U.S. Transportation Chief: Don't Drive Recalled Toyotas Page 2
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Last week, Toyota halted sales and production of the eight new models affected by the recall. Beginning this weekend, dealerships will begin installing a small shim that, Toyota says, will eliminate the possibility of the moisture-related binding that causes the sticky-throttle situation. Owners with older, higher-mileage vehicles are more likely to encounter the issue.
Dealerships are instructed to make customer vehicles the first priority, so it could be a while yet before some of these models are again widely available. Production begins again next Monday, using a redesigned accelerator linkage.
From NHTSA's consumer advisory on the issue, here's advice on what to do if experiencing unintended acceleration or a sticky throttle:
Actions Consumers Can Take If They Cannot Stop Their Vehicle. Regardless of the cause, if a consumer is experiencing unintended acceleration in their vehicle, they should take the following steps:
- Brake firmly and steadily – do not pump the brake pedal
- Shift the transmission into Neutral (for vehicles with automatic transmissions and the sport option, familiarize yourself with where Neutral is – the diagram may be misleading)
- Steer to a safe location
- Shut the engine off (for vehicles with keyless ignition, familiarize yourself with how to turn the vehicle off when it is moving – this may be a different action than turning the vehicle off when it is stationary).
- Call your dealer or repair shop to pick up the vehicle. Do not drive it.
For more information on the recall, you can call the Toyota Experience Center at 800-331-4331; the Lexus Customer Assistance Center at 800-255-3987; or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Hotline at 888-327-4236.
And for more on what to do if you have a stuck accelerator, along with a timeline and index of stories on this issue, and a complete list of the vehicles affected, visit our summary page, Toyota And Lexus Recall: Everything You Need To Know
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BHO Posted: 2/3/2010 12:49pm PST
JavaJunkie Posted: 2/3/2010 12:52pm PST
Edward Posted: 2/3/2010 1:04pm PST
greedo Posted: 2/3/2010 1:09pm PST
As for the advisory, I'd recommend not driving any Toyota, for fear of falling asleep at the wheel due to boredom. Unintended acceleration might be the only way to make it fun.
Limousine Liberal Posted: 2/3/2010 2:04pm PST
Samantha Rogers Posted: 2/3/2010 6:43pm PST
Riley Posted: 2/4/2010 2:48am PST
Perhaps surprisingly (or perhaps not) for a company that claims to focus obsessively on the customer, Toyota dragged its heels. This is the culmination, or at least for today, of a long history of the government trying to get a profit-focused company to focus on a safety issue.
I have no sympathy at all for Toyota. But they're hardly the only one. Talked to anyone who had their Honda Element windshield crack? Honda's response was: "Well, you must have driven it over a gravel road, these things happen, warranty doesn't apply."
Just today there's some kind of Chevy Cobalt fire issue. CARS ARE NOT PERFECT, AND NEVER WILL BE. There's gotta be a happy medium, somewhere.
First thing we do ...
dave Posted: 2/4/2010 3:25am PST
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