[deth502]

while i agree most drivers are incapable of actually driving, i have to disagree with the insinuation that toyota is getting an undeserved bum wrap on this.

the fact is, these werent the first complaints on this, it has been an ongoing problem. other car companies you mention ACTUALY DID SOMETHING about the problems.

toyota seemed to think the appropriate action was to look the other way, and pretend nothing was happening. only when their reputation was swirling the bowl from their arrogance in denying everything did they think to try to remedy the situation.

[Gatekeeper]

He was probably thinking about jamming it into "Park"
No it shouldn't make you flip either

Ive had clutch linkages fall out, throttle return springs break (I now use dual springs), driveshafts break, etc.
If people would just use their heads and NOT panic

[Car54]

Originally Posted by deth502

while i agree most drivers are incapable of actually driving, i have to disagree with the insinuation that toyota is getting an undeserved bum wrap on this.

the fact is, these werent the first complaints on this, it has been an ongoing problem. other car companies you mention ACTUALY DID SOMETHING about the problems.

toyota seemed to think the appropriate action was to look the other way, and pretend nothing was happening. only when their reputation was swirling the bowl from their arrogance in denying everything did they think to try to remedy the situation.

I don't think there is an insuation about Toyota getting a bum rap. They deserve everything they get for not acting on a known problem. FoMoCo had a problem with the early to mid 80's T-birds and Lincolns doing the same thing and never acted on it either. Somehow they escaped the wrath of the owners and government. As long as manufacturers can get away from spending money, I think most will try to avoid dealing with problems until they are pegged to the wall and forced to act as Toyota is now.

I think what everyone here is getting at, is the incompetence of drivers lacking the knowlege to act properly in an emergency situation. Really, if you were in the situation of a car speeding in an uncontrollable fashion, would your first thought be to call 911? That guy had to be one in more than several million who would even think about it let alone calling in that situation. Neutral, move to side of road (if possible & safely), brake, key off, or neutral, move to side of road, key off, brake.

As I stated in my earlier post that people are going to go back on previous traffic crashes and try to blame Toyota when it was something that they did wrong and were at fault, has now been reported in the newspapers that in fact, this has started to happen.

[carloglock19]

My last 4 vehicles have been Toyotas and currently own a 08 Camry SE I took it in to get the pedal fixed as part of the recall program they have going on they reshaped the pedal and changed a part I cant recall what at the momment. I was really dissapointed since I have been buying from them because I felt (my oppinion) they made quality/reliable cars this is the first one I had a recall on and was a little worried about my pedal getting stuck and what I would do to stop the car. I feel they dropped the ball on this one now they are paying for it.

[robocop10mm]

Few Americans have any mechanical aptitude at all. They have no concept of how an internal combustion engine works, nor do they care to learn. How can we expect someone to stop a runaway car when they are clueless on how it works?

My daughters had to endure MY driving course before they went to Driver's Ed. They can change a flat, change the oil, check all fluids, parallel park, properly attach jumber cables, change a fuse, wash and wax...oh wait, that one did not work, I had to wash and wax it myself. When they got into driver's Ed., they knew all the answers to the instructor's questions. The classroom was just a refresher. When my step-son took his motorcycle operators course, he had already been riding through the neighborhood and getting pointers from me. He was the "teacher's pet" because he had a clue.

[orangello]

^^^ Nice fathering there Robo; my Dad put me in a VW bug in the middle of a damp hayfield & explained what the clutch did (at age 9) & then shut the door wishing me luck. I had already "driven" the tractor.

I still miss that car though.

[Hey-you-guys]

The thing about having to change a tire should still be a requirement. Also, too many people get into mundane fender benders and block the freeways waiting for the police to get there, instead of pulling to the shoulder where it is safer and more courteous to other people on the road.
As far as people not knowing about cars, my friend works at a Hyundai dealership and gets people in there all the time that have no idea what it takes to even maintain a vehicle. One guy came in who hadn't changed the oil since he bought the car brand new. It had over 40,000 miles on it without an oil change and in turn fried both of his catalytic converters and maybe his O2 sensors.
I learned to drive when I was 12, by myself, in a stick shift nonetheless, just in case my dad's diabetes got bad and he needed to go to the hospital.

[Bigcountry02]

Originally Posted by Hey-you-guys

The thing about having to change a tire should still be a requirement. Also, too many people get into mundane fender benders and block the freeways waiting for the police to get there, instead of pulling to the shoulder where it is safer and more courteous to other people on the road.
As far as people not knowing about cars, my friend works at a Hyundai dealership and gets people in there all the time that have no idea what it takes to even maintain a vehicle. One guy came in who hadn't changed the oil since he bought the car brand new. It had over 40,000 miles on it without an oil change and in turn fried both of his catalytic converters and maybe his O2 sensors.
I learned to drive when I was 12, by myself, in a stick shift nonetheless, just in case my dad's diabetes got bad and he needed to go to the hospital.

When I lived in the dorms in Germany, years ago in the mid to late 80's. A certain individual purchased this specifc Dodge Charger (new), body the same as the Dodge Shelby Charger. It was dirty , also, he did not change the original oil until over 80,000 plus miles. At that time I felt sorry for the poor car, to have to endure the neglect and abuse! The car had issues, do not remember!