Toyota and Subaru announced that they have received massive complaints from customers of their newer sports cars claiming that the cars have idle and stalling problems.
The main cars dealing with problems are the Scion FR-S twin and Subaru BRZ. The issue reportedly is occurring due to a software mapping glitch.
The two companies are not too concerned however, saying that the issue is not a mechanical defect, just a bug that can easily be solved.
Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said that when the engine control unit is installed, it will then adapt to the car's powertrain and owner's driving patterns. This process is known as adaptive learning. After the driver goes 100 miles in the car, those specific settings are set in stone in the ECU.
The solution for the glitch isn't exactly an easy one.
Toyota and Subaru have agreed that the best way to handle the problem the cars have been having depends on how many miles have been put on the specific vehicle.
If the car currently has under 100 miles on it, a mechanic will just re-do the ECU with the correct software mapping. If the car has over 100 miles however, the owner of the vehicle should have the ECU completely replaced. The programming is being done by technical specialists, not dealership technicians. This has caused customers to wait much longer then they should have to get their vehicle back.
Many owners don't agree with this solution however. Some have spent a lot of time dealing with the problem and trying to do what the companies have suggested, yet the problems keep happening.
"This is not a mileage-dependent condition. No replacement of the ECU is needed at any mileage to rectify the issue," said Subaru spokesman Dominick Infante in a press release on the company's website. "The ECU re-flash is the fix. There is not a defect concerning the ECU."
Buyers were initially excited to purchase the cars, under the promise of new technical features and a more modern appearance then models in the past. Needless to say, buyers have been pretty disappointed overall.
Toyota and Subaru officials have yet to say how many cars overall could be affected.
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