The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Toyota have come to a $1.2 billion settlement agreement that will end a four year investigation into the inadvertent acceleration of certain Toyota vehicles. During a new conference on Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder criticized the automobile manufacturer for misleading consumers through statements regarding the two issues that caused sudden acceleration in certain models. Continue reading
Tag Archives: unintended acceleration
Chryslers 2014 RAM ProMaster Sticking Accelerator Pedal
Chrysler Group LLC will be asking owners of certain 2014 RAM ProMaster cargo vans to take their vehicles to the nearest manufacturer approved repair facility to fix a problem that could result in uncontrolled acceleration. The recall comes after an investigation into a stuck accelerator pedal discovered during third party testing in December 2013. Continue reading
Mercedes Floor Mat Replacement
Mercedes Benz are asking customers driving certain ML-Class vehicles, to remove their accessory floor mats and to bring them in to their nearest dealership to have them replaced. According to Mercedes, certain vehicles are equipped with all season floor mats that may not conform to the contour of the vehicle’s floor. The fit could reduce the clearance between the mat and the gas pedal, possibly allowing the pedal to become trapped. Mercedes will be notifying owners starting in September and will replace the floor mats free of charge. The vehicles included in the recall include:
Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
Mazda Tribute Problems Same As Ford Escape
Safety advocates encouraging a recall of certain 2002-2004 Ford Escape vehicles are also asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to include the 2002-2004 Mazda Tribute in their investigation. According to the group, both sport utility vehicles (SUV) are similar vehicles built on the same assembly line. In 2004 Ford and Mazda issued identical recalls for unintended acceleration caused by an accelerator cable that may not return to the idle position. Ford later issued a technical service bulletin that warned dealers that an improper repair could lead to an adjacent cruise control cable being damaged and snagging on the engine cover causing unintended acceleration. The Center for Auto Safety say that because the vehicles are so similar and there is no way of knowing whether the recalls were carried out correctly, Ford and Mazda should issue a recall to ensure the safety of the vehicles.
Toyota Acceleration Pedals Still A Problem
Toyota’s 2009 unintended acceleration problems continue as Toyota announces a recall for certain 2010 Lexus RX350 and 2010 Lexus RX450H vehicles manufactured between November 2008 through September 2010. According to the recall report, the accelerator pedal could get trapped under an unsecured or incompatible floor mat, allowing the vehicle to accelerate out of control. An accident could result if the the driver fails to rectify the problem quickly. Lexus will begin notifying owners of the problem starting in August, and will modify the accelerator pedal and replace any floor mats not specified for the vehicle. Owners wanting more information about the problem can contact Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.
NHTSA Mandatory Brake Override
A year after safety regulators closed an investigation into unintended acceleration by Toyota vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing that all automakers be required to install brake override systems in all their cars and light trucks. Also known as a “smart pedals”, these systems recognize when the gas pedal and brake pedal are being pressed simultaneously and uses the car computer to slow it down. The technology was first used in the late 1980’s in the BMW 750, as a performance enhancement for heel-and-toe race-style driving , and every BMW built since 2001 have brake override. As of early 2010, car makers like Nissan, Volkswagen, and Chrysler, have been using brake-override systems in the majority of their vehicles. As automakers use more and more integrated electronic systems, it’s likely that more models will come standard with advanced safety systems like brake override.
Opposition to the proposal should be minimal. Most automobile manufacturers already have the technology standard on most of their vehicles, and the cost is minimal for those that don’t. If the proposal is voted in, automakers would have two years to comply.
Unintended Acceleration In Ford Taurus
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into certain 2005-2006 Ford Taurus vehicles after receiving 14 reports of stuck throttles. Consumer complaints alleged vehicle engines could rev as high at 4,000 RMP after shifting into “park” or “neutral”, and difficulty stopping the vehicle has resulted in dangerous situations for drivers. According to these reports, the problem could be the result of a stuck throttle due to the cruise control cable detaching. If this preliminary investigation should lead to a vehicle recall, an estimated 360,000 vehicles could be affected.
NHTSA Investigates Ford Freestyle SUVs
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Ford Motor’s Freestyle crossover SUV after receiving almost 240 complaints of unintended lunging. Reports filed with the NHTSA say that the vehicles lunged forward at low speeds when the driver’s foot was not on the accelerator pedal. 18 of the reports claimed to have resulted in an accident, including one with minor injuries. Owner said that the problem seemed to have worsened when the vehicles’ air conditioning was turned on or the steering was turned sharply. Spokesperson for the Michigan based automaker said that, Ford will fully cooperate with the NHTSA in an attempt to rectify the problem. The investigation will include about 170,000 Ford Freestyle SUV’s, of the 2005 to 2007 model years.
