Table 1 shows one common electronic stability control related problems of the 2009 Toyota Scion Xb.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Electronic Stability Control problems |
Traveling north on I-75 in independence twp, mi south of ortonville rd at 10:55am in a snow storm, driver used the passing lane to overtake a slow moving vehicle in the center lane. Accelerating to 70mph, driver began to merge back into center lane but encountered a heavy buildup of slush between lanes and began to loose traction. Vehicle started to veer to the right. Driver removed foot from the accelerator and turned wheel slightly to the left to correct the skid but the electronic stability control engaged and the vehicle immediately entered into a rapid 360 degree spin to the right. No other vehicle was struck. Driver recovered from the spin momentarily and car was facing northbound between the center and right lanes but still veering to the right. The front wheels contacted dry pavement while the rear wheels were on wet pavement causing the vehicle to make a sharp right turn head on into the guard rail at 60 mph. The guard rail gave way and the front end of the vehicle sustained heavy damage. However the vehicle rebounded and remained in the road way, sliding sideways and eventually spinning another 270 degrees after again striking the guard rail. The initial high speed impact with guard rail appears to have ignited the sodium azide as evidenced by a gunpowder like oder in the vehicle however no airbags deployed. Additionally, the seatbelt while properly fastened did not retract and restrain the driver. The seatbelt extended all the way out and remained in this position. This made it difficult to control the vehicle and caused the driver to impact the steering wheel when the guardrail was struck. This resulted in injury to the right side of the rib cage, with possible hairline fractures to the ribs, torn muscles, and bruising of the liver. Driver's head also impacted the ceiling. Upon second guardrail impact, driver's left arm impacted the steering wheel.
The issue I am having with my vehicle is the traction control. There is no way to disable it permanently. I have contacted the manufacturer several times to resolve this issue but they were unable to help. The intersection exiting my neighborhood is often busy and occasionally there is loose sand and gravel at the exit. At times, to cross the intersection safely, I will need to step on the accelerator a little more than usual. If my tires so happen to be sitting on a patch of loose sand or gravel, the traction control will activate when I accelerate. This cuts the power from my engine and instead of briskly crossing the intersection, my car, at a snails pace, crosses the intersection. The more time my vehicle spends in the intersection, the greater chance of an accident. The power is cut for too long in my opinion and I feel that my vehicle would be much safer without it. A little spin of the my tires would occur when I'm on the loose sand and gravel but once on normal pavement, it would be business as usual. With the traction control activated, there is a delay and once on normal pavement, it still has reduced power. The car does allow the driver to turn off the traction control at a stop but it reactivates after reaching a certain speed. I do not always know when I happen to stop on a patch of loose sand and gravel and I won't always remember to turn off the traction control at every stop.