Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Originally Posted By: Len_A
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
If these faults are indeed because of the DBW system, they will be the first AFAIK. Electronic throttles have been in use for over a decade with no issues like this, and they have all had failsafes specifically designed to prevent problems like Toyota is having.
If Toyota is having problems with their DBW system, they are Toyota problems, not DBW problems.
Exactly on point. Toyota's DBW system is the only one on the market that does not have a failsafe, which on DBW systems is a brake pedal activated throttle cutoff.
How many DBW systems have been sold in such mass numbers?
There's always the situation of something like the Chrysler minivan and failed automatics. I really don't think that there were that many failures % wise..but they sold so many of them that every trans shop was filled with them.
..anyway, attaching any fanboy "I told you they were junk" or "I told you they were a good:bad: company" is just silly. Every manufacturer has their winners and losers. BMW had head cracking issues with the 6 cylinder from the Bavaria through the 80's in the 5 series.
That said, you can keep your drive by wire. Add ABS or any of the other stuff that mostly reduces you to the least functional and competent component in the vehicle.
Then you better find your non-DBW car and keep it a long time. Emissions standards here and in Europe, and mileage standards here and in Europe, mean DBW is taking over. As far as how many other DBW systems have sold in such large numbers, just look at Toyota's largest competitors in North America, including the other transplants. There's your answer. Every major competitor, Japanese, domestic, and European, has DBW systems and the they're growing.
Toyota practically asked for this problem by speeding up the product development cycle, and performing less testing on physical prototypes, and more reliance on cyber testing with virtual prototypes. This was something Toyota admitted to publicly as far back as 2006, not that any of the Toyota fans wanted to hear it, nor have those fanboys ever acknowledged it:
http://www.forbes.com/2006/08/25/toyota-katsuaki-watanabe-0825autofacescan02.html
Quote:
Speaking in Tokyo, Watanabe denied the recalls occurred because Toyota rushed the development of some models.
Again, this was in 2006.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-03-13-181234878_x.htm
Quote:
But Watanabe said at least some of the problems, including time pressures and shortage of experts, stemmed from the company's dramatic growth in recent years.
That's from 2008.
And from 2007:
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20070625/FREE/70625001
Quote:
Worried about slipping quality, Toyota is slowing down its product development.
Toyota Motor Corp. will build more prototype vehicles, hire more engineers and spend more money in an effort to ensure that quality doesn't slip.
Those of us who work, or have worked, in the auto industry, especially the supplier community, have seen this coming for at least five years. Toyota, instead of getting in front of their rising quality problem, has obfuscated, obstructed, and made excuses.
The list of quality problems at Toyota is pretty long for a company whose fans speak wildly about their quality, while at the same time deriding their domestic competition. Over the last twelve years, Toyota has a serious problem with engine oil sludge that destroyed engines, that while still under warranty, Toyota refused to repair, blaming the owners.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/17/oil-sludging-atonement-toyota-settles-class-action-suit/
Tacoma and Tundra truck frames that rusted beyond repair (
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/nhtsa-launches-probe-into-2000-2001-toyota-tundra-frame-rust-cla/).
Camry's with trouble prone transmissions (
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/04/26/toyota-recalls-new-camry-for-transmission-issue/ - note that the date on this 2006!!)
Toyota Avalon quality issues:
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/02/toyota-avalon-proving-problematic-as-quality-concerns-grow-for/3 - again dateline on this is 2006
Toyota Tundra problems:
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/22/toyota-tundra-hit-with-two-more-quality-issues/ - and yet AGAIN this is going back to 2006. This includes tailgates falling off!!
The list goes on and on.