Toyota Acceleration Crashes Continue (now RX 330-350)
05-13-10, 12:34 PM
#1
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Toyota Acceleration Crashes Continue (now RX 330-350)
What are your thoughts about this news? It seems to affect the 2004-2009 RX models as well. How come Toyota/Lexus doesn't fix the ETC brake override? I just bought an 05 RX 330.
http://industry.bnet.com/auto/100049...shes-continue/
Toyota Acceleration Crashes Continue, Even In Unrecalled Models
By Jim Motavalli | May 7, 2010
Toyota would love to put unintended acceleration behind it, but that’s proving difficult as the crashes continue, some of them in cars that have been “fixed” or were never recalled. A Pennsylvania grandmother tells BNET Auto that she and her daughter’s kids were nearly killed in a Lexus SUV that never made the list. Toyota investigated and said the car was fine, but the victim — and another family that lost a child in the same model — aren’t convinced....
(See link for whole story)
http://industry.bnet.com/auto/100049...shes-continue/
Toyota Acceleration Crashes Continue, Even In Unrecalled Models
By Jim Motavalli | May 7, 2010
Toyota would love to put unintended acceleration behind it, but that’s proving difficult as the crashes continue, some of them in cars that have been “fixed” or were never recalled. A Pennsylvania grandmother tells BNET Auto that she and her daughter’s kids were nearly killed in a Lexus SUV that never made the list. Toyota investigated and said the car was fine, but the victim — and another family that lost a child in the same model — aren’t convinced....
(See link for whole story)
05-13-10, 12:50 PM
#2
From the article (emphasis added):
There are indications here that should be investigated for the likelihood of driver error, as noted by the following: Pedal misapplication causes, Toyota older driver cases
The factors for pedal misapplication identified above are:
1. Backing up from driveway or parking lot (e.g. NY Prius case - driver claimed brake but was found to be her mistake)
2. Elderly driver age (61-70 and 71-80 range most common; health conditions)
3. Inability to find any evidence by technical investigation (same here)
4. Evidence of driver error (Videos, eyewitnesses, or driver admission: "She attempted to put the car into neutral, but instead engaged drive")
Applying Occam's razor, there are a number of circumstantial indications which suggest that this is another driver error case. She admits putting the car in the wrong gear, leading to the crash, which suggests that she panicked and was making mistakes--probably not realizing the mistaken pedal input which caused the whole thing to begin with. Not to mention a strong brake application would have stopped the whole thing, had her foot not been (probably) on the wrong pedal. But don't let that cloud BNET's writers--they harped on the Sikes Prius hoax like it was another electronic car gone mad, and like some other sites, accept the driver's claims of a runaway car as fact.
She is a 66-year-old suburban Philadelphia grandmother and the owner of a 2008 Lexus RX350. She loved her car right up to March 18, when she says it ran away with her as she was backing up with her one- and three-year-old grandchildren in the back seat.
Cheever says she put the car in reverse and it “just bolted out of the driveway in reverse on its own, engine racing. The car was moving like a missile into the cul-de-sac.” Cheever said she doesn’t think she ever touched the gas pedal. She attempted to put the car into neutral, but instead engaged drive, which sent the car hurtling forward toward her daughter’s house. She swerved into a neighbor’s yard and finally stopped the car (still with the kids strapped in back) by running it sideways into a tree. The Lexus was totaled. “It was very scary,” said Cheever.
Cheever says she put the car in reverse and it “just bolted out of the driveway in reverse on its own, engine racing. The car was moving like a missile into the cul-de-sac.” Cheever said she doesn’t think she ever touched the gas pedal. She attempted to put the car into neutral, but instead engaged drive, which sent the car hurtling forward toward her daughter’s house. She swerved into a neighbor’s yard and finally stopped the car (still with the kids strapped in back) by running it sideways into a tree. The Lexus was totaled. “It was very scary,” said Cheever.
The factors for pedal misapplication identified above are:
1. Backing up from driveway or parking lot (e.g. NY Prius case - driver claimed brake but was found to be her mistake)
2. Elderly driver age (61-70 and 71-80 range most common; health conditions)
3. Inability to find any evidence by technical investigation (same here)
4. Evidence of driver error (Videos, eyewitnesses, or driver admission: "She attempted to put the car into neutral, but instead engaged drive")
Applying Occam's razor, there are a number of circumstantial indications which suggest that this is another driver error case. She admits putting the car in the wrong gear, leading to the crash, which suggests that she panicked and was making mistakes--probably not realizing the mistaken pedal input which caused the whole thing to begin with. Not to mention a strong brake application would have stopped the whole thing, had her foot not been (probably) on the wrong pedal. But don't let that cloud BNET's writers--they harped on the Sikes Prius hoax like it was another electronic car gone mad, and like some other sites, accept the driver's claims of a runaway car as fact.
Last edited by encore888; 05-13-10 at 12:57 PM.
05-13-10, 01:35 PM
#4
Lexus Test Driver
What happen to that grandmother is driver error, in this economy every one is going to try and sue to make money. There was a case in which a man was $40,000 in debt and he faked a runaway Prius scheme but obviously this was found by the investigators and the man later confessed.
05-13-10, 03:32 PM
#5
No, I don't play soccer!
I'm skeptical too. A few incidents in the 'soccer mom SUV' ? I would expect many, many more if there was indeed a problem. I haven't had anything remotely like unintended acceleration happen in any of my RXs.
My condolences to the Murtha family in the loss of their son.
My condolences to the Murtha family in the loss of their son.
05-13-10, 05:32 PM
#7
Lexus Champion
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05-13-10, 06:02 PM
#8
Moderator
Somewhere I read the uninteded acceleration has only been reported in USA? Can some one confirm/refute?
Salim
Salim
05-14-10, 04:52 AM
#9
Driver
There was a case here in Australia a few months ago where a young guy "experienced" a runaway in a Ford SUV. Ford and police couldn't find anything wrong with the car.
05-14-10, 12:14 PM
#10
Here's a blurb from the New York Times:
"-The New York Times
02/08/2010 - Toyota’s recalls and disclosures in recent months are part of a lengthy pattern in which the automaker has often reacted slowly to safety concerns, in some instances making design changes without telling customers about problems with vehicles already on the road, an examination of its record shows.
Toyota received complaints from customers in Europe about sticking accelerator pedals as early as December 2008 and started installing redesigned pedals on new vehicles there last August. Months later, in January, similar concerns in the United States led to a pedal recall of 2.3 million vehicles. The European cars have now been recalled, too."
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