Toyota's Recent Recalls Prompt Possible Consumer Concerns

                                           
     Toyota has been one of the leading companies in the automotive market for years.  There products have always been super reliable from their cars to their trucks.  Toyota has always been known for the solid service that they give their customers, along with competitive prices.  However, as of late, Toyota has been running in to a few snags with some of the software that is used in their automobiles.  Recalls such as Toyota Tacoma steering wheel spiral cable assembly, safety of certain 2011 Model year Rav4 Vehicles, as well as the accelerator pedal issues have all led to consumer talk and worry over the future of Toyota's trusted name.  In regards to these issues, there are five solid questions that can be asked in order to better understand Toyota and its recall problems.  The first question is, what type of software is used to run Toyota Vehicles?  What is the biggest issue when it comes to this across the board?  Next, in regards to Toyota’s accelerator pedal, what was the main issue that caused for multiple vehicle models to be recalled?  How has Toyota’s recall issues affected the companies reputation and standing in the automotive market?  Lastly, as of today, has Toyota figured out a plan to better control electronic and software issues for their vehicles in the future?  The answers to these five questions will undoubtedly give the general public some better insight in to this dilemma at hand.

An Inside look in to Toyota Leads to Better Software Comprehension:
     
     First off, in order to understand the issues, one must first understand a bit more about Toyota.  To help establish this better understanding, I was able to speak with expert Rance Cleaveland, a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Maryland and the Executive Director at the Fraunhofer Center for Experimental Software Engineering.  His primary focus is on software development and verification of software.  Professor Cleaveland has had prior work experience directly with Toyota as well.  What type of software is used to run Toyota Vehicles?
 "Like all cars these days, the major subsystems in Toyotas are controlled by software.  Everything from the engine, to the transmission, to the antilock brakes and power steering, and even the infotainment cluster in these vehicles derive much of the functionality from software.  It has been estimated that industry-wide, 90% of the new feature content found in vehicles these days is enabled by software" (Professor Cleaveland).  
Software, as evident here, is one of, if not the main component when building these vehicles.


Toyota's Software Issue as Seen Throughout the Company:
     The next focus point in regards to Toyota stems from the second question which states, what is the biggest issue when it comes to Software across the board?  The fact that Toyota uses their specific software throughout basically every fascit of their vehicles, lends themselves to similar malfunctions in different areas of the automobile.








Toyota's Accelerator Pedal Causes Worry for Many:
     One of the main Toyota recalls has been the accelerator pedal recall.  The accelerator pedals would stick to the floor mats due to friction and a elongated pedal.  This scenario was a very scary one for many people because the car would remain in motion after the driver had already taken his/her foot off of the gas pedal.  Multiple people have actually died as well from this very serious problem.  However, the problem was fixable since it was mainly mechanical issues that looked to be the main source of the problem.






Audio Clip By A Toyota Customer: 

listen to ‘John and His Toyota Recall’ on Audioboo

Despite Recalls, Toyota Remains Among the Best In Automobile Service and Customer Reliability: 
     Over the past few years, and even months, Toyota has issued recalls on different parts of their vehicle models.  These recalls, while very important for both the passengers safety, as well as the longevity of the vehicle, have made a few customers raise their eyebrow to the issues at hand.  Many of the Toyota customers are used to pristine service and reliable vehicles.  The fact that there have been so many recalls as of late, has perhaps brought to the surface a bit of hesitation in regards to the purchase of a Toyota, at least for a select few individuals.  However, surprisingly, experts say that these recent recalls may have boosted Toyota's standing in the market, due to a positive safety image.  Toyota acted fast to resolve the issues once they were brought to the companies attention.






Toyota Creates A Software Game Plan for The Future:
     Lastly, Toyota as a company is hard at work on composing a plan to better help their products run successful for the longest possible time possible.  They want to make sure that their software and electronics work correctly, while performing at that high level that is expected all of the time.  The question posed to the expert here was, has Toyota figured out a plan to better control electronic and software issues for their vehicles in the future?






    

Toyota's Reinforced Pedal Diagram Expresses Solution:
This diagram on the left is a photo which gives a closer up look in to the pedal recall issue, and the steps that were take to add a reinforced pedal to better control the problem.











Toyota President Jim Lentz Apologizing for Recent Toyota Recalls:
President and COO of Toyota Motor Sales Jim Lentz apologizes for issues and recall on Toyota products. Toyota is working hard at keeping it from happening again.  Toyota works to keep their positive name intact. 





Toyota Responds to Consumer Worry by Working Extra Hours for You!
This next video is very informative on just how large of a recall Toyota has had to deal with.  This look at the company shows how this particular problem has spanned across nearly all of Toyotas product line, causing for Toyota service departments to remain open longer hours, with some even remaining open for twenty-four hours a day.


 


As of now, it looks as if Toyota will remain a power house in the automotive market.  They have for the longest time been extremely reliable, and well trusted.  Even though their have been some recalls and software issues recently, Toyota remains a super power to be reckoned with.  It most certainly will take more than a few software malfunctions to keep Toyota from creating and selling their long time cherished and sought after products to consumers around the globe for years to come.