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Toyota Recall!!

7K views 46 replies 12 participants last post by  DKazoroski 
#1 ·
I just read that Toyota is now going to replace 3.8 million gas pedals on cars in the US, because they have a tendency to stick under the floor mat (or maybe something else, that they're not telling us). As we all know, this problem when it first came to light was considered minor by Toyota, but now it turns out after several deaths, virtually every Toyota gas pedal assembly has some sort of defect that causes it to hang up or stick.

A lot of people thought I was crazy to buy a Chrysler product because of low quality, but with something like this, obviously Toyota's quality isn't there either.

How could Toyota allow virtually every car they sold in the US have this serious and dangerous a problem? Makes you wonder what other demons are lurking under Toyota's hoods!
 
#2 ·
I just saw that on the news a few minutes ago. They at first said it was due to the floor mats getting stuck under the gas pedal. Next they thought it was due to a computer or electrical problem. Now they're saying it's mechanical. Seems they can't make up their minds. The news showed a video from someone in a Lexus calling 911 to report that their accelerator was stuck. All four people in the car died as they crashed. I would have just turned the key off and used muscle steering and leg power to bring the car to a stop. Some people just get panicky in an emergency situation I guess, but to me, those four people died needlessly.
 
#4 ·
More bad news for Toyota

Just read a piece last night on the internet that Toyota's Tundra trunk ( I believe 2002-2003 models) is in trouble because the rear frame is having excessive rust issues. So bad that there have been problems with the spare wheel falling off...they are blaming it on the salt use in cold weather states, but sounds like quality control issues to me!
 
#5 ·
Hard to know exactly what causes the rust to start, but salt definitely accelerates it.
Maybe poor paint, easy to scratch the underside, etc.

Toyota, was only good when they made a relatively few models (small cars) and sold them at a premium price. They really can't compete as a full-line automaker.

Toyota spent most of its energy getting past Ford and Chrysler, but was possibly mortally wounded when they won the battle with GM.
 
#6 ·
Well that's easy to say. All 3 major US brands also had their shares of deadly recalls.

It was Toyota's turn.
 
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#7 ·
While we're on the subject of Toyotas,6 2010 Highlander suv s
were stolen last nite in various areas Of Toronto.
All the owners still had the keyfobs in their possession.
These trucks have the no key push button start and entry
feature and the police report that someone has come up
with software running on a laptop/netbook that overides the
software signal process that the keyless fob generates
allowing entry and starting.
Progress marches on. lol
 
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#9 ·
Comment to Mouser's comment to me:

All knowledgeable people are well aware of some serious safety recalls on the "big three's" vehicles, but...
Most people that I know that own Toyotas. constantly brag about the "fact" that they own the "most perfect" car ever devised - except for the guy at work that has a Tundra - the rusting caused it to go from perfect to "worse than American junk"
 
#10 ·
I've been hearing about all these about Toyota too. After all these years of hearing Toyota was the best thing since sliced bread LOL!!! My Dad was in the market to buy a new car and i told him he should check out Toyota and see if he liked anything they had. I'm glad he didn't and yesterday ordered a 2010 Taurus Limited.

Toyota let several people die............I heard, part of the fix was the replacement of the accelerator pedal with a shorter one.
 
#11 ·
I owned a couple of Toyotas over the years and had great service from them, but I've always been a Mopar man at heart. Just like my father. Toyota is now claiming that they can't fix any of the recalled vehicles until April of 2010 due to the fact that it's a mechanical issue and they need to "train" all of their techs on how to perform the fix. Sounds to me like a lot of lawsuits coming their way. They'd better look out or Hyundai is going to take the #1 import position away from them pretty quickly.
 
#13 ·
That's true Dave. That was fixed by the now famous hook that holds the front floor mats in place.

They are not telling the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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#14 ·
The mat issue was aftermarket heavy rubber overmats on top of the hooked carpet mats.

What alarms me is that with the electronic accelerator jammed on operating the brake pedal does not overide it, like turning off the cruise control.

I think that is standard in the EU, or is it just German cars ?
 
#15 ·
Dave,
Yes, the "hook" was the acceptable and perfectly functional fix, along with shortening the mats a little. As far as I'm concerned, there is still something hiding in there. Most likely, not a software issue, but more likely a mechanical or even wiring issue.

The April 2010 "fix" date is just a ploy to buy time, so that they can find out what is really wrong.

Aleks,
No, actually, Toyota wants the owners to remove the OEM "thin" mats from the driver's side. My neighbor got a letter to that effect from Toyota a few weeks ago.
 
#18 ·
Aleks,

There is a big blank space in your post - missing picture or the like?
Wow - have you not been seeing all the embedded You Tube views on ForumZ ? The Video windows can take longer to load so there could be a delay.

http:// www. you tube. com/watch?v=nvEFK3hdeBo
 
#19 ·
I feel Aleks will research this Toyota problem until he finds the real reason for the recall.
 
#23 ·
By April 2010 Toyota expects that parts will be available to enable dealerships to replace the accelerator pedals with new, shorter pedals.

More significant (Avalon, Camry, ES 350, and IS 250/350) is that a brake override system will be involved, giving these cars a “smart” pedal system. With a smart pedal, the brake can override an electronic accelerator. So should unintended acceleration occur, for any reason, the driver could depress the brake pedal and bring the vehicle to a swift stop—rather than fighting a full-throttle condition with the brakes.

Smart pedals will be installed in new Camry and ES 350 sedans beginning January 2010, and it is expected the technology will spread to most models for the 2011 model year.

Owners will be notified by mail.

Toyota Customer Experience Center: 800-331-4331
Lexus Customer Assistance: 800-255-3987.

:):p
 
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#21 ·
That news report is saying they do not yet know all the reasons. Changing the pedals and shorter mats in a recall may not fix it.

I do not see why a police officer could not shift out of drive or switch off the iginition, after all they did plow into another vehicle.

I have had a throtle return spring break before. I was more concerned with the engine burning out through over-revving from the run away than any alarm at safely stopping on the shoulder.
 
#22 ·
Truth is, until a person is actually in a "Panic Situation" they cannot predict how they would react to the situation. The heat of the moment has an uncanny way of messing with the most logical and rational mind.

I have seen many criticisms all over the 'net of how the officer did not react properly.
That is all "armchair Monday morning quarterbacking" done from the comfort of the living room sofa after the accident - not from someone in the driver's seat when it was actually happening.
 
#24 ·
Some addtional factors in the CHP San Diego Lexus crash.

The car was a dealer loaner as the regular vehicle was in for service that day.

The Lexus has push button start and the ignition key cannot be removed until the transmission is in park.

This is the shift pattern for the Lexus es 350



Try finding neutral in a hurry the FIRST time.

The car did have the heavy rubber winter overmats - to catch the accelerator pedal it would still need to be depressed to nearly it's full extent.

The 911 call lasted over 50 seconds. The brother-in-law said the brakes had already burnt out trying to slow the car. The dispatcher did ask why they were not turning off the iginition.

To turn off the iginition on a push button vehicle the start button needs to be held down for more than 3 seconds. Not something you would know the first time in one without a briefing/reminder/reading the owners manual.

Expect a DoT mandated dash reminder sticker to come out of this.
"For an emergency shutoff depress and hold the start button"

Did the driver take an off ramp as an escape road to use a gradient ?
Protecting the expensive new loaned vehicle may be a factor.
 
#25 ·
Nice researching Aleks!!!
 
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