SNL Toyota Acceleration Gag Video
Jason Lancaster | May 03, 2010 | Comments 14
The comedians at SNL did a nice job of lampooning Toyota’s perceived unintended acceleration problems – check it out:
It’s definitely a good laugh, and it speaks to a much larger issue – Toyota’s success and reputation is being co-opted by Ford (at least in the eyes of the public). This is definitely a good thing for Ford, Ford employees, and the American consumer – there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having an “American” car company that makes great cars.
I put American in quote marks because many of Ford’s products are made in Canada or Mexico. I don’t have a problem with that of course, but it’s worth noting that there’s no such thing as an “American” car anymore.
Ford’s success is due in large part to the vision of Bill Ford and his decision to hire superstar exec Alan Mullaly, who I was lucky enough to watch speak at the NY auto show. He’s energetic, hilarious, and confident, and he’s been exactly what Ford has needed. The recovery of Ford is truly an amazing success, and it’s great to see things looking so good in Dearborn again.
Problems With This Video
1. When people panic, they often press the wrong pedal. The joke was pretty good in the video, but according to many experts (as well as actual crash data), people often mistakenly stomp on the accelerator instead of the brake in a panic situation. Asking “Did you try the brakes?” is actually a very fair question. The moral: Don’t panic.
2. It’s kind of cruel. OK – I know it’s a joke – but the 911 call and the back and forth between the characters seems a little too similar to the panicked 911 call placed by a passenger in a Lexus ES driven by a California State Trooper that resulted in the death of four people. The friends and family of those people probably didn’t think this was funny.
3. The Prius isn’t powerful enough to be dangerous. Have you ever driven one? The thing can barely get out of it’s own way. If I was going to be in a car with a stuck accelerator, the Prius would be my first choice. (OK so I’m exaggerating a little, but you get the idea.)
The good news? This is a sign the negative feelings associated with the unintended acceleration issue are starting to fade. Toyota might not be anywhere close to dealing with multiple lawsuits, but at least the public has started to move on.
Filed Under: Auto News
They say levity can help with the pain. I wonder how Ford’s sale numbers are since the Toyota issues? I’m with you Jason, the folks that have lost loved ones probably can’t find anything humorous about this. The interesting thing about the media is if you’re on the hot seat just wait it out, the next big story is on the way…..oil in the gulf!
Sorry if I didn’t find it funny. Then again I don’t care for SNL.
Come on. If it was a joke about anyone else everyone here would have been all over it. This site has poked fun at other brands in the past and now it isn’t funny because there was a accident under similar circumstances. Maybe it has nothing to do with a similar accident and thats a cover, i think its all about someone is poking fun at toyota. Worried about the family feelings when this accident was talked about in the past on this site. In the past comments this driver basicly didn’t know what he was doing and was the case of the accident. That’s the short version of what individuals said.
What do you expect from SNL? It was not a appropriate joke.
Greg – I thought it was funny, for the record. You’re absolutely right to point out that we made comments about the guy that drove the ES that crashed…but I tried to be respectful.
Yep, those prius’s are so powerful you cannot stop em no matter what you do – yah right?
My cycle has more cubic inches/hp/torque/ at only 800 lbs. vs. the prius being 4 times that at least. O.K., I admit my cycle only gets 35 mpg not 50 like the prius. So, the prius wins ONLY as far as going green.
I think all the smack talking/ads Ford and Chevy are doing should backfire on them if I was in the market for a new vehicle talking smack about the competitor instead of marketing what THEY sell. It shows ignorance, cockiness, and arrogance on their part if you ask me. I even called a local Chevy dealer requesting them to stop the ad in the local paper stating their chevies do not have stuck gas pedal problems like Toyota. I told them it shows their stupidity and not being creative and actually proving to me why chevy is better than toyota.
mk – The national sales trends seem to support your opinion – GM’s attempts to capitalize on Toyota’s acceleration problems didn’t help their sales…and might have even hurt them. There is a little justice in the world, no?
That was extremely funny, but I liked the runaway lawnmower better.
that was pretty funny! i relate nothing to the families who lost loved ones due to an accelerator pedal. in fact, i feel terrible for anyone who had this happen in real life. ive got to say though, lots of times when im driving down the road, we usually crack smart ass jokes like, ” watch out, i hope thye have their camry under control!” just making funny stuff out of the situation or you know “kids, watch out, Mr. R is pulling out of our driveway and he is driving a toyota, those things are known to have speed out of control!!” as we all laugh and move on with our day. i guess what makes it funny is like the guy in california who staged the whole thing becuase he’s a financial mess and needs some quick money. thta i find both extremely sad, and yet i find it funny as well, funny becuase he made such a dumb*ss out himslef on national TV.
rick – Good point. This is just as much about him as anyone.
Nothing wrong having a sense of humor about it.
I can’t believe people are complaining about SNL…they are comedians..they’re jsut doing their job to entertain us people!
It was stated by a few posters here that when the CHP officer passed away that anyone who commented to the fact that he loss control when he should have kept it, stated this was disrespectful to mention anything about the family that died. Now we have SNL making a skit on it. Isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black? No matter how funny the comedians are, it’s still disrespectful.
I was under the assumption that SNL was dissing on Toyotas SIU problem, not the death of a driver of a Toyota.