Report: Apple Co-Founder Says His Prius Has Software-Related Unintended Acceleration
The Prius hybrid has not been affected by the recent 2.3 million vehicle recall by Toyota for unintended acceleration, but according to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak it probably should be. Wozniak, a man who knows a thing or two about software, recently spoke openly about a “unintended acceleration” problem with his new 2010 Prius, which he described as, “very scary.”
Toyota recently announced a mechanical fix for its sticky accelerator pedals and has denied that the issue is caused by the engine control unit (ECU), despite claims that the ECU is the cause.
“After man years of exhaustive testing we have not found any evidence of an electronic [software] problem that would have led to unwanted acceleration,” said John Hanson, the national manager in charge of environmental safety and quality communications at Toyota.
Wozniak, a man who knows a thing or two about software, says the car, “has an accelerator that goes wild but only under certain conditions of cruise control.” He also claims he can repeat the acceleration issue. “This is software. It’s not a bad accelerator pedal,” he says.
Wozniak claims he has tried to get in touch with Toyota and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), but has had no response. We’re sure he’ll get a response now.
[Source: CNET]
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
More by Colum Wood
Comments
Join the conversation