Autoblog

National Academy of Sciences: Electronic glitches in cars untraceable, more oversight needed

Dan Roth — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST

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

"We couldn't find anything, but we're still blaming the car." That's the gist of the statement from a National Academy of Sciences panel headed by New Jersey Institute of Technology physics professor Louis Lanzerotti. The NAS supports U.S. regulators shutting down investigation of Toyota unintended acceleration incidents without finding electronic faults that would cause the behavior. However, at the same time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is planning to call for further oversight and more study to attempt to rule out electronic causes.

About the only thing that's concrete is that crashes happened. To be fair, electronic faults can be tricky to pin down, even with far simpler systems than the networked-computing setups that modern cars universally employ. That's why event data recording is already part of many automotive systems, along with a high degree of redundancy and fault tolerance. Many carmakers also already program engine management to douse the throttle with brake application in certain situations. Few are more interested in catching intermittent, potentially catastrophic problems than the companies building the cars, and most have already implemented the systems these organs of the state are calling for. Even so, the NAS and NHTSA appear keen to write these tendencies into law. Read the NAS' press release after the jump.

Continue reading National Academy of Sciences: Electronic glitches in cars untraceable, more oversight needed

National Academy of Sciences: Electronic glitches in cars untraceable, more oversight needed originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota 'victims' urge passage of Motor Vehicle Safety Act

Zach Bowman — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:24:00 EST

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

No one can accuse our legislative process of being particularly swift. Even in the midst of one of the most productive congressional sessions in years, it takes plenty of hemming and hawing to push a bill all the way from committee to law. Unfortunately, a group of individuals affected by the recent rash of runaway Toyota vehicles must not have gotten that memo. A group of family members of those who died in instances of unintended acceleration recently met with members of congress to discuss the obstacles facing the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010.

The bill specifically addresses the need for brake override systems on all new cars as well as so-called black boxes, or event data recorders, but it also ensures that federal investigators will be able to quickly access information stored on a vehicle in case of a widespread safety emergency. Meanwhile, the bill has run into some opposition. Most automakers have come out in favor of EDR's, but have found issue with other portions of the legislation.

Other potential snags include worries about the cost of the added technology. As such, proponents of the bill have decided to underscore the need for such a law for fear that the topic will grow cold in the public's memory. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety | Image: Kevin Burkett | CC2.0]

Continue reading Toyota 'victims' urge passage of Motor Vehicle Safety Act

Toyota 'victims' urge passage of Motor Vehicle Safety Act originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #187

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST

It's Monday afternoon and you know what that means. It's time to submit your questions for this week's podcast. We've got a list of topics to discuss below, starting with a supercar question to get our resident curmudgeon warmed up. Got a question for our intrepid team of podcasters? Now's the time to ask away. Don't forget to vote on which questions deserve our attention the most, though we'll try to get to as many as we can. Discussion topics for Autoblog Podcast #187, which we'll record tonight, can be found below. Finally, subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already to hear your question answered.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #187

Subscribe to the Autoblog Podacast and hear your questions asked:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #187 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Deep-Dive: Behind the scenes at Toyota's R&D center, Part 1

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Technology, Toyota, Deep Dive

Behind the scenes at Toyota's R&D center - Click above for high-res image gallery

The last 18 months have been a particularly painful period for Toyota Motor Company. Starting in early 2009, with the automotive industry facing a global economic recession, Toyota went from one of the world's most profitable automakers to grappling with its first full-year loss in more than seven decades.

As Toyota operations around the world began to slash spending in an effort to return to black ink, quality issues bubbling below the surface for several years suddenly burst open like a ruptured oil well. And while most automakers have faced issues with product quality at various times in their histories, the past year has been especially gut-wrenching for Toyota. The company's ascension to sales dominance was fueled in large part by its reputation for solidly engineered, reliable products with consistently excellent fit and finish. That reputation has now been brought into question.

As 2009 wound to a close, reports began surfacing that Toyota and Lexus vehicles were accelerating out of control, and the syndrome has been blamed for a number of fatalities. A string of related and unrelated recalls began and continue to this day, with the most recent coming just a week ago for a Lexus valve spring engine defect.

In an effort to show transparency and a concerted effort to improve its quality and safety, for the first time in its history, Toyota has invited a small group of journalists and analysts into its research and safety facilities in Toyota City, Japan. As part of that select group of media, in the coming days, we'll have a chance to peek behind the curtain, look at how its products are developed and tested and talk to Toyota executives, including CEO Akio Toyoda as we try to fully understand not only how things went so horribly wrong, but how the automaker plans to get back on track.

Make the jump for Part One of our series

Gallery: Behind the scenes at Toyota's R&D center

Continue reading Deep-Dive: Behind the scenes at Toyota's R&D center, Part 1

Deep-Dive: Behind the scenes at Toyota's R&D center, Part 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota Recalls: 3.2M down, 4.6M to go!

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Lexus, Toyota

Somehow, we're guessing that the "any publicity is good publicity" cliche isn't ringing particularly true with Toyota these days. That said, we do have to give some props to the automaker for being open about the current state of its recent recall woes. According to Toyota, roughly 3.2 million of its many recall notices have been fulfilled.

Yes, that number sounds like a lot. Bear in mind, though, that Toyota isn't even halfway finished with its recalls. In fact, there are about 4.6 million more of the notices out there that have yet to be fulfilled. And the actual breakdown of which recalls have been completed is also rather interesting.

Says Toyota, "Approximately 70 percent of the sticking pedal modifications have been completed on the 2.3 million vehicles that have been recalled... and more than 75 percent of the ABS program updates have been performed on the 147,500 Prius and Lexus models that were recalled."

Not bad, but there's still some worrying data. "Approximately 27 percent of the floor mat entrapment modifications have been completed on the 5.4 million vehicles that were recalled for this issue," continues Toyota.

We have to wonder if people aren't taking the floor mat entrapment issue seriously, or if perhaps the general populace is content just to chuck their mats into the trash bin in lieu of a seemingly odd tie wrap resolution. In any case, check out all the details in the press release after the break.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota Recalls: 3.2M down, 4.6M to go!

Toyota Recalls: 3.2M down, 4.6M to go! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 May 2010 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Report: 100 cases of death possibly caused by Toyota unintended acceleration

Eric Loveday — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:56:00 EST

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

The Los Angeles Times scoured public records and discovered that the number of deaths possibly linked to Toyota's unintended acceleration issue could top more than 100 - twice the amount previously reported earlier this year.

With recalled vehicles reaching record numbers, complaints have poured in to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the number of reported accidents involving sudden acceleration have increased accordingly. A review of police reports, lawsuits and NHTSA filings have revealed that sudden, unintended acceleration could be a possible cause of death in as many as 102 cases.

The rise in possible deaths related to sudden acceleration has led to a thorough evaluation of each and every fatality reported involving a recalled Toyota vehicle. All accidents involving recalled vehicles, and in particular cases that involve a fatality, will be investigated by the feds, and the government's final report should finally solidify the gruesome numbers.

Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.

[Source: Los Angeles Times]

Report: 100 cases of death possibly caused by Toyota unintended acceleration originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota reportedly knew about unintended acceleration issues caused by electronics in 2002

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Recalls, Safety, Technology, Toyota

Throughout all of the recent Toyota recall talk, the automaker has stated on numerous occasions that it has never found any sort of electronic defect that would cause unintended acceleration. Instead, Toyota insists that only floor mats and sticky accelerator pedals were to blame for the problems that owners have cited in recent months.

It comes as quite a surprise, then, to learn that Toyota has, in fact, faced problems involving unintended acceleration as far back as the early 2000s. What's more, an official service bulletin was issued to dealers on August 30, 2002, detailing an electronic recalibration that was needed to fix certain '02 model year Camrys affected by this issue. The service bulletin states that those vehicles "may exhibit a surging during light throttle input at speeds between 38-42 mph."

This new report was brought into the spotlight by Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Mich) who says that he still feels that the root of the unintended acceleration is, in fact, an electronic problem that has not been addressed. Toyota, however, continues to stand by its conclusion that electronics were not at fault in these recent cases. This new information will no doubt play a key role in the ongoing investigation about Toyota's unintended acceleration problems.

[Source: AOL Autos]

Toyota reportedly knew about unintended acceleration issues caused by electronics in 2002 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Are radioactive cosmic rays to blame for unintended acceleration?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Technology, Toyota

Could cosmic rays from space be to blame for Toyotas that uncontrollably speed out of control? Could such cosmic rays put you in danger of becoming a bright orange superhuman rocky man-Thing? These are the questions that a number of researchers are suggesting need a closer look to see if electronic glitches could be the root cause of Toyota's unexplainable rash of unintended acceleration.

Before you dismiss the cosmic ray theory, consider that the issue has been known since the 1950s, and airplane and spacecraft manufacturers design in safeguards that triple-check all data as a defense from such interference from space. Later, in the 1970s, researchers found that small amounts of this radiation does indeed make it down to the surface and can cause problems with small electronics like cell phones and computers.

For its part, Toyota responded to requests for comment from The Detroit Free Press that its electronics "are not the same as typical consumer electronics. The durability, size, susceptibility and specifications of the automotive electronics make them robust against this type of interference." Sounds like Toyota isn't buying the cosmic ray explanation.

Apparently, there's just one sure way to know if there's any legs to the issue of cosmic rays causing unintended acceleration, and it involves placing errant vehicles in front of particle accelerators and showering them with radiation. It seems that there are a number of firms that can perform such tests, but it remains to be seen if Toyota will make its vehicles available - and, we assume, write out a rather large check - for such testing.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Are radioactive cosmic rays to blame for unintended acceleration? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Report: California prosecutor sues Toyota, alleges automaker ignored defects

Dan Roth — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:58:00 EST

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

The hits keep on coming for Toyota, with reports of unintended acceleration multiplying like rabbits with aphrodisiacs and grandstanding of all sorts going on at every level. Orange County, California District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has added another layer to the cake with a lawsuit alleging Toyota sold cars it knew had problems.

DA Rackauckas (great name) alleges that while evidence Toyota had safety problems was "massive for many years," the parent company and its American subsidiary kept sweeping issues under the rug and settling any lawsuits that might crop up to avoid disclosing the truth. Double-secret internal "Books of Knowledge" that document problems and obfuscatory actions have come to light, though Toyota has not yet turned any documents over. The lawsuit seeks to get to the bottom of what Toyota knew and when, as well as potentially punish the company to the tune of $2,500 per vehicle if it can be proved Toyota willingly sold cars it knew could cause injuries that are impossible to reverse.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: California prosecutor sues Toyota, alleges automaker ignored defects originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Report: Some owners say Toyota recall fix not curing sudden acceleration problem

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:42:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Toyota

How Toyota dealers repair sticky accelerator pedals - Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota has sent out nearly 10 million recall notices for its unintended acceleration problem, and while dealers are working hard to install new equipment into customer cars, some consumers report that the current fix may not be enough to completely solve the unintended acceleration problem. In fact, NHTSA has received seven complaints in the past two weeks from Toyota owners saying that even after the repairs, the cars still experienced sudden acceleration issues.

The Los Angeles Times reports that many experts feel the gas pedal, floor mat and brake override fixes aren't enough, as they don't deal with the actual root of the problem. Still, we'll have to take these new complaints with a grain of salt until NHTSA actually verifies that the allegations are, in fact, true. NHTSA Administrator David Strickland tells us, "NHTSA has already started contacting consumers about these complaints to get to the bottom of the problem and to make sure Toyota is doing everything possible to make its vehicles safe. If Toyota owners are still experiencing sudden acceleration incidents after taking their cars to the dealership, we want to know about it."

Gallery: How Toyota dealers will repair sticky accelerator pedals

[Source: Los Angeles Times]

Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.

Report: Some owners say Toyota recall fix not curing sudden acceleration problem originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Analysis: ABC News report shouldn't panic Toyota drivers

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:28:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Toyota

You may have noticed that there have been a large number of reports recently about Toyota and the continuing series of recalls it has announced in recent weeks. Here at Autoblog we try to be fair and tell the story as best we can without being inflammatory. Unfortunately, the same can not be said of all media outlets. ABC News, and reporter Brian Ross in particular, have been particularly vigorous in pursuit of a story - not the story.

Let's make one thing clear. Autoblog is not a cheerleading section for Toyota, or for trial lawyers, TV presenters or politicians with nothing better to do. We'd like to present the information to our readers without unnecessarily frightening anyone.

We also want to avoid the sort of debacle that happened with CBS and the Audi 5000 in the '80s and NBC with the General Motors side-saddle gas tanks in the '90s. In each of those cases, tests were setup to "simulate" the purported problem, but the tests did not exactly simulate real world conditions and showed unrealistic scenarios.

A recent report from Ross on ABC News featured an "automotive expert" named David W. Gilbert from Southern Illinois University attempting to demonstrate an electronic glitch in a Toyota Avalon. Let's discuss this report in more detail after the jump.

Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.

Continue reading Analysis: ABC News report shouldn't panic Toyota drivers

Analysis: ABC News report shouldn't panic Toyota drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Autoblog Podcast #167 - Excitement builds for Geneva

Dan Roth — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Geneva Motor Show, Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Kia, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Citroën

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Episode #167 of the Autoblog Podcast is a fine quartet of Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid, Chris Paukert and Dan Roth. We breeze through the Autoblog Garage, filled with a snow-tired Camaro, a pair of Audi cabrios and a Kia Forte Koup, before hitting the news.

Audi's updated RS5, with a clear-voiced 4.2-liter V8 is up first, followed by the want-it-now BMW 5 Series Touring. We're not done with Europe yet, kicking around the Mercedes-Benz F800 and Citroën DS3 Racing before heading across La Manche to check out the Lotus Proton PHEV and then discuss Kia's Magentis renderings. Wrapping it up, we surmise what Chrysler's purported refreshes might turn out to be and talk about the overwhelming crush of Toyota recall and Congressional hearing news before taking some questions and calling it a night.

Direct fanmail to Podcast at Autoblog dot com, review the show in iTunes, fill out our survey or even leave us a voicemail on our Google Voice line 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763). Until next week, hit up Joystiq and Engadget when podcast loneliness sets in. Thanks for listening!

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #167 - Excitement builds for Geneva

Autoblog Podcast #167 - Excitement builds for Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyoda officially invited to attend House Oversight Commitee meeting on Toyota safety - UPDATE: Guess who's coming to D.C.?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:08:00 EST

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

Just yesterday, Toyota Motor Company's president Akio Toyoda (yep, the grandson of the company's founder) indicated that he had no intention of attending a February 24 Congressional hearing before the House Oversight Committee. Instead, Toyoda said that Yoshimi Inaba, president of Toyota's operations in North America, will appear on behalf of of the automaker.

When pressed further, though, the New York Times reports that Toyoda said he would consider attending if he received a formal invitation, none of which had been extended. Well now, that little oversight has since been corrected. Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) has sent a letter - the text of which you'll find pasted after the break - formally inviting Toyoda to attend the upcoming Toyota Gas Pedals: Is the Public At Risk? hearing.

Oh, and Toyoda should also feel free to submit "written testimony for the record, of any reasonable length," and to "be prepared to provide a five minute opening statement and answer questions posed by Members of the Committee." Sounds like a nifty little shindig, we'll be waiting for our own formal invitations in the mail. We'll bring the popcorn.

UPDATE: According to a statement released tonight, Akio Toyoda will testify before Congress next week, saying "I look forward to speaking directly with Congress and the American people." Full statement after the jump.

Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.

[Source: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform | Image: Junko Kimura/Getty]

Continue reading Toyoda officially invited to attend House Oversight Commitee meeting on Toyota safety - UPDATE: Guess who's coming to D.C.?

Toyoda officially invited to attend House Oversight Commitee meeting on Toyota safety - UPDATE: Guess who's coming to D.C.? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

NHTSA launching probe into timeliness of three Toyota recalls

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:28:00 EST

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

Another day, another major story on Toyota's recent recall woes. As you may have already heard, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration - and particularly U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood - is less than pleased with the way Toyota has handled its various vehicle callbacks.

Now, NHTSA has made its public displeasure official with a press release indicating that it will "[use] its statutory authority to obtain documents from Toyota to determine if the automaker conducted three of its recent recalls in a timely manner." To what end? To determine "when and how it learned of the defects affecting approximately 6 million vehicles in the U.S. alone" and to be sure that there aren't any additional problems Toyota has yet to announce.

If the NHTSA finds that Toyota failed to deal with known safety issues in a timely manner, it could find the Japanese automaker liable for a maximum of $16.4 million in civil penalties. Granted, that's a pretty small dollar amount for such a large company, but it could spearhead the already rising tide of negative press and keep the issue fresh in the public's mind for some time to come. Click past the break for the official press release.

Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading NHTSA launching probe into timeliness of three Toyota recalls

NHTSA launching probe into timeliness of three Toyota recalls originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Reports: Toyota fixing 50k pedals per day, considering redesigning pushbutton start

Dan Roth — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST

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

Toyota's got its sticky-pedal fix in high gear, with dealers exorcising an impressive 50,000 unintended acceleration demons per day. Thus far, 225,000 of the several million recalled vehicles have already been repaired. Going all-in on the fix was the only choice for Toyota, anything less would telegraph an attitude of apathy toward safety, and brand perception has tumbled precipitously lately.

There's a long way to go to finish all the fixes for the various massive recalls of Toyota vehicles, but there have been positives lately, too. MotorWeek named the Prius its 2010 Car of the Year, overall customer complaints have been low for the past decade, and a refreshed Avalon rolled out in Chicago. On the other hand, some members of Congress would like Akio Toyoda, president of the company, to pay a visit to Capitol Hill for what's likely to be a less pleasant experience.

As a result of the runaway acceleration issues, Toyota is also considering forward-looking revisions to its Smart Key pushbutton start system. The changes wouldn't be part of any recalls, and would be for yet-to-be-birthed cars. Adding a three-press shutdown feature, instead of the current mode of holding the start button for three-plus seconds is a change that would bring Toyota in line with other automakers that use pushbutton start. The hope is that in an emergency, shutting down the vehicle will be quicker and more intuitive.

[Source: Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post]

Reports: Toyota fixing 50k pedals per day, considering redesigning pushbutton start originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Video: Jim Lentz makes his own recalled pedal fix film

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:27:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Videos, Toyota

Toyota's Jim Lentz explains the sticky pedal situation - Click above to watch the video after the break

Toyota President and COO Jim Lentz decided to go ahead and visit one of the automaker's own dealerships to see one of its recalled gas pedals go through the shim-fix for himself, and he helpfully brought a video crew along for the ride. After giving a brief rundown of what's happened thus far - a much more thorough version of which can be found here - Lentz turns the duties over to one of the dealership's service technicians, who runs through the actual process of fixing a defective pedal.

Now, for a few observations: First, we wouldn't want to take his place behind the camera, but all Lentz needs is a basketball for that left hand of his and he'd be a veritable Harlem Globetrotter. Second, the fix doesn't look all that difficult, and it takes the technician just a few minutes to add the shim after the affected pedal has been removed from the vehicle. Lastly, for another take on the pedal-shim operation, see our previous video on the subject here.

Check out Lentz's video after the break, and check out our high-res image gallery of the process below.

Gallery: How Toyota dealers will repair sticky accelerator pedals

[Source: Toyota via YouTube]

Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.

Continue reading Video: Jim Lentz makes his own recalled pedal fix film

Video: Jim Lentz makes his own recalled pedal fix film originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Report: Toyota Prius brakes under investigation by Japanese, U.S. governments

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Safety, Hatchback, Toyota

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery

The pain just keeps on coming for Toyota. First came complaints of cars running away without the driver pressing the accelerator. Now the Japanese government has ordered Toyota to investigate the braking system on the 2010 Prius. The U.S. government is also looking into the matter after receiving over 100 complaints about the brakes on the third-generation hybrid. Like most other hybrids, the Prius uses an electro-hydraulic brake system that blends the regenerative and friction braking functions. There have apparently been dozens of complaints in Japan and North America of a momentary loss of braking power at low speeds on slick or bumpy road surfaces.

We can't say for sure what is or is not happening on the Prius, but we can offer some possible insight. On hybrids vehicles, the brake system monitors the state of charge of the battery, the available amount of regenerative braking and the driver's brake demand (as measured by the brake pedal apply). As the vehicle comes to a stop, the amount of regenerative braking is ramped down to zero since you can only capture kinetic energy when the wheels are rolling. Doing this smoothly requires an accurate software model of the friction braking behavior. If the friction brakes are generating less torque than the model says it should be, the brake system will apply less pressure to the brakes. The result would be a momentary loss of deceleration during the hand-off from regen to friction braking.

Because the behavior of friction brakes varies over time depending on temperature, moisture, wear and other factors, it is very difficult to calibrate these models. The other part of this equation is the fact that this is happening at low speeds. The wheel speed sensors become less accurate at low speeds as the time period between sensor pulses is extended. Rough or slippery surfaces exacerbate the problem, which could make the brake system think there is slip that might not be there, resulting in lower brake pressure. The result is a perceived loss of deceleration.

If these are the problems that the Prius is experiencing, they could be corrected with an update to the control software. However, that will take time for Toyota to calibrate and validate.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: New York Times]

Report: Toyota Prius brakes under investigation by Japanese, U.S. governments originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Autoblog Podcast #164 - Return of the Lieberman

Dan Roth — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:11:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Recalls, Safety, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Jaguar, Jeep, Lincoln, Toyota, Tesla

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

The prodigal Jonny Lieberman phones in this week for episode #164 of the Autoblog Podcast, joining Chris, Sam, and Dan for the ensuing hijinks. Despite the massive preoccupation with Toyota recalls, which does lead us off, our quartet manages to hit some other topics, too.

Hyundai's 2011 Sonata and its pricing gives us relief from recall madness, followed by the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee's pricking and packaging details. Very quiet Mercury has rumors of a Focus-based C-Segment car coming up, and we return to Toyota - this time with better news - a potential high performance division. That's your hour-and-a-half for this week, see you next time!

Until next week, hit up Joystiq and Engadget - Let us know what you think of our podcast by dropping us an email at Podcast at Autoblog dot com, reviewing the show in iTunes, filling out our survey, or even leaving us a voicemail on our Google Voice line 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763). Thanks for listening!

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #164 - Return of the Lieberman

Autoblog Podcast #164 - Return of the Lieberman originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Unintended acceleration or angry customer? Toyota driver reportedly rams dealership with truck

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Recalls, Toyota

Seems as everyone's getting miffed at Toyota these days. Customers are angry over the millions of recalls and/or sudden yet unintended acceleration, readers are ticked at Toyota for taking our focus away from more exciting car news and we're frankly annoyed at having to write about the ailing Japanese giant every time we switch the computer on. But none of us are as miffed as one man in Louisiana.

If we may get all Don the Rum on you for a moment, here's what we know and what we think know: A man was returning his truck to All Star Toyota in Baton Rouge, LA when the truck rammed into the dealership. The Baton Rouge Police Department is placing the blame squarely at the feet of a "stuck accelerator pedal." However, things sound a little fishy.

Upon hearing about the ThrottleGate recall, the owner of the truck in question decided he didn't want his Toyota anymore, and attempted to get All Star Toyota to take the truck back and refund his money. The dealership, obviously, felt different, and offered instead to repair the man's accelerator pedal and give him a loaner. In fact, the dealership had to explain to the owner three separate times that he could not get his money back. Three separate times on the day of the incident.

In fact, it was after the third such explanation (and third refusal by the owner to accept a loaner vehicle) that the owner of the truck experienced a stuck gas pedal and rammed into the dealership. The building received only superficial damage. The truck however, is in a pretty bad shape. When asked if they felt the accident was intended or unintended, the dealership said, "no comment."

[Source: The Advocate | Image: Google]

Unintended acceleration or angry customer? Toyota driver reportedly rams dealership with truck originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota gas pedal recall woes spread to Peugeot / Citroën in Europe

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Recalls, Toyota, Peugeot, Citroën

The massive Toyota sticking-accelerator pedal recall has spread from the United States to Europe and even beyond Toyota-branded vehicles. Approximately 90,000 Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1 minicars have been added to the list of afflicted models. PSA, the parent of Peugeot and Citroën, has a joint venture with Toyota in the Czech Republic that produces the 107, C1 and the related Toyota Aygo.

The minis share the same electronic pedal assembly design used in the 2.3 million Toyotas being recalled in North America, as well a 1.8 million vehicles in Europe. In addition to the Aygo, Toyota has identified the iQ, Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Verso, Avensis and Rav4 in Europe. In total Toyota is recalling 7.5 million vehicles worldwide.

We don't know for sure but it seems unlikely with this many vehicles involved around the world that CTS is the sole supplier of these parts. If CTS is not the only supplier then it appears likely that the issue is more of a design problem than a manufacturing issue at one plant or supplier. It is also possible that it could be a software issue unrelated to the hardware itself.

Update: We checked with Toyota spokesman Curt McAllister who confirmed that Denso is the other major supplier of this pedal assembly.

Update 2: Curt McAllister sent us a note to clarify that CTS and Denso are the pedal assembly suppliers for North America only. We're not sure who the suppliers are for overseas markets including Europe and Asia but we'll look into it.

[Source: The Guardian]

Toyota gas pedal recall woes spread to Peugeot / Citroën in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments