Toyota dismisses Prius owner claim

16 March 2010

Toyota has questioned a US Prius owner's claim that his car sped out of control on a California motorway last week.

The firm said its initial investigations have not found any evidence to back the man's account that the car raced along uncontrolled at speeds of 94mph.

James Sikes had reported that on March 8 he was unable to stop his petrol and electric hybrid speeding along a motorway near San Diego despite repeated efforts.

He said he needed help from a California Highway Patrol officer to bring the car to a halt.

But the car maker has said tests on the vehicle did not find any problems with the accelerator pedal or the backup safety system, both of which were working normally.

It added that the rear brakes and the handbrake were in good condition, although the front brakes appeared to have suffered severe wear and damage from overheating.

US government regulators, who have been examining data from the car, have so far not found any explanation for the incident.

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