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Toyota Sudden Acceleration Is Driver Error
phantomfive writes "The NHTSA has investigated data recorders from Toyota cars whose owners claimed to have crashed due to an accelerator error. They found that the throttles were wide open and the brakes weren't being pressed. The investigation looked at a sample of the cars, selected by the NHTSA." Jamie found this article with a superior headline at Balloon Juice.
Surely there must be SOME relationship between the cars this has happened with.
Maybe there is, but don't call me Shirley.
Uh, no. Not driver error. Try again, Toyota.
My father-in-law had this problem happen to him in his Rav4 three times and told me about it months before the news or Toyota ever mentioned anything about it. Then they came out with the shim under the pedal, but this was really irrelevant to the problem he was having.
He describes it as he is sitting at a stop sign and the engine suddenly revs violently on its own and if you don't have your brakes on at the moment (which he did happen to have on) you could cause a serious crash by lurching out into the street into traffic. Said he didn't even have his foot on the pedal all three times.
Personally, I think they'll find it's a sensor error caused by something simple like moisture condensate, or that -1 on an mis-calibrated pedal is interpreted as "open throttle."
Sorry, I just don't buy it. And I won't be buying a Toyota any time soon, either. And I think their handling of this problem is deplorable.
"They said I probly shouldn't fly with just one eye," "I am Bender. Please insert girder."