Feds to Probe Cause of Runaway Calif. Prius

[MegaNick5678]

This is clearly a hoax! The guy was on the phone with the 911 operator and when she asked him if he had tried to place the vehicle in neutral, he said "I'm trying to control the vehicle ma'am." Which is clear to me that he never placed the vehicle in neutral. He was holding the brake down with one foot and the gas pedal down with the other foot. When investigators questioned him, he lawyered up. Yet the media never addressed this clear case of fraud publicly.

[monst3rtony]

guy is an idiot

[Kevbox2008]

The cops are saying the guy is full of it. I think he did it to either get money or get a new car.

[datzfast]

i dont think this guy could even get laid lol

hope he sees my comment

[junkie4vids]

The Federal Government, owner of struggling GM, will investigate the validity of Sikes claim about his Toyota Prius? Anybody else see a set-up here? This is a classic rubber stamp situation. GM...ummm...I mean the government...will conclude that James Sikes was "victimized by severe electro-mechanical failure of another negligently designed Toyota vehicle". Sikes will get his under-the-table pay off and hide behind his lawyer, hoping it all goes away in a few months.

Sikes. Watch him.

[MrSALTILLO1234]

This Fat Guy is lying,,,he's behind in the car payments,,filed bankruptcy 2008, and owes thousands of dollars in credit!!!

Get to work,,,Fat man!!!!!!

[ksquarex]

Say what you want... I'm still loving my Toyota Sequoia. All these bullshit about Toyota are political. America is just playing dirty to get Detroit on top again. People like this lunatic Sikes really gets into an accident and die.

[lepei77]

if you shoot it with a 50 cal a couple of times going 94mph i think that would stop the engine

[Distraughtman]

Guy's an idiot trying to jump on the Toyota-Hate bandwagon. They couldn't replicate the incident in hundreds of trials. Just a guy looking for a hand out, and a hand out he'll surely get. If this REALLY happened, putting the car into neutral would've red-lined and probably blown the engine, but it's better than dying. Not putting it in neutral, well you see what happened. Again an idiot playing off the public hysteria. Note: 2008 Prius

[georgianborat]

Prius

What does a Toyota Prius sound like when it drives by?

IIII'mmmm gay

What does a Toyota Prius sound like when it idles?

Homo Homo Homo

- Jeff Dunham

[emenentia]

Toyotas are great... I like their Tacomas :)

[JosueAg73]

I dont believe this guy's story... They should check his bank account...

[starznstrips]

DEATH CABS!!!!!

[Doggieman1111]

The dude refused to put the car into neutral when instructed to. It's a scam.

[jigrhaeg]

@Doggieman1111

What is funny, the cop believed him. lol

[56BUICKRiviera]

No duh.

[karlos109]

What I'm saying is that since the gas pedal, ignition, and transmission controls are all electronic, a software or computer failure may cause you to lose control. I'm sure that under normal circumstances you can stop the car by putting it on neutral, turning it off, or pressing on the brake. I guess we'll have to wait until the government finishes their investigation to see what is really causing this issue.

[jackzzzification]

Operator: you die yet?

[TruongTrieu]

this guy gonna be rich like balloon dad when he get out of jail

[shakyl008]

Why don't we ever get the Toyota side of the story?

[cyanzone]

unsafe at any speed - prius version.

[Doggieman1111]

I think it's a scam. He refused to shift into neutral despite being told by the cop and 911. That's the quickest way to end this sort of problem, if there really is one.

[zzd2009]

Even the cop smell the smoke of the brake. Put it into neutral doesn't help in this case. People have limit car knowledge like Doggieman1111 should not allow to drive.

[Doggieman1111]

you're a moron. How would putting the car into neutral not have helped?

[gotgame998]

It would of if his brain was working. I mean really, he probably has driven that fast on a CA freeway just to change lanes. Shift to neutral saves lives. :)

If he would have put the car into neutral before burning his brakes to nothing would have been the correct method.

[emenentia]

@zzd2009 How does not putting it into neutral not help the problem???

PUT IN NEUTRAL.... CUT MECHANICAL POWER TO THE WHEELS! Simple as that.

zzd2009... what the hell do you drive?

[hellriser112]

Its all staged by Government and GM, They want to blackmail Toyota!

This shitface is an agent working for them see his eyes.

[CRISTO359]

another "balloon boy dad". but this idiot is dangerous, he risked other peoples lives for a few minutes of fame and the tv show.

if they don't prosecute him like a common high speed chase driver, i will loose all faith in the legal system.

[Slavestorms]

Problem-reaction-solution

Tell lie vision says Toyota is dangerous

Some People say Toyota Sucks

Bomb Japan, again. Stop trading with them, again, break them, again, throw up a blockade, again, starve them to death and drive them into chaos so they will strike out & we can nuke them, again

Destroy their economy so we can bring in a military dictatorship, again.

Don't buy imports, buy from GM, Government Motors

Demand that they never produce dangerous Electric cars so this won't happen again

[hellriser112]

its fake staged by government and GM + Ford to blackmail Toyota!

I own a Prius 2004 and by far its the best car i ever had! Smooth relaible and low fuel consumption!!

[bluestarkad17]

if that makes u feel better...believe that

[karlos109]

This car does not have a standard ignition. You have to insert the key into a slot and press a button to turn it on or off, so there's no way to simply "turn the ignition off". The transmission stick is like a joystick it is not mechanically linked to the transmission. So when this issue happens, you can only do one thing, PRAY LIKE HELL!!!

[bboucharde]

karlos109,

So, you are saying that the ignition/motor of a Prius cannot be switched off by the driver at any time? That once you turn on a Prius ignition system, it cannot be shut down? That if you remove the ignition key, the engine/motor will keep running? Please explain. Also, a Toyota line mechanic swore to me that if you move the tranny stick to neutral, it "will stay there." Please explain if he is wrong, and if so, cite your source, please. Thank you.

BB

[johnsmithy12345]

@bboucharde There is so much hype and misinformation out there.  The prius can be shut off just like any other vehicle with push button start. You have to hold it for 3 seconds though. Tapping it wont do anything. And yes, the transmission can be put into neutral at any time. You'll have to move the selector to the left (neutral) and hold it there for about a second. I know this because i own a 2007 prius and i've done my own testing to debunk what people are saying.

[coupespace]

This guy is cheating!

Just consider the low level of driving noises while he was asked by the operator "is this a Prius?"

Who ever drove a Prius Gen2 at high speeds in comparable topographics knows how noisy this car would be. The engine's would produce high revs, not only high but also quite noisy. But what I hear in this phone call sounds to me more like low revs.

[GeminiAzules]

I wish the govt would pay me to drive a Prius so they could have more evidence against Toyota.... Oh wait that would not be ethical..

What is this guy getting I wonder?

[jigrhaeg]

Why the brake? why not neutral? something fishy and it stinks bad!

This guy is a liar and officer Todd should be off patrol and have a desk job.

[GeminiAzules]

@jigrhaeg the Prius doesn't come with neutral

[jigrhaeg]

Perfect car to buy!

If I am speeding down the highway and I get caught, I will tell the officer I have a runaway car. LOL

[AaronBenjBrown]

If this is for real,it would seem that the electric motor is somehow running away, preventing the car from being shut off and the transmission from being disengaged, which seems almost impossible from a functional design standpoint. With a gasoline engine you kill the ignition, and the car is going to stop, but with an electric motor with multiple power connections, I suppose it's at least possible, but it would constitute a major design flaw in a hybrid vehicle.

[bboucharde]

AaronBenjBrown,

I asked an experienced Toyota line mechanic about this, and he said that there are three systems that would bring this car into control: (1) The brake over-ride system; (2) The transmission control lever, which will go into neutral and stay there; and (3) The ignition switch. I want someone to prove to me that all three of these systems failed on this man's Prius. This seems incredible---There is something fishy behind this entire media campaign---Shorting Toyota stock?

[bambizzoozled]

Put it in neutral JACKASS!

[AaronBenjBrown]

I agree, I was a mechanic for many years, and when machines fail they leave evidence, mechanical evidence, evidence in the electrical system, evidence in the computer. You can't have a series of similar failures without them leaving a trail for the technicians to see. So far no one has found anything, that's not only implausible it's impossible. Toyota has the most advanced labs in the industry and the resources to back them up, if they can't reproduce it, no one can.

[Leonnidik]

Take them to their homeland, it's where they belong. The ugliest cars in automotive creation.

[exgod111]

im giving this guy the benefit of the doubt for now. but from a previous report it said that after he was stopped "somehow" he was now able to shut off his car (with a push start button) after not previously being able to, when he came to a stop

and also after he was stopped the accelerator was in a resting position, not stuck

in the back of my mind i think he just wanted a new car, and thought if his car was broken because of this problem. he thought he could get a free car out the deal

[Juntahh]

i need a car give me one of those death traps im used to it.

give em away!

give em away!

[torzidotwisted]

for real... i need one too

[bl0000000000]

Something about him seems kinda fishy :/

[7universes]

CIA propaganda to curb Toyota and boost GM

[12GaugeLosAngeles]

Toyota DOES have a brake acceleration problem... but i call BS on tise guys story. He was HYPER after and was miraculously close to a cop, went from 70 to 50 and did it for show to try to sue like a poor bitch. Toyotas need fixing, but this guys brakes were worn out... he was hitting the gas and braking... no other report like that has come out, sorry bitch... your going to jail for this, remember ballon boy? Jail bitch...

[POWEREDBYDEESNUTS]

its about time Toyota goes down, Bering bake GM

[7universes]

It's the dumb ass's fault he didn't take his car in immediately after the recall..

Or is this the gov plan to curb Toyota sales.

[xxxFaustusxxx]

=[ I have a Toyota