rashley

What's wrong? My cruise control doesn't work going downhill when I need it the most. Works fine uphill and on the level, but downhill speeds are not governed.

Only has 4000 miles on this 2014 ES350.

gkrules

The speed just keeps increasing, right? I have the same issue. 2014 ES350, 1000 miles.

AFRetired

I'm guessing that once the throttle is all the way back to idle, if the hill is steep enough, you'll still increase speed coasting.

Not much engine braking in top gear on the 6 speed transmission

bootman

True, but with a little more programing it should downshift to compensate.

This is a flaw.

atoyota

It isn't a flaw The user manual (page 247) clearly warns against using cruise control on steep inclines and hilly terrain. Engine braking can only slow you down so much and cruise control doesn't apply any disc brakes.

■Situations unsuitable for cruise control
Do not use cruise control in any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in loss of control and could cause an accident resulting in
death or serious injury.
●In heavy traffic
●On roads with sharp bends
●On winding roads
●On slippery roads, such as those covered with rain, ice or snow
●On steep hills
Vehicle speed may exceed the set speed when driving down a steep hill.
●During emergency towing

rashley

My 2000 Lexus cruise control worked on downhills, slight or steep. My Porsche cruise control works and other cars work on down hill. That's what it is for! This is either broken or a serious flaw.

LexBob2

If it was a design flaw you'd think more owners would weign in. Tens of thousands of the new ES have been sold.

Max707

I understand no one that lives in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas has complained driving to New Orleans in a couple of weeks, but it is flat but I will chime in when I get back. Sounds like a problem if you live in Colorado or parts of Oregon.

SLH

I live in Florida. Most hills here are just after a bridge. I haven't noticed any problems.

The steepest one is the downgrade into a tunnel that goes under a river. Most people maintain throttle on the downgrade, going about 15mph over limit at the bottom, and let the speed bleed off on the upgrade. But that is a busy part of downtown, so cruise control is not an issue.

I have driven west of Denver a few times... I can see how this might be a problem if you don't know to expect it.

The older Toyota-manufactured hybrids had a "B" setting on the shift selector. It was for "Engine Braking", and had the effect of using the engine for braking to avoid overheating the brakes.

I suppose you could push the shift selector to the left, and manually down-shift to obtain the same effect.

ElliotB

The adaptive cruise control does slow the vehicle down as necessary.