Someone not totally familiar with the button positions might be trying to press the gas cap button, the ECO button, or the hazard flasher, or might just be pressing around in general looking for a button.
Three seconds seems perfect to me from a safety standpoint. Makes sense to me.
Besides, there are transmission controls which operate instantly. Moving the selector to Neutral should disengage the engine from the driving wheels, as would depressing the clutch pedal.
YMMV
Same as the $$$ difference between the ES and the corolla? In Fairness to Lexus, They are like the 70s and 80s Toyota Quality to me,.
The old legacy quality that used to Toyota has migrated over to Lexus. So that I agree. But having the same engineering (say between GS and Avalon) and parts, the difference is more of a labor issue. I don't think ES and Corolla is a fair comparison as they don't use the same platform and not even the same alternator I dont think.
I personally think 1 second stop button is long enough. Yes YMMV. But I can't think of anyone I know who even bumped the ignition key once in his/her whole life while driving. Do you?
There are many ways to try to stop the car, and I would try it in neutral too. But I still think any brake system in production cars should be able to overpower the engine on flat land. Nobody reaches for the ignition button to slow down a car. It's always brakes first on flat land. And we are assuming there are mechanical linkages in shift-tronic type automatic transmissions.
Brakes obviously didn't work for one reason or another. But with today's electronic throttle and computerized brake force redistribution you'll never know for sure.
The GS and Avalon are not based on the same platform either. The GS is RWD and the Avalon is FWD.
I have personally investigated vehicles whose owners have claimed unintended acceleration, and have never come across one where the brakes were not able to overpower the engine. In those investigations, the local or state police, insurance companies, and sometimes third party investigators were not able to find a brake system that could not overpower the engine, meaning operator error or panic.
I got the TSB done 8/17 and was told not to baby the car and drive with a lead foot for about 200 miles. I was told it was for the software to learn the driving habits. But I dont drive normally like that I said and was advised its just for the computer can react quickly.
We will find out from the Feds why a perfectly working brake system will allow a suddenly accelerated car to travel over 100 MPH over 6 miles(!) of freeway.
Is there anyone here who wouldn't know to step on the brakes in 6 miles? And BMWs are computer limited to *only* ~150MPH and they still stop on a dime. Or try a Porsche with their "physics-defying brake systems". So go figure.
================================= "Federal regulators have stepped up an investigation into 98,454 Lexus ES 350 sedans after amassing 40 reports of unintended acceleration, including eight crashes and 12 injuries, along with cases in which drivers said their cars stopped only after an accident."
"One driver told the agency the vehicle had hit speeds of 100 m.p.h. over a 6-mile stretch of freeway due to the problem. "
Full article at:
This is where Volvos Adaptive cruise control and collision warning will come in handy
at:
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