California Prius incident probed; GM offers criticized
WASHINGTON — As Toyota sought to contain the fallout from a California sudden-acceleration case caught on camera, its dealers accused General Motors of offering predatory incentives using federal money.
The Japanese automaker and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration dispatched investigators to San Diego to analyze the 2008 Toyota Prius belonging to James Sikes, 61. Sikes called the California Highway Patrol on Monday evening reporting that his Prius was accelerating out of his control, hitting speeds of up to 94 m.p.h.
“I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny,” Sikes said at a news conference. “It jumped and it just stuck there.”
An officer pulled alongside the Prius, and over a loudspeaker told Sikes to pull the emergency brake and press the regular brake hard. Sikes was able to slow the car and shut it off after 20 minutes.
The incident happened a few miles from the site of the Santee crash last August that spurred Toyota to recall 5.6 million vehicles for mechanical defects that could lead to sudden acceleration — including Sikes’ Prius, which was covered by the floor-mat recall.
But Sikes said he had taken his Prius to his Toyota dealer and was told it wasn’t covered. Toyota said in a statement that the repairs for the Prius had not yet been sent to dealers. The automaker had told owners to remove the driver’s-side floor mats until the repairs could be made, but Sikes had left the floor mat in his vehicle.
Toyota reiterated Tuesday that the Prius was under recall. It had said last year that it could take months for all of the recalled vehicles to be fixed.
In another sign of the pressure facing Toyota, its national dealer panel accused GM of using “taxpayer dollars to fund … a nationwide predatory advertising campaign.” Shortly after Toyota began its recalls last month, GM began incentives for Toyota owners that now include zero-percent financing and up to $1,000 cash back.
“It is outrageous that GM is using our taxpayer dollars against us, making me and other Toyota dealers pay to undermine our own businesses,” said Paul Atkinson, president of Toyota’s U.S. dealer council.
GM’s move was matched by other automakers. Last week, Toyota launched an incentive campaign of its own after a 9% drop in February sales.
“We understand why Toyota dealers would be frustrated, but they know better,” said GM spokesman Kerry Christopher. “Incentives have always been a part of the auto business.”
Contact JUSTIN HYDE: 202-906-8204.
The Associated Press contributed.
[Detroit Free Press]
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