LOS ANGELES — Toyota Motor Corp. said Monday that it has a repair to stop the cause of unintended acceleration that has led to a recall of eight of its most popular vehicles.
The Japanese automaker has briefly stopped selling and manufacturing the vehicles and has recalled more than 4 million worldwide to fix the gas pedal problem. Toyota has also recalled cars because of a floor mat issue.
Here’s what owners of the affected autos need to know.
Question: When can I expect to receive instructions on how I can get my gas pedal fixed?
Answer: Certified letters will start going out at the end of the week. But because the company has to contact millions of owners, Toyota says it will take some time to process and mail the instructions to all of the affected owners.
Customers who don’t receive a letter right away should wait until they receive it to make an appointment. But if their vehicle exhibits symptoms of rough pedal action, a sluggish pedal return to idle or unanticipated acceleration they should contact a Toyota dealer.
Q: How do I schedule an appointment?
A: Don’t call Toyota’s toll-free customer service number. You need to call a local dealership. But Toyota wants you to wait for the certified letter, which will confirm that your car is included in the recall. Because there are so many cars involved, Toyota wants to owners to have an appointment before arriving at a dealership to avoid a crush and long waits.
Q: Will Toyota give me a loaner while my car is being fixed?
A: Toyota says that’s the plan, although in some cases, dealers may be able to fix it right away.
Q: What happens if I don’t hear from Toyota?
A: It may take a number of weeks to receive your notification letter. Many vehicles, including certain Camry, RAV4 Highlander and Corolla vehicles are not included because their pedal comes from a different supplier. If a customer does not receive a letter at all, their vehicle is unaffected.
Q: Which models are included in accelerator pedal recall?
A: Toyota stopped sales of the following models: 2009 and 2010 RAV4, 2009 and 2010 Corolla, 2009 and 2010 Matrix, 2005 to 2010 Avalon, 2010 Highlander, 2007 to 2010 Tundra and 2008 to 2010 Sequoia.
It also stopped sales of certain 2007 to 2010 Camry sedans, depending on where those vehicles were manufactured; owners of Camrys, RAV4s, Corollas and Highlanders with vehicle identification numbers that begin with “J” are not affected by the recall, Toyota says.
Q: Where can I find the VIN number on my car?
A: The VIN, or vehicle identification number, can be found by looking through the windshield for a black tag located on the driver’s side of the dashboard. The tag should be where the dashboard meets the windshield.
Q: What is the gas pedal fix?
A: Toyota said the problem is with a “friction device” within the pedals. The automaker plans to install a steel reinforcement bar into the pedal assembly in order to reduce friction.
Q: When will Toyota start making the autos again?
A: Production of those vehicles, on six assembly lines in the U.S. and Canada, ceased Monday, but will begin again on Feb. 8, the automaker said. These cars will have the reinforcement bar installed as they move through the factory.
Q: Wasn’t there another recall for the same issue?
A: Toyota is in the process of recalling vehicles to address rare instances in which floor mats have trapped the accelerator pedal in certain Toyota and Lexus models and is notifying customers how it will fix this issue. Some vehicles are involved in both recalls. Toyota said that in such instances it plans to make both fixes at the same time.
The floor mat recall affects the 2007-10 Camry, 2005-10 Avalon, 2004-09 Prius, 2005-10 Tacoma, 2007-10 Tundra, 2007-10 Lexus ES350, 2006-10 Lexus IS250 and IS350. It was recently expanded to also include the 2008-10 Highlander, 2009-10 Corolla, 2009-10 Venza, 2009-2010 Matrix and the 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe (manufactured by Toyota.)
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
