One of the big items in the news is Toyota’s decision to stop selling a large number of models, and to recall an even larger number, to fix gas pedal problems. There are discussions back and forth regarding the extent to which this will harm Toyota, and whether this is a permanent stain on the Toyota escutcheon. You read the comments on these articles, and you see loads of Toyota bashing, and an equal number of folks for whom this isn’t a concern, plus a large number that are now scared to drive their cars. So, being someone who keeps a daily journal, the law compels me to write about this (well, it’s either this or the State of the Union, and you probably don’t want that).
First off, I think Toyota is doing the right thing. It takes guts to get potential problems off the road before they become lawsuits; the usual auto manufacturer approach is to ignore the problem until they can’t anymore. (cough) Pinto gas tank (cough) Firestone tires on Ford Explorers. In the short term, it is a publicity nightmare, but once the problem is fixed (ETA: it looks like a fix is near) and the quality ratings come back, Toyota will be fine. This is a lesson they will learn from. Further, America tend to like underdogs with quality (which is why Leno may succeed when he returns to 1135, and why Hundai is the bigger threat to Toyota).
As for the folks who comment on these articles… sigh. I really shouldn’t read the comments, but they are such a train wreck and demonstrate the obsessed narrow mindset so well. My opinion: Those who hated Toyota before will hate them even more, and will be even more pro-American manufacturers. Those who loved Toyota before will still love them once this problem has passed. Those on the fence will hopefully do what everyone should do when they buy a car: remember that brand name alone only affects how long the company will be there to service thing. Every brand (well, every brand except Chrysler :-)) has high quality and low quality cars. Cars need to be judged based on the specific model, its reliability characteristics, its features to fit your functional needs, and the responsiveness of the underlying manufacturer to correct problems once identified.
What’s more worrisome are those who don’t understand the real reason behind this problem. There are still people who mistakenly believe that gas pedals actually connect through a mechanical mechanism to the throttle. Silly humans. In most cars these days (and in all the calls involved in the recall), the cars are “drive by wire”, meaning the gas pedal actually just activates a sensor, which sends a message to the computer which directs the throttle. Many things can cause accelleration surges, from mechanical problems that send wrong data to the sensor, to malfunctioning computers, to nearby radio interference. This is why they are more complicated these days. Luckily, it looks like Toyota is narrowing on a solution.
People also don’t understand what to do if they have uncontrolled accelleration. Hint: It’s not turning off the car, which is increasingly difficult. Doing that disables your power steering, and other sensor mechanisms (I’m thinking of air bags). Stomp and hold on the brakes (don’t pump), and shift the car into neutral (disconnecting the power from the wheels). They say that when you stop the car you should turn it off, but if you can’t, then I would just put on the emergency break, leave the nose pressed against an immovable object (a wall, for example), curb the wheels as appropriate, and leave it running in neutral. It will run out of gas eventually. Walk away at right angles to the car :-).
Will I worry about driving my Toyota? No, but my Matrix is before the years of the recall. I also have a keyed ignition, and know how to stop it. I would, however, ensure when getting a car for my daughter that if it was subject to this recall, it had been repaired.
