Here’s some interesting news for anyone still following the Toyota Motor Corp. (TM story about the sudden acceleration issues facing some of its vehicles: According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, the problem might be with the drivers, not the vehicles.
The story reported that the U.S. Department of Transportation analyzed dozens of data recordings from Toyota vehicles that crashed when they jolted out of control and found that in this particular sample the throttles were wide open and the brakes weren’t engaged. Oops.
From the Journal: “The results suggest that some drivers who said their Toyota and Lexus vehicles surged out of control were mistakenly flooring the accelerator when they intended to jam on the brakes. But the findings don't exonerate Toyota from two known issues blamed for sudden acceleration in its vehicles: sticky accelerator pedals and floor mats that can trap accelerator pedals to the floor.”
Toyota’s American Depositary Receipts trading in New York rose on the report, but not much: In late-afternoon trading, the receipts were up 1.2 per cent, which trail gains by the S&P 500.
The controversial sticky accelerator issue hammered Toyota shares – not to mention the company’s reputation –earlier this year. Between January and February, the shares sank 22 per cent and later slid even lower. Some U.S. politicians seemed only too keen to give the non-unionized, non-American company a few kicks along the way, so it will be interesting to see how these preliminary findings affect Toyota in the near term.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/markets/markets-blog/good-news-for-toyota/article1638556/
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/05/toyotas-independent-probers-under-thumb-of-outside-lawyers/1?csp=obnetwork
May 20, 2010
Toyota's 'independent' probers under thumb of outside lawyers
02:26 PM
Toyota's supposedly "independent" investigation of its unintended-acceleration problems? It turns out that the outside engineering investigation firm hired by Toyota was actually reporting to its outside trial lawyers.
By Yoshikazu Tsuno, AFP/Getty Images
In today's congressional subcommittee hearing, Toyota U.S. sales chief James Lentz is taking a lot of heat over the fact the outside investigation firm, Exponent, has a contract with Toyota's outside law firm, not the automaker itself. Lentz told the committee: "That changed this week." Exponent will now report to Steve St. Angelo, Toyota's chief quality officer for North America, he said. That's St. Angelo pictured at right.
Documents obtained by the committee also showed that Exponent has earned $3.3 million for its "independent" investigation since it was hired in early December.
MORE ON EXPONENT: Toyota investigator often defends automakers
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-05-20-exponent20_CV_N.htm
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http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5its6WBCViCPXVGG4OKwO8JtRgUkAD9GSAEL00
Toyota lashed out at instructor during big recall
By JIM SUHR (AP) – 3 days ago
CARBONDALE, Ill. — It's the kind of publicity any university might dream about: An instructor uncovers a possible flaw that's causing some of the world's most popular cars to accelerate suddenly. His ground-breaking work attracts interest from Congress and reporters worldwide.
But as Southern Illinois University's David Gilbert sought to show that electronics might be to blame for the problem in Toyotas, the world's largest automaker tried to cast doubt on his findings. One Toyota employee even questioned whether he should be employed by the school, which has long been a recipient of company donations.
Electronic messages obtained by The Associated Press show the automaker grew increasingly frustrated with Gilbert's work and made its displeasure clear to his bosses at the 20,000-student school.
"It did kind of catch us off-guard," university spokesman Rod Sievers said.
So did the fallout. Two Toyota employees quickly resigned from an advisory board of the school's auto-technology program, and the company withdrew offers to fund two spring-break internships.
"I didn't really set out to take on Toyota. I set out to tell the truth, and I felt very strongly about that," said Gilbert, who was among the first to suggest that electronics, not sticky gas pedals or badly designed floor mats, caused the acceleration that required the Japanese automaker to recall millions of vehicles.
Toyota insists its relationship with the school remains "strong," and company officials say they have no plans to stop contributing to SIU. They also say the two Toyota representatives who stepped down from the advisory board did so merely to avoid any appearance that the company was exerting influence over Gilbert's testimony.
"We have absolutely no issues with SIU and retain an excellent relationship. That won't change," Toyota spokeswoman Celeste Migliore said.
Driven by his own curiosity, Gilbert in January found he could manipulate the electronics in a Toyota Avalon to recreate the acceleration without triggering any trouble codes in the vehicle's computer. Such codes send the vehicle's computer into a fail-safe mode that allows the brake to override the gas.
Gilbert said he reported his "startling discovery" to Toyota, and the automaker "listened attentively." But Gilbert said he never heard back from the company, which has steadfastly maintained the problems were mechanical, not electronic.
Next, Gilbert told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, then made plans to tell Congress.
"I didn't feel I could just be passive in this," he said.
Along the way, Gilbert told the university in writing that he had been tapped as a consultant for a company called Safety Research & Strategies Inc., which asked him to study the safety of electronic throttle controls.
Gilbert's boss, Terry Owens, wished him well: "Good luck in your investigation," Owens wrote in a Feb. 10 e-mail. "I hope it leads to public safety and publications."
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The pressure on him continued to build. On March 8, Mark Thompson — identifying himself as an SIU alum and, without elaboration, a Toyota Motor Sales employee — voiced in an e-mail to the university's then-chancellor, Sam Goldman, his "great concern and disappointment" about Gilbert. Thompson said he was "deeply disturbed" by what he called Gilbert's false accusations about the automaker.
Thompson reminded Goldman that he and Toyota regularly contributed to the university — including a $100,000 check to the auto-tech program in late 2008 — and "due to the outstanding reputation your automotive technology program has, we donate much more than money," including cars.
"I ask you why your organization allows such activities to be performed by one of your professors and most importantly allowed to be reported to the media in a false manner," Thompson wrote. "I believe he should not be an employee of our fine university."
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Originally posted by mikelomPffft, I got a '75 Ford Pinto and if you put it into reverse and back into the front of the car behind you @ about 20km it'll explode.
If you are clever enough, you can actually hack into a Mercedes 600 through the radio, get into the complete electronics system, then the ECUs and stop the car! I've seen it done! Scary! This was done by a 15 year old boy, who was pissed at his dad going to see another woman!
Originally posted by Great Big SteesYeah, I know about that one too! Ford had their lawyers and accountants do the logistical work for possibilities of deaths vs recall. They decided it was cheaper to allow about 10 deaths a year for the life of the car, and they'd rather payout 20Mill per body vs recall the vehicles, rather than recall and reposition the bad design.
Pffft, I got a '75 Ford Pinto and if you put it into reverse and back into the front of the car behind you @ about 20km it'll explode.
My advice to you is just don't slap her into reverse, at all costs! 😉
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Originally posted by mikelomI removed the reverse gear (after the second "bump & explode) and added a 428CI engine so I could outrun any car, or truck, that looked as though it would hit me from behind.😉
Yeah, I know about that one too! Ford had their lawyers and accountants do the logistical work for possibilities of deaths vs recall. They decided it was cheaper to allow about 10 deaths a year for the life of the car, and they'd rather payout 20Mill per body vs recall the vehicles, rather than recall and reposition the bad design.
My advice to you is just don't slap her into reverse, at all costs! 😉