I’m sure that by now most everyone has heard about James Sikesand his runaway Prius.  If not, the shorter version of the story goes like this:

On Monday, March 8, James Sikes, 61, of San Diego, California, was driving his 2008 Toyota Prius when he called 911 operators to report that the Prius was traveling at a high rate of speed (over 90 mph), the accelerator pedal had become stuck, and that the car was out of control.  Sikes reported to the operator that he was unable to stop the car, even after the 911 operator advised him repeatedly to shift the car into neutral and turn off the power button.

Eventually, a California Highway Patrol officer intercepted the Prius and told Sikes to press firmly on the brakes, apply the emergency brake and turn off the car.  This worked and the Prius finally came to a stop.

Now that you’re up to speed on the story, here’s the update:

Sikes has recently found himself embroiled in even more controversy after it was discovered that he filed bankruptcy in 2008, with more than $700,000 in debts, and owing approximately $19,000 on his Prius, as well as what the media describes as various other questionable acts.  This of course, seems to raise even more speculation, specifically surrounding Sikes’ credibility.  

Toyota launched a two day investigation into the runaway Prius on March 10 and March 11, and while they announced the report is still to be completed, Toyota engineers who investigated the situation found “strong indications that the driver’s account of the event is inconsistent with the findings of the preliminary analysis.”

In other words, investigators have so far been unable to recreate what caused the Prius to go out of control and careen down a Southern California freeway at speeds of over 90 mph.

According to the most recent report, Toyota engineers employed data download/analysis, static and dynamic testing as well as a thorough inspection of all relative components, and they also retraced the reported driving route, taking into account the time of the drive and Sikes’ 911 recording. 

According to Toyota, the investigation has revealed a few inconsistencies in regard to Sikes’ version of events, among them:

* The push-button power switch worked normally and shut the vehicle off when depressed for 3 seconds as the 911 operator advised Mr. Sikes to do.

* The shift lever also worked normally and neutral could be selected.

* The front brakes showed severe wear and damage from overheating. The rear brakes and parking brake were in good condition and functional.

*The accelerator pedal was tested and found to be working normally with no mechanical binding or friction.

*A carpeted floor mat of the correct type for the vehicle was installed but not secured to the retention hooks, therefore it was found not to be interfering or even touching the accelerator pedal.

* There were no diagnostic trouble codes found in the power management computer, nor was the dashboard malfunction indicator light activated. The hybrid self-diagnostic system did show evidence of numerous, rapidly repeated on-and-off applications of both the accelerator and the brake pedals.

During testing of the Prius, the brakes were purposely abused by continuous light application in order to overheat them, however the vehicle could be safely stopped by means of the brake pedal, even when overheated.  The investigation has led Toyota engineers to believe that it would be very difficult for the Prius to be driven at a continuous high speed with more than light brake-pedal pressure, and that the assertion that the vehicle could not be stopped with the brakes is fundamentally inconsistent with basic vehicle design and the investigation observations.

It should be noted that NHTSA investigators were also present during Toyota’s examination, and the NHTSA are conducting their own investigation.

So what really happened when Mr. Sikes and his Prius went for a spin?  The mystery continues, or perhaps we’ll never know.  Any thoughts?

photo courtesy: AP

Tags: Automobile Safety, General, Toyota // Add Comment »