[darren]

I saw this on the news but reading more about it, this really struck me -

For vehicles with engine start/stop buttons, Toyota said the engine can be shut off by holding the button down for three seconds.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090930/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_toyota_floor_mats

One potential problem with push button ignition - if you have a turbo runaway you can't shut off the engine!:eek

The article also says the car had no brakes - why would a stuck floormat under the gas pedal cause no brakes?

 

[darren]

A search of the problem shows this - the crash where they lost brakes, the car had the wrong model of all weather floor mat!

 

[chittychittybangbang]

At least in the TDI's drive by wire, when you step on the brake and try to step on the gas, it cuts the gas.

There must have been another problem because you could shut off the car to cut the engine and any car's brakes can overpower the gas.

 

[Mrryan]

Good thing VW mats have the tabs to hold it although I suppose if it's too long that wouldn't have made a difference....that has got to suck. Toyota has been taking some blows of late, are they the next GM?

 

[6910sb]

The engine can be shut off. The ignition button needs to held in for three seconds. I would imagine that the car he turned in for service did not have keyless ignition.

My question is, why couldn't the car shift out of drive?

 

[Bobbyk]

If the car suddenly takes off on it's own I'll bet the first thing people do is try to brake. Half the time they're actually stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brake and the car speeds up even more. And if you don't have brakes they panic just trying to keep control of the car and forget to shift out of drive.

 

[6910sb]

And if you don't have brakes they panic just trying to keep control of the car and forget to shift out of drive.

I can see that with a normal driver, but this guy was a CHP officer. If anyone could've handled the situation, he could have, especially with his family in the car.