Would it be safer to put the car in neutral when the engine suddenly accelerate and the brakes won't work?
Posted by adminSep 7
Toyota cars had claimed 34 lives from this sudden acceleration problem since 2000. Driver cannot decelerate with merely stepping on the brake, but they had to pull the hand brake to slower the car and cut the engine.
8 comments
Comment by Dave Herron on September 7, 2010 at 9:33 am
Yes. The experts advise putting the car in neutral. If you should experience a runaway engine, you should:
First – Navigate. Watch where you are going. Steer to avoid obstacles. If there is a soft shoulder free of any obstacles you may want to see if you can slow down there.
Second – Apply firm pressure to the brakes. Don’t pump the brakes! If you pump the brakes, the brake system’s vacuum assist system may fail and you will have no brakes at all. You may also want to apply the emergency brake.
Third – Shift into neutral. This could possibly damage the transmission but that is the least of your worries at this point. If you have a hybrid with an electronic shift, you will have to place the gear shift in the neutral position and hold it there tightly for a second or so before it will shift.
Four – If you have a key type ignition switch you will want to avoid trying to shut off the engine. In a panic situation, you could turn it all the way to off and that will lock up your steering wheel. If you have a push button starter, you will have to hold it down tightly for a full three seconds before the engine will shut off.
Comment by Ralfcoder on September 7, 2010 at 9:33 am
If I had this problem, I’d put the engine into neutral. The engine will likely overrev (unless the computer has a rev limiter built into it) and possibly damage it, but I’d rather have that than be tucked inside a ball of smoldering sheet metal. Then, once I was stopped, or moving slowly enough in a clear area, I’d shut the motor off. Shutting the motor off means you’ll lose any power steering and brakes, which might be useful in this situation.
One thing to be careful of – when shifting to neutral in a car with an automatic transmission, try to not go too far and shift into reverse. If you do this, you will still stop, but much sooner than you anticipated, and you may be at the end of a trail of shattered bits of gearbox. Still – that’s better than the smoldering sheet metal alternative.
Comment by Bandit-05 on September 7, 2010 at 9:33 am
Yes. Place transmission into neutral and steer car onto shoulder or other safe area to slow down and stop. When car is stopped, turn off engine.
Turning off the engine first is not ideal because you may, in a panic, turn the key too far and lock the steering wheel and not be able to turn at all.
Comment by The Egocentrist on September 7, 2010 at 9:33 am
First, I’m glad neither I or anyone in my immediate family drives a Toyota. But yes, I would put the car in neutral and then brake, if I needed to stop real fast I would do the latter and then take the car up against a guardrail.
TOYOTA SUCKS—BUY AMERICAN
Comment by Black Fawk Down on September 7, 2010 at 9:33 am
This happened to me once, I just threw the shifter into neutral and shut down the engine. not going to hurt the engine turning it of in the middle of moving. You could essentially throw it in neutral awhile moving 60 or so miles an hour and restart the car awhile still in motion, had to do that a few times with my car over accelerating on its own, luckily the car simply reset its self after I pulled the gas pedal outward with my foot and was able to restart it in that time frame.
If you need a to do a sudden stop and this happens defiantly throw it in neutral and cut the engine by the ignition, and pull up the hand brake, don’t do it hard or else you’ll slide, the hand brake is very touchy with my experience
Comment by Right or Wrong on September 7, 2010 at 9:33 am
Seems like a logical solution unless there is something that keeps it from going into neutral. I bought my first Toyota in 1975, loved it and that’s what I’ve been buying since. Except for a couple of GM’ that were money pits. I’ve always had great faith in Toyotas, this is totally out of character for them. I hope they resolve it soon. I’m sure the Big three will play this for what they can.
Comment by UCANTCME on September 7, 2010 at 9:33 am
Turn the key off but not in the lock position and use the handbrake………
Comment by seabreezes51 on September 7, 2010 at 9:33 am
Putting the car in neutral is the only sensible answer. I just heard the audio 911 of the guy in Calif that was asked by the 911 dispatch if he tried to put the car in neutral, the guy said "NO" he was too busy trying to control the car. He is lucky to be alive, he should never drive a car again.