2006 Toyota Prius Speed Control & Cruise Problems

MY CAR (06 TOYOTA PRIUS) HAD HIT A POTHOLE WHILE ON MY WAY TO CHURCH ON 11/16/17. THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND THOUGH I WAS FAR BEHIND THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME, MY BRAKE DID NOT STOP AND MY CAR WENT UNDER THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE VEHICLE WAS GOING MAYBE 5-10 MPH AS WE INCHED UP TO THE LIGHT. LOTS OF TRAFFIC, I WAS DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECKING TO SEE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND IT WAS BUT CAR WOULD NOT STOP, IN FACT IT FELT LIKE IT REVVED UP.IT WAS TERRIFYING AS I SAW MY CAR PLOW INTO ANOTHER WHEN THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO. I KNOW THE 2010 MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR THIS BUT IT HAPPENED TO ME ON MY 2006 PRIUS. NO RECALL BUT A WARRANT ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION WAS SENT TO MY RELATIVE WHO HAD A 2007 BUT I NEVER RECEIVED IT. IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BRAKES AND THE NOT STOPPING PROPERLY. TOYOTA ALSO DID A WEIRD BUY BACK THING AND WANTED MY CAR. I THINK IT IS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO HIDE THE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF HAVING A RECALL. I HAVE NEVER HAD A COMPANY TRY TO BUY BACK MY CAR. TOYOTA IS AT FAULT AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE NO ONE ELSE IS KILLED OR HURT BY THIS. IT ALSO SHOWS UP IN THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BUT AGAIN, NOT A RECALL BUT IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED! MY CAR HAD ABOUT 65K ON IT.

THE COMPUTERIZED THROTTLE CONTROL ON THE PRIUS CAN GET YOU INTO TROUBLE. A PRIUS WILL NOT REVERSE UP A STEEP DRIVEWAY. NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE WILL NOT GO ABOVE ABOUT 1000 RPM, AND THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE. NOW, IF BASED ON SOUND OF THE ENGINE, YOU PLACE THE TRANSMISSION IN FORWARD WITHOUT FIRST REMOVING FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR, THE CAR WILL ROCKET FORWARD (AND LIKELY CRASH). IT IS QUITE EASY TO DO THIS, AS THE ENGINE IS STUCK AT IDLE, THEN FURIOUSLY REVVING WITH NO CHANGE OF DRIVER INPUT. FATHER-IN-LAW, AND VARIOUS PEDESTRIANS, WERE MIRACULOUSLY UNINJURED, BUT A VERY NEAR THING INDEED.

WHILE DRIVING 20 M/H VEHICLE SUDDENLY ECCELERATED AND I HIT THE GUARD RAIL WHEN EXPERIENCING UNINTENDED ACCELERATITION

MY WIFE [XXX] HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE VICTORIAN ON MAIN ST IN SANTA MONICA ON WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 2. FROM STANDSTILL, HER 2006 PRIUS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO A VERY HIGH RATE ON ITS OWN AND THE CAR'S BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY NON-RESPONSIVE. IN THIS RELATIVELY CONFINED PARKING AREA, AFTER A FRIGHTENING PERIOD OF TRYING TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, SHE MADE A SPLIT-SECOND DECISION TO CRASH INTO A TREE AT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED IN ORDER TO AVOID STEERING THE CAR ONTO MAIN ST. AND CAUSING A MUCH MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE IMPACTED MANY PEOPLE, AUTOMOBILES AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY AND POSSIBLY RESULTED IN MULTIPLE DEATHS AND MULTIPLE SERIOUS INJURIES. SHE SUSTAINED A BROKEN FOOT. HER PASSENGER SUSTAINED BRUISING. BOTH WERE TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO ST. JOHN'S HOSPITAL. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THE 2 OCCUPANTS WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS. AS A RESULT, AND ONLY BECAUSE OF [XXX] QUICK THINKING AND POTENTIALLY SACRIFICIAL ACTION, [XXX], HER PASSENGER AND MANY OTHER NON-SUSPECTING PEOPLE ARE ALIVE TODAY. IT IS APPARENTLY WELL-ESTABLISHED THAT THE PRIUS CAN ACCELERATE IN THIS MANNER. IN THIS CASE, THE CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD APPEAR TO BE STRAIGHT FORWARD: A CAR PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AND STARTED SUDDENLY ACCELERATES ON IT'S OWN AND REFUSES TO ALLOW THE DRIVER CONTROL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SELECTOR SHIFTED FROM DRIVE (D) INTO NEUTRAL (N). THIS COULD BE TEMPORARILY CORRECTED BY MANUALLY RE-SELECTING D, BUT IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS, IT SHIFTED BACK TO N. WE DROVE BY KEEPING ONE HAND ON THE LEVER TO KEEP IT IN D. AFTER WE STOPPED, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED IN REVERSE (R) -- THE SELECTOR SHIFTED INTO N AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS. AGAIN, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE BY MAINTAINING PRESSURE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE R SELECTION. I'VE FOUND SEVERAL REFERENCES TO THIS PROBLEM ON WEBSITES. IT APPEARS TO BE SOLVED BY INSTALLING A NEW SELECTOR ASSEMBLY. *TR

I NEEDED TO WAIT FOR A SERVICE PERSON TO ARRIVE AND OPEN THE DOOR TO THEIR BUSINESS. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, WHILE GEAR WAS SET IN PARK OUTSIDE A BUILDING WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING AND RADIO ON, THE CAR SUDDENLY JUMPED AHEAD BY SEVERAL INCHES. IT STOPPED JUST AS SUDDENLY. VERY SCARY. I HAVE LEFT THE CAR IN PARK WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING A FEW MORE TIMES TO SEE IF IT WOULD DO IT AGAIN. NO REPEAT INCIDENT SO FAR. IT MOVED A SHORT DISTANCE, BUT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO HIT A CURB, PERSON, OR CONTAINER WHO/THAT WAS NEAR THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND TRYING TO PARK HER VEHICLE IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO STEEL CABLES. THE VEHICLE THEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AND CRASHED INTO THE STEEL CABLES AGAIN. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED FROM THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY FROM THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS ON CRUISE CONTROL, WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED. HE NOTICED THE SPEED HAD INCREASED FROM 72 MPH TO 74 MPH. HE RELEASED THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE ENGINE STOPPED REVVING. HE THEN SET THE CRUISE CONTROL AGAIN, AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED HE NOTICED THE LCD SCREEN HAD FROZE AND IT WAS GIVING FALSE INFORMATION. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE SOLD THE VEHICLE. *JB

AS A FOLLOW UP TO ODI 10354506 - TOYOTA PULLED THE INFORMATION OFF THE EVENT DATA RECORDER AND IT INDICATED THAT THE THROTTLE AND THE BRAKE WERE BOTH ENGAGED AT THE SAME TIME. THAT IS TRUE, BUT MY FOOT WAS ONLY ON THE BRAKE. I ONLY USE MY RIGHT FOOT TO ACCELERATE AND TO BRAKE. AS SOON AS THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING, I MOVED MY FOOT OVER TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES. IT MAKES SENSE THAT THE EVENT DATA RECORDER WOULD SHOW THE THROTTLE AND BRAKE ENGAGED AT THE SAME TIME, BUT MY FOOT WAS ONLY ON THE BRAKE. SOMETHING ELSE WAS ENGAGING THE THROTTLE, AND APPARENTLY TOYOTA HAS NO WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT COULD BE. THE DEALER, WHILE SYMPATHETIC, HAD NO FIX THAT HE COULD APPLY. *TR

AFTER EXITING AN INTERSTATE, I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. I ACCELERATED WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, TO APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. AFTER ABOUT 200 FEET, AS I APPROACHED A MERGE POINT, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS, BUT THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. I IMMEDIATELY STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, AND THE CAR SLOWED. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, AND FELT THE CAR CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. I DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER CAR IN FRONT OF ME, SO I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL BRIEFLY, AND THEN ON THE BRAKE AGAIN, AND THEN IT SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMALLY AGAIN. REMEMBERING ABOUT THE FLOOR MAT RECALL, I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED DOWN TO CHECK TO SEE IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS CLEAR OF THE MAT. IT WAS. AFTER I HAD PARKED THE CAR, I NOTICED THAT THE MAT WAS STILL SECURED IN ITS PROPER PLACE. THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ELSE THAT COULD HAVE INTERFERED WITH THE PEDAL. LATER THAT SAME DAY, I WAS DRIVING MY 13YR OLD DAUGHTER HOME FROM SCHOOL. I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN. I MADE A LEFT TURN ONTO A BUSY STREET DURING RUSH HOUR. AFTER ACCELERATING THROUGH THE TURN, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS BECAUSE THERE WERE CARS AHEAD OF ME STOPPED FOR ANOTHER LIGHT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE, WHICH WAS STIFFER THAN USUAL, AND I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE CONTINUING TO REV IN THE BACKGROUND. THE CAR SLOWED. I HAD A LITTLE SPACE IN FRONT OF ME, SO I EASED UP OFF THE BRAKE, BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. I PRESSED DOWN ON THE BRAKE AGAIN, ALL THE WHILE FEELING THE CONTINUED ACCELERATION, AND MOVED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE I BRAKED UNTIL I CAME TO A STOP. THIS WAS A TWO LANE ROAD WITH NO SHOULDER, SO I JUST MOVED OVER AS FAR AS I COULD AND PUT MY HAZARDS ON. I WAS STILL PART WAY ON THE ROAD. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, PUSHED THE ON/OFF IGNITION SWITCH, AND SHUT DOWN THE CAR. I SAT THERE FOR A FEW MINUTES, RE-STARTED THE CAR AND DROVE HOME WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. *TR

I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT A VERY LOW RATE OF SPEED (LESS THAN 5 MPH) AND THE CAR SUDDENLY SHOT FORWARD. I STOOD ON THE BRAKES AND THE CAR RESPONDED AS EXPECTED - IT STOPPED. I TURNED OFF THE POWER. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, I TURNED THE CAR ON AND IT DROVE NORMALLY. THERE WAS NO FLOOR MAT - I HAD REMOVED IT MONTHS AGO. MY FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR, EASING INTO THE PARKING SPACE AND I DIDN'T FEEL THE ACCELERATOR MOVE AT ALL. IT WAS LIKE THE CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM THE ACCELERATOR AT ALL. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER, BUT I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT NOW, AND I'M AFRAID TO TAKE MY CHILDREN ANYWHERE IN IT. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKE WHEN GOING OVER ROUGH TERRAIN OR POTHOLES, IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR SPEEDS UP MOMENTARILY BEFORE THE BRAKING KICKS IN. I HAVE TALKED TO MY DEALER ABOUT THIS, BUT HE THE MECHANIC SAYS IT IS NORMAL FOR HYBRIDS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN. THE VEHICLE THEN CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CONTINUED TO LUNGE INTO THE OTHER VEHICLE UNTIL THE ENGINE STALLED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT REPAIRS HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) SINCE THE TOYOTA RECALL OF THEIR PRIUS CARS MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT OUR SAFETY IN OUR PRIUS 2006. WE DID NOT WANT TO WAIT UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS. WE WOULD RATHER TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENS BUT WE CANNOT DO THAT BECAUSE TOYOTA DEALERS ARE NOT DOING ANY REPAIRS TO MY 2006 PRIUS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES LIED TO ME AND MAYBE TO ALL OTHER CUSTOMERS. ON 03/29/2010 I TOOK MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS TO MIKE CALVERT TOYOTA LOCATED AT 2333 S. LOOP WEST HOUSTON TX 77054 FOR REGULAR SERVICE. THEY FINISHED SERVICING MY PRIUS ABOUT 12:24:20 PM. I ASKED THE CASHIER HOW WAS TOYOTA TAKEING CARE OF THE PRIUS RECALLS. SHE ANSWERED THAT SHE DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND IF I HAD ANY QUESTIONS TO ASK MY SERVICE MEN. MY SERVICE MEN, NOEL BUTLER WAS PRESENT AND HE SAID THAT THE RECALL WAS ONLY ON PRIUS 2010. MY SERVICE MEN KEPT ON TALKING TO THE CASHIER WHILE HE WAS EXITING THE DOOR AND SAYING "HE JUST WANT TO CAPITALIZE ON THE RECALL BECAUSE HIS CAR HAS OVER 82000 MILES AND IS A PRIUS 2006. THE CASHIER AND NOEL BUTLER LIED TO ME BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT TOYOTA RECALLS. THE RECALL HAS BEEN ON THE NEWS ALL OVER THE WORLD. ON MONDAY, MAY 03 2010 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA STATING THAT "TOYOTA HAS DECIDED THAT A DEFECT WHICH RELATES TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXISTS IN 2004 THROUGH 2009 MODEL YEAR PRIUS VEHICLES." THEREFORE, NEITHER TOYOTA DEALERS NOR EMPLOYEES ARE BEING HONEST WITH THE CONSUMERS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT HONORING ANY PROMISED REPAIRS. I WILL NEVER BUY A TOYOTA BECAUSE THEY ARE A BUNCH OF LIARS. [XXX] *TR

RETURNING HOME AT 10 P.M I DROVE UP TO MY GARAGE DOOR AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN OFF THE MOTOR. INSTEAD THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD, HITTING THE DOOR WITH SOME FORCE. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. BUT INSTEAD OF STOPPING IT BACKED RAPIDLY OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, ACROSS THE ROADWAY, AND INTO MY NEIGHBOR'S CADILLAC. WHEN I PUT IT BACK IN DRIVE IT STILL MOVED RAPIDLY, THIS TIME BACK ACROSS THE ROAD AND INTO MY GARAGE, CAUSING TERRIBLE DAMAGE. THIS HAPPENED 4 DAYS AGO . NEVER BEFORE. I'M NOW WAITING FOR A SETTLEMENT SO I CAN BUY A LESS RISKY CAR. *CN

I FLOORED MY '06 PRIUS ON THE ON-RAMP TO THE PARKWAY. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AT FULL THROTTLE. I COULD SLOW THE CAR WITH THE BRAKE, BUT FELT I COULD NOT STOP IT WITHOUT SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE BRAKE OR THE DRIVE TRAIN. INSTEAD, I SLIPPED MY THE SOLE OF MY SHOE UNDER THE EDGE OF THE ACCELERATOR AND LIFTED IT UP. THE ENGINE RESPONDED NORMALLY AND THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED, ALTHOUGH I HAVE BEEN CAREFUL NOT TO FLOOR THE ACCELERATOR UNTIL I HAVE THE TOYOTA SHOP LOOK AT IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 30 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE POWER STEERING FAILED CAUSING INHIBITED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN, AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE PROCESS WOULD TAKE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY COULD PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VIN, CURRENT, AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE NOT AVAILABLE WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED.

ACCELERATOR STICKING ON A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. IT IS NOT CATCHING ON THE FLOOR MAT, WHICH IS THE RECALL FOR THAT YEAR. THE CAR HAS 89,000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM JUST STARTED IN THE PAST MONTH. I WILL START TO ACCELERATE, AND IT WILL JUST TAKE OFF WITHOUT WARNING. SO FAR, IT HAS POPPED LOOSE AND RETURNED TO NORMAL. MOST RECENT DATE IS LISTED BELOW. *TR

FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS TEMPORARILY ACCELERATES AFTER CROSSING MINOR ROAD BUMPS. I DO NOT HAVE A FLOOR MAT IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE AS TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS MODEL SEVERAL MONTHS AGO SAYING THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FLOOR MAT CAUSING ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS. THIS ACCELERATION PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF A FLOOR MAT. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 PRIUS. WHEN I DRIVE OVER A WET/ICY SPOT OR A ROAD GRATE (LIKE A METAL DRAIN) MY CAR SEEMS TO SKID AND THE ROUGH ROAD LIGHT COMES ON. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WHILE I AM BRAKING, BUT WHILE I AM ACCELERATING OR DRIVING NORMALLY. I HAVE PURCHASED BETTER TIRES, WHICH HELPS A LITTLE, BUT I STILL EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ALWAYS ASSUMED IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW AND I TRY NOT TO DRIVE MY CAR IN ANY BAD WEATHER. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED MANY RECALLS FOR SIMILAR ISSUES, BUT MY CAR DOESN'T SEEM TO BE COVERED. *TR