CNN iReport

Very nice report. Your video should become mandatory driver's training for everyone on the road. Anyone who doesn't know how to put a runaway car in neutral and use the brakes shouldn't be behind the wheel in the first place.

As for the electronic throttle controversy, the NHTSA should mandate a failsafe (independent redundant system) brake override. This is a no-brainer. Why debate it any longer.

I think the acceleration problem should be investigated using police detective procedures.

First, I'd like to know if the subject vehicles had cruise control that might have inadvertently kicked in.

I'd also like to see a list of every parts manufacturer who supplied items for each of the complained-of vehicles.

If there is a coincidence of part suppliers, I would like to know exactly what parts they supplied for each of the problem vehicles - and if the same part appears on more than one vehicle, I'd make it a 'part of interest.'

From personal experience, I know that a speed typist can inadvertently hit a key that when combined with another one, will do something to the screen that is unintended. Can that be possible with a vehicle?

A light bulb either works or it doesn't: that's the way it is with electrical things.

I would think that either a car accelerates on its own, or it doesn't.

There might be some combination of things that a driver does, at a certain speed, that makes the acceleration kick in... and those combinations are not infinite in number... let the testing begin.

I would like to see you floor the accelerator, bring the car to about 60mph and then while still depressing the accelerator, see if you can stop the car with brakes.

it is real simple to stop a speeding Toyota.  Hang up your cell phone and shut off the ignition.  Leave car in gear. Transmission will help slow car down.  Stand on break pedel.

Both very good comments and I agree totally. What I do not get with Jim Sikes story in the "runaway" Prius is he was afraid to put the car in neutral because he did not know what the car would do is a little suspicious. He would rather continue speeding in a runaway car and call 911?! I know people react in crisis situations differently but this guy to me seems to be just looking for a nice cash settlement from Toyota or he is just an idiot.

My only question is does this apply to the camry or corolla I have friends that just bought both and if not what would be the procedures to stop these cars.

Oh my god, did you really ask that question? I am so happy someone finally posted how to stop a car from accelerating. This method will work on any vehicle. Anyone that doesn't know how this simple concept works should retake a driving test. The media is getting a frenzy and placing the blame on Toyota. Sure Toyota is at fault for the pedal issue, but the drivers of these accidents gaining media attention should also be at fault for not knowing what the N on the shifter column stands for.

Romanmica,

Thank you for the report. Having said that I could not agree more with you that it is an unscientific test and this at the very best.

Two thoughts immediately came to mind after watching your video, and that is you are making two serious assumptions:

(1) You are assuming that the software accepted the command to go to Neutral;

(2) You are assuming that the same software accepted the commands to brake. The brakes in the Prius are "by-wire" and as such are controller by the software.

If the systems software does not accept those commands one had better hope that they're not going 60MPH and approaching a traffic jam with nowhere to go save into the back end of a Tractor-Trailer.

Last I knew, Toyota was denying that there existed any software issues and this despite a wealth of evidence to the contrary (cf: SIU). I believe that Toyota, whose products I have purchased for years, will eventually capitulate.

In any event thank you for taking the time to prepare this video. Sadly, many have already walked away from their monitor believing they're all set should their Prius suddenly accelerate.

TundraTRD: "This method will work on any vehicle". Not true. If the issue is a software problem it will not - REPEAT NOT - "work on any vehicle" if that vehicle is channeling driver input to a computer controlled system. It will however work on, say, a 1969 Pontiac...

Admin

WhatAreYouListeningToRightNow.Com

I know how to stop a Toyota.  Just don't buy one.

This story sounded fishy to me from the beginning. Why would you let your car accelerate to over 90 mph before taking action to stop? You would have the presence of mind to call 911, (at 94 mph!), but NOT to just put the car in neutral, or stomp on both the brake and emergency brake, or shut the car off? It sounds to me like someone looking for some attention and a payoff, sorry. I have a Prius. My husband is worried, hearing all these stories, but for me, it just doesn't add up. I guess we should just be happy that there wasn't a kid in a balloon involved.

As you've already admitted this was a pretty unscientific test and it's doubtful you've recreated a "runaway" Prius, just a normally operating Prius where you stomp the accelerator to the floor. 

As both an experienced software developer and a Toyota hybrid owner (Camry) I have the suspicion that the issue isn't a mechanically stuck accelerator - which would have resembled the scenario you created.  With all the complex drive-by-wire systems involved (accelerator, gas/electric balance in the CVT, cruise control, ABS, VDIM, VCS and TRAC) it seems possible that a unique, unpredicted and untested set of conditions puts the car into an unbalanced, uncontrolled state of acceleration.  Since the gas, shifter and brake pedal are all just inputs into the engine control system, it may do no good at all to let up on the gas or step hard on the brakes if the ECS is in an 'out of bounds' state.

Fortunately the Parking ("Emergency") Brake isn't part of the ECS and it is likely to slow your car down.

Why would a person even want one of those under powered appliances anyway? My refrigerator is more stylish and doesn't try to kill me.

I am referencing simple mechanics and know how. You should always attempt to place your vehicle into neutral to disengage the engine from the transmission, electronic faults aside. The fact that the gentleman in the Prius along with many others that don't know how this procedure works is much more unnerving than the Toyota issue.

BrightGeorge: Absolutely. Well put.

I suspect that most of these "runaway Toyota", "mysterious acceleration" stories have their origin in people mistakingly hitting the accelerator pedal instead of the brakes. And of course you inevitably have all kinds of people trying to cash in.

Many people have forgotten the story of the "runaway Audis" in 1989. It was concluded that this was also a case of mistaking pedals. And it can happen, especially when people are in a hurry, panick, etc. Not Audi's fault and I think in this case also not Toyota's fault.

skip1973

Why are people not reading more than the first sentence of an operating manual ????

From the Toyota Manual:

The braking system is a "brake-by-wire" design. When the brake pedal is depressed, a computer sends a signal to the regenerative system to begin to slow the vehicle. If the pedal is pressed further, the standard hydraulic brakes are operated. Front disc brakes are teamed with rear drums, and an anti-lock system (ABS) is standard.

Not to mention the emergency break which is purely mechanical.

My goodness, why is it so difficult to understand that there are hundreds of nerds behind wheels of Toyotas and thousends behinds all other brands.

Poor toyota has an issue with one floormate in a Camry and a unbalanced switch from regenerative braking to standard braking in the Prius.  Thats not good but nothing different from all other manufacturers.

Now the problem is that any jerk can report "ballon priuses" to take off and don't come back and they get prime time on CNN and any other media.

Poor America what is happening to you.

I've owned several Toyotas and they are much better manufactured than GM, Ford, Chrysler, etc. (not to mention Korean cars which are in a lower level altogether from the US cars). 

This witchhunt is really becoming crazy, especially since it's now coming out that ABCNews doctored their footage to make Toyota cars seem unsafe. This is really weird and dangerous.

While the regenerative braking system of the Prius is complex, contrary to what some have said here, the Prius DOES NOT have drive by wire braking.  Every passenger vehicle (not large trucks) sold in the US is required by the DOT to have hydraulic brakes.  These are required so that with no power the car can still be stopped.  Unless the hydraulic system loses fluid or has air in it, these will stop the car without power.  The guy in the video proved it when he shut the car off and was still able to stop it.  He said the ABS didn't work but the brakes still did.  So please don't say this was a computer glitch in the car.  The only glitch was between the Runaway Prius driver's ears.

If I am recalling the circumstances of this runaway Prius, the driver was standing on the brake and he attempted to put the car in neutral, push the power button, etc. Did not work for him. Now granted, panic may have set in and he might not have reacted correctly. But it does not sound like a stuck accelerator pedal problem.

But it is my opinion that at least some the runaway problems that drivers have experienced are being caused by a bug in the "drive by wire" software or firmware, or perhaps a malfunction in one of the myriad computers that are present in this vehicle.

And as a matter of disclosure, I own and drive a 2005 Prius and love my car and my wife drives a 2008 Prius and loves her car as well.

The driver claimed he was standing on the brakes.

The brakes are hydraulic, they will work if you indeed stand on the paddle. Push button switch and neutral shifter are both taking three seconds to acknowledge your intends. So you need to keep cool for three seconds even if you have real problems with the car caused by whatever you want to imagine.

sorry for the typo: pedal of course not paddle.

I have a 2007 Prius that I've owned for three years and it wasn't until this overhyped recall scare that I found out how to shut off the car or put it in neutral while in motion.

The maker of this video glosses over how he's doing it, but it's not completely straightforward.  Look at what he does.  To put it in Neutral, he doesn't shift to "N".  He shifts to "R".  Shifting to "N" by itself while you're in motion does nothing because of the way the shifter joystick is configured.  You either have to hold it at N for several seconds or shift it to R to get it in neutral.  Then, to turn the car off, he holds down the power button for three seconds, like it's a misbehaving computer.  I glanced through my Owner's Manual the other day and saw no reference to that being an override.  Neither one of those things are going to be going through your mind while you're in a blind panic of a runaway car.  If you don't know what's going on, both of those things are going to scare the living daylights out of you and make you think that the car isn't responding to ANYTHING.  Both the power button and the way neutral works are probably considered safety features, so you don't accidentally shut your car off while you're on the freeway and reaching for the radio, although they are definitely poorly designed and poorly documented.

As far as the emergency brake goes, if you're flooring it, you will move, even with the E-Brake on.  That's not a Prius thing, that's not a Toyota thing.  I've never owned a car where the emergency brake would fully stop the car.  Admit it, you've driven a couple of blocks with your brake engaged now and then.

So, the driver of the runaway car probably did try to apply the emergency brake, shift to neutral and turn the car off, only to have it not respond to either one of those, either.  At that point, faced with a car that isn't slowing down and isn't responding to attempts to slow it down, that's probably when the driver called 911.  You would too.

BTW, hitting "P" should put it in neutral, as well, however no one is going to think that shifting to reverse or pressing park will put the car in neutral.  If I were in a runaway car, my instinct would tell me that putting the car in park or in reverse while I'm going 90 would only make the situation worse.  Even knowing exactly how it's supposed to work, I hesitated to try it at only 10 MPH.

Funny how no one picked up on the california guy saying "i was standing on both pedals." He immediately corrected his freudian slip by lying and stating "I stood on the brake pedal"   Hmmm,  they guy is a scam artist.  Do a little research on this scumbag.

Skip1973 and BrightGeorge,

As both and automotive journalist and a long time driver I have the suspicion that given rust, road conditions, poor build quality and an earth quake and "a unique, unpredicted and untested set of conditions" could lead to all four wheels of the Prius falling off....just saying ;-)

OK Guys sorry I'm just being a smart ass.

Here's what I found out happens with the accelerator pushed to the floor:

1) When you put the car in neutral it immediately cuts the power to the wheels from both the electric motor and gas engine. Basically the car just coasts and the brakes work normally.

2) When you turn off the car (after holding down the start/stop button for three seconds the car turns off and the steering gets heavy (no power boost) but brakes still work but in an emergency hard stop situation they lock up (no ABS).

FYI: For what's it is worth airplanes have been flying by wire for years and they are safer because of it.

It would seem to me that drive by wire should be no less safe.

Thanks for all your great comments.

Much appreciated!

Possible computer issues besides mechanical?

It's a good report, but rather simplistic.  I've been in the Information Technology industry for several decades.  I have numerous manufacturer certifications and have performed repairs on laptops, workstations, servers, and storage silos.

On rare but still significant occasions, I have observed computers to hard-lock in the on-state with the on/off button unresponsive and temperature controlled fans locked in the full power position.  The only recourse was to physically unplug the power supply cords.  There could be several issues, hardware and software that could produce the same symptoms.  On mission critical systems, another computer would automatically take over the functions.

Aircraft have been using fly by wire instead of direct physical controls for years.  Unlike most auto systems, aircraft use multiple backup channels and computer modules in case the failure of one. 

Given the ever increasing complexity and interoperability of computer modules in autos that operate in such extreme environments, Toyota and others should not be so quick to dismiss possible computer issues and perhaps take some lessons from the aerospace industry.

Good for you for showing this, romanmica!  I suspected from the start that the guy in San Diego was just padding and documenting his case for a lawsuit against Toyota.  The very fact that he phoned 911 is suspect, but when he was asked by the dispatcher whether he had tried to put the car into neutral, or to turn it off, and he said that he was too busy steering, and too scared, etc., to do so, he lost all credibility.  He wasn't too flummoxed to phone for help and hold a conversation (I would have a hard time doing so at 90mph, whereas I would instinctively try to shift the car into neutral or turn it off if it accelerated unexpectedly).  He appeared on three news networks and was careful to mention how traumatized he was on all three interviews.  He dramatically announced for the camera that he would never drive his car again.

Nothing but an opportunist, in my opinion.

Bright George, here is an excerpt from a report on the San Diego NBC affiliate:

"Sikes said the CHP officer arrived shortly afterward and told him to use the emergency brake. He also tried to shut off the car, which it finally did, then he rolled to a stop near the La Posta Bridge in the area of the Golden Acorn Casino."

So it was a combo of the emergency brake slowing the car **AND** his shutting the car off that stopped the acceleration (oh, yeah: that and going up a hill).  He may or may not have actually tried to put the car into neutral (I doubt that he did), and that may or may not have worked if he did (I think that it would have worked).  But it is clear that the on/off button WORKED, was unaffected by any supposed software problem, and was an effective option for him from the time the acceleration allegedly got away from him.  He did not exercise that option until he had plenty of witnesses to his (real, enhanced, or manufactured?) drama.

why not take VIN # of all car complaints per each type and see when they were manufactured, and what batch throttle and computer components were used... Maybe find that there was some funny buisness at a local ISO cert supplier.

If the VIN indicate they were from a certain manufacture date, surely there's paperwork showing who built them.

Considering the advanced state of engineering in the world, I find it hard to believe that there is only a single car manufacturer having this issue.  For this reason I believe there is a huge cover up happening for European cars having the same issue as well (remember there are no longer any American car manufacturers as they were all bought by the Europeans.  If you don't believe me, try to find a stock symbol on NYSE or NASDAQ for GE, Ford, or Chrysler).  Insurance companies are helping to cover this up.

I am sorry that I have to state this, and you may think I am trolling, but you are very correct that this is not a scientific test, and your results are WRONG.

First, your car was not truly run-a-way. Your car was operating normally because you were accelerating on your will. That's hardly run-a-way.

Second, Prius is drive-by-wire. When you experience a run-a-way, that means something in the software is not working, possibly queued with garbage, not being able to process any kind of information.

That means 1) Shifting to neutral does not mean anything because the car WILL NOT process that information

2) Pressing that power button for 3 seconds does not mean anything because the car WILL NOT process that information.

For all those who believes that shifting to neutral and turning the power off will stop your car, it WILL NOT! I am a software engineer and when your software is queued up for whatever reason and it does not process information, only way to restart the car is through "watchdog" which basically restarts the system. From what I see, Toyota cars DO NOT WORK properly to restart their system when something does not work.

Therefore, I will have to tell you that YOUR TEST IS COMPLETELY WRONG AND NOT A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN YOUR CAR BECOMES A RUN-A-WAY! STOP GIVING FALSE INFORMATION TO PEOPLE!

@Tony46C. I think you haven't driven any Korean cars lately. As an engineer who's been looking at latest stats for recall and problems reported, reliability tests, auto reviews, I will bet my money that my Hyundai will last longer than your Toyota that you buy today.

I have a feeling this 'runaway' story of Jim Sikes is going to turn out a lot like the 'flyaway' baloon boy. More information is going to be made about Jim Sikes. Stay tuned.

I re-read my post and it sounds too harsh.

I apologize about that.

Anyways, better solution is to pull an emergency brake when all fails, which I hear is mechanical. Of course, you might have to worry about some serious damage to your car, or your car catching on fire, etc.

I apologize again for some harsh sentences.

How the hell did that guy reach down to the padel and try to pull on it. If he do that, there is no way he can see over the dash board. Hell, when I drive i can even touch my shoe without lift it up a little. I think the runaway prius guy planned the whole thing.

I believe the guy..America is buying everything from countries that hate us, who is to say that the computer system in these cars do not have viruses to purposely harm Americans.  Managment only cares about there bonuses and know about glitches and do not cares. I currently am watching the management at my employer collect millions of dollars from exercising stock options and bonuses as they offshore more and more jobs..knowing that the offshore company is causing major errors..increasing its audit risk...yet..they are offshoring more..hmm..they dont care that they are hurting people, destroying the company and destroying America..they will be rich..and for some odd reason, the press isn't reporting this, Americans think we will magically recover? How? Engineering, HR, IT Accounting Finance, manufacturing customer service jobs are disappearing? America..start defending your jobs!

Here's what happened.  Mr Sikes got caught speeding by a highway patrolman and used this as an excuse to get out of a ticket.  How else could a highway patrolman get to him that fast when he was going 90 miles an hour?  HELLO!!!!  I have a 2010 Toyota Prius and the ONLY problem I have had with any deal with Toyota is working with the slime Finance Manager at New Bern Toyota in North Carolina.  Toyota makes a quality product, but they hired an idiot for that position!

Perhaps Mr Sikes is “Nothing but an opportunist”. Maybe yes, maybe no.  What of the rest?

The California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor and three members of his family who were killed in a Toyota also apparently didn't (or couldn't) put the car into neutral and turn it off.  Listen to the 911 tape.  Also “Nothing but an opportunist”?

Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak is also among Toyota car owners who say their vehicles accelerate unintentionally. His 2010 Toyota Prius can unintentionally accelerate to as much as 97 miles  per hour when he uses cruise control to increase his speed, he said in an interview.  Perhaps Woz is also “Nothing but an opportunist” and maybe he is also technological challenged, unable to correctly operate his car.

The point is, there is a growing amount of evidence concerning a deadly problem...  See my previous post.

Anyone who dies in a car accident by not putting the car in neutral, kinda deserves it.

Rule of law, freedom of expression/speech/press, human rights, personal liberty are some of the  fundamentals of any democratic society and the US is the very symbol of that. In order to protect our rights and uphold the spirit of the constitution, each and every citizen has a resposibility to make an effort to be well informed about the issues that effect us all. Similarly, the press/media has the  vital responsibilty of providing responsible and accurate information for the public at large. It is worrisome to see that the media as a whole is moving away from responsible journalism and becoming more inclined towards sensationalism as has been demonstrated by this TOYOTA WITCHHUNT and this ridiculous Prius hoax clearly perpetrated by a con artist(SIKES). I am deeply disappointed that CNN for it's part has not given enough coverage regarding the hoax(it's all over the internet)particularly since it(CNN) so eagerly participated in reporting the purported runaway Prius story. 

Sforce and interlopert

I totally agree with your right of free speech.  You have the right to accuse and deny a growing body of evidence.

The5threvolt, a computer professional, is correct.  There is a very good possibility that with a run-away, the system is locked up and cannot be turned off or even put into neutral. The controls simply will NOT respond.

Thanks to redundant systems in aircraft, when (not if) a critical system fails, another takes over.  Redundant systems and fail-safes are being fought by the auto industry just as they fought seat belts and airbags. 

Personally, I believe that your have proved one of two things (of course I already knew how to stop the Prius or any other car before you ran your test!):

1. The guy who let his Prius run away is just plan stupid.

2. The guy was planning his future lawsuit against Toyota.

I recommend that he go with option 1, as this may limit his own liability!

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The guy in California who said he "didn't want" to put the car in neutral was committing a scam. His 2006 Prius is not involved in the recall, and his back payments made him want to get rid of it. It was Balloon Boy at 90 mph, nothing more.

Any of these techniques could have helped him, or really anyone who's problem is a foot (of any origin) placed firmly upon the gas pedal. In fact taking that foot, whoever it may belong to, off the gas pedal would help in any scenario described in this simulation.

But this is useless in regards to the new Prius' problems, and I wouldn't bet my life on any of these things working if you're in one that's running away. Jamming your foot on the accelerator is not the same thing as a computer glitch, and so far it's been (almost) impossible to duplicate the glitch.

But if you look at the fun the Woz was able to have with his cruise control, things start to make sense. Either we have a case of hundreds or even thousands of people who are too stupid to put the car in neutral and apply the brake, or we have a car that is not responding to people's attempts to do these things.

People are too much of a variable. Stupidity is difficult to quantify, but I tend to think odds are fairly good that selecting people randomly could result in an entire subgroup of idiots. But in this case we're not dealing with a random sample. We're dealing with people who are concerned enough about the environment to spend their money to improve it, and comfortable enough with new technology that they are willing to experiment during their daily commute.

That's too close to call, so instead we should look at the one variable that has remained constant.... the vehicles themselves.

Because everything... EVERYTHING in this car is computer controlled. There is no direct physical way to cut power to the computer. There is no direct physical way to cut power to the engine. There is no direct physical way to force the brakes on. When you put in your key, it unlocks a big button that suggests to the computer you are ready to drive or ready to shut down. Supposedly, holding in that button resets the computer. If you've ever had to deal with a BSOD by flipping the switch on the back of the box, you know how useful the button up front is.

But the Prius doesn't have "a switch on the back of the box"... While driving a Prius, you are only offering suggestions to this computer. When you press the gas pedal, or the brake, or even physically move the gear selector, all you are doing is asking the computer to analyze current conditions and make the best decision it can in regards to your suggestions. Something as minor as a bumpy road can increase your stopping distance significantly, and that's on a Toyota that is functioning perfectly.

That computer HAS to be in charge of the engine and the transmission and the brakes or they couldn't guarantee their mileage, which they only do by switching between gas and electric power, recapturing energy from the braking systems, and trying to keep the engine within the narrow power band of maximum efficiency.

The only reason these cars have a direct physical link between the steering wheel and the axles is because federal law requires it.

That's not conclusive either. But let's go back to the beginning. This all started back in Feb. because people complained about the brakes. So Toyota put in a computer patch to fix the brakes. Now suddenly cars are accelerating out of control. Where's our most likely point of failure?

I say it's pretty obvious. In my opinion, there are only two ways to fix this:

1)A proper software patch, which will probably be cheaper for Toyota, but if Feb's attempt is any indication, not 100 percent effective, or

2) equipping all vehicles with a kill switch to override the electronic controls, which would be 100 percent effective but would basically require a major rebuild on thousands of cars.

Which way do YOU think Toyota will approach this problem?

For the record, I don't own a car. I don't work for Toyota or any of it's competitors, and I really don't care how you spend your money or your time.

Just don't rely on this guy's report if you do own one of these cars, because he's only going to get you killed.

I am getting sick and tired of all these "out-of-control" stories.  I grew up in the era of carburetor's.  Back then things got stuck in the carburetor, throttle linkage fell off, and springs broke.  I like everyone else back then took driver's ed which covered this topic.  If someone wants to write a real story they should compare today's problems back to the 50's and 60's.  I think they will find today's problems are minimal.  Today's problems are caused by driver's with absolutely no common sense, poor education, and too many lawyers trying to get rich quick.

I had wondered if turning the Prius off or shifting into neutral was somehow blocked at high speeds - much as turning the key to "lock" in most typical cars can't be done if you're not in park.

This is amazingly simple. But I remember a sign on a coworker's wall: "When you're up to your neck in alligators, there's no time to think about draining the swamp."

If you're behind the wheel, it accelerates, and you're heading for a close wall, group of people, etc. I guess you're in the same boat.

On the other hand, there's that guy who was flying down a highway or interstate who had time to call 911 but never thought of the on switch or gear shift!

I drive one of the first 2004 Prius to arrive on the East Coast.  I read the Owner's Manual which has the instructions for controlling a run-away engine.  I tried the recommendations.... moving the transmission to Neutral and depressing the Power button for in excess of 3 seconds while on a track not a public highway while doing 100mph..... It works...

My recommendation is that before a dealer turns over a car to a new owner that the new owner be made to read the Owner's Manual...

Now that Toyota has given the NHSTA black-box read-out equipment we will begin to see how many of these run-away incidents are driver error.... In this context... remember the similar problem with the Audi ...???

For an excellent analysis I recommend the Popular Mechanics article on the subject....

<http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4347704.html>

CNN and other news media should perform a better evaluation and analysis of a story before spending too much airtime reporting on it. The story line should have been more like "man takes advantage of Toyota situation to display his lack of driving skills".

The media did the same thing to Audi years ago with sudden acceleration. It all makes for good drama in the press. If all else fails, these drivers need to just step hard on the brake. Full throttle acceleration will not override the brake system. Believe me, the car won't like what you're doing to it. But it will stop.

It's amazing what auto companies have to design for in these days of litigation. You try and make it idiot proof and they just invent a better idiot. Sikes is looking for Toyota cash. Or as was said, busted for speeding. 

In the early 80s, I used to own a Celica GTS Coup. If I was using Cruise Control and if a nearby Semi driver keyed his mike, it would cause acceleration issues with my car, and that's when cars had fewer electronics. They should explore insufficient shielding issues, what high power signals might have occurred in each accident area, and whether those signals overrode the electronic systems.

He forgot the first step. Hang up your d**m cell phone! Step 2 is to put the car into neutral. I may be mistaken but I don't beleive the Prius has a mechanical linkage directly to the transmission. Shift by wire as it were. If that is the case it might not go into neutral if there were a malfunction with the computer. The same goes for turning the car off. That button he pushed is not an E-Stop where contacts are forced apart by a mechanical plunger so again if the computer has an issue... Maybe that's what Toyota needs is a big red E-Stop mushroom button on the dash. That'll look attractive, but it would work if it breaks the power feed.

In general... I believe people should be required to learn how to drive before being issued a drivers license. The current licensing requirements are a joke and 40,000 Americans die in cars each year. As a leading cause of accidental death, we need to raise the training and licensing requirements.

Welcome to Number One Toyota......its' unfortunate that this is the way the world treats the biggest car maker.  There are lots of horror stories, but the media has taken this one and ran with it...did this NEVER happen before this year?  THAT seems weird to me!

Although I do not drive a Toyota I have had electrical problems with my vehicle that 'can't' be explained.  Our vehicle will shut off when driving while wet.  imagine our panic driving at 65 MPH and to have the car turn off, nothing, no power steering, no brakes, nothing!  It would correct itself after a couple seconds but I couldn't imagine what would happen if I were driving on a curved road or if  Ineeded to stop quickly.  Do not be so quick to judge people, it is hard to imagine what you would do in this situation if you haven't experienced it.  Our dealership claims to not know of any one else that has had this happen, again I must wonder of ALL the same vehicles as mine out there and ours is the ONLY one?  The Toyota story is far from over (and far from unique)

I agree most with your final statement.  It's wonderful to educate people on how to stop their vehicles in the case of an emergency; the better question is: "Why is an automaker building the first vehicles in the history of the world where we even have to worry about this?"

I'll be Gabourey Sidibe could stop a speeding Prius.

Great report!  I'm off to the Toyota Dealer.

Is there any shortage of idiots on the road in this country?

No.

Is there any shortage of people who will try and scam someone to get millions of dollars?

No.

This whole story is a hoax. It got national coverage because certain media outlets are totally on board with the "bash Toyota" campaign that is being orchestrated by our federal government. The only story I have been able to find on this where the reporter actually did his job is at Forbes.com under "Toyota Hybrid Horror Hoax."

i have been a mechanic for almost forty years and i can assure you this problem is not new, neither is driver stupidity

i asked ten different people from 15 to 60 what they would do in the event their car "ran away"...none got it right, not one person had the common sense to just pop it into neutral..this tells me that we need to educate our new drivers better and just wait for the old fools to die off

when i was in the ussr back in the 70's you could end up in serious trouble for committing a "mechanical offense"... even running out of gas or not being able to explain or fix common problems could get you a fine

I guess because I have always had an understanding of how things work as I am very mechanically inclined - I naturally assume that others must know the same.  To me it just seems like common sense...I've known this since I started driving twenty years ago.

we have a new 2010 Prius V and it is a fantastic vehicle. Great ride, powerful brakes and around 50mpg. I do wonder if smaller people who are close to the steering wheel could be (in a panic) pushing up on the cruise control stalk which is located in a less than ideal place almost under the steering wheel on the inside. Then again, it could be that the person, who I understand is heavily in debt, decided to invent a law suit.The car is awesome....we LOVE it.

I agree with Tundra TRD to a point. I doubt the driver's Ed courses teach this so it should be followed up on. You also need to ensure all of the methods will work with your vehicle. Depending on the age of your vehicle you need to ensure turning off your vehicle won't lock the steering wheel. Also if driving a manual transmission you can simply depress the clutch pedal and shift into neutral.

The first time I heard the report about the guy stuck at 90 miles an hour, I turned to the person next to me and said, "That guy's lying."  It reminded me of Tawana Brawley, and also the girl who claimed a black man carved Barack Obama's initials into her face: a story "too good" to be true.  Both his 9-1-1 call and his remarks to the press sounded like someone over acting.  And then there was his claim that he was afraid to put it in neutral, because it might have flipped the car.  Ridiculous.  The guy supposedly had enough presence of mind to dial 9-1-1, but couldn't bring himself to move the gear one notch to the letter "N."

computer control of gas flow can be a good thing.  with no non computer back up, I think it is dangerous.

made my living off computers, now retired.

I do not think there is a fail safe computer program out there.  Especially when there are a bunch of inputs to be considered.

I drive a computer controled Toyota Tundra and do not like the computer controlled gas but that is the way things are going.

I feel the Congress should get off health care and pass legislation for a backup braking system not computer controlled.

My feeling is it is just a matter of time when conditions get right for these computer control systems to go berserk.   And, setting at a desk reading these procedures at our own pace is a lot different from controlling a run away car where a person might not be able to look down and adjust the gear shift or even hit the power button.

I'm sorry but when you're on an INTERSTATE and there's traffic around you plus the road has lots of curves, you do not always feel safe taking one hand off the steering wheel at 92MPH!

This man repeated over and over that by the time he'd reported the problem (911) he went from 60 to 90mph. I would be afraid to lift one hand too.  I might try it if there was no one coming to my rescue or on a deserted road.

They never said how but did say that the police helped him to stop the car. Neither the Toyota OR the police car showed any damage. How did they stop it?

In one case a highway patrolman in a rented car lost control. His son in the backseat called 911 as the car raced to an intersection where the family eventually died in a crash.

Of course I thought, "turn the car off, put it in neutral," and wondered whether a trained officer would do just that but the car didn't respond--maybe there are electronic lockouts at high speeds?

I haven't heard a pointed discussion on whether this is an issue or if the operators couldn't think straight when they lost control of the car.

Arguing over what Sykes did to try and stop the car is pointless.  The fact is, these vehicles SHOULD NOT be inadvertently accelerating to high speeds and the fact that they do requires a solution, which has apparently eluded Toyota.

I love all of this "maybe the computer didn't accept the command.." fear. These cars aren't running Windows. It's a distributed set of microcontrollers, each running independently, and written in low-level code. What does that mean? There's no OS that locks up. There's no poorly-written software that's an achilles heel for the entire system - and unless there's actual chip failure, which is exceedingly rare, each controller has no CHOICE but to accept commands. This software isn't outsourced to Pakistan and given no oversight; it's treated as close to engineering as humanly possible.

People who don't know much about embedded systems - and that's most people, so I don't fault you - shouldn't really speculate as to what's causing this, as most are coming from such an ignorant worldview as to think that your car has the same weaknesses as the computer you're on right now. It doesn't.

Does this mean that there ISN'T a problem? No, there certainly are core issues that are being diluted by the latest wall of bandwagon-hopping, responsibility-dodging, media-whoring morons. But don't tack on your limited knowledge on the subject to help spread fear about non-issues on top of it.

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I agree with brightgeorge that it's a software glitch.  Chances are that this makes various switches and sensors stop working and 'freeze'.  The only thing you can rely on at that point is to put the car in neutral and use either normal brakes or the emergency brake (lightly) to slow the car down.

This issue with Toyota can be laughed at or said to be overblown.  But not everybody that's driving out there knows about how to react to an emergency.  Most people drive from A to B without ever thinking of the possibility of a malfunctioning part.  A well-made and safe car has no business accelerating this way!

I truly doubt it's just people mistaking that the gas pedal is the brake.  Toyota knew about this issue for a long time!  I suspect that their electronic components (including software) have had corner's cut and that's why we're here today.

Okay finally someone out of the hundred stories I have read about this is not stupid.  I cant believe the masses dont know this simple thing.

All these people and reporters cant be this stupid.  If a gas pedal gets stuck, you put it in neutral.  Anybody should know this.  Then turn off the key to prevent blowing the engine up.  Come on people I am only 30 yrs old and I learned this when I was a kid, and it is just common knowledge.  I learn it by my pedal sticking on an old car and thought in about 2 seconds "how do I stop this"  Well how about neutral???  I have read all these stories and nobody ever says this.  have people really become this stupid.  Thanks CNN for finally telling people this.  Monkey see Monkey do

One of the many benefits of a standard 5 speed,just step on the clutch. I would never own a small to mid-size truck or car with an automatic.

Just floor the accelerator pedal and let it get into 50 and while still accelerating, floor the brake pedal. You should have done this in the "video test", because it would simulate the situation where computer is not shutting the engine off and letting the CVT into N...

This sounded fishy from the start.  Turns out the guy filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and now is $700K in debt again, including $21K on his Prius.  He's also made over $90K filing insurance claims for "stolen" items.  And one of his web sites is "AdultSwingLife.com".  And the arms of a man of normal stature are nowhere near long enough to reach the pedal with letting go of the steering wheel and bending down below it.  Hmm....

Don't forget the obvious:

look for something cheapl.

A dumbbell is someone who is characterized by self-centeredness and concerned exclusively with self, as opposed to the well being of the whole. Idiocy is the natural state of ignorance into which all dumbbells are indoctrinated, and citizens in the other hand are made, through well rounded education.

Roman politicians indulged and manipulated the masses with bread and circus, and American Politicians aren’t any different, they indulge the cravings of the eye in order to manipulate the dumbbells into submission with beer, pot, sports, and religion. Politicians know that the dumbbells like to reproduce themselves by proudly indoctrinating their children through public education into the arts of sodomy, abortion, euthanasia, divorce, and same sex marriage.  The dumbbells awards should go to those Americans acting like helpless little children that call 911 for assistance when their car’s accelerator pedals become stuck, instead of switching the car to neutral and the ignition to the off position.

The dumbbells comprise about ninety percent of the population, and since they can no longer submit to a king, now they submit to Uncle Sam, and look up to the State as protector and provider, and for their healthcare needs, including the right to free abortions. Nothing will ever change since the dumbbells are as death as a door nails spiritually speaking, nothing can save them from their sorry condition, unless God intervenes by quickening their spirit. Everything the dumbbells hold dear is nothing but a trap and a snare leading them straight to eternal damnation.

So your Prius is obviously functioning correctly. I wonder how it would behave it it were not functioning correctly. 

The claimed senario is that the car goes into full or high throttle, ignores the shift lever, the engine OFF command, and the braking command. And that it does it so infrequently (one in billions of acceleration actions) that it has defied replication in the lab.

A software glitch? I don't think so. A timing error (clock jitter) in the computer? Maybe. This can be simulated in the lab. A loose connector? This can be simulated in the lab. A cosmic ray knocking a memory bit from a 1 to a 0? This can be simulated in the lab. Any hardware defect can be simulated in the lab by a competent team of electrical and software engineers.

It is amazing that a 61 year-old man didn't know how to shut off his Prius. All cars came with an owner's manual. If you don't have one, get one and read it.  You will find out what your 3000 lb. death machine can do.  A lot of people don't know how to turn on their taillights. VW/Audi and GM use daytime headlights that go on by themselves, but you need to turn the switch on for the taillights. The taillights are located at the rear of the vehicle. Read the section in the manual about the warning lamps. All new cars have tire pressure monitors. When the "tire" lamp lights up, that means you need to put air into the tires. Put the manual back in the car so the mechanics can find it.

If your desktop computer freezes and requires a reboot, does that mean you were not operating it correctly? Would it not have happened if you had read the manual?

All of the car's functions are controlled by the onboard computer. If this computer or code has a glitch, any of the controls could go out. There is no physical connection from the shifter to the gears. The signal for shifting to Neutral is sent from the driver's shifter-lever to the computer, then the computer sends a signal to the gear-mechanism to physically move it out-of gear and into neutral. If the computer has a glitch or locks up, it doesn't matter if the driver has put the lever into N, the car will stay in gear and continue moving. Same with the brakes. He could have been stomping on them with all of his weight, but if the computer is not receiving the signal or not sending a signal to the physical braking mechanism, it would not matter how hard you pressed them, the car is not going to slow down.

hnrast... WHAT?

I am no expert, but I don't think the Prius is running a Windows OS ;-) I would think Toyota has skilled engineers (s/w, h/w and design) for its proprietary platform. This guy is a con artist looking for a big $MM settlement from Toyota. If you read previous posts, these Prius' supposedly have a back-up hydraulic brake system... as posted by Prius owners. This guy decided to call 911 instead of even trying to put the car in neutral or power the car down.

Seems a lot of people think that this was a computer malfunction and that putting the car in neutral or shutting the car off would not work. According to the report, he did not try to put the car in neutral for fear it might slip into reverse, and he thought that turning the car off would lock up the steering wheel. So he didn't even try either one, it wasn't that the computer didn't respond. In fact, after the officer showed up and helped him slow down, he did eventually shut the car off when he got it under 50 mph, so the computer was responding. I'm not saying the accelerator wasn't stuck or malfunctioning, just that he was still able to put it in neutral and/or shut it off.

Some people are also jumping to his defense saying they wouldn't take their hands off the wheel at that speed either, yet he was able to call 911 on his cell phone, and also claim to try and reach down and pry up the gas pedal??

This guy is nothing more than a scam artist and just looking for an easy pay day. Just look at his history posted in an earlier post.

Gees, people.  Get the facts.  The Prius braking system is both hydraulic and regenerative.  The regenerative side is computer controlled.  The hydraulic brakes work like normal brakes.  With the engine/motor combination and power output the Prius has, 90 mph would be close to the top speed.  There is no way it could run at 90 mph with the added resistance of someone standing on the brakes, even if the regenerative braking failed completely.

Scam artist?  You bet.

Rule of law, freedom of

expression/speech/press, human rights, personal liberty are some of the  fundamentals of any democratic society and the US is the very symbol of that. In order to protect our rights and uphold the spirit of the constitution, each and every citizen has a resposibility to make an effort to be well informed about the issues that effect us all.

Similarly, the press/media has the  vital responsibilty of providing responsible and accurate information for the public at large.

It is worrisome to see that the media as a whole is moving away from responsible journalism and becoming more inclined towards sensationalism as has been demonstrated by this TOYOTA WITCHHUNT and this ridiculous Prius hoax clearly perpetrated by a con artist(SIKES).

I am deeply disappointed that the MASS MEDIA for it's part has not given enough coverage regarding the hoax (it's all over the

internet) particularly since it (MASS MEDIA) so eagerly participated in reporting the purported runaway Prius story.

It's time we demand responsible journalism.

How to stop a run a way Toyota... First ask the idiot driving the car how they got their license in the first place, i'm sure every one of the runaway Toyotas have a driver that's been in at least 1 or more accidents in their driving history...

Now stopping the car... IT'S THE LEFT PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN AND THE RIGHT PEDAL TO SPEED UP! MORONS!

Me i drive a Manual transmission car i have to do 5 things at once at least every 5 minutes of driving. I've never had an accident and i've been driving for over 20 years...

All these dopes that have sprung up are the worst drivers out there, and are just using this recall hoax as an excuse for their poor ability to drive a Car that DOES MOST OF THE WORK FOR IT'S DRIVER...

You have to do 2 things to drive an automatic car and they can't even manage that simple task... XD

Oh hey this just also reminded me of a cool 1980's movie called "Maximum Overdrive" look it up on youtube!

XD

SIMPLE - You DON'T!!

Turn on your cam and follow behind.

Not too close and be prepared for abrupt stop.

Be prepared to to contact Emergency services.

If this does not work then repeat the first line.

Otherwise you can smile about how lucky you are for not driving a Toyota.

Actually, his putting the car in neutral did NOT affect the speed.  It continues to do 51 mph until he puts his foot on the brake.

I have a 2008 Prius Hybrid and have never had trouble with it, but trying to put it in neutral did NOT work for me.  It completely ignores sliding the shifter to neutral.

I also have a 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.  It's gear shift mechanism is more standard and looks like it would probably work better than the purely electric shifter of the Prius for dropping into neutral an emergency situation.

My experiments with the Prius shifter were a little bothersome but not enough so to make me worry too much.

As for the comments listed as Nohj above and ending XD

You say you have been driving 20 years but write like a young teenager.  Learn not to call people names and realize that plenty of people (like me) have been driving for over 40 years, never had an accident and managed to make it all the way through a post without talking down to anyone (except perhaps you Nohj) or calling anyone names.

And I'll put my "whole world" expertise up against you any day.

From what I'm reading, I gather that to 97-99.5% of the general population, cars are black boxes.  Most people don't know the basic principles of how cars actually work; complicating matters now is how mechanical and electrical/software technologies are merging, and morphing the definition of things like a 'throttle'.

As such, the general populace can't even begin to fathom life-saving ideas such as shifting to neutral, or just turning the car off, or simply standing on the brakes with two feet even if the accelerator is stuck.  Its because the populace doesn't know what will happen if they try; or if the technique will work (in time); or if they will just look stupid.  Add to that the 'panic' that occurs during such an unintended acceleration, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

Cars CAN and WILL only get more complex.  With electric vehicles coming, an entirely new paradigm will be created for electric vehicles.  The days of the mechanical throttle are numbered.

Two things need to happen:

1. Carmakers need to make newer cars idiotproof and FAIL-SAFE.

2. Car owners have a responsibility to know how to control their vehicles, beyond just getting in, turning it on and driving away.

I'm glad this discussion is still going on though it's under i-reports. There are many great posts from mostly "informed" people (only a handful of idiots). I wish it was still a link under CNN's home page but it appears "Does NBC have interest in '24'?" is more important than spirited debate of true public concern and what appears folks could use to be educated about what this story is all about. Car operation knowledge, more computer control taking the place of manual operation and a good source of information that young drivers (and older) should be prepared for "runaway" situations that are legitimate. Again, as many posted and I whole heartedly agree THIS GUY IS JUST A TRYING TO MAKE $MM OFF TOYOTA's legitimate issues which I know they will correct.

I've owned a Camry and the only thing that was a problem was many times I went to turn the volume up on the radio while in Drive, my arm accidentally hit the shifter and it just slid into Neutral! That's a problem when you are doing 70mpg with someone tailgating on the highway!

Additionally, President and CEO, Mr. Toyoda, has come out and apologized sincerely, as I saw it, for the troubles and is taking the issue very seriously and personally. I did not hear any "Thank you's" or "Sorry's" from GM and Chrysler's top guns for the taxpayer "multi-billion bailout" for their lack of concern of quality and competent management.

additionally, with the luxury cars now parallel parking themselves and know when you swerve to self correct, as well as detect when you are distracted and not braking in time, the cars stop for you! What will happen when people are reliant on those systems when they are available to the masses? Real scary!!!

I read the manuals. In my hybrid, the transmission control is a mechanical linkage. While it also has a electronic component (i.e. the engine goes to idle) - if you put it into neutral - it goes into neutral.

The guy who would not put it into neutral - didn't want to.

I also tried to step on the brake and gas full on both - the car stopped. It was unhappy, but it stopped.

The only way to get the brakes hot and bothered would be to only lightly step on the brake while holding full throttle.

I'm willing to bet that the runaway Prius of this week will be shown to be a hoax just like the kid in the balloon in Colorado.

I learned how to drive with a clutch and three on the tree. Every car I have ever had can be forced into neutral fairly easily.

The hybrid does exactly what it is supposed to - give you maximum mileage from a gasoline engined car. And yes - the computers are complex. I can't say for sure they will never hiccup.

But if you let any, ANY, car run away from you - thank goodness you have been removed from the gene pool.

I can't believe its taken this long for someone to make a report or video of how to stop a car that is "running away".

How in the world can people have the presence of mind to call 911 on their phone, but not know enough to shift a car into neutral????

Although its obvious that there are some issues with the Toyotas this whole thing could have been avoided it the majority of the drivers in the US had the least bit of common sense.

I grew up on a farm in North Dakota, driving everything from lawn mowers to combines to you name it, so I guess I have a SLIGHTLY different point of view on how to drive, but seriously????

If people would think for themselves a little bit it, instead of letting a computer do it for them, it would make this whole situation WAY less of a big deal.

The control computers in cars are not like general purpose laptops with Windows or some other OS.

Of course, car "computers" use microprocessors, but these are dedicated processors, like the ones that run your disk drives, microwave oven, camera image processors, cellular radios, iPod music players, etc.

The difference between a general purpose computer, like your laptop, and the dedicated microprocessors in devices and cars, is that the latter run fixed code that never changes. This is quite unlike a general purpose Windows system - where everything changes all the time.

With fixed code, if there's a glitch - it can easily be found. By inference, if cars run away at all, they all must run away, and must do so all the time.

You can't compare the two - they are only remotely alike - in that they both use microprocessors.

The thought of being forever known as "Prius Boy" should be deterrent enough for lying. Just ask Runaway Jim from San Diego if it's worth it.

People its the computers. "Skynet" is taking over.

I don't know which is more embarrassing...not being able to stop a Prius or actually admitting to owning one

Americans will believe any piece of garbage!!! You can't even see what the guy is doing on this stupid video.

I don't think it would have been a wide idea to shift to 'Neutral' while the car was travelling at that speed. The car would then have started 'rolling' on 4 wheels without any traction and the driver would have lost control. Breaking a free rolling vehicle at that speed would have been extremely dangerous, I think.

The last 2 hours have been informative in discovering the operation of the Toyota braking system.    The Toyota uses mechanical, electrical, electronic and hydraulic systems to stop the vehicle.   Not a simple hydraulic system that some people are familiar with.   There seems to be a fair amount of feedback to the processor as to current status but it is unclear if every part of the mechanical, electrical and hydraulic system is monitored.  It is doubtful, as this would require a vast number of sensors.

Many things are monitored during normal operation and it sounds like it works fine a vast majority of the time. 

Intermittent problems can be very difficult to find and due to the shear complexity of this system there are bound to be breakdowns in any one or more of the systems.   If these breakdowns occur at a critical point then of course accidents can happen.  These could consist of mechanical ( a bolt binding or breaking ), electrical ( a solenoid sticking ), electronic ( false signal from sensor ) or hydraulic system problems.( a check valve not seating ) 

Sure these processors are basic but it is not uncommon for machinery processors to come up with glitches or bad code.  It’s very difficult to account for all the possible scenarios that might come up in the real world.  One bit in the wrong place is all it takes. 

Don’t ASSUME anything about what has transpired so far in this continuing saga.   Get educated!  Learn how things work!  Believe me, the rest of the world is learning!

bhnkm

I'm wondering if the Prius has an actual electric system "off" switch and an actual mechanical transmission "neutral" linkage. From the video, it appears to me that the answer is no. Rather, the "off" switch and the "neutral" switch are instead input signals to the car's computer system. In this case, if the car's computer goes bonkers (which is a probable scenario) then trying to turn if off or go to neutral would have no effect. And indeed, stopping then might become a big problem.

This video didn't prove a thing to me because it was using a Prius with a properly functioning computer.