I discovered something amazing, and more than that, distressing about the Prius this morning.
The car has a nifty feature in that you can leave your key (actually, just a fob) in your pocket. As long at you're very near the car (within about three inches, which of course includes being inside it), the car will start. There's a slot on the dash where you can put the fob, and if you do, it locks in place while the car is on, but you don't have to.
This morning we took that car to church. When I got out, it wouldn't lock. Usually, that means a door is open; sometimes, it means the lights are on. (The car has but one chime for any problem.Bad design, Toyota. ) Hell with this, I said, after trying two or three things, I'll leave it open.
When we came out, I got in, and looked down. Why is the dashboard lit up? I thought. It only does that when the car is....
OMG. I had gotten out and walked away, and the car was still on. Not using the gas engine, so it was completely silent, but -- on.
Would a passerby have been able to drive it away?
We just did a test. I sat in the passenger seat with the fob in my pocket; my wife, in the drivers seat. She started it. I got out and walked about fifteen feet away. The car beeped three times as I walked away with the fob. She then put it in reverse, drove down the driveway, and back in again.
Yup. A passerby could have stolen the car. Effectively, the 'keys were still in the ignition, and the engine was running' -- even though they weren't, and it wasn't.
Very bad design, Toyota.
2 comments:
Yep, It's been suggested on priuschat.com that Toyota should have prevented the car from shifting into gear unless the FOB was in the cabin.
The only warnings you get are:
1) the dash is lit when you leave
2) the car beeps and fails to lock.
For what it's worth, I found a Corolla hybrid running (therefore unlocked) in a parking lot recently.
Well if you look around we web, you can probably find a modification (auto lock comes to mind) that would overcome this problem. I always listen for any beeps as I walk away... guess I'm trained.
-Dan <11011011>
PS If you have any Prius questions, send me a line at priuschat.com. Just go to the site and search for "11011011"
There's a couple of oddities in the design -- I accidentally bumped Park while driving, and it shifted into Neutral; I guess I ought to be glad that it didn't say 'Park? Well, Okay!' -- but this one scares me. You're right; it ought not to do this. I'd hate to give up the 'key in the pocket' thing, but this makes me think that my wife's habit of always sticking the fob in the slot is one I ought to adopt.
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