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Showing posts with label Floor Mats. Show all posts

Feds Probing Floormats In Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan

Posted by kopok Wednesday, June 2, 2010 0 comments

Doesn't matter what the brand, a poorly installed or wrong-sized floormat can trap accelerator pedals.

NHTSA says it's recieved three complaints that Ford's "All Weather" floormat can trap the gas pedal when laid on top of the standard floor mat.

Read the full consumer advisory here.

Toyota Timeline Widens: Documents Show Knowledge Of Floor Mat, Gas Pedal Problems Four Years Ago

Posted by kopok Friday, April 9, 2010 0 comments

Not good. Not good at all. NHTSA releases documents showing Toyota knew about problems with floor mats and gas pedals in 2006....bolstering the agency's claim that Toyota "knowingly hid a dangerous defect".

Full story from Automotive News (free registration required).

Solve Unintended Acceleration, Win One Million Dollars

Posted by kopok Wednesday, April 7, 2010 0 comments

The California Highway Patrol (at least in one case) says floor mats. Toyota says gas pedals...a university professor says electronics (but Toyota says it couldn't work the way he says in real life)...the feds say maybe radiation from outer space, Jim "Runaway Prius" Sikes said the brakes don't work (but Toyota and the feds' investigation said otherwise) and at least one driver says demonic possession.

So what's really causing unintended acceleration? Find the cause, prove it and get rich. As in a million dollars. Edmunds.com is running the contest. Details here.

Gentle reminder: Most fully-investigated cases have shown drivers were standing on the gas when they thought they were on the brake.

Record Civil Fine Proposed For Toyota

Posted by kopok Tuesday, April 6, 2010 0 comments

The gloves have come off. The United States government is accusing Toyota of "knowingly hiding a dangerous defect" that caused its cars to accelerate unintentionally.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposes the maximum possible fine: $16.4 million.

Full story from Automotive News.

CNN: 2002 Technical Service Bulletin Suggests Toyota Knew Of Electronic Acceleration Surges

Posted by kopok Tuesday, March 23, 2010 0 comments

The TSB from eight years ago was provided by attorneys for plainiffs in class action suits. They say it proves Toyota knew it had a problem, and knew it wasn't floor mats, at the beginning of the last decade.

Toyota calls them "baseless allegations" and "unfounded claims".

Memo From 2007 Details Toyota's "Game Plan" For Dealing With Feds About Floor Mat Issue

Posted by kopok Friday, March 19, 2010 0 comments

A three-year old document just released by a Congressional committee gives insight into Toyota officials and their self-described "game plan" for dealing with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's growing concerns over floor mats interfering with accelerator pedals.

Interesting reading, to say the least. Full story from The Detroit News here.