In what may come as little surprise to many, a new report suggests that the number of complaints of unintended acceleration on Toyota vehicles has nearly doubled in the last two weeks. Many of the complaints come from owners of vehicles that have already been serviced by Toyota in adherence to recent recalls – raising questions about the cause and offered solutions.
According to a report by the Associated Press, NHTSA’s reports of unintended acceleration by owners of Toyota vehicles have nearly doubled in the last two weeks. NHTSA’s most recent data shows 105 cases of unintended acceleration, and jumping from the 60 reports as of March 4, 2010.
NHTSA says it has been in direct contact with the owners who have filed complaints, noting that it has found “several instances in which a dealer made mistakes in applying one of the recall remedies,” according to David Strickland, NHTSA administrator.
NHTSA has not disclosed details on how the repairs failed to fix the problem, and Toyota has not yet commented on the increase in complaints.
Complaints suggest the problem is outside of pedals and floor mats
“I went in for the recall and it seems there is a worse problem now,” suggested a complaint regarding a 2008 Toyota Tundra . The owner went on to suggest, “I truly believe this is an electronic problem.”
Complaints like these raise questions concerning both the validity of the diagnosis and proposed solutions to the problem, as well as whether or not increased attention to the subject may be the source of increased perceived unintended acceleration. Whatever the cause, several drivers remain convinced there is a problem with the vehicles’ electronics, creating a problem for Toyota – whether it is based on a physical problem, or a perception problem, Toyota will still need to find a way to address the issue.
Breaking report suggests “NY Prius” accident was driver error
Adding what appears to be a concrete example of driver error being attributed to unintended acceleration, a new report by Fox News suggests that the Prius which slammed into a wall in New York apparently did not have any brakes applied prior to hitting the wall. The investigation is still on-going, and should be complete within a week.
2007 Camry owner gives a detailed account of his multiple experiences
Another driver, John Moscicki, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, told the AP that his 2007 Toyota Camry suffered unintended acceleration five times prior to having his floor mat modified during the recent recall. Moscicki went on to explain the details of an occurrence on March 4, after his vehicle was treated for the recall in which his Camry accelerated out of control, yet again.
“It just went to the floor like some other system had control of it,” said Moscicki, who, according to the AP, also raced high-performance sports cars and previously owned a Porsche restoration business. Moscicki also explained that when the vehicle began accelerating from a standstill on the freeway – up to 50 mph – Moscicki was able to stop the acceleration by shifting into neutral while simultaneously braking with his left foot and prying the accelerator pedal away from the floor with the top of his right foot.
Moscicki’s account suggests that the pedal itself moves during the unintended acceleration event, much like how a pedal will move while utilizing cruise control if additional throttle is applied.
Moscicki told the AP that Toyota sent out a field engineer that was unable to find any problem with the car. Moscicki had originally planned on giving the car to his college-age daughter, but now says, “I wouldn’t let her anywhere near this car.”
References
1. ‘More than 100 complaints…’ view
2. ‘Probe results show driver…’ view
