when you're freaking it out.There's no switching off the ignition since it has that push button start crap, you have to hold it down. Even the logical thing, slamming it in neutral, is more complicated. Apparently you have to move the joystick thingy they use as a shifter into neutral and hold it there several seconds before it will finally shift into neutral. Going by that I would say there's obviously no mechanical control for the transmission, which opens the door for an electronics malfunction that prevents you from shifting it into neutral.Bummer.

[TONY TAT2]

IMHO >>> BS !!!

[Tubaryan12]

Quote, originally posted by TONY TAT2 »IMHO >>> BS !!!My first thought as well. On my way home last night, I turned the key off on my car when I hit the exit ramp and had no problem slowing my car down. Looks like Toyota needs to take a step back and put keys back in these things.

[VforVIBE]

Quote, originally posted by Tubaryan12 »My first thought as well. On my way home last night, I turned the key off on my car when I hit the exit ramp and had no problem slowing my car down. Looks like Toyota needs to take a step back and put keys back in these things.Don't you lose steering and brakes when you turn the car off?It's really sad that some drivers have no idea what neutral is for/can do.

[Tubaryan12]

Quote, originally posted by VforVIBE »Don't you lose steering and brakes when you turn the car off?It may be harder to steer and brake with the engine off, but it's far easier than weaving through traffic at 90 mph. I read that it's a little difficult to get a Prius into neutral. Under that much pressure would make it a little harder to do.

[Whelan]

It may require some extra work in a Prius, but this should be something the drivers are taught. Too bad they spend to much time smiling at their environmentally friendly selves in the mirror to pay attention to owners manuals. I know nobody reads them, actually I do, especially when I get a new car. And if I was buying a new car that was a hybrid, you better believe I'd cover to cover that thing.Aside from that. At highway speeds loss of power steering not a major issue. Power steering really comes in to help during slow driving and parking where instead of cranking the wheel under low speeds you easily swing it around with the power assist. At higher speeds it is less involved.

[808 Vibes]

Loss of power steering really isn't a big deal. It happened to me with the Firebird once-went through a huge puddle and immediately lost the power steering. All I did was pull into the first parking lot I could, shut it off, restart, and the power steering came back on.

[lowincash]

Seems like there's another possessed prius in NY that crashed. I don't know if it's really happening or if people are taking advantage of the situation and blaming Toyota for their mistakes =/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/201...us_ny

[star_deceiver]

Quote, originally posted by TONY TAT2 »IMHO >>> BS !!!I quite agree! I thinks some people have it in their heads that they can make some extra $$$ with a nice lawsuit!