What Is In Toyota’s Little Black Box?
As a result of the flurry of vehicle recalls involving Toyota's luxury brand Lexus and popular model Prius, many Toyota owners are concerned and want answers. Senate committees and lawmakers hope to find answers in a series of upcoming vehicle safety hearings. Drivers hope to find solutions by turning their cars in for repair service or safer models. Advocates and legal teams are banking on the courts to protect drivers and consumers.
It might be that all the answers everyone is looking for are inside Toyota’s black box technology, Event Data Recorders (EDRs) found in many of today's passenger cars. There is speculation that the black box computers might be the culprit behind a series of engine malfunctions. Toyota is expected to rebuke this theory some time this week. Ford and GM would love a peek inside what makes a popular competitor's car tick, but it remains to be seen if Toyota will be cooperative in revealing the contents of their EDRs. Lawmakers are pushing for the black box technology to be revealed, as they are eager to determine whether or not it is indeed a part of Toyota’s proprietary electrical systems that is the source of the vehicle problems. Toyota, however, continues to be secretive and illusive about the contents of the black boxes and their systems.
The tug of war between lawmakers and the Japanese car company will continue to be a major story in the news as well as a topic of everyday conversations. With billions of dollars on the line, and growing political pressure, both sides are trying to save face by getting to the bottom of the issues as soon as possible. Toyota drivers and consumers, however, are forced to play a game of “wait and see” until the malfunctions and the bickering are resolved.
Related Content: