In 2007 Toyota quietly agreed to a class action settlement concerning 3.5 million cars that developed ruinous engine sludge.
They never admitted fault. http://www…ement.html
People have died in Toyotas that have accelerated without explanation. Do you think Toyota did all they could do as soon as they could do it in relation to this most recent problem? Is a Toyota safe to drive?
There are at least 10 other threads on this subject discussed every day. Scroll down some and you will find your answer.
transman
I’ve always thought highly of a company, which upon recognizing a safety problem with its products, initiates a recall on its own. I bouht a humidifier that apparently had an electrical problem. I was notified of the problem, UPS delivered a shipping box to my door into which I packed the innards of the humidifier and then called UPS to pick up the box. A week later, the insides of the humidifier were returned along with a free filter. I would buy that brand again.
However, many companies think their products are perfect and it is a sign of weakness to issue a safety recall. These companies remind me of parents who believe that their Crudneys or Little Iodines can do no wrong and it is the teacher’s fault if these children have problems.
No, there’s a lot of politics behind any car problem and Toyota is just like the rest. They will fight tooth and nail to whitewash things until the corner they’re backed into is too cramped to move. Then the apologies surface.
The same thing occurs with airlines, the NTSB, and the FAA. Many an airliner has left a crater full of dead people and there are a lot of politics behind what caused the crash, what should have been done, and what will need to be done.
If 200 deceased people in a smoldering crater are irrelevant then why would anyone expect the roof to be raised by a simple car problem.
Getting safer. There can be no doubt that Toyota has recently made some important additions to their corporate engine and vehicle control design standard practice reference books. Any company that manufactures things for more than a few years will have such books addressing various components of their products.
Trouble can happen for a number of reasons and often does when a company ventures into new design territory. Toyota sludge, accelerator sticking due to floor mats but not the other reasons, Ford 3 year rust through of Escort station wagon tailgates and GM piston slap should not have happened. Honda, on the other hand had a good excuse for premature front fender rusting in the 1970s as they were not in the car business for very long at that time. It would be safe to assume that they now have design standards to prevent this in their book too.
Honda is just as guilty of design flaws today as they were then and Honda Motor Co. is also not beyond trying to cover things up.
Do a net search about the Federal investigation into Honda and their “CEL problem”.
Subaru is no different either due to their coverup of a faulty steering rack pinion spring problem; a coverup which I personlly witnessed multiple times in one day and of which the Subaru rep finally admitted to me as much when I stated “oh, trying to keep it hush-hush from the Feds by not leaving a paper trail, huh?”
We are told: "Simply put the car into neutral then turn the engine off."
MAY NOT BE SO SIMPLE! Check out these video clips:
TESTIMONY OF TOYOTA DRIVER WHO ‘LOST ALL CONTROL’
(after putting car in neutral and unable to turn off engine!!!)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8533129.stm
and
"IS TOYOTA’S SOFTWARE TO BLAME FOR SAFETY PROBLEMS"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8535477.stm
and the CA crash:
“911 Call Released from Crash that Prompted Initial Toyota/Lexus Floor Mat Recall”
(with California Highway Patrolman driving unable to stop vehicle)
http://www.cardealerreviews.org/?p=247148
"Witnesses saw flames coming from the front and rear tires of the speeding 2009 Lexus ES 350 before it crashed Aug. 28 in Santee, suggesting ?long, constant heavy braking,? said Sgt. Scott Hill, the lead sheriff’s investigator. "
"Toyota Recalls Spur Worries"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123341958