Autoblog

REPORT: Toyota dealers caught off guard by pedal recall

Chris Shunk — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:59:00 EST

Last week Toyota publicly announced that it was recalling 3.8 million Avalon, Camry and Lexus ES 350 models on account of fears over unintended acceleration. The fix for Toyota's sudden acceleration issue includes the reshaping and/or replacing of accelerator pedals, with replacement pedals reportedly arriving in April. As you'd probably guess, the massive recall has led to many customers calling dealers for additional info, but unfortunately dealers weren't exactly prepared to respond.

Wards Automotive is reporting that Toyota didn't inform its dealer body of the proposed changes, which apparently includes the reconfiguration of the floor of some models, before the announcement was made. The industry trade journal says that a Toyota spokesman told them that the severity of the situation meant there was no time to inform dealers first, though all dealers have been informed by now.

Wards spoke to a couple dealers who sound more than a little frustrated by the situation. Earl Stewart of Earl Stewart Toyota of North Palm Bay, FL reportedly called the situation "confusing" and "embarrassing," adding that his dealership has been fixing floor mats the past few months without getting paid by Toyota for their work.

While we agree that Toyota was right in getting this information out to the public as quickly as possible, we're surprised it didn't first alert its dealer body. After all, the dealership is the public face of the company, and if customers call and dealers don't have answers, it looks like the situation is anything but under control. The official recall notices for the Avalon, Camry and ES are expected to come by year end, while five other models, including the Prius, Tacoma, Tundra and Lexus IS 250/IS 350, will receive similar notices sometime in 2010.

[Source: Wards Automotive, sub. req'd]

REPORT: Toyota dealers caught off guard by pedal recall originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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400 owners can be wrong: NHTSA closes Tacoma unintended acceleration investigation

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

As is usually the case when complaints of unintended acceleration are levied against a vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has concluded that no specific vehicular defects have been found in 2004-2008 Toyota Tacomas. The mid-sized truck had been under fire from over 400 owners who claimed their trucks had accelerated without them touching the gas resulting in 51 crashes and 12 injuries. According to Toyota, however, the truck features a drive-by-wire system and its computer records any event of a mismatch between the gas pedal and the engine's throttle. None of the trucks involved in accidents reported any such codes. The NHTSA has closed its investigation and believes that driver error is the most likely cause for the vast majority of complaints while a few could be attributed to loose floor mats.

While the fact that the Tacoma has received so many specific complaints is worrisome, we are not big believers in unintended acceleration and tend to agree that publicity of the issue may well have attracted more erroneous claims. Debris stuck under the brake or pedals that are just closer together than some drivers are used to remain possible explanations, but could hardly be considered defects.

[Source: The Detroit Free Press]

400 owners can be wrong: NHTSA closes Tacoma unintended acceleration investigation originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Tacoma under bit of fire for sudden acceleration

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

Ever since the CBS 60 Minutes debacle involving the Audi 5000, the terms "sudden acceleration" and "unintended acceleration" have been indelibly beaten into the minds of most Americans. In recent times, vehicles such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee have been labeled with the unintended acceleration tag and have all been summarily dismissed as driver error. In every case so far, demonstrations have shown that standing on the brake pedal, even with the gas pedal to the floor, will always stop the vehicle.

The latest vehicle under unintended acceleration fire is the 2006-2007 Toyota Tacoma, with 33 documented cases on file at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). So far, no proof of mechanical failure has been found, and the most likely scenario, according to the NHTSA and Toyota, is a misapplication of pedals by the driver. Possible culprits remain bunched-up floor mats, debris under the brake pedal or gas and brake pedals closer together than drivers are accustomed to. Still, this case in under investigation by the NHTSA and Toyota is said to be cooperating.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Toyota Tacoma under bit of fire for sudden acceleration originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Car washes unfairly target Jeeps as dangerous

John Neff — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:10:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Daimler, Jeep

The Chrysler Group's Jason Vines is not one to bite his tongue when he discovers reports about his company that a lack a certain degree of truthiness. Today Vines has called out the International Carwash Association (ICA) on the company's media blog for alleging that Jeeps are more prone than other vehicles to suddenly accelerate as they move near the end of the car wash process.

No doubt the ICA is recalling the controversy surrounding the alleged tendency for certain Chrysler products to suddenly accelerate when being shifted into Reverse or Drive. In fact, its own internal investigation and inquiries made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that almost all reported cases of vehicles experiencing unintended acceleration were due to pedal misapplication rather than mechanical defects.

Of the 41 incidences of sudden acceleration reported to the NHTSA, the Jeep Grand Cherokee against which these allegations have been predominantly charged was involved in five. The Toyota Camry was also involved in five and many other makes and model comprise the remaining 31.

Despite finding no mechanical fault with its vehicles, DCX did offer to retrofit Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models back in 1997 with a 'brake-park' shift interlock that would prevent pedal confusion while shifting.

Vines then turns the mirror towards the car wash industry itself, pointing out that its workforce is comprised mainly of unskilled laborers who often drive customers' vehicles wearing big boots with one ass cheek on the seat while hanging out the door. Clearly no vehicles are intended to be operated that way.

You can check out Vines' fulmination in full after the jump and make up your own mind.

[Source: DCX]

Continue reading Car washes unfairly target Jeeps as dangerous

Car washes unfairly target Jeeps as dangerous originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Aug 2006 17:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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