Posted on 10/09/2007 6:27:32 AM PDT by decimon
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A nationwide investigation by the Channel 4 I-team found complaints about the 2007 Toyota Tacoma that included mysterious acceleration even when drivers said they hit the brakes.
Channel 4 found a growing number of drivers who have had problems with the vehicle, which has prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to start conducting tests on the model.
The former director of NHTSA told Channel 4 that the I-team has uncovered what may be "a safety defect of significant proportions."
It's not easy for Frank Visconi to see what's left of his 2007 Toyota Tacoma.
On June 8, Visconi hit the brakes on his truck while traveling on Interstate 24 near Briley Parkway, but the vehicle never slowed down.
"It just took off even faster," said Visconi.
The next thing he knew, he was rolling and crashing into the embankment.
"What was going through my mind, was, ‘I'm dying today. I'm going to die,’” said Visconi.
That's what he was thinking at the time, but something was going through his head months earlier when he first got the vehicle.
"I told my insurance guy, 'I just want you to know, if I end up in a rear-end accident or something like that in the near future, there's a problem with my vehicle,'" said Visconi.
Visconi's insurance agent documented the conversation in a note that said there were problems with unexplained accelerations in the vehicle. That is when the Channel 4 I-team found complaints about the 2007 Toyota Tacomas from all over the U.S.
Visconi wasn’t aware that in the Boston area there was another driver who also said her 2007 Toyota Tacoma took her for the ride of her life.
"Did you feel like your life was in danger?" asked reporter Jeremy Finley.
"Absolutely, it's the scariest thing that's ever happened to me," said Tacoma driver Alex Pratt.
Pratt said earlier this year that while driving on the interstate, without the cruise control on, her brand new Tacoma suddenly took off as if it had a mind of its own.
"It was just trying to go 120 mph. I was pressing on the brakes as hard as I could, and it was just going forward out of control," said Pratt.
There is also a similar case of this happening to a 2007 Tacoma driver in San Diego.
"The engine just revved up and took off, and I thought I was going to die. I was going to crash,” said Tacoma driver Paul Rohal.
There is also a driver in Sacramento, Calif., with a similar story.
"I don't think they should turn out vehicles like this, and let the public buy them," said Tacoma driver Victor Downin.
Twenty complaints have been filed so far this year to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Joan Claybrook used to head the agency and reviewed the complaints uncovered by the I-team.
"I think what you've encountered here is a safety defect of significant proportions," said Claybrook.
Clarence Ditlow heads the center for Auto Safety in Washington.
"I suspect it's the tip of the iceberg," said Ditlow.
After months of questions from the Channel 4 I-team, NHTSA confirmed it will begin testing the Toyota Tacoma's acceleration system.
A Toyota spokesman said he wasn't aware of any of the complaints, and they are currently not looking into these problems that customers said they are having with the vehicle.
However, they said they would investigate if the NHTSA asked them to.
"Once NHTSA notifies us of a preliminary investigation, we will submit all in house data. It's an open book," said Toyota spokesman, Bill Kwong.
Toyota points out that in various acceleration complaints over the years, and involving several different cars, NHTSA has blamed driver error.
But even Toyota found a problem unrelated to driver error in other models. During the course of this Channel 4 investigation, Toyota announced an equipment recall for "all weather floor mats" in the 2007 and 2008 Camry and Lexus 350 automobiles. Toyota said that those floor mats could come loose and slip onto the gas pedal.
But what about the Tacomas like the ones owned by Visconi, Rohal, Downin and Pratt?
A NHTSA investigator sent Pratt an e-mail that suggested the floor mats in her Tacoma caused her frightening drive home.
"Is it possible that the gas pedal got stuck on the floor mat?" asked Finley.
"Absolutely not. I don't understand how that theory makes any sense," said Pratt.
Drivers point out that the 2007 Tacomas don't even have the recalled all-weather floor mats.
"There's a problem with this vehicle,” said Visconi.
Visconi wanted the company to pay him back the $31,000 he spent on the truck, but Toyota declined.
"Thirty-thousand dollars to Toyota is like a gnat on the elephant's rear end. I said, 'You can't afford to leave this car on the street. Someone's going to get hurt,’” said Visconi.
The 2007 Toyota Tacoma earned top quality ratings from J.D. Power in 2007 and sold 178,000 models last year.
There are currently only 20 filed complaints, but NHTSA said they know that many drivers won't file complaints and will just get rid of the truck.
There are many theories as to what is causing the unintended acceleration. Some critics blame cruise control problems but every driver in Channel 4’s story insisted that they were not using cruise control at the time of the incident.
Related Link:
# Complaints Regarding Toyota Tacomas (pdf)
sounds like the old Audi 5000’s that did the same thing - Audi blamed the drivers.
How can this be???
I always see on this forum that Toyota is the best and can do no wrong.
They should have bought the Ford.
Note that this requires a brake failure at the same time.
If the brakes are working, they can easily stop the vehicle even with the throttle held wide open on purpose.
I know it’s hard to think quickly while something like this is happening, but if you visualize it ahead of time it may make it easier:
SHIFT TO NEUTRAL
TURN KEY OFF
BRAKE TO A SAFE STOP
Audi 5000’s were never shown to have any problem, though.
Except when 60 minutes altered one significantly...
Do these have drive-by-wire systems?
My 07 Sky has this. There’s no mechanical connection between the accelerator pedal and the throttle control.
So far, it has worked amazingly well for me, but I wonder if it will still work as well 10 years from now. Time will tell.
In any event, did it not occur to any of these drivers (especially the guy who had noted it to his insurance carrier) as they were accelerating uncontrollably to simply turn off the ignition or put the vehicle in Neutral?
No, you should just brake to a safe stop and then turn off the engine.
Turning off the engine first loses you the power assist for the brakes and the steering.
Usually turning the key off locks the steering wheel. Better to stop first.
So did the NHTSA.
And the Canadian government.
And the Japanese government.
I think you’re trying to say that Audi never found the problem.
“How can this be???
I always see on this forum that Toyota is the best and can do no wrong.”
You dare blaspheme the religion?
A throttle cable is probably more likely to get stuck.
Even so, unless your brakes fail, you should easily stop the car.
This is why people can do burnouts and brake stands.
This is total nonsense. Brakes are much more powerful than the engine. Try it yourself sometime in a safe place if you have automatic transmission: one foot firmly on the brake, then push down the accelerator with other foot. Car won’t move. Going down the highway and accelerator gets stuck full open? Just hit the brakes. Might also shift into neutral, or push in the clutch. This is a remake of the old Audi “sudden acceleration syndrome” of decades ago. Two possible explanations: incompetent driver or fraud.
I wonder why people didn’t simply shift into Neutral? if you’re “gonna die”, wouldnt’ it be better to let the engine rev itself to death without engaging the tranny?
Trying my best!!
This investigation will be sponsored by FORD...no doubt. :-)
TURN KEY OFF
BRAKE TO A SAFE STOP
You're right but it sounds like the first guy hadn't time. I think I'd probably do it all wrong before starting to do it right.
>> They should have bought the Ford.
Yeah, my Ford Ranger has never been accused of acceleration, mysterious or otherwise. :-)
Heavy duty trucks and construction equipment have been using fly by wire throttle control for years. They do go out,,but go to zero throttle.
I had an Audi and the problem always seem to me driver error. The foot well was too small and you could hit the accelerator rather than the brake.
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