Toyota Recall Congressional Hearings - "LIVE" on C-Span [Archive]

xcel

02-23-2010, 04:25 PM

Hi All:

___Well, here it is blow by blow and CleanMPG’s tweet by bloody tweet :rolleyes:

Highlight from the hearings so far: 2000 UK and 2003 Canada - Floor mats could inadvertently interfere w/ Acc pedal...

Another highlight - Many reporters on the scene cannot even look up at the speakers due to texting. I bet many drive similarly?

Betty Sutton D-Ohio: "Sticky pedals do not lead to accelerating out of control"

Bruce Braley D-Iowa: Toyota independent testing has no independence as testing group hired by their own product liability attorneys.

Rhonda Smith - Lexus owner survived a runaway Lexus. Emotional testimony. 6-miles of terror. She is tearing up.

She has a strong paper trail to back up the incident and problems. NHTSA blew her off as well!

Rhonda said: "Shame on Toyota for being so greedy and shame on NHTSA for..." It is about time we were heard.”

Eddie Smith (Rhonda's husband): He was called by Rhonda via Bluetooth cell during the 6-miles of terror.

Sean Kane - Safety Research and Strategies founder - SIU sudden accel report cited.

Another Lexus driver experiencing sudden accel stuck his foot under pedal and lifted it up. His Lexus did not stop.

An incorrect floor mat is simply not possible of causing all these events.

"Squarely Toyota's problem"...

SIU’s David Gilbert on now. Claim to fame is the Toyota sudden Acceleration video: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29476

"You can have a code with no problem and a problem with no code"

Waxman said Toyota study was not a good one.

SIU instructor found problem in 3.5 hours with little to no budget.

NHTSA/Toyota - Throttle linkage and brakes would have to fail to cause the acceleration...

Chairman says throw in reverse and its going to stop. He does not know the reaity of today's AT's :(

Sean Kane again: Too many problems that cannot be explained away by driver impediments like Floor mats.

SIU Instructor - Wanted to be careful I was not crying wolf.

Have you done this on any other type or model of car? Yes... Paraphrased of course: Have not had the same problem.

Toyota: 2/100 of a Volt separating the two outputs and they are considered correct. Ford, Honda... interrupted.

Toyota independent experts test: 19 tests but did not do a circuit analysis with a short.

Both circuits are on the "same chip" according to earlier testimony.

NHTSA took Toyota's word that "This cannot happen"

We looked into a Buick Lucerne, Ford F-150 and a Chrysler product... We simply ran out of time to do the exhaustive testing needed.

How to fix? Reevaluate fault detection strategy to allow failsafe to come into play.

Is what happened to her car consistent with a floor mat problem: I would say no. Problem with a sticking accelerator pedal? No. Brakes...

Toyota lawyers say they were able to duplicate your test... "You sabotaged ... and any car can be sabotaged."

Why couldn’t Toyota figure this out previously: Maybe they did not ask the right questions.

Rhonda Smith: "Push the button to stop it, it was still revving up and down...". This was in her Lexus.

People look to Toyota as a company we can all stand behind and they are reliable. Their response does not jive with their rep...

Gilbert: REV Limiter probably was kicking in during Rhonda's case with her Lexus in N on the side of the road as it revved up and then down.

SIU Instructor: He thought this would be an impossible task and found out it was easy to replicate.

Rhonda Smith: "It was not the floor mats!" when communicating with NHTSA.

To Sean Kane: Do you acknowledge the 5-law firms that have sponsored you are in litigation with Toyota? Yes.

Rep Steve Buyer R-Indiana asked those questions...

Gilbert: I made the decision to contact Toyota, NHTSA and Mr. Kane on my own!

Those last few were heated!

Gonzalez D-Texas: Mr. Kane: Brakes are stronger than the strongest engine. They are missing the point of WOT and vacuum bleed off!

Whheeeww, thank goodness that one is over... Well, almost ;-)

Reverse should have dropped the tranny on the road? @SIUC's Gilbert, it depends. Nobody in the room knows R lockouts except Mrs. Smith? WTF!

Break for Toyota group to take the table

They are back on again... Now its Toyota's turn to deflect criticisms.

Lentz was just sworn in... Making a statement. Read it here: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29499

Waxman: Two recalls put into place will cure the problem? Lentz... Let me clarify.

Waxman: Even your own council said typically an entrapped pedal does not translate into a sudden high speed acceleration event.

Lentz: Testing we have done in Japan and Exponent testing of ETC has not found a problem.

Lentz: From Japan, they are confident the problem is not the ECU.

This is just the beginning of the investigation...

C-Span Feed is locking up. Popularity of C-Span3 is overwhelming resources right now :-(

Burgess R-Texas: Have you been able to reproduce Gilbert's study without cutting wires?

Burgess: Question on the fix... Fixing the wrong problem... wonder if we will have to call people in for another fix.

Lentz: 7 or 9 different shims installed in recalled vehicles.

Lentz: Varying gap in the pedal tells tech which shim to install.

Lentz: The NHTSA does not disagree with the "fix".

Why some ECU updates on some vs. others? Lentz: Some can be rewritten, some cannot.

Bart Stupak D-MI: Sticky pedals cannot induce sudden acceleration. How does this stop sudden acceleration?

70% of the problems are not being addressed by the recall?

Lentz :"I don't want to get into what 'it is."

Lentz: We have not been doing a good job at investigating complaints.

Lentz: Big difference between "sudden" and "sudden unintended" acceleration.

Stupak: 70% of all complaints we do not have an answer for yet.

Lentz: We are defining "surge or movement" of the vehicle that the customer did not anticipate.

Stupak: In 2004, NHTSA - 400% increase in complaints.

Lentz: In Europe, it is just sitcky pedal.

Stupak: Recall and fix in Europe, did you notify NHTSA?

Lentz: Not until 2009 and only regarding Sticky pedals.

Stupak and Lentz: Sticky pedals does not do anything for high speed...

Stupak: 70% do not have anything to do with sticky pedals. Lentz: That is fair to say.

2004 Camry - Surge was caused by a TC locking up. Reported as unintended Accel. and the SW was changed

Lentz: 2005 Camry... There could be human or mechanical problems...

Joe Barton R-Texas: Two of my local dealerships sales are down 30%.

There will be a North American on the defect committee (in Japan).

Barton: Mrs. Smith's Lexus sudden acceleration was unexplainable so far.

Dealership only did a routine program check afterwards. Bridge collapse or airplane crash would be investigated much further.

Joe Barton: Why are you not doing everything possible to get the cars that have the problems and do everything you can to fix them?

Shorten pedals and shim to make it feel better. You are not solving the problem. Mrs. Smith's car did not have a floor mat problem.

Lentz: 2 engineering centers today and 3-more coming with added engineers so within 24-hours, they want to be at that vehicle.

Lentz: Toyota will get Mrs. Smith's car...

Mr. Dingell D-MI: Since 2001, how many complaints of Sudden Acceleration? Lentz: I do not have that number

Mr. Dingell D-MI: Since 2001, how many complaints sent to NHTSA? Lentz: I do not have that number.

Mr. Dingell D-MI: Recall decisions made in Japan or w/ Japanese oversight? Lentz: Yes.

Mr. Dingell D-MI: Sticking pedal issue? Lentz: We went to Japan. First knew about it in Nov. 2009.

Mr. Dingell D-MI: Chrysler and GM diatribe…

Mr. Dingell: Japanese standards more or less than American standards? Lentz: I only deal with America.

Mr. Dingell: Has Toyota ruled out mechanical failure...? Lentz: Not ruled it out.

Mr. Dingell: EMF ruled out? Lentz: We are studying it... A lot more investigation going on.

Mr. Dingell: Exponent report? Lentz: EMF has not been tested yet.

Mr. Dingell: 5-vehicles enough? Lentz: Vehicle to vehicle is very similar.

Mr. Dingell: Yes or no? EDR's installed in all Toyota Vehicles? Lentz: Not 100% today.

Mr. Dingell: Are EDR's available for anybody else to read. Lentz: Only one in the US today.

Mr. Dingell: Rants about EMF... and NHTSA requirement to test Camry in 06.

Mr. Dingell: Studies submitted... Lentz: Exponent's will be submitted to Congress, NHTSA and public.

Bobby Rush D-IL.: Thousands of reports of Sudden Acceleration ... and how dismissive Toyota has been with regards to the complaints.

Rush sounds like he is drunk ;-)

Lentz is doing well now that things have slowed down a bit. Clear, concise and apologizing to consumers.

Lentz’ family are all driving Toyota's, many of them recalled. He wants his family to be safe as well

Lentz is breaking down when speaking of a car accident that killed his brother.

Lentz: Weakness within company is Info flow was one way. Regional to Japan and that is where it stayed.

Lentz: This is going to change.

Markey D-MA: You said you have solved the problem. You do not know if you have solved the problem.

I am glad I have to go pick up my son at school. Lentz is doing a really good job given the situation…

Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood's turn on the Congressional Merry-go-round...

Break until later this afternoon…

___Good Luck

___Wayne

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