Thursday, December 13, 2012

"No Computer Error Message"

When we chose to purchase a Toyota Prius C, we incorrectly believed that Toyota had corrected their electronic/software glitches as a consequence of the SUA [Sudden Unintended Acceleration] deaths, along with the penalties and fines.



We incorrectly believed that as a consequence of the publicity surrounding the deaths caused by Toyota vehicles, Toyota would be responsive to safety problems experienced by owners, certainly BRAKE FAILURE seemed significant.




We certainly never anticipated that our NEW Prius C would be sitting on the property of Route 44 Toyota with NO BRAKES!

And who could anticipate that Route 44 Toyota would deny a problem even after it was replicated to a technician sitting in the passenger seat.

Being told 'No Computer Error Message' is hardly acceptable.

Below is information from the great folks at the Center for Auto Safety about the poor handling of previous Toyota problems. It defines Toyota's priorities when they praise the $100 million saved by avoiding Recalls, even while sacrificing the lives of Toyota owners and those who were killed.



Summary page: Toyota Sudden Acceleration

Statement of Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, On S. 3302, The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010, Before the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee - 5/19/10
Summary of Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, On Proposed Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010,Before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, House Energy and Commerce Committee - 5/6/10
Statement of Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, On Toyota Sudden Unintended Acceleration Before the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee - 3/2/10
Statement of Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, On Toyota Sudden Unintended Acceleration Before the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee - 2/24/10

DOT AND NHTSA

NHTSA Administrator Strickland Letter to Senator Charles Grassley re: Toyota Investigation - 7/27/12

USDOT Proposes Updated Safety Standard to Prioritize Braking Control, Reduce Risk of High-Speed Unintended Acceleration for Nation's Cars - 4/12/12

DOT Inspector General Report - Process Improvements Are Needed for Identifying and Addressing Vehicle Safety Defects - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - 10/6/2011

NHTSA and NASA Unintended Acceleration Studies

NHTSA/Toyota Civil Penalty Settlement Agreement - 4/19/10
Secretary LaHood Announces DOT is Seeking Maximum Civil Penalty from Toyota - 4/5/10
NHTSA Launches Probe into Timeliness of Three Toyota Recalls - 2/16/10

Consumer Advisory: NHTSA’s Advice to Toyota Customers - 2/10/10

NHTSA Consumer Advisory on Toyota Recalls
- 2/1/10

NHTSA Statement Concerning the Safety Recall of 3.8 Million Toyota Vehicles
- 11/4/09

Toyota Announces Fix for Accelerator Pedal Entrapment Problem
- 11/25/09
Camry/Solara/ES300 Complaint and Claims Charts submitted to Senate Commerce Committee

NHTSA Study: "An Examination of Sudden Acceleration," Jan. 1989


NHTSA Study: "Electromagnetic Interference Effects on Motor Vehicle Electronic Control and Safety Devices, Volume I - Summary"
- Nov. 1976
NHTSA Study: "Electromagnetic Interference Effects on Motor Vehicle Electronic Control and Safety Devices, Volume II - Measurements, Analysis and Testing" - Nov. 1976

NHTSA Study: "Electromagnetic Interference Effects on Motor Vehicle Electronic Control and Safety Devices, Volume III - Automotive EMC Guidelines"
- Nov. 1976

NHTSA Study: "Investigation of Electromagnetic Interference Effects on Motor Vehicle Electronic Control and Safety Devices"
- Oct. 1975

NHTSA 2007 Lexus ES-350 Acceleration Test Report EA07-010


CONGRESS

Sen. Charles Grassley Letter to NHTSA re: Tin Whiskers - 7/12/12

Motor Vehicle Safety Act after full committee markup
A Tougher Car Safety Agency - 7/30/10
Letter to Congress from Auto Industry Re: Motor Vehicle Safety Act - 7/15/10
Auto safety bill is scaled back in face of industry opposition - 7/12/10
Energy & Commerce Committee Requests More Information on Toyota Brake System - 6/29/10
Energy & Commerce Committee Approves Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 - 5/26/10
Section-by-Section Summary of H.R. 5381 MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT OF 2010 Committee on Energy and Commerce
House Energy & Commerce Committee Information on Toyota Recall
Hearing on Update on Toyota and NHTSA’s Response to the Problem of Sudden Unintended Acceleration - 5/20/10
Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee Hearing, S. 3302, The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010 - 5/19/10
Statement of Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, On S. 3302, The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010, Before the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee - 5/19/10
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Hearing, "Hearing on Update on Toyota and NHTSA’s Response to the Problem of Sudden Unintended Acceleration" - 5/14/10
Summary of Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, On Proposed Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010,Before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, House Energy and Commerce Committee - 5/6/10
Boxer Introduces Legislation to Close 'Revolving Door' Between NHTSA, Automakers - 4/28/10

Committee on Energy and Commerce Requests Information on Electronic Throttle Control Systems from Toyota - 4/16/10
Committee on Energy and Commerce Requests Information on Electronic Throttle Control Systems from Exponent, Inc. - 4/16/10
Statement of Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, On Toyota Sudden Unintended Acceleration Before the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee - 3/2/10
Camry/Solara/ES300 Complaint and Claims Charts submitted to Senate Commerce Committee

Chairman Towns Hits Toyota For Lack of Disclosure - 2/26/10
Letter from Chairman Edolphus Towns to Yoshimi Inaba - 2/26/10
Statement of Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, On Toyota Sudden Unintended Acceleration Before the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee - 2/24/10
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Hearing, "Response by Toyota and NHTSA to Incidents of Sudden Unintended Acceleration" - 2/23/10
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Letter to James E. Lentz, President and Chief Operating Officer, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A - 2/22/10
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Letter to Ray LaHood, Secretary of U. S. Department of Transportation - 2/22/10
House Energy and Commerce Documents - 2/22/10
House Bill Re: Use and Risks of Electronic and Microprocessor Systems in Automobiles - 6/20/90

LOS ANGELES TIMES ARTICLES
NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLES
WASHINGTON POST ARTICLES
OTHER NEWS

CAS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS AND ACTIONS

CAS Objection to NHTSA EDR Subpoena - 8/19/10
NHTSA Subpoena for Toyota Tundra EDR - 8/10/10
EvesToyota Tundra EDR Data Findings Part 1 - 8/4/10
Eves Toyota Tundra EDR Data Findings Part 2 - 8/4/10
Letter from Consumer Groups to National Academy of Sciences Re: Electronic Vehicle Controls and Unintended Acceleration - 6/28/10
NHTSA Response to Timeliness Query and Recall Query Docments Request - 5/6/10
Early Warning FOIA Response and Attachments - 4/15/10
CAS Files Freedom of Information Act Request Re: Early Warning Reporting - 2/12/10
CAS Letter to NHTSA Administrator David Strickland - 2/2/10
Lexus ES-350 Test Protocol - 12/1/09
Lexus ES-350 Test Data & EMI - 12/1/09
Lexus ES-350 Owner Survey - 12/1/09
NHTSA Response to CAS Lexus ES-350 FOIAs - 1/21/10
Attached Video
CAS Statement on 11-25-09 Toyota Unintended Acceleration Recall

RECALLS AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGNS

- 1982 Cressida, Celica, Supra Recall 86V-132 (See EA85-045)
- 1983-84 Camry, 1984 Corolla Recall 90V-040 (See PE90-021)
- 1998-01 Camry Recall 01V-012
- 2007-08 Camry, Lexus ES350 Recall 07E-082 (See EA07-010)
- 2004 Sienna Safety Improvement Campaign 09V-023 (See EA08-014)
- 2005-10 Avalon, Tacoma; 2004-09 Prius; 2007-10 Camry, Tundra, Lexus ES 350; 2006-10 Lexus IS 250/350 Recall 09V-388
- 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe; 2007-10 Camry, Tundra; 2008-10 Sequoia; 2005-10 Avalon; 2009-10 Corolla, Matrix, RAV4; 2010 Highlander Recall 10V-017 - 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe Recall 10V-018
- 2008-10 Highlander; 2009-10 Corolla, Venza, Matrix, Pontiac Vibe Recall 10V-023
UK Lexus Floor Mat Recall September 2000
Transport Canada Announces Safety Improvement Campaign - 11/26/09
Graphic: Canada Recall
Canada: Toyota floor-mat problems arose in 2003 - 3/23/10
Exemplary Vehicle Software Recalls

DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS

- 1975-78 All Models - Investigation EA80-074
- 1979-83 All Models - Investigation EA83-020
- 1981-84 Cressida - Investigation EA85-045 (See Recall 86V-132)
- 1983-84 Camry, 1984 Corolla – Investigation PE90-021 (See Recall 90V-040)
- 1987-89 Camry, Celica - Investigation PE92-065 (See EA92-044)
- 1987-89 Camry, Celica - Investigation EA92-044 (See PE92-065)
- 2002-03 Camry, Solara, Lexus ES 300 – Investigation PE04-021 (See DP04-003)
- NHTSA Memo Restricting Scope of PE04-021 Investigation
- 2007-08 Camry, Lexus ES 350 – Investigation PE07-016 (See EA07-010, Recall 07E-082)
- 2007-08 Camry, Lexus ES 350 – Investigation EA07-010 (See PE07-016, Recall 07E-082)
- 2004 Sienna – Investigation PE08-025 (See EA08-014, Safety Improvement Campaign 09V-023)
- 2004 Sienna – Investigation EA08-014 (See PE08-025, Safety Improvement Campaign 09V-023)
- Meeting Minutes, October 15, 2008 Toyota Presentation
- Toyota and Lexus Deaths and Injuries Claims in NHTSA’s Early Warning Reporting System through 2009
- Toyota and Lexus Deaths and Injuries found in Death Incident Investigations
- NHTSA Early Warning Reporting, 2010 Quarter 1 Speed Control Deaths in Toyota Vehicles
- NHTSA Early Warning Reporting, 2010 Quarter 1 Speed Control Deaths and Injuries in Toyota Vehicles

DEFECT PETITIONS

- 1983-84 Camry – Defect Petition DP86-08 (See PE90-021, Recall 90V-040)
- 1997-00 Lexus LS, GS 400 – Defect Petition DP03-003 (Federal Register Notice)
- 2002-03 Lexus ES 300 – Defect Petition DP04-003 (See PE04-021)
- NHTSA ODI Memo re: 2002-2003 Camry Complaints
- 2002-05 Camry, Solara, Lexus ES – Defect Petition DP05-002 (Federal Register Notice)
- 2002-06 Camry, Solara – Defect Petition DP06-003 (Federal Register Notice)
- 2006-07 Tacoma – Defect Petition DP08-001 (Federal Register Notice)
- 2002-03 Lexus ES 300, 2007 Lexus ES 350 – Defect Petition DP09-001 (Federal Register Notice)

SPECIAL CRASH INVESTIGATIONS

NHTSA Special Crash Investigations (SCI) Description
2005 Toyota Camry Sudden Acceleration Investigation (2008-12-077A)
2007 Toyota Camry Sudden Acceleration Investigation (DS07035)
2005 Toyota Prius Sudden Acceleration Investigation (DS07010)
2007 Toyota Tacoma Sudden Acceleration Investigation (CA08-020)
2009-2010 SCI Toyota Unintended Acceleration Investigations

CIVIL PENALTIES

NHTSA Launches Probe into Timeliness of Three Toyota Recalls - 2/16/10

NHTSA Information Request to Toyota Re: Timeliness Query TQ10-001 - 2/16/10
NHTSA Information Request to Toyota Re: Timeliness Query TQ10-002 - 2/16/10
NHTSA Information Request to Toyota Re: Recall Query RQ10-003 - 2/16/10
RQ10-003 Opening Resume
NHTSA Fines Toyota $250,000 for untimely notification and remedy of fuel tank defect

TOYOTA DOCUMENTS

Toyota’s Independent Quality Advisory Panel Headed to Japan - 5/20/10
Toyota to Provide Additional Services to New York Customers Affected by Recent Recalls - 2/24/10
Toyota Boasts of $100 Million Dollar Savings by Dodging Recall
Toyota Stop Delivery Memo to Dealers - 1/26/10
Toyota Consumer Safety Advisory - 9/29/09
Toyota Dealer Floor Mat Advisory - 9/29/09
Toyota Gas Pedal Recall Statement – 11/15/09
2008 Draft Toyota Presentation
2006 Toyota Presentation

CONSUMER REPORTS

- What to Do if Your Car Accelerates Out of Control (VIDEO)
- Analysis shows over 40 percent of sudden-acceleration complaints involve Toyotas - 12/9/09

TECHNICAL STUDIES

- NHTSA Report: Pedal Application Errors
- Risk Assessment of Cruise Control
- “Tin whisker analysis of Toyota’s electronic throttle controls,” CALCE, U of MD (2011)
- “Statistical analysis of tin whisker growth,” CALCE U of MD (2005)
- Electrical Failure of an Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor Caused by a Tin Whisker and Discussion of Investigative Techniques Used for Whisker Detection - 9-14-11
- CALCE Prediction of Potential Failures Risks in Toyota Vehicles Confirmed by NASA Scientists - 9-23-11 (PowerPoint)
- CALCE Prediction of Potential Failures Risks in Toyota Vehicles Confirmed by NASA Scientists
- Firmware forensics: best practices in embedded software source-code discovery - 10/27/11
- Dr. Ronald A. Belt’s Sudden Acceleration Papers, 2012

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

- Electronic Vehicle Controls and Unintended Acceleration Study Resource Center
- Statement of Clarence M. Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety, Before the National Academy of Sciences On Vehicle Electronic Controls and Sudden Unintended Acceleration - 10/12/10
NHTSA_58 SUA Cases Report - ASA Preliminary Analysis
NHTSA 22 Self-Actuation Unintended Acceleration Recalls, 1985-2010
NHTSA 175 Unintended Acceleration Recalls, 1985-2010
- NHTSA Investigation List

WEBSITES & RESOURCES
Sudden Acceleration Information Group

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