Toyota is in big trouble with sticking accelerators in their cars, so much so, that these problems may sink the company. What do you think the problem is?
My personal feeling is that it is a software glitch, thats why there is no evident solution. Bad software has killed people.

Comments?

Regards, DPW [ Everything has limitations...and I hate limitations.]

 

First recall was for accelerators that could get caught in floor mats. Now apparently a part can ware out causing the pedal to not return to top when releasing the pedal.

Software design problems maybe. Cheap parts finally catching up with them.

However, I had a 94' Corolla that ran with the AC on with no radiator or coolant without overheating, sitting still. It wouldn't die. Finally a brothers failure to see a stopped car ahead destroyed that one.

 

I read an article this morning that the problem was localized to just one US manufacturer of the accelerator pedal. Pedals are made by several manufacturers, but the article said only that one manufacturer had problems. It was concluded not to be design, but rather quality control. To be safe, all sales and production for the affected models were put on hold until the suspect parts are identified and removed from stocks. Redesign has not been ruled out.

The new CEO, Toyoda -- grandson of the founder, has said that Toyota will focus on quality more. That was a failing of the former CEO who emphasized sales and growth.

I hardly think this episode will sink the company when compared to the #2 competition (GM).

John

 

I read an article this morning that the problem was localized to just one US manufacturer of the accelerator pedal.

Well that throws out all my conspiracy theories out the door...

/or does it?

 

I think I heard that the newer Toyota cars imployed a single wire data system. Instead of having a surfeit amount of wires, as the standard procedure was, they have only a single wire which transfers multiple amounts of data.

Austin

 

Like many car makers (probably the majority of them), Toyota use CAN bus for communications between various system modules.

Typically there are multiple separate busses for different susbsystems, such as engine management, lighting, instruments etc.

 

This is the distributed power concept plan that is widely used throughout the controls industry today. Instead of having a lot of I/O wiring from computer I/O to various devices, now the idea is to run one data line to each distribution device (smart I/O). It saves on having to make a lot of wiring runs.

Regards, DPW [ Everything has limitations...and I hate limitations.]

 

Toyota cars have created a after market business that you if are
to believe. Before the new owner take pocession,they do more leather
seats than any other brand,more sun roofs. That means that the
floor mats are changed by all levels of experience.The wiring for
add on electronics,under dash the same. So you buy a new car
and are offered a add on package,you expect that the dealer
personnell install it. So if you have thousands of cars that have
been sent out you to have a mis-mash of people that have removed
all seats,carpet,floor mats and electric wiring spliced you have lost
some control. Also backup camera's and other devises.So what a paper
work mess,each complaint you did which,is it factory or add on.
Only a possible reason to stop all. Comfirm by calling dealer about
add on's.

 

It has become apparent that it is indeed floormats, not global warming, nuclear or biological catastrophies, will be the death of us all.


Officer: "Do you realize how fast you were going?"

Toyota Driver: "Do you realize what kind of car this is?"

Officer: "Point taken, I am going to have to confiscate your floormat, though."

Toyota Driver: whispers "Sucka, works every time."

Officer: "Excuse me?"

Toyota Driver: "I said, this must happen all the time."

 

Your 15 minutes,GO

 

Back to facts would you want to buy a new car,
that has been taken apart,holes cut in body
then take delivery,with clean paper door mats.
Call your dealer about leather seats tomorrow.
I will nararate the demise of a after market company.

 

the company I currently work with has adopted "the Toyota Way". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Toyota_Way
It appears that Toyota has "lean manufacturing"ed themselves into a heluva mess.

this may start a ford vs chevy type dispute but
all the hoopla about the Toyota way and the big deal about Toyota, how come Honda makes arguably a better automobile?

 

Most large organizations institute one form or another of lean manufacturing. The core concept after all was created by an American by the name of Deming. He ended up in Japan in the early 50s because they adopted his ideals wholeheartedly, while Americans didn't and this is why we think the Japanese invented it.

However, Toyota has pioneered a lot of new ways of manufacture, most notably with the cell concepts and giving anyone in the plant the ability to stop production if something looks wrong. etc etc.

But, that being said, I only like their trucks.

 

So the news today reports that Ford is well into the "black" with good profits, and Toyota is tanking fast. Wow, I didn't see that one coming.

 

Now the latest blurb (1/28) is that the entire fuel pedal-link arm-sensor-computer assembly is at fault. With all the current paranoia about run-a-way cars, you would think that Toyota will bite the bullet and replace all Toyota fuel pedal assemblies. Stay tuned for further developments in this sad saga. I don't own a Toyota.

Regards, DPW [ Everything has limitations...and I hate limitations.]

 

Its going to take alot more then recalls to make ford step up into Toyota's league. Honda and Toyota both have really good records for building cars. Honda gets a slight advantage but not by far. Recalls are normal. Just a year or two ago they recalled millions of F150's and Aerostars. And if you think that a F150 is sold every 15 seconds and represents like 75% of the truck market thats a hell of a recall.

 

As I understand the accelerator may not go back to idle mode then released, or go back to idle mode slowly. The car will not accelerate on its free will. But it can certainly an unpleasant and even dangerous experience. But the trick is to quickly pull the gearbox into neutral position, or use the clutch pedal(I live in Europa ) . A trick I have learned is to think about situations in advance. So if you are afraid of this, repeat in your mind the correct procedure to handle this before you start driving. If you experience this situation you will know what to do, and not panic.

 

^ I'm pretty sure I remember a question on the driver's test regarding a situation such as this.

But then again, it's frighteningly obvious that few on the road remember any of the questions...

 

You can even turn the key off to kill the engine. But you have to turn it back to the run position after the engine quits, or the steering wheel lock engages to make life even more exciting.

My Toyota truck with a 2 bbbl carb had a habit of having the secondary butterfly stick open at times....

 

Turn the key off, pop the transmission out of drive to neutral, then turn it back on to unlock the steering wheel.