Toyota halts sales and expands recall
No, before you click off the page, thinking you have reached the wrong blog, this is still Political Realities. Before you get carried away with the leaving part, please read the article, as it is very important, especially if you own a Toyota or Lexus vehicle. Since I work in the automotive service industry, I thought it would be a good thing to include on the blog. Maybe someone reading will need to know this information.
TOYOTA – QUALITY PERSONIFIED
Toyota has been in the news for a while now, for reasons that are normally not the case. Usually, you read about Toyota or Lexus vehicles because their quality standards are so high. They truly do pay attention to every detail. The service manager at our repair shop recommends them to anyone who asks and his wife and daughter both drive a Toyota Camry. I drive a Chevrolet and a Buick myself, but I will say this about the Toyota Camry. If everyone had one, we would lose a lot of repair business. They are reliable vehicles. But, instead of hearing about how reliable they are, we are now hearing about some of the problems they are having, namely faulty accelerator pedals. Last year, it was big news when the Lexus vehicle being driven by a California State Trooper crashed and exploded, killing four people. From what I understand, the accelerator pedal had became stuck on a floor mat and had caused the vehicle to accelerate, despite the driver’s efforts to slow it down.
Toyota has since issued a recall and instructed owners to remove the floor mats from certain vehicles and it seemed the problem was solved. As it turns out, it is not. Several other vehicles have been involved in crashes and Toyota is saying they are the result of faulty accelerator pedals, which were manufactured in the United States. As a result of the ongoing problem and the trouble they are having identifying the cause and any possible solutions, Toyota has issued more recalls and has taken the unprecedented step of halting production and sales of certain models in the United States and overseas. It includes the following vehicles. For more information, you can visit the Toyota USA Newsroom.
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
WHAT TO DO IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS?
Part of the discussion I have seen has been concerning the exact measures to take if you are driving a Toyota (or any other vehicle) and the accelerator pedal sticks. Let me share with you
what our service manger says to do if this happens. It’s simple, just turn the vehicle off. If the vehicle has an ignition key, do not turn it all the way off, but just to the accessory position. If the vehicle does not have an ignition key, pushing the stop button should turn it off. It is important to note that you will lose the power steering and the power brakes, but you should be able to firmly apply the brake and bring the vehicle to a stop. The steering will be stiff, but it will work. It’s easy to lose one’s calm in a situation where you feel you have no control over the vehicle, but following these steps should allow you to safely stop the vehicle. Once you are stopped, call a tow truck and have the vehicle taken to a Toyota dealership for inspection.
A lot of discussion is already taking place about how this will affect Toyota in the long run. Let’s face it, stopping production and sales of any product, no matter the reason, is certain to cost the manufacturer of that product market share and profitability. There is no doubt in my mind that this will apply to Toyota as well, but taking the steps they are taking shows they are serious about correcting the problem and taking care of their customers. I think they will do okay in the end.
For a related article on how these problems are affecting Toyota and how GM and Ford are taking advantage of Toyota’s bad fortune, please visit The Auto Writer and read what Matt has to say. I think you will find it interesting, as did I.
UPDATE: See Matt Keegan’s comments below for a much better method of controlling a vehicle if the accelerator pedal becomes stuck or unresponsive.
Thank you for the link, Larry, but I can’t go along with your service manager’s recommendation especially if you are driving at a high rate of speed and the car careens out of control.
Consumer Reports addressed the proper way for stopping a car with a stuck gas pedal by firmly applying the brake and shifting the car into neutral. You never lose control of the all important power steering at this point which is critical.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/11/video-how-not-to-stop-a-runaway-car-dont-pump-the-brakes.html
In the Lexus ES350 incident, the driver who was a California Highway Patrol officer apparently tried to turn the car off, but it wouldn’t stop. That car topped speeds of 100 mph before slamming into the back of a Ford Explorer, flipping over, and bursting into flames.
One more point: Toyota has known about this problem since 2004. That is why I am following this topic so closely. The automaker’s reputation has long been stellar, but the cover up is appalling.
Matt Keegan´s last blog ..Toyota Suspends Sale of 8 Models
I think his idea was trying to keep the engine from blowing up from high rpms, but your point is well taken. Thanks for the link.
I can appreciate that Larry. But maintaining control over the vehicle at all times is critically important to bringing a runaway car to a safe stop.
I found the updated Consumer Reports video which outlines procedures that people can take. They changed things a bit since it was first aired in November, but for the most part maintaining control over the brakes and steering is important:
http://www.autotrends.org/how-to-stop-your-runaway-car/
Matt Keegan´s last blog ..How To Stop Your Runaway Car
You are correct, Matt. I think I will update the post to reflect that.
By the way, did you notice that your comment did not get snared by the spam filter this time? Maybe it has finally figured out that you are not spam.
Yes I did. I guess your blog is getting used to my regular visits. I feel loved!
Matt Keegan´s last blog ..I am not alone…
Matt,
I suppose I spoke too soon. Your latest comment just got snagged by the spam folder. I can’t figure out why it is doing that. Did you realize you used Dominique’s latest article for your url? That may be the reason it snagged it, as it may not recognize that you and her blog go together.
I know those accelerator pedals were manufactured in Canada, but I can’t find where the individual parts are manufactured. Not sure if that is public information or not.
rjjrdq´s last blog ..Justice Alito To Obama: “You Lie!”
rjjrdq,
I think the individual part were manufactured in Indiana, if I am not mistaken.
*Gasp* are you getting paid to advertise for Toyota???
(just kidding!)
MuskogeePolitico´s last blog ..Muskogee Mayoral Race Update
This is really heartbreaking for me. I love Toyota. Why would they keep this quiet since 2004? My gosh! I think Matt is right to keep a close eye on this.
I hate to say this, but if this continues to be handled so poorly, it may be the end of Toyota as we know it….if it isn’t already.
Dominique´s last blog ..Searching for my memory
Responding to Dominique’s comment, I do not think that this is the end of Toyota or at least as we know it.
What I think it will prove to be is a defining moment for the company. Like GM, Ford, and Chrysler, Toyota has grown complacent, resting on its laurels and gobbling up market share at the expense of quality.
We know that quality is an issue here, but Toyota’s handling of public relations (PR) has been horrible. Look for Toyota to lose well over one billion dollars in all this as well as customers who will look elsewhere for their new car.
If they get their act together, Toyota should recover.
Matt Keegan´s last blog ..Tebow Ad: Where Is The Controversy?