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Posts Tagged ‘Runaway Toyota’

Toyota Suspends Sale of 8 Models

January 29th, 2010 by Matthew C. Keegan | 1 Comment | Filed in Autos Express

Japanese automaker sounds the alarm

Toyota Tundra

This beefy Tundra pick up is one of 8 affected models being recalled and pulled from the market.

Last November Say Educate reported that the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) was coming to grips with a problem which revealed that several of its cars were involved in serious accidents due to one or more defects. Those accidents have reportedly killed or injured hundreds of people, leading to ABC News and other media outlets to launch their own investigation.

Defective Accelerators

We followed up that earlier report with news that Toyota would be replacing gas pedals on affected models, recalling millions of cars. But that recall may only be the tip of the iceberg as TMC has now suspended the sale of eight of its models. What is more, the eight affected car lines account for 57 percent of Toyota’s sales which means that until a solution is found, then Toyota sales will grind to a slow crawl.

TMC has yet to announce how they will handle a recall which may replace floor mats, gas pedals, or both on certain cars. Indeed, reports this week in Thursday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal indicate that current owners do not know what to do with some people choosing to keep their cars off the road until Toyota offers clarification.

Eight Toyotas

The affected models being recalled and part of the stop sale initative include:

  • 2009-2010 RAV4
  • 2009-2010 Corolla
  • 2009-2010 Matrix
  • 2005-2010 Avalon
  • Certain 2007-2010 Camry
  • 2010 Highlander except hybrid models
  • 2007-2010 Tundra
  • 2008-2010 Sequoia

Unaffected Models

TMC was quick to point out that no vehicles sold under its two other brands, Lexus and Scion, are affected. Nor are other Toyota models including the Tacoma, Yaris, certain Camrys, Venza, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, FJ Cruiser, Sienna, Solara, and Prius. If you plan to shop for a car this weekend at your Toyota dealership, you may see signs in place on affected models saying “no sale” or “currently unavailable” while unaffected models will still be marketed.

In addition to sales being stopped for a time, Automotive News reports that TMC will be shutting down five North American factories which produce these vehicles until further notice. At the moment, TMC does not have a solution in place which means your dealership is not in the position to handle recall related repairs. If you own an affected model, you will receive notification over the coming weeks on what steps you should take.

The recall comes just as Toyota begins to recover from an industry wide drop in sales last year and its first yearly loss ever. TMC’s fiscal year ends on March 31, with another multi-billion dollar loss expected.

Source: Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia file photo


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Toyota Proposes Gas Pedal Fix For Runaway Toyota Problem

November 17th, 2009 by Matthew C. Keegan | 4 Comments | Filed in Autos Express

Earlier this month, we amplified a report from ABC News regarding their investigation into what is being dubbed as a “Runaway Toyota” problem involving select Toyota and Lexus vehicles. These vehicles have reportedly surged to speeds exceeding 100 mph, despite driver efforts to get their cars to stop.

According to ABC News and other sources, Toyota has been insisting that the problem involves all-weather floor mats while various outside investigators suggest that the problem could be computer in nature.

19 Dead

Regardless of the causes of these accidents which have killed as many as 19 people, Toyota now appears ready to redesign the accelerator pedal for its impacted models, a fix that just may get the blessing of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal organization tasked with overseeing automotive safety.

Nearly four million Toyota and Lexus vehicles are under the recall, by far the largest recall ever for Toyota in the United States. The vehicles included are: 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250. The vehicles will be serviced at U.S. Dealerships at no charge to owners.

False Claims

Toyota apparently made the problem worse by initially falsely claiming government inspectors had found “no defects exist” in the suspect cars other than loose floor mats. The Japanese auto giant went so far as to post a video on their website saying as much which resulted in an immediate rebuke from federal officials. Moreover, effected owners soon rallied together pushing the Runaway Toyota issue to the top of the news via blogs, web sites, and through newspapers such as the Los Angeles Times as well as with ABC News which continues to track the story.

Owners of vehicles featured will receive official notification within the coming weeks on how and where to take their cars in for service. Toyota hasn’t indicated if they have new pedals in stock or whether they’ll have to await the manufacture of same. In any case look for the recall to take months to complete with many owners wondering if the runaway problem is being solved or if a larger issue lurks underneath the hood of their cars.

Adv. — Are you considering purchasing a new car over the next few months? Get a car quote/find a dealer or find auto loan financing to help save money on your next set of wheels.


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