In the wake of Toyota's huge floor mat recall, theorists have come up with several survival strategies designed to overcome a throttle that's stuck wide-open. Putting some of these theories to the test – and debunking several myths in the process – is the team over at Consumer Reports.
With a large test track and a fleet of vehicles at their disposal, the magazine's engineers initially focused on the "just step hard on the brakes" method of bringing the car to a halt. Interestingly enough, CR tested a Mercedes-Benz E350 and a Volkswagen Jetta Wagon – both fitted with drive-by-wire "smart throttles" that are designed to ignore conflicting inputs (throttle and brake at the same time). CR reports that these cars simply shut down to idle and came safety to a stop. The story was a bit different with a Toyota Venza and Chevrolet HHR, however. When the brakes on those vehicles were firmly applied at 20 mph, their transmissions downshifted to fight the deceleration. The vehicles were both eventually brought to a stop after the first test. However, when the test was repeated at 60 mph on brakes that had been cooled since the earlier run, both vehicles quickly suffered fade from their overheated brakes and were unable to come to a complete stop.
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General Motors is recalling 10,119 units of the Pontiac Vibe due to cold weather-related brake problems. The vehicles subject to the recall are all fitted with the 1.8-liter four-cylinder powerplant, and were sold or are currently registered in one of about two dozen snow belt states.
According to the recall campaign, very low ambient temperatures may cause brake vacuum components to freeze. The vehicles will still brake, but stopping distances will be increased, possibly leading to a crash. Dealers have been instructed to modify the brake vacuum line free of charge to correct the problem. While the recall specifically names vehicles originally sold or registered in certain states, the repair campaign will also be applied to vehicles sold in all other states.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Saab's 9-3 Aero after five complaints were filed claiming that the Swedish sedan suddenly lost braking power. No injuries have been attributed to the defect, however, a low-speed crash might be the first recorded incident involving the 9-3.
The affected Saabs include the 2006 and 2007 9-3 Aeros equipped with the 2.8-liter turbocharged V6, some 49,932 vehicles. Alan Adler, a GM spokesperson, said that the automaker is cooperating with the federal agency, but at this point an official recall has not been filed.
