Free Republic

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- A federal judge expects the first lawsuit to go to trial in a massive class action against Toyota Motor Corp. over a sudden acceleration problem that led the company to recall 14 million cars will involve a crash that killed a Utah couple. U.S. District Judge James Selna told attorneys Friday that the case of Paul Van Alfen and Charlene Jones Lloyd - whose Toyota Camry slammed into a wall in Utah in 2010 - will go to trial in early 2013. The case will be the first of several bellwether lawsuits, intended to determine...

Just look at these headlines! * “Inquiry on Auto Acceleration Expanded by U .S.,” New York Times * “Cars That Speed Up Mysteriously Spark Bitter Dispute Over Cause,” Wall Street Journal * “Runaway Cars,” Detroit News And how about these? * “Car Plows into Park, Killing 3 & Injuring Dozens,” New York Times * “Car Kills Woman At Market,” Post-Standard * “Sudden Acceleration May Be the Cause of Recent Accidents…,” Corporate Crime Reporter Boy, doesn’t Toyota have problems? Maybe not. That first set of headlines was from an earlier “epidemic” of sudden accelerations thought to be caused by Ford automobiles....

How to Handle Sudden Unintended Acceleration: Video In this video, PM senior automotive editor Mike Allen accelerates his car to 55 and then stops it—while the throttle is still open. DO • Brake. Brake once, don't pump or ride the brakes. This will only heat up the brake pads, potentially overheating them and making them fail. It will take more force than you're used to to make the vehicle stop. Use both feet if you need to. • Shift. Move the gearshift into neutral. If the throttle is truly stuck, the engine will redline and make a lot of noise,...

The U.S., like much of the industrialized world, is currently enjoying a media feeding frenzy over cases of unintended acceleration in Toyota-made vehicles. No one knows whether the ultimate culprit will be ill-fitting floor mats, gas pedals manufactured by CTS, or drive-by-wire software that develops a mind of its own, possibly dooming occupants to swift, untimely death. But Toyota's (TM) problem is far worse than a media circus. No, Toyota is being torn apart by the U.S. inability to gauge real risk in our lives. This shortcoming gives rise to irrational fears and now it's spawning anecdotal "stories"—all making it...

First, What to Do if Your Car (Not Just a Toyota) Starts to Accelerate Uncontrollably If your car starts accelerating unexpectedly, hit the brake (it's the one to the left of the gas) and shift into neutral. After you do this, the engine may race loudly but the car won't accelerate. Pull off the road, brake to a stop, shift to park, and shut off the car. This is a simple solution we guarantee will save your life in any car that suffers from unintended acceleration. For more, read our story “How To Deal With Unintended Acceleration,” which is based...

body, table {font:normal 12px verdana,sans-serif;margin:10px;} /*.RelatedBox {display:none;}*/ local6.com Driver, 76, Slams SUV Into Hair Salon POSTED: 12:16 pm EDT June 17, 2005UPDATED: 4:45 pm EDT June 17, 2005A 76-year-old driver running late for a hair appointment Friday mistakenly hit her sport utility vehicle's accelerator and slammed into a salon in Altamonte Springs, Fla., according to Local 6 News. Police said 76-year-old Gene Maxel was trying to park her SUV when she accidentally accelerated backwards and then sideways into the business, Local 6 News reported."I was doing a highlight and I looked up and saw her backing up and started yelling...