Toyota: maybe fixed, maybe not

[jmcgliss]

One solution for anyone concerned about runaway acceleration: manual transmissions. Try to find one. Even if manufacturers offer them on paper, dealerships seem to order all their stock with automatic slushboxes. That's "I enjoy my latte and cellphone" America for you.  

Question for the woman testifying today: if she claims her Lexus was bombing down the expressway at 100mph for six miles and could not brake...how was she able to make a cellphone call to her husband? That was her thought instead of turning of the ignition? Then she said it was "the hand of God" that stopped the car. Sounds like a clear admission she totally checked out from operating the vehicle.  This woman sounds dangerous behind the wheel, whatever car she drives.

One last dig...most Lexus, Camry, and Land Cruiser drivers in these parts are moving roadblocks. They suffer from unattempted acceleration, so I can see how anything involving speed would send them into shock.

[Barklessdog]

One last dig...most Lexus, Camry, and Land Cruiser drivers in these parts are moving roadblocks. They suffer from unattempted acceleration, so I can see how anything involving speed would send them into shock.

Funny & so true-Lexus -worst cell phone drivers oblivious to the world around them, or the pretend rich, currently poor.

[eb2]

A clutch would certainly make the problem less fatal, but I actually prefer an automatic transmission.  That need never be a contributing factor, as this hasn't been a problem ever for the owners of many millions of cars over the past 60-70 years.  Maybe some simplification is in order.  I am a big fan of the old Powerglide.  It came with only two gear sets - fast and faster.

[Pilgrim]

In the spirit of "unattempted" acceleration....

I admire the Audi specialist in the Olympia, WA area who calls his business "Intended Acceleration".  Ned Ritchie began in 1990, he upgrades audio Audi turbo cars and can boost them up as high as 400 HP, street-legal.  Now THAT'S an Audi I'd like to drive!!!

http://www.intendedacceleration.com/

[OldManC]

One problem with the government owning two of the big three domestic auto manufacturers in the U.S. is the question now of whether they're just protecting their investment by going after anyone else if they get a chance. I'm not saying they are, but it's a legitimate question now.

I've heard this same thing being debated a lot lately. But of course we can trust our elected leaders to always do the right thing..................................................

Gee, looks like Toyota can't catch a break...

Gina Talamona, a spokeswoman for the anti-trust division of the U.S. Justice Department, said her office was investigating "the possibility of an anti-competitive cartel" by automotive electronic components suppliers.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20100224/AUTO01/2240417/FBI-searches-3-auto-suppliers-in-Metro-Detroit#ixzz0gUYXHiZG

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20100224/AUTO01/2240417/FBI-searches-3-auto-suppliers-in-Metro-Detroit

[Hornisse]

How about using a cable from the accelerator pedal to the injectors like back in the olden days.  Acceleration by electronics (drive by wire) just seemed like a bad idea when they first started using it. 

[Pilgrim]

How about using a cable from the accelerator pedal to the injectors like back in the olden days.  Acceleration by electronics (drive by wire) just seemed like a bad idea when they first started using it. 

YES!!!!!

Three things that should NEVER be drive-by-wire:

Steering
Brakes
Throttle

[Dave W]

It's comforting to know that no American manufacturer would let unsafe cars on the road for years.

Now pardon me while I go put some new Firestone tires on my Ford Pinto.

[Nocturnal]

At the 4:00 mark, Dave's point is made!

[Dave W]

He hit that Pinto way too hard!

[Denis]

People have thought Japanese automakers and their products have walked on water since the 1970s when American manufacturers had many, many problems. In the 1980s Ford began its "Quality is Job One" campaign and went a long way towards improving quality and GM and Chrysler followed suit. The truth is that the Big Three have built pretty good cars and trucks for a number of years now and lots of people who still bitch and moan about how bad they are have never owned one. My '89 Dodge Dakota made it 265,000 miles before it finally burned a valve.

Toyota has had quality problems since at least the early 2000s when the oil passages on the Avalon V6 tended to clog but the company blamed the owners, claiming it was THEIR fault for not getting the oil changed regularly. A coworker had the problem with his Avalon and Toyota blamed him, even when he produced the records showing the oil had been changed at the prescribed intervals AT THE DEALERSHIP.

Another coworker had a VW she was always complaining about so she sold it and bought a Honda, which had numerous recalls and went to the dealership multiple times because the drivers side window mechanism often failed to operate. She STILL wouldn't admit the car had problems.

While I hate that people have been killed as a result of the failings in these Toyotas, I'm glad the company is being scrutinized and hauled over the coals; maybe they will be ready to admit it when problems occur rather than blaming them on the owners or idiotic floormats.

[Pilgrim]

One reason I take consumer reports car surveys with a grain of salt is that I don't think people report or evaluate cars the same way.  For many people if their "US-made piece o'crap" has a problem, then they think it's a bad car and give it terrible ratings.  If they have the same problem with their 'Reliable Japanese car" or "Finely crafted German car", they shrug it off and don't report it!

I think the same is true for many other consumer survey sites - people have expectations, and those expectations influence their reporting.

I've had two cars that had TERRIBLE ratings from C.R., and both of them served me very well and were fun to drive.

BTW - this is not a general condemnation of C.R.'s reports, because I think most are very helpful - I just think they fail to account for the emotional aspect of how people regard cars.  The same issue doesn't apply to toasters and vacuum cleaners.

[Chaser001]

I doubt if the Toyota interview on Larry King last night helped any.  The only reason I was watching is because Walter Koenig and his wife were being interviewed about their missing son.  Two minutes before they were supposed to go on, they walked off the set for some reason.  I don't know if it is because they received bad news about their son or if they had been driven to the brink of madness by Larry's pointless questions.

[Denis]

One reason I take consumer reports car surveys with a grain of salt is that I don't think people report or evaluate cars the same way.  For many people if their "US-made piece o'crap" has a problem, then they think it's a bad car and give it terrible ratings.  If they have the same problem with their 'Reliable Japanese car" or "Finely crafted German car", they shrug it off and don't report it!

I think the same is true for many other consumer survey sites - people have expectations, and those expectations influence their reporting.

I've had two cars that had TERRIBLE ratings from C.R., and both of them served me very well and were fun to drive.

BTW - this is not a general condemnation of C.R.'s reports, because I think most are very helpful - I just think they fail to account for the emotional aspect of how people regard cars.  The same issue doesn't apply to toasters and vacuum cleaners.

A buddy of mine, who now designs Blackberrys, went to a design trade show in Detroit some years ago and met a guy who worked for Chrysler in the plant where Eagle Talons, Plymouth Lasers and Mitsubishi Eclipses were built. He told my buddy that although the three cars were built on the same platform at the same plant, the Plymouth received 3 times as many customer complaints as the Eagle and the Mitsubishi. I think a lot of this was a combination of the residual effect from the poor quality of the mid/late '70s Mopars and a belief that Japanese cars were superior in all aspects, neither of which was 100% accurate. Like a former boss told me once, "Perception is reality", and he's right.

[eb2]

CR has some true flaws in their reviews, and I would say their import bias over a couple of decades was blatant.  To echo the Mopar complaints, they had published similar reports in the past concerning GM where they would suggest one model had a better record than another where the parts in question were the same, and sourced from the same factory.  But overall, they really are a decent guide.  They give an accurate review for used cars, and what is a risk from maintenance and resale.  They were pretty up front in recognizing Ford's uptick in quality control and design.  But as noted perception is reality.  I think people just adopted the idea that something like a Tercel was a better car than an Escort, or a Corolla will give you more for your money.  It just isn't reality although it once was years ago.  I have driven a Kia.  It was a very nice car.  I drove a Prius.  Nice car.  I drove a Malibu.  Nice car.  It is hard to find a bad car. 

I did drive a Russian thing in Canada that was kind of like a jeep.  It was HORRIBLE.

Funny thing about the Avalon oil issue - the VWs made over the last decade had the same issue.  Seems that to fit the 4 cyl in the Passat they just created a smaller oil pan.  The turbo then "cooked" the oil into sludge which cycled through the engine more due to less capacity, and then, if you are not a big maintenance person, BANG - your engine goes south.  Mine didn't seize, but VW got up front about it and rebuilt the entire top end of my motor for me.  Nice Volk, those VW volk.  For now, I stick to my VW.