This sucks yo! Toyota kills 4 in S.D.

[ElLayG37s]

A fatal accident in San Diego raises the question: Might a vehicle's complex electronic features make it hard for drivers to react quickly when accelerating out of control?

The 2009 Lexus ES 350 shot through suburban San Diego like a runaway missile, weaving at 120 miles an hour through rush hour freeway traffic as flames flashed from under the car.

At the wheel, veteran California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor desperately tried to control the 272-horsepower engine that was roaring at full throttle as his wife, teenage daughter and brother-in-law were gripped by fear.

"We’re in trouble. . . . There’s no brakes," Saylor's brother-in-law Chris Lastrella told a police dispatcher over a cellphone. Moments later, frantic shrieks filled the car as it slammed into another vehicle and then careened into a dirt embankment, killing all four aboard.

The tragedy Aug. 28 was at least the fifth fatal crash in the U.S. over the last two years involving runaway Toyota and Lexus vehicles made by Toyota Motor Corp. It is also among hundreds of incidents of sudden acceleration involving the company's vehicles that have been reported to Toyota or the federal government, according to an examination of public records by The Times.

Toyota has blamed the incidents -- apart from those caused by driver error -- on its floor mats, asserting that if they are improperly installed they can jam open the accelerator pedal. A month after the Saylor crash, Toyota issued its biggest recall in company history, affecting 3.8 million vehicles in model years as far back as 2004. But auto safety experts believe there may be a bigger problem with Toyota vehicles than simply the floor mats.

The Saylor crash and others like it across the country, they say, point to a troubling possibility: that Toyota's ignition, transmission and braking systems may make it difficult for drivers to combat sudden or unintended accelerations and safely recover, regardless of their cause.

Toyota is not the only car company to be hit with reports of sudden acceleration, but the San Diego fatality, the massive recall that came in its wake and Toyota's position as the world's largest automaker have focused intense scrutiny on the company by federal safety regulators and others.

"This is Toyota's Firestone," said Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, a Rehoboth, Mass., auto safety consulting firm. He was referring to the public relations disaster that hit Bridgestone/Firestone almost 10 years ago over defective tires that caused a series of fatal accidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, meanwhile, says it has an open investigation into sudden acceleration events involving Toyota vehicles.

Toyota's runaway-car worries may not stop at floor mats -- latimes.com

[DrJones]

Wow! I'm smellin' a change coming. Tragic story.

[GeeeeOhhhh]

glad i got me a nissan :P

[soolman32]

That's just disturbing...

[wakeboardr116]

Glad no one in my family owns a toyota or lexus anymore. Imagine if this were to happen in an IS-F. Instead of 120mph it'd be closer to 155+.

[KnoxvilleG37]

+1 on being glad to own a Nissan product.
+10000 on not buying the IS350 like I had originally considered doing.

[heff]

wheres Seer??? show him this with his new IS-F! but seriously thats nuts, really poses the question "why not any other car?" sure others are built different but jesus, id take toyota over a ford gmc or dodge any day...

[Seer]

Originally Posted by heff

wheres Seer??? show him this with his new IS-F! but seriously thats nuts, really poses the question "why not any other car?" sure others are built different but jesus, id take toyota over a ford gmc or dodge any day...

oh dear...

[lakers8]

i wonder if the e-brake wasnt functioning either.

[aznutx]

it had to do witht he floor mats shifting, and jamming the gas pedal, we have 2 toyotas and a lexus, but neither is involved in the recall, as it mostly the camry and some truck models

do i blame toyota? not really, but it definately needs to be addressed
such a sad tragedy though

[808MIKE]

WOW! sad story! RIP to the families! But I recall having a 06-07 Lexus IS250 at my working place. and upon trying to move the car outta park, I accidently tapped the Accel pedal a little, and lucky car was still in park, car reved to redline without me touching the pedal after the first tap i gave it, it just went screaming for redline!! I was like WTF, shut the car off, tried again, and once it started it screamed to redline again!! turned it off again, looked by the pedal, and sure enuff, it was the rubber matt, somehow was holding down the accel padeal! scary stuff!! if i had it in drive, garuntee would have crashed into my work building, or co-workers! Hope they find a real fix if it's more than jus the rubber mats!

[Mike P]

This story is tradegic. Too bad many people have to die because companies do not want to admit something is wrong. Toyota has a great reputation, but given this other information I am glad did not buy a Lexus. Over the past few years I feel they are loosing thier edge and others are catching up. We may look at Toyota's fall like we did GM's. This is Toyota first big issue. Also remember all those who made GM's will be soon working for Toyota and others as they do more manufacturing in the US. This spells quality isses for those manufacturers. I hope they get this fixed before someone else dies.

[Presto]

if its the floormats causing the gas pedal to get stuck, why didnt the brakes work?
why didnt the veteran cop use a guardrail or something to slow the car down?
looks like the problem is a lot more serious than some floormats

[nogoodname]

how come the driver didnt put it in Neutral when it started to go ballistic ??

[Kidcane]

Originally Posted by nogoodname

how come the driver didnt put it in Neutral when it started to go ballistic ??

EXACTLY!!!! Hello, take the car out of gear!!!!

Our cars are known for the floor mat creeping on the MT but no reports of anything like this.