# Prius acceleration- not from a mat! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** acceleration, prius, toyota\ **Created:** [February 2, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687 "2010-02-02T04:21:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dsears3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@dsears3](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dsears3)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/1 "2010-02-02T04:21:11Z")
I have a 2006 Prius, 60,000 miles on it. Love it. BUT twice in the past 4 years, the car has surged forward when I am at highway speeds. I was able to get the car under control quickly by braking. Neither time was caused by a stuck mat. What I do remember is that I was using Cruise Control, hit the brakes when I saw traffic slowing ahead, assuming that should disengage the Cruise Control. It did for a second or two, then all of a sudden, it started to surge ahead to meet the original cruise control speed. I sort of forgot the two incidents…and am sort of waiting to hear if anyone else reports a surge problem of this nature. Anyone have this problem? Alkso- does anyone have problems getting a Prius into Neutral quickly. I know whenever I’m at a car wash it takes a few tries to get the shift knob to ‘find’ Neutral…which means it’ll be a helluva time finding it while going highway speeds in the case of an accelerator surge thast I can’t get under control by braking. ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/2 "2010-02-02T05:47:07Z")
Have the cruise control checked out, or don’t use it. The brake switch might be out of adjustment (which the cruise control uses the signal from to turn the cruise control off, normally). To put the gear shift into neutral, just push forward on the lever. You don’t even have to look at it. It won’t go past neutral into reverse (unless, you force it.) Try it, with the engine off, first. See? ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 7:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/3 "2010-02-02T07:06:08Z")
Malfunctioning cruise control is all over the place. It still should be checked as stated above. ---
**Author:** ![dsears3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@dsears3](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dsears3)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/4 "2010-02-02T18:35:47Z")
Thanks. I brought it to my Toyota dealer well over a year ago, but they only said: “Since we can’t recreate the problem, we can’t fix it.” They noted on the receipt that I reported it, which means it’s on their computer system. I also called Toyota Corporation Customer Service back then to report it, just to cover myself. Haven’t heard a thing except for the general recall because of the Mat problem. As for finding Neutral, the shift has a strange sensitivity with that gear. I have to lightly touch it up and down a few times before it finds Neutral. I’ll practice at the Car Wash :), but hopefully if I have an emergency surge, I’ll be real attuned to making sure I get it into “N” ASAP! ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/5 "2010-02-02T18:45:50Z")
You’re in very good company on this. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak seems to have the same issue. > **[Wozniak cites 'scary' Prius acceleration problem](https://www.cnet.com/news/wozniak-cites-scary-prius-acceleration-problem/)** > > More problems may be lurking for Toyota, if comments made by Apple's co-founder about his 2010 Prius are any indication. > **[Woz Cites](https://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/02/02/1458230/Woz-Cites-Scary-Prius-Acceleration-Software-Problem?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%29)** > > theodp writes "Speaking at Discovery Forum 2010, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak went off topic and spoke about a 'very scary' problem with his 2010 Toyota Prius. 'I don't get upset and teed off at things in life, except computers that don't work... ---
**Author:** ![teresag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/fbc32d/32.png) [@teresag](https://community.cartalk.com/u/teresag)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/6 "2010-02-02T22:06:44Z")
Not from a mat - no kidding! I think that is a lame rationale, and I’m just waiting for the truth to eventually come out. The mat is quite secure in its place with the type of “long and low” hook attachment in my '08 Prius. I drove a Nissan for 11 years with a poor system that allowed the mat to slip a great deal, so I know the difference. As for cruise control, I’ve had no trouble, but I only have 5000 miles on it. ---
**Author:** ![dsears3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@dsears3](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dsears3)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/7 "2010-02-02T22:11:18Z")
Wow- I actually feel better…Nice to know I have prominent company. Maybe he has the clout to get through to Toyota. I agree it’s a computer problem, not mechanical. But I am not scared, I still love my Prius. Those crying into 24/7 news cameras that they are too scared to drive their Toyota’s even thought they’ve driven 1000s of miles without a problem…maybe they should hang up their cell phones, stop texting and pay attention to their driving. I still think Toyota has many less defects than 98% of all cars out there…but they have to cover their butts just like EVERY other company caught in a major problem…trying to save their reps and bottom line. It’s what they do now, when they can’t blame a mat. I wonder how I can get a message to John Hanson (quoted as “national manager environmental safety and quality communications at Toyota.” who stated “After many years of exhaustive testing we have not found any evidence of an electronic [software] problem that would have led to unwanted acceleration.” to tell him it’s not just Woz. ---
**Author:** ![MikeM95831](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@MikeM95831](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeM95831)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/8 "2010-02-03T00:17:12Z")
We also have a “new to us” 2004 Prius, and so far, we’re very happy. Remember, so far, the official stat is that 1 in 50,000 Toyotas has been affected by this problem. 40% of sudden acceleration problems come from Toyotas. Less-publicized is that 28% of cars with sudden acceleration are Fords. It’ll be interesting to see how Ford handles this problem, once the media finally notices. Although we haven’t had this problem, I don’t have faith in the solution Toyota has implemented. I think it’s somewhere else in their drive-by-wire system. Could be software; could be some piece of hardware. I just don’t know, because I’m speculating. What’s scariest to me is that many drivers don’t know how to turn their Toyotas off while the car is in motion. That’s what happened with the CHP-employee and their family; they simply couldn’t turn it off. Do you know how on yours? The Socal case was a Lexus, and I think you have to hold down the power button for 3 seconds to turn the car off. 3 seconds at 95mph is enough to kill a lot of people, even if you know what you’re doing; it shouldn’t take 3 seconds to turn a car off. > **[Toyota's runaway-car worries may not stop at floor mats](http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/18/business/fi-toyota-recall18)** > > The 2009 Lexus ES 350 shot through suburban San Diego like a runaway missile, weaving at 120 miles an hour through rush hour freeway traffic as flames flashed from under the car.At the wheel,... ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/9 "2010-02-03T01:07:27Z")
“What’s scariest to me is that many drivers don’t know how to turn their Toyotas off while the car is in motion. That’s what happened with the CHP-employee and their family; they simply couldn’t turn it off. Do you know how on yours? The Socal case was a Lexus, and I think you have to hold down the power button for 3 seconds to turn the car off. 3 seconds at 95mph is enough to kill a lot of people, even if you know what you’re doing; it shouldn’t take 3 seconds to turn a car off.” Turning the power off scares me. How will the driver steer if the steering column is locked? I think it’s safer to brake continuously and hard, put the car in neutral, steer to the shoulder, and turn the engine off after stopping. ---
**Author:** ![MikeM95831](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@MikeM95831](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeM95831)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/prius-acceleration-not-from-a-mat/43687/10 "2010-02-03T16:31:31Z")
On the face of it, you are correct. In fact, that’s just what the driver of the car, who was a CHP officer, tried. The brakes burned out. He had to turn the car off, and couldn’t figure out how to do so. That’s really the point I was trying to make. You have to hold that power-button for 3 seconds, which I think isn’t a good “feature.”