The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a ring of catalytic converter thieves who targeted new Toyota Tundras has been broken up. While this is good news for a number of Toyota dealerships in the Houston area, it underscores the seriousness of catalytic converter thefts. To many thieves, stealing a catalytic converter is “easy money,” yet for vehicle owners (and their insurance companies) it’s an incredibly expensive problem.

Why Catalytic Converters Are Stolen

Catalytic converters have value to thieves because they contain a variety of precious medals, all of which can be sold for scrap. Depending on the particular vehicle the catalytic converter comes from, the scrap value can range from $75 to $250 per converter. Unscrupulous scrap yards often don’t require proof that a converter came off of a wrecked or salvaged vehicle, making it far too easy for thieves to turn a quick profit.

Catalytic converters are also targeted because stealing them isn’t terribly complicated. All it takes is a portable saw and a dark place to work. SUVs and trucks are usually targeted because of their high ground clearance, which makes them easier to crawl underneath than passenger cars.

Tundra owners must be careful because newer models have four separate catalytic converters, each of which has a significant value. According to the Houston Chronicle, the recently broken-up theft ring was able to earn $80 per catalytic (or $320 per Tundra). This is a small percentage of the replacement cost, which is over $3500.

Catalytic Converter Theft Prevention Tips

Like most things in life, a little bit of planning goes a long way. Here are some simple tips for keeping potential thieves away from your truck’s catalytic converters.

1. Park inside your garage. It’s obvious to be sure, but it works very well. Not only is your truck out of sight (and out of mind), but there’s a lot more risk involved in breaking into someone’s garage than there is crawling under a vehicle in the driveway or parked on the street.

2. Park in a well-lit area. Again, it’s obvious, but if you have to park outside at night, do so in a well-lit area. Lighting discourages thieves.

3. Install an alarm system. Just about every vehicle alarm system includes a shock sensor, which can detect the vibrations of someone’s portable saw if it’s setup properly. Upgrades like a proximity sensor are nice as well, but it’s sometimes difficult to get the settings just right, so you’ll want to spend some time calibrating everything if you decide to go this route.

4. Install a special catalytic converter theft deterrent. Full disclosure – no anti-theft system can stop a thief. However, both the CatClamp and the CatLock are interesting systems that will deter theft simply because they appear impenetrable (even though they’re fairly simple to defeat). They’re also sort of expensive – $100-$300 per device, which means it would cost $400-$1200 to protect all of the catalytics on a Tundra. Still, if your neighborhood is constantly the target of these thieves, they’re an option worth considering.

5. Get a dog. They’re easily the most expensive anti-theft device on this list, and they’re never guaranteed to work, but it’s a good bet your dog will make some noise if someone is crawling around on your driveway in the middle of the night.

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Kansas gets a bad rap. People joke about the flat land, wheat fields, and the Kansas City Royals, but we’re guessing these people don’t know about the world-class bird hunting in Kansas, not to mention Kansas City Barbecue. If you live in Kansas and you enjoy bird-hunting, you need five things:

1. A shotgun
2. Non-toxic ammo
3. A license for the birds you’re looking for
4. A dog that knows how to find birds (more than one is even better)
5. A truck

Of course, you can still hunt if you know someone who has #4 and #5. If you don’t have a truck or a good dog (or three), think about getting to know OnPointTundra – he’s got it covered.

OnPointTundra (also known as Josh) has decked out his 08′ CrewMax to be a bird hunting machine. First, you’ve got to be able to drive around in the fields without getting stuck. That means a good set of tires…and a nice set of wheels is an added bonus. This truck has a set of 18×9 XD Monster wheels with 325/60 R18 Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ’s, which are a little more than 33″ around. Bigger tires on a slightly wider wheel mean that a set of Bushwacker Fender Flares help protect the truck from whatever the bitter tires kick up.

The stock Toyota Tundra has tires with an overall diameter of about 32″, so adding an inch in tire diameter requires a leveling kit. This truck has a Truxxx 3″ lift kit. Heavy-duty bumpers are also a nice add-on when you’re banging around in the fields, and they’re not bad when you’re parking in the middle of downtown K.C. either.

This Tundra has a nice set of solid steel Expedition One winch bumpers front and rear, which include mounting points for this truck’s PIAA 510 ion  fog lights. Expedition One’s bumpers are very similar to ARB’s Sahara front bumpers, and both are a great add-on for work duties. They also look pretty great next to the blacked-out rims, aftermarket tint job, and black N-fab step bars.

Inside the truck, there’s a back-up camera, homelink, and heavy-duty floor mats to keep everything clean.

We’ve talked about trucks and dog safety before, and we have to commend Josh for investing in a dog box. It’s one of the safest ways to transport his dog, and it looks great too. There are three doors, one for each of the dogs: Rocky the Boxer, Florida, and Missy (both Florida and Missy are English Pointers). Here’s a pic of Missy doing what she loves:

Missy the English Pointer

OnPointTundra – nicely done. Your truck is a great example of how to build a bird-hunting machine, not to mention a great field truck.

Would you like to see your truck featured on TundraHeadquarters? Contact us!

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We’ve been following the closure of NUMMI for a few months now, and it seems that the story is just about done. Earlier today, Toyota announced that they are giving NUMMI workers a $250 million dollar “transition” fund that could be used to pay out bonuses to NUMMI employees, as well as offer career counseling and training.

While it’s obviously not this simple, $250 million divided up amongst 4,500 workers (plus or minus) is about $55k per person. While this severance isn’t tremendous, it’s certainly nothing to sniff at…especially considering Toyota was forced to close NUMMI when GM filed bankruptcy.

Here’s a history of our coverage of the closure of NUMMI:

• When we first heard the rumor, we didn’t think Toyota would close NUMMI
• We were wrong – Toyota closes NUMMI, get ready for a backlash
• Toyota moves production of the Tacoma from NUMMI to San Antonio, alongside the Tundra
• We wondered if California’s anti-business laws and regulations killed NUMMI
• We ridiculed the UAW for picketing Toyota at the San Jose auto show
• We found out 80% of NUMMI workers were angry with the UAW
• We saw a video of UAW local leadership cursing and NUMMI workers
• Despite the well-documented chain of events, we questioned why the UAW doesn’t blame GM for this situation

Finally, we’re left with just one question: will the UAW take a percentage of this final severance package for “representation fees?”

What do you think – did Toyota do right by NUMMI’s workers?

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Owning a truck means a lot of different things to people, but it sure seems like truck owners are more helpful than regular old car owners…think about it:

• When someone needs a tow, who do they call?
• When it’s time to move?
• When someone needs a jump or mechanical help?

It turns out that truck owners help fight crime too – here’s a story about a 2000 Tundra owner that helped catch a murderer.

It started at a McDonalds

Lawton Walker was sitting in his Tundra in the McDonalds parking lot when a robber confronted two McDonald’s employees in the car next to Walker. Incredibly, the robber pulled a gun, stole the deposit, and then for no apparent reason shot and killed one of the employees as they sat defenseless in their vehicle.

Walker, stunned by what had just occurred, took action. He started his Tundra up, and when the murderer jumped in his car, Walker rammed his truck into it. While the damage didn’t stop the murderer in his tracks, it definitely slowed him down. Walker then chased the murderer in his vehicle until he was pulled over by police. Due in part to Walker’s actions, the police were able to apprehend the murderer.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

No one would have faulted Walker for staying out of danger and simply calling 9-1-1. Frankly, Walker is very lucky to live in a place where local law enforcement supported his actions. Depending on your perspective, Walker’s actions could be considered reckless…but that’s the crux of it, isn’t it? Every time we pull over to help a stuck motorist, or jump out of our trucks to push a car in the snow, we compromise our safety. Being helpful isn’t always the safest course of action, and it goes without saying that Walker took a great risk.

Walker and the damage to his 2000 Tundra. Image ©Jacksonville.com

In Walker’s case, things seem to have worked out OK. While there is damage to his Tundra, the local AutoCrafters collision center and Keith Pierson Toyota have offered to fix his truck free of charge, as did the local Fraternal Order of Police. Walker is quoted as saying that “he’s no hero,” and that he’s grateful to have his family. Walker’s sentiments go out to the victim of this crime, Raynold Orelus.

Orelus was a Haitian immigrant and father of five, four of whom live in Haiti. Orelus’s family wouldn’t have been able to afford the trip to attend his funeral had it not been for some financial assistance from local business and others. If you’d like to help out the family:

An account has been established at VyStar Credit Union for donations to the family of slain Haitian immigrant Raynold Orelus. Donations can be made at any branch in the name of Orelus’ wife, Miraclide Orelus, to account number 702809176.

Read the full story on Jacksonville.com. Our best to the Orelus family.

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Perhaps lost in all the recall news, we’d like to touch base on the pending closure of New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., an auto plant that was a joint venture between GM and Toyota. Started in 1984, NUMMI is the very last major auto manufacturing plant in California. While California’s anti-business regulations contributed to NUMMI’s closure, there’s no denying that General Motor’s bankruptcy was the event that started it all.

When General Motors backed out of NUMMI, Toyota followed suit. Why isn't GM getting any of the blame from the UAW?

When GM abandoned NUMMI, Toyota followed suit…as is the fashion when one business partner abandons the other. However, rather than blaming GM for decades of mis-management (or perhaps looking in the mirror at decades of outrageous labor policies), the UAW is protesting against Toyota.

These UAW orchestrated anti-Toyota protests (which some say are pure unadulterated nationalism) are interesting because 80% of NUMMI’s workers feel that protesting against Toyota is the wrong move. Rather than attacking Toyota with protests, workers feel that the UAW should be negotiating a severance package with Toyota…and going after GM for money too. However, the UAW feels that going after GM for their role in NUMMI’s closure is “pointless.”

NUMMI workers find this explanation infuriating, and for good reason: the UAW is a shareholder in the “new” GM. Attacking GM doesn’t make a lot of business sense for the union. Instead, the UAW is attacking GM’s competitor Toyota, hoping that some nationalist fervor can boost GM’s stock price and help the UAW’s bottom line.

Worker anger and UAW ineptitude were on full display at a UAW meeting for NUMMI workers last month. Not only did the UAW’s chief negotiator with Toyota yell “shut up you mother****ers” at a room full of workers, but he later accused the Toyota of somehow “planting” people in the crowd in order to undermine the union. All the while, negotiations for a severance package dragged on.

One worker’s wife commented:

The UAW has put my family and many others in a tight spot, if there is not retention package we can lose everything…We are not one of these people who are demanding thousands and thousands of dollars in severance, we just want the union to get off their asses and provide the employees something to sign so we know how to prepare for the next few months

We’re still not certain if NUMMI’s workers have a severance package, but whatever that final severance is, the UAW is likely to take a percentage as part of their contract to represent NUMMI. Imagine being laid off, yet having to pay the UAW membership dues from your very last paycheck.

As workers prepare for unemployment and demand details of a severance package, UAW leaders rail at Toyota. Bob King, who is soon to be the head of the UAW, says “[Toyota has made] a number of bad decisions, and we’re saying that the worst one is to close [NUMMI].” (link)

Obviously, Bob doesn’t get it. GM completely abandoned NUMMI, while Toyota stuck around, gave workers months of notice, and has offered to pay workers a severance. Toyota isn’t perfect of course, and no one wants to see a plant closed, but where does King get off blaming this whole thing on Toyota?

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BusinessWeek contributor Ed Wallace wrote an article titled “The Toyota Witch Hunt” that is a must-read for anyone following Toyota’s unintended acceleration debacle. Here are some of the highlights:

Wallace has uncovered information that contradicts the testimony of Rhonda Smith (below) who claimed her 07′ Lexus ES350 accelerated out of control despite her every effort to stop the vehicle. Smith claims that the vehicle would not stop no matter how hard she hit the brakes, and that shifting into any other gear – even reverse – would not stop the car. For many, Smith’s testimony was heart-felt and compelling. However, both the facts of the investigation and statements that Smith has given in the past disagree with her testimony.

Rhonda Smith's testimony about her 2007 Lexus ES250 and unintended acceleration left out the fact she had two floor mats in her car - one on top of the other.

When Smith’s accident occurred, NHTSA sent an investigator to her home to try and determine the cause of her problem. By Smith’s own admission, her Lexus had two floor mats installed – one on top of the other – and NHTSA determined this was likely the cause of her problems. In 2007, Smith commented negatively about the way her floor mats were installed, which would see to indicate she believed the mats contributed to her experience.

Smith’s other claims – that she tried applying the emergency brake and putting the car in reverse – did not match the facts. Applying the emergency brakes would have locked up the rear wheels (the ES350 is FWD), leaving tell-tale marks on the tires. However, no tire damage was found. Smith’s claim that she tried reverse is laughable – if she really believes that happened, she was clearly flustered. Shifting into reverse and highway speed would have destroyed or severely damaged the engine and/or transmission. While Smith was undoubtedly scared, her testimony last week shouldn’t be given a great deal of weight.

Wallace also comments about David Gilbert, the associate professor of automotive technology at Southern Illinois University. Gilbert’s testimony was sponsored by Sean Kane, the “safety expert” who reluctantly admitted to being paid by attorneys bent on suing Toyota. More importantly, Gilbert claims to have found a problem with Toyota’s system in less than 4 hours, yet he hasn’t shared his findings with Toyota, nor has he agreed to demonstrate the problem he’s found in front of Toyota engineers.

Sidebar – Wallace doesn’t mention this in his article, but we’ve learned that David Gilbert isn’t in fact an engineer. His Bachelors and Masters are in “Industrial Arts Education,” and his PhD is in “Workforce Education and Development.” They’re worthwhile disciplines for sure, but it seems that electrical engineering would be more pertinent to the issue at hand. What’s more, the Automotive Technology program at Southern Illinois University is frighteningly lacking in engineering classes. This isn’t to say that the program isn’t valuable, but it’s hard to believe that Gilbert is more qualified to test vehicles than NHTSA, Toyota, or Exponent.

Wallace closes his article by saying:

…let the mechanics and engineers do their jobs and either find the fault or give everyone a reasonable explanation for what happened. The only problem with that suggestion is it’s already been done. And no one wants to accept the conclusions

Wallace is yet another independent voice that believes “Recallmagedeon” is a farce. Toyota has problems, but electronic throttle controls that suddenly accelerate out of control aren’t one of them.

Read Ed Wallace’s bio.

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For all of our boasting here at TundraHeadquarters about the fact that the Tundra is more ‘American’ than the Dodge Ram or the GM pickups, and that Toyota’s profits on the Tundra don’t really go overseas, the recent recall fiascos (officially known as “Recall-mageddon” – shout out to J.D.) illustrate that Toyota’s leadership is frighteningly lacking.

The similarities between Toyota leadership and Soviet Russia - just for fun.

Here are some facts and figures about Toyota’s senior executives and management chain-of-command…and how eerily similar it is to old-time Soviet Russia:

1. Neither Toyota or the USSR had many “foreigners” on the “board of directors” or Politburo. Despite the fact that North America is Toyota’s largest market, there is not one North American currently on Toyota’s board of directors. In fact, in the entire history of the company, only one American has sat on Toyota’s board (Jim Press)…and he defected to Chrysler in 2007.

In the USSR, there were foreign born members of the Politburo, but they were all Soviets first. Their individual nationalities were a distant second to party loyalty.

2. Toyota’s regional divisions don’t have much authority, and neither did the USSR’s “member nations.” When I first heard that Toyota USA didn’t have the authority to announce a recall, my response was “Are you $#%@ kidding me?!” Evidently this has been fixed lately, but talk about a dumb way to run things…kind of like Soviet Russia.

Yakov's jokes could apply to Toyota's culture of secrecy and loyalty to the Toyoda family.

3. Toyota’s PR team and the Communist Party: Always protect the leader. Automotive News Asia editor James Treece, who has lived and worked in Japan for 22 years, believes that Toyota’s PR team was trying to protect Akio’s reputation ahead of the company’s reputation:

my suspicion during this crisis has been that the PR folks thought their job was to protect President Akio Toyoda’s reputation. If mud were to fly, don’t let any land on the bearer of the founder’s name

Sounds sort of like…communist Russia. Better to let the whole thing burn down than harm the reputation of our fearless leader.

4. Both have a well-documented culture of secrecy. Arguably, Toyota’s biggest problem with the whole unintended acceleration issue is that they seem to have kept it a secret for a long time. Toyota is big on keeping secrets (all of corporate Japan, in fact), but secrets don’t make friends…which is why no one was friends with the People’s Commisariate for Internal Affairs (NKVD), the USSR’s secret police force.

5. Toyota and the USSR almost took over the world. In the year 2000, Toyota sold about 1.6 million vehicles, giving them about 11.5% of the U.S. market. By May 2008, Toyota was sitting on 18.4% of the U.S. market. That’s an increase of about 60% in less than 9 years. However, by late 2009 Toyota’s market share started to crumble like the Berlin wall. Today, it’s estimated that Toyota will close out 2010 with less market share than Ford, not to mention GM.

Toyota's market share is crumbling like the USSR's Berlin wall.

OK – Truth Time

This post is meant to be a bit of a joke. While Toyota’s corporate culture definitely needs an overall, no one should see Toyota’s recent struggles as evidence of their inevitable collapse. Once this news if off the front page, Toyota will lick their wounds, learn from their mistakes, and focus even more on building great products.

Hopefully, during that process, they’ll give Toyota USA more autonomy, recognize that secrecy isn’t a core business value, and start putting some freaking North Americans in charge at Toyota headquarters in Japan.

In the meantime, we’ll try and laugh about the screwed up management at Toyota. Happy Friday.

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This week a congressional committee interviewed a handful of people claiming to be unintended acceleration victims, safety experts, and Toyota execs. While Toyota has focused this week on enhanced recall measures and a re-commitment to quality, the media has focused on rampant speculation.

Here’s a breakdown of all the major developments from the hearings:

1.Toyota execs actually apologized. Both Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda and Toyota USA President James Lentz offered apologies.  This may be symbolic to some, but it represents a shift in thinking at Toyota in Japan.

2. Exponent has an unlimited budget. Jim Lentz testified that:

“in December we asked Exponent, a world-class engineering and scientific consulting firm, to conduct a comprehensive, independent analysis of our electronic throttle control system with an unlimited budget”

That’s right – an unlimited budget to find the problem. Exponent is world-renowned for their skills in technical investigations and engineering. They’ve been hired by GM, Ford, the Department of Defense, FEMA, and countless other large companies and governments. Exponent was hired to investigate both the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11th attacks. Giving Exponent a blank check should be universally viewed as a major commitment to finding any potential problems. [Read this PDF to learn more about Exponent]

3. Sean Kane works for trial lawyers.  Kane, who has been cited as a “safety expert” by the L.A Times and other news sources, reluctantly disclosed that his company’s principal source of revenue is working with trial attorneys in product liability studies. One automotive executive said that Kane is one of many “supposed safety advocates who are actually just shills for trial attorneys,” – and that auto exec works for Ford! Consider Kane’s testimony to be less than independent.

4. NHTSA is a clearing house for stupid consumer complaints. When many “experts” discuss the Toyota’s unintended acceleration issue, they often cite the number of complaints NHTSA has received as evidence or proof of a problem. However, NHTSA receives thousands of ridiculous and absurd complaints every year. Here’s just one example:

The wife of the driver in a $40,000 Mercedes SUV in West Bloomfield, Minn., complained that her husband was commuting at 20 mph on a road with one-inch of snow and turned his steering wheel but — despite new tires — the three-ton SUV slid straight ahead. “He ended up smashing the front end on a huge stone and ricocheting to a fire hydrant,” she said.

Could this account be evidence of a safety problem? Possibly. More likely, it’s just simple physics. While this isn’t meant to dismiss all of the NHTSA complaints against Toyota, it should serve as a warning that not all NHTSA complaints are equal. The volume of complaints doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

5. David Gilbert is a charlatan. Dave Gilbert, an assistant professor of automotive technology at Southern Illinois University, claims that Toyota’s electronic throttle controls are flawed because they do not “trap” an error that could cause unintended acceleration. Gilbert “proved” this by short-circuiting two throttle outputs that, according to Toyota, would be impossible to short-circuit accidentally. A noted auto journalist has referred to Gilbert’s claims and the ABC news report as potentially fraudulent, and at least highly suspicious.

What We Have Learned

No one has any proof that Toyota’s electronic throttle system is flawed, only accusations.

Toyota has demonstrated confidence in their electronic throttle control systems by giving a blank check to a world-renowned engineering analysis and testing firm.

Sean Kane and David Gilbert are experts with dubious qualifications.

Toyota execs “negotiated” their way out of a floor mat recall at some point in 2009, bragging that they saved $100 million in the process.

Congress is just as much about grandstanding as they are about finding the truth.

Comments – any major revelations we’ve missed?

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Toyota PR Machine Finally Gearing Up

Toyota has made two critical errors over the last 6 months. First, Toyota (admittedly) dragged their feet on a series of floor mat and accelerator pedal recalls. Second, when the “sticky pedal” recall hit, Toyota’s PR machine responded terribly. It was as if Toyota tried to do the exact opposite of the right move. They responded slowly. They avoided making a statement. They acted as if the problem would “go away” if they ignored it.

Things have changed. Now that some time has gone by, Toyota’s media team is starting to churn out some great work.

Toyota’s first official response to their sticking pedal recall – and subsequent stop sale announcement – came nearly one week after the fact. This response was an underwhelming “temporary pause” Sunday newspaper ad, which fell short for a few reasons. Partially, the medium was to blame (the newspaper is limited and less popular than ever), and partially the ad didn’t do enough to explain the issues behind the accelerator.

Over the last 2 weeks, Toyota has begun a full-scale media offensive. Company press releases and statements are now coming fast and frequently, and Toyota has begun to embrace the “power of the internet” by releasing a video demonstrating the basics of their electronic throttle control system.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While this video isn’t likely to convince naysayers that Toyota’s system is bullet-proof, it’s a great tool for explaining the basics of an electronic throttle system (thanks to Danny for sending us this link).

Toyota Hits Back at ABC

Imagine a news report that shows a vehicle accelerating wildly out of control. Now, imagine that this news report:

• Never explains how they’re getting this vehicle to accelerate – only that they’ve modified the throttle circuitry.
• Never offers the vehicle’s manufacturer a chance to rebut or explain the report.
• Never bothers to present the other side of the facts

By any definition, that type of report wouldn’t be called news. ABC presented claims of unintended acceleration on Toyota vehicles earlier this week, yet they didn’t offer any details, nor did they attempt to contact Toyota or offer the “other side” of the issue.

If the “old” Toyota would have issued a response to this type of report, it would have taken days. The “new” Toyota had a statement ready almost immediately following the ABC report. What’s more, the statement had a little “edge” to it:

After watching the story today on ABC News featuring Mr. Gilbert, Toyota was surprised to learn that Mr. Gilbert appears now to be making a different claim regarding the electronic throttle control system and in a vehicle other than as described to Toyota last week.  Although it is difficult to tell from the footage used in the story, Mr. Gilbert appears to be introducing a different external and artificial method to manipulate the throttle.  In order to set the record straight, Toyota welcomes the opportunity to evaluate the Toyota Avalon shown in today’s story and the method by which Mr. Gilbert allegedly caused the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally.  We welcome the attendance of ABC News at any such evaluation of this vehicle and Mr. Gilbert’s testing

This statement represents a break from an old, conservative way of doing things at Toyota. Hopefully, it’s an indicator of changes to come.

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This promises to be a tough week for Toyota. While they’ve finally gotten their PR team in gear, the CEO of the company (Akio Toyoda) is going to be testifying before congress and it’s not likely to go well. Toyoda’s not a confident English speaker, a lot of embarrassing facts have come out about Toyota, members of congress are going to be working hard to get a good anti-Toyota sound bite or two, and despite a mountain of evidence that Toyota’s unintended acceleration problem is completely overblown, mainstream media continues to harp on the issue. Here’s a break-down of what you can expect.

Toyota’s Legal Troubles

First and foremost, there’s some damning evidence that Toyota’s leadership team purposefully attempted to avoid a floormat recall during the 1st or 2nd quarter of 2009. This is bad news for Toyota’s leadership, as well it should be.

What’s even worse – and perhaps most appalling – is that Toyota’s senior management was bragging about saving the company $100 million because they “negotiated” a reduced floor mat recall. There are also allegations of unfair influence with NHTSA, but as of now there doesn’t seem to be anything concrete (but that’s subject to change).

On another front, trial lawyers are salivating at the thought of suing Toyota over acceleration problems (both real and perceived). It’s not clear at this point, but multiple analysts have pointed out that many of the documents Toyota has handed over to congress will be used against them in civil court. Of course, anyone who is looking to “cash in” would be wise to remember that all Toyota vehicles have a black box which records a driver’s actions…but more on that below.

Last but not least, both the SEC and a federal grand jury are investigating allegations that Toyota tried to hide safety problems. Don’t be surprised if Toyota ends up paying a multi-million dollar fine to NHTSA and the federal government for their mis-handling of this issue.

Independent Testing Shows Toyota Throttles Are Safe

Despite the fact that Toyota made a cold (and ultimately stupid) decision to put profits ahead of safety precautions last July, the stats and the independent analysis is pretty clear on the fact that Toyota’s electronic throttles are completely safe.

In response to a lot of bad press (all of which was based on nothing more than a simple correlation), Toyota hired Exponent, an internationally renowned engineering firm to research their throttle systems. Exponent has an extensive list of services, including quite a bit of testing and evaluation for the auto industry. Exponent has won awards for their research, and they even boast their own vehicle testing and proving grounds in Phoenix.

Toyota hired Exponent because they needed a high-profile company to tackle questions about their electronic throttle system. After acquiring six test vehicles in December (all of which were purchased randomly from dealers), Exponent has yet to find anything wrong with Toyota’s systems. Considering all the tests that have been done, this shouldn’t be much of a shock. There’s literally a mountain of test data to show that Toyota’s electronic systems are perfectly safe.

Unfortunately, the negative publicity from Toyota’s board-room bragging will likely outweigh the facts and figures:

• Toyota’s electronic throttles are completely safe. No problem has ever been found.
• Toyota’s floormats and gas pedals weren’t designed with stupidity in mind. Toyota’s accelerator pedals often got caught up on over-sized after-market mats, unattached factory mats, or a combination of both. Is this Toyota’s fault? Not really, but that’s not how America works, is it? (Read a great blog post at TruckTrend regarding this point.)
• Toyota gas pedals made by CTS have a minor flaw. There are 20 confirmed cases of sticking CTS-made throttles as a direct result of failing friction pads ( that’s out of 2.4 million vehicles).
• Toyota’s new smart throttle systems will make unintended acceleration impossible. Toyota is going to implement the brake-to-idle failsafe system we profiled a few months ago on all of their models ASAP.

The Black Boxes Don’t Lie

One of the members on TundraNetwork.com (Danny) has sent us a lot of great links lately (along with many others – thanks to all of you), including one to this video which sums up the black box issue quite well:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The guy you see in the video – Mark Whinton of CarQuestions.ca – does a nice job of explaining why he believes Toyota’s acceleration problems are media hype. He also points out that a lot of the threatening litigators don’t understand that Toyota’s vehicle computers track each and every event in a vehicle prior to a crash. It’s very likely that many of these black boxes will be used to impeach drivers who wrongly claim “unintended acceleration” in an attempt to scrape a few bucks of Toyota.

What do you think:

• Does Toyota deserve all the negative publicity they’ve gotten?
• When will mass media organizations start reporting that Toyota’s electronic systems are safe?
• Will Toyoda’s testimony before congress make things better or worse?

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