The latest report of a runaway vehicle in San Diego County has not only refocused international attention on the safety of vehicles made by Toyota, a giant automaker that once seemed to do no wrong, but also cast more doubt on its technological gem, the Prius.

Toyota is facing a new wave of scrutiny as more users of its products, including a Prius owner from Point Loma and a Lexus driver in San Diego, report problems and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chases more clues in an unfolding drama about cars that speed up abruptly.

The mounting questions stem from a Monday scare in which James Sikes of Jacumba struggled to control his 2008 Prius for about 30 miles, at speeds up to 94 mph, before bringing the hybrid to a stop on Interstate 8 in East County with help from the California Highway Patrol.

“It’s another high-profile incident of unintended acceleration that is going to continue to haunt Toyota’s efforts to downplay this situation,” said Karl Brauer, editor in chief of Edmunds.com, an online automotive research company based in Santa Monica. “It’s going to work against their claims that their vehicles are completely safe.” (Source: San Diego Union Tribune)

Story Date: September 2, 2010