Toyot Hybrid Horror Hoax

FirefightnRick · March 13, 2010

"On the very day Toyota was making a high-profile defense of its cars, one of them was speeding out of control," said CBS News--and a vast number of other media outlets worldwide. The driver of a 2008 Toyota Prius, James Sikes, called 911 to say his accelerator was stuck, he was zooming faster than 90 miles per hour and absolutely couldn't slow down.

It got far more dramatic, though. The California Highway Patrol responded and "To get the runaway car to stop, they actually had to put their patrol car in front of the Prius and step on the brakes." During over 20 harrowing minutes, according to NBC's report, Sikes "did everything he could to try to slow down that Prius." Others said, "Radio traffic indicated the driver was unable to turn off the engine or shift the car into neutral."

In fact, almost none of this was true.

The lack of skepticism from the beginning was stunning. I combed through haystacks of articles without producing such needles as the words "alleges" or "claims." When Sikes said he brought his car to a Toyota ( TM - news - people ) dealer two weeks earlier, recall notice in hand, and they just turned him away, the media bought that, too. In Sikes We Trust. Then the pundits deluged us with a tsunami of an anti-Toyota sanctimony .

So why did he do it? Sleuth work at the Web sites Jalopnik.com and Gawker.com reveals that Sikes and his wife Patty in 2008 filed for bankruptcy and are over $700,000 in debt. Among their creditors is Toyota Financial Services for a lease on a 2008 Toyota Prius, with value at time of bankruptcy of $20,494. The Jalopnik Web site shows a copy of Toyota's secured claims form, though when Jalopnik questioned Sikes by e-mail he denied being behind on his Prius payments.

Sikes also has a history of filing insurance claims for allegedly stolen items that are slowly coming to light. In 2001 he filed a police report with the Merced County Sheriff's Department for $58,000 in stolen property, including jewelry, a prosumer mini-DV camera and gear, and $24,000 in cash, according to Fox40 in Sacramento. His bankruptcy documents show a 2008 payment of $7,400 for an allegedly stolen saxophone and clothes.

Just like this guy's story above, I suspect this whole Toyota mess is a bunch of crap!

It's strange, being a Ford guy and all, defending Toyota. But I just don't buy the stories that there's this massive problem with their cars. Their QC history has just been too good over the years.

Rick

Edited March 13, 2010 by FirefightnRick

UNT90 · March 14, 2010

Or maybe Toyota brought this upon themselves:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2010/03/10/am.feyerick.toyota.lawyer.cnn

yyz28 · March 15, 2010

Rick,

One hoaxter who's looking for 15 minutes and a payday doesn't change the fact that Toyota has admitted that they have issues, and that outside engineers have looked at this issue and found fault with more cars than Toyota has admitted. You don't recall MILLIONS of cars unless there is a legitimate problem.

...now, the MEDIA has now taken it upon themselves to bash Toyota at every turn, including buying this guys story hook line and sinker with no skepticism, but there are some real problems with Toyota.

untbowler · March 15, 2010

Rick,

One hoaxter who's looking for 15 minutes and a payday doesn't change the fact that Toyota has admitted that they have issues, and that outside engineers have looked at this issue and found fault with more cars than Toyota has admitted. You don't recall MILLIONS of cars unless there is a legitimate problem.

...now, the MEDIA has now taken it upon themselves to bash Toyota at every turn, including buying this guys story hook line and sinker with no skepticism, but there are some real problems with Toyota.

Just like GM recalling a large number as well has been swept under the rug by the MSM since the Gov't now has a large stake in GM, but Toyota is evil.

UNT90 · March 15, 2010

Just like GM recalling a large number as well has been swept under the rug by the MSM since the Gov't now has a large stake in GM, but Toyota is evil.

2 wrongs < right

meangreendork · March 16, 2010

Rick,

One hoaxter who's looking for 15 minutes and a payday doesn't change the fact that Toyota has admitted that they have issues, and that outside engineers have looked at this issue and found fault with more cars than Toyota has admitted. You don't recall MILLIONS of cars unless there is a legitimate problem.

...now, the MEDIA has now taken it upon themselves to bash Toyota at every turn, including buying this guys story hook line and sinker with no skepticism, but there are some real problems with Toyota.

Agreed on all points. I find it interesting that a bunch more car makers are either coming out about recalls OR the media is paying more attention to them when they do it lately.

Green Mean · March 17, 2010

The Media has blown it a little bit out of proportion but Toyota still makes a phenomenal product. While they have messed up recently they have built such a name and goodwill that it won't affect them long term.

FirefightnRick · March 17, 2010

Rick,

One hoaxter who's looking for 15 minutes and a payday doesn't change the fact that Toyota has admitted that they have issues, and that outside engineers have looked at this issue and found fault with more cars than Toyota has admitted. You don't recall MILLIONS of cars unless there is a legitimate problem.

...now, the MEDIA has now taken it upon themselves to bash Toyota at every turn, including buying this guys story hook line and sinker with no skepticism, but there are some real problems with Toyota.

I understand this one guy's story doesn't sweep it clean, but his story makes you wonder if the others are indeed legit? Here's an interesting report concerning something that I have seen personally 4 times while on duty.

Toyota Sudden Acceleration: Is It All Older Drivers' Fault?

So-called "sudden acceleration" is an ugly mix of media frenzy, sophisticated engineering, and complex human-machine interaction.

But recent data on Toyota sudden-acceleration complaints seems to show--with some qualifiers--that the bulk of the incidents ending in fatalities have been reported by drivers aged 61 to 80.

Which leads to a very obvious question: Could it be that human error, not defective design, is at fault here?

Whenever my kids and I exit a grocery store/convenience store in which customers pull directly into a space towards the store, I will have each one by the arm and will not allow them to walk in front of someone pulling in until that someone turns their vehicle off, especially if the driver is a senior individual. Why? Because I have seen it 4 times in which little ol grandma/grandpa hit the accelerator instead of the brake and ran their car right up into the store. The first one I remember was at The Exxon Station on Camp Bowie and Bryant Irvin Road in '97 and I'll never forget how amazing it was to see it? And every guy I work with has a story in which they've seen it also. It's just one of those things that happens and seems to happen quite a bit apparently? So my experiences and others plus the hoax leads me skeptical that the Toyota scare is AS BIG as congress and the media is making it out to be? I'm not dismissing the accidental deaths that may be legit. They are horrible. But we see and know human nature and behavior behind the wheel of autos, so..?

Rick

yyz28 · March 17, 2010

Just like GM recalling a large number as well has been swept under the rug by the MSM since the Gov't now has a large stake in GM, but Toyota is evil.

Here is the text of the GM recall -

GM Recalls Compact Cars to Fix Power Steering Assist

Safety Recall Covers 1.3 Million Chevrolet and Pontiac Models

·2005 - 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
·2007 - 2010 Pontiac G5
·2005 - 2006 Pontiac Pursuit (Canada)
·2005 - 2006 Pontiac G4 (Mexico)

DETROIT -- General Motors will conduct a safety recall of 1.3 million compact cars to replace a motor in the power steering system. Vehicles affected are the 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt; 2007-2010 Pontiac G5; 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico.

GM told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the voluntary recall on Monday after concluding an investigation that began in 2009. NHTSA opened an investigation Jan. 27 into approximately 905,000 Cobalt models in the United States after receiving more than 1,100 complaints of loss of power steering assist, 14 crashes and one injury.

"After our in-depth investigation, we found that this is a condition that takes time to develop. It tends to occur in older models out of warranty," said Jamie Hresko, GM Vice President of Quality. “Recalling these vehicles is the right thing to do for our customers' peace of mind.

"While greater steering effort under 15 mph may be required, if the customer experiences loss of power steering assist, it is important to note that the vehicle can still be safely controlled because the customer can still steer the vehicle,” Hresko said. “When the condition occurs, both a chime will sound and a ‘Power Steering’ message will be displayed.”

Plans for the remedy are being developed. Customers will be notified when the plan is finalized.

The recent GM recall isn't a result of any reported deaths or injuries. It has not precipitated multiple recalls that should have happened long ago but was hidden by management. GM's recall was voluntary, as opposed to the first Toyota Recall.

I heard about GM's recall twice on the radio the day it was announced and then on the Internet and TV. It wasn't hidden. It wasn't swept under the rug. It has been publicized to the degree is should be. This is NO WHERE NEAR the size and scope of the Toyota recall. To attempt to compare the two is either A. GM bashing or B. a lack of understanding of the facts and obvious differences between the two.

...no car company is perfect, but the more we find out about what's been going on culturally at Toyota, the more systemic this problem appears to me.

hickoryhouse · March 17, 2010

Just like GM recalling a large number as well has been swept under the rug by the MSM since the Gov't now has a large stake in GM, but Toyota is evil.

Gotta agree with yyz28 on this one. GM has had a recall thanks to admitting a problem and wanting to nip it in butt before things get worse, Toyota on the other hand has known about the issue, people have died, and still wanted to do nothing about it until forced.

Not exactly what I would call an apples to apples comparison.

EagleD · March 18, 2010

Not exactly what I would call an apples to apples comparison.

Great. I'm driving a Toyota Apple.

FirefightnRick · March 18, 2010

Gotta agree with yyz28 on this one. GM has had a recall thanks to admitting a problem and wanting to nip it in butt before things get worse, Toyota on the other hand has known about the issue, people have died, and still wanted to do nothing about it until forced.

Not exactly what I would call an apples to apples comparison.

Just curious here, but where is there proof that Toyota knew about it and tried to hide it? The first report was in November I believe, and here they are, 4 months later recalling millions. Seems like a quick response to get it right to me?

Rick

Edited March 18, 2010 by FirefightnRick

eulessismore · March 18, 2010

Just curious here, but where is there proof that Toyota knew about it and tried to hide it? The first report was in November I believe, and here they are, 4 months later recalling millions. Seems like a quick response to get it right to me?

Rick

Proud Toyota driver here; I think it's some of both: a slower than necessary response by Toyota to a problem that is still not completely understood, and some piling on by the usual suspects. The Prius thing did seem a little suspicious in its timing and circumstances (it's like after the Gore kid's speeding with a Prius; now some are saying, "wow, 94 mph, a Prius!").

I do feel there is some political/pr/legal department stonewalling content in the information or lack thereof coming out about the Toyota "unintended acceleration" issues; not only driver age, but vehicle condition, etc, or just a general lack of statistical and anecdotal information that could be useful to drivers of the involved models. I do think the driver of the Prius should be left alone until "further information" comes in, but if he does turn out to have faked some of this, I would hope he would suffer the legal consequences for a veritable industrial sabotage.

yyz28 · March 18, 2010

Just curious here, but where is there proof that Toyota knew about it and tried to hide it? The first report was in November I believe, and here they are, 4 months later recalling millions. Seems like a quick response to get it right to me?

Rick

Ugh... no. The quick response would have been IMMEDIATE. A recall in November would have been a quick response. A recall before you began to get political and media pressure would have been a quick response. They didn't issue recalls until the PR pressure was huge. Sorta like Tiger being remorseful not because he's sorry he did it, but rather because he got caught? People who have been involved with Toyota have been interviewed in the automotive media in mass, and this, by all accounts, looks to be a "we don't really care what the US Government and NTSA have to say about us - we're above the US Government" move. It is a part of the culture of Japanese business that is actually well known to folks who have dealt with the Japanese in their business careers. There is a documented history and several reports of not liking the crash results of a car and ordering more and then burying the original reports. This is the history, and doesn't give them much space to be given the benefit of the doubt.

...all that being said, I believe Toyota Jr., the current CEO and Chairman, is a good guy and loves the car business and is in it for the right reasons, unlike the folks who have been running Toyota for the past 10 years. The company is back in Family hands and I think he'll make right on this situation and get the Quality image built back up for Toyota.