Do you Recall...

You have to know that I couldn't let this topic be for long, seeing my interest in all things automotive. Of course I have an opinion. By now, I'm sure that every person in the world knows of the "gas pedal issue with Toyotas", so I'm not going to get too in-depth on the background.

I don't want to sound as though I'm full of myself, but for the last several years, I've been telling friends that my opinion is that Toyota is heading for a rude awakening. It was pretty obvious to me around 2004, when Toyota started battling with Ford and GM to be the 3rd largest automaker in the world. The problem is that Toyota has built its empire entirely on the premise that they sell quality. Everyone knows that person who obsessively reads Consumer Reports; Toyota always comes out with the Favorable review, while the domestic counterparts often receive a subpar rating. To me, it seemed highly improbable that a company could move more product without tarnishing their reputation for quality. I was right...kind of.

The fact is that Toyota has actually been working on re-inventing the proverbial wheel. They have been looking for ways to improve or at least make cars more efficient, or simple [by simple, please refer back to the initial paragraph of my previous blog entry, where layer upon layer of user interfaces make complex objects appear to function simply].

Take for instance, the now infamous Toyota gas pedals. In 2002, Toyota introduced their first drive-by-wire system in their Lexus brand. Instead of having a cable that connects your foot directly to the throttle-body on the car, your foot now essentially pushes a variable resistance switch, which the car's computer then translates into some degree of throttle plate motion. In typical cable-operated accelerators, you had to worry about the cable stretching, or worse corroding and breaking. So, in the name of reliability, out went the cable and in went the wires and switches. Toyota could recoup the additional cost through their image of reliability, where a lot of "domestic" [the term is used loosely, to define a manufacturer who traces their origins to the United States] automakers would have a hard time justifying the additional expense.

Take also for instance, their regenerative braking, which they use in their hybrid vehicles. I was hoping initially when I did some investigation into their regenerative braking systems that it was something based the KERS [Kinetic Energy Recovery System] system currently employed in Formula 1. With Toyota's involvement in F1, they seemed like one of the manufacturers who would actually take that type of technological innovation and apply it to their street cars. Its cool; basically a 30kg flywheel that gets spun up under braking, then when you get to a straight stretch, you push a button, which pops a clutch and spins out an extra 50 HP for a bit of an advantage [the numbers I threw out are basically guestimates, but give you an idea]. Unfortunately, Toyota is using a relatively mundane energy recovery system. Its the hybrid drive electric motor, that when you depress the brakes, turns into a generator and recharges the battery. Obviously a smarter choice, since the electric motor is already on there, there's not reason to add a KERS system as well.

The problem lies in the fact that its impossible to engineer a perfect system and mass produce it. The drive-by-wire system eliminates a potential problem under the hood, but leaves a relatively vulnerable electrical contact down in the foot-well, where snowy shoes reside. Granted, automotive electrical systems are surprisingly robust, but strange things happen when electricity and water mix. According to Toyota, moisture gets into the accelerator pedal assembly and causes an intermittent signal, resulting in unanticipated acceleration. According to Steve Wozniak, the lovable Techippy founder of Apple, his 2010 Prius has accelerated uncontrollably while in cruise control (including at least one occasion over 100 MPH). He believed it was a software issue, but to me that sounds like some sort of oblique hint at wanting to have a part in Toyota's computer integration.

Regardless of the product issues that Toyota is having at the moment, a large portion of the current problem lies with the end users. I'm not going to absolve Toyota from blame, because a sticky accelerator is never a good situation. However, is it really rocket science to shift the car out of D and into N(or however the CVT synergy drive module is labeled in the Prius)? There was some enthusiast banter about whether its even possible to shift a car out of D while it is in motion, but it seems illogical that you couldn't; that's a last ditch safety feature. Is it possible that consumers have become so out of touch with their transportation appliances that they don't even understand the fundamentals of car operation?

Likewise, the media has exacerbated the whole issue. Maybe I'm just blessed with being a fortunate "domestic" car owner and understand how the whole recall thing works, but apparently every late-model Toyota owner is concerned that their car might have a sticky accelerator (or laggy regenerative braking system, as the case may be) and has been calling their dealership to ask, "is my car broken?". You should get a letter in the mail, an email or some form of contact from Toyota if your vehicle is affected. If your car manufacturer cares about your business, they'll contact you and let you know what you need to do.

My favorite media example is the guy who had just purchased a new pickup truck and wanted to get a refund from his dealer, so he could get a truck he didn't think he was going to have problems with. The dealership refused, so as he got into his truck, the accelerator stuck and he crashed into the dealership. Please. That sounds like the worst contrived story ever. Do you think they'll ever substantiate the claim that the throttle stuck? No. Do I believe for a second that the throttle caused him to crash into the dealership? No. Without knowing how the dealership was laid out, how do you hit a building that you are leaving? Also, if he was just in a parking spot, how did he gather enough momentum in a short period of time to wreck into the dealership? Sounds to me like a disgruntled customer.

As a bit of an aside (without sounding like too much of a blue blooded "domestic" car nut), a number of the Japanese car makers have had some pretty serious issues with their cars that they've been attempting to cover-up for as long as they could. Mitsubishi was having some quality control issues in the late 90s, which nearly put them out of business by 2004. However, they seem to have recuperated and have a reasonably stout product line-up at the moment. Likewise, Toyota also had issues with excessive engine gunk causing premature failure in their V6s. Somehow they managed to completely blame that on service issues, which enabled them to get owners to pay for at least a portion of the repairs. "Domestic" manufacturers have had more than their share of quality issues, but from my experience, they've been fairly open with their customers and have worked with them to resolve their issues, instead of trying to blame as many different factors as they can before they take the blame themselves.

My opinion: There's probably never been a better time to get a great deal on a lightly used late model Camry.