Has anyone experienced this Toyota problem?

[swampduc]

This is one of the many reasons why I drive a Manual =)

+1, haven't owned a car with an auto transmission in 13 years.

[cyrus buelton]

How do you operate a manual style system?

I've always been on automatic.

[victor441]

It's the "won't go into neutral" part that really gets me.

The Prius doesn't have a neutral, reverse,  or even a conventional transmission, it uses planetary gears connected to the engine and the two motor/generators and the interaction of the parts is computer controlled, functionally it is like a CVT...FWIW there is a good page on this with an  interactive simulation at http://eahart.com/prius/psd/

[ROBsS4R]

So the drivers wasn't a dump ass

I watched the news interview tonight and he said he didn't
try to put it in neutral since he thought it might go in reverse... WTF

[victor441]

So the drivers wasn't a dump ass

I watched the news interview tonight and he said he didn't
try to put it in neutral since he thought it might go in reverse... WTF

who knows?  he might well be, but the Prius "shifter" is really a multi-position switch so it is plausible that if the computers were wigging out it might be ignored...FWIW reverse on the Prius is handled by running one of the electric motors in reverse rotation rather than with gears

[Kopfjager]

Can you reach up and turn the key off on these models?

[victor441]

Can you reach up and turn the key off on these models?

no conventional key on a Prius (and maybe some other models??), just an on/off button and a smart key you keep in your pocket or in the dash...from what I've read the off button needs to be held down for three seconds (an eternity in an emergency) when the car is moving and this doesn't happen in a panic situation, most people don't know this and understandably jab at it instead

[Kopfjager]

no conventional key on a Prius (and maybe some other models??), just an on/off button and a smart key you keep in your pocket or in the dash...from what I've read the off button needs to be held down for three seconds when the car is moving and this doesn't happen in a panic situation, most people don't know this and understandably jab at it instead

Those pesky keys have always been a problem.

[ducatiz]

who knows?  he might well be, but the Prius "shifter" is really a multi-position switch so it is plausible that if the computers were wigging out it might be ignored...FWIW reverse on the Prius is handled by running one of the electric motors in reverse rotation rather than with gears

seems to me the system should be designed so shifting into neutral while moving is permitted as a failsafe. 

even shifting to reverse on this car wouldn't hurt -- an unenergized DC motor going in reverse won't hurt it at all.

[derby]

no conventional key on a Prius (and maybe some other models??), just an on/off button and a smart key you keep in your pocket or in the dash...from what I've read the off button needs to be held down for three seconds (an eternity in an emergency) when the car is moving and this doesn't happen in a panic situation, most people don't know this and understandably jab at it instead

and yet this guy had time (and was calm enough) to grab his phone, push four buttons, and talk on the phone while speeding down the highway at 90mph+ for 20 minutes.

[cyrus buelton]

Does a Prius have a NaviComputer so it can calculate the jump into hyperspace?

[ducatiz]

and yet this guy had time (and was calm enough) to grab his phone, push four buttons, and talk on the phone while speeding down the highway at 90mph+ for 20 minutes.

well, his name is Michael Schumacher..

[mitt]

another copy cat?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100310/ap_on_bi_ge/us_runaway_prius_ny

or real problem?


mitt

[ducatiz]

have any of these incidents happened anywhere but NY and CA?

[ducpainter]

have any of these incidents happened anywhere but NY and CA?

Considering the number of things that have only been found to cause cancer in rats in Cali when the rats were made to ingest the substance...

I doubt it.