How to stop a runaway Prius

I tend to discount the "design issues" argument, based on a lack of history. This is the first sign of real history.

Sigh.

Chuck

 

I have depressed the power button with my 2008 Prius going 25MPH. After 5 seconds the engine shuts off and the car goes into neutral. Brakes worked fine. They had to. You have to bring the car to a stop before you can restart it. If I ever find myself in light traffic on the interstate I will try this at interstate speed while accelerating but since I live in Atlanta, I doubt I will ever get the opportunity.

I have yet to hear a case of anyone whose care is experiencing uncontrolled acceleration being able to turn the car off, but the latest reports seem to indicate they were afraid to turn it off because they would lose power steering. Note, if you are older than 40 you have most likely driving without power steering in your life and at speed power steering is not necessary.

 

Interesting thread and kudos to those who have actually tested the various techniques available if uncontrolled acceleration occurs.

Which brings me to my question. Everything I've seen that comes directly from Toyota says to put the vehicle in neutral by holding the shifter in the neutral position for several seconds. Since using the "P" (Park) button seems so much simpler and easier, why doesn't Toyota identify this as the best or preferred option? To my knowledge, they've never mentioned the Park button and I don't believe there is anything in the Owner's Manual that states hitting the Park button will put the vehicle in neutral.

Any thoughts?

 

Toyota is familiar with dealing with the "unwashed public". They KNOW that if they told people to use "P" -some- would use it at 1-3 MPH, -some- "might" even do so intentionally, possibly injuring themselves or their passengers as the car jams to a stop, and then suing Toyota.

-Some- might even try it in some other Toyota, and destroy the transmission. "Hey, it's a Toyota too, aren't they all the same?"

People are morons. Even I am one sometimes, and if I'm one sometimes the rest of you are doomed!

 

OMG! Im doomed!

"F*** the doomed" - Richard Nixon to Hunter S Thompson in a public restroom

 

Don't you have an ejection seat? You didn't view your options very carefully. Better luck next time.

 

I am a normal male. I never read instructions or directions! (but the Prius manual was kinda neat so I did scan it a bit)

 

As always, Prius Chat is an excellent source of information. I urge everyone who posts on the runaway Prius issue to restrain themselves from tossing out mean slurs -- no matter how tempting that may be to do. We need the information about what happened. We need to know how exactly he did finally stop his car.

I have heard that the cop told him to apply both the emergency break and the regular break and that the car immediately slowed down and stopped. It was not necessary for it to be stopped by hitting the cop car, rather it came to a stop just behind the cop car on its own.

Assuming these facts are true, I am suspicious. There is nothing different between pressing the regular brake hard and engaging the emergency brake. Except... doing so does take two feet. It makes me think that the driver could have faked this situation, by putting one foot on the accelerator and one on the brake, causing the break to smoke and burn, as noticed by the cop, causing the brake lights to come on, as noticed by the, cop, but not causing the car to stop, because perhaps that was not what he wanted.

I understand that in a crisis situation, a driver of a Prius might become confused and not have good instincts about what to do. The car is completely different from other cars. I drive a normal everyday car, and only once in a long while drive my husband's prius. I aways feel a bit disoriented when I get into it and attempt to start it up.

My family is lucky to have survived our own self-inflicted runaway Prius accident. I was driving, we were on city streets amid a moderate amount of traffic. I had a grand mal seizure -- the only in my life -- and my husband tried desperately to yank my foot off of the accelerator. He couldn't pry it loose. I was rigid and flooring the car. He had no time to think. He drives the car 300 miles a week, but did not think to put it into neutral and hold the stick for a second. Nor did he think of hitting the Park button. He steered the car off the road into a light pole. The car was destroyed. The airbags deployed. I was seriously injured in my right knee -- sustained a smashed tibia plateau. it has been two years and I still can't walk comfortably -- not even close. So I DO know that there can be confusion when a WOT situation comes up. I understand it better than most people living today. We have discussed it countless times. I am the first person to be sympathetic and concerned for all of these other drivers of runaway Prius cars.

However, I need the facts and I need to add them up. If what I have heard and restated above about Mr. Sikes event are true, I can only conclude that there was a problem with the car that for many, many miles and minutes, made it impossible for the brake to over-ride the accelerator, even though as soon as the cop told him to apply both the brake and the emergency brake at the same time, the car immediately slowed and then stopped. This is hard to imagine and accept. I am ready, willing, and able to accept it, once it is investigated responsibly and I think this must be done by multiple parties, Toyota as well as independent investigators.

Until then, I am hoping that no one else faces a runaway Prius situation without being armed with the tips I learned here on this site and no where else. I will push the park button if I have enough time, or I will jam the gearshift into reverse or held it in Neutral long enough for the engine to disengage, and all the while, I will be braking.

 

Yep, sure looks like this is nothing new. Certainly easier to deny than to look for a cause that is so elusive and impossible to replicate on demand.

 

Actually, the "e-brake" lever exerts substantially *less* force
on the rear shoes than the hydraulics do. It's more properly
referred to as a "parking brake" as in a true emergency it is
more likely to be dragged along than actually stop the car
effectively -- it can help, but it's nothing like hydraulics
to all four wheels.
.
_H*

 

Just ask my wife, who has driven more than one vehicle with the parking brake set.

Tom

 

It's great to know all the ways to stop a runaway Prius (ie: shift to neutral, press the park button, turn the car off, etc).

It's also great that so many people have tested and proven the effectiveness of these options.

However, none of this proves with certainty that there is not some intermittent flaw that could cause acceleration and block the use of various means to stop the car.

For example, it seems possible that some type of electronic problem could occur that might "lock" the car in acceleration mode (ie: shifting to neutral or park or turning the car off would not work).

This seems unlikely. But given all the instances of unintended acceleration, it is possible that there is a "ghost" in the machine that takes control and overrides other systems.

I would feel much more comfortable if Toyota would install some type of master override system that would always override everything and turn off acceleration, for example, by stepping on the brakes.

 

As a retired mechanic I discovered many years ago that 95% of the problems with all cars is the idiot behind the wheel and his/her gigantic lack of knowledge of their own car and its emergency handling capabilities and procedures. Mr. Sikes is FOS he read the newspapers, which is more than he did to the manual, and thinks he hit the Lottery. He is looking to retire with a big payday from Toyota. I will stake my reputation that their is nothing wrong with his car except for the idiot behind the wheel.

 

The Prius already has this. Of course the override system could fail. How about an override for the override, and then an override for the override for the override. How far should we take it?

Tom

 

:amen:, I agree!

 

You mean this hasn't happened to you, ..... yet?
I have started out with it on more than once in my life especially others vehicles when they set it as I don't usually unless conditions warrant it

 

I've done it before, but not with the Prius. With the Prius it's pretty easy to sense that something is wrong when it doesn't want to run.

My wife, on the other hand, is a master at this sort of thing. If it doesn't move, press harder on the gas...

Tom

 

A few years ago, as a curious moron, (I admit it), I put my car in park at 2MPH while at lunch with my buddies....CLUNK it stopped (parking pawl) and we had a good laugh (it still works). So, just a warning to people experimenting...I recommend using park in an emergency, but when testing it, you should be above 5MPH.

-jack

P.S. Thanks for all the info and tests, gang!

 

If the Prius already has this, then why is Toyota talking about installing override systems on future Toyotas. Other cars have them, but apparently Toyotas do not.

Re how far should we go, Toyota should install an override system that cannot fail. Perhaps it could be a mechanical, rather than electronic, system that cuts power when pressure is applied to the brake.

 

The Prius does have it.... not all Toyotas are Priuses.

There is no such thing as a system that can't possibly fail.... Are you thinking that cars didn't fail when they were only mechanical?