After several reports of Toyota vehicles undergoing unintended acceleration, and a resulting recall of practically four million autos, Toyota has announced that it will install brake override systems by the end of 2010 in all new Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles. According to a U.S. News & World Report article, starting this month in January, the Toyota Camry and Lexus ES350 will be the first models to receive the new brake override system.
AutoWeek reported that the new brake override software system will operate by shifting the engine to idle if it detects the driver is trying to apply the brakes without success. The new system will only work for new vehicles. This leaves existing vehicles affected by the Toyota accelerator recall to only have the option of replacing their floor mats and accelerator pedal with a reshaped one.
Although Toyota claims that these incidents were caused by defective floor mats becoming stuck under accelerator pedals, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that the floor mats were not necessarily the only problem. Auto manufacturers have the responsibility of not only accurately designing vehicles, but also ensuring that automobiles are properly manufactured and placed on the market without any defective components that may inflict harm upon motorists or passengers.
At Panish, Shea, & Boyle, our experienced automotive defects attorneys understand the serious repercussions of defective auto parts and vehicle recalls. Although many auto recalls help protect consumers, a substantial amount of them occur only after innocent people have been hurt or killed because of the recalled product. If you or a loved one has been affected by these dangerous acceleration pedals or any other auto part defect, please call Panish, Shea & Boyle to find out how we can help. Call 800-591-8116 for a free consultation or visit our website www.psandb.com to learn about our many successful automotive defect settlements and verdicts.
