<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/government-legal/" rel="tag">Government/Legal</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/safety/" rel="tag">Safety</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a></p><a href="http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/12/sudden-unintended-acceleration-sua-analysis-2008-toyota-lexus-ford-gm.html"><img hspace="0" vspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/08-10-prius-630op.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<br />
We're guessing you've heard about <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/toyota/">Toyota's</a> massive <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/25/breaking-toyota-to-recall-3-8m-vehicles-to-reshape-and-replace/">3.8 million vehicle recall</a> for unintended acceleration. It appears to be an issue that could have potentially resulted in several deaths and reports of hundreds of accidents. <em>Consumer Reports</em> wanted to dig deeper on the matter, studying National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data for the 2008 model year. <em>CR</em> chose 2008 because the claims occurred prior to the widespread media coverage that has resulted in a flood of new complaints. <br />
<br />
In studying NHTSA's accumulated 5,916 reports <em>CR</em> found that 166 involved unintended acceleration complaints. Of those complaints, 47 came from Toyota and five from Lexus, representing 41 percent of overall unintended acceleration complaints. That's obviously a disproportionate amount of reports for an automaker with 16 percent of the US market's overall share. Here's one complaint logged by NHTSA.<br />
<blockquote>
<div><em>"I felt the vehicle [<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/es">2008 Lexus ES 350</a>] increasing in speed to about 90 mph, without depressing the accelerator. I had been on cruise control at about 73 mph... [A] passenger screamed at me to slow down. I was unable to do so, even after stepping forcefully on the brakes."</em></div>
</blockquote> While Toyota had a disproportionate amount of unintended acceleration claims, the Japanese automaker wasn't alone. Ford received an also high 36 overall complaints, or 28 percent of all U.S. models. The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/f-150">F-150</a> appears to have been one of the Blue Oval's main culprits, and complaints ranged from a gas pedal that was too wide to an engine that decided to go buck wild.<br />
<blockquote>
<div><em>"The engine immediately increased in rpm to the point where the rear tires began spinning on the gravel. I put the transmission in Neutral and the engine rpm increased. I removed my foot from the brake and the engine continued at a very high rpm. I then depressed and released the accelerator and the engine returned to a normal idle."</em></div>
</blockquote> While Toyota and Ford have the lion's share of unintended acceleration claims, other automakers have a disproportionately low amount of complaints. Chrysler came in with 11 complaints, GM had seven, Honda had five and Nissan had three. Head over to <a href="http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/12/sudden-unintended-acceleration-sua-analysis-2008-toyota-lexus-ford-gm.html">Consumer Reports</a> for its full report and more information on unintended acceleration.<br />
<br />
[Source: <a href="http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/12/sudden-unintended-acceleration-sua-analysis-2008-toyota-lexus-ford-gm.html">Consumer Reports</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/08/consumer-reports-over-40-percent-of-sudden-acceleration/"><i>Consumer Reports</i>: Over 40 percent of 'sudden acceleration' claims involve Toyota</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/12/sudden-unintended-acceleration-sua-analysis-2008-toyota-lexus-ford-gm.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/08/consumer-reports-over-40-percent-of-sudden-acceleration/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19268847/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/08/consumer-reports-over-40-percent-of-sudden-acceleration/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
More...
<br />
We're guessing you've heard about <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/toyota/">Toyota's</a> massive <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/25/breaking-toyota-to-recall-3-8m-vehicles-to-reshape-and-replace/">3.8 million vehicle recall</a> for unintended acceleration. It appears to be an issue that could have potentially resulted in several deaths and reports of hundreds of accidents. <em>Consumer Reports</em> wanted to dig deeper on the matter, studying National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data for the 2008 model year. <em>CR</em> chose 2008 because the claims occurred prior to the widespread media coverage that has resulted in a flood of new complaints. <br />
<br />
In studying NHTSA's accumulated 5,916 reports <em>CR</em> found that 166 involved unintended acceleration complaints. Of those complaints, 47 came from Toyota and five from Lexus, representing 41 percent of overall unintended acceleration complaints. That's obviously a disproportionate amount of reports for an automaker with 16 percent of the US market's overall share. Here's one complaint logged by NHTSA.<br />
<blockquote>
<div><em>"I felt the vehicle [<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/es">2008 Lexus ES 350</a>] increasing in speed to about 90 mph, without depressing the accelerator. I had been on cruise control at about 73 mph... [A] passenger screamed at me to slow down. I was unable to do so, even after stepping forcefully on the brakes."</em></div>
</blockquote> While Toyota had a disproportionate amount of unintended acceleration claims, the Japanese automaker wasn't alone. Ford received an also high 36 overall complaints, or 28 percent of all U.S. models. The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/f-150">F-150</a> appears to have been one of the Blue Oval's main culprits, and complaints ranged from a gas pedal that was too wide to an engine that decided to go buck wild.<br />
<blockquote>
<div><em>"The engine immediately increased in rpm to the point where the rear tires began spinning on the gravel. I put the transmission in Neutral and the engine rpm increased. I removed my foot from the brake and the engine continued at a very high rpm. I then depressed and released the accelerator and the engine returned to a normal idle."</em></div>
</blockquote> While Toyota and Ford have the lion's share of unintended acceleration claims, other automakers have a disproportionately low amount of complaints. Chrysler came in with 11 complaints, GM had seven, Honda had five and Nissan had three. Head over to <a href="http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/12/sudden-unintended-acceleration-sua-analysis-2008-toyota-lexus-ford-gm.html">Consumer Reports</a> for its full report and more information on unintended acceleration.<br />
<br />
[Source: <a href="http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/12/sudden-unintended-acceleration-sua-analysis-2008-toyota-lexus-ford-gm.html">Consumer Reports</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/08/consumer-reports-over-40-percent-of-sudden-acceleration/"><i>Consumer Reports</i>: Over 40 percent of 'sudden acceleration' claims involve Toyota</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/12/sudden-unintended-acceleration-sua-analysis-2008-toyota-lexus-ford-gm.html>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/08/consumer-reports-over-40-percent-of-sudden-acceleration/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19268847/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/08/consumer-reports-over-40-percent-of-sudden-acceleration/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
More...