By Eddie Quezada, News Channel 3 Reporter
equezada@kesq.com
PALM DESERT - "Our accelerator's stuck. We're in trouble!"
A passenger called 911 from the back seat of a 2009 Lexus as it went out of control.
"We're approaching an intersection! Hold on! Pray!"
All four people in the car died after it crashed into another car and ultimately burst into flames. More than 2,000 Toyota owners have reported similar scenarios.
"My foot was pressing on the brake super, super hard and I wasn't slowing down," says Toyota owner Elizabeth James.
An estimated 16 deaths are connected to Toyota through lawsuits and police reports. Some owners are now suing Toyota, claiming the electronic computer system that controls the throttle is faulty.
"We've all experienced computer glitches in using our own personal computers where something just happens but we don't know why," says Don Slavik an attorney for a Toyota crash victim.
Initially Toyota said the problem was loose floor mats covering the gas pedal. Now, they are recalling almost four million cars to replace the gas pedal. The plan includes first reshaping gas pedals. Toyota will ship out redesigned pedals in April. Customers who choose to first reshape their pedals will still be able to have it replaced when they become available. Also, vehicles fitted with Toyota or Lexus-made all-weather floor mats will get a new, redesigned set.
"That solves some of the problem, but not all. There are many other cases in which the gas pedal was not depressed and the floor mats were not an issue," says auto safety expert Sean Kane.
Toyota officials have said all along the problem is not electronic.
"We can come up with no indication whatsoever that there is a throttle or electronic control system malfunction," says Toyota spokesman Irv Miller.
As an extra measure of safety, Toyota will also install a brake override system to make sure the vehicle stops if both the brake and gas pedals are pressed simultaneously. For now, experts say the best advice for anyone whose car takes off on them is to shift into neutral.
