From: Al Falfa on


"dsi1" <dsi1(a)humuhumunukunukuapuapa.org> wrote in message
news:t5Ign.3631$BD2.900(a)newsfe14.iad...
> On 2/22/2010 4:51 PM, OscartheGrouch wrote:
>> Hachiroku ハチロク wrote:
>>> This fellow knew what to do to bring his car to a screeching halt.
>>> Notice the technique used when the countdown timer gets to ~1:10...
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I've been watching the status of all this about the accelerator pedal
>> with a lot of interest. The high level of interest is because my
>> accelerator has hung up on the floor mat 5 or 6 times. I've learned not
>> to gun it. That's how I have solved the problem. So today I called my
>> local dealer who does all my work. My car is a 2005 Prius. They looked
>> up my car and told me it was made in Japan and is not involved in the
>> recall, but that I can bring it in at my own expense. Despite the fact
>> that the accelerator will stick. I would think this would be disturbing
>> news to Toyota. Not disturbing enough I guess. My problem is that I can
>> never get the floor may lock device thingy that is furthest from the gas
>> pedal and closest to me to actually lock. It just can't be forced down
>> into the hole it's supposed to go into. But they will be nice enough to
>> fix it at my expense. Great.
>
> Don't wait for the dealer to fix it. I'd just replace the mats and forget
> about it. If you think this is a danger to the public then contact someone
> that'll listen to you. My guess is that you'd have a lot of leverage in
> this matter due to the public hysteria. If this happened to me one time,
> I'd think it was a fluke, two times and I'd be alarmed. It wouldn't happen
> a third time let alone 5 or 6 times.

I spent a half hour trying to snag the gas pedal on the floor mat and
couldn't do it. This was with a 2005 Prius too. It does take a little
effort to properly engage the hooks, but once engaged with the mat properly
placed the pedal doesn't come within an inch of it.


From: dsi1 on
On 2/22/2010 5:54 PM, jim beam wrote:
> On 02/22/2010 07:39 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>> On 2/22/2010 4:51 PM, OscartheGrouch wrote:
>>> Hachiroku ハチロク wrote:
>>>> This fellow knew what to do to bring his car to a screeching halt.
>>>> Notice the technique used when the countdown timer gets to ~1:10...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> I've been watching the status of all this about the accelerator pedal
>>> with a lot of interest. The high level of interest is because my
>>> accelerator has hung up on the floor mat 5 or 6 times. I've learned not
>>> to gun it. That's how I have solved the problem. So today I called my
>>> local dealer who does all my work. My car is a 2005 Prius. They looked
>>> up my car and told me it was made in Japan and is not involved in the
>>> recall, but that I can bring it in at my own expense. Despite the fact
>>> that the accelerator will stick. I would think this would be disturbing
>>> news to Toyota. Not disturbing enough I guess. My problem is that I can
>>> never get the floor may lock device thingy that is furthest from the gas
>>> pedal and closest to me to actually lock. It just can't be forced down
>>> into the hole it's supposed to go into. But they will be nice enough to
>>> fix it at my expense. Great.
>>
>> Don't wait for the dealer to fix it. I'd just replace the mats and
>> forget about it. If you think this is a danger to the public then
>> contact someone that'll listen to you. My guess is that you'd have a lot
>> of leverage in this matter due to the public hysteria. If this happened
>> to me one time, I'd think it was a fluke, two times and I'd be alarmed.
>> It wouldn't happen a third time let alone 5 or 6 times.
>
> hold on a second - our friend alleges that after hearing about stuck
> accelerators:
>
> "my accelerator has hung up on the floor mat 5 or 6 times."
>
> do believe that to be true? you don't think our friend might not be one
> of the weak-minded that's susceptible to the power of suggestion?
>
> our friend goes on to say:
>
> "I've learned not to gun it. That's how I have solved the problem."
>
> he "solved" the problem by not pressing the gas??? that's like "fixing"
> a broken seat belt by not crashing!
>
>

You're right that our friend's story is a little fishy. Guess I'm a
gullible guy. :-)
From: Hachiroku ハチロク on
On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:51:39 -0800, OscartheGrouch wrote:

> Hachiroku ハチロク wrote:
>> This fellow knew what to do to bring his car to a screeching halt.
>>
>> Notice the technique used when the countdown timer gets to ~1:10...
>>
>>
>>
> I've been watching the status of all this about the accelerator pedal with
> a lot of interest. The high level of interest is because my accelerator
> has hung up on the floor mat 5 or 6 times. I've learned not to gun it.
> That's how I have solved the problem. So today I called my local dealer
> who does all my work. My car is a 2005 Prius. They looked up my car and
> told me it was made in Japan and is not involved in the recall, but that I
> can bring it in at my own expense. Despite the fact that the accelerator
> will stick. I would think this would be disturbing news to Toyota. Not
> disturbing enough I guess. My problem is that I can never get the floor
> may lock device thingy that is furthest from the gas pedal and closest to
> me to actually lock. It just can't be forced down into the hole it's
> supposed to go into. But they will be nice enough to fix it at my expense.
> Great.


Take it to them and show it to them. It should have been LOCKED IN prior
to delivery.

It can sometimes take a LOT of pressure to get the thing into the hole
properly. Ask them to do this for you, since "it hasn't been right since I
bought the car and is giving me problems. I would do it but I don't want
to break it." If they don't usher you to the detailing department where
this is done, tell them you're going to call Customer Care and ask them
what you should do, all things in consideration. It may have been "made in
Japan", which it was, and it doesn't have the recall in effect on it, but
it is still a safety hazard and the thing should have been installed
properly in the first place.

BTW, where are you, since your dealer is a jackass and sounds like a good
place to avoid? It will take them all of 45 seconds to install this
properly.


From: OscartheGrouch on
dsi1 wrote:
> On 2/22/2010 5:54 PM, jim beam wrote:
>> On 02/22/2010 07:39 PM, dsi1 wrote:
>>> On 2/22/2010 4:51 PM, OscartheGrouch wrote:
>>>> Hachiroku ハチロク wrote:
>>>>> This fellow knew what to do to bring his car to a screeching halt.
>>>>> Notice the technique used when the countdown timer gets to ~1:10...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I've been watching the status of all this about the accelerator pedal
>>>> with a lot of interest. The high level of interest is because my
>>>> accelerator has hung up on the floor mat 5 or 6 times. I've learned not
>>>> to gun it. That's how I have solved the problem. So today I called my
>>>> local dealer who does all my work. My car is a 2005 Prius. They looked
>>>> up my car and told me it was made in Japan and is not involved in the
>>>> recall, but that I can bring it in at my own expense. Despite the fact
>>>> that the accelerator will stick. I would think this would be disturbing
>>>> news to Toyota. Not disturbing enough I guess. My problem is that I can
>>>> never get the floor may lock device thingy that is furthest from the
>>>> gas
>>>> pedal and closest to me to actually lock. It just can't be forced down
>>>> into the hole it's supposed to go into. But they will be nice enough to
>>>> fix it at my expense. Great.
>>>
>>> Don't wait for the dealer to fix it. I'd just replace the mats and
>>> forget about it. If you think this is a danger to the public then
>>> contact someone that'll listen to you. My guess is that you'd have a lot
>>> of leverage in this matter due to the public hysteria. If this happened
>>> to me one time, I'd think it was a fluke, two times and I'd be alarmed.
>>> It wouldn't happen a third time let alone 5 or 6 times.
>>
>> hold on a second - our friend alleges that after hearing about stuck
>> accelerators:
>>
>> "my accelerator has hung up on the floor mat 5 or 6 times."
>>
>> do believe that to be true? you don't think our friend might not be one
>> of the weak-minded that's susceptible to the power of suggestion?
>>
>> our friend goes on to say:
>>
>> "I've learned not to gun it. That's how I have solved the problem."
>>
>> he "solved" the problem by not pressing the gas??? that's like "fixing"
>> a broken seat belt by not crashing!
>>
>>
>
> You're right that our friend's story is a little fishy. Guess I'm a
> gullible guy. :-)

You're right, it's not a fix. This all happened within the first few
years I owned it. Before there was any talk of this happening and my
"weak mind" had no information to be susceptible to. I learned not to
stomp all the way down on the accelerator. That worked. Anyway the point
here is that I contacted my dealer with this and they had nothing to
offer. Even if this was a made up story here, I can't see a reputable
Toyota dealer dismissing it out of hand, even if you do, which is fine
by me. As the dealer represents Toyota, I see an ongoing problem with
Toyota. By the way, I just reproduced the situation. The damn floor mat
wants to move in towards the console, which pushes the top part of it up
towards the gas pedal. The little plastic part that keeps the floor mat
from moving doesn't want to sink into the hole it's supposed to fit in.
That makes the whole mat sort of "spin" to the right. I'm aware of it
and know how not to have an issue with it. How many others with my year
Prius are being ignored by Toyota, that's my only question. I think I'll
take it in and show them as it is to this day reproducable(sp.), and see
what they have to say
From: OscartheGrouch on
Hachiroku ハチロク wrote:
> On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:51:39 -0800, OscartheGrouch wrote:
>
>> Hachiroku ハチロク wrote:
>>> This fellow knew what to do to bring his car to a screeching halt.
>>>
>>> Notice the technique used when the countdown timer gets to ~1:10...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> I've been watching the status of all this about the accelerator pedal with
>> a lot of interest. The high level of interest is because my accelerator
>> has hung up on the floor mat 5 or 6 times. I've learned not to gun it.
>> That's how I have solved the problem. So today I called my local dealer
>> who does all my work. My car is a 2005 Prius. They looked up my car and
>> told me it was made in Japan and is not involved in the recall, but that I
>> can bring it in at my own expense. Despite the fact that the accelerator
>> will stick. I would think this would be disturbing news to Toyota. Not
>> disturbing enough I guess. My problem is that I can never get the floor
>> may lock device thingy that is furthest from the gas pedal and closest to
>> me to actually lock. It just can't be forced down into the hole it's
>> supposed to go into. But they will be nice enough to fix it at my expense.
>> Great.
>
>
> Take it to them and show it to them. It should have been LOCKED IN prior
> to delivery.
>
> It can sometimes take a LOT of pressure to get the thing into the hole
> properly. Ask them to do this for you, since "it hasn't been right since I
> bought the car and is giving me problems. I would do it but I don't want
> to break it." If they don't usher you to the detailing department where
> this is done, tell them you're going to call Customer Care and ask them
> what you should do, all things in consideration. It may have been "made in
> Japan", which it was, and it doesn't have the recall in effect on it, but
> it is still a safety hazard and the thing should have been installed
> properly in the first place.
>
> BTW, where are you, since your dealer is a jackass and sounds like a good
> place to avoid? It will take them all of 45 seconds to install this
> properly.
>
>

Exactly, I didn't want to break the damn thing by taking a hammer to it.
It's plastic after all. After posting this is when I decided taking it
in is the proper course of action. I have no problem telling you the
name of the dealer as they kind of blew it today with me. It's
Humberston Beaverton Toyota in Beaverton OR. The thing is, I usually
like them. Free rides home on service days and free pickups at the end
of the day, really good, usually, service representatives. All in all no
problems since I bought the thing new in '05. But this I felt, should
have been addressed differently.