Unintended acceleration reports for Prius and NOW....ES 350

As of late, the Toyota Prius has been generating complaints of unintended acceleration. First reported a year ago, several Prius owners have complained that the car will accelerate or lunge forward with no input from the driver. Toyota service technicians have dismissed the claim as a flaw in vehicle's computer system, electronic controls or software program and put the blame on driver error or a floor mat jamming the accelerator.

But it looks as though Toyota's unexpected acceleration problem extends beyond just the Prius model. According to the Detroit Free Press, federal regulators have stepped up an investigation into 98,454 Lexus ES 350 sedans after receiving 40 reports of unintentional acceleration, including 8 accidents, 12 injuries and several cases in which cars only stopped after an accident. Just like with the Prius accidents, Toyota told officials that the incidents were caused by loose floor mats and contends that it dealt with the flaw through a mailing to customers earlier this year.
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w209w114 - 8/16/2007 9:19:38 AM

+3 Boost

Like I said earlier "As we speak, Toyota is currently working with thousands of experts to cover up this story and secretly recall the vehicles just in time to be named top pick in Consumer Reports" :)

BimmerFan - 8/16/2007 10:43:57 AM

0 Boost

My thoughts exactly!

aarononymous - 8/16/2007 8:47:00 PM

+1 Boost

Just getting back to this, I'm an Audi tech and one of the gusy I work with was around during those reports. He said an owner got in one of those Audi 5000s and stood on the brake and accelerator to prove the brakes were stronger than the engine. He said the car smoked the transmission, then the owner tossed the keys to a tech and told him to fix it, which he paid for.

rocker - 8/16/2007 11:35:42 AM

+3 Boost

Wouldn't any acceleration from a Prius be a good thing, whether intended or unintended?

TehShibbs - 8/16/2007 8:54:20 PM

+1 Boost

I said this in the Prius thread. Stupid people putting rubber floor mats on top of their carpet ones. Its the people's own faults, each and every one of them. There's a piece of paper on every set of floor mats I sell here saying to REMOVE CARPET MATS BEFORE INSTALLING ALL-WEATHER MATS.

Alright, that little bit of bolding should call out Houstoncutie!

TehShibbs - 8/16/2007 8:56:32 PM

+1 Boost

ZL6 is the Lexus Campaign for mailing people reminders to not stack floor mats. Lexus has also just re-designed the all-weather mats and released them 2 weeks ago I believe.