Mark Saylor Incident: Toyota Acceleration Issues

Apr 26, 2025

Lecture on the Mark Saylor Incident and Toyota's Unintended Acceleration Issue

Introduction to the Incident

  • Date: August 28th, 2009
  • Mark Saylor's car: A loaner from a Toyota dealership
  • Passengers: His wife, daughter, and brother-in-law
  • Incident: Car accelerated to 120 mph, unable to brake, resulting in a fatal crash after driving into a ravine
  • 911 Call: Recorded and went viral, highlighting the inability to stop the car

Public and Legal Reaction

  • Blame placed on Toyota by the public and victims' families
  • Reports of similar unintended acceleration issues across various Toyota models
  • Toyota's response:
    • Recalled 10 million vehicles over 2 years
    • Paid $1.2 billion fine to the US government
    • Spent $1.1 billion on a class-action lawsuit

Initial Theories and Investigations

  • Early blame placed on loose floor mats causing unintended acceleration
  • Malcolm Gladwell's Podcast:
    • Suggests that brakes should stop a car even if the accelerator is engaged
    • Conducted experiments showing brakes overpowering the engine

The Concept of Muscle Memory and Pedal Error

  • Unfamiliar vehicles can lead to muscle memory issues
  • Drivers may mistakenly press the gas instead of the brake
  • 2011 NHTSA and NASA report found many drivers in such cases didn't touch the brake pedal

Power Assisted Brakes - The Overlooked Factor

  • New findings: Power-assisted brakes can lose functionality if the brake is lifted
  • Consumer Reports' testing:
    • Highlighted the issue with power-assisted brakes losing power if lifted
    • Demonstrated how this could prevent a car from slowing down effectively

Conclusion

  • Mark Saylor's incident likely caused by a combination of a loose floor mat and the power-assisted brake issue
  • Importance of understanding vehicle mechanics and differences when driving unfamiliar cars
  • Ongoing implications for automotive safety and consumer awareness