Toyota - Shrinking Gas Pedals Is Only a Partial Solution

Toyota will soon announce a plan to voluntarily repair the accelerator pedals in a variety of late-model Toyota products, the idea being that shrinking and re-shaping the gas pedals will reduce the chance that their vehicles will careen out of control because of a stuck floor mat.

Too bad this is only a partial solution. While making the gas pedal smaller certainly won't hurt, the REAL solution is to upgrade the engine management computer so that it includes a "brake to idle failsafe," a system found on competing models from Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz.

Modifying the vehicle's software so that brake inputs over-ride accelerator inputs is a guaranteed problem-solver, and Toyota should proceed in this direction instead of playing with the pedals.
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MSP6 - 11/16/2009 11:49:07 AM

+7 Boost

Yet another workaround... What's next, a dash sticker with a procedure on how to put the car in neutral ?

tundrahq - 11/16/2009 12:37:30 PM

+1 Boost

Exactly! At worst, Toyota is too cheap to do the right thing. At best, they're bowing to public pressure. Either way, they're doing it wrong.

Joe_Limon - 11/17/2009 12:19:12 AM

+2 Boost

Badgewhore, you've obviously never had your throttle stick open on you, when the pedal sticks a little bit the first reaction to it is to try and free it up... which just so happens to be pushing it all the way down. No it isn't the smartest choice of actions but in the instant it happens it is very easy to be caught up and think it's the easiest way to solve your problem.

tundrahq - 11/21/2009 10:38:48 AM

+1 Boost

Badgewhore - I don't think you understand what we're saying. You're absolutely right that some people don't know how to cope when a floormat gets caught and the throttle is stuck open. Rather than trying to fix the symptom of the problem (people who aren't able to make the whole "floormat thing" work), cure the problem by taking these people out of the loop. If Toyota updates the software on their electronic throttle equipped vehicles, a tap on the brakes is all it would take to negate a stuck gas pedal. It's idiot-proof.

LexusKindaGuy12 - 11/16/2009 1:10:17 PM

+2 Boost

If they isolated the problem to be the floor mats and pedals, then it only makes sense for them to change the design of the floor mats and pedals, and they are doing exactly that

kpaxx - 11/16/2009 1:35:46 PM

+2 Boost

Toyota should think about making safety part of there design agenda!

pennfootball - 11/16/2009 1:42:09 PM

+3 Boost

how hard is it to offer a damn software re flash to take care of the computers?

kpaxx - 11/16/2009 2:33:07 PM

+3 Boost

That's because they either don't know exactly what the problem is or they have to replace the entire computer!

800over - 11/16/2009 4:01:49 PM

-1 Boost

Yes its a simple fix that takes a week of programming and it's done. then it's wirelessly sent to all the affected cars at no cost to anyone with no testing done. You obviously don't own anything made by microsoft.

91z4me - 11/16/2009 6:18:30 PM

+1 Boost

800, I don't think any cars on the road offer wireless computer updates. But a software reflash to remove throttle input if the brakes are depressed would instantly reduce the likelihood of future deaths. Of course this reflash would have to be delivered by wired connections at the dealers.

tundrahq - 11/16/2009 11:00:55 PM

+3 Boost

I hear what you're saying, but I look at this two ways. If there really isn't a problem, Toyota should say so. If the tragic deaths that caught the headlines were not Toyota's fault, Toyota should not act. The fact that they're offering a pedal fix indicates there could be an issue. No matter how small you make the pedals, somewhere some yahoo is going to put a huge all-weather floor mat in their car and get it stuck over the accelerator...and a small pedal won't fix that. The brake idle fail-safe computer upgrade, however, is idiot proof.

Granted, it's more expensive to update computers than it is to offer to replace gas pedals, but it's the right way to address the problem.

downtoearth - 11/19/2009 2:45:02 PM

+2 Boost

tundrahq is absolutely right.

Obviously, drivers should have put their cars into neutral. But this should not prevent the manufacturer from installing the simple fail safe engine control unit configuration, with brakes always having the precedence over the throttle.

Toyota - install this feature as a recall NOW.

MSP6 - 11/17/2009 1:17:37 PM

+1 Boost

Listen dumbass,

the guy stepped on the brakes, but the car was still in gear at full throttle, the car slowed down, probably a "hell down", buth then the brakes got hot, faded and became useless. That is when the car re-accelerated, leading to the crash.

Nobody said the brakes where not working.

agent507 - 11/17/2009 2:20:13 AM

+1 Boost

The guys at Toyota are having a hard time at the moment. Declining sales, shrinking markets, negative press, recalls, and nearly every week you hear a new story about this floor mat issue.

Here is my advice: You (Toyota) started to search for a solution (this cable fix whatever thing) in the first place, which was like admitting “Yes, there is / could be a problem”. Now you come with shrinking gas pedals. I sincerely hope that this is now the final shot. And I cannot understand why you don´t just bring this “brake to idle failsafe system” into your cars. It is already there, all you need to do is activate your “copy and paste” team – and that is what you actually have always been best in.

tundrahq - 11/21/2009 10:41:35 AM

+1 Boost

LOL - Stoopid pee-ple - you night! I like it. But seriously, read the article and my other comments.

kpaxx - 11/17/2009 2:07:02 PM

+1 Boost

This problem is to wide spread to sum it up to driver error! The crux of the problem here is that there is something wrong with the design of the car.

tundrahq - 11/21/2009 10:44:34 AM

+1 Boost

Sadly, there's nothing to stop that from happening. Our point is really clear I think - either put the right fix in (software update with brake-to-idle failsafe) or don't do anything at all. Making the accelerator pedals smaller isn't going to stop every idiot, and that's really all this "issue" is about. If people don't know how to turn a car off or put their transmission in nuetral, and that somehow leads to their death, it's very tragic...but it's not Toyota's problem. At least it shouldn't be.