Owners of Toyota Cars in Rebellion Over Accidents Caused by Sudden acceleration.

[HemiEd]

Owners of Toyota Cars in Rebellion Over Series of Accidents Caused by Sudden Acceleration


Anyone else been following this story? They had a pretty graphic show on nightline about it last night.


http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Runawa...ory?id=8980479

Refusing to accept the explanation of Toyota and the federal government, hundreds of Toyota owners are in rebellion after a series of accidents caused by what they call "runaway cars."


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Department of Transportation: underlying defect causes accelerators to stick.

More PhotosSafety analysts found an estimated 2000 cases in which owners of Toyota cars including Camry, Prius and Lexus, reported that their cars surged without warning up to speeds of 100 miles per hour.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OF THE RUNAWAY TOYOTAS STORY.

Toyota says the incidents are caused by floor mats becoming stuck under gas pedals, but owners say that's not what happened to them.

Watch the full report tonight on 'World News with Charles Gibson' and 'Nightline'.

"I'm absolutely certain that in my situation, it was not the floor mats," Elizabeth James told ABC News. She was driving her Toyota Prius outside Denver, CO when she says it suddenly shot up to 90 miles an hour, even though her foot was on the brake and not the gas pedal.

"I kept going faster and faster," James said. "And all of a sudden… my foot was pressing on the brake super, super hard and I wasn't slowing down."

James and some other Toyota owners suspect the accidents have been caused by some kind of glitch in the electronic computer system used in Toyotas that controls the throttle.

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2...at-recall.html

[Bugeater]

Originally Posted by svuba

Is it not true that braking systems on modern cars are more powerful than the engine/ accelerating force?

My understanding is that that when mashing the brake pedal you should be decelerating regardless of how the engine is trying to accelerate.

What about power braking,, has everybody done this? stand on the brakes & the gas at the same time in your car. it doesn't go anywhere until you release the brakes right?

just stand on the brakes & pull the e-brake at the same time you should be slowing down. I believe that all cars are designed with more braking power than accelerating power.

Am I wrong here? honestly the brakes are more powerful, so use them. maybe it takes a little longer than normal, but the case in so cal with the cop he is saying "we have no brakes", so were there multiple simultaneous failures, or did he freak out, and not stand on the brakes?

If you're going highway speeds, your brakes will heat up very quickly and cause the brake fluid to boil which at that point they fail. It's different when you're standing still and lock the brakes up and hit the gas because there is no friction to heat up the brakes.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Bugeater

If you're going highway speeds, your brakes will heat up very quickly and cause the brake fluid to boil which at that point they fail. It's different when you're standing still and lock the brakes up and hit the gas because there is no friction to heat up the brakes.

Exactly, plus you also have the forward momentum of the car,mass, along with a lock up torque converter, that basically turns it into direct drive, when it locks up.

When it is stopped, you have the "stall" of the torque converter.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

It's not so much about saving your vehicle as it is about degrees of losing. Would you rather blow up your car or hit another at 90 and blow up your car anyway and kill yourself and probably someone else?

Well no !@#$.

But most people in that situation are going to take a brief second to see if it's something as simple as accidently flipping on their cruise (something we've all done) or if it IS a floormat, etc...

My point is that blowing their car to hell and back is something that most people will do only as a last resort. By the time they've exhausted options A and B, it may be too late.

And again - sitting on your couch it's easy to say what you'd have done, just like it's easy for Joe the mechanic to say he'd never nail an intern if he were the President or anyone on this board to say they'd be a lesser prick than LJ if they were in his shoes.

None of us can truly know how we'd react but we've all done something stupid in the face of adrenaline.

Like I said, I'd lighten up on the guy.

[HemiEd]

Stumbled across this jewel.

http://www.safetyresearch.net/2009/1...r-mats-stupid/

Why do Toyota/Lexus models experience SUA absent all weather floor mats?

What changed in the floor mat design in 2002, when the complaint rates significantly increase?

How can a floor mat entrap a pedal during highway driving, when the operator has been driving steadily and does not depress the accelerator?

If Toyota/Lexus vehicle have floor mats so badly designed that they have killed at least 16 individuals and injured at least 243 injuries in SUA events, why is Toyota just getting around to fixing it now?

Why is Toyota claiming that floor mats are the cause of SUA incidents in vehicles not part of the floor mat recall? If they are causing SUA, shouldn’t they be recalled too?

[dilligaf]

I had the same thing happen with the floor mats on my 86 Bronco. I reached down and pulled the floor mat out of the way and the problem stopped. I'm not trying to be a dick, but people in this country don't take responsibility for their own actions. It's always someone else's fault and they want to sue for some free money.

[Brock]

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a statement today correcting inaccurate and misleading information put out by Toyota concerning a safety recall involving 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles:

A press release put out by Toyota earlier this week about their recall of 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles inaccurately stated NHTSA had reached a conclusion “that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver’s floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured.” NHTSA has told Toyota and consumers that removing the recalled floor mats is the most immediate way to address the safety risk and avoid the possibility of the accelerator becoming stuck. But it is simply an interim measure. This remedy does not correct the underlying defect in the vehicles involving the potential for entrapment of the accelerator by floor mats, which is related to accelerator and floor pan design. Safety is the number one priority for NHTSA and this is why officials are working with Toyota to find the right way to fix this very dangerous problem. This matter is not closed until Toyota has effectively addressed the defect by providing a suitable vehicle based solution.
NHTSA constantly monitors consumer complaints and other data. This comprehensive recall focuses on pedal entrapment by floor mats, but NHTSA will fully investigate any possible defect trends in these vehicles.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
On September 29, 2009, NHTSA issued a Consumer Alert warning owners of Toyota and Lexus vehicles about “conditions that could cause the accelerator to get stuck open.” As an interim measure, NHTSA “strongly encouraged” owners of specific models to take out the removable driver’s side floor mats and not to replace them any other type of mat. NHTSA warned consumers “a stuck accelerator may result in very high vehicle speeds and a crash, which could cause serious injury or death.”
On the same day, Toyota issued a voluntary recall of 3.8 million vehicles to address problems caused when removable floor mats push the accelerator pedal to the floor.
NHTSA officials are meeting with Toyota to hear their action plan for redesigning the vehicles and correcting this very serious defect.

So, it appears the NHTSA says it is the floormats. In which case, I wonder what kind of reerun can't look down at the floor and figure out she's having an issue with the floormat?

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Well no !@#$.

But most people in that situation are going to take a brief second to see if it's something as simple as accidently flipping on their cruise (something we've all done) or if it IS a floormat, etc...

My point is that blowing their car to hell and back is something that most people will do only as a last resort. By the time they've exhausted options A and B, it may be too late.

And again - sitting on your couch it's easy to say what you'd have done, just like it's easy for Joe the mechanic to say he'd never nail an intern if he were the President or anyone on this board to say they'd be a lesser prick than LJ if they were in his shoes.

None of us can truly know how we'd react but we've all done something stupid in the face of adrenaline.

Like I said, I'd lighten up on the guy.

It's happened to me. I imediately put it in neutral and kept on trucking.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by dilligaf

I had the same thing happen with the floor mats on my 86 Bronco. I reached down and pulled the floor mat out of the way and the problem stopped. I'm not trying to be a dick, but people in this country don't take responsibility for their own actions. It's always someone else's fault and they want to sue for some free money.

Sure that is all it is, just people trying to take advantage of poor Toyota.

I wonder what this "Drivers Ed" teachers motivation is?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWzroq-0h_c

[HemiEd]

Here is the lastest from NHTSA: http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...9.story?page=1

The recall affects the following Toyota models: the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2004-2009 Prius, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2005-2010 Tacoma and the 2007-2010 Tundra, as well as the 2007-2010 Lexus ES 350 and the 2006-2010 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350.

Last week, the NHTSA called the issue a "very dangerous problem" and said the remedy remains to be determined.

The agency declined a request for interviews, but issued a statement defending its past actions, saying its officials have continuously monitored Toyota vehicles for potential defects and that many of the reports of sudden acceleration involved only momentary surges of engine power that did not result in any loss of vehicle control.

"NHTSA takes every allegation of safety problems seriously and that is why we read every consumer complaint within one business day of its receipt," the agency said. "In the case of complaints about sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles NHTSA moved very quickly to respond to them."

[Easy 6]

B B Bu But... the foreign makers are the only ones worth a damn!?!

American cars teh sux!

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Brock

So, it appears the NHTSA says it is the floormats. In which case, I wonder what kind of reerun can't look down at the floor and figure out she's having an issue with the floormat?

You have a link to this, or did you intentionaly leave it out to help your position? The new news is that they say they have not closed the book.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

You have a link to this, or did you intentionaly leave it out to help your position? The new news is that they say they have not closed the book.

It came from the NHTSA. It's available on their website. I assume you're smart enough to go look it up if it's that important to you. Dick.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Brock

It came from the NHTSA. It's available on their website. I assume you're smart enough to go look it up if it's that important to you. Dick.

I quoted NHTSA, and provided a link to the information yesterday. You don't see fit, because the information you provided is obsolete and you know it.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

I quoted NHTSA, and provided a link to the information yesterday. You don't see fit, because the information you provided is obsolete and you know it.

You quoted and provided a link to the Chicago Tribune. That is meaningless. Are you really old or something?

[wild1]

so... take the floormats out? buy different floormats? manufacturer replacements?