Toyota recalls and related issues: BusinessWeek-Media owes Toyota an apology
02-08-11, 04:11 PM
#1501
Gov't finds no electronic flaws in Toyotas
ABC News Link
By Lisa Hernandez and Subha Ravindhran
DOWNEY, Calif. (KABC) -- A government investigation into Toyota's safety problems found no electronic flaws to account for unintentional acceleration.
The Transportation Department along with NASA engineers said two mechanical defects previously identified by the government - sticking accelerator pedals and gas pedals that can become trapped in floor mats - are the only known causes for the reports of runaway Toyotas.
Both issues were the subject of large recalls by Toyota - more than 12 million Toyota vehicles worldwide have been recalled since 2009 as a result of those issues.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the department's 10-month investigation has concluded there is no electronic-based cause of unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas.
"We feel that Toyota vehicles are safe to drive," said LaHood during a Tuesday press conference.
The recalls have posed a major challenge for the world's No. 1 automaker, which has scrambled to protect its reputation for safety and reliability.
Toyota's safety issues received broad attention from the government after four people were killed in a high-speed crash involving a Lexus near San Diego in August 2009.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received about 3,000 reports of sudden acceleration incidents involving Toyota vehicles during the past decade, including allegations of 93 deaths. NHTSA, however, has confirmed just five of them.
NHTSA officials said they reviewed consumer complaints and warranty data and found that many of the complaints involved cases where the vehicle accelerated after it was stationary or at very low speeds.
Upon investigation, officials said that in many cases when a driver complained that the brakes were ineffective, the most likely cause was the driver stepping on the accelerator instead of the brakes.
The Transportation Department enlisted the help of NASA for the study primarily for their expertise in electromagnetic interference and software integrity.
LaHood said NASA engineers rigorously examined nine Toyotas driven by consumers who complained of unintended acceleration - looking at hundreds of thousands of lines of software code and testing mechanical components that could lead to sudden acceleration.
A preliminary part of the study, released last August, failed to find any electronic flaws based on a review of event data recorders or vehicle black boxes.
Many newer vehicles use electronic throttle control with sensors and computer chips that pass commands between the accelerator and the engine, and some safety advocates claim the systems are prone to malfunction.
Despite the negative spotlight Toyota was under during the recall, they've managed to see decent sales numbers. The company said they have raised their full-year net profit forecast for its business year which ends in March.
After the results of the government investigation were revealed, shares of the automaker climbed on the New York Stock Exchange following the news. Toyota shares were up more than 4 percent, to 89.00 in mid-afternoon trading.
Despite its findings, LaHood said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was considering new regulations to improve safety. They include requiring brake override systems on all vehicles, standardizing keyless ignition systems and requiring event data recorders, or vehicle black boxes, on all new vehicles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
By Lisa Hernandez and Subha Ravindhran
DOWNEY, Calif. (KABC) -- A government investigation into Toyota's safety problems found no electronic flaws to account for unintentional acceleration.
The Transportation Department along with NASA engineers said two mechanical defects previously identified by the government - sticking accelerator pedals and gas pedals that can become trapped in floor mats - are the only known causes for the reports of runaway Toyotas.
Both issues were the subject of large recalls by Toyota - more than 12 million Toyota vehicles worldwide have been recalled since 2009 as a result of those issues.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the department's 10-month investigation has concluded there is no electronic-based cause of unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas.
"We feel that Toyota vehicles are safe to drive," said LaHood during a Tuesday press conference.
The recalls have posed a major challenge for the world's No. 1 automaker, which has scrambled to protect its reputation for safety and reliability.
Toyota's safety issues received broad attention from the government after four people were killed in a high-speed crash involving a Lexus near San Diego in August 2009.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received about 3,000 reports of sudden acceleration incidents involving Toyota vehicles during the past decade, including allegations of 93 deaths. NHTSA, however, has confirmed just five of them.
NHTSA officials said they reviewed consumer complaints and warranty data and found that many of the complaints involved cases where the vehicle accelerated after it was stationary or at very low speeds.
Upon investigation, officials said that in many cases when a driver complained that the brakes were ineffective, the most likely cause was the driver stepping on the accelerator instead of the brakes.
The Transportation Department enlisted the help of NASA for the study primarily for their expertise in electromagnetic interference and software integrity.
LaHood said NASA engineers rigorously examined nine Toyotas driven by consumers who complained of unintended acceleration - looking at hundreds of thousands of lines of software code and testing mechanical components that could lead to sudden acceleration.
A preliminary part of the study, released last August, failed to find any electronic flaws based on a review of event data recorders or vehicle black boxes.
Many newer vehicles use electronic throttle control with sensors and computer chips that pass commands between the accelerator and the engine, and some safety advocates claim the systems are prone to malfunction.
Despite the negative spotlight Toyota was under during the recall, they've managed to see decent sales numbers. The company said they have raised their full-year net profit forecast for its business year which ends in March.
After the results of the government investigation were revealed, shares of the automaker climbed on the New York Stock Exchange following the news. Toyota shares were up more than 4 percent, to 89.00 in mid-afternoon trading.
Despite its findings, LaHood said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was considering new regulations to improve safety. They include requiring brake override systems on all vehicles, standardizing keyless ignition systems and requiring event data recorders, or vehicle black boxes, on all new vehicles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
02-08-11, 05:51 PM
#1504
Is anybody going to be held accountable for this? Toyota chief had to come to the U.S. to apologize (humiliated) for no reason, that calls for at least an apology in my eyes.
I just saw this on the news today, they constantly used 'Runaway Toyotas' in their headlines. Even when they are correcting themselves, they are still showing their bias.
I just saw this on the news today, they constantly used 'Runaway Toyotas' in their headlines. Even when they are correcting themselves, they are still showing their bias.
02-08-11, 07:11 PM
#1507
Pole Position
Toyota really got bullied and there isn't a thing they can do about it. Scratch that, they should dump a lot of money into a marketing campaign that goes as following:
Montage featuring NASA scientists scrutinizing their engineering for a year.
NASA scientists give a confident thumbs up.
They install a Toyota accelerator pedal into the next space shuttle.
Launch is a success.
Communism is defeated!
American flag flies.
Then fade out to some rock & roll and a promise of getting a free BBQ with your next Toyota pickup truck.
02-08-11, 07:15 PM
#1508
Guest
Posts: n/a
Toyota Statement in Response to NHTSA/NASA Study
In response to the publication by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of an extensive review of the electronic throttle control systems in Toyota and Lexus vehicles, conducted with the assistance of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Steve St. Angelo, Toyota’s Chief Quality Officer for North America, said:
“Toyota welcomes the findings of NASA and NHTSA regarding our Electronic Throttle Control System with intelligence (ETCS-i) and we appreciate the thoroughness of their review. We believe this rigorous scientific analysis by some of America's foremost engineers should further reinforce confidence in the safety of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. We hope this important study will help put to rest unsupported speculation about Toyota's ETCS-i, which is well-designed and well-tested to ensure that a real world, un-commanded acceleration of the vehicle cannot occur.
“We will continue to develop and equip Toyota and Lexus vehicles with industry-leading safety technologies, including many based on breakthroughs in sophisticated electronics systems. We will also continue to cooperate fully with NHTSA and respected outside experts in order to help ensure that our customers have the utmost confidence in the safety and reliability of our vehicles. Everyone at Toyota – all 30,000 of our team members in the United States and the many thousands of Americans at our dealers and suppliers across the country – is focused on listening to our customers and constantly improving our products and service.”
Regarding the safety and reliability of Toyota vehicles with ETCS-i, the company also noted:
• Electronic throttle control systems have long been standard across the automobile industry, and they provide great benefits to consumers.
• Toyota’s ETCS-i has performed reliably in more than 40 million cars and trucks sold around the world, including more than 16 million in the United States.
• This system has also made possible significant safety advances such as vehicle stability control and traction control, which are among the five sophisticated accident avoidance technologies in Toyota’s Star Safety System.
• These enhancements, along with Toyota’s Smart Stop Technology braking system, are now standard on all the new vehicles Toyota manufactures for the North American market.
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In response to the publication by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of an extensive review of the electronic throttle control systems in Toyota and Lexus vehicles, conducted with the assistance of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Steve St. Angelo, Toyota’s Chief Quality Officer for North America, said:
“Toyota welcomes the findings of NASA and NHTSA regarding our Electronic Throttle Control System with intelligence (ETCS-i) and we appreciate the thoroughness of their review. We believe this rigorous scientific analysis by some of America's foremost engineers should further reinforce confidence in the safety of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. We hope this important study will help put to rest unsupported speculation about Toyota's ETCS-i, which is well-designed and well-tested to ensure that a real world, un-commanded acceleration of the vehicle cannot occur.
“We will continue to develop and equip Toyota and Lexus vehicles with industry-leading safety technologies, including many based on breakthroughs in sophisticated electronics systems. We will also continue to cooperate fully with NHTSA and respected outside experts in order to help ensure that our customers have the utmost confidence in the safety and reliability of our vehicles. Everyone at Toyota – all 30,000 of our team members in the United States and the many thousands of Americans at our dealers and suppliers across the country – is focused on listening to our customers and constantly improving our products and service.”
Regarding the safety and reliability of Toyota vehicles with ETCS-i, the company also noted:
• Electronic throttle control systems have long been standard across the automobile industry, and they provide great benefits to consumers.
• Toyota’s ETCS-i has performed reliably in more than 40 million cars and trucks sold around the world, including more than 16 million in the United States.
• This system has also made possible significant safety advances such as vehicle stability control and traction control, which are among the five sophisticated accident avoidance technologies in Toyota’s Star Safety System.
• These enhancements, along with Toyota’s Smart Stop Technology braking system, are now standard on all the new vehicles Toyota manufactures for the North American market.
Subscribe
02-08-11, 07:22 PM
#1509
That would be a PR nightmare wouldn't it?
Toyota really got bullied and there isn't a thing they can do about it. Scratch that, they should dump a lot of money into a marketing campaign that goes as following:
Montage featuring NASA scientists scrutinizing their engineering for a year.
NASA scientists give a confident thumbs up.
They install a Toyota accelerator pedal into the next space shuttle.
Launch is a success.
Communism is defeated!
American flag flies.
Then fade out to some rock & roll and a promise of getting a free BBQ with your next Toyota pickup truck.
Toyota really got bullied and there isn't a thing they can do about it. Scratch that, they should dump a lot of money into a marketing campaign that goes as following:
Montage featuring NASA scientists scrutinizing their engineering for a year.
NASA scientists give a confident thumbs up.
They install a Toyota accelerator pedal into the next space shuttle.
Launch is a success.
Communism is defeated!
American flag flies.
Then fade out to some rock & roll and a promise of getting a free BBQ with your next Toyota pickup truck.
. Stock soared today
02-08-11, 08:05 PM
#1511
Lexus Fanatic
I listened to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on news-interviews this evening. Yes, he did say that there were no specific electronic problems uncovered in any of the tests and investigations.
But, as I see it, I guess it depends on how you define "electronic". Toyota did have to come up with a fix for some of the drive-by wire throttles, with a seal-repair to keep moisture from getting in the accelerator-pedal electronic housings and shorting things out.
But, as I see it, I guess it depends on how you define "electronic". Toyota did have to come up with a fix for some of the drive-by wire throttles, with a seal-repair to keep moisture from getting in the accelerator-pedal electronic housings and shorting things out.
02-08-11, 10:45 PM
#1514
Lead Lap
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