Toyota Sudden Acceleration: Problems Continue

Toyota Sudden Acceleration: Problems Continue by San Antonio, Texas Sudden Acceleration Lawyer Justin A. Hill

After a week of hearings, hard questioning, and a variety of theories, the sudden acceleration problem continues with no apparent solid fix in sight.  Many have claimed, from the beginning, that this sudden accelerations is an electronic issue and not a mechanical issue as Toyota has maintained.  FoxNews.com reports:

Toyota officials continued to insist Tuesday that consumer complaints regarding unintended acceleration in their cars has nothing to do with the vehicle’s electronic systems as some have suggested.  “I want to be absolutely clear,” Takeshi Uchiyamada, an executive vice president for the Toyota Motor Corporation, testified before a Senate committee, the third congressional hearing on the automaker’s problems.  “As a result of our extensive testing, we do not believe sudden unintended acceleration because of a defect in our ETCS (Engine Throttle Control System) has ever happened. However, we will continue to search for any event in which such a failure could occur.”  His testimony came as federal safety officials increased the number of reported deaths linked to the acceleration issue in Toyota vehicles to 52 through the end of last month.  As Toyota executives again tried to assure lawmakers they were taking steps to rectify the problem that led to the recall of 6 million vehicles in the United States, they used their appearance in front of the Senate Commerce Committee to unveil plans to give U.S. safety regulators special Japanese electronic data readers that will allow them to read the “black boxes” from Toyota vehicles involved in sudden acceleration accidents. Until now, the event data recorders, similar to the black boxes on airliners, could only be accessed by Toyota Motor Corporation.  “Toyota has rigorously tested the solutions for our recent recalls, and we are confident that with the repairs our dealerships are making, Toyota vehicles are among the safest on the road today,” a Toyota executive in charge of quality told the committee.  Earlier in the day, Sen.John Rockefeller,D-W.Va., chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee blasted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, suggesting NHTSA officials accepted Toyota’s explanation that floor mats were the problem because they lacked a comprehensive understanding of the unintended acceleration issue.  “I think NHTSA investigators would rather focus on floor mats than microchips because they understand floor mats. They don’t understand microchips,” Rockefeller said.

In what many see as the largest automotive safety debacle since the Ford-Firestone issues may come an important safety change.  Some are calling for the federal governemnt to mandate a “smart-pedal” or brake override system in every vehicle.  FoxNews.com reports, “The override system would deactivate the accelerator when the brake pedal is pressed, allowing the driver to stop safely even if the car’s throttle sticks. Frequently referred to as a “smart pedal,” the feature is already employed by BMW, Mercedes-Bens and Nissan worldwide.”  The AssociatePress discussed the possible safety changes:

After skewering top Toyota executives in three congressional hearings, lawmakers and federal safety officials will now decide if the auto industry needs new regulations to ensure that the company’s huge safety recalls aren’t repeated.  Hearings over two weeks in the Senate and House focused mostly on Toyota’s foot-dragging on problems of sudden unintended acceleration and whether the Transportation Department’s safety division failed to hold the company accountable for big safety problems that have been linked to 52 deaths.  But there are signs that Toyota’s recall of 8.5 million vehicles will result in new rules, new spending and changes to vehicle safety laws passed after the last big safety debacle a decade ago, involving Firestone tire blowouts.  “We need to look at current law and ask if it is strong enough to prevent something like this from happening again,” said Sen. Jay Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which held a hearing Tuesday on Toyota.  Toyota President Akio Toyoda has pledged to improve the company’s focus on safety and act more swiftly to address driver complaints. The automaker plans to install brakes that can override the gas pedal in future models and many vehicles already on the road. The safety measure is meant to prevent the unintended acceleration that has caused some Toyota drivers to speed out of control.  Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told the committee Tuesday that his agency may recommend that every new vehicle sold in the United States be equipped with the brakes, something that would require a relatively inexpensive software upgrade.  The biggest changes in Congress may be to the TREAD Act, passed in 2000 to help the government spot safety defects sooner following the massive Firestone tire recall. The law responded to more than 250 deaths and hundreds of injuries in accidents involving some Firestone tires, typically used on Ford Explorers, that were prone to losing their tread and rolling over.  The new requirements prompted automakers to recall more than 30 million vehicles in 2004, an industry record, but lawmakers investigating the Toyota recalls have cited loopholes in the law and a lack of urgency by federal regulators.  Safety advocates say the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees vehicle safety, is understaffed and lacks engineers who can examine potential electromagnetic interference. They also note that NHTSA has been hesitant to subpoena documents from manufacturers and that executives do not face criminal penalties if they fail to comply with recall laws.  “It was supposed to prevent more tragedies like Ford-Firestone,” Clarence Ditlow, head of the consumer group Center for Auto Safety, told the House Oversight Committee last week. “It didn’t.”

Toyota should be held accountable for failing to protect its customers against this deadly hazard.  This will not be the end of the saga that will likely, forever, change Toyota’s reputation as safe, dependable and quality made.  Our firm is currently investigating and pursuing claims against Toyota for Sudden Accelerations that have forever changed the lives of individuals and families all across the United States.  If someone you know was injured or killed as the result of a defective Toyota vehicle encourage them to immediately contact a competent attorney for advice. It is extremely important to do this quickly to ensure that evidence is preserved, statements are taken, and the rights of all are protected.