I am always amazed to hear about people claiming "unintended acceleration"... I suspect in many cases it is simply a driver mistake, like pressing the accelerator in instead of the brake pedal. Even if it's caused by a sticky pedal, there are many, many things you can do to stop and avoid any accident.
It's a good thing that car manufacturers improve safety in the cars they build. However I can't help but think that drivers that can't control their vehicle should not be allowed to drive.
I am always amazed to hear about people claiming "the have won a lottery"... I suspect in many cases it is simply an urban legend... you get the point.
Just the fact it's never happened to you or you've never met a person who has experienced that, doesn't mean it's not true. Yes, mathematically speaking the chances are slim. But do you want to take the chance of being the lucky "winner" here?
In 2002, I bought my first new car, a 2002 Toyota Camry LE V6 from Tony Graham Toyota on Merivale Rd. The first model year that came with drive-by-wire. I had three serious problems with the car:
1) the check engine light came on and the whole accelerator assembly had to be replaced. It was replaced under warranty, something that would have otherwise cost me $1,200. So these things are expensive, not bullet-proof, prone to coding errors, and apparently didn't have all necessary overrides in place.
2) jerky transmission, 5 complaints and 2 reprogramming attempts later, the transmission was still a reason for concern.
3) you guessed it, my car would accelerate for no reason. Granted, it was never to the extent that I would lose control but was unnerving nevertheless. I'm not a car nut anymore but certainly not a tool and can tell the difference between driver input and onboard computer going haywire.
I would try to maintain speed on the highway at, say 90km/h on level surface (no inclines or declines) and the car would all of a sudden begin to accelerate - something that would normally require the throttle to be at 3/4 or so. This has happened BOTH while the car was under cruise control with right foot on the floor and with foot on the gas pedal, so what driver error are we talking here exactly?
Stepping on the brakes seemed to cancel that behaviour every time for me but it was cause for a few WTF's and a few gray hairs. My wife has experienced the exact same thing driving the same car. The dealer of course completely dismissed my complaint.
1 month before the warranty expired, I traded it in. I will avoid conflict if I can. Needless to say, I'm not a huge fan of Toyota. But I doubt others are any better.
Here's another one. Nothing to do with Toyota.
My brother used to drive a 2007 Hyundau Sonata V-6. 2 years ago, as he was merging onto the freeway, he floored it. Once the desired speed was reached (around 70mph), he let go of the pedal but the car continued to accelerate at full blast. At around 95mph (he lives in the States) he turned the key in the ignition and killed the engine.
The dealer acknowledged there had been several complaints of this nature (that was back in 2008) and replaced the entire pedal assembly and control unit under warranty.
January 12 of 2010, the exact same thing happens again. This time, the dealer refused to acknowledge the problem as this could potentially mean BIG $$$$$ in light of what's going on with Toyota.
They did an emergency brake test, instead, to make sure the brakes can still overpower the engine.
But let me ask you this. How would you feel about slamming on the brakes at 95mph on an icy road? Does it sound safe to you? I didn't think so.
After submitting a complaint to NHTS and telling the dealer he didn't feel safe driving the car anymore, they cut him a killer deal on a brand new Mazda CX-9 and offered him $1,000 over Kelly blue book on his trade to keep him happy and quiet.
I hope they take that car apart and figure out what's wrong with the sticky acceleration before it spins out of control. And kudos to the dealer for keeping the customer happy.
Now, let's hope we all benefit from this by ensuring the manufacturers provide us with safer vehicles.
