Quote:
Originally Posted by efusco
Yea.... Here's what's happening (I think)....
1)He wants to increase his casual speed from 85mph to a more chippy 90mph.
2)He taps the CC lever a couple times
3)He doesn't notice his speed increase much immediately.
4)He impatiently taps it up about 10 more times...then 5 times more.
5)Suddenly the car goes into WOT mode to increase his speed.
6)He gets a little nervous when the speed exceeds his target of 90mph...well he tapped it to go up to 100mph, the car is still accelerating,
7)He taps down a few times, but the number of "up" taps still exceeds the number of "down" taps so the car continues to accelerate.
8)He frantically taps down several more times finally exceeding his up-tap threshold...eventually acceleration stops, and a bit of deceleration begins.

Not a software glitch, an operator error.

Thank you Efusco, I think you hit the nail there, that's exactly what I thought when I read his experiment description.

This guy seriously needs to read the Prius user manual, and stop complaining to the press about some error that only exists on his head.

The sad part is that instead of trying to understand what happens, most people immediately jump on Toyota and on the Prius. Just because it's Wozzy speaking... for crying out loud, it seems the guy just wants to get in to the news...

Let me just add some more tech info: At least in the European 3G Prius the stalk increases/decreases at different steps as it is on CC or on ACC mode.

If we're on normal CC mode (constant speed) then each nudge will alter target speed by about 1 MPH, but if we are on ACC mode (radar on) each nudge will alter target speed by 5 km/h.

If we are on Adaptive Cruise Control mode and we keep the lever up for about 2 or 3 seconds the target speed can increase over 30 km/h or more quite fast. I'm betting the guy was on ACC mode and kept the lever up for some time, not just nudged it... just guessing...

I'm also not happy that he made silly claims, for someone who claims to be such an intelligent man:

"it's so wrong and so out of your normal control"

"It's scary because you don't think of things like putting the car in neutral when this happens"

"I am sure you can't turn the car off with the keyless power button, the only option on this model."

"Braking does disable this scary cruise control effect. It is a natural response, so the problem is mitigated a great deal"

Which one is it Mr. S.W.? Was the car "out of your normal control" or was just as easy as "Braking does disable this scary cruise control effect"???

Reminds me of the RTFM joke... just RTFM Mr. S.W., just RTFM... who's paying for this anyway?

No-show Akio leaves recall matters to Toyota lieutenants
by Hans Greimel

TOKYO -- It has been an inauspicious start for Akio Toyoda, who took over last summer as president of the world’s largest automaker.

Toyota Motor Corp. is battling its biggest quality crisis ever and is reeling from recalls of more than 8 million cars on three continents. If there was ever a time to lead, this is it. But Akio has so far been a no-show.

The grandson of the company’s founder has largely skirted the recall fiasco in public. In October he made a brief apology after four people were killed in a runaway Lexus near San Diego.

But since then, he has continued to lie low -- even as the recalls exploded in scope last month.

His only recent public comment was captured by an intrepid Japanese TV crew that cornered the reclusive scion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In the video clip, a somewhat flustered-looking Toyoda again apologized.

“We're extremely sorry to have made customers uneasy,” Toyoda said told reporters from Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK. “We plan to establish the facts and give an explanation that will remove customers' concerns as soon as possible.”

In a country used to executives bowing for forgiveness at press conferences, it was a departure.

In the United States, Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales, made the first public overture. He explained the recall fix and, in a solemn video clip, apologized to the company’s customers.

Toyoda missed a great opportunity to express his own personal concern the next day.

The company had arranged a Feb. 2 press conference at its Nagoya offices to address the recalls for the first time in Japan. To the surprise of many reporters, it was not Toyoda who met them, but a top lieutenant: Shinichi Sasaki, executive vice president in charge of quality.

Sasaki said he was given a “free hand” to handle recall matters. And when asked why the president was not in attendance, Sasaki replied he was handling the press on behalf of his boss.

Toyoda’s low profile contrasts with the media offensive staged by Ford Motor Co. CEO Jacques Nasser during the Ford-Firestone recall incident a decade ago. Even William Clay Ford Jr. came out and said: “It hurts to see a family name and a family heritage tarnished so badly.”

Toyoda might take a few pointers. After all, it’s his name on the cars.

During his first appearance after taking the helm last June, Toyoda said his new management team felt like it was “setting sail during a storm.” Now it is time to show who’s captain.