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Toyota Halts Sales of Popular Models - Accelerator Stuck Problem Recall

3593 messages,  Last post on Apr 14, 2013 at 5:57 PM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Camry, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Sequoia, Pontiac Vibe, Automotive News

Messages Page 152 of 360

#1504 of 3593 Re: Accelerator Recall [popsavalon] by jon219

Feb 20, 2010 (4:01 am)

Replying to: popsavalon (Feb 19, 2010 7:58 am)
I, too, had received nothing from Toyota concerning my 2009 Avalon so I called my dealer in Westminster, MD and, when I requested it, they performed the accelerator pedal repair (installing the shim and "reshaping" the accelerator pedal by trimming off the corners on the bottom of the pedal). I was told by the dealer that the reflashing of the engine management computer firmware to install the brake override software would not take place until April at the earliest since Toyota had not yet approved the final fix.

#1505 of 3593 Re: Their five most popular models [gagrice] by graphicguy

Feb 20, 2010 (6:40 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Feb 19, 2010 9:04 pm)
gagrice....I suspect that Toyota is actually doing updates to their Lexus models under the radar, as best they can to try and keep the perception people have of them intact.
 
One of my neighbors has an ES350 (unsure of the year, but it's no more than about 2 or 3 years old). Like you, he thought his vehicle was "OK", until he got a similar call from his dealership. They want him to bring it in for a free "upgrade" (whatever that is). The dealership is offering a free oil change as the enticement.
 
At first, he thought it was a way to get him to come in to buy another vehicle. Until he calloed them and they said they wanted to install a software update. They wouldn't elaborate on it, though, at least not over the phone.
 
I asked him if he would quizz them on what this "software update" does when he takes it in. So, we'll see what they tell him, if anything.

#1506 of 3593 Re: Their five most popular models [gagrice] by carbuff1171

Feb 20, 2010 (6:56 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Feb 19, 2010 9:04 pm)
Actually I am not wondering why Toyota is not doing anything. I am wondering why with all the documented reports about Lexus models and all the attention on this problem, why it seems the investigations by government and the press are completely missing it. For example:
Make: LEXUS Model: ES350 Year: 2008 Complaint Number: 10252860 Summary: ON NOVEMBER 5, 2008 I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY IN MY 2008 LEXUS ES 350 WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. I GAVE THE CAR A LITTLE EXTRA GAS TO PASS ANOTHER CAR AND THE CAR JUST TOOK OFF. I TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE ACCELERATOR BY TRYING TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH AS WELL AS TAPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT IT WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. I TRIED TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE BY PUSHING THE KEYLESS IGNITION BUTTON, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. I CHECKED THE FLOOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND THERE WASN'T. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, BUT WHEN I DID THIS, THE ENGINE SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE GOING TO EXPLODE, SO I PUT IT BACK IN GEAR. BY THIS TIME, I WAS GOING WELL OVER 100 MPH. MY ONLY CHOICE WAS TO STAND ON THE BRAKES. WITHIN SECONDS, THE CAR WAS IN A CLOUD OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE 4 WHEELS/BRAKES. THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW AS THANKFULLY THE BRAKES WERE STRONGER THAN THE ENGINE WHICH WAS GOING AT ITS MAXIMUM RPM'S. THE CAR WENT OVER A MILE BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO A STOP. I WAS THEN ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND STOP THE ENGINE. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, WHEN I HAD CALMED DOWN A BIT, I STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN AND IT IMMEDIATELY START RACING AT MAXIMUM RPM'S AGAIN, SO I SHUT IT OFF AND CALLED HENDRICK LEXUS. THEY SENT A TOW TRUCK TO TOW THE CAR IN. WHEN WE GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP, I TOLD THE SERVICE DIRECTOR THAT I WAS LUCKY THAT I WASN'T KILLED AND I DID NOT WANT TO EVER GET IN THAT CAR AGAIN. HE STATED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE EVENT. LEXUS INVESTIGATED AND SAID THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING HEAVY ON THE ACCELERATOR. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. THE "EXPERTS" THAT LEXUS BROUGHT IN FROM OUT TO DO AN INVESTIGATION NEVER EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WAS UNABLE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL DURING THIS LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. AN INTERNET SEARCH HAS DETERMINED THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 40 CASES OF "RUNAWAY ACCELERATOR" REPORTED TO THE NHTSA ON THE ES350, AND MANY OF THESE INCIDENTS HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS CRASHES AND PERSONAL INJURIES.

#1507 of 3593 Re: Their five most popular models [graphicguy] by british_rover

Feb 20, 2010 (8:18 am)

Replying to: graphicguy (Feb 19, 2010 7:04 pm)
The Denso NAV and audio units in the Jags and Rovers I have experience with have always been good.

#1508 of 3593 Re: Documented Reports [carbuff1171] by popsavalon

Feb 20, 2010 (8:29 am)

Replying to: carbuff1171 (Feb 20, 2010 6:56 am)
CB, is this a personal experience, or is there a website for this and other similar complaints? What does complaint #10252860 actually reference to?
 
With all the smoke and mirrors from Toyota, it is very hard to discerne what the magnitude of their problem actually is. As posted earlier, the real problem is that Toyota will not admit that they have vehicle problems!

#1509 of 3593 Re: Their five most popular models [british_rover] by wwest

Feb 20, 2010 (8:29 am)

Replying to: british_rover (Feb 20, 2010 8:18 am)
"..Denso...Jags and rovers...."
 
I have often wondered who acquired Lucas.

#1510 of 3593 Re: Their five most popular models [wwest] by british_rover

Feb 20, 2010 (8:37 am)

Replying to: wwest (Feb 20, 2010 8:29 am)
GM actually well Delphi.
 
Most of the Lucas electrical components built through the 80s were actually just Delphi or GM parts with Lucas stamped on them. Some of those parts made it into the 90s and a few might have started in the late 70s. Those parts weren't really that bad either well at least the ones in the 80s to 90s the 70s were bad for anything electronic in an automobile.

#1511 of 3593 Re: Their five most popular models [british_rover] by gagrice

Feb 20, 2010 (8:57 am)

Replying to: british_rover (Feb 20, 2010 8:18 am)
The Denso NAV and audio units in the Jags and Rovers I have experience with have always been good.
 
Hopefully they are not the same units Toyota uses. Though with Jaguar and Rover having new owners I would not bet on it. The NAV looks good. They are good at identifying your location. The routing logic is horribly flawed. If that is Navteq, why do other cheap units give better directions? I will say that the BMW NAV I played with in an X5 was not even as good as mine. Makes me wonder if any OEM NAV is worth the money. Best Unit I have seen installed in a vehicle was a Pioneer. That was one slick voice activated NAV. And cost less than the OEM in my Sequoia.
 
Just talked to the service people at Poway Toyota. No updates for my 2007 Sequoia. The service man told me they are just making blanket calls to customers. His first statement was let me set you up an appointment. I said is my car under recall. That is when he took about 5 minutes to find that it was not. So if I was just blindly following the dealers lead. I would be wasting over half a day, plus an 80 mile round trip. Better to dig deep and waste a long distance call than just follow blindly.

#1512 of 3593 That was funny, but sad. by beachfish2

Feb 20, 2010 (9:01 am)

"SO I PUT IT BACK IN GEAR. BY THIS TIME, I WAS GOING WELL OVER 100 MPH."
 
Hold my beer and watch this...

#1513 of 3593 Re: That was funny, but sad. [beachfish2] by gagrice

Feb 20, 2010 (9:21 am)

Replying to: beachfish2 (Feb 20, 2010 9:01 am)
My first thought would be if the engine blows up the dealer will blame me. I cannot believe how many here would rather blame the customer than Toyota. It says a lot about how far down we have come from the old adage "The Customer is Always Right".

Messages Page 152 of 360

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