1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

CNN: Toyota Prius owners have problems with Cruise Controls

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by spwolf, Feb 11, 2010.

  1. spwolf

    spwolf Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 16, 2005
    3,156
    440
    0
    Location:
    Eastern Europe
  2. duanerw

    duanerw senior member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2005
    140
    8
    0
    Location:
    lexington ky
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    I use my cruse control almost all the time and have never had any problems or suspected any.
     
  3. Midpack

    Midpack Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2009
    461
    43
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Good grief. Nothing works right on any Toyota, let's just get that out of the way. It's amazing all the defective cars they've made for decades and no one ever caught them. The hysteria is amazing...
     
  4. Bill60546

    Bill60546 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 25, 2004
    388
    4
    0
    Location:
    Chicago
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
  5. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2004
    14,816
    2,496
    66
    Location:
    Far-North Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    OH MY GOD!!
    I spoke with this woman (Julie Wernau) for twenty minutes on Tuesday about this. She was absolutely clueless about how regen worked, about how hybrids worked and about how the Prius worked. Being my typical self, I stepped her through the process and explained in multiple ways how it's as much the unfamiliarity of new technology as it is human reaction to the unfamiliarity of new technology.

    I can see that Wayne expressed basically the same sentiments and he gets one paragraph. The bulk of the article highlights those who will sensationalize the whole thing.

    Wow.
    Just, wow.

    And I don't believe that this is Wayne. If it is, who's the woman with him because if his wife sees this she'll be pissed! And I know as a fact that's not a 2010. Here's a perfect example of researched and accurate journalism. :rolleyes:
    [​IMG]
    Wayne Mitchell with his 2010 Toyota Prius. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
     
  6. Midpack

    Midpack Member

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2009
    461
    43
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Three
  7. LeadingEdgeBoomer

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2009
    289
    29
    0
    Location:
    New Mexico
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
  8. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2009
    5,131
    1,338
    0
    Location:
    Wilmington, NC
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I have been driving for 6 months now with the cruise control, twice a day for 5 days per week, plus weekend trips. I have bumped it up and down, have released it and reset it, and everything else that I have ever done with prior vehicles. Never the first issue.

    I have CNN.com for my internet home page but it is being removed after their postings.
     
  9. a1a1a1

    a1a1a1 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2010
    144
    3
    0
    Location:
    So Cal
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Interesting how they not only discuss the issue but diagnose it, too. For all of you who are upset about this, it would be sheer luck if the problem was narrowed to a cruise control glitch. That actually would be good news for Toyota.
     
  10. dbcassidy

    dbcassidy Toyota Hybrid Nation, 8 Million Strong

    Joined:
    May 13, 2008
    1,581
    290
    3
    Location:
    Middlesex County, MA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Two
  11. blittle

    blittle New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 8, 2010
    13
    2
    0
    Location:
    pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    My Mercedes GL450 cruise system works exactly the same way..... what is needed by everyone is an understanding of HOW these systems work on their cars! Owner's manuals are probably the least read documents...... cars and other devices as well:eek:
     
  12. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2004
    14,816
    2,496
    66
    Location:
    Far-North Chicagoland
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I saw a Mercedes commercial yesterday touting their lane assist and adaptive cruise. I turned to my wife: "those will get recalled soon."

    It's horrifying that people will spend $30,000USD for a highly technological Prius and NOT read the manual. They will say that they bought it because they love the tech but will NOT read the manual. They will boast about how cool all the technology is but will NOT read the manual.

    Now that the Mercedes does the same thing, you will have wealthier and potentially older and less techie people interacting with this new technology, having NOT read the manual, and they will FREAK!
     
    1 person likes this.
  13. El Gato

    El Gato Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2010
    23
    5
    0
    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Why is everyone so quick to slam CNN and these folks? You are so blinded by your loyalties to Toyota that you are quick to pounce on anyone that would paint them in a negative light.

    Have I ever experienced this cruise control problem? No. But that is not to say that there is a possibility that maybe this was a real problem with that persons vehicle. At least consider it before quickly dismissing it as hysteria and nonsense.

    I say this because of my own personal experiences regarding the brake issues in the 2010 Prius. The moment I posted about my problems here on this forum, I was slammed and accused of not knowing how to drive and that there was no problem with my brakes. The justification: "Well, my Prius doesn't do it so therefor there is no problem." Yeah, that is wonderful reasoning right there[/sarcasm].

    So in regards to this situation, like I said, my Prius has never had this cruise control problem, but just because it doesn't do that doesn't mean that there are people who may still have a real problem on their hands.
     
    1 person likes this.
  14. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
    27,126
    15,390
    0
    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Without someone who has the problem or can reproduce it, we can waste a lot of time in idle speculation. Otherwise, it is what we call 'ancedotal' ... curious but not worth spending time on ... either for or against. The third state is we lack facts and data to draw any conclusion.

    Bob Wilson
     
  15. supertomtom

    supertomtom New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2009
    22
    1
    6
    Location:
    Gold Coast, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It's one thing to recognise potential problems, and another to recognise CNN's recent excessive negative coverage of Toyota. The 2 are not mutually exclusive. If you want to do a comparison, look at how many articles they've posted on Prius' brake "issue" vs. Ford Fusion recall. They've been running asinine editorials almost daily on the "Toyota situation". Just look at yesterday's "editorial"...

    "Not simply because Prius sounds like pious. Think how often we use those first three letters "pri" for qualities we detest. For instance, prim, prissy, priggish, prickly, privileged, prima donna..."

    seriously? this is what CNN passes as good editorials nowadays?
     
    1 person likes this.
  16. Rybold

    Rybold globally warmed member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2008
    2,760
    320
    3
    Location:
    Southern California
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    This part is interesting:
    I gave TonyPSchaefer a "thanks" because I agree 100% with him that if you spend $30K to buy something that is loaded with technology, you should definitely read the instruction manual (it's not the same car you worked on in your garage in the 1960s).

    I also gave El Gato a "thanks" because I agree with him that just because it hasn't happened to you does NOT automatically mean it didn't happen to the other person. If we look to computers in general, can you say that you have never had a computer freeze while you were using it? It doesn't happen every day - in fact, it's rare - but different computers freeze at different steps and different software programs while other computers are fine in those steps but freeze in different spots. An iPhone is a perfect example: My friend's iPhone freezes about three times a day but mine only freezes about once a month (while using the same software apps when this occurs). Online iphone forums report iphones freezing frequency to be VERY random from phone to phone. Sometimes your desktop computer freezes and sometimes it does not.
    Now consider this...
    It's very possible that this is the culprit in many situations:
    But it does not make sense in the millions of non-Prius recalls. Also, considering the quote at the top where the dealer said the employee was not qualified to operate the vehicle, it seems to make sense - until you consider the dealer then said it was a floor mat problem.