Toyota Unintended Acceleration

[Huw Powell]

> There is an article I read somewhere on the web on this, audi responded by
> moving the brake pedal in the 85(?) models up and over to decrease the risk
> of a driver doing just that.

While I don't think they moved the brake pedal, they did do a recall on 
previous production to install a lockout preventing shifting slushboxes 
into "drive" if the brake was not depressed (poor, poor brake, should 
have used prozac), and this was also installed on new production.

The carpet holding pegs we are so familiar with now were also introduced 
(to stop the carpet from getting caught on the loud pedal).

There may have been one or two other minor things done (like a sticker 
on the inst cluster saying "don't use the pedal on the right when you 
want to stop"), but since the cars were not at fault, this was mostly 
window dressing, other than the A/T lockout, which does make sense.

Unfortunately (or, fortunately, for those of us who were able to buy 
used Audis dirt cheap), VAG's response to the 60 Minutes piece of 
irresponsible yellow journalism was tepid and did not seem to understand 
the American marketplace.   See, for contrast, the rapid and effective 
response of the pickup truck mfr (GM?) to the 60 Minutes rigging of 
explosives in their gas tanks.

Audi also introduced some buyer programs to support their resale value, 
in those darkest sales years on the late 80's.  My 89 90Q came with such 
protection, pegged to a couple of similar market models by other 
manufacturers.

> I don't think a cause was ever truly determined other than "eliminate the
> impossible and whatever remains...."

The NHTSA eventually returned a verdict of "pilot error" in all cases.

> the same article also stated that the in initial report, some lady crashing
> into her garage,  that the car's brakes were properly functioning and there
> was no other damage to the car(other than what she caused).

In some, or many, cases, cars were found to have the A/T kickdown switch 
(under the gas pedal) to be damaged from the amount of force the drivers 
were using to try to stop the car with the wrong pedal in their panic.

I hope these ancient memories are still reasonably accurate...

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi

http://www.humanthoughts.org/