February 2010

Toyota Recalls

Toyota announced on Jan 21^st that it is recalling 270,000 vehicles in Canada and 2.3 million in the U.S. to address sticky accelerator pedals.  And on Jan. 26^th, the automaker announced it is temporarily suspending sales of the affected models and stopping production at some North American plants to deal with the issue.

According to Toyota, they are recalling the vehicles because, “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.”  On February 1^st, Toyota announced a remedy for the problem that involves reinforcing the pedal to eliminate excess friction.

Models affected are:

• 2009-2010 RAV4
• 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2010 Highlander
• 2008-2010 Sequoia
• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2007-2010 Tundra

This recall is separate from the one issued in October 2009 that affected 4.2 million vehicles in the U.S. and 200,000 in Canada.  The October recall was for accelerator pedals that could become stuck in an open position due to an unsecured or incompatible floor mat.  Vehicles affected include Toyota models Avalon, Camry, Prius, Tacoma, and Tundra as well as several Lexus models.  Model years range from 2004 to 2010.  This initial recall was expanded on January 28^th to include an additional 1.1 million vehicles sold in the U.S. (2008-2010 Toyota Highlander and 2009-2010 Toyota Corolla, Venza, Matrix, and Pontiac Vibe).

Up to 1.8 million European vehicles covering eight models are also recalled for sticky gas pedals, as well as more than 75,000 RAV4s manufactured in China.

Details can be found on Toyota’s Canadian and U.S. websites Toyota.ca and Toyota.com including tips on what to do if your accelerator sticks.

No matter what you drive, if you experience a problem with your vehicle that you feel may be a safety issue, be sure to report it to Transport Canada at www.tc.gc.ca or the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.