U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said he misspoke today when he said owners of recalled Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles should stop driving them until the company fixes a defect causing sudden acceleration. LaHood sought to clarify his remarks in comments to reporters after a congressional hearing. He said that if owners are in doubt, they should take their cars to the dealership.
In earlier comments to a House Appropriations panel hearing in Washington, LaHood advised drivers to "stop driving it and take it to a Toyota dealer." "What I said in there was obviously a misstatement," LaHood told reporters. "If you own one of these cars, take it to the dealer. If you are in doubt, take it to the dealer and have them fix it."
"We will fix your car while you sleep!" BEGINNING FEBRUARY 8TH, ENDING FEBRUARY 26TH 2010, OPEN 24 HOURS FOR REPAIR:
This is an important update to our general broadcast
message regarding the voluntary accelerator pedal recall and possible risk of
pedal interference with accessory floor mats. Please call back or visit our
website, www.wellesleytoyota.com,
periodically for updates.
Hello, my name is Eric Graf, service manager of Wellesley
Toyota Scion.
Toyota engineers have developed and tested a solution that
involves reinforcing the pedal assembly in a manner that eliminates the excess
friction that has caused the pedals to stick in rare instances.
Parts to reinforce the pedals are being shipped to us within
the next 48 hours. Dealer training to install these components should be
completed by the end of the week.
In an effort to offer you the best quality service, we will
be open 24 hours starting Monday February 8th for your convenience.
We will fix your car while you sleep.
Please schedule an appointment with the service department
prior to dropping off your vehicle for this recall. You may schedule an
appointment by emailing "service@wellesleytoyota.com" or "recall@wellesleytoyota.com" or calling our direct service line at 888-556-7538.
We at Wellesley Toyota Scion care about you, our customers,
and want to expedite this repair. We will also include, free of charge, a
complete factory certified dealer safety inspection so you can be sure that
your vehicle has a clean bill of health.
On behalf of Toyota, we apologize for this
inconvenience.
TOYOTA ANNOUNCES COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO FIX ACCELERATOR PEDALS ON RECALLED VEHICLES AND ENSURE CUSTOMER SAFETY.
Rigorously Tested Reinforced Pedals Will Eliminate the Excess Friction that Caused Sticking
Toyota Will Make Concerted Effort to Repair Recalled Vehicles as Quickly and Conveniently as Possible
TORRANCE, Calif., February 1, 2010 - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS)
U.S.A., Inc., today announced it will begin fixing accelerator pedals
in recalled Toyota Division vehicles this week. Toyota's engineers
have developed and rigorously tested a solution that involves
reinforcing the pedal assembly in a manner that eliminates the excess
friction that has caused the pedals to stick in rare instances. In
addition, Toyota has developed an effective solution for vehicles in
production.
Parts to reinforce the pedals are already being shipped for use by dealers, and dealer training is under way.
"Ensuring the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company" - Group Vice President and Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter
Toyota has temporarily suspended the assembly line of the eight models involved in the recall to prioritize the installation of parts in customer vehicles.
Wellesley Toyota is working closely with Toyota to execute an immediate solution, which we will have in place shortly.
Thank you for your patience.
************************************************************************************************************ As of 12:59 PM Tuesday January 26th, 2010:
Now PRE-ORDERING Voluntary Accelerator Pedal Recall and Pedal
Interference w/ Accessory Floor Mats PARTS!!!
Our intention is to expedite this recall for our customers.
INSTRUCTIONS: Please email the following information about your vehicle to: "recall@wellesleytoyota.com"
1. FIRST & LAST NAME 2. CONTACT PHONE NUMBER 3. VALID EMAIL ADDRESS 4. YEAR, MAKE, MODEL of your VEHICLE 5. VIN NUMBER of your VEHICLE
The VIN Number of your vehicle can be found on your registration and/or Driver's side door jam.
The VIN Number is REQUIRED in order to pre-order the necessary parts.
As soon as the necessary parts arrive for your vehicle, we will be contacting you to schedule your repair.
Thank you for your patience.
*Privacy Policy: Wellesley Toyota knows that you care how information about you is used and shared, and we appreciate your trust that we will do so carefully and sensibly. Information about our customers is neither shared nor sold to third party vendors. Occasionally, we may send company offers and notices with regards to the ownership of your vehicle.
As of 10:45 AM Saturday January 23rd 2010: If I am an owner of one of the affected vehicles,
what action do I need to take?
Toyota is
working quickly to prepare a correction remedy and will issue owner notifications
in the future.No action is
required at this time unless you feel you are experiencing this condition.If you are experiencing this condition,
immediately contact
the Wellesley Toyota Service Department for assistance.
What should I do if I still have questions or
concerns?
If you still have questions or concerns that have not
been addressed here, please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at
1-800-331-4331.
The Toyota Customer Experience Center hours are:
Mon - Fri, 5:00 am - 6:00 pm PST Sat, 7:00 am - 4:00 pm PST
Q1: What is the condition? A1: There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.
Q2: What is the cause? A2: Over time, some accelerator pedal mechanisms may become worn. As a result of this wear combined with certain operating and environmental conditions, friction in the mechanism may increase and intermittently result in the accelerator pedal being hard to depress, slow to return or, in the worst case, stick in a partially open position.
Q3: Are there any warnings that this condition exists? A3: Gradually over a period of time, the driver may notice that the accelerator pedal is harder to depress or is slow to return. In some cases, the driver may notice a rough or chattered feeling when depressing/releasing the accelerator pedal.
Q5: What is Toyota going to do? A5: Toyota is currently preparing the correction method.
Q6: What should I do if my vehicle is involved in this campaign but so far, have not experienced this condition? A6: This condition is rare. However, if you have any concerns please contact the Wellesley Toyota Service Department for assistance.
Q7: I have noticed that my accelerator pedal is hard to depress, slow to return or is unsmooth during operation. What should I do? A7: Please immediately contact the Wellesley Toyota Service Department for assistance.
Q8: What if you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving? A8: Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but Toyota is providing the following instructions. * If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist. * Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine. * If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.
-If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button. -If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.
In the event that a driver experiences an accelerator pedal that sticks in a partial open throttle position or returns slowly to idle position, the vehicle can be controlled with firm and steady application of the brakes. The brakes should not be pumped repeatedly because it could deplete vacuum assist, requiring stronger brake pedal pressure. The vehicle should be driven to the nearest safe location, the engine shut off and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance.
This is a general broadcast message regarding the
voluntary accelerator pedal recall and possible risk of pedal interference with
accessory floor mats. Please call back periodically for updates.
Hello, my name is Eric Graf, service manager of Wellesley Toyota
Scion.
Reported incidents of unintended acceleration are rare.
Toyota takes the safety of its customers very seriously and
is working quickly to prepare the correction method. When this is complete,
Toyota will be notifying you by mail if your vehicle is affected by this
recall. As soon as the correction method is shared with us, we at Wellesley
Toyota will help expedite the completion of this recall with dedicated
technicians and work areas.
In the mean time, please remove all rubber/accessory floor
mats from your vehicle.
If you notice that your accelerator pedal is hard to
depress, slow to return, or is unsmooth during operation, the vehicle can be
controlled with firm and steady application of the brake pedal. Please drive to
the nearest safe location, shut down the motor, and contact us. Each
circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment.
If you have any further questions, please dial 0 for the
operator and ask for service, or you may call the Toyota Customer Experience Center
directly at 1-800-331-4331, or go online to Toyota.com - News and
Information.
On behalf of Toyota, we apologize for this
inconvenience.
