Brake override feature on all Toyota and Lexus models in 2010

Toyota have made quite a bit of a mess of themselves recently - brake issues with Chinese market Camry, frame rust issues with US market Tundra and jammed throttle pedals mainly affecting in US market Lexus ES and Camry. But the new boss of a Toyota; Akio Toyoda, descendant of the founding Toyoda family, is quite unlike any other the company have ever seen. In July, Toyoda-san made a candid statement in his blog saying that he is very impressed with the VW Scirocco, and is very jealous that VW can create such an exciting car. But he also vowed to change Toyota's stoic image and intends to create an even better car than the Scirocco. It takes a lot of guts and a hint of positive rebellion to go against conservative management practices to admit that a competitor's product is superior. After all, isn't knowing your own weakness and sizing up your competitor's strength is a basic teaching of the Sun Tzu's Art of War? Employees will not be demoralize, far from it. Rather I believe employees will be even more motivated knowing that their leaders speaks his mind and do not tolerate warm cuddly bullshit, oblivious glaring reality.

Last year, Toyoda stunned Toyota executives in USA by flying over there in secret to see for himself the extent of Tundra's frame rust issues. He literally went down on his knees and peered underneath the cars to inspect the vehicles himself, living up to the principle of genchi-genbutsu. In the aftermath of the runaway Lexus ES350 that killed 4 people, he gave a public apology.

Following the much publicised accident and a massive recall involving 3.8 million cars that follow, Consumer Report did replicated the situation of a jammed throttle pedal, using Toyota Venza crossover and a VW Jetta Wagon as comparison. Watch the video below. The humble VW surprised many, that it has an unpublicised safety feature that overrides the throttle whenever brakes are applied. It was later revealed that most German models are equipped with a brake override as a standard feature, though most owners are not aware of it. Watch the video below.


It seems that Toyota have been listening and is acting fast. Today TMC issued a press statement saying that beginning January 2010, the Lexus ES and Toyota Camry will be equipped with a brake override. Other models to follow as well and by end of 2010, most models will already have the feature.

In addition, as a separate measure independent of the vehicle-based remedy, Toyota will install a brake override system onto the involved Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES 350, IS350 and IS 250 models as an extra measure of confidence. This system cuts engine power in case of simultaneous application of both the accelerator and brake pedals. Read more here.

I hope this applies not just to North American market models, but globally as well. This cannot be confirmed at this point of time. The one perplexing thought is that jammed throttle pedals only afflict American drivers, but not neighbouring Canadians. The same model of vehicles affected, namely Camry, Lexus IS and Prius are also sold in many other seasonal countries like Europe, Australia and even Japan. These countries use all-weather floor mats as well. But none of these markets have reported any similar incidences. Google sudden acceleration and you will see that the same problem affects many other manufacturers as well. But Toyota's case attracts more attention because it resulted in several deaths. So...is it the way American owners drive? Or is it related to the culture of a nation that allows smokers to sue tobacco companies, customers to sue McDonalds for failing to warn them that the hot cup of coffee can burn them and house owners guilty if burglars get injured inside their houses?

Another note - most German cars use floor hinged throttle pedals, those organ pedal types where it is less likely for anything to get stuck underneath it.