Archive for the ‘Prius’ tag

The car in front ? is a Toyota stuck at 94mph (Guardian)

‘I stayed on the brakes as long as I could, until finally they started smelling really bad’James Sikes was having an uneventful drive home along a San Diego highway when things became a little more eventful. He pushed down the accelerator pedal of his 2008 Toyota Prius to overtake another car; then it did something kind of funny, he said later.What it did was to speed up. Then speed up some more. Within minutes, Sikes was hurtling down the motorway at up to 94 mph, weaving past cars and lorries as he went.It jumped and it just stuck there, Sikes said later of the accelerator pedal. As it was going, I was trying the brakes ? It wasn’t stopping.First he stood on the brakes with all his might, but the car just kept on speeding up. Then he tried driving with his left hand and leaning down with his right to pull the accelerator up and adjust the floor mat, which has caused problems in other Toyota models.I stayed on the brakes as long as I could, until finally they started smelling really bad, he said.Sikes called 911 and a police car was dispatched to ride alongside him. I could tell he was physically trying to brake and the vehicle was barely slowing down, said patrol officer Todd Neibert. And then I noticed it would accelerate again and we were up to 90 mph.Neibert knew they had trouble ahead: they were approaching a steep downhill stretch that could be treacherous at such speeds.Using his loudspeaker, the officer took Sikes through an emergency braking procedure that slowed the Prius down to about 50 mph, allowing the driver to cut off the engine and draw slowly to a halt some 20 minutes and 30 miles after the ordeal began.Sikes, 61, appeared not to have relished the chance to play the Sandra Bullock role in the film Speed. I won’t drive that car again, period, he said.ToyotaAutomotive industryUnited StatesEd Pilkingtonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

2004-2008 Toyota Prius Recall Will Reshape Accelerator Pedal

Owners of Toyota’s iconic Prius hybrid model who thought they’d escaped the rash of Toyota recalls need to think again. The company is working on a fix to reshape accelerator pedals so that they cannot be trapped by floor mats, and will issue details within weeks. The upcoming recall took center stage after a widely publicized incident in San…

Toyota FT-CH Concept

Prius Gets a New Buddy

First Look: Ferrari 599 HY-KERS Hybrid Concept

First Look: Ferrari 599 HY-KERS Hybrid Concept

Hybridization or electrification of the Prancing Horse lineup is inevitable.

Ferrari’s HY-KERS concept, shown at the 2010 Geneva auto show, is a bit tough to swallow. The world’s most iconic sports car marque, known for screaming V-8s and V-12s, is playing around with the gas-electric technology epitomized by the Toyota Prius. Yet it gets even more dramatic than a hybrid concept. Eventually – maybe ten years from now – all Ferrari’s will be saddled with batteries and an electric motor. Hybridization or electrification of the Prancing Horse lineup is inevitable.inline_mediumwraptextright28251037/green/news/1002_2010_ferrari_599_hy_kers_hybrid_concept1003_01_z+2010_ferrari_599_hY-KERS_hybrid_concept+top_view.jpgTrue

Photo Gallery: 2010 Ferrari 599 HY-KERS Hybrid Concept – 2010 Geneva Auto Show Coverage, New Car Reviews, Concept Cars – Automobile Magazine

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Frugal Shopper: For Happiness, Don’t Sweat The Numbers

Consumer Reports, as part of this week’s torrent of announcements from its Annual Auto Issue, named the 2010 Honda Fit and 2010 Toyota Prius the best new-car values of the year. While it so happens we like both of those models very much (and appreciate the Prius’ 51-mpg rating), they definitely wouldn’t fit every shopper—not even every shopper…

2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid

2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Camry Hybrid is the most unobtrusive of hybrid vehicles.

As opposed to the Prius, which with its distinctive profile fairly screams its eco-friendliness to passersby, the Camry Hybrid is the most unobtrusive of hybrid vehicles. Disguised as a run-of-the-mill combustion-engined Camry, the only outward indication that there is a hybrid powertrain lurking under the skin is a small Hybrid Synergy Drive badge.inline_mediumwraptextright28167016/green/reviews/1002_2010_toyota_camry_hybrid1002_05_z+2010_toyota_camry_hybrid+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Photo Gallery: 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid – Toyota Hybrid Sedan Review – Automobile Magazine

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2010 Toyota Tacoma 4WD Trucks Recalled For Driveshaft Issue

As the media din surrounding Toyota’s recall of millions of vehicles for accelerator-related issues is just fading slightly, but the recall of the iconic Prius remains in the headlines, another Toyota recall looms. According to PickupTrucks.com, Toyota is initiating a voluntary recall of some 2010 Toyota Tacoma pickup models for an issue with…

In Tokyo, Embattled Toyota Chief Faces a Nation (Time)

In his second meeting with the press in five days, Toyota Chief Akio Toyoda said yesterday that the corporation is recalling 437,000 2010 Prius and other hybrid models in Japan

‘Ashamed’ Toyota CEO Asks For A Little More Time to Fix Cars (ABC News)

With Prius brake recall, almost nine million cars need repairs.

Toyota – Toyota Prius – Japan – Automobile – United States

Toyota pulls off Jan hybrids

Toyota Motor Corp said it is recalling nearly half a million of its flagship Prius and other hybrid cars for braking problems as it seeks to address criticism over the handling of its worst safety crisis.

Toyota Corolla Being Reviewed For Potential Steering Issue

In recent weeks Toyota has managed two major acceleration-related recalls covering much of its lineup; this week it announced a braking-related recall on its iconic Prius tech flagship; and now, looking ahead, Toyota might be facing a steering issue as well on one of its best-selling vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration…

RECALL: 2010 Toyota Prius, Lexus HS250h For ABS Software Update

As expected, Toyota has announced a recall for its 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Lexus HS 250h models to update the anti-lock braking system (ABS) software. The new software improves the response time of the anti-lock system and alters its sensitivity to tire slippage. The update is intended to reduce inconsistencies in brake feel that many owners…

Toyota issues global recall to fix brake problems in hybrids:

Toyota Motor Corp. launched a global recall Tuesday of 437,000 hybrid vehicles, including its popular Prius hybrid, as the world’s No.

Toyota sued in California over Prius brakes

Toyota Motor Corp faced its first US class-action lawsuit stemming from complaints of faulty braking of its top-selling Prius hybrid model, which the automaker is to recall.

Toyota recalls Prius for brake problems

Toyota is recalling nearly 200,000 of its Prius petrol-electric cars in Japan for braking problems, the latest in a string of safety problems at the world’s largest automaker, AP has reported. The Toyota Motor Corp president Akio Toyoda will hold a news conference at the automaker’s Tokyo office later today to outline details of the braking problem, including plans for a possible recall in the US, a company official said.

Toyota issues recall for Prius to fix brake issue:

Toyota Motor Corp. launched a global recall Tuesday of 437,000 hybrid vehicles, including its popular Prius hybrid, as the world’s No.

Toyota to Recall Prius Hybrids Over ABS Software

Toyota plans to recall around 400,000 of its Prius hybrid cars to replace software that controls the antilock braking system (ABS), the auto maker said Tuesday.

nytimes: NYT NEWS ALERT: Toyota Says It Will Recall Prius in Japan Because of Braking Problems

nytimes: NYT NEWS ALERT: Toyota Says It Will Recall Prius in Japan Because of Braking Problems

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