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Middleboro Review 2

NEW CONTENT MOVED TO MIDDLEBORO REVIEW 2

Toyota

Since the Dilly, Dally, Delay & Stall Law Firms are adding their billable hours, the Toyota U.S.A. and Route 44 Toyota posts have been separated here:

Route 44 Toyota Sold Me A Lemon



Saturday, May 26, 2012

Toyota Prius C: Another Lemon!

We absolutely loved this cute little car....until....

First there was that quirky little problem when it transitioned from battery to engine.

Then there was the brake pedal traveling to the floor and warning lights coming on.

Because there were NO computer errors codes, the dealer and Toyota pronounced the car in working order.

Would you drive a vehicle with unpredictable computer performance?

Would you risk your life, that of your family and innocent strangers  on Toyota's failure to correct its software problems?

Let's get beyond the superficial and consider owners who have put mileage on this Toyota lemon. 

I may be the first to complain about this. Rest assured, this is just the beginning of another failure of Toyota to correct its problems.

How many more families will they kill before they correct the problem?


May 18, 2012,

Reviewing the Toyota Prius C

2012 Toyota Prius C.
Nick Czap for The New York Times2012 Toyota Prius C.

In Sunday’s Automobiles section, Nick Czap reviews the 2012 Toyota Prius C, a lightweight hybrid hatchback that, in its first three days of availability, surpassed the February sales of both the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.

As Mr. Czap writes, the Prius C is a charmer, especially in relation to the indifferently styled Prius Liftback:
Where the Prius Liftback is all monolithic planar mass, the Prius C is all curves and flares and bulges. And while the Liftback’s top-heavy look suggests a predilection for straight-line travel, the C’s wide, low-slung, wheels-to-the-corners stance hints at a penchant for playing.
The Prius C wields a substantial fuel-economy advantage over similarly sized hatchbacks like the Honda Fit and the Ford Fiesta, which, given the hybrid’s sub-$20,000 price, should worry competitors, Mr. Czap concludes.
Read the entire review, check out the slide show and share your thoughts on the Prius C in the comments.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/reviewing-the-toyota-prius-c/

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

NHTSA 04-12
April 12, 2012
Contact: Karen Aldana, 202-366-9550

'Brake-Throttle Override' requirement will reduce the risk of high-speed unintended acceleration involving a stuck or trapped accelerator pedal



WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today proposed to update existing safety standards to ensure drivers can better stop a vehicle in the event both the brake and accelerator pedals are depressed at the same time. NHTSA research indicates a "Brake-Throttle Override" requirement will help reduce the risks of high-speed unintended acceleration and prevent crashes involving a stuck or trapped accelerator pedal by allowing the driver to maintain control through normal application of the vehicle's brakes.
"America's drivers should feel confident that anytime they get behind the wheel they can easily maintain control of their vehicles — especially in the event of an emergency," said U.S.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "By updating our safety standards, we're helping give drivers peace of mind that their brakes will work even if the gas pedal is stuck down while the driver is trying to brake."

The NHTSA proposal aims to minimize the risk that drivers will lose control of their vehicles as a result of either accelerator control system disconnections or accelerator pedal sticking or floormat entrapment. The proposal would amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 124, Accelerator Control Systems, by updating the throttle control disconnection test procedures for all passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks and buses, regardless of weight. For vehicles that have Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) and a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) 10,000 lbs. (4,536 kilograms) or less, the proposal would also require manufacturers include a Brake-Throttle Override (BTO) system to ensure the vehicle would stop if both the brake and the accelerator pedals are simultaneously applied. Many manufacturers are already including BTO systems in their vehicle fleets.

"We learned as part of the comprehensive NASA and NHTSA studies of high-speed unintended acceleration that brake override systems could help drivers avoid crashes," said NHTSA
Administrator David Strickland. "While NHTSA's defect investigation program will continue to monitor and consider consumer complaints of any potential vehicle safety issues, this proposal is one way the agency is helping keep drivers safe and continuing to work to reduce the risk of injury from sticky pedals or pedal entrapment issues."

Members of the public are encouraged to provide comment on NHTSA's "Brake-Throttle Override" proposal and will have 60 days to do so once the proposal is published in the Federal Register. View the proposal

For additional information on NASA and NHTSA's studies of high-speed unintended acceleration, visit www.nhtsa.gov/UA.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2012/USDOT+Proposes+Updated+Safety+Standard+to+Prioritize+Braking+Control,+Reduce+Risk+of+High-Speed+Unintended+Acceleration+for+Nation%27s+Cars

Toyota Recall – How long will we have to wait? http://aviscogitations.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/toyota-recall-how-long-will-we-have-to-wait/


New details in crash that prompted Toyota recall

A federal report finds a possible flaw in the gas pedal design of a runaway Lexus that crashed in August, killing CHP Officer Mark Saylor and three family members and leading to a massive recall.

October 25, 2009|Ken Bensinger and Ralph Vartabedian
 
Before Toyota could be bothered to recall 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus cars that they had known for two years had a problem, an off-duty state trooper and three members of his family had to die in fatal car crash when the car accelerated . This is the recording of their 911 call moments before they crashed into the end of the freeway at 120 mph.

Panic is a very powerful emotion. If you find yourself in this situation, the key is to remain calm and put the car in neutral until the car slows down enough so you can safely pull off the road



Jim Sikes called 9-1-1 after his Toyota Prius' accelerator became stuck and police assisted him in stopping the vehicle. As Ben Tracy reports, he is not the only driver blaming Toyota for acceleration troubles.



"I love Toyotas but I will not drive a Prius again."



Toyota dealerships were flooded with calls after the company admitted problems with their Prius model's anti-lock brakes system. Dean Reynolds reports.

Driver Finds Accelerator Problem On Prius
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9KRk7E6G-U&feature=fvwrel






Toyota Prius drivers await whether the company is planning a recall that could involve 37,000 hybrids in the U.S. There are also reports that used Toyotas are losing their value. Celia Hatton reports. A Lenexa man is wondering if he's found another accelerator problem on his new Toyota Prius. KMBC's Micheal Mahoney reports.





Last month, Toyota issued a massive recall of nearly 4 million Toyota and Lexis vehicles. The recall is intended to fix a very dangerous defect which can lead to Unintended Acceleration of the vehicle. Initially thought to be an issue with floor mats, the real problem involves the cars electronic throttle system. The recall was prompted by a high speed crash in August in California of a Lexus barreling out of control. As the vehicle hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, family members made a frantic 911 call and said the accelerator was stuck and they couldnt stop the vehicle.

California highway patrol officer and three family members were killed when their loaner car's accelerator stuck and they crashed going 100 mph. The audio of the 911 call made from the car moments before the crash has just been released.


"This may be the day I die."

"...a glitch of some kind...."




Beasley Allen attorney, Graham Esdale discusses a lawsuit filed by the families of Jean Bookout and Barbara Schwarz of Yukon, Oklahoma. Toyota is accused of 'negligence, failure to warn, breech of warranty and deceit.'

NO COMPUTER ERROR CODE!



A new investigative report, complete with an automotive professor from a major college, claims to show proof of an inherent design flaw with Toyotas electronics that can cause a vehicle to experience unintended sudden acceleration. The automotive professor went as far as to demonstrate the occurrence with the reporter driving and cameras rolling.

Brian Ross of ABC News has tracked down a college professor, Dave Gilbert, from Southern Illinois University, in order to investigate Gilberts claim that the electronics could possibly be to blame for the cases of sudden acceleration in modern Toyota vehicles.

According to automotive professor Gilbert, there is a flaw in Toyotas design that allows particular short circuits that could be caused by corrosion, moisture or manufacturing imperfections. In order to recreate the issues for ABC News, however, Gilbert utilized an external bypass system that he says will recreate conditions otherwise possible without any outside devices.

The system is fallible, in fact, its got some really troubling design strategies that are employed by Toyota that appear to be outside the norm [of the auto industry]. And their system clearly has a design strategy that has a very slim margin of safety, said Sean Kane, safety advocate from Safety Research and Strategies. Kane was responsible for first spotting the pattern of so-called runaway Toyotas from NHTSA complaints.

Gilbert first contacted senior Toyota engineers in California about these claims last week, and says they were surprised at his claim. Toyota at first believed that what Gilbert described would not produce any unintended acceleration. Toyota also clarified that if a short ever were to occur, the dashboard would light up and indicate an issue contrary to Gilberts findings in which no dash lights were illuminated, and no DTC error codes were produced.

Gilbert has so far been able to replicate the short-induced unintended sudden acceleration on a Lexus, Toyota Tundra, Avalon and on a Matrix.

This is a dangerous condition, it is not fail safe, said Gilbert.

Gilbert also went on to explain that he has attempted to recreate the same short with vehicles made by other manufacturers as well, as a basis for comparison, and found that other makes did not experience the unintended sudden acceleration.

Other vehicle manufacturers have gone to great extremes [to prevent the problem he found on Toyotas], he said. His tests on GM cars did not find a similar flaw, he said, not even close.

Toyota has since released an official press release following the ABC News investigation, saying that based on the footage seen on ABC News, Toyota believes what Gilbert displayed is different than they first understood. Toyota has invited both Professor Gilbert and ABC News to bring the Avalon in question to Toyota for further testing.

Toyota welcomes the opportunity to evaluate the Toyota Avalon shown in todays story and the method by which Mr. Gilbert allegedly caused the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally. We welcome the attendance of ABC News at any such evaluation of this vehicle and Mr. Gilberts testing, Toyota announced in a press release.

Both Professor Gilbert and Sean Kane are scheduled to speak in front of the House committee on Tuesday, February 23, 2010.


Toyota: Software to blame for Prius brake problems

HYBRID VEHICLES

February 04, 2010
Without issuing a recall of its iconic Prius hybrid vehicles, Toyota said Thursday a software glitch is to blame for braking problems in the 2010 model.
"We would want to be given a little time," Hiro Yuki Yokoyama, Toyota's managing officer, said when reporters asked whether a recall was in the works.
The company changed its braking system software in January as part of what it called "constant quality improvements," but did not say what it would do about vehicles manufactured before then.


http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-04/world/japan.prius.complaints_1_brake-system-anti-lock-prius-hybrid?_s=PM:WORLD


ABC News Alleges Toyota's Problem Isn't Pedals, and Isn't Fixed


Posted: Feb 23, 2010

Congressman Bill Keating responds to Pilgrim relicensing



Keating calls for a moratorium on nuclear power plant licenses, license extensions

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced today that it has authorized the relicensing of Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. Below is Rep. Bill Keating’s statement in response in a press release today:

His legislation also calls for a moratorium on nuclear power plant licenses, license extensions, and new nuclear reactor designs until an overhaul of nuclear safety to address the inadequacies exposed by the Fukushima meltdowns is completed. “I am disappointed that the NRC took a vote to relicense Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant despite the fact that there are unresolved administrative proceedings and judicial appeals outstanding. It sets a dangerous precedent and highlights the fact that our current system for relicensing our nuclear power plants is in desperate need of reform. The men and women who work to keep Pilgrim operational and safe are undoubtedly some of the best, but what does today’s vote say for the plants across the nation that have yet to go through Post-Fukishima upgrades and have been operational for decades now? While it is not safe for a nuclear plant to be under extended operation status without a renewed license, it is equally unsafe to relicense when ongoing issues exist or without updates being fully implemented. Our current relicensing process allows for both scenarios to happen.
The current license for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station expires in June 2012, and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., the operator of the facility, has requested permission to continue operating the plant for another 20 years.
On May 4, 2012, Reps. Keating and Markey sent a letter to NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko urging the Commission not to move forward with its decision on whether to issue the twenty-year license extension for Pilgrim until there is a final resolution on all related administrative proceedings and judicial appeals. In their letter to the NRC, Reps. Markey and Keating wrote that “To do otherwise would send an alarming message to all residents living near America’s 104 nuclear power plants who are attempting to have an impact on a critical decision that will affect their lives for decades.”

Rep. Keating is also a cosponsor of H.R. 1242, The Nuclear Power Plant Safety Act. The legislation calls for the NRC to ensure that nuclear power plants and spent nuclear fuel pools can withstand and adequately respond to earthquakes, tsunamis, strong storms, long power outages, or other events that threaten a major impact.

The legislation also calls for a moratorium on nuclear power plant licenses, license extensions, and new nuclear reactor designs until an overhaul of nuclear safety to address the inadequacies exposed by the Fukushima meltdowns is completed.

http://www.capecodtoday.com/news/headlines/2012/05/25/congreessman-bill-keating-responds-to-pi

Friday, May 18, 2012

Toyota Prius C: Buyer Beware!

If you're in the new car market, there's really no reliable source of safety and performance.

The Prius C may not be it!

With only 841 miles, braking problems began....that was after some kind of quirky deal when the car went from battery to engine - causing a sensation of impact.

Meet the Prius c

In Moonglow
Super White




Two days ago, the brake pedal went to the floor and a warning light came on.

The vehicle was towed - no computer report was recorded for the warning light.

After receiving assurances from the Service Manager that the vehicle had been test driven, test driven and inspected by the manufacturer, I went to return the loaner and pick up my vehicle.

I was still in the parking lot when the brake pedal traveled to the floor and another warning light came on.

Although it's baffling that with all the test driving that was supposedly done, the failure recurred with me at the wheel, so be it.

Maybe I'm the first to experience this problem,

Cute little car, but I don't want to end my life in it!



Sunday, May 13, 2012

Revoke $46.5 M in Tax Giveaways



Please add your name --


http://www.green-rainbow.org/liberty_mutual_tower_subsidy_petition

Revoke $46.5 M in Tax Giveaways for Construction of Liberty Mutual Office Tower

US_dollar_pyramid.pngTo: Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Boston City Councilors, Governor Deval Patrick and Legislators
Whereas: Mayor Menino and the Boston City Council have granted Liberty Mutual $24 million in property tax breaks and Governor Patrick has given Liberty Mutual $22.5 million in state subsidies to build a new office tower in Boston near its existing office in Boston.
Whereas: These subsidies are being granted to a corporation so wealthy that it testified to City Council that it could build the $300 million tower with cash on hand, and is on the Forbes 100 list, earning over a billion dollars a year in profit.
Whereas: This subsidy money is being taken from essential city and state services including schools, libraries, parks, transit, youth jobs and community centers, even as their funding is being slashed.
read the full petition text
We ask that the city and state revoke the $24 million in property tax breaks and $22.5 million in state subsidies granted to Liberty Mutual for the construction of a new office tower. Redirecting these funds to city and state services would make a real difference in people’s lives.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Friday, May 4: After the Storm

This will be on Chronicle, Ch. 5, Boston on Friday, 7:30.

(that's ch.10 on Comcast - don't know about Charter - check your local listings)

 
 
It’s been nearly a year since a series of tornadoes ripped through central Massachusetts. But visit the towns of Brimfield and Monson, and it looks like it happened yesterday. Tonight we see how both communities are coping with the long recovery from the storms and the frustrating delays in getting back to normal. Plus, we’ll hear the amazing story of Toto the Tornado Kitten, a cat whose rescue is now the centerpiece of a new book.
Read more: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/chronicle/30963095/detail.html#ixzz1tlClWNqt