CNN reported today that a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) issued by Toyota in 2002 calls for a software patch to fix a calibration table on Toyota Camrys. You are probably aware that the 2002 Toyota Camry was the first Camry to use Electronic Throttle Control. In addition, there was a spike in reported sudden unintended acceleration incidents between 2001 and 2002.
One may rightfully wonder about why the existence of this TSB is not evidence of Toyota knowing about possible software problems in its electronics. I wonder more about how such a TSB is not publicly available. Interestingly, NHTSA had seen the TSB and has a short report on it.
Given that the TSB was not public, it would seem that only those 2002 Camrys, which were taken to a Toyota dealer, could have been patched. Others could still be using the mis-calibrated tables in the firmware on the engine control module.
