Toyota Still Mad At David Gilbert, Wants Apology
At today’s annual stockholders meeting in Toyota City, Toyota wrapped up most of the SUA and recall troubles that had plagued the company last year. Says The Nikkei [sub]: “When asked about the fallout from the recall of millions of vehicles over the past couple of years amid quality concerns, executive vice president Shinichi Sasaki thanked the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for clearing Toyota of some of the most serious allegations about defects in its vehicles.“
However, there is one man Toyota still holds a grudge against:
Sasaki talked about unfounded claims about problems with Toyota’s electronic throttle control. By name, he mentioned Southern Illinois University engineering professor David Gilbert. Gilbert starred in the now infamous ABC/Brian Ross freak-show, which quickly was debunked as fakery.
Gilbert also provided testimony in congressional hearings and said that certain Toyota vehicles could be susceptible to unintended acceleration due to glitches in the cars’ electronics. Research by NASA could not find any glitches, and Toyota was exonerated.
David Gilbert could set the record straight with a very short sentence: “I’m sorry.”
“Mr. Gilbert has yet to apologize to us, which is extremely regrettable,” Sasaki told the assembled shareholders.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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It did sum up the 2010 midterm elections that government was here to help. Thanks Tea Party. But then the recalls continued almost weekly for most of the following year. Then to find out Toyota contracted to suppliers or the same companies everyone else uses here in the states. Then to find out NHTSA and Toyots share employees. Then memos of how much they saved by avoiding recalls. Just like the internet bubble, housing bubble, and stock market bubble, the Toyota bubble has popped. Even Consumer Reports would not approve with a blind eye.
To Toyota: BITE ME! Professor Gilbert saw the signal and witness signal were parallel straight lines with a wide tolerance before an error was triggered, the poorest safety design possible. You hit the main stream media with how "robust" the design was, a flat-out, in your face lie. Prof. Gilbert apologize??? BITE ME!
It was important to the trial lawyers that the SUA was caused by electronic problems, not mechainical ones. Mechanical ones are relatively easy to prove or disprove. Having an it an electronic glitch would open the door for damages for every single-vehicle fatality. The technical analysis by TTAC of the accelerator sending unit during the dustup was simply outstanding. It blew Gilbert's thesis totally out the window. My personal opinion is the whole blow up over Toyota's SUA was cooked up at DOT to pressure Toyota not to close NUMMI Motors in Fremont CA. Not only was NUMMI the highest cost plant in Toyota's stable, but being organized by the UAW, it was a potential Trojan horse that could force the organization of all Toyota plants without a vote. Despite some missteps in addressing the SUA, Toyota stood firm on NUMMI. Bravo Toyota.
Sitting@home Hyundai's consumer reports ratings aren't average or above. CR doesn't even use the rating terminology "average". Since 2018 it's Poor Fair Good , Very Good, Excellent.