When we reported that unintended acceleration in general and Toyota in particular are not a big topic in Europe and Japan, the answer was: “What do they know? They use their excellent public transport system and drive less.” (A myth, by the way. Unless there are mandatory annual odometer readings, nobody knows for sure. But the generally accepted average number of miles driven by year and car is 12,000 in the U.S.A. In Germany, the industry works with a 20,000 km average. Which is 12,427 miles.) The only countries halfway accepted as comparisons were Australia and Canada. Well, their numbers are in.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that despite the negative publicity and media bashing that Toyota has endured, Toyota increased their market share in Australia to 20.5 percent in February, with sales increasing year-on-year by 13 percent. This cements Toyota’s reputation as Australia’s number one car brand. So, it seems the Aussies aren’t that concerned with a worldwide recall over 9 million vehicles for safety defects (which is a pretty serious defect). Now, at this point, I suspect you are thinking “But Cammy, this is Australia. They’ve always had a thing for Toyota. They’re brand loyalists”. OK, let’s try somewhere closer to (your) home.
The Vancouver Sun reports that Toyota Canada sales have risen 25.2 percent compared to February last year (the car-pocalypse). Toyota sold 12,693 Toyota and Lexus cars, trucks and SUV’s for February 2010. In addition, the Toyota Prius, Corolla and Matrix recorded their best ever February sales. “We thank our customers for continued confidence in Toyota vehicles –– vehicles that are reliable, safe and fuel-efficient,” said Yoichi Tomihara, president of Toyota Canada Inc. “We also thank our team members at our coast to coast dealerships for their quick and reliable work in servicing recall repairs and bringing peace of mind to our family of Toyota and Lexus customers.” With those numbers, he probably meant it.
Now here’s a question for you. What do Australia, Canada and the United States all have in common? Some of you already answered it: they are all huge countries, sparsely populated in huge stretches, with transport infrastructure not as sophisticated as Europe or Japan. In essence, these countries rely more on their cars in order to get around. And it seems that Australia and Canada are OK to entrust that job to Toyota. Or maybe it’s a vote of confidence against the witch hunt which they feel Toyota is unfairly getting? Either way, Toyota aren’t down and out down under and in the Great White North.
…and what do Australia, Canada, Europe and Japan have in common? a healthy resistance to over-hyped media panic-mongering it seems.
:)
As a Canadian, I feel that the Media in the USA, made a big thing about Toyota, way over the Top as far as I am concerned, don’t you all remember all the Problems General Motors had with Head Gaskets and Manifold problems that had to be settled with a Law suit! There never was a stink raised on that really, there should have been, I suspect as many Canadians do that it’s easier to blame someone else, especially a foreign maker that has made in roads on the USA Vehicle scene, and probably the United Auto Workers and your Government are behind this whole mess about Toyota, who is next eh? If you want Asian Vehicle makers to move there manufacturing plants elsewhere, this is a good way to do it,it will add to the Thousands of unemployed Workers in your Country and let the Detroit two start making crap vehicles again and letting them return to Profit!
I totally agree with you that the U.S. media has over-hyped this issue, and wouldn’t be surprised if many of these incidents were the result of mass hysteria or social contagion. But I’d also point out that the media in all countries have some sort of causes célèbres, be it fear mongering about safety, outrage over business practices (as I’ve seen in Canada) or focus on the teams and stars of football (“soccer” to us Yanks; I’ve seen the media do this almost everywhere outside of the U.S.).
Comparing this coverage to that of GM’s head gasket and manifold failues won’t get you very far. The typical worst-case scenario resulting from the GM issue is a seized engine. That hardly generates attention-getting headlines – or fear in the minds of the public – on the same level as the perception of runaway cars that can’t be stopped.
I wouldn’t run to your investment broker with that pro-Toyota optimism just yet.
Wait until we have a good handle on such things as fleet sales which have been really high in early 2010 compared to 2009. I suspect Toyota has not been punished by fleet buyers in either the US or Canada nearly as much as by retail buyers.
Canada continues to punish both GM and Chrysler for their bailouts, with Ford now ruling the sales roost in Canada. We naturally reserved (and record Olympic gold medal winning) Canadians do not criticize others easily, but once we take a position against something, it tends to stick for a while.
Let’s discuss this again in 2 or 3 months.
@cammy
What is Holden and Ford market share down under?
Stingray,
I honestly don’t know. But for what it’s worth, according to the Australian article, Holden came second (even increasing their share) and Hyundai jumped over Ford to claim third place in the Feburary sales list.
Did the US mass media stir up some hysteria concerning the possibility of SUA in Toyota Camry? Yep.
Did a measurable portion of the car buying public buy into the story? Yes, again.
Are the mass media in the US beating a dead horse by over reporting the possibility of a software defect in Toyota vehicles? You betcha.
Did Toyota deftly make decisions to stay ahead of the hysteria and reassure the public early on in the game that they would leave no stone uncovered to correct any possible problem? My answer is not so much.
The “one, two punch” over a couple of months, going from floor mats to an errant gas pedal The second punch is what led to the Kangaroo hearing in DC, which played out dramatically in the US mass media.
Here in the hinterlands of Texas, the hearings revealed a slow to react giant whose decisions on styling, marketing, parts procurement, and safety upgrades seem to be “Made in Japan”.
That’s the collateral damage. After building up a “Toyota as American as apple pie that doesn’t cut corners like GM” image for the past few years, – the present reality is – one – Toyota may be just another car company and – two – all the important decisions are made in Nagoya not Kentucky.
The single biggest difference is the absence of the Congressional dog and pony show. Tearful, God-fearin’ (yet disingenuous) witnesses and limelight adoring politicos (Rep. Brad Sherman) don’t help.
Australians have an inbuilt bullshit detector, something that is removed in most Americans at birth and replaced with a 15-minutes-of-fame-at-all-costs beacon.
“Australians have an inbuilt bullshit detector, something that is removed in most Americans at birth and replaced with a 15-minutes-of-fame-at-all-costs beacon.”
.
.
That’s true.
But the Oz and the Canucks drink strong beer. Lots of it. So you have to overlay the appropriate adjustment onto your demographic model. ;-)
Ford February Canadian sales spiked 51-percent. Toyota’s sales were up 25-percent. GM saw its sales jump 20-percent. Chrysler’s grew 17-percent.
The majority of local news reports have been sympathetic to Toyota. Canada has experience with U.S. administrations twisting issues to yield home team advantage. The motivations behind the Toyota inquisition are obvious. Obama, peace be upon him, owns two domestic car companies and is sucking up to the unions.
The recession has not been as hurtful here. Canada’s gross domestic product grew 5-percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, beating forecasts. Our federal government, which previously posted annual surpluses, is running a deficit around three or four percent of GDP, about a third the U.S. deficit. Canadian financial institutions did not require bailouts and are reporting first quarter profits triple and quadruple last year’s, house prices are +20-percent, the building sector is healthy and there is no foreclosure issue. Real unemployment is under 10-percent, mostly in Ontario and Quebec manufacturing, compared to the U.S. 17-percent. We foolishly bailed out GM and Chrysler, more to protect CAW retiree pensions than to save the companies.
http://tinyurl.com/yao5pfd
Gardiner,
You left out one other important point. We also set a record for the most gold metals in Winter Olympics ever.
Yeah Canada!!!!
;-)
Wooo Canada! Are we annoying any Americans yet?
Through my wife’s work and our car club friends, my wife and I enjoy the friendship of a lot of Americans. We have been delighted that they are not at all annoyed by our cheering for Canada. In fact several of them have cheered right along with us about the success of the games.
blah blah blah Canada gold medals blah
4 on 4 overtime? Come on… the Olympic committee musta gone Ovechkin there.
Crosby is a wuss… and so is Thornton. Luongo was shaking like a leaf, and was waaaay off his angle on that rush down the left side. One unassuming wrister, and the weeping and wailing from Canuckistan woulda broke the NVH needle.
;-)
Stingray, Ford’s share is around 9% and GM 14%
Thanks. So Toyota is giving them a good ride down there.
There are two differences. First in government:
* Canada and Australia are Westminster Parliamentary democracies. What this sees is a much stronger house leader (the Prime Minister), no president and no real opportunity for MPs (representatives) showboat. MPs outside of cabinet are forced to tow the party line; heck, even in cabinet they defer to the PM. Unlike the US, there’s no incentive (and very serious disincentives) to for MPs to get up on the soapbox; their local constituents don’t care and the PM and cabinet take a dim view of showboating. US representatives and senators can be an individual political force; Canadian and Australian MPs are just butts in seats; whichever party gets the most butts wins and it’s better for everyone if the butts keep their opinions to themselves.
* Canada and Australia don’t (often) have strong, unelected officers of government. Ray La Hood’s equivalent is an elected Minister in cabinet. Again, ministers usually defer to the PM or handle things internally; getting up on the aforementioned soapbox is frowned upon.
The other part of this is the media. The US (and the UK, to a lesser degree) have what has to be the most hyperactive media cycles in existence. That’s because:
* the media market is hypercompetitive. You have to be shrill, alarmist and loud to keep your share of eyeballs.
* because the media has been shrill for so long, the populace has become numb and they have to shout louder and whip up more fear and panic.
This is also the reason that the media companies in the US are some of the sickest on the planet. They’re huge, but they have no depth and very little customer loyalty. This is the dividend from their two-decade intellectual race to the bottom.
Sadly, as an American (but also having lived in the UK), I have to concur with you 100%, psarjinian. Every syllable, in fact.
psarhjinian; I think you’re right, but the media (MSM particularly) in the USA has been shrill/alarmist for so long they’re no longer trying to outdo themselves or each other, but it’s become SOP for those folks.
In past decades they did beat up on GM/Ford/Chrysler to the point where they developed into what Crazy Pete calls, rightly so, the anti-car/anti-Detroit intelligentsia. In so doing these media pieholes fully embraced Toyota as the anti-Detroit car company. The fact that Toyota would betray their role as the anti-car person’s car by being perceived as just as fallible as their competitors makes these quasi-journos just outraged – OUTRAGED I TELL YOU!!!
The whole shrill alarmism about Toyota is probably far less about gathering eyeballs or ratings and far more about the anti-car Toyota-lovers in the US MSM organizations being personally offended (and getting offended is their favorite hobby) that Toyota would so drastically screw them and mar their reputation after years of their tacit unpaid support of Toyota.
Just take a cursory glance at the ownership of US Media. Big, I mean HUGE, business. What could be their motivation. Hmmm, FOLLOW THE MONEY!
I’ll tell you what neither country does have, and that’s a population anywhere near as significant as the United States.
Also, in Canada at least, Toyota is not such a market force as in other countries. Without checking my facts, I believe it goes like this, GM, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Toyota, in terms of market share and sales. Honda and Toyota sell a lot of Civic’s and Corolla’s, some Accord’s and Camry’s, but not a lot else. We are definitely D3 country up here, so a Toyota scandal is not such a big deal to us. P.S. Crashsled- stop being such a whiney baby. 14, that’s right, 14 GOLD MEDALS in one Games – a WORLD first and a WORLD record. When your country with TEN TIMES our population beats that-get back to me.
I am confused where you are trying to go with this article. The earlier article you referenced about UA was looking into UA complaints per country. This data is suggesting that strong sales mean that UA isn’t a problem there. Shouldn’t we be looking at reports or reporting data to analyze this issue instead of sales numbers? I mean, there were plenty of UA complaints before the issue really hit the media. If the media doesn’t pick up the story, then sales probably don’t take the hits they have taken today, and the recalls probably don’t continue either.
Down here in Australia there are a lot of people who buy Toyota and nothing but Toyota regardless of anything they hear. Similarly, there’s the diehard Holden and Ford people too.
But one of the main reasons that Toyota manage to get the market share they do is because their range is a lot bigger than most other makes. If there’s a segment, good chances are that Toyota’s represented.
Plus, they probably have one of the most agressive marketing teams out there, advertising anything and everything they can – I remember years ago they were advertising “the O2 advantage”, as if the Camry was the only car in the country that used oxygen…
Actually the average number of km a year for most European countries (and we have done some quite extensive analyses to confirm this) is around 12.000 km, not miles. While working with the industry threw up estimates of 20.000km, as you say, Bertel, these are completely out of whack with the real driving behaviour. Everything, from the tyre consumption, to fuel consumed, to masive 50.000 respondent longitudinal studies confirm the numbers of around 12k km, with small variations from country to country.
I didn’t say 20,000 km, Cammy did. But she’s right that this number is in wide use in the European industry. We worked with that number when I worked for VW, and we had what other people don’t have: Odometer readings during scheduled service. I don’t know whether the number still holds true, but I can’t find a better one.
In the context of SUA, it doesn’t matter. Whether you drive 20k km or 12k km, something should show up. As an industry observer, you will most likely confirm that SUA is not a topic in Europe.
Sorry Bertel, I read that incorrectly, then. The problem for deriving those numbers, as usually is sampling – the people who come in for a check-up / service (whose odometer readings you can take) are by definition skewed towards higher mileages (they have to come in more often). If one is not careful, this easily leads to estimates, which are too high. On top of that VW drivers might (or might not) represent people who drive more than average, this being Germany :)
As a road rep in Vancouver, I spend a lot of time stuck in traffic, and given the popularity of Camrys, Corollas, SwaggerWagons (aka Sienna), Pious’s etc, I seem to be stuck behind a Toyota more often than not. The only ones that seem to accelerate are driven by taxi cab drivers, the rest of them don’t seem to accelerate anywhere.
I think Toyota was the sacrificial lamb for the car industry. There have been a number of recalls from a variety of auto manufacturers that have occurred since the crap hit the fanbelt that have not had the media coverage enjoyed by Toyota.
Toyota is #1 in cases of sudden unintended acceleration and FORD is #2. The current unintended acceleration plaguing newer vehicles is the electronically-induced type. The engine throttle control systems depend on computer software to command them. Sometimes glitches occur…like in some of your other electronic devices…which can cause the command to be different than what you desire. The evidence of the glitch is often undetectable after the vehicle is restarted. Unfortunately, the EDR (black box) is not always accurate as shown by expert Dr. Antony Anderson in his analysis of a 2012 Toyota Highlander. The EDR results indicated the driver was not braking when she was doing so. The EDR results are inconsistent.
The key to avoiding a horrific crash during a SUA event is whether or not the vehicle has an effective fail-safe in the event a glitch occurs. If it does not, as in the case of the glitch-prone Toyota ETCS-i, then the vehicle may become a runaway with an ineffective means to stop it. Unfortunately, the safety standards aren’t as strict in automobiles as they are in airplanes. Some manufacturers have more effective fail-safes than others. In the case of Toyota, an embedded software expert, Michael Barr (see Oklahoma Bookout vs. Toyota court case involving a 2005 Camry) found that an electronic glitch could induce a SUA event. Another expert, Dr. Henning Leidecker, found that a SUA event could also be triggered by “tin whisker” formation, particularly in 2002-2006 Toyota Camry vehicles.
SUA events have been DEADLY for vehicle occupants as well as pedestrians and people in storefronts, buildings, and even homes. The numbers of such crashes are ever-increasing with the advent of the very complex ELECTRONIC throttle control systems.
With the increase in such serious vehicle crashes, there is a concerted effort to show driver “pedal misapplication” or a “medical condition” or some other reason for the incident…anything other than a vehicle defect. Investigators aren’t scrutinizing the buggy electronic throttle control software or other conditions that can elicit a terrifying sudden unintended acceleration incident. They usually just examine the *mechanical* causes which tend to be just red herrings in these cases. Investigators simply don’t have the expertise to find such electronic glitches. In fact, the staff at the NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, do not have this very specialized training!
Think of it…the next step in electronically-controlled vehicles seems to be so-called “self-driving cars.” Do YOU want to be in a such a vehicle when there is no evidence that strict safety standards, particularly in the throttle control system’s software, have been adhered to? Will you just BLINDLY trust the automaker (criminally-investigated and nearly-prosecuted Toyota and soon-to-be GM and others?) to come through for you and your family’s safety *on its own*?
A recently published Huffington Post article by Jonathan Handel,
How Do We Know Driverless Cars Are Safe? Google Says ‘Trust Us’
Posted: 07/01/2014 7:23 pm EDT Updated: 07/02/2014 1:48 pm EDT speaks to these very issues and poses tough questions about Google’s “driverless” vehicles. Educate yourself carefully before you put your faith in automakers who have knowingly lied to their customers and the government for decades. Study the issue of vehicle electronic sudden unintended acceleration and ask WHY we aren’t seeing it addressed publicly. WHY is blame placed on the driver with little more than speculation about which pedal was used or with little more than an assumption on medical condition. This is being done *even when the drivers steadfastly cite a VEHICLE PROBLEM as the cause of the crash. Absence of proof is not proof of absence of a serious ELECTRONIC computer glitch or other electronically-caused SUA.
PR spin by automaker, law enforcement, and media in full force? Do they desperately desire the final report to say “pedal misapplication” in order to deflect from the ELECTRONICS of the computer-controlled throttle control system?
Let’s see if the driver is hung out to dry publicly as so many have been in these crashes into storefronts, buildings, and homes. Jail time for drivers has been levied with nothing more than ruling out the mechanical causes. In cases of Toyota and Lexus, inconsistent and inaccurate EDR information has been used to falsely incriminate SUA crash victims. Character assassinations in the media prior to concrete evidence presentation seem to be the norm.
Are automakers nervous that the truth will be revealed publicly? Why are so many of the articles about such SUA events lacking in pertinent details, like make, model, and model year? Why aren’t the exact words of the driver stated? Why is there usually immediate speculation that the driver pressed the wrong pedal? These late model vehicles are *computer-controlled*. Glitches occur often. Critical safety standards aren’t strictly regulated and fail-safes have been found to be ineffective by experts in the embedded software field.
Think about how often you reboot your electronic devices. Have you considered that an electronically-driven vehicle has many of the same “glitch” issues? Are you erroneously assuming that your safety has been ensured by the auto manufacturer? Just know, the auto industry is not regulated like the airline industry. Educate yourself on this critical safety matter.
The Car Wash Association knows the truth about sudden unintended acceleration in late model vehicles, particularly Chryslers. A FastStop Car Wash just admitted that there is a list of the most common vehicles to suddenly accelerate. After an employee was thrown from a Ford Expedition as it careened out-of-control from a car wash and into a power box on the side of a building, this information was revealed by the media. In addition, Honda has just become the first automaker to address electronic throttle control software problems.
Why doesn’t the public have access to the most-often-to-suddenly-accelerate vehicle list? How hard are the automakers trying to keep such information hidden? Will what you do not know ultimately put you or your family in unnecessary jeopardy? Will the PR agenda of the automakers continue to push for a “pedal misapplication” final report in these crash events?
How long will the flawed study into Toyota and Lexus sudden unintended acceleration by NASA/NHTSA be touted as a reason to blame the vehicle owners? How often will the old Audi SUA investigation be cited by online PR trolls in an effort to justify immediate incrimination of the driver victims? More importantly, how long will the public be deceived?
Why was Toyota whistleblower Betsy Benjaminson recently issued a subpoena by Toyota Motor Corporation? Is this an on-going effort by the automaker to silence the exposure of Toyota internal documents related to the electronic sudden unintended acceleration? Why hasn’t Ms. Benjaminson’s information been covered by the U.S. media as it has been overseas? More importantly, why hasn’t the U.S. Department of Justice made reference to this information in its recent criminal investigation of Toyota? Why have we only heard about *mechanical* causes of SUA?
Something is amiss. Doesn’t the public deserve to know the truth? After all, electronic sudden unintended acceleration affects everyone, not just vehicle drivers. Pedestrians and storefront occupants have been killed or maimed. Even residents in homes have been impacted. SUA events are not just occurring on the highways; they are happening in parking lots and from a standstill at traffic stops, too.
This serious problem isn’t just about elderly drivers, drivers with medical conditions, or impaired drivers as a seemingly pervasive PR effort might have you believe. This is about vehicles out-of-control because of electronic glitches and ineffective fail-safes. This is about unregulated critical safety standards in complex electronically-controlled vehicles.
Charlene McCarthy Blake
Charlene Blake
Toyota’s sudden unintended acceleration crisis is far for over. A move to Texas will not change the company’s deception. Nothing has changed since 2009. Toyota continues to blame the vehicle owners. It relies on faulty EDR (black box) recordings—see Dr. Antony Anderson’s findings of Toyota’s inaccurate EDR readings in a 2012 Highlander crashing into a house (caught on home security camera). Customers report Toyota is still not listening but rather it is pointing the finger at its own customers!
Singer/songwriter, Kris Kitko did an AWESOME job on her YouTube video, “Toyota Where Are Ya?” The video was directed at Toyota regarding her own real world experience with Toyota SUA, sudden unintended acceleration. With her satirical approach, she completely destroyed the Toyota and NHTSA myth about SUA, namely “pedal misapplication” by drivers. Unfortunately, Kris Kitko’s YouTube video is no longer available for viewing online.
In the wake of the NHTSA/DOJ $1.2 BILLION settlement following a CRIMINAL investigation, Kris should be encouraged to use her finely-honed musical skills to do a sequel to her first Toyota SUA YouTube video. The U.S. Federal Government allowed Toyota “deferred prosecution” in this settlement provided it follow the steps outlined in the terms of the agreement. No one…not one single Toyota executive…is going to serve any prison time for knowingly withholding evidence that could have saved many lives and ensured public safety on the roads.Toyota ADMITTED that it LIED to both the Toyota customers and the government.
Michael Barr, renowned embedded systems expert, after studying Toyota’s ETCS-I far longer than NASA did, found the existence of faults in the software which could lead to a real-world, potentially-catastrophic SUA event with a number of potentially ineffective fail-safes. Imagine flying down the road in a Toyota with no functioning brake override to exit a software task-death! Isn’t that a bit like being on a high-speed roller coaster and having the track fail to keep you on? And want to know the most SHOCKING part? Toyota reportedly didn’t have a copy of the code in their OWN monitor chip! Michael Barr and company had to SHOW them! Can we just say, “Scary!”
Toyota cites that there is no electronic cause for SUA in its vehicles based on the short-duration investigations by NHTSA and NASA. Michael Barr and other experts have shown these studies to be scientifically seriously flawed. First, the ETCS-I software investigation was extremely limited. Only a SMALL FRACTION of the embedded software was tested by NASA.
Secondly, Toyota misrepresented the presence of EDAC RAM (error detection and correction random access memory) while indications of this issue were apparently redacted in the original NHTSA report. This misled NASA into NOT LOOKING INTO a number of potential sources of failure – which they may otherwise might have.
According to NASA expert, Dr. Henning Leidecker, some Toyota’s can grow “tin whiskers” within certain electronic components. This can result in short circuits which can lead to yet another type of electronically-induced SUA event. Dr. Leidecker and associates actually DID FIND and study a case of “tin whiskers” found within the accelerator pedal assembly; rendering a Toyota vehicle UNDRIVEABLE.
Dr. Leidecker suggests driving the affected Toyota vehicles is “a game of Russian roulette.” Dr. Leidecker is most concerned about 2002-2006 Toyota Camrys with their potential to grow “tin whiskers.” He indicates the risk of this condition increases over time.
Meanwhile, whistleblower Betsy Benjaminson remains scared for Toyota drivers. She is convinced Toyota’s own internal documents strongly indicate SOMETHING IS WRONG with their ETCS-i ELECTRONICS . She says “ghosts” indicate glitches can cause a runaway car. Betsy now blogs on a website where she continues to EXPOSE key documents that she says open the company’s PR KIMONO. Betsy’s goal is to reveal the true inside story of Toyota’s SUA problem and to demonstrate and expose the differences between the company walk and company talk.
How did Betsy turn whistleblower? As a Japanese-to-English translator, Betsy was hired by Toyota’s legal team to translate documents for the criminal investigation of Toyota. Just like the DOJ, Betsy SMELLED A RAT. After checking with top experts, she came forward to alert the public to the major safety issues involved.
So, WHY is Toyota trying so hard to CONVINCE its own customers and the public that its vehicles suffer from SUA caused only by 1) improperly placed or type of floor mats (huh?); 2) sticky accelerator pedals (like those pesky sticky Sienna minivan sliding doors?); or 3) pedal misapplication (oh…the little old lady theory?). Why does it IGNORE the recent findings of the electronic experts? WHY isn’t it currently LISTENING to its own customers?
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