Horrible resource

Proven where?

You used to work on cars? You have credentials to back up your source of opinion on Toyota's sheet metal?

Thats odd? Consumer reports is still ranking Toyota third? Same as last year? http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/toyota-finishes-third-in-consumer-reports-brand-ranking/

Recent article from Popular Mechanics:

Anatomy of Toyota's Problem Pedal:
Mechanic's Diary
What's the real problem behind Toyota's unintended acceleration? Is it simply a sticky
pedal, or is the trouble more fundamental? PM senior automotive editor Mike Allen
delves into modern car tech, explaining why widespread theories about electrical throttle
problems and electromagnetic interference are misguided.
By Mike AllenPublished on: March 3, 2010
Toyota has recalled millions of cars and trucks—4.2 million to replace floor mats that
might impede throttle-pedal travel, and 2.4 million to install a shim behind the electronic
pedal assembly. All of the affected pedal assemblies were made by Canadian supplier
CTS. Toyota's boffins have documented a problem that can make a few of these pedals
slow to return, and maybe even stick down. Problem solved.
But the media, Congress—and personal-injury lawyers—smell the blood in the water.
Not to diminish the injuries and a few deaths attributable to these very real mechanical
problems, but they're statistically only a very small blip, which may explain why Toyota
took so long to identify the issue, especially when it has symptoms similar to the
similarly documented floor mat recall. Plus, sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) is
notoriously difficult to diagnose because, more often then not, the problem can't be
repeated in front of a mechanic. Let's not forget the Audi SUA episode back in the '80s;
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration eventually concluded that there was
no mechanical problem. The culprit, as hard as this is to admit, was most likely driver
error. To put the issue into context, in the last decade, there were about 24,000 customer
complaints about SUA involving almost every major automaker. The NHTSA
investigated fewer than 50.
The issue now is whether there's a more insidious problem unrelated to the two recalls
already extant. Specifically, whether there's some design flaw in the entire concept of
electronic throttle control. Some are questioning whether electromagnetic interference
from devices like cellphones could be contributing to the acceleration problems.
It used to be that there was a steel cable that ran from the pedal itself through the firewall
and attached to the throttle blades that admitted air to the intake manifold. A sticking
throttle could be the result of friction anywhere—in the pedal pivot, between the cable
itself and its nylon-lined sheath, or in the carburetor or fuel-injection throttle blades.
(Does anybody remember carburetors?). Modern cars, which make up the majority on the
market today, use a throttle pedal assembly that is connected to the engine only
electronically. Signals are carried over wires to the engine management computer, which
in turn sends electrical impulses to the stepper motor that actually controls the throttle
blades.
Sounds like there are plenty of places for gremlins to seize control of the works, right?
And that's where pundits who don't really understand the architecture of throttle-by-wire
systems go wrong. It's all in the engineering.
Let's start at bottom of it all—your foot, which moves the pedal fore and aft in relation to
the firewall. Inside the pedal assembly is a spring to make it return as you lift off, a
device to add a little friction that dampens the movement (Your foot would tire in short
order if there wasn't some damping), and a transducer of some sort that turns the
movement of the pedal into an electrical signal. That transducer is a simple device,
invented in 1879 by Edwin Hall (not 1979; 1879). It consists of only a single slab of
semiconductor with a few wires attached to its edge, one on each end and one in the
middle. With a voltage applied to the end wires, it acts as a voltage divider. Placing a
magnet near the sensor changes the magnetic lines of flux, which literally push the
electrons away from the electrodes and changes the voltage at the center wire. The
magnet, in the Toyota case, is on the pedal arm. As the pedal moves, it alters the voltage
at the semiconductor and that's how the engine computer knows the position of the pedal.
The benefit of Hall-effect sensors is that there's no mechanical connection to corrode, no
internal resistance, and other electronics, such as amplifiers, aren't needed. You could
make one on your kitchen table with a refrigerator magnet and some doorbell wire.
There are two discrete Hall-effect sensors in the Toyota/CTS pedal, which is common
industry practice. Just to make sure the sensors aren't confused, they run on totally
separate circuits back to the ECM, three wires each. They don't even share an electrical
ground. Like many onboard automobile sensors, they are also completely isolated from
the vehicle ground. To reduce the potential for interference or mistakes, they operate at
different voltages. The first sensor, known as ACCEL POS #1, has a nominal voltage
range from 0.5 volts to 1.1 volts at idle and 2.5 volts to 4.5 volts at wide-open-throttle
(WOT). The second sensor, ACCEL POS #2, delivers from 1.2 volts to 2.0 volts at idle
and 3.4 volts to 5.0 volts at WOT. Why such a wide range of permissible voltages? The
engine computer (ECM) recalibrates the sensor regularly, every time you start the car and
the ECM goes through its power-on self-test.
Both accelerator-pedal-position Hall-effect sensors have to agree fairly closely, or the
ECM will go into its limp-home mode, which turns on the Check Engine light and sets a
trouble code.
There's more. If Toyota's engine-management scheme is anything like that of most other
car companies, firmware inside the ECM also monitors the airflow into the engine, the
throttle blade position and engine rpm, and calculates backwards to what the throttle
pedal position should be. Any discrepancy, and a trouble code is set, the Check Engine
light on the dash goes on, and you're dialing the service manager to make an
appointment.
Bottom line: The system is not only redundant, it's double-redundant. The signal lines
from the pedal to the ECM are isolated. The voltages used in the system are DC
voltages—any RF voltages introduced into the system, by, say, that microwave oven you
have in the passenger seat, would be AC voltages, which the ECM's conditioned inputs
would simply ignore. Neither your cellphone nor Johnny's PlayStation have the power to
induce much confusion into the system.
These throttle-by-wire systems are very difficult to confuse—they're designed to be
robust, and any conceivable failure is engineered to command not an open throttle but an
error message.
So what to make of the unintended acceleration cases popping up by the dozens? Not the
ones explainable by problem sticky pedals, but the ones documented by people who
claim their vehicle ran away on its own, with no input, and resisted all attempts to stop it?
Some can probably be explained as an attempt to get rid of a car consumers no longer
desire. Some are probably the result of Audi 5000 Syndrome, where drivers simply lost
track of their feet and depressed the gas instead of the brake. It's happened to me: Luckily
I recognized the phenomenon and corrected before it went bang. Others may not have the
presence of mind.
But the possibility that a vehicle could go from idling at a traffic light to terrific,
uncalled-for and uncontrollable acceleration because the guy next to you at a traffic light
answered his cellphone? Or some ghost in the machine or a hacker caused a software
glitch that made your car run away and the brakes suddenly simultaneously fail? Not in
the least bit likely. Toyota deserves a better deal than the media and Congress are
giving it.

And finally Edmunds.com:




Toyota Recalls Put into Context by Edmunds.com

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — February 10, 2010 – Edmunds.com, the premier online
resource for automotive information, has obtained and reviewed the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaint database. A key
finding: despite being the subject of intense scrutiny of the company,
Toyota ranks 17th among automakers in the overall number of complaints per
vehicle sold.

According to the database, which consists of complaints filed by
individuals and is not checked for accuracy by NHTSA, Toyota was the
subject of 9.1 percent of the complaints from 2001 through 2010 (until
February 3). During this period, the company sold 13.5 percent of all new
cars in the United States.

Land Rover ranks first among automakers, with 0.6 percent of the complaints
compared to only 0.1 percent market share from 2001 through 2010 (until
February 3).

The following chart sets forth the results for all automakers:




AUTOMAKER RANK (IN PERCENT OF PERCENT OF
ORDER OF COMPLAINTS IN SALES IN US
MOST NHTSA DATABASE MARKET
COMPLAINTS
PER MARKET
SHARE)

LAND ROVER 1 0.6% 0.1%

AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORP. 2 0.9% 0.4%

ISUZU MANUFACTURING SERVICES OF 3 0.3% 0.2%
AMERICA

VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC 4 4.1% 2.4%

JAGUAR CARS LTD 5 0.4% 0.2%

VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC. 6 1.1% 0.7%

CHRYSLER LLC 7 16.3% 13.0%

MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS 8 1.7% 1.5%

MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, 9 1.3% 1.2%
INC.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY 10 18.3% 17.6%

GENERAL MOTORS CORP. 11 25.3% 24.5%

NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC. 12 5.8% 5.9%

HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY 13 4.2% 4.4%

BMW OF NORTH AMERICA, LLC 14 1.7% 1.9%

SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. 15 1.1% 1.3%

AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO. 16 6.8% 9.4%

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION 17 9.1% 13.5%

MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. 18 1.0% 1.5%

PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA, INC. 19 0.1% 0.2%

SMART USA DISTRIBUTOR LLC 20 0.0% 0.0%

Not lame at all

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_170186.asp

http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-news-jamessikesinvestigated0311,0,4677651.story


Fact...Incidents related are due to improper floor mats

Fact....James Sikes is a loser

Domestic has actually caused a lot of workers to get laid off where Toyota has not layed anyone off and kept everyone employed. I care about Toyota because they care about their people rather than the UAW or Government Motors laying people off left and right and could care less

It's called "jobs" that the american people need and something that domestic builders can not provide. I think most americans are worried about having a job right now rather than the profits to others. Americans just want to pay their bills and live, something our "American" government has lack in figuring out

Beauty is that Toyota employs more american workers that GM, Ford, Chrysler combined. Imagine that....

Sure, if you only want to keep the vehicle for two years and dont mind dropping it off at the dealer for issues every other week I would recommend that as well

Not at all, my job is very secure. Toyota will prevail, trust me. However, all these idiots claiming failure of their car that is truly their fault will then incur higher insurance rates. Cant wait for that :)

Exactly....He was a flaming idiot. I hope they prosecute him

Did someone ask you this?

Seriously people, there is no issue with these Toyotas. Check your mats and use the right ones. And if you do have the right ones install them correctly!

Sick of people trying to blame Toyota for their own stupidity

Leaving Las Vegas?


Rule #76: No excuses. Play like a champion!

'the lost weekend

Sorry I left ladies,...I went and bought some new toys for the house and been installing them all weekend:)

Joy got my movie qoute:.....


"You see, when... when you end up killing one your men, you see, you tell yourself it happened so you could save the lives of two or three or ten others. Maybe a hundred others. Do you know how many men I've lost under my command?"

Write a famous movie qoute..Then the person below you has to guess the movie and add their own qoute for the next to guess....Here's mine

Suspect traveling southbound at 90mph....."Stay with him Air one!"..."I'm all over him".........Suspect has increased speed to 120,..130,....Maintain visual Air one!......150...160....He's gone......

Thats awesome!

Its hilarious to see our leaders try to speak of car knowledge. They dont have a clue. Seriously, leave Toyota alone....go after GM and Ford for the MILLIONS of recalls they have had.....

He should be burned and buried alive

Time out early from there sentence

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