Prius Recall due to floor mats? 2 yrs ago Prius owners said there's more to it than that...

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by Earman

LOL! I am sure you never experienced any undocumented software bug with any of your computers so far and that your OS has never ever crashed without reason... It will surely never happen to you, unless there is an evil intervention of course!

Computer glitches do happen (even on airplanes computers) and some are almost impossible to replicate, with or without divine intervention, ask a programmer (I did beta testing of software and hardware for over 10 years)! It may or may not be related to the runaway throttle problem, I don't know but I do believe that no one can tell 100% surely right now.

There will soon be a definitive answer to the problem anyway. If the problem is really caused by floor mats, now that they have been removed and/or secured we should not have any case of runaway throttle in the coming years. If there are no more problems after the "floor mat cure" , then there never was a computer glitch to start with, it's that easy!

I agree. However what I think we're seeing a rash of convenient 'reports' of unintended acceleration now that this high profile tragedy occured. "Me-too's"

What is most striking to me and what confirms for me what philobeddoe said above is ... until now no one, no owner, no crash scene investigator, no one from the insurance companies, no police officer and no one from the NHTSA has been able to find any indication of any software glitch that might have caused the throttle to remain open in these alleged cases of Unintended Acceleration.

The incorrect mats being used are present far more often in these cases than any other explanation. But without someone, anyone showing something definitive to the contrary that's all I see.

With the All Weather mats gone, the real instances of UIA should disappear as they were for the last 30+ years. I think that this will become moot soon.

Congrats to CR for the following ......this testing is very useful and demonstrative.

Consumer Reports tests stuck throttles | The Car Tech blog - CNET Reviews

[Earman]

Interesting read and good test. I wonder why the German manufacturers find it a necessary safety feature to have 'smart throttle technology' while the other manufacturers do not find it necessary. Are the German cars more susceptible than others to get a stuck throttle or do they have worst floor mats?

(Just kidding)

[DeanFL]

Originally Posted by DeadPhish

I agree. However what I think we're seeing a rash of convenient 'reports' of unintended acceleration now that this high profile tragedy occured. "Me-too's"

What is most striking to me and what confirms for me what philobeddoe said above is ... until now no one, no owner, no crash scene investigator, no one from the insurance companies, no police officer and no one from the NHTSA has been able to find any indication of any software glitch that might have caused the throttle to remain open in these alleged cases of Unintended Acceleration.

The incorrect mats being used are present far more often in these cases than any other explanation. But without someone, anyone showing something definitive to the contrary that's all I see.

With the All Weather mats gone, the real instances of UIA should disappear as they were for the last 30+ years. I think that this will become moot soon.

Congrats to CR for the following ......this testing is very useful and demonstrative.

Consumer Reports tests stuck throttles | The Car Tech blog - CNET Reviews

Interesting article - thanks for the link..and CR. I'd bet we'll see that technology - automatically cutting throttle (smart throttle) when the brake's applied - will spread. Relatively simple for computer controlled / drive by wire systems to incorporate I suspect. Perhaps another margin of safety - and insistence by the Legal depts.

As for not being able to replicate the issue or find a software glitch. Like News cameras never catching a UFO? hmmm...

[cossie1600]

Originally Posted by windstrings

I'm sorry, but this is too good to pass up!........

And being a good driver... just exactly "how" did you accidentally roll your car down a 15 degree hill backwards?

Did my brakes and forgot to pump the pedal back up rolling out of my garage (manual transmission, no need to hit brakes), bad mechanic for sure.

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by Earman

Interesting read and good test. I wonder why the German manufacturers find it a necessary safety feature to have 'smart throttle technology' while the other manufacturers do not find it necessary. Are the German cars more susceptible than others to get a stuck throttle or do they have worst floor mats?

(Just kidding)

I'm guessing that the reason that the Germans all have it is due to the Audi fiasco back 10 or 15 yrs ago. At that time Audi was going through what Toyota is now except that 60 Minutes falsified an entire segment in acccusing Audi which almost crushed it. If you look at the one comment at the end of the linked article you will read what one of the actual investigators of the Audi mess determined.

[philobeddoe]

Consumer Reports tests stuck throttles | The Car Tech blog - CNET Reviews

Consumer Reports concludes, as Toyota said in its advisory, that the best thing to do if your throttle is stuck is put the car in neutral. The engine will continue to run at horrendous speeds, but the rev limiter will keep it from burning up over redline. When the car is safely stopped on the side of the road, you can turn it all the way off.

hmmm ... where have i heard that before?

[patsparks]

I'm glad I have cheap crappy after market floor mats.

[bwilson4web]

I've been thinking about those who are afraid there might be a bug in their Prius control software ... take it out. Simply remove the hybrid vehicle control unit and the bad software will no longer be in their car ... problem solved.

Bob Wilson

[liskipper]

Similar instance of uncontrolled acceleration happened when I was a child - long before there was any governmental agency that gave a hoot. The car was a 1957 Olds Super 88. We were driving on the New York State Thruway when I noticed the car gaining speed, and my father weaving in and out of his lane, while honking the horn and fighting with the wheel. He finally turned off the ignition (this was before locking steering wheels) and brought the car to a halt on the shoulder. Investigation showed that the carburetor linkage had somehow broken and part of it swung back getting stuck in the WOT position. I will never forget the abject fear I had that day, and the way my Dad saved us all.