What is true and what is not surrounding the never ending stories of Pruis’ acceleration
It is easy to believe the scare tactics put forth by the media regarding Toyota and the Prius accelerator situation. But those easily swayed should be wary of the research and bias behind some major news stories. Take for example, this story about ABC, and keep it in mind the next time you pass your Toyota Kenosha dealership.
Toyota’s general counsel has called on ABC News president David Westin to retract and apologize for the network’s story by Brian Ross featuring a test conducted by David Gilbert, an Illinois professor who claimed to have found a way to induce unintended acceleration in Toyotas without triggering an error code that would allow mechanics to diagnose the problem. The exercise was supposed to prove that it’s theoretically possible for Toyotas to accelerate without command and then show no sign of having done so later on. The report used a staged shot of a surging tachometer taken while the car was parked and stitched it into the piece to make it look like it was happening while someone was driving. The test itself cannot be replicated under real-world conditions – essentially rewiring the vehicle to get the results they wanted. Engineers from Stanford working on Toyota’s behalf were able to rewire a Subaru, Honda, Chevrolet, and Ford in the same manner. Ross also didn’t disclose that Gilbert had previously been paid as a consultant by Sean Kane, an investigator working for the plaintiff’s lawyers in lawsuits against Toyota, and has an agreement with Kane paying him $150 an hour for work “going forward.”
ABC’s response repeats the news organization’s prior acknowledgment that the faked tachometer shot was an “editorial error” but declines to retract or apologize. ABC News says Gilbert’s test was “legitimate and newsworthy” whether it was flawed or not, and that it pointed out Gilbert’s work for consultants hired by plaintiff’s attorneys on the day after Ross’ broadcast.
As Toyota has said time and again, the company is working diligently to fix any errors, and are willing to make their mistake up to their customers through various incentive programs going on now. Toyota remains a trusted brand and the majority of loyalists aren’t straying. Now it’s just up to the media to follow suit.
You can show your support of Toyota by stopping by your Toyota Kenosha dealership to see what new and used cars Kenosha has to offer. Take a test drive and help get Toyota back on the road.
