US safety regulators said Monday they were unable to find any problems with a Toyota Prius that could explain why it reportedly sped uncontrollably down a California highway last week. The tests have cast doubt upon the March 8 incident in which James Sikes called police and said he needed help because the gas pedal in his blue 2008 Prius was stuck.
After reaching speeds over 145 kilometres per hour, Sikes was able to bring the hybrid to a stop with the coaching of a California Highway Patrol officer who pulled up alongside him. "So far, we have not been able to find anything to explain the incident that Mr Sikes reported," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a statement.
The Prius is equipped with a brake override system that shuts down the engine's throttle if both the gas and brake pedals are pressed and was working during the tests. "We would caution people that our work continues and that we may never know exactly what happened with this car," NHTSA said, adding that "there was very little left of the car's brakes."
Toyota planned to discuss the incident and the test results at a press conference later Monday. A lawyer representing Sikes said he is standing by his story and it isn't surprising or unexpected that the engineers were unable to replicate the wild ride.
"There's a ghost in the machine," attorney John Gomez said. "And no one is able to replicate it or pinpoint it or identify it." The runaway Prius story dominated headlines last week and cast further doubt on Toyota's assurances that there is nothing wrong with its electronics.