Stuck accelerator kills 4 in Santee *Recall - Page 2*
#443
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Now the Japanese Prime Minister is speaking about this........
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/toyota-must-ensure-safety-for-its-customers-worldwide-hatoyama#show_all_comments
http://www.japantoday.com/category/politics/view/toyota-must-ensure-safety-for-its-customers-worldwide-hatoyama#show_all_comments
#444
Senior Moderator
Car and Driver editorial
Toyota Recall: Scandal, Media Circus, and Stupid Drivers - Editorial
We dive into Toyota’s three-ring circus and emerge with the facts.
First, What to Do if Your Car (Not Just a Toyota) Starts to Accelerate Uncontrollably
If your car starts accelerating unexpectedly, hit the brake (it's the one to the left of the gas) and shift into neutral. After you do this, the engine may race loudly but the car won't accelerate. Pull off the road, brake to a stop, shift to park, and shut off the car. This is a simple solution we guarantee will save your life in any car that suffers from unintended acceleration. For more, read our story “How To Deal With Unintended Acceleration,” which is based on our own instrumented testing.
How Big is This Problem?
We're no Toyota apologists, but if you look past the media circus, the numbers don't reveal a meaningful problem. Every man, woman, and child in the U.S. has approximately a one-in-8000 chance of perishing in a car accident every year. Over a decade, that's about one in 800. Given the millions of cars included in the Toyota recalls and the fewer than 20 alleged deaths over the past decade, the alleged fatality rate is about one death per 200,000 recalled Toyotas. Even if all the alleged deaths really are resultant from vehicle defects—highly unlikely—and even if all the worst things people are speculating about Toyotas are true, and you're driving one, and you aren't smart or calm enough to shift to neutral if the thing surges, you're still approximately 250 times likelier to die in one of these cars for reasons having nothing to do with unintended acceleration. So if you can muster the courage to get into a car and drive, the additional alleged risk of driving a Toyota is virtually negligible.
What's Wrong with Toyotas?
1. Floor mats. In some cases, an unsecured driver's floor mat can supposedly jam the gas pedal. Complaints and deaths stemming from this issue led to the first Toyota recall. Secure your floor mats, take them out, or, if you're too lazy to do either of those and the mat jams the accelerator, shift to neutral.
2. Sticky throttles. The accelerator may stick in some Toyotas. NHTSA hasn't determined that this has actually caused any fatalities, but there is enough evidence that the throttle may stick to warrant a recall. If this happens to you, shift to neutral.
3. The "electronic issue." Unlike vehicles from some other automakers, Toyotas don't kill the throttle when you hit the brakes. This means it's possible to apply both at the same time. Our own instrumented testing determined that you can safely brake a car from highway speed, even with the throttle pegged. But if the accelerator is floored and the car is in gear, repeated stabs at the pedal and modulation of speed with the brake will eventually overheat the brakes and cause them to fail. Pumping the brakes is a bad idea beyond the overheating issue. When the throttle is stuck open, the engine isn’t producing sufficient vacuum to enable power assist for the brakes, so press the brake pedal firmly once and don’t let up. (Some allege that electromagnetic interference could be causing the electronic throttles in Toyotas to become stuck open; this is completely unsubstantiated. It’s also possible that alien tractor beams are to blame.)
The lack of a throttle kill is probably the explanation for Toyotas' higher reported rate of "unintended acceleration" than other brands. But it's critical to note that the lack of such a throttle kill isn't a defect. It isn't Toyota's responsibility to account for every possible stupid thing people might do in a car. Anyone so uncoordinated that they can't differentiate the pedals and operate them independently shouldn't be driving.
And this is going to sound uncharitable, but even if the recall dealing with potentially sticking pedals applies to a lot of Toyotas, why aren’t people just shifting into neutral? Even if the throttle really sticks fully open, it won't have any accelerative impact on the car if it's in neutral. By this point, if you have a Toyota (or any car), and you don't know to shift to neutral if the engine races unexpectedly, you're going to succumb to what can only be described as natural selection.
Some Context: Audi's "Unintended Acceleration"
In 1986, the television program 60 Minutes started Audi's "unintended acceleration" scandal. The show trotted out tearful people, recounted death and carnage, spoke to so-called experts, and generally made it seem like the vehicle in question, the Audi 5000, was a roving menace with a mind of its own. In the end, the U.S. government determined that every single so-called unintended acceleration accident was the result of driver error. Some speculated that because Audi's pedals were closer together than those of some other brands, people were too uncoordinated to choose the correct one. The pedal-placement issue Audi faced at that time parallels the throttle-kill issue Toyota faces now.
What Does This Mean for Toyota?
Even if you buy our argument that most of the "unintended acceleration" issues are actually driver error and the company ultimately is vindicated, Toyota is still screwed. Audi sales were depressed for a decade and a half after the false claims leveled against it. Toyota either blames its customers and faces the wrath of the media or expresses contrition and admits it has quality issues. Perhaps having learned from the backlash against Audi when it—rightly—blamed its customers, Toyota has chosen the latter course of action.
Toyota has earned a reputation in this country over the past 30 years as a maker of utterly dull and utterly reliable transportation appliances. Readers of Consumer Reports and their friends buy them by the millions. But with the notable exception of the Prius (which now is facing its own recall fiasco), Toyota hasn't produced many interesting or exciting products. In Car and Driver comparison tests, Toyotas have generally placed mid-pack for years because they handle poorly and have increasingly chintzy interiors. Over the years, people haven't bought Toyotas because they offered driving thrills or prestige; they bought them because, in the words of one CR loyalist and former serial Camry buyer—this author’s mother—"The ultimate luxury is a car that doesn't ever break." So what happens when quality is called into question and the cars don't offer anything special? Well, Mrs. Dushane now drives a Subaru. Even the pragmatic tire of the banal.
LINK
Toyota Recall: Scandal, Media Circus, and Stupid Drivers - Editorial
We dive into Toyota’s three-ring circus and emerge with the facts.
First, What to Do if Your Car (Not Just a Toyota) Starts to Accelerate Uncontrollably
If your car starts accelerating unexpectedly, hit the brake (it's the one to the left of the gas) and shift into neutral. After you do this, the engine may race loudly but the car won't accelerate. Pull off the road, brake to a stop, shift to park, and shut off the car. This is a simple solution we guarantee will save your life in any car that suffers from unintended acceleration. For more, read our story “How To Deal With Unintended Acceleration,” which is based on our own instrumented testing.
How Big is This Problem?
We're no Toyota apologists, but if you look past the media circus, the numbers don't reveal a meaningful problem. Every man, woman, and child in the U.S. has approximately a one-in-8000 chance of perishing in a car accident every year. Over a decade, that's about one in 800. Given the millions of cars included in the Toyota recalls and the fewer than 20 alleged deaths over the past decade, the alleged fatality rate is about one death per 200,000 recalled Toyotas. Even if all the alleged deaths really are resultant from vehicle defects—highly unlikely—and even if all the worst things people are speculating about Toyotas are true, and you're driving one, and you aren't smart or calm enough to shift to neutral if the thing surges, you're still approximately 250 times likelier to die in one of these cars for reasons having nothing to do with unintended acceleration. So if you can muster the courage to get into a car and drive, the additional alleged risk of driving a Toyota is virtually negligible.
What's Wrong with Toyotas?
1. Floor mats. In some cases, an unsecured driver's floor mat can supposedly jam the gas pedal. Complaints and deaths stemming from this issue led to the first Toyota recall. Secure your floor mats, take them out, or, if you're too lazy to do either of those and the mat jams the accelerator, shift to neutral.
2. Sticky throttles. The accelerator may stick in some Toyotas. NHTSA hasn't determined that this has actually caused any fatalities, but there is enough evidence that the throttle may stick to warrant a recall. If this happens to you, shift to neutral.
3. The "electronic issue." Unlike vehicles from some other automakers, Toyotas don't kill the throttle when you hit the brakes. This means it's possible to apply both at the same time. Our own instrumented testing determined that you can safely brake a car from highway speed, even with the throttle pegged. But if the accelerator is floored and the car is in gear, repeated stabs at the pedal and modulation of speed with the brake will eventually overheat the brakes and cause them to fail. Pumping the brakes is a bad idea beyond the overheating issue. When the throttle is stuck open, the engine isn’t producing sufficient vacuum to enable power assist for the brakes, so press the brake pedal firmly once and don’t let up. (Some allege that electromagnetic interference could be causing the electronic throttles in Toyotas to become stuck open; this is completely unsubstantiated. It’s also possible that alien tractor beams are to blame.)
The lack of a throttle kill is probably the explanation for Toyotas' higher reported rate of "unintended acceleration" than other brands. But it's critical to note that the lack of such a throttle kill isn't a defect. It isn't Toyota's responsibility to account for every possible stupid thing people might do in a car. Anyone so uncoordinated that they can't differentiate the pedals and operate them independently shouldn't be driving.
And this is going to sound uncharitable, but even if the recall dealing with potentially sticking pedals applies to a lot of Toyotas, why aren’t people just shifting into neutral? Even if the throttle really sticks fully open, it won't have any accelerative impact on the car if it's in neutral. By this point, if you have a Toyota (or any car), and you don't know to shift to neutral if the engine races unexpectedly, you're going to succumb to what can only be described as natural selection.
Some Context: Audi's "Unintended Acceleration"
In 1986, the television program 60 Minutes started Audi's "unintended acceleration" scandal. The show trotted out tearful people, recounted death and carnage, spoke to so-called experts, and generally made it seem like the vehicle in question, the Audi 5000, was a roving menace with a mind of its own. In the end, the U.S. government determined that every single so-called unintended acceleration accident was the result of driver error. Some speculated that because Audi's pedals were closer together than those of some other brands, people were too uncoordinated to choose the correct one. The pedal-placement issue Audi faced at that time parallels the throttle-kill issue Toyota faces now.
What Does This Mean for Toyota?
Even if you buy our argument that most of the "unintended acceleration" issues are actually driver error and the company ultimately is vindicated, Toyota is still screwed. Audi sales were depressed for a decade and a half after the false claims leveled against it. Toyota either blames its customers and faces the wrath of the media or expresses contrition and admits it has quality issues. Perhaps having learned from the backlash against Audi when it—rightly—blamed its customers, Toyota has chosen the latter course of action.
Toyota has earned a reputation in this country over the past 30 years as a maker of utterly dull and utterly reliable transportation appliances. Readers of Consumer Reports and their friends buy them by the millions. But with the notable exception of the Prius (which now is facing its own recall fiasco), Toyota hasn't produced many interesting or exciting products. In Car and Driver comparison tests, Toyotas have generally placed mid-pack for years because they handle poorly and have increasingly chintzy interiors. Over the years, people haven't bought Toyotas because they offered driving thrills or prestige; they bought them because, in the words of one CR loyalist and former serial Camry buyer—this author’s mother—"The ultimate luxury is a car that doesn't ever break." So what happens when quality is called into question and the cars don't offer anything special? Well, Mrs. Dushane now drives a Subaru. Even the pragmatic tire of the banal.
#446
very interesting read.
I agree some issues might just be poorly experianced drivers, but it still doesnt relate to the incident that started this thread or others like it.
I agree some issues might just be poorly experianced drivers, but it still doesnt relate to the incident that started this thread or others like it.
#447
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From the Car and Driver editorial -
"if you have a Toyota (or any car), and you don't know to shift to neutral if the engine races unexpectedly, you're going to succumb to what can only be described as natural selection."
What an unbelievably patronizing statement. Apparently Mr. Dushane is too isolated in his road-tester bubble to realize that there are millions of drivers out there that are fully taxed simply by operating their car in its normal state. I can conjure up endless scenarios where a normal driver would panic for at least several seconds under uncontrolled acceleration before thinking to shift into neutral. Even I, as a seasoned well trained driver, would take a few seconds to check-down to that procedure. Would you really expect your dear 'ol granny to be as quick at the helm?
I'm guessing that Mike Dushane is gonna wish he had that particular comment back. He'd do well to keep cute comments like that holstered in light of a situation this serious.
"if you have a Toyota (or any car), and you don't know to shift to neutral if the engine races unexpectedly, you're going to succumb to what can only be described as natural selection."
What an unbelievably patronizing statement. Apparently Mr. Dushane is too isolated in his road-tester bubble to realize that there are millions of drivers out there that are fully taxed simply by operating their car in its normal state. I can conjure up endless scenarios where a normal driver would panic for at least several seconds under uncontrolled acceleration before thinking to shift into neutral. Even I, as a seasoned well trained driver, would take a few seconds to check-down to that procedure. Would you really expect your dear 'ol granny to be as quick at the helm?
I'm guessing that Mike Dushane is gonna wish he had that particular comment back. He'd do well to keep cute comments like that holstered in light of a situation this serious.
#448
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
#449
From the Car and Driver editorial -
"if you have a Toyota (or any car), and you don't know to shift to neutral if the engine races unexpectedly, you're going to succumb to what can only be described as natural selection."
What an unbelievably patronizing statement. Apparently Mr. Dushane is too isolated in his road-tester bubble to realize that there are millions of drivers out there that are fully taxed simply by operating their car in its normal state. I can conjure up endless scenarios where a normal driver would panic for at least several seconds under uncontrolled acceleration before thinking to shift into neutral. Even I, as a seasoned well trained driver, would take a few seconds to check-down to that procedure. Would you really expect your dear 'ol granny to be as quick at the helm?
I'm guessing that Mike Dushane is gonna wish he had that particular comment back. He'd do well to keep cute comments like that holstered in light of a situation this serious.
"if you have a Toyota (or any car), and you don't know to shift to neutral if the engine races unexpectedly, you're going to succumb to what can only be described as natural selection."
What an unbelievably patronizing statement. Apparently Mr. Dushane is too isolated in his road-tester bubble to realize that there are millions of drivers out there that are fully taxed simply by operating their car in its normal state. I can conjure up endless scenarios where a normal driver would panic for at least several seconds under uncontrolled acceleration before thinking to shift into neutral. Even I, as a seasoned well trained driver, would take a few seconds to check-down to that procedure. Would you really expect your dear 'ol granny to be as quick at the helm?
I'm guessing that Mike Dushane is gonna wish he had that particular comment back. He'd do well to keep cute comments like that holstered in light of a situation this serious.
Terry
#451
Senior Moderator
Particularly when the subject incident involved a (presumably) trained and experienced CHP officer.
#452
Senior Moderator
hey guys, I haven't totally been keeping up with this thread... did they find anything out about the OP? Was it because of stuck accelerator or the floormats or something else?
#454
The Third Ball
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From the Car and Driver editorial -
"if you have a Toyota (or any car), and you don't know to shift to neutral if the engine races unexpectedly, you're going to succumb to what can only be described as natural selection."
What an unbelievably patronizing statement. Apparently Mr. Dushane is too isolated in his road-tester bubble to realize that there are millions of drivers out there that are fully taxed simply by operating their car in its normal state. I can conjure up endless scenarios where a normal driver would panic for at least several seconds under uncontrolled acceleration before thinking to shift into neutral. Even I, as a seasoned well trained driver, would take a few seconds to check-down to that procedure. Would you really expect your dear 'ol granny to be as quick at the helm?
I'm guessing that Mike Dushane is gonna wish he had that particular comment back. He'd do well to keep cute comments like that holstered in light of a situation this serious.
"if you have a Toyota (or any car), and you don't know to shift to neutral if the engine races unexpectedly, you're going to succumb to what can only be described as natural selection."
What an unbelievably patronizing statement. Apparently Mr. Dushane is too isolated in his road-tester bubble to realize that there are millions of drivers out there that are fully taxed simply by operating their car in its normal state. I can conjure up endless scenarios where a normal driver would panic for at least several seconds under uncontrolled acceleration before thinking to shift into neutral. Even I, as a seasoned well trained driver, would take a few seconds to check-down to that procedure. Would you really expect your dear 'ol granny to be as quick at the helm?
I'm guessing that Mike Dushane is gonna wish he had that particular comment back. He'd do well to keep cute comments like that holstered in light of a situation this serious.
I also really "loved" how he related the deaths to nothing more than acceptable statistics...I'm sure the grieving families were very appreciative of that.
#455
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I took it in to the dealer, and a couple of the mechanics eventually sussed out that the cruise operates by displaying the speed you want in-between the gauges. Hold the lever in the accelerate position and it jumps in 5-mph intervals. Long story short, instead of accelerating to my desired speed and letting go of the lever, I was actually telling the car to accelerate to 90mph.
Nobody in the dealership knew it operated like that, nor did I.
Just more over-featuring that requires your eyes to divert from the road.
#456
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Apparently not.
If you idiot proof the world you make a world full of idiots.
Comes from too many people not knowing how to drive a stick shift and/or being morons.
This has been proven out during my 7 years of selling cars when customers ask why on Earth they would ever use the paddles to downshift.
I tell them in snow or rain it can help and they reply that they have traction control and ABS so why should they care?
If you idiot proof the world you make a world full of idiots.
Comes from too many people not knowing how to drive a stick shift and/or being morons.
This has been proven out during my 7 years of selling cars when customers ask why on Earth they would ever use the paddles to downshift.
I tell them in snow or rain it can help and they reply that they have traction control and ABS so why should they care?
#457
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
Here you have it.. Toyota's precision cut reinforced steel spacer..
http://jalopnik.com/5469835/toyota-gas-pedal-recall-fix-precision-machining-never-looked-so-precise/gallery/
http://jalopnik.com/5469835/toyota-gas-pedal-recall-fix-precision-machining-never-looked-so-precise/gallery/
#458
My only car is a Bus
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How should a spacer look? Bevelled edges? Made from platinum? Made by virgins?
Besides... it's a temporary fix until something else can be designed.
Besides... it's a temporary fix until something else can be designed.
Here you have it.. Toyota's precision cut reinforced steel spacer..
http://jalopnik.com/5469835/toyota-gas-pedal-recall-fix-precision-machining-never-looked-so-precise/gallery/
http://jalopnik.com/5469835/toyota-gas-pedal-recall-fix-precision-machining-never-looked-so-precise/gallery/
#459
Senior Moderator
oh ok.. not bad for a temporary fix.
#461
Senior Moderator
^^ yeah see that's what I thought too. Toyota said they were fixing 50,000 cars a day. why would they only be doing temporary fixes?
#462
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
Wow.. I guess that was abit over your head, but I do like your version better. You might want to contact Toyota for marketing opportunities.
#465
#466
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
Here's me saying my point explicitly: Toyota's hype of their precision cut reinforced steel spacer is just what we knew it would be, a cheap steel tab.. it's a small step above the ziptie but the same in that it won't solve the problem.
#467
Punk Rocker
As far as I have read, the CHP officer's crash was indeed attributed to a stuck throttle due to floor mat interference (all season floor mats for the wrong car installed on-top of the regular ES350 mats). The investigation was conducted by the NHTSA and local law enforcement and did NOT come from Toyota originally....
#468
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It's precision cut if it fits properly. I never read that the definition of "precision" means it looks really cool and high tech.
You remind me of Alan in the Hangover.
Here's me saying my point explicitly: Toyota's hype of their precision cut reinforced steel spacer is just what we knew it would be, a cheap steel tab.. it's a small step above the ziptie but the same in that it won't solve the problem.
Here's me saying my point explicitly: Toyota's hype of their precision cut reinforced steel spacer is just what we knew it would be, a cheap steel tab.. it's a small step above the ziptie but the same in that it won't solve the problem.
#469
AZ Community Team
You remind me of Alan in the Hangover.
Here's me saying my point explicitly: Toyota's hype of their precision cut reinforced steel spacer is just what we knew it would be, a cheap steel tab.. it's a small step above the ziptie but the same in that it won't solve the problem.
Here's me saying my point explicitly: Toyota's hype of their precision cut reinforced steel spacer is just what we knew it would be, a cheap steel tab.. it's a small step above the ziptie but the same in that it won't solve the problem.
#470
One on the right for me
#471
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
Because the problem isn't mechanical. The pedals have been cycled & stress tested. The only issue that has ever come up in testing was the pedal returning slowly, not stuck. I find the insinuation that the little bearing axle holding the pedal down to keep the car in WOT asinine. You guys don't get my point.. it doesn't matter what the fuck the spacer looks like, it's the confidence building bs that Toyota spews over bs recalls that do more confidence shattering than anything else.. their recall description was trumped up bullshit, it's like calling their ziptie fix a reinforced tensile stress tested security anchor. It's all bullshit.. If I owned a lexus in the recall I sure wouldn't go into the shop so they can ziptie my floormat and I surely wouldn't go in so they can stick a cheap steel spacer in my accelerator pedal assembly.
#472
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Because the problem isn't mechanical. The pedals have been cycled & stress tested. The only issue that has ever come up in testing was the pedal returning slowly, not stuck. I find the insinuation that the little bearing axle holding the pedal down to keep the car in WOT asinine. You guys don't get my point.. it doesn't matter what the fuck the spacer looks like, it's the confidence building bs that Toyota spews over bs recalls that do more confidence shattering than anything else.. their recall description was trumped up bullshit, it's like calling their ziptie fix a reinforced tensile stress tested security anchor. It's all bullshit.. If I owned a lexus in the recall I sure wouldn't go into the shop so they can ziptie my floormat and I surely wouldn't go in so they can stick a cheap steel spacer in my accelerator pedal assembly.
#473
AZ Community Team
You don't know if it is mechanical, plain and simple. If you were a mechanical/elctrical engineer with all the drawings and documents with the validation/certification testing results then you would maybe know.
The supposed purpose of the metal spacer is to prevent too much friction from that toothed channel assembly from locking the pedal assembly. The friction is there to provide a mechanical feel to the pedal not just using a mechanical spring. That info is provided on Toyota's website. Is that the entire problem, I don't know and neither do you.
I fully agree with others that Toyota majorly screwed up here both in the engineering and PR but even as a engineer I don't have enough info to make any judgement call as to what the actual problem is. The fact that Toyota never had brake override feature in the ECU is kinda amazing.
The supposed purpose of the metal spacer is to prevent too much friction from that toothed channel assembly from locking the pedal assembly. The friction is there to provide a mechanical feel to the pedal not just using a mechanical spring. That info is provided on Toyota's website. Is that the entire problem, I don't know and neither do you.
I fully agree with others that Toyota majorly screwed up here both in the engineering and PR but even as a engineer I don't have enough info to make any judgement call as to what the actual problem is. The fact that Toyota never had brake override feature in the ECU is kinda amazing.
Because the problem isn't mechanical. The pedals have been cycled & stress tested. The only issue that has ever come up in testing was the pedal returning slowly, not stuck. I find the insinuation that the little bearing axle holding the pedal down to keep the car in WOT asinine. You guys don't get my point.. it doesn't matter what the fuck the spacer looks like, it's the confidence building bs that Toyota spews over bs recalls that do more confidence shattering than anything else.. their recall description was trumped up bullshit, it's like calling their ziptie fix a reinforced tensile stress tested security anchor. It's all bullshit.. If I owned a lexus in the recall I sure wouldn't go into the shop so they can ziptie my floormat and I surely wouldn't go in so they can stick a cheap steel spacer in my accelerator pedal assembly.
#476
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They're reaping the benefits of that attitude now I'm afraid.....
#477
Chapter Leader (Southern Region)
You don't know if it is mechanical, plain and simple. If you were a mechanical/elctrical engineer with all the drawings and documents with the validation/certification testing results then you would maybe know.
The supposed purpose of the metal spacer is to prevent too much friction from that toothed channel assembly from locking the pedal assembly. The friction is there to provide a mechanical feel to the pedal not just using a mechanical spring. That info is provided on Toyota's website. Is that the entire problem, I don't know and neither do you.
I fully agree with others that Toyota majorly screwed up here both in the engineering and PR but even as a engineer I don't have enough info to make any judgement call as to what the actual problem is. The fact that Toyota never had brake override feature in the ECU is kinda amazing.
The supposed purpose of the metal spacer is to prevent too much friction from that toothed channel assembly from locking the pedal assembly. The friction is there to provide a mechanical feel to the pedal not just using a mechanical spring. That info is provided on Toyota's website. Is that the entire problem, I don't know and neither do you.
I fully agree with others that Toyota majorly screwed up here both in the engineering and PR but even as a engineer I don't have enough info to make any judgement call as to what the actual problem is. The fact that Toyota never had brake override feature in the ECU is kinda amazing.
CTS Comments on Toyota’s January 21 Safety Voluntary Recall
Elkhart, IN…CTS Corporation (NYSE: CTS) today provided comments on Toyota’s recent accelerator pedal recall. As previously announced by Toyota, the January 21 voluntary recall results from what Toyota described as “a rare set of conditions which may cause the accelerator pedal to become harder to depress, slower to return or, in the worst case, stuck in a partially depressed position.” Toyota said this condition “is rare and occurs gradually over a period of time.”
As has been publically stated by Toyota, we have no knowledge of any accidents or injuries that have resulted from this rare potential condition. Based on information that Toyota has provided us, we are aware of fewer than a dozen instances where this condition has occurred, and in no instance did the accelerator actually become stuck in a partially depressed condition.
As Toyota stated, this recall is different from and unrelated to the “sudden, unintended acceleration issue” which was the subject of the November 2009 Toyota recall. In the November recall, the pedals in Toyota models dated back to model year 2002. CTS became a pedal supplier in 2005. Accordingly, our products are not implicated by the November 2009 recall. The products we supply to Toyota, including the pedals covered by the recent recall, have been manufactured to Toyota’s design specifications.
CTS Comments on Accelerator Pedals
CTS stated that since the problem of sudden unintended acceleration has been reported to have existed in some Lexus vehicles and Toyota vehicles going back to 1999 when CTS did not even make this product for any customer, CTS believes that the rare slow return pedal phenomenon, which may occur in extreme environmental conditions, should absolutely not be linked with any sudden unintended acceleration incidents.
CTS is also not aware of any accidents and injuries caused by the rare slow return pedal condition, to the best of its knowledge. CTS wishes to clarify that it does not, and has never made, any accelerator pedals for Lexus vehicles and that CTS also has no accelerator pedals in Toyota vehicles prior to model year 2005.
Regarding the brake override, during the first bs recall with the zipties Toyota also campaigned to program a brake override into the system but failed to tell the customer, and instead pushed the floormat as the real issue.
#478
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Just shows that from the outside Toyota/Lexus are high quality cars but when you actually look at them close-up you see they are simply cut-it-as-close-as-you-can engineered and not really high quality when compared to how they are advertised. Sure, no Lexus have been implicated but maybe that's only because they are all built in Japan and thus have different suppliers, the mentality is the same.
#480
Someday, an RS6 Avant+
Anyone with a Toyota and is a part of this recall: Ask if you can watch them as they do the repair, or look through a window as they hook up to the OBD port and "ensure" everything is OK.