2006 Toyota Prius VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

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

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 1, 2. MOVING SLOWLY INTO PARKING SPACE AT LAUNDERLAND ([XXX]), OUR TOYOTA PRIUS 2006 LEAPED OUT OF CONTROL, THOUGH MY FOOT WAS HOVERING OVER THE BRAKE AND NOT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. IT HIT A WALL AND DAMAGED THE CAR. TWO WEEKS EARLIER, THE CAR HAD ALSO JUMPED SUDDENLY AT LOW SPEED BUT HIT NOTHING. CAR REPAIRS TO BUMPER AND UNDERLYING STRUCTURES TOTALED $3135; REPAIRS TO THE WALL TOTALED $750. (3) NOTHING WAS DONE BY TOYOTA TO INSPECT THE ACCELERATOR OR TO INSURE US THAT THE CAR WAS NOW SAFE TO DRIVE. THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING ON THE DEALER'S LOT FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO APPLY ENOUGH BRAKING PRESSURE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, WHICH ALLOWED THE CONTACT TO PARK THE VEHICLE AND SHUT IT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED TO REMOVE THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR MAT. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES IS 23000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13153. UPDATED 4/7/2010 *CN UPDATED 05/06/10.*JB

I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. SEVERAL TIMES--POSSIBLY AS MANY AS 20--OVER THE COURSE OF OWNING THE CAR IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I HAVE HAD THE FOLLOWING EXPERIENCE. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE AFTER LETTING MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR WILL HAVE A SUDDEN SURGE FORWARD--EITHER AS IF THE BREAK ISN'T WORKING OR THE ACCELERATION WAS ACTUALLY INCREASING RATHER THAN STAYING THE SAME OR DECREASING. EACH TIME IT HAS HAPPENED, THE CAR MONITOR LIGHT FOR "SLIPPERY ROAD" FLASHES ON THE DASHBOARD. I HAVE TWICE ASKED A TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT THIS. THEY SAY IT IS A COMMON FEATURE OF THE PRIUS WHEN IT SWITCHES BETWEEN THE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPONENTS OF THE ENGINE. THIS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION. IT COULD EASILY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT IF SOMEONE HAPPENS TO BE IN FRONT OF ME THE NEXT TIME IT OCCURS. THIS HAS OCCURRED EVEN AFTER I REMOVED THE DRIVER FLOOR MAT, AS RECOMMENDED BY TOYOTA. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH EITHER THE GAS PEDAL OR THE FLOOR MAT. I THINK IT'S ELECTRICAL. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 PRIUS. TWICE IN 60,000 MILES, WHEN IN CRUISE CONTROL, DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND HAVING TO BRAKE SUDDENLY, THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED, AS IT SHOULD,. I BRAKE, THE CAR SLOWS, AS IT SHOULD. THEN THE CAR STARTS TO SURGE UP TO THE ORIGINAL CRUISE CONTROL SET SPEED. I AM ABLE TO BRAKE AND STOP IT, BUT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND APPROACHING A NEAR EMERGENCY STOP SITUATION- THIS HAS SCARED ME. IT HAS ONLY HAPPENED TWICE...BUT MEMORABLE IN THE SURPRISE IT EVEN HAPPENED. I REPORTED IT TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, WHO COULDN'T RECREATE THE PROBLEM, THEN ALSO CALLED THE TOYOTA CORPORATION CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHICH SAID THEY HAD NO REPORTS OF THAT HAPPENING. *TR

BACK IN 2009, I EXPERIENCED RUNAWAY ACCELERATION IN MY 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAD BEEN ENGAGED FOR BETWEEN 5 AND 15 MINUTES. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO RACE. I WAS TRAVELING IN THE 70'S (MPH), AND IT SHOT UP TO NEARLY 100 BEFORE I GOT IT UNDER CONTROL. THE DEALER CLAIMED HE HAD NO SUCH OTHER COMPLAINTS AND COULD NOT REPLICATE MY PROBLEM. I BROUGHT IT BACK AGAIN A FEW MONTHS. LATER BECAUSE THE CRUISE CONTROL INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO SET. I BROUGHT IT BACK A THIRD TIME, AGAIN, A FEW MOS. LATER. THIS TIME, THEY HAD A FIX, WHICH WAS A NEW CRUISE CONTROL MODULE. THE FIRST 2 TRIPS WERE UNDER WARRANTY. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE ME THE 3RD TIME BECAUSE IT WAS THEN BEYOND THE 3 YEARS OF WARRANTY. I FOUGHT THIS BECAUSE THE CONDITION WAS OBVIOUSLY PRE-EXISTING. YESTERDAY, STEVE WOZNIAK RECEIVED TELEVISION AND PRESS ATTENTION WHEN HE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM, A PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA TOLD ME THEY HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THIS COMPANY IS SCAMMING THE PUBLIC. THEY ARE PLAYING WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES. IT'S GOT TO STOP. IT'S MORE THAN JUST BRAKE PEDALS AND CARPET; IT'S APPARENTLY A WAY OF LIFE FOR THIS COMPANY. (I NO LONGER HAVE THE VEHICLE. DATES AND MILEAGE ARE APPROX.) *TR

2006 PRIUS ACCELERATION WHILE UNDER CRUISE CONTROL IN CURVES - SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *TR

MY 2006 PRIUS HAS ON AT LEAST 3 OCCASIONS HAS ACCELERATED INEXPLICABLY ON AT LEAST THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TWO INCIDENTS OCCURRED DURING MY FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP AND WERE REPORTED TO THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THE MOST RECENT EVENT WAS IN DECEMBER 2009. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR BEGAN ACCELERATING RAPIDLY, EVEN AFTER I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL.. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND PULL OVER SAFELY. PLEASE NOTE THAT AT THIS TIME, I HAD ALREADY REMOVED THE FLOOR MAT AS SUGGESTED BY TOYOTA. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR, A RESPONSE THAT DID NOTHING TO REASSURE ME. I WAS TOLD IN A FOLLOW UP CALL TO THE DEALER THAT TOYOTA WOULD BE DOING NOTHING TO ASSIST WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE EXPERIENCED EXTREME ACCELERATION WHEN USING MY CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 2006 PRIUS. I HAVE NOT DETERMINED HOW FAST IT WOULD CONTINUE TO GO FOR SAFETY REASONS SO WHEN IT HAS STARTED TO ACCELERATE EXTREMELY FAST, I WOULD TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL SO AS NOT TO CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE THAT FAST. I WOULD TURN IT OFF AS SOON AS I BEGAN TO FEEL OUT OF CONTROL WITH THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED. THE FLOOR MATS WERE REMOVED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT FILED A CLAIM WITH THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT NO OTHERS COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED REGARDING THE ACCELERATION. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO ADVISED HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER PERFORMED ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 4/13/10 *CN UPDATED 06/25/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WENT DOWN TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED. HE ENGAGED THE BRAKE PEDAL, TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN RESTARTED IT WHICH SEEMED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS FAILURE WAS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD GET BACK WITH HIM WHEN THEY WERE READY TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 104,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. HE STATED THAT HE WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN HE HIT THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WITHOUT A WARNING WHILE STILL HAVING HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 15 TIMES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET SINCE THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60000. UPDATED 03/09/10. *LJ UPDATED 05/13/10.*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. AT LOW SPEED BRAKE APPLICATION, THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. CONSEQUENTLY SHE STRUCK A DITCH AT 70 MPH. SHE SUFFERED A BROKEN HAND AND A CONCUSSION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43000.

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA PRUIS. I EXPERIENCED TWO DIFFERENT TIMES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. I CAN'T TELL EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE TIME. I HIT THE BRAKE & SHUT OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL. ENGINE RETURNED BACK TO NORMAL. I WOULD GUESS IT WOULD PERTAIN TO SOME MALFUNCTION IN THE CRUISE. ANY OTHER SAME COMPLAINTS? *TR

I HAVE A 2007 PRIUS AND I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION 3 TIMES. I READ THAT IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE A CASE OF THE GAS PEDAL BEING CAUGHT ON THE FLOOR MATS. I TOOK OUT THE CARPET MAT AND I CURRENTLY HAVE ONLY THE PLASTIC ALL WEATHER MAT (I TOOK OUT THE CARPET MAT) WHICH IS SECURED WITH THE TWO PLASTIC HOOKS. MY DAUGHTER GETS HER DRIVERS LICENSE NEXT MONDAY AND I WAS GOING TO HAVE HER DRIVE THE PRIUS. I'M AFRAID TO HAVE HER DRIVE IT NOW. ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM IS JUST THE FLOOR MATS AND THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS? BECAUSE IF IT IS JUST THE MAT ISSUE THEN I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THAT. IF IT COULD BE ELECTRIC THAN I WON'T LET HER DRIVE IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE BRAKE PEDAL REQUIRED GREATER FORCE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE STOPPING DISTANCE WAS INCREASED. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS AND THE FAILURES OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURES. ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR IDENTICAL FAILURES, BUT THERE WERE NO RESOLUTIONS. THE MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETECT THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,000. UPDATED 08/21/09. *LJ UPDATED 08/26/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CONTACT PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE AND NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE ENGAGED BEFORE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT WAS STILL DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO TAKE OFF. HE HAD TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,700 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,720.

REGARDING THE PROBLEM WITH TOYOTAS. I BOUGHT A 2006 PRIUS EARLIER THIS YEAR. WHAT I HAVE NOTICED PERIODICALLY IS THAT WHEN I STEP ON THE BRAKE IF I HAVE HAD CRUISE CONTROL ON, THE CAR SURGES FORWARD FOR A SECOND. MY HEART ALWAYS SKIPS A BEAT, BUT THEN THE CAR RETURNS TO NORMAL. I'M WONDERING IF THE CRUISE CONTROL MIGHT BE PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA IS SUPPOSEDLY LOOKING IN TO. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS PURCHASED FEBRUARY 2006. WHEN UTILIZING THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH, THE ENGINE WOULD BEGIN TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY AND RACE. ONCE THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS CANCELED, THE ACCELERATION WOULD CEASE. HE STATED THE FLOOR MATS DID NOT CAUSE RAPID ACCELERATION. THE FAILURE WOULD ONLY OCCUR WHEN CRUISE CONTROL WAS UTILIZED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, AND HE WAS ADVISED TO DISCONTINUE USAGE OF THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. NO REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 15,000. UPDATED 11/23/09. *LJ UPDATED 11/24/09

CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES SO HARD THAT THEY WERE LEFT SMOKING TO STOP THE CAR. TOWED IT TO MARK MILLER TOYOTA. THEY RAN TESTS, AND CLAIM THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE WERE APPLIED AT THE SAME TIME, IMPLYING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS HUMAN CAUSED. WE DISAGREE. HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 30 YEARS PLUS. NO TICKETS IN DECADES. THE IDEA THAT WE WERE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR WHILE BRAKING HARD IS LUDICROUS. THE COMPUTER REGISTERED THAT THE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE PEDAL, BUT THE COMPUTER APPLIED THE PRESSURE. WE ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS OCCURRING ON AT LEAST TWO OTHER OCCASIONS. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT HAS A 2006 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH A CURRENT ODOMETER READING OF 25,000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGED ONCE IT HAD BEEN ACTIVATED. UNDER NORMAL DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS WHEN USING THE CRUISE CONTROL AT ABOUT 65 MPH, AND TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, IT TOOK AT LEAST HALF A MILE BEFORE THE BRAKES WOULD DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE CONTROL. AFTER THIS INCIDENT THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH,MERGING WITH HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, THE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP TO 90 MPH EVEN WHEN PRESSURE WAS TAKEN OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKES, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT DISENGAGE. WITH CONTINUED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE AT AN ALARMING RATE. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. UPON INSPECTION, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STILL AGAINST THE FLOORBOARD. AFTER TAPPING THE ACCELERATOR A FEW TIMES WITH A FOOT, THE PEDAL RETURNED TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME. THE SERVICE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT THE CONTACT TRY TO REPRODUCE THE OCCURRENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. UPDATED 8/14/2006 - *NM