Think, for a moment, about the Ford/Firestone affair. Does this sound a little bit similar? I think Toyota is handling the situation quite well, and that immediate governmental interference is perhaps not necessary, at least to the level the U.S. has taken it.
Toyota's Task
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I definitely agree that Toyota is taking a overly large share of the blame, and the last part in the article about driver error is perhaps the most poignant part of the article. As Car&Driver has proven recently even if your car really has a stuck throttle, it is absolutely still possible to stop your car. I think most car enthusiasts have had to deal with a stuck throttle before if they've been around old cars at all. I know I have.
ReplyDeleteI think where Toyota is more legitimately catching flak is for the fact that it seems that they did do a fair amount to cover up that they were having these complaints in the first place. And there have been other issues of questionable quality with Toyota lately. Some Tundras were recalled for having problems with rusting frames, obviously not attributable to driver error. It seems to me that Toyota needs to do some self-evaluation and have a serious and legitimate look as to what their role was in this. However, It think it's also time for the general public to consider their driving habits, and how detached most people are from driving. As several editors have asked on Jalopnik, is this really just Toyota getting their payback for completely abandoning interesting cars and feeding into the American fascination with uninteresting, uninvolving vehicles? I read recently that in France and Britain, you are required to take your driver's license test in a car with a stick unless you are able to qualify for an exemption, perhaps that's what we need are more people who are actively engaged n their driving and not just using their cars as a mobile couch.