The lesson learned from the recent Toyota recall: make sure your vehicles can stop themselves if things go wrong.
With 5 deaths since 2007 linked to Toyota accelerator issues, the cost of a brake override system installation may be surprising.
A recent report by Morgan Stanley’s auto analyst Noriaki Hirakata says that the cost of installing a brake override system was about $50 a vehicle, adding that it could come down if more brands adopt it.
Mazda isn’t waiting for trouble to hit them. They announced Tuesday that they will install brake override systems in all new models. The automaker is also considering installing the system in updates of existing models according to Sho Aoyama, a spokesman for Mazda Motor Corp. It’s a small price to pay for an important safety item, Mazda Derby says.
“We decided to do this because it’s the right thing to do,” said Mazda spokesman Garett Carr.
A standard brake override system will prevent a vehicle from accelerating when the gas and brake pedals are pushed simultaneously. It can also shut down the engine once speeds are reduced to a safe level…
…for $50 or less per vehicle.
Toyota made a similar announcement last month after recalling 8 million vehicles for brake or acceleration issues. Nissan and Chrysler already has a variation of the system installed on many vehicles and all of the other Japanese automakers are considering making it a standard addition.
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Read more Mazda News on this blog.
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