Toyota gas pedal problems

[Pac22]

I usually stay out of this crap but I just saw on the news, a lady who went to congress about the gas pedal problem. Claims her Lexus accelerated to 100mph unexpectedly,,,,FOR 6 MILES...."As I had both feet on the brake pedal I called my husband".....WTF!!!!

Does anyone else see something wrong with that?? TURN THE KEY OFF YOU STUPID IDIOT, or at least shift it into neutral. Not saying Toyota doesn't have major problems and I laugh and anyone trying to defend them right now (you know who you are). But come on. Has complete common sense gone right in the crapper???????? I can understand panicing for a half mile or so...But 6 miles? Give me a break.

[Jaybird]

You know ___, I have to agree. I too realize there is an issue with the cars but........I just asked my wife what she would do if it happen to her. She said she would drop it in the lowest gear, stand on the brakes , get to the side of the road and turn it off. Calling me would not even enter her mind. I personally thought neutral, get to the side of the road and turn it off. Lets see a possible blown engine on one hand and kill myself or someone else on the other. Pretty much a no brainer to me. Also, don't newer cars have a rev limiter to keep from bending push rods and punching holes in pistons? 6 miles at 100 mph. Then she said it tried to start again?? Not sure what that meant. Maybe the car was possessed. Must have been complete and total panic to hang on for that long.

[re3too]

Oh, ya know she's probably blonde! Ya know ya wanted to say it so I did it for ya!

That being said....what a doofus! When you take on the responsibility of driving, you have to be prepared for whatever might happen. Scares the poop outta me to be sharing the road with such mental giants!

[TheOneAndOnlyROOSTER]

You know ___, I have to agree. I too realize there is an issue with the cars but........I just asked my wife what she would do if it happen to her. She said she would drop it in the lowest gear, stand on the brakes , get to the side of the road and turn it off. Calling me would not even enter her mind. I personally thought neutral, get to the side of the road and turn it off. Lets see a possible blown engine on one hand and kill myself or someone else on the other. Pretty much a no brainer to me. Also, don't newer cars have a rev limiter to keep from bending push rods and punching holes in pistons? 6 miles at 100 mph. Then she said it tried to start again?? Not sure what that meant. Maybe the car was possessed. Must have been complete and total panic to hang on for that long.

You might want to tell her, "that the computer might not downshift the car at that speed", she better have a plan B, C, and D... Neutral, and then turning the key off, and/or using the parking brake might be a better plan...

[E_]

Ummmmmmmm, you all might want to rewatch the testimony.

She said that she put it in neutral and it kept going, she even kicked it to reverse and it kept going....


I don't know if what she says is true or not but if true that is scary... I guess I could see a automatic being stuck in gear so bad the auto shift might not work properly since it too is electronic on the Lexus (I think).

She YES she did (according to her testimony) change it to neutral. She then said when it finally stopped it just kept revving up and down ( I would think that would be the revlimiter)....

And I liked how they could not give the panel a date when they first became aware of the issues....

[Jaybird]

I must have seen the CLIFF Note version of the testimony. I was under the impression she just hung on at 100 mph while she called her Husband. So if you can't put it in neutral, down shift, stand on the brakes, use the emergency brake or turn the ignition off to stop, what do you do???

[Pac22]

Ummmmmmmm, you all might want to rewatch the testimony.

....

UUUUUUMMMMMMMM If you believe that, then you are an......cool cat.

[Lock5]

I'm no Toyota fan, but I'm with ___ on this one. When this bimbo said she was cruising down the interstate and car was doing it's own thing and she in her infinate wisdom decides to call her ole' man, my first thought was what a liar. You ain't going to call nobody in that situation, you may decide to talk to the guy upstairs, but you ain't going to wait for him to answer the phone.

[E_]

Well maybe a year ago I would have been there with you but working with 53 women every day for the past year I have learned that is EXACTLY what many would do.

You should hear the stories I have heard... They think about calling their familes when they are in their own crisis all the time.

[DMS]

A co-worker aimed to cut a donut a couple of weeks ago in his 97 T-100 4x4. His throttle stuck WIDEOPEN. After hitting a feedtruck, set of forklifts off a bobcat, and a 5 stand bobwire fence, he managed to get it stopped. Toyota of Somerset denied a problem with this make/model, as I figured they would. When its all said and done...bet they have just touched the tip of the iceberg.

[TheOneAndOnlyROOSTER]

The parking brake is mechanical, it wouldn't stop it probably, but it would have slowed it down...

[RELAX]

We have a 05 RAV4 and havent received any notices about a recal from Toyota.

I think I am going to take a look under the hood and see if it is one of these drive by wire bullsh*t contraptions. (hope not)

Is drive by wire supposed to be superior to the old fashion foot feed? Guess not now eh?

Way back when I was a little girl, we had an old Chevy Apache-20, 2 ton flatbed. It had a starter button right beside the foot feed. You turned on the key, pressed the starter with your toe and pumped the throttle with your heal to start the motor. RELIABLE!!

Looks like now days automobil's might have too many computers trying to make it easier for us.

[Pac22]

I remember when I was 16, had an 83' Chevy S-10. Mashed the pedal and it got hung on the floor mat with wide open throttle. I quickly turned the key, fixed the problem and went on my way. But, back in those days we didn't have cell phones.

[Lock5]

I remember when I was 16, had an 83' Chevy S-10. Mashed the pedal and it got hung on the floor mat with wide open throttle. I quickly turned the key, fixed the problem and went on my way. But, back in those days we didn't have cell phones.

It's a good thing about the cell phone or you would have called your little 16 year old girlfriend and of course she would have been texting her BFF, and you would have said WTF, right before you went DOA.

[Pac22]

True dat

[E_]

http://www.toyotasimulator.com/

[E_]

...and another..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZZ1KYjAwIw

[Nervous Wreck]

More Than 100 Toyota Drivers Say Fix Is a Bust


Complaints of sudden acceleration in Toyotas repaired under recalls have nearly doubled in the past two weeks, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data.

WASHINGTON -- Complaints of sudden acceleration in Toyotas repaired under recalls have nearly doubled in the past two weeks, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data.

The complaints from 105 drivers raise questions about whether Toyota's repairs will prevent the cars from speeding up on their own or if there is another reason for the problem.

Toyota has said it is confident in its repairs and has found no evidence of other problems, such as faulty electronics. The automaker did not immediately comment Wednesday on the latest complaints.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was contacting owners who have complained about their repaired vehicles. David Strickland, NHTSA's administrator, said in a statement Wednesday the agency has found "several instances in which a dealer made mistakes in applying one of the recall remedies."

He said NHTSA has discussed the issue with Toyota, which is trying to improve instructions to dealers.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/03/ ... latestnews

[E_]

Its the taliban!

[bubbles]

wondering if i can blame toyotas problems on yukon hitting a toyota???

[Nervous Wreck]

That sounds like a Yuota problem to me!

[E_]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100407/ap_ ... call/print

Toyota official: 'We need to come clean'
By LARRY MARGASAK and KEN THOMAS, Associated Press Writers Larry Margasak And Ken Thomas, Associated Press Writers
13 mins ago

.WASHINGTON – Five days before Toyota announced a massive recall, a U.S. public relations executive at the automaker warned colleagues in an internal e-mail: "We need to come clean" about accelerator problems, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

"We are not protecting our customers by keeping this quiet," wrote Irv Miller, group vice president for environment and public affairs. "The time to hide on this one is over."

The recently retired Miller wrote the e-mail on Jan. 16, 2010, as Toyota officials were on their way to Washington to discuss the problems with federal regulators. On Jan. 21, Toyota announced it would recall 2.3 million vehicles to address sticking pedals in six vehicle models.

The e-mail reveals deep concerns within the company's leadership that Toyota wasn't dealing with the safety problems effectively and could damage the automaker's sterling reputation for producing safe and reliable vehicles. The company already had announced a recall of more than 4 million vehicles in late September 2009 to replace gas pedals that could get stuck in floor mats and cause sudden acceleration.

"We better just hope that they can get NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) to work with us in coming (up) with a workable solution that does not put us out of business," Miller wrote.

The e-mail was addressed to Katsuhiko Koganei, executive coordinator for corporate communications for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

"I hate to break this to you but WE HAVE A tendency for MECHANICAL failure in accelerator pedals of a certain manufacturer on certain models," Miller's e-mail began with several words in capital letters.

In a memo earlier that day, Koganei wrote Mike Michels, vice president of external communications, "Now I talked with you on the phone, we should not mention about the mechanical failures of acc. pedal because we have not clarified the real cause of the sticking acc pedal formally, and the remedy for the matter has not been confirmed."

Koganei further wrote that Toyota executives were concerned that news of the mechanical failures "might raise another uneasiness of customers."

The subject line said the e-mail was in regard to a draft statement to respond to an ABC News story.

A Toyota official said Wednesday the company had no comment on the e-mails. Miller, reached by phone at his home in Los Angeles, also said he had no comment. His retirement was announced by Toyota on Dec. 16 and his retirement was effective Feb. 1.

The Transportation Department has assessed a record $16.4 million fine on Toyota for failing to alert the U.S. government to the safety problems about the sticking accelerator pedals quickly enough. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Tuesday that Toyota made a "huge mistake" by not disclosing the safety problems sooner.

Concerns about sticking gas pedals and complaints from Toyota owners in the U.S. were rising at the end of 2009, according to documents obtained by the AP. The documents show that on Sept. 29, Toyota's European division issued technical information "identifying a production improvement and repair procedure to address complaints by customers in those countries of sticking accelerator pedals, sudden rpm increase and/or sudden vehicle acceleration."

Distributors throughout Europe and in Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Israel received the technical information.

In mid-January, Toyota held internal meetings "to discuss status of production changes and to prepare for meetings with NHTSA" on Jan. 19, according to the timeline. Two days later, Toyota announced it would recall 2.3 million vehicles to address the sticking pedals.

The documents obtained by the AP were among 70,000 pages of papers turned over to government investigators.

Toyota has recalled more than 6 million vehicles in the U.S. and a total of more than 8 million worldwide because of acceleration problems in multiple models and braking issues in the Prius hybrid.

The Japanese automaker was still weighing its options Wednesday about whether to accept or contest the fine. It has also been named in 138 potential class-action lawsuits over falling vehicle values and nearly 100 personal injury and wrongful death cases in federal courts.

[E_]

89 deaths
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100525/ap_ ... ta_recalls