California Prius scam

Hello blog readers, I am Kate, a new student intern at Preston Auto. I am delighted to join the team as an Internet Director Assistant. I came into this job in the midst of the huge Toyota recall. I also happen to come from a 5 person family who owns 5 Toyotas. Through the years, my family and I have enjoyed Toyota's quality and we still remain loyal to the Toyota brand. I drive a 2008 Toyota Prius and absolutely love it. Now, I'm sure you have all heard of another 2008 Toyota Prius owner, Mr. James Sikes of San Diego, CA. On Monday, March 8 Sikes made a 911 emergency phone call claiming that his Prius' accelerator was stuck and that the car was out of control and could not be stopped. California Highway Patrol intercepted Sikes and directed him to push on the brakes, emergency brake and to turn off the car in which after, the car did stop safely.

The story made national news and I personally receieved a few calls and text messages from friends and family members urging me to get my Prius checked out immediately. Unfortunately the national news did not have any comments from a Toyota spokesperson during the story.

However, on March 15 Toyota released their preliminary findings from the runaway Prius on the Toyota news website. The Toyota engineers discovered that Sikes' account of the story does not match up with their findings after assessing the vehicle. The Prius engine is designed to shut off if moderate brake pressure is applied while an accelerator is pushed over 50%.

All in all, an investigation is underway to find out the truth in Sikes' story. For now, it's important for everyone to remember that not everything we hear is necessarily true. To read the entire story, check out http://www.toyota.com/about/news/corporate/2010/03/15-1-statement-prius.html.

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend with friends and family. Be sure to check us out on Twitter at PrestonHonda and PrestonAuto. Also, become a fan on Facebook of Preston Auto and Preston Honda.

--Kate