Toyota Will Replace the Pedal... if Asked

The New York Times has gotten its hands on a memo from Toyota telling dealers to replace accelerator pedals for free under the braking recall.

If customers are dissatisfied with the repairs made, unhappy about how they feel, then Toyota is telling the dealers to provide a replacement pedal at no cost.

An AP analysis shows over 100 customers have complained to the NHTSA after Toyota fixed their vehicles.

The dealers will only do it after the repairs have been made and only if the customers ask for it. The memo the NY Times received was dated from March, but recently updated with the procedures and parts number.

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Toyota Should Talk to Apple About the Cruise Control

Back in February, Apple co-found Wozniak weighed in on the safety of Prius, noting he could create an 'unintended acceleration' in his Prius repeatedly. This made news, of course, but it turns out he just didn't understand his cruise control.

But then, he doesn't seem to be alone. According to Ward's auto, Toyota has been looking into the complaints being made about the cruise control. It seems a lot of people are complaining. 11% of the complaints about the 2010 Prius made with the NHTSA) cite difficulty getting cruise control to turn off.

According to Toyota, the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) which is optional on the Prius V is causing some confusion with drivers. If you hold the stalk up for one second, the Prius will accelerate five mph. Hold it up for four seconds and you will accelerate 20 mph.

This sounds just like the situation Wozniak described at the Discovery Forum.

Also, the adaptive cruise control will speed up or slow down the car based on the speed of the car in front of you. On curves, the DRCC will have trouble detecting cars in front of you. There are two complaints at the NHTSA citing a crash with stationary objects when the cruise control was enabled.

Toyota is continuing to investigate this problem.  They should also send a note to Wozniak about this before he complains in a public forum once again about his Prius.

As an aside, Toyota notes that the Prius V makes up 8% of sales so far. The Prius V is the top end of the Prius spectrum with all the bells and whistles.

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Prius Reliability

Once again, the Toyota Prius ranked highly for dependability on the J.D. Power and Associates study. The 2007 model Prius won a segment award, with just 103 PP100.

“This is great news and timely for both our customers and our dealers, as it provides reassurance our vehicles continue to be an industry benchmark for quality,” Jim Lentz said in a statement.

The study, which measures problems experienced by original owners of three-year-old (2007 model year) vehicles, includes 198 different problem symptoms across all areas of the vehicle. Overall dependability is determined by the level of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.

The 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from more than 52,000 original owners of 2007 model-year vehicles. The study was fielded between October and December 2009.

Hybrids, not withstanding the recent press, have been very reliable over the years. It's not surprising to see the Prius at the top of its segment once again.

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Ford, We Make Hybrids Too

I'm not a huge fan of SNL, but I found this to be hilarious. The setup was a little long, but the punch line was great.

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Toyota Findings on Runaway Prius in San Diego

You can read all about Toyota's findings below in the press release, but basically, nothing they found was consistent with the story that the driver gave about the runaway car.

My opinion isn't too far off from what others have already said, both in the media and outside the media. But at the end of the day, a 'runaway' car has to be treated seriously.

It seems that Toyota is trying very hard to get on top of this as quickly as possible. They investigated quickly and openly and not surprisingly, found nothing.

Syke's lawyers response was ridiculous on the face of it. (In case you didn't see it, it was something along the lines of 'of course they didn't find anything. They never do.'

That same lawyer represents the police officers family who died in another runaway incident. If that's what he's going to present to the jury or judge, I feel bad for the family.


SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 15, 2010---At a press conference today, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. offered key preliminary findings of technical field examination and testing that were performed on March 10 and 11 regarding an alleged “runaway Prius” event dramatically covered by national news media.

Toyota engineers completed an investigation of the 2008 Prius driven by Mr. James Sikes that was the subject of a 911 emergency call on Monday, March 8. The driver reported that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed, the accelerator pedal was stuck, and that the vehicle was out of control and could not be stopped. The emergency operator repeatedly instructed the driver to shift the car into neutral and turn off the power button.

A California Highway Patrol officer intercepted the vehicle and instructed the driver to press firmly on the brakes, apply the emergency brake and turn off the car, at which time the Prius came to a safe stop.

While a final report is not yet complete, there are strong indications that the driver's account of the event is inconsistent with the findings of the preliminary analysis.

Toyota engineers employed data download/analysis, static and dynamic testing as well as thorough inspections of all relative components. In addition, they retraced the reported driving route taking into account driving time and accounts from the 911 recording.

The investigation revealed the following initial findings:

• The accelerator pedal was tested and found to be working normally with no mechanical binding or friction. It should be noted that the Prius is not subject to a recall for sticking accelerator pedals and the Prius component is made by a different supplier than the one recalled.

• The front brakes showed severe wear and damage from overheating. The rear brakes and parking brake were in good condition and functional.

• A Toyota carpeted floor mat of the correct type for the vehicle was installed but not secured to the retention hooks. It was not found to be interfering or even touching the accelerator pedal.

• The pushbutton power switch worked normally and shut the vehicle off when depressed for 3 seconds as the 911 operator advised Mr. Sikes to do.

• The shift lever also worked normally and neutral could be selected. The neutral position is clearly marked and can be easily engaged by moving the lever left to the “N” marking.

• There were no diagnostic trouble codes found in the power management computer, nor was the dashboard malfunction indicator light activated. The hybrid self-diagnostic system did show evidence of numerous, rapidly repeated on-and- off applications of both the accelerator and the brake pedals.

• After examination of individual components, the front brakes were replaced and the vehicle was test driven, during which the vehicle was observed to be functioning normally.

• During testing, the brakes were purposely abused by continuous light application in order to overheat them. The vehicle could be safely stopped by means of the brake pedal, even when overheated.

The Prius braking system uses both conventional hydraulic friction brakes and a regenerative braking system which switches the electric drive motors into brakes to generate electricity.

The system features a sophisticated self- protection function which cuts engine power if moderate brake pedal pressure is applied and the accelerator pedal is depressed more than approximately 50 percent, in effect providing a form of “brake override.”

This function, which is intended to protect the system from overload and possible damage, was found to be functioning normally during the preliminary field examination.

Toyota engineers believe that it would be extremely difficult for the Prius to be driven at a continuous high speed with more than light brake-pedal pressure, and that the assertion that the vehicle could not be stopped with the brakes is fundamentally inconsistent with basic vehicle design and the investigation observations.

These findings suggest that there should be further examination of Mr. Sikes account of the events of March 8.

NHTSA investigators were present during Toyota’s examination, and are conducting their own investigation of the vehicle and its performance. Toyota’s examination was also observed by a congressional staff member.

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Orange County DA Sues Toyota

The Orange County DA has jumped into the Toyota fray, filing a suit against what they say are "continued unlawful, unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent business practices as it pertains to both consumers and competitors." (Via GCC)

They are looking for $2,500 per violation under the Unfair Business Practices Act.

I'm surprised and not surprised by this action.  It seems that everyone wants to sue Toyota right now (and you wonder why companies are reluctant to say things are wrong in public and apologize).  But, given the issue, wouldn't this be considered a federal issue?  Not that that matters, since I'm sure other states will jump in on the chance to get money out of an international company.

Toyota has its principal headquarters in Torrance, so the Orange County DA says it has the right to bring this consumer protection on behalf of the people of Orange County.

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Mass Hysteria, Maybe...

This is something I have been thinking about the past couple of days, but I can't say I am an unbiased observer when it comes to the Prius.

Spike in Prius complaints may not be all it seems - Yahoo! News

But as long as reports of Prius profile keep rolling in — just look at the extensive coverage given to a single crash in that New York suburb, something that would have gone utterly unnoticed a year ago — expect complaints to keep rising.

"We are basically anticipating them happening, and we may be prone to jump to conclusions," said L.J. Shrum, a marketing professor who specializes in consumer psychology at University of Texas at San Antonio

The story focuses on how the number of complaints has skyrocketed, not surprisingly, in conjunction with the media attention.  And the second high profile story of a Prius crash yesterday would have gone completely unnoticed by most.

It's hard to know what's true or not at this point.  People are reporting things they never reported before.

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Toyota Extends Extra Services Nationwide for Recall Customers

Toyota is extending the 'extra services' they offered to New York residents nationwide, in cooperation with Attorney Generals across the country.

Two days ago, Toyota announced they would be providing extra services to New York residents. It took two more days for them to announce the same extras would be provided to everyone else.

The extras being provided may include (depending on the owner's individual circumstances):

• Expediting scheduling of the repair.
• Pick up and return of the vehicle by a dealership representative.
• Driving the customer to the dealership or to his or her place of work.
• Where necessary, providing other alternate transportation for the customer, such as a rental car, loaner vehicle, or taxi reimbursement for the reasonable period that the customer is unable or unwilling to use his or her car.

There will be no charges for these services.  Reimbursement to the dealerships will be separate from the stipends of $7,500 to $75,000 that the company already has provided to dealers in connection with the recalls.

Detailed information and answers to questions about issues related to these recalls are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or the Lexus Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-255-3987.

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Recalls are Affecting Toyota Loyalty - Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports has conducted a quick study to see how the recent rash of Toyota recalls has affected owner loyalty. The question was asked of current Toyota owners, would they from Toyota again? 60 percent said yes they would, which is high, but drops them down by 10 percent since the last survey (December, 2009). It also dropped them in behind Honda.

Toyota is still above other major brands however, including Chevrolet (52 percent), Ford (51 percent), and Dodge (28 percent). Notably, Dodge owners are less likely to purchase another vehicle from that brand than in December, at 28 percent versus 32 percent.

Among the top brands, purchase intent among all consumers changed by a notable amount between the two surveys for only one brand; Toyota registered a decline of nearly 4 percentage points. The change was similar between genders, but purchase intent declined more among respondents aged 18 to 44 years old than those aged 45 and over.

Even with this modest decline, Toyota purchase intent among all respondents remains greater than all brands except Ford (17 percent) and Chevrolet (14 percent). (Source: Consumer Reports)

The survey was conducted on February 4-8 of 1,832 adults who said that their household owns a vehicle.

It's unclear how long the affect will last one way or another. The quick drop is remarkable, but will it last? Will it rebound, or continue to drop from this point forward.

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Professor Recreates Sudden Acceleration in Toyota Vehicles

ABC News has picked up on a report by Professor Dave Gilbert of Southern Illinois University, who has demonstrated an ability to create a sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles.

the short circuits introduced by Gilbert in his tests and demonstrations reflect what can happen in the real world because of corrosion, moisture, and manufacturing imperfections.

...

"This is a dangerous condition, it is not fail safe," said Gilbert in an interview to be broadcast Monday on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.

What's worse is, if the conditions do occur, the car will not record it as an error, making it unlikely Toyota could figure out what happened.

The report is making some people nervous, even those who are very supportive of hybrids in general.

Toyota released a statement saying they had spoken with Professor Gilbert, but the problem he is describing on ABC News is not the same one he described to them (see the full press release from Toyota below) and the original description "would not cause unintended acceleration to occur".  Having said that, Toyota says the new claim is different and "Toyota welcomes the opportunity to evaluate the Toyota Avalon shown in today's story and the method by which Mr. Gilbert allegedly caused the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally."  And they're inviting ABC News along for the evaluation.

So, this story is not going away.

Toyota spoke with Mr. Gilbert on February 16 in an effort to understand his concerns. During this discussion, Mr. Gilbert explained that he had connected a resistor between the output wires of the two accelerator pedal sensors on a Toyota Tundra. In other words, he had artificially introduced an abnormal connection between two otherwise independent signals coming from the accelerator pedal sensors. Mr. Gilbert advised Toyota that he believed that his intentional misdirection of these signals could cause the vehicle to accelerate unexpectedly.

In response to Mr. Gilbert's claim as communicated to Toyota, Toyota confirmed that what Mr. Gilbert described would not cause unintended acceleration to occur. In fact, under the abnormal condition described last week by Mr. Gilbert, if there is a short with low resistance between the two signals, the electronic throttle control system illuminates the "check engine" light and the vehicle enters into a fail-safe mode of engine idle operation. If there is a short with high resistance, outside the range of "check engine" light illumination, the accelerator pedal continues to be responsive to driver input and the vehicle will return to the idle condition when the foot is taken off of the accelerator pedal. Unintended acceleration would not occur.

After watching the story today on ABC News featuring Mr. Gilbert, Toyota was surprised to learn that Mr. Gilbert appears now to be making a different claim regarding the electronic throttle control system and in a vehicle other than as described to Toyota last week. Although it is difficult to tell from the footage used in the story, Mr. Gilbert appears to be introducing a different external and artificial method to manipulate the throttle. In order to set the record straight, Toyota welcomes the opportunity to evaluate the Toyota Avalon shown in today's story and the method by which Mr. Gilbert allegedly caused the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally. We welcome the attendance of ABC News at any such evaluation of this vehicle and Mr. Gilbert's testing.

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Toyota Expanding Safety Exam Into Lexus HS 250h and Sai Hybrid

Toyota is checking the braking system in the HS 250h and Sai Hybrid. Both models use the same system as the Prius, which Toyota has already acknowledged has an issue in the software for its braking system.

The 2010 Toyota Prius has reportedly had issues when braking on bumpy or icy roads. There may be a slight delay (less than one second) as the system switches from regenerative braking to friction braking. The small delay can have serious issues when traveling at high speeds (worst case seems to be an extra 90 feet to stop at 60 mph according to a lot of the media reports).

Japan has ordered Toyota to look into this, while the NHTSA has opened up their own investigation.

The Prius and HS 250h and Sai are not involved in the recall for the braking mechanism, although Prius owners were advised to remove their floor mats to keep the accelerator from getting stuck.

Toyota has said that new vehicles being manufactured now have a fix in place, while they are planning on how to handle the cars already on the road.

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Ford Recall On Hybrid Brakes

On the day after the NHTSA opened an investigation into the Prius braking system, Ford announced they are also fixing an issue in the software that governs the transition from regenerative braking to friction braking in their hybrid cars.

Ford says 17,600 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrids are being recalled (although they say its not an official recall) to have the new software installed to fix the problem.

A Consumer Reports test driver first noticed the issue. The test driver ran a stop sign in a residential area when the brake pedal sank further than normal. Warning light appeared and the car coasted to a stop with minimal feel in the brakes. After turning the car off, then back on, the driver did not have any other issues.

Ford says the software glitch says braking power 'seems' to drop away, as the car switches from regenerative braking to friction braking. This causes the driver to feel the brakes have failed, although Ford says the brakes have not failed. Ford also says the issue is not one of safety, but the repairs they are going to make in their 'not a recall' is a 'customer satisfaction program.'

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does have one complaint about 'minimal resistance' in the brakes. Ford says they had received a small number of customer complaints. There has been one crash and no injuries. Ford says they have reported the problems to the NHTSA.

Ford notified dealers on Thursday about the program. The hybrids built before Oct 17, 2009 are affected, while cars built after that date are not. Ford says they changed the software in cars being built then.

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Toyota Admits to Software Problem in 2010 Prius Brakes

Toyota is blaming the software in the Prius braking problem they are having. Keep in mind, this is separate from the massive recall on other Toyota cars.

The 2010 Toyota Prius is likely to face a recall after Toyota admitted (Source: CNN.com to a software glitch in the Prius anti-lock brake system.

According to the story, Toyota has already fixed the problem in cars that are being manufactured now.  They just haven't provided any communication to owners.

The 'disconnect' causes a less than one second delay before the brakes take hold. Customers have described the problem as occurring when they are on frozen or bumpy roads, and I've seen some descriptions as indicating it takes a moment for the car to switch from regenerative braking to friction braking.

Over a dozen complaints have been lodged in Japan, while over 100 have occurred in the US.

A search of NHTSA's complaint database turned up ...

"I have been driving my 2010 Prius for 6 months and have experienced the following nearly 10 times," one owner wrote. "When braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates for a split second."

The 'jerking forward' seems to be lack of slowing down, rather than actual acceleration. But that still has to be a scary thing when driving in conditions that are already rough (icy or bumpy).

This issue does not seem to be affecting earlier generations of Prius, just the new 2010 model.

UPDATE: The NHTSA has opened a formal investigation and Toyota has released a statement:

Toyota is aware of NHTSA’s intention to begin a Preliminary Evaluation centered on owner complaints of a braking issue with the 2010 model year Prius. Toyota will cooperate fully with NHTSA’s investigation.

Some customers have complained of inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick road surfaces when the anti-lock brake system (ABS) is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction. The system, in normal operation, engages and disengages rapidly (many times per second) as the control system senses and reacts to tire slippage. A running production change was introduced last month, improving the ABS system's response time, as well as the system's overall sensitivity to tire slippage.

This preliminary evaluation addresses owner complaints specific to the 2010 Prius. This condition is not related to either the floor mat entrapment recall or the sticky pedal recall currently in action.

Toyota will continue to evaluate the condition as it relates to owner complaints and will keep NHTSA informed of its progress.

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Japan Orders Toyota to Investigate Prius Hybrid Brakes

Japanese authorities have ordered Toyota to investigate the brakes in the Prius.
Japan Tells Toyota to Test Prius Brakes for Defect - NYTimes.com

NAGOYA, Japan — The Japanese government said Wednesday that it had ordered Toyota to investigate a possible defect in its newest Prius hybrid model after receiving 14 reports of brake trouble, another blow for an automaker already embroiled in its biggest-ever recall.

Complaints mount about Prius brakes - Feb. 3, 2010

In the U.S., more than 100 complaints alleging poor brake performance have been lodged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration against the 2010 Prius, a newly designed version of the car that was introduced last summer.

This is really bad news for Toyota and their signature hybrid. While Prius sales were up in January compared to last January, this sort of news is going to scare off anyone who thinks the current massive Toyota recalls don't affect hybrids.

BTW, I've seen reports about this issue before. According to an NHTSA memo the regenerative brakes cut out for a moment prior to the friction brakes kicking back in. That momentary changeover makes it seem like you're accelerating, although it's technically just not slowing down any more. Either way, that's a scary thought when you're applying the brakes.

UPDATE: Notice from Toyota

In certain 2010 model year Prius vehicles, Toyota has received reports that some customers have experienced inconsistent brake feel when the vehicle is driven over potholes, bumps or slippery road surfaces.

Toyota is currently in the process of confirming these reports and investigating the vehicle driving conditions under which the reported phenomenon occurs. It would be premature to comment until the investigation has been completed.

Not exactly alot of information in their statement, but a statement indicates they are aware of the issue.

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Apple Co-Founder Wozniak Weighs in on Prius Safety

Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak complained about his 2010 Toyota Prius at the Discovery Forum 2010 (CNet).

"Toyota has this accelerator problem we've all heard about," Wozniak said. "Well, I have many models of Prius that got recalled, but I have a new model that didn't get recalled. This new model has an accelerator that goes wild but only under certain conditions of cruise control. And I can repeat it over and over and over again--safely."

"This is software. It's not a bad accelerator pedal. It's very scary, but luckily for me I can hit the brakes," he said.

This goes against all we've heard from Toyota about the runaway issues they've been having with the Prius. The recall affecting the Prius says the pedal can get stuck in the floor mats unlike the more recent recall where Toyota says the accelerator is getting stuck because of friction wearing the mechanism down.

Toyota, despite the recent massive recall and apologies, has said all along the problem is not with the software. But I've seen several reports out of the media who are quoting safety experts saying there is a software issue.

And to have one of the co-founders of Apple talking about a software issue certainly brings a lot more credibility to the story.

Toyota has said they will be installing a brake override system.

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Toyota Recall for Uncontrolled Acceleration

Toyota announced a huge recall on 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on specific Toyota Division models.

The vehicles being recalled include:

• 2009-2010 RAV4
• 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2010 Highlander
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2008-2010 Sequoia

Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser and select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids are NOT affected.

According to Toyota, there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.

The mechanism may become worn and, in certain conditions, the accelerator pedal may become harder to depress, slower to return or, in the worst case, stuck in a partially depressed position.

ABC News reported last night as part of TONIGHT on “World News with Diane Sawyer” and on “Nightline” that there may be more to the story.  ABC News says a driver in New Jersey was able to make to a local dealership, even as the brakes were smoking and the engine continued to race.

The driver, Kevin Haggerty, was driving a 2007 Toyota Avalon.  He reported that in mid-2009, he had intermittent issues where the engine would rev and pick up speed, and he would have to 'stand on the brake' to slow it down.

But several days after Christmas, while on the highway, Kevin experienced the problem again.  The car accelerated to 90 mph.  He was able to shift the car into neutral, after realizing the brakes were not slowing the car down.  At that point, he drove his car to the dealership, shifting into neutral to slow down, then back into drive to speed up.

After getting a manager to look at the car, the driver says the local dealer replaced the sensors and assembly on Haggerty's accelerator and throttle.

ABC News also reported on the day after Christmas, four people died in Southlake, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, when a 2008 Toyota sped off the road, through a fence and landed upside down in a pond. The car's floor mats were found in the trunk of the car, where owners had been advised to put them as part of the recall.

Update: If you want to know why some cars and not others, or are interested in looking at the parts affected, follow the links.

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Toyota Will Install a Brake Override System on ALL Vehicles

Toyota has announced they will go ahead and install a brake override system on all Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles to help stop unintended acceleration in their vehicles.

If the system detects the driver is attempting to apply the brakes without success, the override software system will shift the engine into idle.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Perhaps all vehicles should come standard with this sort of system?

Toyota is acting in response to several reports of cars accelerating. The NHTSA has investigated and Toyota has said the problem lies with the accelerator getting stuck in the floor mates. Toyota has had several massive recalls recently, including an effort to shorten the gas pedal. The NHTSA has said the floor mats were not necessarily the only cause. And recent newspaper reports have highlighted the safety concerns.

Toyota expects to roll out the override software on all vehicles, but will start with the Camry and Lexus ES 350. But expect it to be standard by the end of the year.

Source: Toyota will install brake override systems to prevent runaway vehicles: AutoNews

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Lexus HS 250h Gets Five Star Rating for Safety

The NHTSA has awarded the 2010 Lexus HS 250h a five star rating for both front impact for the driver and right front passenger positions and side impact for the driver and left rear passenger positions.

The safercar.gov website shows the HS 250h gets five stars except for the rollever test in which it received four stars.

Press Release from Lexus follows:

TORRANCE, Calif. (Jan 6, 2010) – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the Lexus 2010 HS 250h, the world’s first dedicated luxury hybrid, a rating of five out of five stars for both front impact for the driver and right front passenger positions and side impact for the driver and left rear passenger positions.

The New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), a consumer information program created by NHTSA, rates vehicles to determine crash and rollover safety. The crash test ratings are gathered during controlled crash and rollover tests conducted at the NHTSA research facilities. The announcement was released on the NHTSA website www.safercar.gov.

According to Lexus, the body structure of the HS 250h plays a key role in the fundamental safety characteristics. To help protect the driver and passengers, the body is designed to be strong but strategically resilient to help absorb and distribute energy in the event of a crash. High tension steel components are carefully located in the body structure, doors and other areas to help ensure strength in key areas.

Also incorporated is a standard class-leading 10-airbag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) with dual-stage front airbags and knee airbags for driver and front passenger, side curtain airbags, and both front and rear seat-mounted side airbags to help protect front and rear passengers in certain types of severe frontal or side collisions. The front passenger’s twin-chamber airbag helps disperse the forces applied to the passenger immediately after deployment. Additionally, front and outer rear seatbelts incorporate pretensioners with force-limiters to help protect occupants in the event of certain severe frontal collisions. Active front headrests are also standard.

The HS 250h, which went on sale in August 2009, has an impressive 187 total system horsepower and has achieved EPA estimated fuel economy ratings of 35 mpg city and 34 mpg on the highway for a combined 35 mpg utilizing regular 87-octane gasoline - an 80 percent better city mpg rating compared to the average near luxury car.

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Toyota Safety Concerns

It seems that no matter where you look lately, Toyota is being called out for safety concerns.  There are two main issues right now.  One, braking problems and two, 'acceleration without driver input' or uncontrolled acceleration (think of the gas pedal getting stuck in the open position!).

The Detroit Bureau, AFP, and LA Times have printed stories on the safety issues relating to these two problems, and Toyota has responded (specifically to the LA Times story... Follow the links to get a full background brief on all the safety investigations).  Unfortunately for Toyota, these issues have been out there for a while now, so it's not hard to see where the stories are coming from.

Toyota just had one of the biggest recalls ever on floor mats.  It seems that if the floor mat became improperly secured, the accelerator could get stuck on it, causing uncontrolled acceleration.

In the recent news articles, the reporters have been focused in on that issue (and what's causing it), but I'm a little more concerned about the new issue being raised, the braking problems.  An internal memo at the NHTSA was quoted by the AFP report:

“It appears that when you hit a bump, the regenerative braking (front wheels only) cuts out, and there is a short delay until the friction braking kicks in. This results in loss of braking, which is experienced as acceleration (due to sudden end of deceleration from braking). Net impact is still a loss of braking/ increase in stopping distance. This could be fatal for pedestrians — it happens when approaching stop lights if you hit a pothole.”

To me, that sounds extremely dangerous and worrisome.   And maybe because this is a new report (for me), that makes me more upset about it than the other possibility (which just sounds strange and unusual enough for me not to worry about it as being likely).  The braking issue, however, seems more plausible (for lack of a better word) and more likely to occur more often.

How many times have you hit a pothole on the way to a stop light?   Being in the North East, I'd say I did two or three times on the way to work this morning.  The worst case scenario (above in the memo) is bad enough, but I could certainly see it happening more often where a fender bender occurs (add in snow or ice to the mix and we're talking about serious braking problems!)

Hopefully, we'll here more about this, and the resolution, sooner rather than lately.

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Toyota Recall to Shorten Gas Pedals

Toyota is beginning its recall of vehicles affected by the accelerator pedal getting stuck either in the floor mats or otherwise.  To solve the problem, Toyota will shorten the gas pedals, plus change the floor mats.

Toyota has already notified customers to remove their old floor mats until a fix could be made.

In April 2010, Toyota will begin installing the redesigned pedals.  They will also, if you want, repurchase or replace your floor mats.

A software modification is also being made.  If the accelerator and the brake are pushed at the same time, the brake will override the gas pedal, ensuring you slow down.  The software fix is being applied on the Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES 350, IS 350 and IS 250 models.

Toyota will begin mailing letters to owners in December 2009.  Owners may contact Toytoa at 1-800-331-4331, Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

Affected vehicles are:

Vehicle Make / Model:		Model Year(s):
LEXUS / ES350		2007-2010
LEXUS / IS		2006-2010
TOYOTA / AVALON		2005-2010
TOYOTA / CAMRY		2007-2010
TOYOTA / PRIUS		2004-2009
TOYOTA / TACOMA		2005-2010
TOYOTA / TUNDRA		2007-2010

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