Autoblog

Toyota announces service campaign to fix exhaust on 28,000 Prius V hybrids

Sebastian Blanco — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Wagon, Recalls, Toyota

Toyota engineers have worked hard to get the emissions that come out of the tailpipe of the Prius V down to a low level, but that doesn't mean everything is copacetic with the car's exhaust system. To fix a known problem, Toyota has announced a service campaign for the Prius V, both in the U.S. and Japan.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the problem is with "weak actuators-control mechanisms" in the exhaust-heat-recovery systems that can end up leaking engine coolant, which will then force the car into a "safe" mode. Some second-gen, 2004-07 standard Prius models were affected by a similar problem in the past.

The new issue affects about 8,000 vehicles in Japan and 20,000 in North America. Prius V owners will get the problem fixed for free.

Toyota announces service campaign to fix exhaust on 28,000 Prius V hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota recalling Camry, Venza and Tacoma

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:19:00 EST

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

While Toyota recalls are no longer the earth-shattering news they were back in 2009, they're still news. And today's announcement certainly qualifies for the modifier "big," with nearly half a million Tacoma pickups being recalled under one campaign, and 116,000 Venza crossovers and 70,500 Camrys under another.

The 2009 Camry is the only model year covered by the recall, while 2009-2011 Venzas are affected. These vehicles may need a replacement stop lamp switch, which may have been installed incorrectly. Symptoms include warning lamps illuminating, a non-starting condition, and the inability to shift out of Park.

The Tacoma recall covers some 2005-2009 models that may need their steering wheel spiral cable assembly replaced. Symptoms include an air bag warning lamp that does not go off after the vehicle is started, which could result in the driver's air bag being deactivated.

In both cases, Toyota says it is "obtaining the necessary replacement parts" and owners will be notified by mail. Owners may also visit www.toyota.com/recall or call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

See below for the full release.

Continue reading Toyota recalling Camry, Venza and Tacoma

Toyota recalling Camry, Venza and Tacoma originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

University study shows recalls have hardly hurt Toyota

Zach Bowman — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Recalls, Safety, Toyota

If you think Toyota is still reeling from negative opinions stirred up by the company's rash of recalls in 2009, North Carolina State University has some news for you. According to a new study conducted by researchers at the institution, the recalls had "little to no impact" on how buyers see the Japanese automaker. Robert Hammond, an assistant professor of economics at NCSU, says the research specifically looked at the used car market to negate the impact of outside factors like incentives, marketing campaigns and models not associated with the recall to begin with.

The idea was that examining average prices of models affected by recalls associated with sudden acceleration would give researchers an idea of how willing buyers were to pay for the vehicles. Overall, used cars covered by the recall campaigns saw their price decline by a mere two percent. The figure is within the statistical margin of error for the study.

So, what's behind the slow in Toyota sales? Despite an abundance of fleet sales last month that saw the company's figures swell by 7.5 percent over January 2011, Toyota still fell well behind the industry average. With production back on track after last year's earthquake tragedy, the company may have some explaining to do. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading University study shows recalls have hardly hurt Toyota

University study shows recalls have hardly hurt Toyota originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

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

Airbag recall forces Honda past Toyota in total recalls for 2012

Zach Bowman — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Acura, Honda, Toyota

Honda has surpassed Toyota for the largest number of recalled vehicles in 2011. Wards Auto reports that Honda expanded an airbag recall to encompass a total of 2.5 million million vehicles last year, pushing the total number of recalled units to 3.9 million vehicles over 17 campaigns. Previous estimates put Toyota at the head of the recall pile with 13 campaigns covering 3.5 million vehicles.

The airbag recall covers some of the most popular Honda models, including Civic, Civic Hybrid and Accord sedans manufactured between 2001 and 2004, as well as the CR-V and Pilot. The Acura CL and TL were also included.

Toyota, meanwhile, found itself correcting issues with accelerator pedals and floor mats associated with the company's unintended acceleration woes. Toyota had found itself leading the largest number of recalled vehicles for two consecutive years prior to 2011.

Airbag recall forces Honda past Toyota in total recalls for 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

NHTSA proposing panic stop system for keyless ignition

Jeff Sabatini — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:57:00 EST

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

In the wake of the heavily publicized fatal crash involving a Lexus ES 350 with keyless ignition in California, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing standardizing keyless ignition systems. The government regulator wants all vehicles with keyless ignition to turn off after a button press of just half a second, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The proposal states that among the concerns are "drivers' inability to stop a moving vehicle in a panic situation," according to the report. That's what happened in the Lexus crash that killed four people in 2009, in which a three-second button press was necessary to turn off the engine, according to Bloomberg. The incident was one of many that led to recalls of Toyota vehicles in 2009 and 2010.

Automakers have already discussed standardizing their keyless ignition systems, according to an Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers spokeswoman. The half-second delay falls within a range recommended by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

While this new regulation is clearly a good thing, we do wonder what was wrong with just using keys?

NHTSA proposing panic stop system for keyless ignition originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota recalling 550,000 vehicles worldwide for potential steering problem

Zach Bowman — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Toyota

Toyota has announced that it is recalling more than 420,000 vehicles in the United States for a potentially faulty crank shaft pulley. A total of 283,200 Toyota vehicles as well as 137,000 Lexus vehicles may experience a pulley failure in which the inner and outer rings become misaligned. If that happens, owners may experience noise, vibration and a check engine light. If the problem is left untreated, the power steering belt may slip off of the crank shaft pulley, resulting in more steering effort. Toyota says that this could cause an accident, though no problems have been reported so far.

The recall covers the 2004 Toyota Avalon, 2004 and 2005 Toyota Camry, Highlander, Sienna and Solara as well as the 2006 Highlander HV, 2004 and 2005 Lexus ES 350 and RX 330. The 2006 Lexus RX 400h is also included in the recall, which covers a total of 550,000 vehicles worldwide. Toyota says that the company is currently in the process of acquiring the parts necessary to replace the faulty crank shaft pulley and that the company will inspect and replace the faulty piece free of charge. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Toyota recalling 550,000 vehicles worldwide for potential steering problem

Toyota recalling 550,000 vehicles worldwide for potential steering problem originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wikileaks details how Toyota problems caused diplomatic strains with Tokyo

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:01:00 EST

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

Toyota's recent troubles weren't merely issues for its customers, dealers, lawyers and bottom line - the repercussions also went all the way up through diplomatic channels. A series of cables posted by Wikileaks reveals that then-Transportation Minister Seiji Maehara asked that Toyota's situation not cause "obstacles to trade."

The entreaties disallow bilateral trade to be affected by the Toyota recalls, and in the words of a Japanese cable to Washington, "For many GOJ (Government of Japan) bureaucrats and Japanese auto executives, any and all auto issues seem to trigger memories of bilateral trade friction in the 1980s and 90s." That was when sectors like automobiles, agriculture, steel, textiles and market access were rich sources of friction, retaliation, treaties and new accusations.

The U.S. position - beyond Ray LaHood's occasional thundering - was also a desire not to return to dark international days as long as everyone realized "It is crucial for Toyota to stay ahead of the issue."

Wikileaks details how Toyota problems caused diplomatic strains with Tokyo originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Sep 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota issues recall for Highlander, Lexus RX 400h hybrids

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Lexus, Toyota

Lexus RX 400h - Click above for high-res image

There's a problem with some 2006 and 2007 model year Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h vehicles. Today, Toyota announced that it will voluntarily recall 45,500 Highlander Hybrid and 36,700 Lexus RX 400h vehicles that were sold in the States. What's the problem? Toyota says there is a control board with transistors inside the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) in the Hybrid System Inverter and that, "Certain transistors on the control boards in some of the subject vehicles were inadequately soldered and could be damaged from heat caused by a large current flow during high-load driving." Whoops.

Toyota says that the worst-case scenario is that the vehicles will either go into a fail-safe mode or the fuse will blow and the vehicle will coast to a stop. In order to fix the problem, Toyota needs to get the required replacement parts and will notify owners by mid-July when and how they can get the vehicles repaired for free. If you're curious about your own vehicle, you can call Toyota or Lexus directly. Phone numbers and more details are available in the press release after the jump. Information about other Toyota company recalls can be found in the archives.

Continue reading Toyota issues recall for Highlander, Lexus RX 400h hybrids

Toyota issues recall for Highlander, Lexus RX 400h hybrids originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota recalls 52,000 Prius hybrids for steering defect

Zach Bowman — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Recalls, Toyota

Toyota is recalling 106,000 Prius models built between 2001 and 2003. A total of 52,000 of those units were sold in the States.

Toyota says that if the steering wheel is strongly turned to the full lock position over and over again, the electric power steering pinion shaft nuts may become loose. Over time, that may result in the driver having to exert more force than typically necessary to turn left.

Owners can expect to be notified of the recall in early July, and the repair (in which dealers will replace the electric power steering pinion shaft nuts with new equipment) is expected to take around four hours.

In addition, the Japanese automaker is recalling a handful of Venza and Sienna all-wheel drive models for improperly heat-treated front drive shafts. The recall covers a total of 34 Venza models and 16 Sienna units produced in 2011, and owners can expect to be notified of the problem by June of this year. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Continue reading Toyota recalls 52,000 Prius hybrids for steering defect

Toyota recalls 52,000 Prius hybrids for steering defect originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault

Zach Bowman — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Recalls, Safety, Toyota

2011 Toyota Tundra - Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota has announced that it is voluntarily recalling 51,000 2011 Tundra pickup trucks. The automaker says that .05 percent of the vehicles may have been built with a faulty slip yoke on the driveshaft. Due to improper manufacturing during the foundry process, the yoke could break. So far, the incident has only occurred in one customer-owned vehicle and no accidents or injuries have been reported as a result of the defect. Toyota says that owners will begin receiving recall notices next month and that dealers will inspect the vehicles' driveshafts to determine if they are part of the defective production lot.

Though the inspection is expected to take no more than 10 minutes, if needed, actual replacement will take longer, but both inspection and replacement of the faulty parts will come at no cost to owners. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles have been impacted by the problem. Hit the jump for Toyota's official press release.

Gallery: 2011 Toyota Tundra

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault

Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota recalls 308,000 RAV4 and Highlander models over airbag sensor

Chris Shunk — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:21:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Toyota

Toyota has announced that it's recalling 214,000 RAV4 models and 94,000 Highlander and Highlander HV models for side curtain airbag issues. The voluntary recall covers certain 2007 and 2008 models, all of which will need a new Curtain Shield Airbag Sensor Assembly.

The roll-sensing curtain shield airbag system contains two sensors that detects roll angle. In the event that one of the sensors malfunctions, the airbag warning light illuminates. That means the side-curtain airbags won't work in a roll-over, though the airbags would still be available in the event of a side collision. If both sensors fail "near simultaneously," however, the seat belt pretensioner and, more importantly, the curtain shield airbag could inadvertantly be activated.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail in the next month. Once customers have been notified, they will be able to take their RAV4 or Highlander to the nearest Toyota dealer for a free repair. Follow the jump to read Toyota's official announcement.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota recalls 308,000 RAV4 and Highlander models over airbag sensor

Toyota recalls 308,000 RAV4 and Highlander models over airbag sensor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bloomberg: Unintended acceleration Toyota plaintiffs challenging NASA findings

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

Plaintiffs in the unintended acceleration class action case against Toyota are striking back against the findings laid out by NASA. It was the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that produced research showing electronics were not to blame for any sudden acceleration-related issues.

According to Bloomberg, the plaintiffs in the case maintain that NASA didn't dig deep enough. Toyota's computer systems utilize eight million lines of code, yet NASA only looked through 280,000. Lawyers for the plaintiffs have filed paperwork stating they plan to bring in experts who'll contradict NASA's findings.

Toyota maintains that any issues of unintended acceleration were related to stuck accelerator pedals, faulty floor mats and driver error - two out of three of which have been addressed with recalls.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Bloomberg: Unintended acceleration Toyota plaintiffs challenging NASA findings originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota recalling 22,000 trucks over tire pressure monitors

Zach Bowman — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Recalls, Toyota

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced the recall of 22,000 Toyota trucks and SUVs over improperly calibrated tire pressure monitoring systems. According to NHTSA, certain 2008-2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Tacoma and Tundra models may have been equipped with TPMS units that weren't properly calibrated. As a result, the dash warning light may fail to illuminate in the event of a deflated tire. NHTSA is concerned that this defect may potentially lead to an accident.

Toyota will recalibrate the tire pressure warning systems free of charge, though at this point, the company has yet to disclose its owner notification schedule.

The defect puts the Toyota vehicles in violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, which specifically deals with tire-pressure monitoring systems. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]

Continue reading Toyota recalling 22,000 trucks over tire pressure monitors

Toyota recalling 22,000 trucks over tire pressure monitors originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota recalls 2.17 million more vehicles over possible pedal entrapment

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Lexus, Toyota

Toyota has announced that it's voluntarily recalling approximately 2.17 million vehicles due to possible pedal entrapment issues. In case you've forgotten about Toyota's massive recall from last year, this new issue affects 2.17 million more vehicles where the driver's side floor mat can become a potential hazard. Uh oh.

In October of 2009, Toyota recalled nearly five million vehicles because of possible issues with the floor mats. In January of 2010, the automaker recalled an additional 2.3 million due to an issue with sticking accelerator pedals.

This latest rash of recalls pertains to:

2003-2009 Toyota 4Runner (603,000 units)
2004-2006 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid (397,000 units)
2006-2010 Toyota RAV4 (761,000 units)
2008-2011 Lexus LX 570 (17,000 units)
2006-2007 Lexus GS 300 and 350 all-wheel-drive models (20,000 units)
2004-2007 Lexus RX 330, 350 and 400h (372,000 units)

Toyota will be sending out notices to vehicle owners by first-class mail, and dealerships will fix the issue with no cost to the owner. As of this writing, Toyota states that it is unaware of any accidents or injuries related to this new set of recalls. The automaker's official press release is available after the jump.

[Sources: Toyota, AOL Autos]

Continue reading Toyota recalls 2.17 million more vehicles over possible pedal entrapment

Toyota recalls 2.17 million more vehicles over possible pedal entrapment originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Opinion: Five Questions For Ray LaHood

John McElroy — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Autoline on Autoblog

It took ten months. It involved the best brains in the nation. They conducted exhaustive tests. And Lord knows what it all cost. But when it was over, the results were totally predictable. The U.S. Department of Transportation could find nothing wrong with Toyota vehicles that would cause them to suddenly accelerate out of control.

The results were predictable because the country went through the same thing nearly a quarter of a century ago. Only then, it involved Audi. And in both of these cases, each car company was accused of having some sort of mysterious gremlin that would cause its cars to suddenly accelerate out of control.

But there is a significant difference between both investigations. Back then the Department of Transportation blamed it on driver error. Officially, they called it "pedal misapplication." But this time around, the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, wouldn't do that. He said it was caused by mechanical problems, i.e., sticky pedals and piled up floormats.

Too bad the Secretary didn't have the courage to call it like it is. By failing to identify the root cause of the problem, more people are going to lose their lives.

Continue reading...

[Image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty]

Continue reading Opinion: Five Questions For Ray LaHood

Opinion: Five Questions For Ray LaHood originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Opinion: Turning the tide at Toyota?

Paul Eisenstein — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Toyota

What price a reputation? That's what Toyota will be learning in the months and years ahead as it struggles to recover from the safety scandal that has enveloped the company since it announced the first recall for unintended acceleration in October 2009.

There wasn't a single Toyota model that didn't land on the recall list at least once last year.

Going into the recession, certainly no company seemed better suited to weather the perfect storm than the Japanese giant, which had positioned itself as the leader in quality, reliability and dependability, or QRD in industry speak, as well as the benchmark for green mobility. Having ousted General Motors as the global king-of-the-hill, the Asian automaker seemed unstoppable.

Yet nearly seven years ago, I wrote a column suggesting Toyota might become the next GM if it weren't careful, and even as the company's sales continued growing, there were subtle signs of trouble in the offing - most notably in its slippage on the quality charts.

But few would have anticipated the sudden acceleration crisis, or the series of additional recalls that followed, month after month. In 2010, there wasn't a single Toyota model that didn't land on the recall list at least once - some repeatedly.

Continue reading...

Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

[Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]

Continue reading Opinion: Turning the tide at Toyota?

Opinion: Turning the tide at Toyota? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mommy blogger makes trouble for Toyota

Chris Shunk — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Toyota

Toyota has seen more than its fair share of negative press over the past year and a half, but is the Japanese automaker willing to pay "mommy bloggers" to spread positive news? Mom site Dear Crissy reports that it received an email offering a $10 Amazon gift card in exchange for a post that highlights the fact that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found no software issues that led to the company's unintended acceleration woes.

The email, which reportedly came from a company called Mommy Networks, cited Toyota's damaged reputation, adding "we're helping to spread the positive news." The email asked for a blog post about NHTSA's release with links to a few articles, some love on social networking sites and "thumbs up" votes for YouTube videos.

For its part, Toyota denies having anything to do with the offer, adding that the company "adheres to the highest standards when working with media, journalists and blogger and we find any sort of payment for editorials or blogs unethical and illegal according to FCC guidelines."

Dear Crissy has since published an update indicating that the site has been contacted by both Mommy Networks and Toyota, both of which claim no affiliation with each other. Mommy Networks has since gone on to post a mea culpa on its website to both Crissy and Toyota.

[Sources: Dear Crissy via The Consumerist, MommyNetworks.org| Image: Toyota]

Mommy blogger makes trouble for Toyota originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Feds find no evidence of faulty electronics in Toyota models

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

The ongoing saga of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles has taken another turn today as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood released a statement indicating that no evidence of electronic problems in runaway Toyotas has been found.

"The jury is back. The verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas. Period." said LaHood in a prepared statement. This finding comes at the end of a 10-month investigation carried out jointly by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and NASA that was requested by Congress.

Over 280,000 separate lines of code embedded in the electronics of potentially affected Toyota vehicles were examined by NASA, none of which contained any flaws capable of causing runaway acceleration, says the report.

This isn't to say that the government has found that Toyota is not at fault in any way. LaHood added, "Our conclusion - that Toyota's problems were mechanical, not electrical - come after one of the most exhaustive, thorough and intensive research efforts ever undertaken."

Those mechanical problems, namely sticky accelerator pedals and pedals that got trapped under faulty floor mats, "remain the only known causes for these kind of unsafe unintended acceleration incidents," says NHTSA. It should prove interesting to see how the courts - both of public opinion and of law - react to these findings.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Ramin Talaie/Getty]

Feds find no evidence of faulty electronics in Toyota models originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Toyota taking "devil's advocate" approach to product development

Dan Roth — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota, Design/Style

If you don't get pinched by the wiper arm on the new Toyota Yaris, you have the company's new "devil's advocate" product development philosophy to thank. The approach entails a team of engineers doing things with the car that Toyota wouldn't normally be able to fathom. The events of the past year have shown that people will do wacky things with their cars, like making floormat layer cakes, and this spurred management changes like more local authority for North American operations.

Toyota has installed more executives in its American plants and given the U.S. arm of the business its own decision-making power on recalls, rather than waiting for word from the home office. A single database of internal and external vehicle quality discussions is also being put together to make Toyota's reaction more nimble.

There are critics of the efforts. Clarence Ditlow of the Center for Auto Safety doesn't find a new attitude in Toyota's response to quality complaints much of a departure from the past, calling it "pretty much the same-old, same-old." Sean Kane of Safety Research & Strategies opines that Toyota is "biding their time" and still tends to blame the victims rather than solve issues like the ones recently plaguing the company.

Whether Toyota's reactions are percieved critically or complimentary, there is at least the indication of a desire to rectify a damaging situation, and you can now be sure that many engineering mules are undergoing strange experiments deep in the bowels of some Toyota R&D bunker to quantify the effects of ECU pins shorted by a french fry.

[Source: Advertising Age]

Toyota taking "devil's advocate" approach to product development originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments