2001 Toyota Prius vehicle speed control problems

“THE CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING AT HIGH SPEED ON IT'S OWN IN A PARKING LOT AND RAMMED ITSELF INTO THE WALL DEPLOYING AIRBAGS. MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING AND WAS SENT TO THE E.R. SHE WAS SLOWLY BACKING UP WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED FIRST IN REVERSE HITTING A WALL AND THEN SWITCHED IN DRIVE ON IT'S OWN WITH HIGH ACCELERATION RUNNING INTO THE OPPOSITE WALL WHICH DEPLOYED THE BAGS. AFTER READING ONLINE ABOUT THESE VEHICLES, THE ACCELERATION SURGING IS A COMMON PROBLEM.”

“MY CAR IS EXPERIENCING WHAT IS KNOWN ONLLINE AS "THE BIG HAND SYNDROM". WHILE DRIVING, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CHANGES RESISTANCE AND IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE GRABS THE CAR AND IT DRAMATICALLY SLOWS. YOU THEN HAVE TO PRESS HARDER ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO MAINTAIN SPEED. WELL ONE DAY, THE CAR STOPPED WORKING, NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED ON THE PEDAL IT WOULD NO ACCELERATE. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE LOCAL AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE REPLACED THE PEDAL AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUES, AND REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AGAIN. I'M STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUSES AND THE TOYOTA DEALER SAID THERES NOTHING THEY CAN DO EXCEPT KEEP REPLACING THE PEDAL CAUSE THATS THE CODE IT IS THROWING UP. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY VEHICLE AS I CAN AND DO LOSE ACCELERATION AT ANY GIVEN TIME. IT DOESNT SEEM TO MATTER HOW FAST IM GOING OR THE DRIVING CONDITIONS. IT IS COMPLETELY RANDOM, AND CANNOT BE REPLICATED ON COMAND. THE DATE LISTED IS THE FIRST INSTANCE, AND IT HAS HAPPENED TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT OR MAKE RECORD.”

“THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHILE DRIVING 65+ MPH ON THE FREEWAY. THE CHECK HYBRID WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR BECAME DANGEROUSLY UNRESPONSIVE, LUCKILY WE WERE NEAR AN EXIT AND WERE ABLE TO COAST TO SAFETY. THE HYBRID SYSTEM WAS EXPECTING INFORMATION FROM THE ACCELERATOR, AND WHEN IT DOESN'T RECEIVE IT, EITHER THE GAS ENGINE, OR THE ELECTRIC ENGINE, OR BOTH ENGINES FAIL TO OPERATE. TOYOTA HAS SERVICE BULLETIN 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS UNKNOWN OR OTHER SERVICE BULLETIN 117006 ACTION NUMBER: 635861 SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 117006... REPORT DATE: SEP 12, 2002 COMPONENT: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.... SUMMARY: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A MASTER, HYBRID AND MALFUNCTION INDICATOR WARNING LIGHT ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1120. ,,, P1120 TOYOTA DESCRIPTION ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR IS MOUNTED ON THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT HAS THE 2 SENSORS TO DETECTS THE ACCELERATOR POSITION AND A MALFUNCTION OF THE ACCELERATOR POSITION. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR IS CONNECTED WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BY THE ACCELERATOR WIRE. THE ECM JUDGES THE CURRENT OPENING ANGLE OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM THESE SENSOR SIGNAL INPUTS AND IT CONTROLS THE THROTTLE MOTOR…”

“CAR RAPIDLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AND DID NOT SLOW DOWN UNTIL MY FOOT HIT THE BRAKE. BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MCGEE TOYOTA AND THEY REPLACED THE GAS PEDAL. IT WAS A $600.+ REPAIR. WITHIN THE YEAR THE NEWS REPORTED ABNORMAL ACCELERATION WITH THE PRIUS LINE AND I QUICKLY CONTACTED TOYOTA MANAGEMENT. THEY DENIED MY CLAIM SAYING THAT THESE INCIDENCES WERE AS A RESULT OF FLOOR MATS? I REPORTED IT TO [XXX](MA) REPRESENTATIVE FOR CONSUMER PROTECTION AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE (THIS WAS OVER TWO YEARS AGO). I RECENTLY HEARD ABOUT YOUR AGENCY AND DECIDED TO FILE A REPORT. *TR”

“ON TWO OCCASIONS, I EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IN MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, IT HAPPENED I THOUGHT I MIGHT HAVE PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR BY MISTAKE. I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR. I DIDN'T BELIEVE ANYONE WOULD BELIEVE MY STORY BECAUSE OF THE AUDI 5000 INCIDENTS. THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THEN TOYOTA BEGAN ITS RECALLS. *TR”

“DRIVING MY 2001 PRIUS DOWN RT 95 IN CT. SUDDENLY LOST POWER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE - ELECTRIC DRIVE ONLY, NO GAS POWER. I MADE TO THE EXIT IN WESPORT AND FOUND A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP OPEN. THE DIAGNOSIS, VIA CODES, WAS FAILED ACCELERATOR PEDAL. RESETTING THE COMPUTER AND RESTARTING THE CAR A FEW TIMES ALLOWED IT TO WORK ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET HOME. I HAVE STILL NOT REPAIRED THE ACCELERATOR. LATELY THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS NEARLY EVERY TIME I START THE CAR...THE ENGINE STALLS IMMEDIATELY OR LOSES POWER DOWN THE ROAD. RESTARTING 2 OR 3 TIMES "FIXES" THE PROBLEM MOST OF THE TIME. MY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON, AND CALLED "BIG HAND SYNDROME" AMONG 1ST GENERATION PRIUS OWNERS, AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL REPAIR IS THE COMMON FIX. I BELIEVE THE 2001-2003 PRIUS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE TOYOTA ACCELERATOR PEDAL RECALL. *TR”