Problem
In January 2010, some of the Toyota, Lexus and Pontiac vehicles were recalled because of problems about defective accelerator pedals made from CTS Corporation, a leading automotive supplier in North America, Europe, and Asia. The problems are related to the friction inside the moving part of the units that controls the pedal to return as soon as the pressure on the pedal is released. This friction should be designed to consistently corresponsive to the pressure on the pedal, in both pressed and released positions, so that the drivers can smoothly control the speed of the vehicles. It is thought that the condensation caused by cold weather is one of the reasons that lead to an increase of the friction. Another reason is related to the friction build up after a period of time possibly caused by moisture or particulate accumulation. There is a spring inside the assembly that responsible for the pedal to return when the pressure is released. With the added friction, the driver may observe the changes that the pedals gradually become difficult to press, lag of mechanical response to the pedal release, and tend to stick at its partially depressed position. These problems may lead to unintended acceleration which make it difficult to control the vehicle and may result in an accident. An example according to the USA Today, Pries Morrison, the owner of Toyota Camry, is one of more than 100 drivers who experienced accidentally speeding even though she already released her feet from the accelerator pedal (Carty, 2010).
Outsourcing
The problem of the sticky gas pedals is found only in Toyota Camry which is assembled with the CTS gas pedals. The cause of this problem is occurred in the 2-tier supplier which is the outsourcing of Toy...
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National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2010, Toyota Owners Advised of Actions to Take Regarding Two Separate Recalls, accessed 20/03/2010, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.f2217bee37fb302f6d7c121046108a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=1e51531b2220b0f8ea14201046108a0c_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_1e51531b2220b0f8ea14201046108a0c_viewID=detail_view&itemID=855362c400776210VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&pressReleaseYearSelect=2010
Niedermeyer, P 2010 ‘Exclusive: TTAC Takes Apart Both Toyota Gas Pedals, Jan. 30 2010’, weblog post, The Truth About Cars, 30 January, accessed 22/03/2010, http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/exclusive-ttac-takes-apart-both-toyota-gas-pedals/
Toyota, 2010, accessed 20/03/2010, http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/toyota-announces-comprehensive-153311.aspx
Toyota was the first corporation to expose the very first hybrid car, the Toyota Prius. The Prius has been the most commonly profound hybrid since year 2000. The name Prius is virtually tantamount with the word Hybrid, as most would agree with. As demonstrated by their numbers, the Toyota Prius is by far the most well-known, with over one million cars sold solely in the United States to this day. Statistics show that most buyers that pursue this type of vehicle are mostly all for eco-friendly and/or economic trepidations (The Corvallis Advocate, 2012). When the Prius was initially presented, the car was costing Toyota $40,000 to build, and they were selling it for a low cost of just $20,000 at the dealer. Some of the perks this vehicle carries with them is the fact that the Prius does an outstanding job of receiving high gas mileage. Proving a greater MPG of 62, reporters all over the U.S. have met th...
Ever since the invention of the automobile, numerous efforts have been employed to try and improve its safety features. Judging by the current statistics, one could argue that driving has so far turned out to be a risky business. In actual fact, people of all ages and social status are considered to be in control of lethal weapons whenever they have to drive. According to the National Safety Council, it is estimated that more than 41,000 people lose their lives in road accidents annually and no less than 2 million more suffer from serious life threatening injuries (2009). Furthermore, it is estimated that at least 50% of the people killed in road accidents is as a result of their failure to adhere to safety measures such as wearing seatbelts while driving, driving under the influence, or careless driving (Ingalls, “Defensive Driving Strategies”). As an effect, huge losses occur with respect to life, injuries sustained, and damage to property.
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I have learned quite a lot while constructing my mousetrap car. For example i learned that the friction that is active while the mousetrap car is in motion is rolling and static. Rolling friction occurs when an object rolls over a surface, in my case the CDs are rolling on the floor causing the car to move. Static friction occurs when one solid surface slides over another, for example my solid car sliding over a solid surface.Fortunately i didn't have very much problems related to friction.
related crashes which might be from the weather some states have recently gotten. Most elderly
Detroit asserts that the Cadillac engine system is responsible for cost reduction especially with regard to the Cadillac maintenance (73). This owes to the fact that the flexible logistics of installation and low consumption of fuel guarantee savings. This vehicle’s engine is efficient due to the fact that it is safe to drive at high and low speeds. The brake system of this vehicle does not require electromagnetic fields in order to function. The model in question is also fitted with emergency tools, which help in case of skidding. These tools include the braking cruise control. Cadillac’s brake system is light unlike other vehicles’ brake systems, and this enhances swiftness in driving the Cadillac. Additionally, this model does not have the shortcoming of fuel loss especially through drags. The Cadillac has Eigen solver system, which is responsible for squeal analysis. In this regard, the need for programming is eliminated. The thermoregulation ensures that the braking system’s heat is controlled. Furthermore, the thermoregulation amplifies the computation performance of squeal. The engine...
As one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world, Toyota ranks within the top three worldwide. Due to their unique business model, they are now have a market share of 14% in the first four months of this year. That is an astonishing 2.3% jump from the previous year. According to Autodata.com, the Toyota City based automaker ranks fourth in United States sales.
Stern, Perry, et al. “2007 Toyota Camry.” MSN.com. 2006. MSN Autos. 11 Nov. 2006 .
Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japan based company, whose headquarters are located in Aichi Prefecture. The company was founded by Kiichiri Toyoda in 1937. Currently the company’s CEO is Akio Toyoda. Toyota is basically into cars and it is one of the top players in the world in this industry. Toyota also owns two other brands namely Lexus and Scion, which gives the company a lot of advantage over it’s other competitors. Toyota manufactures sedans, saloons, suvs, muvs, pick-up trucks and buses. During the year 2013 Toyota had approximately 333,498 employees, who were working globally. In March 2013, Toyota was ranked as the thirteenth biggest organization globally in terms of its revenue. In the following table we can see the financial report of Toyota Motor Corporation in the year 2013-
Toyota’s innovative nature allows them to produce quality products and maintain their brand image, even if it is at a higher cost. However, their customer base is also aware of their reliability, despite numerous recalls which dampened the organizations name, yet they are still willing to remain loyal customers.
Toyota failed to address complaints involving impulsive unintentional acceleration starting in 2002. During this time, a new electronic throttle control system replaced the standard equipment in Toyota vehicles (Gorman, 2010). According to Steve Gorman, Toyota insists that the defective vehicles sped out of control because of the floor mats and sticking gas pedals. Both issues were addressed by safety recalls. Gorman states that many unintended acceleration cases stem from driver inaccuracy (Gorman, 2010).
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Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the largest automakers in the world. At its annual conference in Tokyo on May 8, 2008, the company announced that activities through March 2008 generated a sales figure of $252.7 billion, a new record for the company. However, the company is lowering expectations for the coming year due to a stronger yen, a slowing American economy, and the rising cost of raw materials (Rowley, 2008). If Toyota is to continue increasing its revenue, it must examine its business practice and determine on a course of action to maximize its profit.
Vehicles in this day and time are nothing like what they used to be. Over half of the car manufacturers are now trying to build new cars and trucks to be as fuel efficient as they can be. Although hybrids conserve more gas than standard vehicles do, they use gas, also. Hybrids do not use as much gas as the ol...
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