Toyota deliberately chose to ignore the facts.

[G35COUPE]

How does a company known for quality, ignore the facts before them? Failure, just as success, is a cascade of obvious and not so obvious events.




Toyota safety recalls were years in the making - USATODAY.com

[cmcpokey]

i think the word is hubris.

[wwgkd]

Fortunately for them a good reputation is as hard to get rid of as a bad one.

[Ferrer]

Fortunately for them a good reputation is as hard to get rid of as a bad one.

I'd say that a good reputation is easy to lose and bad one difficult, and the opposite for gaining them.

This apparently is quite big, first being located in the US and now it affects EDM cars as well.

We'll see how that turns out, but all of the millions (billions?) that it will cost Toyota aside, it could affect them badly in terms of sales and image.

[Brix]

I'd say that a good reputation is easy to lose and bad one difficult, and the opposite for gaining them.

This apparently is quite big, first being located in the US and now it affects EDM cars as well.

We'll see how that turns out, but all of the millions (billions?) that it will cost Toyota aside, it could affect them badly in terms of sales and image.

Just the fact that they have seized production and sales thru all the world!

[2ndclasscitizen]

They hopefully ignored it as a way to kill off drivers who are too stupid to figure out to put the damn car into neutral if the throttle is tuck. Furthering the species.

[wwgkd]

They hopefully ignored it as a way to kill off drivers who are too stupid to figure out to put the damn car into neutral if the throttle is tuck. Furthering the species.

This has come up a bunch and does seem to be the obvious solution (if you have the time to do so, some of the fatalities didn't) but toyota seems to be suggesting turning the car off rather than shifting into neutral. It would seem to me that turing the car off would just result in locked steering, so is there some reason that they aren't making a bigger deal out of the neutral solution? Is there a lock stopping you from shifting into neutral on their autos or something?

[2ndclasscitizen]

This has come up a bunch and does seem to be the obvious solution (if you have the time to do so, some of the fatalities didn't) but toyota seems to be suggesting turning the car off rather than shifting into neutral. It would seem to me that turing the car off would just result in locked steering

Only if you turn the car off completely. If you just kill the ignition you'll only lose power assistance on the brakes and steering.

so is there some reason that they aren't making a bigger deal out of the neutral solution? Is there a lock stopping you from shifting into neutral on their autos or something?

Probably because making the dead people look stupid in the media would create a shitstorm for them.

[Alastor]

Only if you turn the car off completely. If you just kill the ignition you'll only lose power assistance on the brakes and steering.

Probably because making the dead people look stupid in the media would create a shitstorm for them.

Seems like two events really brought this issue to light recently:

Lexus ES 350 Involved in Fatal Crash Evidently Had a Stuck Throttle During Previous Loan

Guy gets a loaner and the gas pedal gets stuck, he gets the car stopped by using the brakes and putting the car in neutral. The car over-revs until he get it shut off...it has a push-button start so you have to hold the "START" button for 3-seconds.

Second guy get same car, it is a loaner so he is probably not familiar with how it works, throttle sticks again and the brakes don't work to stop the car and crashes into an intersection killing himself and three other family members.

Now if you are not familiar with the car, would you know that you have to hold the START button down for three seconds to turn the engine off? Can you just shift the transmissions into neutral, or do you have to move to up and then to the left or some weird shift. Do you have time to figure all this out at +100 MPH?

I have had the throttle stick on me more than once...and the first time is a real "pucker your butt" experience. After that you kind of know what to do, but there isn't always a lot time to divert you attention away from not running shit over to getting the car out of gear or turned off.

[whiteballz]

...It has a push-button start so you have to hold the "START" button for 3-seconds.

Second guy get same car, it is a loaner so he is probably not familiar with how it works, throttle sticks again and the brakes don't work to stop the car and crashes into an intersection killing himself and three other family members.

Now if you are not familiar with the car, would you know that you have to hold the START button down for three seconds to turn the engine off?...

Your right, He just left it idling in his driveway each night.

It was HIS responsibility that he knew how to turn a car off, throwing a car into neutral and applying the handbrake/brakes and worse case steering the car into a kerb to retard speed isnt a bad thing.

It's almost impossible to know how you would react in such an accident!
It's like getting robbed, you don't know how you are going to react.

I agree, However abit of common sence wouldn't have gone astray.

There was a case over here late last year, some dude got the cruise control stuck on his ford explorer while on the highway, It took him 45minutes of driving, while on the phone to the police to stop the car.

They had time to GIVE HIM A POLICE ESCORT so they could figure out what to do.
In the end it was solved by him braking and reefing the handbrake. Viola! why did he need the police to tell him to do that?..

Or is it just me that views that as something you should try before crying on the phone to police about how your big nasty car wont stop driving at 110kph?

[Brix]

They hopefully ignored it as a way to kill off drivers who are too stupid to figure out to put the damn car into neutral if the throttle is tuck. Furthering the species.

Well, you try to think to do that in 1 second before you crash!
But i agree that it must be a way to kill of "stupid" people as the throttle (in most cases) get's stuck if there is too much trash around it.

[clutch-monkey]

Well, you try to think to do that in 1 second before you crash!

i remember in at least one case they had time to call 911 and say a prayer. rather than doing something useful.

[wwgkd]

i remember in at least one case they had time to call 911 and say a prayer. rather than doing something useful.

That was a CHP (California Highway Patrol) officer. They rarely do anything useful. On the other hand the couple that died when their car crashed through the side of a parking garage probably had no time to react.

[NSXType-R]

That was a CHP (California Highway Patrol) officer. They rarely do anything useful. On the other hand the couple that died when their car crashed through the side of a parking garage probably had no time to react.

What's bothering me is that, I don't know, they should be somewhat good in a car...?

Why didn't he shift into neutral and try braking? I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but I'm pretty sure he had to go through driver training to become a CHP officer anyway.

[roosterjuicer]

They hopefully ignored it as a way to kill off drivers who are too stupid to figure out to put the damn car into neutral if the throttle is tuck. Furthering the species.

hahaha my thoughts exactly!