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Transportation Secretary stop driving the recalled cars

3K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  TrailDust 
#1 · (Edited)
Stop driving recalled Toyotas, LaHood tells owners
Transportation secretary will talk with automaker's president

David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told the owners of more than 2 million recalled vehicles to stop driving and bring them to a dealer.
"If anybody owns (one) of these vehicles, stop driving it and take it to a Toyota dealer," LaHood said Wednesday at a House hearing. That conflicts with previous advice from the government and from Toyota, which has said drivers can keep driving their recalled vehicles until they receive a recall notice inviting them to visit a dealer to get a fix.
As recently as last week, LaHood said Toyota owners should visit their dealer -- but never suggested they stop driving the recalled vehicles. Toyota said its dealers will start getting repair kits this week.
From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100203/AUTO01/2030394/1148/rss25#ixzz0eUVqlO3J
 
#2 · (Edited)
Now this is really getting ridiculous. I will drive my Toyotas if I want. People are calling Toyota irresponsible, but I think this is irresponsible of the government to make a statement like this and put fear into people.

My wife just told me a story that an older woman came into her dealership and asked about the recall. She said she was at the post office and a car parked about three spots in front of her. She said to the guy that he could have parked closer and he said, "no way, you drive a Camry." He may have been joking, I can't say.

This country is going to hell quickly, but that is ok, I am 42 and within 30-40 years I will probably be dead anyway, unless my Toyotas kill me sooner, so I don't care anymore.
 
#3 ·
It sure didn't take long for LaHood to change his tune. Now he's reported as saying what he meant was "if they were concerned they should go to the dealer." I knew he would retract the statement as it was irresponsible. You can show concern and show your feelings to a certain degree, but not in the position he is in.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I was wondering if the liability of this defect shifts to the owner of the car if they never bring it in for repairs.

Say, if an accident is caused by unintended acceleration and someone gets hurt....the owner knew about the problem but chooses not to have it repaired.

I'm sure Toyota would be a target for lawsuits anyways...but I'm curious now about every newer Toyota that I see. What if it speeds up just as I'm crossing the road? I'm not a litigator...just curious.

And I'm sure the secretary's words were taken out of context. They are concerned because it's looking like it may not be the accelerator pedals, but something more serious and more widespread. When millions of Americans are driving Toyotas, it's a priority to push for a solution to this problem.

We were considering a 2010 4Runner....definitely waiting until they are certain that it's the accelerator pedals in those specific cars and not something else.
 
#6 ·
How many more government officials will be ducking & pulling up the covers? My wife has an '08 CE that is not included in the recall issue. We have gone through the "What if" scenario should the sudden acceleration issue happen to us, braking, shifting into neutral, pulling off to the side of the road, turning off the ignition,and activating the hazardous warning lights.
 
#7 ·
Politicians suck

Ray LaHood has an agenda?

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/transportation-secretary-lahood-stop-driving-your-toyota/
LaHood may struggle with some of the technical details (like, you know, how to actually stop unintended acceleration), but he’s got the politics down pat. The gameplan in these kinds of situations is simple: scare the public, shame the automaker, and say lots of things that make it sound like you’re taking charge. Like threatening Toyota with the maximum allowable $16.4m in civil penalty fines [per the Detroit News], potentially shattering the previous recall fine record of $1m set by GM in 2004 for its handling of a windshield wiper recall. The fact that all this makes the government’s “investments” in the auto industry look a little better is just the gravy on top.

[UPDATE: Reuters reports that LaHood meant to say that "owners concerned about unintended acceleration should instead seek out dealers for advice and necessary repairs." You know, instead of implying that all Toyotas are fundamentally dangerous. "What I said in there was a misstatement," confessed LaHood. [Hat Tip: commenter Fonzy]
 
#9 ·
LaHood has already rectracted himslef fro his previous statement.

"Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood now says he misspoke when telling owners of recalled Toyotas to stop driving then.

Instead, LaHood says take them to dealerships to get them repaired.

LaHood told reporters it was "obviously a misstatement" when he told a House panel earlier Wednesday that he would advise owners not to drive recalled vehicles. The remark came during testimony to the Appropriations subcommittee on transportation.
"
 
#11 ·
84,

I'm confused by your statement. Could you please clarify? I can't determine if you are saying LaHood was kissing Toyota's ass and is now backpedaling...of if you meant ass kissing in a negative way
 
#13 ·
84,

I'm confused by your statement. Could you please clarify? I can't determine if you are saying LaHood was kissing Toyota's ass and is now backpedaling...of if you meant ass kissing in a negative way
He was kissing their ass last week and is now back pedalling. This guy probably can't even drive a stick and he's our transportation secretary.
 
#12 ·
Watch the video... he is simply shooting his mouth off like he was sitting at the bar shooting the **** with a bunch of drinking buddies. His remark was poorly thought out (read that not thought out at all), and completely irresponsible.

This seems like shades of the old Audi 5000 debacle - which in the end was shown to be BS. While this does seem to be rooted in a real defect, the level of hysteria now building over it is incredible. Also doesn't look like it will ultimately be isolated to Toyota, but Toyota will take the brunt of the media frenzy.

Dont get me wrong, I wouldn't want to be caught in a car that was "runaway" - but instead of fanning the flames of hysteria, it would be nice if folks could focus on being aware of how a car works, and what can be done to get out of a difficult situation should it occur.

There is a good consumer reports video that simplifies it, and provides a calm easy way to stop the car - put it in neutral, brake to a stop, shut the engine off. Thats a whole lot more sane and helpful than some idiot government bureaucrat fanning folks into a panic because their car is going to kill them.

Can ya tell Im not a fan of politicians? :headbang:

jc
 
#15 · (Edited)
Well the majority of people are stupid. The chances of the pedal sticking are low. Being afraid to drive something shows considerable weakness. We have a greater chance of being hit and killed by a drunk driver on a Friday night.

You can tell people OVER and OVER what to do, and they'll still fail to do it correctly. I really do support strengthening our driver's licensing requirements. It's apparent the majority of people out there have no business operating a vehicle, and it's also apparent to me, that Toyota has picked up non-enthusiast drivers. ;)
 
#17 · (Edited)
Yeesh...you're more likely to have a tire blowout on the highway, in a snowstorm, driving over a patch of black ice, in a heavy crosswind - then of having a Toyota pedal stick.

The number of confirmed cases in Canada of this pedal issue is something like 0.0002%.

Sure it's not ZERO. But I doubt that anything manufactured has zero risk of failure.
 
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