Toyota UA-LAC

[john at westcoastgarage.net]

pdooley wrote:
> I don't doubt the pedals are sticking, but I am wondering why the drivers
> don't just hit the brakes?
> I know for a fact that the engine in my wife's 09 toyota will not overpower
> the brakes.
>
>   

One of the accidents involved a CHP officer and his family.  In fact, 
that's what finally brought the whole mess to the front pages.  From 
what I've read, it appears he flat out cooked the brakes in the Lexus 
loaner in which he was "along for the ride" to his death.  German cars, 
for sure, and  (I think) many DBW US cars, have a system whereby the 
accelerator is rendered inoperative when the brakes are firmly applied.  
Makes it difficult to bed in brake pads and rotors using traditional 
techniques.  Toyota, and possibly other Asian manufacturers, chose not 
to implement this feature in their software.   The pennies per car saved 
by cheaping out on the software?  Maybe there were potential royalties 
involved?  Arrogance regarding their media encouraged aura of 
infallibility?   The NY Times, some car oriented publications, the 
broadcast media, and loads of "consumerist" online and print sites 
considered Toyota  the company that could do no wrong, the warm and 
fuzzy one, the one whose cars eventually decompose and morph into a 
friendly flowery meadow, the pinnacle of automotive environmentalism. 
This despite the fact that Toyota's big engines and big vehicles 
constitute a HUGE profit center, making up for the massive losses 
incurred with the sale of each and every hybrid, while getting the 
poorest fuel economy of anything in their class.  Remember, if you tell 
people something loud enough and long enough, most will believe what 
you're saying.  Think about it;  Many of the people right here believe 
XXXX FLAPS "has the right part at the right price", despite the fact 
that's patently false.  After all, they can't ALL fill that slot in the 
price hierarchy.  As for the other thoughts presented in this thread, 
think about it Toyota IS NOT coming right out and dealing with it.  
They've futzed around with this for about TWO years, and possibly a lot 
longer.  Most techs I know have dismissed the "carpet in the pedals" as 
the crock it really is.  As for the sticking throttle, I firmly believe, 
and never surface in the media, that they have a massive (and VERY 
scary) software problem, compounded by Toyota's "taking a chance" by 
choosing to forgo the "failsafe" used by European manufacturers.  This 
is clearly covered by the now common phrase; "What were they thinking?"  
Their spokesperson is now in the unenviable position of the US president 
talking on the phone to the Russian premier in Dr. Strangelove 
..................  "Dimitry .............?".

John