Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
#1
11-25-2009, 03:36 AM
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,051
Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
WASHINGTON — Toyota Motor Corp. will replace gas pedals on 3.8 million recalled vehicles in the United States to address problems with sudden acceleration or the pedal becoming stuck in the floor mat, The Associated Press has learned.
As a temporary step, Toyota will have dealers shorten the length of the gas pedals beginning in January while the company develops replacement pedals for their vehicles, the department said in a statement provided to the AP. New pedals will be available beginning in April, and some vehicles will have brake override systems installed as a precaution.
Toyota, the world's largest automaker, was expected to provide more details Wednesday on the fix. The Japanese automaker announced the massive recall in late September and told owners to remove the driver's side floor mats to prevent the gas pedal from potentially becoming jammed.
Popular vehicles such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid, are part of the recall. It includes the 2007-10 model year Camry, 2005-10 Toyota Avalon, 2004-09 Prius, 2005-10 Toyota Tacoma, 2007-10 Toyota Tundra, 2007-10 Lexus ES350 and 2006-10 Lexus IS250/350.
On Tuesday, Toyota announced a recall of 110,000 Tundra trucks from the 2000-03 model years to address excessive rust on the vehicle's frame.
The recall involving the accelerators was Toyota's largest in the U.S. It was prompted by a high-speed crash in August involving a 2009 Lexus ES350 that killed a California Highway Patrol officer and three members of his family near San Diego. The Lexus hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, struck a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames.
A family member in the runaway Lexus made a frantic 911 call moments before the crash, telling emergency responders that the accelerator was stuck and the driver couldn't stop the car. The call ended as someone was overheard urging others to hold on and pray, followed by a woman's scream.
In Japan, Toyota President Akio Toyota called the fatal crash "extremely regrettable" and offered his "deepest condolences" to the California family.
Investigators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle, and could have snared or covered the accelerator pedal.
The government has attributed at least five deaths and two injuries to floor mat-related unintended acceleration in the Toyota vehicles and has received reports of more than 100 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck. A Massachusetts-based safety consultant who has investigated the Toyota cases, however, has found more than 2,000 incidents involving 16 deaths and 243 injuries potentially tied to the Toyota gas pedals.
To fix the problem, Transportation officials said dealers will shorten the length of the accelerator pedal on the recalled vehicles and in some cases remove foam from beneath the carpeting near the pedal. They said owners of the ES350, Camry and Avalon would be the first to receive notification because the vehicles are believed to have the highest risk for pedal entrapment.
Toyota plans to install a brake override system on the Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES350, IS350 and IS250 models as an "extra measure of confidence," NHTSA said. The brake override system, commonly called a "smart brake," will ensure the vehicle will stop if both the brake and the accelerator pedals are applied simultaneously.
Dealers will be instructed on how to modify the pedals before the end of the year and will begin shortening the accelerators in 2010. New replacement pedals are expected to be available for some models beginning in April and will be provided even if the vehicles have already received a modified pedal under the recall.
The automaker and government regulators have been discussing a potential fix for several weeks. In late September, Toyota announced the recall and told owners to remove driver's side floor mats and not replace them until the company had determined a remedy for the problem. The automaker said unhooked floor mats or replacement mats stacked on top of the originals could lead to stuck accelerators.
In early November, Toyota issued a statement saying NHTSA had confirmed "that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver's floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured." But in a rare rebuke, NHTSA accused Toyota of releasing misleading information about the recall, saying removing the mats did not "correct the underlying defect." Toyota said it was not the company's intention to mislead anyone.
For more information, owners can contact Toyota at 800-331-4331 or the NHTSA hot line at 888-327-4236.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
WASHINGTON — Toyota Motor Corp. will replace gas pedals on 3.8 million recalled vehicles in the United States to address problems with sudden acceleration or the pedal becoming stuck in the floor mat, The Associated Press has learned.
As a temporary step, Toyota will have dealers shorten the length of the gas pedals beginning in January while the company develops replacement pedals for their vehicles, the department said in a statement provided to the AP. New pedals will be available beginning in April, and some vehicles will have brake override systems installed as a precaution.
Toyota, the world's largest automaker, was expected to provide more details Wednesday on the fix. The Japanese automaker announced the massive recall in late September and told owners to remove the driver's side floor mats to prevent the gas pedal from potentially becoming jammed.
Popular vehicles such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid, are part of the recall. It includes the 2007-10 model year Camry, 2005-10 Toyota Avalon, 2004-09 Prius, 2005-10 Toyota Tacoma, 2007-10 Toyota Tundra, 2007-10 Lexus ES350 and 2006-10 Lexus IS250/350.
On Tuesday, Toyota announced a recall of 110,000 Tundra trucks from the 2000-03 model years to address excessive rust on the vehicle's frame.
The recall involving the accelerators was Toyota's largest in the U.S. It was prompted by a high-speed crash in August involving a 2009 Lexus ES350 that killed a California Highway Patrol officer and three members of his family near San Diego. The Lexus hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, struck a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames.
A family member in the runaway Lexus made a frantic 911 call moments before the crash, telling emergency responders that the accelerator was stuck and the driver couldn't stop the car. The call ended as someone was overheard urging others to hold on and pray, followed by a woman's scream.
In Japan, Toyota President Akio Toyota called the fatal crash "extremely regrettable" and offered his "deepest condolences" to the California family.
Investigators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle, and could have snared or covered the accelerator pedal.
The government has attributed at least five deaths and two injuries to floor mat-related unintended acceleration in the Toyota vehicles and has received reports of more than 100 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck. A Massachusetts-based safety consultant who has investigated the Toyota cases, however, has found more than 2,000 incidents involving 16 deaths and 243 injuries potentially tied to the Toyota gas pedals.
To fix the problem, Transportation officials said dealers will shorten the length of the accelerator pedal on the recalled vehicles and in some cases remove foam from beneath the carpeting near the pedal. They said owners of the ES350, Camry and Avalon would be the first to receive notification because the vehicles are believed to have the highest risk for pedal entrapment.
Toyota plans to install a brake override system on the Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES350, IS350 and IS250 models as an "extra measure of confidence," NHTSA said. The brake override system, commonly called a "smart brake," will ensure the vehicle will stop if both the brake and the accelerator pedals are applied simultaneously.
Dealers will be instructed on how to modify the pedals before the end of the year and will begin shortening the accelerators in 2010. New replacement pedals are expected to be available for some models beginning in April and will be provided even if the vehicles have already received a modified pedal under the recall.
The automaker and government regulators have been discussing a potential fix for several weeks. In late September, Toyota announced the recall and told owners to remove driver's side floor mats and not replace them until the company had determined a remedy for the problem. The automaker said unhooked floor mats or replacement mats stacked on top of the originals could lead to stuck accelerators.
In early November, Toyota issued a statement saying NHTSA had confirmed "that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver's floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured." But in a rare rebuke, NHTSA accused Toyota of releasing misleading information about the recall, saying removing the mats did not "correct the underlying defect." Toyota said it was not the company's intention to mislead anyone.
For more information, owners can contact Toyota at 800-331-4331 or the NHTSA hot line at 888-327-4236.
FoxNews.com
There is another thread on a similar topic dealing with the floor mat issue located here.
Last edited by haroldo; 11-25-2009 at 03:59 AM.
#2
11-25-2009, 03:49 AM
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,051
Re: Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
I imagine this is an extremely expensive item
Expect the cost of a new Toyota to rise.
Not an auto expert, but this can't be as easy as throwing in a new set of mats.
(I imagine Gettelfinger and the rest of the UAW are grinning ear to ear on this one)
Toyota plans to install a brake override system on the Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES350, IS350 and IS250 models as an "extra measure of confidence," NHTSA said. The brake override system, commonly called a "smart brake," will ensure the vehicle will stop if both the brake and the accelerator pedals are applied simultaneously.
Not an auto expert, but this can't be as easy as throwing in a new set of mats.
(I imagine Gettelfinger and the rest of the UAW are grinning ear to ear on this one)
Last edited by haroldo; 11-25-2009 at 03:52 AM.
#3
11-25-2009, 07:24 AM
Re: Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
Considering the Camry has a drive by wire configuration, it *could* be as simple as a software update to the ECU. We'll find out over the next few months...
#4
11-25-2009, 07:42 AM
Re: Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
The brake override system might not actually cost much at all on a per-unit basis. It might be just a software change. These vehicles already have the sensor to detect when the brake pedal is being pushed. The ABS and VSC units in the braking system are already connected to the CAN (Car Area Network), as is the ECM (Engine Control Module). The three units can already communicate with each other through the CAN. Conceptually, the brake system could tell the ECM when the brake is pressed, and the ECM could idle the engine until the brake is released, just as if the gas pedal was not depressed.
Of course, in any safety-related change, the engineering design and validation must be done carefully. So even if it just small software change, the engineering work might cost millions and take a year or longer to do.
Of course, in any safety-related change, the engineering design and validation must be done carefully. So even if it just small software change, the engineering work might cost millions and take a year or longer to do.
#5
11-25-2009, 12:45 PM
Re: Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
I think it will be fascinating to learn if they will just R&R the plastic bit that your foot touches, or if indeed they will replace the whole assembly, including the position transducer. The latter would be much more expensive and could suggest something beyond floor mat interference.
#6
11-25-2009, 02:36 PM
Re: Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
If there's a defect here, it's piling one mat on top of the other or ignoring/defeating the hooks that prevent a mat from "riding up."
I've look at our 07Camry Hybrid. It doesn't look like a properly secured mat could interfere with the gas pedal. I guess lopping of an inch or two from the gas pedal top will make even more difficult to get into trouble.
The best solution may be to skip mats entirely and upgrade the carpet so it'll take more wear and tear. Better yet, install a hard rubber floor.
I've look at our 07Camry Hybrid. It doesn't look like a properly secured mat could interfere with the gas pedal. I guess lopping of an inch or two from the gas pedal top will make even more difficult to get into trouble.
The best solution may be to skip mats entirely and upgrade the carpet so it'll take more wear and tear. Better yet, install a hard rubber floor.
#7
11-25-2009, 02:42 PM
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,051
Re: Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
My two cents....the mat issue is nonsense.
it's a scapegoat that they created.
It's probably a software or some other type of computer glitch.
Since they can't figure out how or why, they've created story about the pedals.
My father's Accord had unintended acceleration three times in six months.
It wasn't the mat.
The mat issue is a fiction.
it's a scapegoat that they created.
It's probably a software or some other type of computer glitch.
Since they can't figure out how or why, they've created story about the pedals.
My father's Accord had unintended acceleration three times in six months.
It wasn't the mat.
The mat issue is a fiction.
#8
11-25-2009, 03:25 PM
Re: Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
>>My two cents....the mat issue is nonsense.
Could be. But there's even less basis for speculating that it's a software or computer problem.
It is possible for one mat piled on top of another to cause a problem. And it is possible for an improperly secured mat to "ride up."
Might there be other gremlins at work here? Sure, but then I guess it could be anything.
Could be. But there's even less basis for speculating that it's a software or computer problem.
It is possible for one mat piled on top of another to cause a problem. And it is possible for an improperly secured mat to "ride up."
Might there be other gremlins at work here? Sure, but then I guess it could be anything.
#9
11-25-2009, 04:37 PM
Re: Toyota to Replace 3.8M Gas Pedals After Crashes
>>My two cents....the mat issue is nonsense.
Could be. But there's even less basis for speculating that it's a software or computer problem.
It is possible for one mat piled on top of another to cause a problem. And it is possible for an improperly secured mat to "ride up."
Might there be other gremlins at work here? Sure, but then I guess it could be anything.
Could be. But there's even less basis for speculating that it's a software or computer problem.
It is possible for one mat piled on top of another to cause a problem. And it is possible for an improperly secured mat to "ride up."
Might there be other gremlins at work here? Sure, but then I guess it could be anything.
Also, as I've suggested in other threads, the breathtaking lengths Toyota went to in denial of a problem with a part as comparatively trivial as a sun visor does not speak well for their anticipated honesty and candor when a real big problem comes along.
I think Toyota grew too big too fast and we are starting to see some serious quality fade as a result. I hope they get their act together soon.
