A Major Manufacturer Takes a Hit
5 February 2010Toyota Motor Sales recalled 3,800,000 cars in Nov. 09 so it could fix gas pedals, mats plus software to handle what was described as sudden speedup troubles. Car dealers were making changes to the gasoline pedals by taking off inches from the underside so the throttle pedal would not be constrained by the floor matts.
Toyota has now followed up that recall with an additional recall surrounding abrupt and unbeatable acceleration on January 21, 2010. That day Toyota Motor Sales proclaimed a recall of 2,300,000 autos which included
‘05-’10 Avalon
‘07-’10 Camry
2009-2010 Corolla
2010 Highlander
2009-2010 Matrix
‘09-’10 RAV4
‘08-’10 Sequoia
‘07-’10 Tundra
According to a USA article with the title “100 Toyota drivers filed complaints before recall”, “she would become one of more than 100 drivers, according to a USA TODAY search of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration complaints database, who over the past few years have had their Toyota vehicles take off when they weren’t expected to.”
If folks think this accleration problem is solitary to Toyota cars, they are erroneous. According to the USA piece, “Jake Fisher, senior engineer at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center, says unintended acceleration is not a problem unique to Toyota. He pored through NHTSA’s database of complaints for 2008 and noted that every manufacturer faced similar complaints. Sometimes, the issue is driver error, he says. But sometimes, there are defects. Toyota accounted for about 40% of the 2008 unintended acceleration complaints, Fisher says. “This could happen to anybody, but Toyota was over-represented,” he says. “But the underlying message of this whole thing is that, while there are instances of this in Toyotas, it’s still very rare.” The sudden acceleration issues are not exclusively a Toyota concern, but Toyota does have the broadest serving.
Toyota has released a issuance, “Our investigation indicates that there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position. They also provided instructions on how to handle the situation if the acceleration issue occurs If your car begins to accelerate uncontrollably, immediately move the shift lever to neutral and firmly apply the brakes. Do not pump the brakes. And dont worry about the engine on modern vehicles, they have rev limiters to prevent damage. Once you have brought the car to a safe stop, turn off the engine.”
Toyota doesnt have a fix to deploy, and additional notifications are anticipated. Toyota and the maker of the accelerator pedal, CTS, have been working on a answer, but nothing of substance has been provided at this time.
To read an in-depth article on this problem from a 3rd agency see Consumer Reports article regarding the Toyota recall.
You can also stay educated on Toyota announcements at Toyotas recall page.
For finding new cars use CarLocate.com.
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