Toyota - accelerator issues - BIG fine

[EskimoArapaho]

Just saw this on a US web site: Toyota admits that it lied about the acceleration problems a few years ago (2010?) and gets a $1.2b fine ($1.6b with the no-tax-offset deal):
http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-toyota...

The actual case was the US' wire fraud (guess they sent cover-up emails?) Toyota's attitude looks like a carbon copy of Ford's over the Pinto fuel tank issue. Do they never learn?

I didn't see this reported here. Is there a parallel case going through the UK/EU courts?

(Apologies if I missed a thread last week, but I don't remember it.)

[Who me ?]

I've heard car related bits on some of the Watchdog programs, but no real stories .

[AnotherClarkey]

The GM ignition key issue will probably make this look like small beer.....

[EskimoArapaho]

[quote=Who me ?]I've heard car related bits on some of the Watchdog programs, but no real stories .
[/quote]

Yes it was covered on the Watchdog TV programme, and a bit later I got the "Worry not, your car is not one of those affected" letter from Mr Toyota (re my Aygo). Then Toyota's sales plummeted and they increased the warranty period from 3 to 5 years to try and fix that. But all the time, there was a strong denial that this was widespread or serious. I hadn't realised the mess was still bubbling away.

Hadn't heard about the GM thing...

[DKS]

Assuming its this:
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBREA2B1J8201...

12 deaths is appalling, sure, but I really think it highlights 99% of drivers ability to deal with an emergency. A car can, will and does cut out for hundreds of reasons!

Also I can believe weight on the key is an issue. Most cars I've worked on for a lady has at least one stupid furry thing, or a photo key ring about 2" square, or a thousand keys dangling off it.

Of course knowing it for 10 years isn't good either.

[iloveboost]

DKS said:

Assuming its this:
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBREA2B1J8201...

12 deaths is appalling, sure, but I really think it highlights 99% of drivers ability to deal with an emergency. A car can, will and does cut out for hundreds of reasons!

Also I can believe weight on the key is an issue. Most cars I've worked on for a lady has at least one stupid furry thing, or a photo key ring about 2" square, or a thousand keys dangling off it.

Of course knowing it for 10 years isn't good either.

I've never heard of other manufacturers advising this so it's an excuse. It's a simple part that usually never fails on a car. The supplier has made it to poor quality standards perhaps because they were supplied poor quality materials either intentionally or un-intentionally. As the parts wear more and more over time they are more likely to let this happen over very rough roads.

[EskimoArapaho]

DKS said:

Assuming its this:
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBREA2B1J8201...

12 deaths is appalling, sure, but I really think it highlights 99% of drivers ability to deal with an emergency. A car can, will and does cut out for hundreds of reasons!

Well, I presume that the 12 fatal cases are the tip of the iceberg in terms of the overall number of incidents. It's likely that many more happened and those drivers did manage to deal with it.