January 21, 2010
Toyota announced a new recall that involves 2.3 million vehicles, including 2007-2010 Tundra trucks. At risk is the accelerator pedal, which (when worn) can potentially become stuck in a depressed position or return to idle too slowly. The pedals of affected vehicles can also be harder to depress.If your truck experiences the problem before repairs can be made, Toyota recommends using steady and firm pressure on the brakes to bring the vehicle to a stop. Don't pump the brakes -- that will diminish the effectiveness of the truck's power assist, and you'll have to push much harder on the pedal to slow the vehicle down. That's something to remember no matter what you're driving -- braking systems are usually capable of stopping a car or truck even when its accelerator is stuck.
If steady braking doesn't slow the vehicle quickly enough, shift into neutral, but be careful not to put the truck into reverse or park. Do not turn the ignition off when the truck is moving, since that could lock up the steering column and turn off important safety controls, such as anti-lock brakes.
Toyota Vehicles Included in Recall
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2009-2010 Corolla
- 2010 Highlander
- 2009-2010 Matrix
- 2009-2010 RAV4
- 2008-2010 Sequoia
- 2007-2010 Tundra
Even though this new Toyota recall focuses on the accelerator pedal, it is not related to the problem involving pedal entrapment by floor mats.
Tundra owners will be notified by mail to bring trucks in for repair. If you have questions, call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
January 26, 2010
Toyota instructed its dealers to halt sales of the eight models involved in the recall. The suspension includes Tundra trucks, Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Highlander, RAV4 and Sequoia. Sales will resume after Toyota has finalized a fix for the accelerator issue.
January 27, 2010
Toyota has stopped production at five North American plants that produce the eight vehicles involved in its accelerator recall. None of the cars or trucks will be delivered until a fix is in place. When asked about a time-frame for resumption of production and sales, Toyota responded with: "We’re making every effort to remedy this situation for our customers as quickly as possible." In other words, they don't have a clue yet how long it will take.
January 28, 2010
Toyota reinforced its recall message today by reminding owners that the accelerator problem covered by this recall does not develop instantly, and that affected pedals become difficult to push down over time before sticking in the depressed condition.Engineers have reportedly pin-pointed the problems. A supplier is working to produce parts for new production vehicles, but as of today no replacement parts for existing cars and trucks have been designed or produced.
February 1, 2010
Toyota Announces Fix for Accelerator PedalsToyota announced that parts to fix accelerator pedals are on their way to dealerships, and said that some dealers plan to stay open extended hours in order to repair affected vehicles as quickly as possible.
A little background on the accelerator pedals before I talk about the repair -- they're electronic (not controlled by a cable), using a system that's commonly referred to as drive-by-wire. The electronic system includes parts that create friction in order to give the pedal the resistance (or feel) of a normal accelerator. Toyota discovered that, in some vehicles (with time and wear) the friction has increased, making the pedal slow to return or prone to stick in place. The fix involves installing a metal shim onto the pedal assembly. The shim changes the friction point, decreasing pressure and reducing wear on problem parts.
Toyota says it will start notifying owners about the recall this week. Once you're at the dealership, the repair should take about 30 minutes.
Production of new cars and trucks is set to resume the week of February 8.
