Toyota cover-up worse than GM coverup
I was pretty shocked when I read this: "...the company hid from federal regulators a second cause of unintended acceleration in its vehicles: a sticky gas pedal. The problem was caused by plastic material inside the pedal that could cause the accelerator to become stuck in a partially depressed position. The pedals were installed in several models, including the Camry, the Matrix, the Corolla and the Avalon.
"...For several months, Toyota received more evidence of the pedal problem and quietly made plans to address it without informing federal safety officials as required by law. Concerned that federal officials would learn about these plans, the company canceled the change in pedal design and communicated that change orally rather than in writing, so there would be no paper trail. After more instances of sticky pedals came to the company’s attention in 2009, executives decided to disclose the issue to federal regulators and issue a new recall. But the deception did not end there. After the recall was completed, the company produced an inaccurate timeline and submitted it to federal regulators and Congress, making it appear as if the company had acted quickly to address the sticky-pedal issue.
“Rather than promptly disclosing and correcting safety issues about which they were aware, Toyota made misleading public statements to consumers and gave inaccurate facts to members of Congress,” Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said at a news conference announcing the settlement.
LINK: Toyota reaches $1.2 billion settlement to end probe of accelerator problems - The Washington Post
"...For several months, Toyota received more evidence of the pedal problem and quietly made plans to address it without informing federal safety officials as required by law. Concerned that federal officials would learn about these plans, the company canceled the change in pedal design and communicated that change orally rather than in writing, so there would be no paper trail. After more instances of sticky pedals came to the company’s attention in 2009, executives decided to disclose the issue to federal regulators and issue a new recall. But the deception did not end there. After the recall was completed, the company produced an inaccurate timeline and submitted it to federal regulators and Congress, making it appear as if the company had acted quickly to address the sticky-pedal issue.
“Rather than promptly disclosing and correcting safety issues about which they were aware, Toyota made misleading public statements to consumers and gave inaccurate facts to members of Congress,” Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said at a news conference announcing the settlement.
LINK: Toyota reaches $1.2 billion settlement to end probe of accelerator problems - The Washington Post
Who knew that driving a Toyota or Lexus could result in jail time and worse if a sudden unintended acceleration accident occurred? Toyota said all this is over because the recall has been done and it has paid its $1.2 billion fine. THINK again if you believe that claim! The real problem currently is ELECTRONIC SUA and accidents are happening daily. Many of these involve vehicles in parking lots when braking is initiated. Storefront crashes and crashes-into-buildings/homes are reported. Toyota finds the vehicle faultless...no code stored and EDR (black box) shows no braking. However, Toyota and Lexus drivers report the vehicle "taking off" or "having a mind of its own." These same vehicles have been reported going airborne from a standstill starting point in a parking lot!
Here are the critical issues:
Sloppily-designed Toyota electronic throttle system software (see Michael Barr's findings) equals RUNAWAY---a.k.a. sudden unintended acceleration----Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
Worse? The electronic fail-safe---a.k.a. the way to stop the runaway---is also rendered ineffective at the time of the SUA glitch (Michael Barr, embedded software expert).
Translation? Your runaway Toyota or Lexus is not going to stop until something stops it!
Even worse? Your Toyota or Lexus EDR---a.k.a black box---is going to record inconsistent, unreliable data (see Dr. Antony Anderson's findings).
Problem? You will be CHARGED for any deaths or injuries to others as a result of an accident your runaway vehicle causes based on the faulty EDR results and an assumption of "driver pedal misapplication."
More of a problem? You may go to JAIL or prison if the EDR erroneously shows that you are not braking---which it has for others more often than not. Essentially, you will be deemed not telling the truth or confused in media coverage because Toyota will say its EDR is accurate---even though it admitted this data was unreliable previously.
Even a bigger problem? If there is any chance a detail comes out that supports the driver, the media will take sides with the automaker and support your character assassination publicly. Are you on prescription meds or any medications? Are you an older citizen? Are you a woman and older? Bingo! Elderly pedal misapplication, according to media and Toyota.
Don't worry...all your skeletons will be dug up as Toyota goes full steam ahead to escape blame for faulty electronics! Just keep track of all these mysterious vehicles-into-homes and storefront crashes and read the headlines. Read the PR propaganda supporting driver error.
Toyota's $$ goes far and wide...even to the heart of the very agency commissioned to protect your SAFETY! The DOJ and NHTSA are still looking the other way---a.k.a. protecting corporate interests. They do not want to open up the ELECTRONIC sudden unintended acceleration issue as then there will be a public cover-up scandal which rivals the best---or worst---of them.
All the above doesn't factor in the so far little-known in the U.S. whistleblower, Betsy Benjaminson. She's has copies of hundreds of internal Toyota documents. Many of these show clear evidence of concern over an electronic throttle system problem---a.k.a. "ghost in the engine"---and the lack of fix for it. Betsy has a blog where she has posted some of the evidence. She's been the feature of several articles and a podcast interview outside the U.S. Google her name to find.
Toyota, the media, and the government seem to be handling each new suspicious runaway vehicle accident---a.k.a. driver states pressing brake when the vehicle takes off, becomes airborne, has a mind of its own, etc.---on a case-by-case basis. Apparently, there is the hope that each case will blow over with little public attention. There is hope, too, that the public buys into the PR machine working overtime with law enforcement and media to BLAME the vehicle driver. SUA victim = SCAPEGOAT.
As far as Toyota is concerned, it is DONE with the topic of sudden unintended acceleration. Period. It got the free pass with a huge U.S. Government fine---a.k.a. permission not to face the music regarding ELECTRONIC SUA. Floor mats, pedals, driver error...done DEAL.
Toyota's well-orchestrated smoke screen continues aided and abetted by our very own safety regulatory agency. Can't beat that! The sky's the limit now...think of all the untoward consequences for Toyota owners, not to mention the driving public.
Toyota is #1 in numbers of sudden unintended acceleration events. BUT...it is not alone! This is an industry-wide phenomenon and not one automaker wants the public knowledgeable about ELECTRONIC sudden unintended acceleration.
Here are the critical issues:
Sloppily-designed Toyota electronic throttle system software (see Michael Barr's findings) equals RUNAWAY---a.k.a. sudden unintended acceleration----Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
Worse? The electronic fail-safe---a.k.a. the way to stop the runaway---is also rendered ineffective at the time of the SUA glitch (Michael Barr, embedded software expert).
Translation? Your runaway Toyota or Lexus is not going to stop until something stops it!
Even worse? Your Toyota or Lexus EDR---a.k.a black box---is going to record inconsistent, unreliable data (see Dr. Antony Anderson's findings).
Problem? You will be CHARGED for any deaths or injuries to others as a result of an accident your runaway vehicle causes based on the faulty EDR results and an assumption of "driver pedal misapplication."
More of a problem? You may go to JAIL or prison if the EDR erroneously shows that you are not braking---which it has for others more often than not. Essentially, you will be deemed not telling the truth or confused in media coverage because Toyota will say its EDR is accurate---even though it admitted this data was unreliable previously.
Even a bigger problem? If there is any chance a detail comes out that supports the driver, the media will take sides with the automaker and support your character assassination publicly. Are you on prescription meds or any medications? Are you an older citizen? Are you a woman and older? Bingo! Elderly pedal misapplication, according to media and Toyota.
Don't worry...all your skeletons will be dug up as Toyota goes full steam ahead to escape blame for faulty electronics! Just keep track of all these mysterious vehicles-into-homes and storefront crashes and read the headlines. Read the PR propaganda supporting driver error.
Toyota's $$ goes far and wide...even to the heart of the very agency commissioned to protect your SAFETY! The DOJ and NHTSA are still looking the other way---a.k.a. protecting corporate interests. They do not want to open up the ELECTRONIC sudden unintended acceleration issue as then there will be a public cover-up scandal which rivals the best---or worst---of them.
All the above doesn't factor in the so far little-known in the U.S. whistleblower, Betsy Benjaminson. She's has copies of hundreds of internal Toyota documents. Many of these show clear evidence of concern over an electronic throttle system problem---a.k.a. "ghost in the engine"---and the lack of fix for it. Betsy has a blog where she has posted some of the evidence. She's been the feature of several articles and a podcast interview outside the U.S. Google her name to find.
Toyota, the media, and the government seem to be handling each new suspicious runaway vehicle accident---a.k.a. driver states pressing brake when the vehicle takes off, becomes airborne, has a mind of its own, etc.---on a case-by-case basis. Apparently, there is the hope that each case will blow over with little public attention. There is hope, too, that the public buys into the PR machine working overtime with law enforcement and media to BLAME the vehicle driver. SUA victim = SCAPEGOAT.
As far as Toyota is concerned, it is DONE with the topic of sudden unintended acceleration. Period. It got the free pass with a huge U.S. Government fine---a.k.a. permission not to face the music regarding ELECTRONIC SUA. Floor mats, pedals, driver error...done DEAL.
Toyota's well-orchestrated smoke screen continues aided and abetted by our very own safety regulatory agency. Can't beat that! The sky's the limit now...think of all the untoward consequences for Toyota owners, not to mention the driving public.
Toyota is #1 in numbers of sudden unintended acceleration events. BUT...it is not alone! This is an industry-wide phenomenon and not one automaker wants the public knowledgeable about ELECTRONIC sudden unintended acceleration.
