Not true. The link I posted above was taken at a GM dealer, Pontiac vibes have the problem, too.
Because they were asked to recall the cars by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The whole thing (and the other Toyota recalls) smacks of intervention on behalf of the big three and their lobbyists.
When you consider how many pieces there are in a car, it’s remarkable that they run at all, let alone for as long as they do and as reliably as Toyotas have done. As far as I’m concerned the recent Toyota issues are just their luck catching up with them.
At least they addressed the issues promptly and recognized the value of reputation vs. value of money. Ford, on the other hand, gave us the Ford Pinto memo, trucks that crush the driver when they roll over, and the Ford/Firestone tread-separation thing.
And it seems the only one getting the massive amount of negative press. My question is: Why is that?
This. Firestone’s tire issues stemmed from Ford’s crappy suspension. The Explorer’s tires had to be run dangerously low to provide a compliant ride. Making the odds of running the tires dangerously underinflated much more likely.
I keep hearing “people should have just switched into neutral, taken their foot off the gas”, whatever. But how much time did they have? I drive only in the city and most days by the time I realized my gas pedal was sticking I’d already be in the back of someone else’s car, unless I had several seconds. And I don’t drink lattes in the car, and don’t make cell calls. How offensive. I do however tend to zone out a bit when I drive, as most people do.
I just don’t see where I’d have had time to unstick the mat or whatever if I was in traffic, if the gas pedal was genuinely stuck.
Let’s see - fastest I can think of:
- Realize the gas pedal is stuck - 1 second.
- Switch into neutral - another second. Meanwhile, my car continues to accelerate.
- Try to pry up gas pedal or lift up mat or whatever - presumably while watching traffic - at least 3-4 seconds.
That’s more than enough time to hit the next car on a city road. Especially, say, if everyone else is slowing down for the light. And that is really responding quickly
Or did it happen only over a certain speed (thus, by default on highways)? I don’t know the details. It just doesn’t seem quite that easy.
Damnit. It’s STILL YOUR FAULT. You and your ilk are collectively responsible for the declining value in society of taking responsibility for the problems that you yourself cause.
GAWD. Why can’t everyone possess superhuman reflexes, mental processing, and the technical prowess to get out of a stuck accelerator pedal. 
If i were in the market for a new car right now, and if Toyota made the type of car i was thinking about, the company’s current problems would definitely not cause me to reject a Toyota as a possibility.
They make good cars, and while this issue clearly needed to be addressed, i think it is being blown out of proportion by the media.
Man, for a CEO, this guy is stoopid! By admitting culpability, he has just handed hundreds of ambulance-chasing lawyers a victory!
Acording the the Drudge Report, lawsuist against Toyota are now over $36 billion!
Heck, I know a guy who’s taking advantage of the situation.
With Toyota announcing today the potential for yet another recall, I’m wondering if Toyota has decided that their reputation is currently in shambles, so now is the time to get all the potential problems, that they have known about for some time, out in the open. Then they can work on rebuilding just one time, rather then rebuild, have another recall, rebuild again, lather-rinse-repeat.
The person who was killed had enough time to call 911. When my accelerator stuck (not a Toyota) I was on a winding road and had enough time to figure out what to do.
By doing so now, they can also manage when and how the information comes out…kind of a preemptive strike (I think I’m saying the same thing you are).
The P/R impact from Toyota saying “Here’s recall #12” is quite a bit less than Fox News saying “OMG! Toyotas spontaneously asplode when the radio is set to A/M!”
It’s hardly a blatant defect. It just looks that way because we focus on the small number of incidents. Most people over-estimate small probabilities.
What is their fault is their mishandling of the public relations situation. J&J won because they recalled Tylenol even though they were not the slightest bit responsible for the problem. Intel lost because they didn’t get how a small issue, which had already been fixed, would resonate.
And Toyota still doesn’t get it. I have a 2010 Prius and have heard absolutely nothing from them about it - though I get emails practically every day asking me to rate my buying experience.
Seconded.
I wonder if I can sue because my old crappy car suffers from intended acceleration failure.
i.e. I step on the gas to go faster but all it does it get louder.
How funny would it be if it’s in a press conference that’s on T.V. and none of the reporters or anyone else there have a reaction towards it.
Just him saying “blah blah blah I’m sorry, something about my Honor,” then a guy brings him his “seppuku kit” and he kneels down and does it.
Or he could just use a frisbee.
Obviously that would mean he is killing himself so it would only be a little funny (please don’t hate me)
This is why I happen to prefer manuals … shove in the clutch and steer towards the edge of the road, and hope the motor doesn’t rev and sieze, or if it does, I won’t be hurtling towards another car at full speed, Ill be coasting offroad.
You can do this in an automatic as well.
Of course, downshifting to mitigate brake failure is right out with an auto.
Ever heard of Bud Dwyer? (OK, it wasn’t honor-related Seppuku - it was to escape a sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, and assure that his wife received survivor benefits - but it fits your description of a spectacular suicide at an otherwise mundane press conference…)