Toyota, the troubled motor company that can’t seem to catch a break, has plans to redesign its push-button ignition. The keyless starter was a conversation piece when it was developed a few years back. It allows drivers with the appropriate key on hand, to push a button and start the car. It didn’t seem like the key was a useless innovation, but the starter button had all the feel of a Jetson automobile of the future. The problem has been when you are in one of the vehicles accelerating out of control, how do you stop it? Turns out you need to hold down the button for three seconds, but when you are careening out of control, who thinks of that? Safety experts remind us that it is counterintuitive, according to a Los Angeles Times story. So Toyota Motor Corp., based in Japan, is considering a redesign of the keyless ignition system. By tapping the button three times in a row, the engine would be shut off. That doesn’t sound like much of an innovation when you are in a panic.
No Federal Standards
There are no federal standards that regulate the technology, even though it’s been offered for at least five years. Currently there are 155 vehicles that offer the keyless ignition systems. Some require a single tap to shut down, others require a lengthy hold-down.
The keyless or “Smart Key” system was considered to be a significant factor contributing to the crash that killed a California Highway Patrol officer and three members of his family in San Diego last August, when their loaner Lexus went out of control. Since that accident, Toyota has announced a series of major recalls to address the sudden acceleration problem. So far more than 10 million vehicles have been recalled because of acceleration or problem braking. Two million vehicles have more than one of the problems.
Brake Override System
All of this keyless talk may be a mute point if and when Toyota installs a brake override system in its new cars. When touching the brake, the car is brought back to idle. Expect to see brake override in new Toyota models starting with 2011, including the Camry, Avalon, Lexus IS and Lexus ES. A decision has not yet been made about putting the brake override in eight other models, Highlander, Corolla, Venza, Matrix, Prius, Tacoma, Tundra and Pontiac Vibe.
