Toyotas aren't the only cars which had sudden acceleration incidents

[Mimosa]

About 30 months ago my DH, driving a 2008 Subaru Forester LX, had experienced 2 sudden acceleration incidents within 4 months. The vehicle was less than 18 months old. The second incident occurred on a busy big urban road in early morning traffic. he was near our home and made a quick turn 'uphill', shifted into neutral then into Park, because his attempts to brake didn't work.

He called Subaru, had them tow the Forester to the dealer. The dealer insisted they couldn't replicate the sudden acceleration. My hub refused to accept the vehicle back. He's very non-superstitious but he called the vehicle a coffin on wheels. Subaru was non-helpful. We got online and found that an engineer had posted that he did not believe the reports about sudden acceleation until it happened to him. Like us, he had come to believe it is a problem with the cruise control software. BTW, I don't think anybody but truckdrivers on long haul need cruise control.

Subaru's obstinence made us trade in the less than a year old Forester at a loss. But we made the dealer sign a paper which stated we had traded the car back and refused to take responsibility if they resold the vehicle (attached a report, too.) We'd talked to a lawyer who'd suggested that. We financed a new Subaru Forester. We had it only 6 months before hub was hit by an 'illegal' and the Forester was totaled. The solidity and strength of the Subaru 'cage' meant that hub survived in one piece and with his health despite the destruction of the vehicle.

We wanted another Forester but couldn't buy another because they'd upsized the Forester and the newer model would not fit in our condo garage!!!! We settled for the Legacy sedan. :( It's also rated highly by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But I loved foresters.

YET, I think the sudden acceleration incidents have occured in more cars than those made by Toyota.

What think y'all?

[MadMaddie]

1. I wouldn't be surprised

I think industry's like the auto industry pilfer technology off of each other.....I think there are more products out there that are faulty.....

[Uben]

2. 91-95 Jeep Cherokees had that problem

That's why I decided not to buy one.

[vadawg]

3. i think we are going to find that all the companies have issues

its just at the moment that the toyota event seems to becoming political, will be interesting to see the reactions when the big three have their next major recall, it all comes down to knowing the vehicle you are driving and having some basic ability behind the wheel, a problem if you rent vehicles that are not what you normally drive...

[malaise]

12. I can't help wondering how much of the Toyota

mess is economic sabotage. We get the majority of our Toyotas from Japan (only people who are returning home from the US or Canada bring theirs) and we don't have any problems. What explains why it's the North American cars that have the problems. Every car we've owned is a Toyota- I love them.

[PVnRT]

13. See, this is the intelligent answer to all of this

Unfortunately, that means that a certain contingent around here will label you "anti-American" and "anti-union" for not declaring Toyota the Most Evil Corporation Ever.

[Xithras]

4. Most complaints about the Subaru have been traced to one of two things.

FYI, I own an '07 Forester XS PZEV and have been loosely following these reports. Most of these problems have been traced to the cruise control location. Subaru stuck the cruise control on a stick attached low on the steering wheel itself, and drivers can catch the stick and activate it without meaning to. I've done this myself twice, activating the cruise control and pushing it into "Accelerate" mode with my leg as I made a right turn. It's not pleasant, but ultimately it's driver error...it's caused by either sitting too close to the wheel so your knees are too high, or by having the steering wheel height set too low for your legs. Both times it's happened to me, it's occurred when I've packed my 6'1" self into the car after my 5'5" wife has driven it, and was in too much of a hurry to readjust the seat.

The other cause is the AC compressor. The automatic climate control system runs the A/C compressor almost constantly in the car, even when the heater is on, in order to dehumidify the car interior. If the compressor kicks on and the RPM's are low, the computer compensates for the extra load by increasing the throttle slightly. As the Subaru mechanic told me, this was by design. The problem is, if the computer applies the throttle just as the transmission shifts, the car will experience about a half-second of unplanned acceleration. It can surprise people, but its typically over before you can even react to it.

Nearly all "sudden acceleration" issues have been traced to the first problem though. Bump and a push from a misplaced knee are all it takes. If you're wearing loose slacks, it's even possible to snag the stick and HOLD it in the accelerate position without realizing it. It was an incredibly stupid design, and I've never understood why Subaru didn't just put the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel itself, or put the stick on the steering column, like every OTHER manufacturer does. Oh wait, they did...on the new model Foresters after 2008.

ON EDIT:
A shot of the wheel in question. You can see the cruise control stick in the lower right behind the wheel. What isn't obvious is that the stick is attached to the wheel itself and spins with it as you turn. When the wheel is turned just right to put the stick in the 6 oclock position, it's easily low enough to catch a leg. A quick tap on the end activates the cruise control, and an upward press causes the vehicle to accelerate. I realize that you are familiar with the stick as a former Forester owner, but I thought I'd toss this in just in case my description left anyone else puzzled.

[Mimosa]

8. Damn cool! Great info, Xithras

I never had the problem. Hub did. His legs, arms are longer. The knee thing makes sense to me.

And when a car is test-driven by the mechanics, they don't find anything because they are driving carefully.

Again, most of us do ciry and/or suburban driving. Cruise control just isn't necessary.

[Xithras]

10. No Problem. I love my Subie, but this was a boneheaded design move on their part.

Several major car reviewers even commented on it when that model was initially released, but Subaru never addressed it. Their position was that a properly belted driver sitting in a correctly positioned seat behind an appropriately adjusted steering wheel should never hit it. They were correct, but they were really just sidestepping the issue. They didn't, of course, because a "fix" would have required redesigning the steering column.

[nickinSTL]

5. not a lot to say on the acceleration

(I don't doubt it's a problem for other vehicles, and while it may have been more widespread with recent Toyotas, I do suspect some politicization of the issue)

However, on your comment about cruise control...90% of the time, I'd agree with you. I don't need it driving to and from work, to the store, or to see my friends who live across town, etc.

However...my parents live in Florida - and while we've flown the last couple years (due to high gas prices and just the time factor), I have driven there and back - and let me tell you, driving 18 hours in 2 days, you WANT cruise control.

Also, I have had occasion to travel to Chicago, and hope to again sometime, and that's 5 hours away. While it's doable without cruise control, cc makes it a lot more pleasant, IMO.

And, my wife's sister lives with her family 8 hours away - we don't visit much, but I'd like to again in the future...and yes, cruise control is a good thing for an 8 hour trip as well.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. I too support cruise control...it helps me avoid speeding tickets

Even out in the middle of nowhere, the revenue collectors are present. I even use throttle locks for my motorcycles that do not have them as an option

[sailor65]

6. Audi had big problems with it as well n/t

[greyl]

9. Data of UA in 117 Models here:

www.thetruthaboutcars.com/nhtsa-data-dive-3-117-models-ranked-by-rate-of-ua-incidents/

[Mimosa]

11. Great info.

And Subaru isn't even on the list. How odd. I'm wondering if their sales volume is too low?

I don't recall whether my hub had tried to report the incidents to any gov agency. He did report to the dealer and extensively to Subaru, which was evasive and unhelpful.

Think of the people who never survived the sudden acceleration 'incidents' or who have suffered crippling accidents.