In 2008, Toyota faced an embarrassing problem: The Imperial Family¡¯s luxury Century Royal, used to carry Crown Prince Naruhito around Japan, was a dud. Memos flew back and forth between managers and senior engineers trying to find the cause of what appeared to be a speed-control fault. ¡°This is a very difficult situation,¡± fretted one engineer. ¡°The Imperial Household Agency feels there is risk if it should recur.¡±
The unspoken concern was clear: What if a crash hurt or even killed Japan¡¯s heir to the Imperial throne?
The problem seemed rooted in electronics ¡ª but its solution was elusive, even to all those trained minds. Toyota replaced the gas pedal, the throttle system and the engine computer at its own expense.
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