TOYOTA Acceleration Problems - Camry Report, Videorizing

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Flash -- July 2010 -- Toyota recalling 270,000 cars - bad engines - just shut down - includes Lexus

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Flash -- Toyota recalling 600,000 Sienna mini vans - problem with rusting cables and spare tire - this recall will go back 10 years. Also - other problem Toyota has on car losing control - as reported by Consumer Reports - Toyota said they have duplicated the Consumer Report investigation - sales of this model have been halted.

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Flash -- Lexus GX 460 - unsafe report by Consumer Reports -- and now Toyota has stopped selling it - to make corrections.

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Flash ---The upstate New York Prius incident - safety officials say brakes were not applied. They checked that black box.

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Flash -- Los Angeles reporting in Sunday issue that Toyota was asked by federal officials to put an override system in there cars - this is an e mail from 2007 -- Toyota did not put in system - except i believe for Prius only - they are playing catch up now on assembly line - but not all cars are getting it - Toyota says by end of year all will have it - if you buy a Toyota now on the lot - most likely no override.

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Flash -- Wild Prius ride on California freeway - driver said could not stop - highway patrol assisted - patrolman makes statement on camera of the tense situation. Toyota wants to interview driver - also sending 3 technicians to look car over - NHTSA sending 2 techs. On Monday Toyota had an event at Torrance HQ defending the computers in cars. A engineering prof. had found fault with Toyota software, computer etc.

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Flash -- Well we have people complaining even after that pedal and rug replacement stuff - what else is new. Also Toyota has put in some brake override software on selected cars - and continued complaints. Perhaps the software was not put in properly at dealer - or maybe not put in at all - how do you check that out - should be possible at dealer - before you drive off.

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FLASH -- BREAKING -- Toyota adding another 200,000 cars for that engine oil hose busting problem - i think it has to do with power steering - not sure - this will bring count to 800,000 total - s--till not calling it a recall.

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Flash -- Now govt. investigators contacting those who have acceleration problems AFTER the "repair" - one incident - 2010 Camry accelerated so owner claims - upon entering parking structure - this 5 days after the repair.

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Flash -- Los Angeles Times reporting that drivers still complaining of acceleration problems - and AFTER they have had the "repairs."

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Flash -- Possible death count on unintended acceleration - for Toyota goes to 52 from 34 -- all of this will have to be investigated carefully - figure is from govt. Sen. Rockefeller wants more attention on microchips - less on floor mats.

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Flash -- Toyoda visits China -- Canada to open their own investigation.

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Flash -- interesting case - young fella killed two at stop light - he driving a 96 Camry - claimed he could not stop it - he serving time in prison - pressure on judge to reopen case - relatives of deceased want answers from Toyota.

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Flash --- Toyota to give free loan car while defective auto repaired - also will pick up defective car from home.

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Flash - will not comment on Washington hearings - is all over TV and internet - is all self explanatory. In Wed. issue of New York Times - large piece on mounting anger in Japan against Toyota - by suppliers to the auto company - seems big pressure on supplier to reduce prices to Toyota - big time - and they are having reaL difficulty complying.

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Flash --- Reported in Los Angeles Times today -- New York State asking for documents from Toyota - looks like they will have their own investigation. 80% of unintended acceleration complaints - those involved say not floor mats or sticky accelerator.

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Flash -- As mentioned in USA Today -- in 2009 Toyota went to electric steering for the Corolla -- 09 and 10 models are ones with steering problems.

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Flash -- Toyota Corolla complaints picking up - has to do with steering - new models - does not go straight at times - one exec. thinking it may be tires --less than 100 complaints so far - .

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Flash -- Transport Minister in Japan berates Toyota for not acting quickly on customer complaints with reporters present. Investigators now checking dozens of complaints - new Corolla.

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FLASH - official - breaking - Toyota announces recall of 2010 Prius - worldwide - they say about 40 mins. to fix brakes at dealer.

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Flash - looks like Transport Ministry in Japan will announce recall of Prius

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FLASH -- Toyota recalls 2010 Prius in New Zealand to handle brake system.

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Flash -- CEO in Japan at news conference - apologizes - but refuses to0 go all the way and recall Prius -- Transport Manager in Japan is critical --- Toyota will be dragged into the recall.

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Flaash -- Should be a recall - any hour - on 2010 Prius - brake problem - Toyota says problem has been fixed for all produced from Jan. on at assembly line.

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Flash -- Ohio class action lawsuit filed. Attorney Stan Chesley who handles hi profile cases charges Toyota with fraudulent concealment, breaching warranties, sacrificing innocent trusting lives for profit. Wants Toyota to make all lease and purchase payments. Says no proof latest solution will solve problems. AP report

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Flash -- Wall St. Journal saying if you want to sleep well at night - sell your Toyota stock -- that they have a huge crisis on there hands. MERCHANT LAW GROUP files class action lawsuit in Canada - charging Toyota doing: "a low tech solution to their high tech design flaw." On the subject -- Toyota has said they can do 270,000 modifications within a month to pedal.

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Flash -- some confusion earlier - people thinking Transportation Dept. saying to stop driving cars - that is a misinterpretation - simply they advise recalled car owners to return car to dealer for modifications - dept. also saying they will keep up pressure on Toyota. All this causing continued drop in Toyota stock price - Goldman Sachs saying will be 1.3 billion loss thru March - or was it 1.6 billion.

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FLASH - update - from Japan -- Japanese govt. announces problems with Prius brakes - so far 2010 not included - the govt. must have just about had it with that crowd.

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FLASH -- Now it seems Toyota has placed 2010 Prius on recall -- clips that hold down floor mat.

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Flash --- Bloomberg Reports that US Safety Officials investigating Toyota Electronic Control Systemj -- suspicions that electromagnetic interference may be involved. This "fix" for the pedal - part is size of a postage stamp -- Toyota is putting all the new complete units in cars at factory.- want to start selling cars as soon as possible.

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Flash -- Steve Wozniak has a "scary" Toyota so he says - but only when his 2010 is in cruise control - and not all of time - seems he has the acceleration problem - he went on to say that it is not the pedal. Note: Prius not on recall list.

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FLASH --- Executive CEO of Toyota - says there are no electronic problems with recalled cars in U.S. Floor mats and sticky pedal issues unrelated. AP report

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Flash -- CEO of CTS the pedal manufacturer says, "we are not making the old pedals for Toyota. We are actually producing the new pedal and we are working with them for a field fix."

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FLASH -- Mr. Tadashi Arashima, CEO of Toyota Motor Europe - says - " a precision cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the assembly that will reduce the surface tension between friction shoe and the adjoining surface." He also said there was no relation with North America floor mat issue.

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Flash -- Hilliard Munoz Guerra LLP - files suit against Toyota on behalf of all Texans who have purchased affected Toyotas. Meanwhile manufacturer of accelerator component says the component is not responsible for unintended acceleration.

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Flash -- Rochton Genova LLP has filed suit in Ontario Superior Court seeking compensation for Canadian buyers of Toyota vehicles. They believe "fix" does not address ETCS-i system itself and there is a lack of a "fail safe" brake overide device. -- Toyota said they have a "selective spacer" which is inserted into gas pedal to increase tension - and that they can make 120,000 a day.

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UPDATE -- previous message had mentioned CTS was building a new stronger assembly at 3 plants -- but from what i can ascertain at this point - that will only be for newly manufactured cars - present owners will keep same pedal unit with couple of modifications. Of course the "rug people" will not even get that - just a new rug and a cut down pedal - as i see this. NHTSA said only 75% of recalls are acted upon by customers - in rug or floor mat case my bet would be even less.

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Flash -- Manufacturer of pedal assembly has announced they are building right now at 3 plants a stronger pedal assembly that should answer any moisture problems. On Monday Toyota is scheduled to give a timetable for pedal assembly replacement. Have no info on mats and simpler process for 5.4 million vehicles of reducing size of pedal.

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Flash -- this has to be looked at by number of deaths per year in autos in U.S. - this Toyota acceleration is miniscule - there are around 40,000 deaths by auto per year - the hazard is the alcoholic , drug user, cell phone user, texting - and the regular wild driver - i think Toyota buyers should primarily be concerned with lost resale value here - and not safety issue - in any case - i believe it is a computer problem - certainly not mats and rugs - that is simply unbelievable - and insulting.

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FLASH - latest - as reported in Los Angeles Times , Sat. edition. Pedal manufacturer defending themselves - saying they have: deep concern that there is widespread confusion and incorrect information." "The problem of sudden unintended acceleration has been reported to have existed in some Lexus vehicles and Toyota vehicles going back to 1999 when CTS did not even make this product for any customer." Good Lord - mentioning years ago will drive Toyota crazy.

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Flash -- another report on the tricky Toyota Company -- they have added another one million cars to the floor mat circus recall - recall goes back to 2009 only - except i believe to 2008 for the Highlander. French company making Citreon and Peugot in Czech factory alongside Toyotas has a recall - no rug nonsense -replace sticky accelerator pedal - going back to 2005.

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Flash -- In documents Toyota has given to govern,ment - they say that condensation occurs in floor pedal mechanism when heater is on. Complicated electronic sensors to computer and engine interfered with. Well - just guess how much to fix that on millions of cars.

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Latest - Chairman Stupak - House of Reps - is uncertain of Toyotas proposed solution as adequate. Mentioned in article Los Angeles Times.

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Flash --National Auto Auction Association tells its members to stop selling Toyotas involved in any of recalls.

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Latest --- GM no longer selling Pontiac Vibe - getting complaints of sticking accelerator - this car was made in a Toyota factory.

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Flash - Toyota expanding recalls in Europe - now it can go to 1.8 million - on that Ap revealed e mail - Toyota saying they have a fix - engineers working around the clock says Toyota.

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Flash - latest - Assoc. Press got hold of a internal Toyota email - new "accelerator assemblies" are being rushed to factories to be installed in cars to be produced -- dealers are very angry - believe they should get parts first for anxious customers. Just what is the "assembly" - if just the pedal - i would forget about it. - i put up another investigative video - and used rubber mats this time - you may want to view it.

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Flash --According to article in Wall St. Journal -- NHTSA put pressure on Toyota to stop selling all those cars because they do NOT have a fix in place.

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Flash -- CTS Corp. says they have a redesigned pedal - rushing into production - Toyota tring to get a Japanese supplier to pitch in making pedals - think it is Denso - CTS does not have enough capacity - to make this for some - is it one million or two million cars. Japanese govt. putting pressure on Toyota to handle properly.

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Flash -- CTS Corp. stock plunging - this is outfit that makes the pedals - i think they make the entire pedal assembly. Toyota now saying condensation in pedal assembly is a problem - are rugs still involved?

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FLASH - LATEST - House subcommitee to hold hearings on acceleration Toyota situation - asking for detailed information from Toyota and NHTSA - seems some doubt as to rugs-- reported in Los Angeles Times

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Flash - it keeps going on -- late Wednesday - Avis and Hertz announce removing 20,000 Toyota cars from their rental fleets. Enterprise announces removing ALL Toyotas from rental fleet - goes for National Rental also.

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Flash -- Update - late Wednesday - Toyota announces another one million recalls - cars are Venza, Matrix, Highlander, Pontiac Vibe - yes Pontiac - seems they were made in a Toyota factory. Also - elderly woman crashes Toyota into laundrymat in Pa. - said it just took off when she shifted from Park - but is being investigated - who knows in this case.

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Flash -- Christian Science Monitor newspaper - reporting that a woman bought one of the "do not sell" new cars from Toyota dealer in Texas just as Toyota was sending message do not sell cars. She went back to dealer next day offering to leave it until it could be fixed - they refused saying liability problems. She deserves refund as well as countless others.

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Flash -- Well it seems - on latest 2.5 million recall - no fix yet - they are saying do not even go back to dealer at this point.

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It never stops -- Toyota announces they are shutting down Camry factory - and will not sell Camrys until further notice - seems they have to change floor pedal contraption - completely - plants shut are in Indiana, Kentucky, Texas and Canada - also stop selling RAV4, Corolla, Avalon, Tundra, Sequoia

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Latest - Toyota has added another 2 million plus to recalls - now saying the entire floor pedal contraption needs replacing - moisture problems and all that.