Toyota is trying to 'Move forward'
by Sarah Woodhurst, posted April 27, 2010
Things have been hectic for one of America’s leading vehicle manufacturers, Toyota, which has issued two major recalls within the past few months. After numerous driver complaints and dangerous incidents that were directly related to a sticking accelerator pedal issue, Toyota decided to recall both the accelerator pedal and floor mats in certain vehicles.
Toyota issued the sticking accelerator pedal recall on Jan. 21, 2010. The Toyota models affected by the sticking accelerator pedal recall are:
- Certain 2009-2010 RAV4
- Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
- 2009-2010 Matrix
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- Certain 2007-2010 Camry
- Certain 2010 Highlander
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2008-2010 Sequoia
Toyota issued a floor mat recall on Sept. 29, 2009, but because of the recent sticking accelerator pedal exposure, the recall has been drawn back into publicity. The Toyota models affected by the floor mat recall are:
- 2004-2009 Prius
- 2005-2010 Tacoma
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2008-2010 Highlander
- 2009-2010 Corolla
- 2009-2010 Venza
- 2009-2010 Matrix
In March, just a couple months after these recalls were issued, a Toyota Prius owner James Sikes was the center of media attention after the accelerator pedal of his car stuck on a freeway in California. This became known as the “Runaway Prius” incident. Sikes claimed that he had taken his car into his local Toyota dealership, but they had told him that his car was not listed under the accelerator pedal recall list. After further research, the Prius was actually only listed under the floor mat recall list, even though his floor mat was in correct condition.
The “Runaway Prius” incident isn’t the only sticking accelerator pedal or floor mat occurrence that has been caused by defective Toyota models, which is why some consumers have developed a lack of confidence in Toyota’s explanation of the situation.
“I think they’re trying to blame the consumer too much,” said Floyd McRae. “They were deflecting too much of the focus back onto the consumer because, in my opinion, they didn’t have a solution.”
In a letter that was sent out to owners with affected recall vehicles from Toyota on Feb. 2, Toyota said: “We have launched a comprehensive plan to permanently fix the vehicles we’ve recalled because, in rare instances, accelerator pedals can, over time, become slow to release or get stuck. We know what’s causing this and what we have to do to fix it. We’ve tested our solution rigorously, and we are confident that it works.”
Although the letter did not go into detail about what exactly is causing the sticking accelerator pedal, Toyota went on to say: “We’ve temporarily halted production of these models to focus fully on fixing this problem in the vehicles that are on the road. Our entire organization of 172,000 North American employees and dealership personnel is committed to you.”
Just like their slogan, “Moving forward,” Toyota has taken many safety measures in recent months to ensure that Toyota owners are safe driving their vehicle.
“Ensuring your safety is our highest priority,” Toyota President Jim Lentz said in a news release. “We’ll continue to do everything we can to meet – and exceed – your expectations and justify your continued trust in Toyota.”
For more information and updates regarding the recalls, visit: http://www.toyota.com/recall.
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