While it's fun to bash Toyota over this, in general foreign cars are still looked upon as more trustworthy than American cars. However, we should also keep in mind that this was not always the case. Not too long ago, "Japanese" was synonymous with "cheap". (I think they used to use recycled steel left over from WW2 or something, and their cars would rust out.) Toyota was considered a cheap low-level car company; now it's not. Datsun (Nissan), same thing; now, it's not. Honda. Et cetera. People laughed at Hyundai when they first came over from Korea; now, I would think they outsell most American companies. People laughed at Kia, most recently; Kia is now making inroads towards respectability.
So, instead of everyone using the moment to bash Toyota as they deal with their own "Belichick went for it on 4th and 2, huh huh huh" moment, perhaps we should spend more time figuring out how to raise the respectability of U.S.-made cars.
As for the rampant acceleration, it makes me glad I bypassed the Toyota Yaris and got a Smart instead. I don't have to worry about rampant acceleration. If the throttle opened wide, it really wouldn't make much of a difference.
