Complain about a product or service

Toyota Resists Possible Tacoma Recall

Feds probing unintended acceleration problems in popular pickup

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

June 11, 2008

More than 400 consumers have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about unintended and sudden acceleration in the Tacoma pickup. Reports to the agency document 51 crashes and 12 injuries.

Nevertheless, Toyota complained in a letter to the agency that the Tacoma is the focus of hostile media coverage as well as consumers exaggerating their problems.

"Toyota believes that it is likely that many of the consumer complaints about the general issue of unwanted acceleration as well as many of the complaints about this subject that have been received by Toyota were inspired by publicity," the automaker wrote NHTSA.

Toyota suggested in the letter to safety regulators that consumers are overstating the unintended acceleration problem with the Tacoma which the automaker described as minor engine speed changes.

A ConsumerAffairs.com reader and Toyota Tacoma owner in Weaver, Alabama reported a different story. "It was jumping forward toward my house at every engine turn. I pushed in the clutch and took out the key," he said.

Acceleration is controlled in the Tacoma by a drive-by-wire system with a computer replacing the traditional linkage between the accelerator pedal and the engine throttle-body which injects the fuel required for acceleration.

Toyota claimed the Tacoma computer can capture an error report if accelerator pedal and throttle are not working properly and the automaker said no error codes have turned up in vehicles inspected Toyota technicians.

Safety regulators at NHTSA are now investigating 775,000 of the pickups sold between 2004 and 2008. An upgrade of the investigation could lead to a recall of the trucks costing Toyota millions of dollars and adding another layer of tarnish to the automaker's deteriorating reputation for quality.

A Toyota spokesman insisted that the automaker remains confident in the safety of the Tacoma drive-by-wire system.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Back to the top |