MSNBC Article: Tough hearings leave dents in Toyota’s image

There is a brake system drop-out that occurs under similar conditions as what happened with the Gen III Prius. The un-answered question is the severity of the drop-out (Toyota and its apologists insist it is a non-issue). There is also the absence of any brake-throttle override in the Gen II Prius. And apparently Toyota is not going to do any retrofit of a brake-throttle override either.

Sounds like a middle-fingered wave from Toyota to me.

 

As for the brake "drop-out," unless you automatically lift your foot off the brakes when they don't seem to be working, you probably shouldn't be driving. My Chevy Blazer does and my Cadillac did the same thing when applying the brakes rough/slick surfaces.

 

There is an override of the throttle when the brake is pressed in the Gen 2 Prius, demonstrated in this video by Carolyn of Luscious Garage.

 

Hope I won't get labeled an apologist for asking such a question ... but have you ever got on the freeway when there's very little traffic ... stomped the gas pedal to the floor ... and while holding it there, hit the brakes hard? .... much less in that scenerio, pressing the brake moderately?

 

Wow that seems like a good video. It looks like when she came to a stop she took her foot off the brake while keeping the gas pedal depressed and was surprised/shocked by the "sudden" acceleration when she removed her foot off the brake.

Is it possible that this is what is happening with the "brake issue" while driving over a wet puddle or train tracks: the person is not releasing the brake but the bumps/sliding over a puddle make the sensor detect that the driver has lifted a foot off the pedal just like in the video.

 

some drivers in a panic may do things they are not conscious of including something stupid like pressing both pedals down and then not remember what they did while testifying for congress or something

 

No, the "brake issue" is well understood - it is the transition from regenerative braking to friction braking which happens when one of the front wheels slips.

http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/storm.html

 

Apologist = Learning how the car responds to inputs and adjusting your actions accordingly.

 

I tested the car approximately a half hour ago. Maybe my 2007 Touring edition has a defective brake-throttle override, but at present, the override does not work as it is supposed to. I repeated the test with my 2010 BMW 3 series and the override works as advertised on the 3er (the engine goes to idle and the brakes stop the car).

 

I fixed your post.

 

Apologists also have the problem of blaming owners for bad driving when they expect a car to work properely. Think a dealer is right for calling a driver with unintended acceleration is a lier, and not checking out the problem, because Toyota hasn't announced it is a problem. Since the driver was obviously using her car incorrectly, there was reason for toyota to go to arbitration with the facts so that they would not have to buy her car back (no problem hiding the facts of other cars doing the same thing) (see day one testimony). Have excuses for all 39 dead bodies suspected of unintended accelleration, and think the government is out to get Toyota for investigating. 39 for toyota versus 11 for all other companies combined must just be bad drivers buy toyotas.

 

I wouldn't think so. I had tried many times to replicate the issue by suddenly lifted my foot off the brake pedal, the car didn't not feel like it accelerating. May be I was not fast enough.

 

Yes, like the "victim" who said her car accelerated unexpectedly, she called her husband on the cell phone, was finally able to get the car stopped in the median of the freeway, but the car "was still going 30 miles per hour." Well which was it? Was she stopped or going 30 miles per hour? You know what they say about eyewitness testimony.

 

I owned an 03 Civic Hybrid for almost 5 years before buying a Prius in 07 and the brakes acted the same way when a bump cut off regen and the friction brakes took over. Kinda took me by surprise the first couple of times. After that it was no big deal. When I got the Prius and it did the same thing, I just thought "this one does the same thing". Again, no big deal. Just keep your foot on the brake and stop the car.

 

You must have misunderstood my post, there was no reason to fix it.

Why don't you sell your car? It is obviously defective. I will continue to drive mine without apology.

 

If Toyota offer to buy back from any concerned owner. Many of them will took the offer. After all, its only a car.

 

And stiff the new owner with a defective car? Maybe that is your ethics, but not mine. I am keeping my options open for a repurchase by Toyota. Safety issues are treated differently than convenience items (window motor failures, for example). Fortunately, California is a bit more consumer-friendly than other states, so we shall see. Right now, I am off to the dealer to see how long it will take for them to check out the car. With all of the recall work being done, I wonder if I will be able to get an appointment in any reasonable time.

 

Why wait?
I'll give you $1,500 right now...

Paypal?