>>>>The Toyota recall for sticky gas pedals has been striking me as fishy for a while. Now Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is recommending that people who own these vehicles not drive them at all until taking them to a Toyota dealership for service.
>>>>
>>>>http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/03/news/companies/dot_toyota_lahood/index.htm?hpt=T1
>>>>
>>>>Is this an unwarranted conspiracy theory on my part? It just seems awfully convenient for the domestic automakers with their business in the toilet and Toyota being the #1 manufacturer. They wouldn't be ginning this story up behind the scenes, would they?
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>>>It does seem kind of odd.
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>>>It seems to change from day to day as well.
>>>
>>>We got a recall notice on our Prius last fall re: the floor mat causing the gas pedal to stick.
>>>
>>>Now most of the other Toyotas are recalled because of a defective gas pedal (not floor mat related) that can stick. But the Prius was just a floormat issue?
>>>
>>>Now the Prius's are suspected of having brake issues.
>>>
>>>Through it all, our Prius works like a charm and we intend to get another one for me (when interest rates are viable).
>>>
>>>We also know how to put a car in neutral if the throttle sticks.
>>>
>>>I'm assuming people who are having wrecks have to sign off from whomever they are texting at the time and then try to 'text a friend' to find out what to do. this can be time consuming in an emergency.
>>
>>Or turn off the ignition.Or is there some "safety" feature that stops you doing that.
>>My father used to turn the ignition off on long hills and freewheel all the way down
>
>That can be a serious problem - Ignition off = no power steering or power brakes. Some people can handle that depending on the size of the vehicle. Some can't.
>
>Putting the transmission in neutral keeps the power accessories going. It might not do the engine any good because it will likely overrev, but I'd rather take that up with a dealer later.