Toyota UA-LAC

[Dan DiBiase]

In the case of the CHP officer, the loaner car had a push-button start, and I think he was trying so hard to control the car that
I'm sure he had no clue as to how to shut it off.

I, too, believe the floormat issue was bogus, since most cars come with snaps or little hooks to keep them in place. They
would not have recalled millions of vehicles for that issue if it was simply an issue of the floormats not being secured properly.

 Dan D
'04 A4 1.8Tq MT-6
Central NJ USA






________________________________
From: Grant Lenahan <glenahan at vfemail.net>
To: john at westcoastgarage.net
Cc: quattro at audifans.com
Sent: Wed, January 27, 2010 12:52:25 PM
Subject: Re: Toyota UA-LAC

ok, so tun off the key.


On Jan 27, 2010, at 12:33 PM, john at westcoastgarage.net wrote:

> 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
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