Another runaway Prius???

[InflatableBuddha]

Throwing a Prius into neutral isn't exactly easy. When I have to take it through a car wash is about the only time I do it and it usually takes a couple tries. However, turning it off by pressing and holding the start button is the way to go.

The reason it's so hard is that the shifter is nothing more than a spring loaded momentary switch and neutral is in the middle of the shifter throw.

So you mean you have to hold the shifter in the N position or else it springs back? Or am I misunderstanding?

Also, what is the B setting shown above?

 

[bignateyk]

My Odyssey does the same thing from time to time. I'll set the cruise at 70 and be going for awhile, then suddenly look down to see it approaching 75 or more. For some reason it's not happy at 70 and feels the need to increase the speed.

yeah, ive had this happen on other cars (going just a few mph over what i set it to). In my RAV4, I will be going along at my cruising speed, and the cruise will suddenly just floor it for no apparent reason. It has only happened maybe twice since I bought it. Last time I had it set to 60 and it decided to go to >70 before I disengaged the cruise control.

 

[Squisher]

slapping a knob to the left is hard?

It's not exactly hard, but if you go up or down ever so slightly from neutral, but not all the way to reverse or drive the car doesn't shift at all. All I know is that it usually takes me a couple of tries all the while the guy at the car wash has engaged the rollers and I'm fiddling trying to get it out of drive and into neutral.

 

[Squisher]

So you mean you have to hold the shifter in the N position or else it springs back? Or am I misunderstanding?

Also, what is the B setting shown above?

Yeah, that dot is the "home" position. You push it to whatever you want the car to do and then release and the shifter springs back to "home".

EDIT: "B" disengages the regenerative braking.

 

[Slick5150]

I love the people in these threads lately making comments like "idiot should have just put it in neutral". That's the whole point is that their cars don't seem to be listening to what you want it to do. The shifter is electronic, meaning you can push the stick around all you want but if the computer is no longer responding to any of that, as some people have testified to already, the car isn't going to go into neutral.

So maybe she tried, maybe she didn't, but there's definitely a problem here.

 

[So]

It's not exactly hard, but if you go up or down ever so slightly from neutral, but not all the way to reverse or drive the car doesn't shift at all. All I know is that it usually takes me a couple of tries all the while the guy at the car wash has engaged the rollers and I'm fiddling trying to get it out of drive and into neutral.

I don't think I'd buy a car with such an awful UI. I have an automatic with lever on the column and I guarantee you I'd have no problem hitting any gear on the first try in a crisis. I mean, COME ON, the shift is a fundamental function of the car. If it was the radio, no big deal -- but the shift? Would you buy a car with a triangular steering wheel with serrated blades on the inside?

 

[amdhunter]

I bet that jackass was speeding, then saw a cop pull behind him and decided ramming his Toyota (that he couldn't afford anymore) was better than getting a ticket.

 

[Kntx]

Yeah, that dot is the "home" position. You push it to whatever you want the car to do and then release and the shifter springs back to "home".

EDIT: "B" disengages the regenerative braking.

Put it in "H" errr "B" !

 

[InflatableBuddha]

Yeah, that dot is the "home" position. You push it to whatever you want the car to do and then release and the shifter springs back to "home".

EDIT: "B" disengages the regenerative braking.

I see. In that case, I have to wonder why Toyota didn't use a traditional automatic shifter (with a B setting for disabling regenerative braking). With a typical shifter, there's no issue selecting the proper setting, unlike this spring-loaded nonsense .

 

[EagleKeeper]

Kill the ignition without locking the steering column.

 

[Vette73]

Kill the ignition without locking the steering column.

Not sure if you can. The Prius has a weird key and weird start/stop method. Look at this...

http://www.communitycar.com/OnlineOrientation/drive/prius

 

[JS80]

I guess the people who buy Priuses are dumber on average.

Fixed

 

[spidey07]

Not sure if you can. The Prius has a weird key and weird start/stop method. Look at this...

http://www.communitycar.com/OnlineOrientation/drive/prius

What the hell? "Push the park button"

What the hell is a park button?

 

[Bacstar]

Wonder if any Toyota engineers will be committing Seppuku in the coming months...

 

[waggy]

What the hell? "Push the park button"

What the hell is a park button?

Yeah more and more stories of people not being able to get het prius into park.

Also the guy went to a Toyota shop to get the recall and was turned away.

 

[Imp]

Driven a Prius once for a couple hours. It was my first time, but if I recall correctly, the shifter didn't go into reverse a few times because I didn't push it far enough or something. I was doing a lot of 3 point turns in the country that day.

The thing doesn't click into place, and springs back to the starting position after moving.

The only problem I have with this story is that he shut the car down and coasted to a stop at the end. Would it not let it do that above 80 Km/h? Or did he not want to turn it off on a highway?

 

[spidey07]

Wonder if any Toyota engineers will be committing Seppuku in the coming months...

The lead engineer of the Camry did over all the transmission problems.

 

[uclaLabrat]

http://despair.com/toyota.html

 

[Miramonti]

Hmm. Needs to be added to the "How dumb are Americans?" thread.

If the accelerator is stuck, neutral might blow the engine. This way the car gets repaired for free atleast and the problem acknowledged.

While it may have risked lives, it may have saved others.

 

[zinfamous]

I'm really not surprised that this idiot didn't know about neutral. I'm now certain that 9/10 drivers are absolutely fucking retarded.

it's about 11/10 here in Berzerkely.

 

[Vette73]

Driven a Prius once for a couple hours. It was my first time, but if I recall correctly, the shifter didn't go into reverse a few times because I didn't push it far enough or something. I was doing a lot of 3 point turns in the country that day.

The thing doesn't click into place, and springs back to the starting position after moving.

The only problem I have with this story is that he shut the car down and coasted to a stop at the end. Would it not let it do that above 80 Km/h? Or did he not want to turn it off on a highway?

Its electric so he was afraid it would lock up and/or not be able to control the car. That and he only did it once he got down to 50mph and a cop car was in front of him just in case.

 

[spidey07]

Holy crap! It happened only 12 miles from where the CHP officer and his family dies from the runaway lexus.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100309/ap_on_bi_ge/us_runaway_prius

It was about 12 miles from where Sikes' Prius started speeding where a deadly crash last year sparked scrutiny into the Japanese company's vehicles.

 

[theevilsharpie]

If the accelerator is stuck, neutral might blow the engine.

If the accelerator is stuck wide-open, switching it to neutral will cause the engine to bounce off of the rev limiter. You'd have to be doing that for quite a while to cause anything more than premature wear.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I think the driver is a scammer and is lying....

 

[KentState]

I think the driver is a scammer and is lying....

You have proof, know something we don't, or a troll?


Hopefully this issue gets resolved. Yes, you can prevent it from continuing to happen, but should someone really have to go into panic mode when driving a car?