With apologies to Toyota.
Sudden Acceleration
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5,464
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
But, why apologize to Toyota? They covered up a defect that killed and even jailed innocent Americans. People can take their Toyotas and stick them where the sun don't shine or rise in Japan's case.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,923
Likes: 62
From: California
All brands of cars have it. It's called the Audi Syndrome.
It is when a driver thinks they are applying the brakes and push the gas instead. That is all that is going on with Toyota's. Driver error.
If fact all other manufacturers have more complaints than Toyota. It is just the the media and the government are focused on Toyota.
Locally an elderly lady pulled into the church lot and ran into the building. She said the car just keep going. Good thing it was an Impala or it would have wound up on the national news.
It is when a driver thinks they are applying the brakes and push the gas instead. That is all that is going on with Toyota's. Driver error.
If fact all other manufacturers have more complaints than Toyota. It is just the the media and the government are focused on Toyota.
Locally an elderly lady pulled into the church lot and ran into the building. She said the car just keep going. Good thing it was an Impala or it would have wound up on the national news.
Good example of someone who doesnt believe everything they see on TV. I once believed that we went to Iraq to elliminate the WMD, lesson learned.
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Heel & Toe
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
From: Temecula CA
I don't doubt that it would eat up the brakes on my Tundra if it took off whileI was going down the highway and I didn't get it out of gear or turned off.
I have gone out and simulated the scenario. It is easy to put the Tundra in neutral as well as turn the key off in needed even under full acceleration
Racer
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 405
Likes: 0
From: Arlington Texas
In the 80's, the Audi had the same "unintended acceleration" problem. It got big press, including "60 Minutes". The government finally discovered that the people who crashed their Audis were stepping on the gas pedal and not their brake pedal. Audi redesigned their pedals to be further apart.
I could never confuse my brake pedal with my gas pedal even if they are really close to each other. This 80's Audi problem caused the Feds to mandate that you cannot start an automatic car without holding down the brake pedal. Yep, that's why! -Clark
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 5,464
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
All brands of cars have it. It's called the Audi Syndrome.
It is when a driver thinks they are applying the brakes and push the gas instead. That is all that is going on with Toyota's. Driver error.
If fact all other manufacturers have more complaints than Toyota. It is just the the media and the government are focused on Toyota.
Locally an elderly lady pulled into the church lot and ran into the building. She said the car just keep going. Good thing it was an Impala or it would have wound up on the national news.
It is when a driver thinks they are applying the brakes and push the gas instead. That is all that is going on with Toyota's. Driver error.
If fact all other manufacturers have more complaints than Toyota. It is just the the media and the government are focused on Toyota.
Locally an elderly lady pulled into the church lot and ran into the building. She said the car just keep going. Good thing it was an Impala or it would have wound up on the national news.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 5,738
Likes: 81
From: Milford NH
Let's buy a Siverado or F series people. Mr .Toyoda has been tucking it to the USA for the last 10 years. What do they say?,"what goes around comes around"
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,709
Likes: 1
From: Pacific Northwest
St. Jude Donor '06
I wish I could believe that Toyota would not try to minimize or conceal the problem but I know from dealing with other car companies when I've owned their vehicles that they often won't admit a problem that seems to be well known...if they don't have to.
I wish I could believe that government investigators truly determine if a problem exists or not but I've busted enough knuckles and worked with enough computers in my life to know that recreating a problem often requires recreating the exact conditions under which it originally occurred which is often times impossible...at least when you're trying to. Of course it will pop up again as soon as you've ruled it out, and under different conditions.
So I don't know what the final answer is going to be but I think only more time and more effort will determine whether this is all much ado about nothing, an Asian conspiracy or something in between.
Last edited by C-INRED; Mar 18, 2010 at 10:14 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 19,574
Likes: 167
From: Frederick, MD
It was already proven that Toyota had a problem with the floor mats. Their solution is to shave the bottom of the gas pedal which makes it look like it was a garage fix.
Audi got screwed years ago. They didn't depend on drive-by-wire and with a brake system that can't even hold back a Prius motor.
Regardless Toyota got caught underengineering their cars so they deserve the pain. I'm just glad they don't have anything real powerful. I never heard of someone say "I love the way my Toyota looks" since the Supra/MR2 days.
Audi got screwed years ago. They didn't depend on drive-by-wire and with a brake system that can't even hold back a Prius motor.
Regardless Toyota got caught underengineering their cars so they deserve the pain. I'm just glad they don't have anything real powerful. I never heard of someone say "I love the way my Toyota looks" since the Supra/MR2 days.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 536
Likes: 2
From: Los Angeles California
As for Toyota's issues, despite many drivers being clueless, there is a chance it's a software issue. Software bugs that demonstrate themselves only rarely are common in programming and modern cars have a ton of systems which override or modify driver input.
Just look at all the comercials. It parks itself, it stays in it's lane if you wander, it stops itself if your distracted, it has 86 sensors taking measurements 500 times a second, it has 20 systems that respond to your needs before you are aware of them...
They are trying to make cars that drive themselves, they are trying to make cars smarter so people can be dumber, and it's a liability trap.
